“The Guangning Tower is in this direction, right?”
Seven in the evening, the nascent moon and the lingering sunset shared the sky. Along the roadside, the streetlights were already illuminated.
Their warm, orange glow dispelled the encroaching darkness, drawing a swarm of flying insects.
Huang Xiu waved her hand, shooing away the annoying mosquitoes and gnats. She then looked up at the directional sign by the roadside.
[Guangning Tower: Turn right at the next intersection]
“Good, I didn’t take a wrong turn!” She patted her chest in relief.
By last night, she had nearly mastered the fundamental Void Art structures. This meant she could finally begin the inscription process.
Initially, she had planned to take her time, making the most of the ample weekend hours.
However, Teacher Yuan had unexpectedly announced a combat training session that very afternoon.
Fearing she wouldn’t be at school from Friday to the weekend, she decided to visit the library early to pick up the pre-reserved blueprint for the ‘Wind’s Aid’ Void Art.
She aimed to complete the inscription of the art within the next few days.
Turning right at the intersection, Huang Xiu followed the new directional sign for about ten minutes.
A quaint, ancient-style pavilion soon emerged into her view.
Adorned with carved beams and painted rafters, its vermilion eaves bore dragon-shaped reliefs. The four-story pavilion stood impressively tall.
The three gilded characters “Guangning Tower” shimmered on a purple plaque.
‘The library is actually an ancient-style building,’ Huang Xiu murmured to herself. She found the architectural styles on campus increasingly baffling.
She could only attribute it to the designers’ artistic flair.
Ascending the white brick stairs, she stepped through the grand entrance of the Guangning Tower.
Before her stretched rows of neatly arranged, dark ebony wooden shelves, densely packed with all manner of books.
The floor was made of interlocking wooden planks, and the staircase was also timber. To her right, the study area featured antique-style long tables.
Aside from electric lights, power outlets, and air conditioning, everything else exuded an ancient charm.
‘It’s not just a facade, after all…’
Huang Xiu shook her head. She had half-expected it to be like the Capital Tower, with vastly different styles inside and out.
‘First, I’ll retrieve the blueprint!’ She walked towards the circulation desk, where the librarian was usually stationed, on her left.
She had already arranged with the librarian after class to pick up the Void Art blueprint at seven that evening.
However, when she reached the circulation desk, it was empty. Only the bright screen of the registration computer offered a sign of life.
“Where is everyone?” Huang Xiu glanced around. Mindful of the numerous elementary students studying intently in the self-study area, preventing her from calling out, she decided to text the librarian to inquire about the situation.
Just as she pulled out her phone, she suddenly heard hushed voices emanating from a nearby bookshelf.
“You’re definitely lying to me! I read a lot, you can’t fool me!”
“No? I really don’t believe it! How could I possibly be…”
The voice sounded vaguely familiar. Huang Xiu listened closely, confirming it was Jiang Qing.
‘What is she mumbling to herself about here?’
Huang Xiu’s curiosity piqued, she walked towards the source of the sound.
Passing two bookshelves, she saw Jiang Qing wearing a bucket hat, sitting cross-legged on the floor. In her arms rested a gray fox, and an ancient, thread-bound book lay open before her.
“It’s truly impossible!”
Jiang Qing’s face was a picture of annoyance. She pointed at the ancient book, seemingly about to say something, but barely managed to utter “impo—” before the fox in her arms let out a soft whimper.
Suddenly, she spun around, her eyes meeting Huang Xiu’s. A fleeting look of surprise and panic flashed across her face.
“H-Huang Xiu, what are you doing here?” she asked.
“Huh? I’m here to pick up a Void Art blueprint!” Huang Xiu replied, stepping out from behind the bookshelf.
Huang Xiu walked over and crouched beside Jiang Qing.
She casually glanced at the ancient book before Jiang Qing. It contained a vertical list of names written in traditional characters.
It looked somewhat like a family tree.
Not dwelling too much on the ancient text, Huang Xiu’s attention was primarily drawn to the fox in Jiang Qing’s arms.
She gently stroked the fox’s back. “Is this fox your pet?”
The fox’s fur was remarkably lustrous and soft to the touch, making her reluctant to pull her hand away.
“Ah… no.”
Jiang Qing’s expression was peculiar, as if she wanted to laugh but was holding back.
“This fox is from the mountains near the school. It often comes to visit.”
She introduced, “Its name is Xiao An. Yes, this fox is called Xiao An.”
“Xiao An? What a cute name.”
Huang Xiu was quite fond of fluffy animals, especially canids.
She gently scratched the fox’s chin, her technique clearly adept, as the fox comfortably narrowed its eyes, occasionally letting out soft whimpers.
After petting the fox for a while, Huang Xiu contentedly withdrew her hand, remembering her original purpose for being there.
“By the way, you’ve been here for a while, right? Do you know where the librarian went?”
