Douluo: When the piano sounds, the hidden weapon returns to the factory

Chapter 40 Distraction Control
The night was deep, and the bright moonlight shone through the window lattice, casting dappled shadows on the ground of the simulated training ground. Feng Yao pushed open the door as usual, but instead of Xue Qinghe as expected, Qian Renxue was waiting for him in her true form.

Her long, gilded hair cascaded down to her waist, shimmering softly in the moonlight. She stood with her back to the door, radiating a faint, divine aura. This sudden change made Feng Yao's breath catch in his throat; his hand, poised to push the door open, froze in mid-air, momentarily forgetting to move.

This was the first time Feng Yao had seen the snow-capped peaks under the moonlight.

"What are you doing standing at the door?" Qian Renxue turned her head and looked back, her golden pupils shining brightly in the darkness. But her eyes held a coldness that contradicted any sense of holiness.

Feng Yao then came to his senses, quickly closed the door, and said softly with concern, "Your Highness should be careful." He tried to make his tone sound normal, but he couldn't hide the strange joy in his voice.

Qian Renxue turned away subtly. The moonlight bathed her perfect profile in a silvery glow, yet it couldn't conceal the doubt in her voice: "What tricks did you play on the field today? Ning Fengzhi has already secretly sent people to investigate your background."

Feng Yao gently stroked the "Fuxi" in his arms and laughed, "It was just a little trick I played at the VIP table."

"You used it in the first round too?" Qian Renxue's eyes flickered slightly.

Seeing Feng Yao nod in confirmation, she said thoughtfully, "No wonder. That old fellow Gu Rong was there today; with his keen sense of spatial awareness, he must have discovered something."

"Gu Rong is hailed as the most enigmatic among the Title Douluos. The vibrations of her strings are inherently connected to space, so her powerful spatial abilities could indeed detect it." Feng Yao shrugged dismissively, then suddenly smiled mischievously, saying with a double entendre, "Besides, who doesn't know I'm His Highness the Crown Prince's man now? Ning Fengzhi wouldn't..."

Qian Renxue's golden eyes narrowed slightly, and a chilling aura suddenly emanated from her: "It seems... I've been too lenient with you lately?" The phantom of an angel appeared and disappeared behind her, and the temperature in the entire training ground seemed to drop a few degrees.

Seeing this, Feng Yao quickly waved his hand, a fawning smile plastered on his face: "I was just joking." He paused, his expression suddenly turning serious: "However, I do have something I'd like to ask Ning Fengzhi."

The chill emanating from Qian Renxue subsided slightly, and her expression returned to calm: "Speak." A single word, yet it carried an undeniable authority.

"Can you help me get my hands on the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School's Distraction Control technique?" Feng Yao asked bluntly.

Qian Renxue frowned slightly: "What do you need this technique for?" She lightly tapped her temple with her fingertip, "Ordinary Soul Masters fight by gradually advancing—probing, finding openings, and then making a decisive move. While Distraction Control allows you to unleash multiple Soul Skills simultaneously, it's not suitable for normal Soul Masters."

She suddenly raised her hand, and two golden lights burst forth simultaneously. One shattered a vase in the distance, while the other vanished mid-air. "See that?" Qian Renxue sneered. "Not only does it double the soul power consumption, but if you act hastily, it's difficult to control, and if you miss, you'll only be wasting your soul power."

"To defeat the weak, a single move is enough to decide the outcome; when evenly matched, distraction becomes a weakness, and the difference between true masters often lies in that instant; but when facing a strong opponent, you'll be too busy running for your life to have time to be distracted."

Feng Yao gently stroked the "Fuxi" in his arms, the strings of the zither vibrating slightly at his fingertips: "My martial soul uses music as its blade, and every string requires precise control. While distraction control is useless for ordinary soul masters, it allows me to have more possibilities in creating my own soul skills. Coupled with the special nature of the soul rings, I can unleash stacked power in an instant."

Qian Renxue's eyes flickered slightly, and she nodded thoughtfully: "I'll send someone to deliver it tomorrow."

"Sent directly?" Feng Yao raised an eyebrow in surprise. "No need to go through Ning Fengzhi."

Qian Renxue's face showed a hint of disdain. The Spirit Hall was called the holy land of the continent's spirit masters for a reason. Mind control was just a special way of using mental power. In terms of the number of high-level spirit masters, no force could compare with the Spirit Hall, which also laid the foundation for the birth of various theories, techniques and even ultimate skills.

Qian Renxue's lips curled into a mysterious smile as she said in a deliberately profound tone, "Don't overthink it. Some things are better left unsaid now."

Feng Yao shrugged and made a gesture of surrender: "I will follow Your Highness's instructions."

