Honkai energy—it is not merely a form of energy. For unknown reasons, its existence can support the occurrence of the Honkai phenomenon in the world. It is a potential energy that can produce all kinds of reality-warping rules. Of course, Honkai energy, capable of twisting the rules and laws of the world, also possesses god-like abilities… such as… 'twisting time'.
The early morning sun cast its warm rays upon a forest far from any town. The sunlight pierced through the gaps in the lush green leaves, casting mottled patterns of light and shadow on the grassy ground. A colorful butterfly glided over the green grass and then flew towards the sky.
Under the azure sky, a young man and two young women lay on the grass.
"Ugh, my head hurts…" Li Xuan mumbled, holding his forehead as he sat up from the ground.
"Where… is this place?" Yae Sakura, perhaps awakened by the sound of Li Xuan getting up, also opened her eyes and looked at this unfamiliar place.
"Master? Master!" Liv got up and immediately pounced on Li Xuan. The softness of the girl's chest and the fragrance from her hair made Li Xuan blush.
"This is...." Yae Sakura looked at this strange place. The air, a mixture of earth and the fragrance of grass, curled around her nose. The sky was as blue as the sea, with clouds as white as cotton… a completely different scene from the gray skies of later generations.
The sunlight filtering through the forest felt just like when she and Rin would sit under the cherry blossom tree as children, giving Yae Sakura a sense of inexplicable familiarity.
"The Honkai energy reaction from before has completely disappeared…" Liv, realizing her impropriety, stood up straight and said to the slightly blushing Li Xuan.
"*Crunch, crunch*…" The crisp sound of dry leaves and twigs being stepped on came from the forest. A pair of cloth boots stepped onto the ground, and a young girl walked out from the woods. She wore white light armor, but her long black hair was simply tied up with a white silk ribbon.
"I didn't expect to find other people in this wilderness. What a rare sight," the girl said with a cheerful laugh, a hint of surprise on her exquisitely beautiful face. The girl curiously bent down to look at the three oddly dressed people before her, her spring-mountain-like full chest peeking slightly from the collar of her armor.
"You're that spirit from before!" Liv said, pointing at the girl in front of them, annoyed that her master seemed a bit dazed.
"Hmph?!…" The girl, who looked almost identical to Raiden Mei, was taken aback… then she furrowed her shapely brows, looking somewhat displeased.
"To call someone a spirit upon first meeting is quite rude…"
"Li Xuan-kun, this person is different from before. There's no Honkai energy reaction from her; she's just an ordinary person…" Yae Sakura said softly to Li Xuan, her right hand resting on the hilt of her Spirit Blade-Sakurafubuki.
"Hmph, what a strange group of people. I can't even understand what you're saying. If you have no urgent business, I advise you to leave this place quickly, otherwise, you'll be the ones turning into spirits," the girl said grumpily. She rested her hand on the hilt of her sword, turned, and prepared to walk deeper into the forest.
"I have given my warning. Now, I shall take my leave!" the girl said, turning her head back one last time as a reminder.
"Wait…" Li Xuan took a step forward and reached out his hand to stop her.
"Hm?! What else do you want?" The girl stopped again upon hearing Li Xuan's words.
"Could you tell me.... your name," Li Xuan said softly, looking directly at the girl.
"...I am Hokushin Mei," Mei said, her cherry lips parting slightly.
"Huh?! She has the same name as Raiden Mei," Li Xuan muttered to himself in shock. Although their surnames were different, he didn't expect this girl who looked so much like Raiden Mei to also be named Mei.
"Wait… Hokushin…" A flash of inspiration struck Li Xuan, causing him to lower his head in thought.
That's it! Li Xuan raised his head and asked Hokushin Mei, "Hokushin… are you also a disciple of Hokushin Itto-ryu?!" If the girl before him had any connection to Raiden Mei, it could only be the name Hokushin…
"Hoho~ I didn't expect you to know of Hokushin Itto-ryu. How rare…" Mei said, seeming a bit proud, a smile appearing on her delicate face.
"But I don't remember taking any disciples. What a pity…" she said, looking somewhat puzzled.
"No disciples… but knows Hokushin Itto-ryu… could it be…." Li Xuan was shocked by the answer he had deduced. He couldn't help but say in a trembling voice.
"Could you be… the founder of Hokushin Itto-ryu?!"
"Mhm!~" Mei looked at the shocked Li Xuan strangely and nodded nonchalantly.
"But now that you mention it, maybe I should indeed take a disciple…"
"Since fate has brought us together, I shall deign to accept you all as my students. In this chaotic Warring States period, learning a skill to protect yourselves is a fine thing. How about it?" Hokushin Mei turned around and looked at Li Xuan and the others with a beaming smile.
"Ch-Chaotic? Warring States period?!" Li Xuan felt that his nerves had been overstimulated today. "Did I transmigrate again?!"
"How are we supposed to get back…" Li Xuan couldn't help but fall into deep thought. He had never been able to solve the problem of returning after transmigration. If he could, he would have returned to Earth long ago instead of spending his days in the Honkai-infested Nagazora City, fighting with Honkai Zombies and Honkai Beasts… although now it was mostly Li Xuan doing the hurting…
"Sigh! There's no use worrying now… There must be a reason why those two girls sent us to this place…" Li Xuan said to comfort himself.
"Master!" Liv suddenly tugged on Li Xuan's sleeve and leaned in.
"What's wrong?"
"Although this person seems like an ordinary person, I feel there's something strange about her," Liv said softly.
"Did you find something?" Li Xuan asked.
"There are some traces left by the Honkai on her body, but it might just be Liv's imagination…" Liv said apologetically.
"You lot, since you don't want to become my disciples, don't follow me. I am going to see two old friends now. Please leave!" Hokushin Mei said impatiently, seeing Li Xuan and the others whispering about things she didn't understand.
"No!...." Hearing Hokushin Mei's words, Li Xuan suddenly objected loudly.
"What?! You people…." Mei, angered by Li Xuan's loud refusal, was about to draw her sword to teach these strange people a lesson, but the scene that unfolded before her suddenly brought her words and actions to a halt…
"Master, please accept this disciple's bow…." Li Xuan knelt on the ground cleanly and decisively, performing the ritual to acknowledge her as his master...
After all, there's no harm in learning another skill~
"...." A gentle breeze lifted a fallen leaf, which drifted down and landed on Li Xuan's soft black hair as he knelt on the ground. The dazed master-to-be remained frozen in her sword-drawing posture, not having snapped back to reality…
The scene was a bit awkward…
(End of Chapter)