She stood up, complaining, “We had an appointment, but now they’re nowhere to be found.”
“Oh, I know. She had to leave for something urgent just now.”
Jiang Qing tucked the ancient book under her arm and stood up, holding the fox. “I’ll go call her for you. Wait here.”
With that, she hurried off without waiting for Huang Xiu’s reply.
Watching Jiang Qing’s retreating figure, Huang Xiu smiled. ‘Something feels off!’
She wasn’t naive.
She had naturally noticed Jiang Qing’s flustered and nervous demeanor. Moreover, the other party had clearly been talking to someone earlier.
Yet, when she arrived, there was only Jiang Qing and a fox.
‘Was she talking to the fox? Could it be that Classmate Jiang’s ability allows her to communicate with animals?’
Huang Xiu stroked her chin. ‘Or perhaps, that fox is actually a transformed human?’
She wasn’t particularly bothered by Classmate Jiang’s little secret, nor was she overly curious.
After a few casual guesses, she dismissed the thought and returned to the circulation desk to continue waiting for the librarian.
Jiang Qing seemed to have genuinely gone to find the librarian, as she returned in less than three minutes.
A flurry of urgent footsteps echoed from the direction of the entrance.
Immediately, a girl with gray hair streaked with white, clutching a wooden box, rushed over.
Her face was beautiful, imbued with a hint of allure, and she wore a hooded robe reminiscent of Western witches.
“My apologies, apologies, you’ve waited long.”
As soon as she saw Huang Xiu, she quickly apologized in a low voice. “I was just organizing the stacks and completely forgot.”
“It’s fine, it’s fine. I just arrived myself.”
Huang Xiu, who always responded well to gentleness, felt her irritation dissipate somewhat upon seeing the other party’s pleasant attitude.
“Are you Hu Hui, the librarian?” she asked.
“That’s me!”
Hu Hui nodded vigorously, then, as if remembering something, suddenly extended the wooden box. “This is the ‘Wind’s Aid’ Void Art blueprint you requested, Classmate Huang Xiu.”
Huang Xiu reached out and took the box, opening it to reveal a stone tablet engraved with many intricate patterns.
These patterns, complex yet interwoven, were precisely composed of numerous fundamental Void Art structures.
“Excellent.”
Huang Xiu nodded, a smile gracing her face.
With this, she simply needed to familiarize herself with it upon returning, and then she could inscribe ‘Wind’s Aid’ onto her Chakra.
Hu Hui, looking as if a great burden had been lifted, smiled and said, “Alright, you may go!”
Huang Xiu took the box and headed towards the exit, but after only a few steps, Hu Hui called out to her.
“Wait, I just remembered there’s one more step. You need to complete the registration before taking it.” She looked a little embarrassed.
“No problem.” Huang Xiu was in a good mood and returned to the desk to complete the registration process.
“This ‘Wind’s Aid’ Void Art blueprint will disappear once you’ve inscribed it, Classmate Huang. Please be aware of that,” Hu Hui reminded her.
Huang Xiu nodded, not surprised.
When she exchanged for the Void Art yesterday, this particular detail was explicitly stated in the precautions that popped up.
“Is there anything else?” Huang Xiu asked again, finding the librarian a bit forgetful.
“Ah, of course there is.” Hu Hui smiled and extended her hand. “Would you mind shaking my hand, Classmate Huang?”
“Hm?” Huang Xiu tilted her head. “Is this part of the process too?”
Hu Hui shook her head. “No, it’s just my personal habit to shake hands with new acquaintances as a testament to the start of our friendship.”
“Friendship, huh… I can do that!”
Since someone wanted to be friends with her, Huang Xiu naturally shook Hu Hui’s hand.
Only then did she happily take the wooden box and exit the Guangning Tower.
“Ugh, I still need to shed blood… so painful. I can’t cut myself. Can this ability not be used that way?”
Hu Hui stuck out her tongue, her face filled with an expression that read, ‘Is Classmate Huang really that brave?’
“Sister An…” From behind a nearby bookshelf, Jiang Qing emerged, a hint of hesitation on her face.
“Well, what have you decided?”
Hu Hui looked at Jiang Qing. “Are you planning to return with me to Qingqiu to acknowledge your ancestors and join the clan?”
Jiang Qing remained silent for a moment, then shook her head.
“I’m human. How can I go to the Void Realm to acknowledge my ancestors and join a clan?”
She hadn’t expected that losing a single gamble would entangle her in such a massive responsibility and karma.
‘Next time I gamble… I must be more cautious,’ Jiang Qing thought to herself.
Upon returning to her dorm room, Huang Xiu did not immediately begin the inscription. Instead, she started studying the blueprint of the ‘Wind’s Aid’ Void Art.
Although she had learned the fundamental Void Art structures, each Void Art was composed of many such basic structures.
‘Wind’s Aid’ was no exception.
Huang Xiu held the stone tablet under her desk lamp, examining it for a good while. She had already identified five basic structures within it.
