Chapter Sixty: The Olive Branch (Part One)

On this rare day of rest, Ye Ran rose early, circulating his energy through his body. After Freya finished cooking porridge, she began riding her little tricycle around the room, its wheels creaking as they turned. Ever since this “divine artifact” had appeared, she had become inseparable from it, insisting on riding it everywhere.

When Ye Ran finished his energy practice, he opened “Twin Streams of Qi.” Young Master Luo had gifted him this book some time ago, yet he had not found the chance to cultivate it—not only because he had been busy of late, but also due to the unique nature of this technique.

If someone were to ask which primordial force was the strongest, there would be many answers. But if one asked which was the weakest, almost invariably the answer would be wind. Wind, among the primordial forces, had always been regarded as the weakest, for the nature of energy itself already held some qualities of wind, which meant the augmentations provided by the wind origin were, by default, diminished.

The primary effect of mastering the Twin Streams technique was to cultivate the wind—developing not only its qualities, but even its very form.

“In a sense, mastering Twin Streams of Qi is like gaining a new primordial force out of thin air, but it’s far more than that…” Ye Ran murmured to himself.

Mastering and applying the flow of energy within, and imbuing it with the powerful attributes of wind, was merely one aspect of this technique. Its true marvel lay in the way it allowed the user to split and control the internal flow of energy, dividing it into two or more streams—separate, yet unified. For those who possessed multiple primordial forces, this was a wondrous surprise.

“The division, operation, and fusion of energy flows is the core of this technique. For most, such an enhancement is limited, but if someone possessed more than one primordial force—say, water and fire—after mastering Twin Streams of Qi, they could wield both attributes simultaneously, rather than merely alternating between them,” Ye Ran pondered.

His knowledge of the outside world was limited, but he had heard of some renowned experts—like Hidden Dragon, Godslayer, and so on. They all possessed more than one primordial force, yet none could wield two at once; they could only switch between them.

Hidden Dragon had three primordial forces, but everyone knew his true strength lay in fire, the others being weaker and only serving as support. It was the same for Godslayer, whose strength was in lightning, the others mere afterthoughts.

“Godslayer’s primordial forces are lightning and water. Although rapid switching between attributes can create a partial fusion, if he could use both at once—eliminating the lag of conversion—he would have far more opportunities and chances of survival in combat. This technique could be considered flawless,” Ye Ran reflected.

He sat cross-legged on his bed, following the instructions in the manual, attempting to split his internal energy flow into two streams.

Although his primordial force had yet to awaken, and he did not know how many he possessed, attaining the wind attribute after cultivating Twin Streams of Qi was surely better than nothing. Moreover, this technique would greatly aid his “Soaring Birds” and “Ferocious Tiger” styles.

The process of cultivation proved far more difficult than he had imagined. Energy flow, being intangible, could not be divided as one would slice meat; to separate it required mastery of manipulation. His strengths lay in physical techniques, while his handling of energy was still at a rudimentary level. With his internal energy so weak, it was not long before he was drenched in sweat and gasping for breath.

Freya, riding her little tricycle, squeaked into his room to bring him a bowl of porridge and three buns.

“Thank you,” Ye Ran said. After breakfast, he practiced three more times, but still had no clue how to master the technique, which left him somewhat frustrated.

At noon, a knock at the door interrupted his thoughts.

A rather young boy stood outside, dressed in a pale green robe. He was handsome, with clear brows and delicate features, polite and well-mannered, immediately likable.

“Excuse me, are you Mr. Ye Ran?” the youth asked respectfully. Noticing Ye Ran’s sweat-soaked appearance, he even pulled a perfumed handkerchief from his pocket to offer him.

“Thank you. And you are…?”

“My name is Meng Qi, a student from Shali Academy,” the boy replied with a smile.

Had this been a week earlier, Ye Ran would have felt lost, but things were different now. After entering Tiding Academy, the first documents he had studied were the profiles of those ranked on the Martial Evaluation List of the Three Great Academies.

Meng Qi—ranked second on Shali Academy’s list—had lost to the top-ranked Sinclair, known as the “Lion King,” by only two moves in the last evaluation.

“It’s a pleasure. I’ve heard your name before, please come in,” Ye Ran said, shaking his hand politely, though inwardly he was puzzled.

The ranked students of the Three Great Academies were all proud and competitive—competition existed not only between academies but also between the students themselves. Shali and Tiding got along better than with Maple Leaf, but their relationship was far from close. During the recent events surrounding the underground nests, Shali Academy had hardly remained uninvolved. For someone from Shali to seek him out at such a time was certainly intriguing.

Meng Qi smiled. “No need, I won’t come in. Ye Ran, though we’re meeting for the first time and my invitation may seem abrupt, there’s an important matter to discuss. I’ve booked a room on Gourmet Street—if you’d be so kind as to join me for lunch, and bring this young lady along as well?” He waved at Freya.

Freya licked her lips and gazed hopefully at Ye Ran. Compared to the plain fare at home, the delicacies of a fine restaurant were obviously far more enticing.

Ye Ran couldn’t help but chuckle. “Very well, I’ll accept your invitation.”

Compared to Lanshe Avenue, Gourmet Street was certainly less prestigious, but Meng Qi was neither wealthy nor noble, and for a first meeting, this was already a high standard.

When Ye Ran and Meng Qi arrived, someone was already waiting in the private room—a tall young man with a head of golden hair and an air of vigor about him.

“Allow me to introduce you,” Meng Qi said. “This is Sinclair, our academy’s top martial artist.”

“This is Ye Ran, instructor at Tiding Academy.”

“And this… ah… Ye Ran, what is her name?” Meng Qi scratched his head, realizing he’d been so caught up in conversation that he’d nearly forgotten the quiet girl by Ye Ran’s side.

Ye Ran smiled. “Her name is Freya, a second-generation Divine, and I am her chosen one.”

Freya lifted her chin, her face beaming with pride.

Both Sinclair and Meng Qi were surprised. As they exchanged greetings and took their seats, they couldn’t help but glance at Freya a few extra times.

Ye Ran also paid special attention to Sinclair. This young man, ranked first at Shali Academy, bore a remarkable resemblance to Tiger Ben—one nicknamed the “Lion King,” the other the “White Tiger.” It was only a matter of time before the two would meet on the battlefield.

Except for Freya, all present were men—straightforward and convivial. After exchanging toasts and small talk, they soon felt at ease with one another. When the wine had flowed freely, Meng Qi broached the real topic.

“Ye Ran, have you heard about the underground nests?”

Ye Ran nodded and set down his cup, knowing the main point had finally arrived.