Chapter 4° Coincidence
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The first rays of sunlight began to creep through the tall windows of the Holy Orchid Institute Library, casting a golden glow over the shelves crammed with ancient tomes.
Xiang Yun, his eyes slightly bloodshot from fatigue, finally lifted his head from a book that had nothing to do with his initial research.
"Basic Concepts of Alchemy," "Alchemy Formulas," "Spirit Gathering Pill," "Sharpening Inscription"...
This library was a treasure trove of knowledge, covering not just inscriptions but also alchemy and barrier techniques. It held books of incredible depth and fascination, far beyond anything he had seen before.
But what truly caught his attention was a cultivation technique he had stumbled upon amidst this ocean of knowledge: the [Five Elemental Stellar Technique].
It wasn't the "ultimate" technique he had been searching for—lacking the space and chaos elements his soul form carried—but it was, without doubt, divine when compared to his current one.
And the worst part? That cultivation manual had been used as a support wedge for one of the shelves.
Such an excellent technique, reduced to a makeshift prop. That only fueled his curiosity about why these books had never been made public.
The night before, he had attempted to transition to the new cultivation technique and had been stunned by the rate of his progress. Yesterday, his soul force had been only 116. Today, the soul crystal in his hand gleamed with a shocking 156. His cultivation was advancing so quickly that he forced himself to slow down, fearing that such exponential growth might damage his foundation.
Putting the books aside, Xiang Yun began to organize them, then set off for the Institute, now part of his daily routine.
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Class went by as it had the day before. Shen Xiu remained arrogant, but now with noticeable restraint. Shen Yue still shot daggers at him with his eyes whenever Ye Ziyun was nearby, and Xiao Ning'er kept to her usual lone-wolf demeanor.
But today, Xiang Yun had a plan. He had decided to "coincidentally" bump into her and hopefully help her earlier than the events of the original timeline.
"Sorry, Nie Li, but I'm not leaving this one to you." Xiang Yun leaned back in his chair, watching Shen Xiu walk around the classroom.
As soon as the dismissal bell rang and the students began to disperse, he slipped out first, heading toward the training field—the same one where Nie Li had found Xiao Ning'er while he, Lu Piao, and Du Ze had been hunting Horned Sheep in the novel.
He had already scouted the place, so he knew exactly where she'd be.
To keep the "coincidence" believable, he found and took down a few horned sheep with ease, pretending he was simply there for his own training.
"BAAA!"
Suddenly, the sound of hooves and a deep, guttural growl echoed through the woods. A Horned Sheep, its eyes red with madness, had demonized and was now charging straight at him.
"Finally! This is exactly what I was hoping for!" Xiang Yun grinned, showing not the slightest hint of fear.
He didn't attack immediately. Instead, he dodged and began to run after it, his movements calculated to maintain a twenty-meter distance.
Every few moments, he would speed up, subtly guiding the sheep towards a specific direction: the place where, in his memories, Xiao Ning'er used to cultivate. The trap was set.
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Meanwhile, somewhere in the training field, Xiao Ning'er sat in a lotus position.
Her outfit, made of sky-blue fabric with golden accents, hugged her curves perfectly. The V-cut neckline boldly emphasized the swell of her chest, and her shoulders were completely bare. Around her waist, the skirt was more ornamental than modest—layered and open at the sides, leaving much of her legs exposed.
Despite her young age, her clothes were quite revealing, and every cut and detail seemed made to draw attention effortlessly.
Her eyes remained closed, long lashes trembling slightly, and her eyebrows were thin and elegant.
Suddenly, a shiver ran down her spine. "Who's there!?"
She snapped her eyes open, and a pair of short daggers materialized in her hands with a silver-blue glow. She heard the sound of quick footsteps—extremely quick—coming from the front, deep in the forest.
She stood in one smooth motion, daggers at the ready. In the next instant, the underbrush exploded, and a Demonized Horned Sheep burst through, its bloodshot eyes locked on her. Covered in matted fur and shrouded in dark aura, it charged straight at her.