The entire ‘Wind’s Aid’ Void Art, by conservative estimate, likely contained ten structures.
She immediately shook her head. “Tonight, I definitely won’t be able to fully decipher ‘Wind’s Aid’ Void Art. However, it’s only Tuesday, so I still have two more days after tonight, which should be enough.”
Huang Xiu continued analyzing until midnight before finally going to sleep.
The next evening, after her psychological counseling class, she rushed back to her dorm to continue her analysis without delay.
She finally completed the analysis just before the clock struck midnight.
“I never expected even the simplest basic Void Art to contain fifteen fundamental structures. If I have to inscribe more advanced Void Arts in the future, it might involve hundreds of structures,” Huang Xiu said, taking a sip of ice-cold cola and stretching comfortably.
She now finally understood why the school set credit thresholds, preventing students from dedicating most of their energy to Void Arts. The difficulty of this subject was indeed not low!
For this simple ‘Wind’s Aid’ Void Art alone, she had spent a total of eight weeks, on and off.
Of course, this included the initial preparation time.
Having finished deciphering the Void Art late into the night, Huang Xiu went to wash up and sleep, planning to attempt the inscription the next day.
Although a failed Void Art inscription had no significant repercussions—at most, it would consume a bit of Void Energy, which could be replenished—
She still wished for a single, successful attempt, unwilling to waste any time.
On Thursday evening, Huang Xiu returned to her dorm immediately after dinner.
She first took a shower, washing away the day’s fatigue.
After ensuring Huang Xiaoxian remained quiet, she sat at her desk and began to meditate with her eyes closed.
The primary purpose of this meditation was to concentrate her mind.
After a short while, Huang Xiu felt ready and opened her eyes.
She opened the wooden box, took out the stone tablet, and held it in both hands, confirming once more that the Void Art structure matched the one in her mind. Then, she closed her eyes again.
This time, however, it wasn’t for meditation, but for inscribing the Void Art.
Upon the milky-white ocean of Void Energy, her ability core and the disk-shaped Chakra hung high in the sky like the sun and moon.
A milky-white ribbon connected the two in the center, maintaining a constant distance between them as they slowly rotated.
“Once the Chakra is forged, it will form a quasi-symbiotic relationship with the ability core. It will grow larger and stronger as my rank increases and my Void Energy level rises,”
Huang Xiu recalled the description of the Chakra from the manual.
“And to inscribe a Void Art, I must use Void Energy to carve the patterns of the Void Art structure onto the Chakra. If I fail, I’ll need to wait for the Chakra to recover before trying again.”
“I must succeed on the first try!” Huang Xiu declared firmly, beginning to channel the Void Energy within her body towards her Chakra.
The milky-white Void Energy, like a surging tide, continuously poured into the white disk.
Each rush left behind faint, almost imperceptible patterns on the disk’s surface.
With every subsequent surge, the patterns grew clearer, and the water level of the Void Energy ocean visibly receded a little.
Yet, even so, the Void Energy ocean remained as deep and unfathomable as a true sea.
The lion’s share of this vastness was, of course, due to her S-rank innate Void Energy concentration.
However, Huang Xiu’s consistent practice of the Hammer Forging Method for five weeks had also accumulated a considerable amount, far from a small quantity.
With continuous flushing, as if washing away lead dust, white powder continually flaked off the white disk.
Eventually, a complete pattern emerged on its surface.
Although the overall pattern was intricate, it only occupied about one-third of the Chakra’s surface area.
This indicated that Huang Xiu could inscribe two more Void Arts of the same rank.
“Indeed, even without needing to continue cultivating the Hammer Forging Method, with my S-rank aptitude, I can inscribe three Void Arts from the very beginning.”
Huang Xiu had long suspected this, but only today, seeing the actual situation, dared she draw a conclusion.
“However, if I continue to cultivate the Hammer Forging Method, and reach the pinnacle of Mercury Rank, could I possibly inscribe four or even five Void Arts?”
Huang Xiu stroked her chin, chuckling as she indulged in her fantasies.
If this were truly possible, her advantages and combat power among those of the same rank would undoubtedly expand further.
After all, those at Gold Rank could only inscribe five Void Arts…
If she could inscribe five Void Arts at Mercury Rank, wouldn’t that mean she already possessed the strength to contend with Gold Rank individuals?
“Fighting above my rank—as an S-rank genius, I must achieve it!”
Huang Xiu recalled the scene on campus that day when Principal Tiger had kicked her so hard she was practically incapacitated.
That was her most humiliating and desperate battle to date. If the Present World Defense Force hadn’t arrived in time,
She and Yun Ning might have perished there!
“Five Void Arts… I don’t even know if that’s possible. For now, I should test the effects of this Void Art!”
Huang Xiu ceased her daydreaming, opened her eyes, and, with a hint of impatience, began to test her very first Void Art.