The two sat cross-legged facing each other in perfect harmony, quickly becoming immersed in the rhythm of cultivation. Gradually, two harmonious breathing sounds filled the room, their breaths perfectly synchronized, as if they were playing some kind of mysterious duet.

The moonlight, like water, flowed quietly between the two. Each breath of Feng Yao caused the strings of the "Fuxi" zither to vibrate slightly, while the golden aura surrounding Qian Renxue flickered with the rhythm of her breath. Two completely different energy fields achieved a delicate balance in this small space.

In a daze, Feng Yao seemed to return to the profound state of soul fusion he had experienced yesterday. He could clearly sense that Qian Renxue's power of light was gentler than yesterday, like the early spring sun—no longer dazzling, but all the more precious.
On the other side, at the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School, in the council hall.

On the north side of the main hall, facing south, sits a large, carved rosewood chair with a huge piece of jade inlaid on the back. The jade is emerald green and exudes a faint, warm aura; it is indeed a piece of the finest warm jade.

Seated atop a large, carved rosewood chair was a man with a handsome face, a straight nose, and a square mouth. His appearance was refined and gentle, and his white robe was spotless. He looked to be in his forties, with soft eyes, and appeared to be an ordinary person. His long, smooth black hair cascaded down his back, and everything about him seemed casual and unpretentious. This man was none other than Ning Fengzhi, who had been seated in the VIP section during the day.

Soon, a disciple dressed in the standard robes of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile School respectfully entered the main hall. Ning Fengzhi didn't even raise his head, his slender fingers still flipping through the documents in his hands, his voice as calm as still water: "How's the investigation going?"

The disciple looked troubled, knelt on one knee, clasped his hands, and said, "Reporting to the Sect Master, the information has been found, but... this subordinate cannot verify its authenticity."

"Hmm?" Ning Fengzhi paused in his movements and slowly raised his head. His gentle gaze fell on his disciple, exuding an imposing aura without anger.

"Bring it here for me to see," Ning Fengzhi said calmly.

The disciple hurriedly took out a scroll from his soul tool and presented it with both hands. Ning Fengzhi took the scroll, and as it slowly unfurled, his brows gradually furrowed—Feng Yao's file clearly stated "Level 4 Innate Soul Power," and even indicated the source of the information, along with the official seal of Notting Academy and the handwritten certificate from the soul master who awakened Feng Yao's martial soul back then.

"Understood, you may leave." Ning Fengzhi closed the scroll, his voice remaining calm.

"Yes, Sect Master." The young man quickly retreated.

After the disciple left the main hall, Ning Fengzhi lightly tapped the armrest with his fingertips and softly said to the empty hall, "Uncle Gu, there's something I'd like to ask you." The instant Ning Fengzhi finished speaking, the space beside him suddenly distorted like ripples on water, and the tall figure of Bone Douluo Gu Rong slowly emerged from the void: "What is it?"

"Did you examine Feng Yao's soul power level that day?" Ning Fengzhi's voice remained gentle.

Gu Rong shook his head: "No. But to be valued by Xue Qinghe and become the captain of the Royal Battle Team, one must at least be a Soul Master."

Ning Fengzhi fell silent for a moment, then slowly asked, "Do you know how old he is?"

Gu Rong raised an eyebrow, looking at Ning Fengzhi with some surprise, and said, "You can't be younger than Tang San, can you?"

Ning Fengzhi slowly shook his head and said, "Uncle Gu, with your perspective as a Title Douluo, do you think it's possible for a Level 4 Innate Soul Power user to become a Soul Master or a High-Level Soul Venerable at the age of thirteen?"

"What a joke!" Gu Rong exclaimed as if he'd heard the biggest joke in the world. "Tang San has innate full soul power and twin martial souls, that's why he's so young." His voice trailed off, then he suddenly realized something, his expression changing drastically: "You mean..."

Ning Fengzhi's gaze deepened: "You also think it's impossible?"

Gu Rong's expression turned solemn: "Without rare and precious materials or top-grade soul bones, it's absolutely impossible." He took the scroll and examined it closely, his calm eyes gradually becoming turbulent.

“This kid is skilled at playing the zither, and his fame has spread throughout the city. Even your cousin has taken a liking to his talent and given him a letter of recommendation from Yuexuan. I think you should ask that damned bastard about this. Beast Soul Masters are different from Weapon Soul Masters. Compared to Beast Soul Masters, Weapon Soul Masters require a greater understanding of their Martial Soul. If this child has achieved his current success based on this, he may very well be someone who establishes his own sect in the future,” Gu Rong said slowly.

Ning Fengzhi nodded and sighed, "Yes."

Ning Fengzhi sighed deeply, recalling his past praise of Tang San. Now, he realized that the successor of Haotian owed much of his achievements to the legacy of Haotian. As for Feng Yao…
"I misjudged this teacher," Ning Fengzhi thought to himself.

