Here Comes Trouble

The hall was dead silent, save for the faint sound of shallow breathing. Following the instructions, Chen Guan tried to relax his body and clear his mind of all distractions.

However, when he attempted to search inward, his perception became unusually blurry. The physical sensations of this avatar were very clear—he could feel his heartbeat, his breathing, and even the subtle twitches of his muscles. But deeper within, the core of his consciousness felt as if it were separated by a thick layer of fog, making it difficult to reach.

He focused his mind, trying hard to peer into the fog. Faintly, he seemed to sense a tiny glimmer of light, but it was incredibly dim and erratic, like a candle flickering in the wind.

"Do not force it, just feel," Yun Zhi's voice, like a warm breeze, gently swept through everyone's sea of consciousness. "Everyone's spiritual power has different characteristics. Some are like blazing torches, some like trickling streams, and some like the deep night sky... Finding it and accepting it is the first step."

As time ticked by, some students relaxed their brows, seemingly gaining something; others broke out in a sweat, looking slightly anxious; while some breathed evenly, having already entered the state.

Chen Guan remained lingering at the edge of the thick fog. He could feel that glimmer of light but couldn't truly touch it. This made him a bit discouraged. Was it because this was merely an avatar and not his true body?

Just as he was about to give up, a trace of icy coolness suddenly transmitted from his coffin.

The sensation was fleeting, but it gave his spirit a slight jolt.

Immediately after, he saw that the flickering light deep within the fog had developed an extremely subtle resonance with the black iron coffin.

No, rather than a resonance, it was more like it had illuminated the path toward that tiny speck of spiritual light for him.

Guided by this faint illumination, Chen Guan's consciousness finally touched that speck of spiritual light that belonged to him. In an instant, an indescribable feeling welled up in his heart. It wasn't a sense of overwhelming power, but rather a feeling of absolute control, as natural as moving his own arm.

It was as if his control over this avatar had become a bit more proficient, and his perception of the outside world had grown a fraction sharper.

He noticed that although the light was dim, it was exceptionally resilient, like a seed buried deep underground, silently absorbing nutrients, waiting for the day it would break through the soil.

Around the light, a few extremely faint, almost invisible wisps of gray mist were faintly entwined. The color and texture of this mist were exactly the same as the gray fog that had seeped from the cracks of his coffin back when he was in front of the illusion stone stele.

Could it be... that this gray mist was his spiritual power?

"Time is up," Yun Zhi's gentle voice rang out, waking everyone from their meditative state.

"For those trying this for the first time, being able to vaguely perceive your own spiritual core is already quite good. Remember this feeling, practice diligently in the future, and your spiritual power will gradually grow."

Chen Guan opened his eyes, feeling refreshed and clear-headed. Although his spiritual power hadn't skyrocketed, the clearer perception and sense of control over himself were very real gains.

More importantly, he seemed to have found the key to his spiritual power, a special connection related to the coffin and his true body.

"Student Chen Guan," Yun Zhi's gentle gaze fell upon him. "Your spiritual power perception seems to be somewhat special. There's no need to rush for success. Let nature take its course, and perhaps you will reap unexpected rewards."

"Yes, thank you, Mentor Yun Zhi," Chen Guan replied respectfully. Yun Zhi was a teacher after all; she was indeed sharp enough to notice the anomaly in his spiritual power.

The morning class ended in a peaceful and serene atmosphere. The students left the Meditation Hall one after another, most of them looking relaxed. Clearly, this guidance class was much more popular than Li Yan's.

Chen Guan walked on the path back to his dormitory in a good mood. The spiritual power class had given him new inspiration.

With no fixed schedule for the afternoon, he decided to go to the library to continue studying theory.

Just as he passed a secluded tree-lined path, three figures blocked his way at the intersection ahead.

The leader was none other than Liu Feiyu. Today, he had changed into an even flashier slim-fit formal suit, his hair meticulously styled with gel, and a blatantly malicious smile hung on his face.

He was accompanied by two lackeys: one tall and thin with sinister eyes, and the other short, stocky, and having a face full of aggressive fat.

"Oh, isn't this the specially recruited genius of our Tianshu Class, the coffin-carrying student Chen Guan?" Liu Feiyu dragged out his syllables, speaking in a sarcastic tone. "What, after taking Mentor Yun Zhi's class, you think you can fly now? You don't even know how to watch where you're walking?"

Chen Guan stopped in his tracks, looking at them calmly. What was bound to come would come. People like Liu Feiyu wouldn't be satisfied unless they stirred up some trouble.

He just hadn't expected him to lose his patience so quickly, and to choose such a relatively secluded spot.

"Do you need something?" Chen Guan's tone was flat.

"Something? Of course there's something!" Liu Feiyu took a step forward, looking Chen Guan and the coffin on his back up and down. "This young master just finds you an eyesore! A country bumpkin popping out of some random corner, sneaking into the Tianshu Class relying on a broken coffin, and you still dare to put on airs in front of me? Today, I'm going to teach you what rules are."

Before he even finished speaking, the short, stocky lackey gave a sinister grin. Taking a step forward, his massive, fan-like hand grabbed directly at Chen Guan's shoulder, bringing with it the whistling sound of wind.

A faint earthy-yellow light flickered on his hand. He was clearly using an ability, and it was either of the elemental or enhancement type—both combat-oriented.

This grab was fast and ruthless. If it connected solidly, the shoulder bone would likely shatter instantly.

[Holy shit! The troublemakers are here!]

[Liu Feiyu is such an idiot, beat him up, Coffin Bro.]

[The opponent is using an ability, be careful.]

[That short, fat guy is an enhancement type.]

[Bullying the few with many, how shameless.]

The comment section instantly blew up, filled with a pervasive sense of anger.

Chen Guan's eyes turned cold. He had been on guard all along. The moment the opponent made a move, he shifted his footwork, his body sliding half a step to the side like a swimming fish.

At the same time, he dropped his shoulder, dodging the massive hand reaching for him.

The stocky lackey missed his grab and paused slightly, clearly not expecting Chen Guan to react so quickly. But his own reaction wasn't slow either; he smoothly turned his grab into a fist and swung horizontally at Chen Guan's chest.

Chen Guan didn't have time to dodge completely and could only raise his left arm to block.

Thud!

With a muffled sound, Chen Guan only felt a burst of intense pain and numbness in his left arm. His whole body was smashed by this tremendous force, causing him to stagger back two or three steps before his back slammed heavily against a large tree by the road, shaking the leaves down in a rustle.

Such powerful strength. The strength of this stocky lackey had probably already touched the threshold of Tier One, far exceeding Chen Guan in pure physical power at the moment.