"A demonized Horned Sheep?" Xiao Ning'er murmured in surprise. It wasn't an uncommon beast, but becoming demonized wasn't easy.
She had to be careful.
In this state, it was fast, agile, and its curved horns looked like blades. But her surprise only lasted a moment. With a light and precise leap, she dodged the initial attack, which tore up the ground and leaves as it passed.
Who would let one get like that? Don't they know there are other students training nearby? she thought, feeling the bloodlust in the beast's eyes.
But before the sheep could turn to charge again, another figure burst from the same direction. He leapt over Xiao Ning'er with surprising ease, landing between her and the beast.
"You're fast when it comes to running away, but why not try fleeing now?" Xiang Yun said, turning slightly toward the sheep, a teasing smile on his lips—as if Xiao Ning'er's presence was nothing more than a passing detail.
The sheep screeched, a guttural sound far from normal, and stomped its front hooves on the ground, kicking up dust. Its crimson eyes locked onto Xiang Yun, curved horns aimed directly at him. The creature's rage seemed to hang heavy in the air.
Xiang Yun ignored the threat, drawing a white-and-blue sword from his spatial ring. The blade was already stained with the blood of other sheep—something that only seemed to enrage this one even more.
This Demonized Horned Sheep wasn't injured, which meant its reactions were razor-sharp. Not something just anyone could handle.
Seeing the beast sizing up the young man—who seemed familiar—Xiao Ning'er's hands began to sweat. Still, she didn't sheath her daggers. She was ready to act if necessary.
"BAAA!"
The demonized shriek split the air. The sheep charged like a black arrow, driven by rage. Head lowered, horns aimed straight at Xiang Yun's chest. Its speed was insane, completely ignoring Xiao Ning'er and focusing solely on its new opponent.
Xiang Yun held his stance, perfectly balanced. At the very last millisecond, he raised his sword in front of his chest—the white-and-blue blade clashing with the pointed horn in a metallic CLANG that echoed through the forest.
The impact was strong enough to push him back several steps, but he held firm, his gaze locked onto the beast's furious red eyes.
And he smiled.
Then, with a fluid and effortless motion—almost like a dance—Xiang Yun drew a second sword, matching the first. In a movement that seemed to blend with the wind, the silver blade swept down in a perfect arc.
Slash!
There wasn't even time for the sheep to cry out. A wet, heavy sound cut through the air, and the beast's head—still bearing those enraged red eyes—rolled across the ground, severed cleanly from its body. The body collapsed, and the dark aura surrounding it began to fade.
Xiang Yun stored the body in a separate spatial ring, then flicked the blood from his blade before sheathing both swords. At last, he turned to Xiao Ning'er.
"Sorry if I interrupted or startled you," Xiang Yun said, bowing slightly. "I didn't expect one of them to demonize and run wild. That was my fault."
"Oh, right! No problem, that can happen to anyone. I probably shouldn't be cultivating here anyway," Xiao Ning'er replied calmly, regaining her composure.
But in that moment, she realized that this boy—her very own classmate—wasn't ordinary at all. He's probably already a Demon Spiritualist, she thought, shocked by her own conclusion.
"All right then. I'll be off. Take care!" Xiang Yun said, giving her a light smile. But before leaving, he gave her a final once-over.
She was still barefoot, and he could see her long, creamy legs illuminated by the moonlight, slightly reddened.
'Isn't the way he's looking at me a bit too bold?' she thought, unable to stop herself from feeling a flare of irritation. At that moment, Xiang Yun was no different from the other boys at the institute. That shattered the good impression she had just formed of him.
But his next words almost made her explode with anger.
"Xiao Ning'er… you're sick!"
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[A / N: If you liked it, add the library and leave a comment. If you are unhappy with something or the pace, also comment, so I can try to improve.]