“Fengzhi, some things are predetermined by fate. To change fate’s decision, the price to pay will be high. Even if everything that happened to this young man is true, it is still an unrepeatable miracle,” Gu Rong said to Ning Fengzhi.

Ning Fengzhi gazed at the deepening night outside the palace and said softly, "I understand."

Ning Fengzhi gently stroked the scepter beside him, a hint of indescribable melancholy flashing in his eyes. Breaking through the shackles of his martial soul and leading his sect to new heights—this long-cherished wish had haunted him for most of his life like a nightmare.

The candlelight in the gilded lamp flickered slightly, casting his thin figure onto the palace pillars. He devoted himself to exploring every possibility, yet he could never break free from the shackles that bound him from birth.

"Uncle Gu," his voice was almost inaudible, "sometimes I really envy those Soul Masters."

Gu Rong silently watched Ning Fengzhi. He knew that Ning Fengzhi was touching not only a scepter, but also a chain of fate from which he could never escape.

In the blink of an eye, a week has passed like flowing water. The preliminary rounds of the All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament have successfully completed the first six rounds of fierce competition. Currently, only three academies maintain a perfect record, and Shrek Academy is among them.

Since their grueling second match against Elephant Armor Academy, the Shrek Seven Devils have been unstoppable, winning four consecutive matches with overwhelming dominance. Remarkably, in these four matches, the Shrek Seven Devils only fielded Tang San, Dai Mubai, and Xiao Wu, yet they easily swept aside their opponents. Even more noteworthy is that none of their opponents had reached the Soul Master realm.

Along with Shrek Academy, Thunder Academy and Divine Wind Academy also maintain a six-game winning streak. A three-way competition is beginning to emerge.
On the eighth day of the preliminary rounds, the seventh round of matches is about to begin. Shrek Academy's opponent in this match is the mediocre Othello Academy—a team that has only managed two victories in the first six rounds. Due to the significant disparity in strength between the two sides, this match has not been scheduled for the main arena in the center.

The focus of today's event is undoubtedly the clash between two powerhouse academies on the main stage: Elephant Academy and Thunder Academy. The battle between Diamond Mammoth and Raging Thunder is thrilling just to imagine.

In the VIP section, Feng Yao had already shifted his attention away from the competition. Ever since he mentioned it to Qian Renxue that day, she had sent someone to deliver a cultivation method for controlling distraction the very next day—this efficiency once again demonstrated the profound strength of the Spirit Hall.

At this moment, he sat upright, with "Fuxi" lying quietly on his knees. His slender fingers danced gracefully in the air, not actually touching the strings, yet simultaneously playing two completely different melodies in his mind. His hands played different tunes—this was the subtlety of controlling distraction.

If a Soul Master observes carefully, they will notice subtle ripples in the air where Feng Yao's fingertips trace. These are the traces of soul power resonating on the invisible strings of a zither, and also a sign that he has made some progress in controlling his distractions.
Feng Yao's brows furrowed slightly, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. Simultaneously mastering two vastly different pieces of music, even if only in his mind, was far more mentally taxing than he had imagined. He felt as if his consciousness had been forcibly split in two, each half struggling to maintain its own distinct melody and rhythm.

Just then, a clear and melodious voice suddenly entered my ears: "Are you practicing distraction control?"

Feng Yao paused, looking up to see Ning Rongrong standing gracefully beside him. The girl wore a light pink dress, her glassy eyes filled with surprise.

“Miss Ning has a good eye.” Feng Yao smiled as he withdrew his hand, his fingertips lightly brushing the strings. “I am indeed trying to play different tunes with both hands.”

Ning Rongrong's surprise deepened, then she smiled broadly: "Distraction control is about 'spirit uniting with form,' not simply drawing a circle with one hand and a square with the other." She suddenly realized her slip of the tongue and playfully stuck out her tongue, "Sorry, I'm just being nosy."

Feng Yao was not offended; instead, he smiled and said, "Miss Ning's words have awakened me from my dream. I wonder what brings you today?"

“The opponent has forfeited at the last minute.” Ning Rongrong pointed to the front row of the VIP section. “I’ve come to discuss some matters with my father.” She gave a graceful bow. “I won’t disturb your cultivation any longer, young master.”

Watching that beautiful figure depart, Feng Yao thoughtfully stroked the strings of his zither. He closed his eyes again to concentrate. This time, he no longer forced the two pieces to be complete, but tried to let them blend naturally—as harmoniously as the resonance of their souls that night.

Strangely, as his obsession faded, the two melodies gradually found balance. They began to complement each other, playing an unprecedented harmony in his mind's sea of ​​consciousness.
(End of this chapter)