Shen Bai sat on the doorstep, feeling rather dejected, after Ye Feng and Xiao Xiao had gone with Cang Shi to the fifth floor to examine the arcane rune library.
Though he was slightly more adept than Cang Shi at repairing fire seeds, Cang Shi’s understanding and knowledge of arcane runes far surpassed his own.
Therefore, it was naturally more suitable for Cang Shi to instruct Ye Feng!
...
Time ticked by,
Just after the noon meal,
"Patter~ Patter~!"
At this moment, footsteps echoed from the stairs behind them. It was Cang Shi descending.
"Hey, Cang Shi, what’s wrong? Why the long face?!"
"You snagged a huge bargain this morning, you should be happy!?"
Shen Bai, who had been observing a fire seed, turned his head and saw Cang Shi looking glum, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
"Ai, don't mention it!"
Cang Shi sighed deeply. "I was only a teacher for half a day... and then I practically had nothing more to teach him... Ye Feng is now studying on his own..."
"I can't even understand the fragment of arcane runes he's holding!"
After speaking, Cang Shi looked up towards Ye Feng’s direction, his face a mixture of joy, frustration, and melancholy.
"Holy crap, seriously?"
Shen Bai looked at Cang Shi with great surprise. "That kid isn't only skilled at repairing fire seeds, but he's also this amazing with arcane runes?"
"This..."
Cang Shi frowned at the mention of it. "Ye Feng does have considerable insight into arcane runes, but he seems to lack understanding in some foundational aspects, be it fire seeds or arcane runes!"
"This morning, I was basically introducing him to the general overview of arcane runes, the meanings of basic arcane runes, their structures, and the significance of each basic arcane rune array..."
"He listened very attentively, constantly taking notes, and occasionally asking questions that were clearly genuine!"
"I thought he knew nothing about arcane runes, but later on..."
"It’s like someone who has mastered a lot of high-end knowledge but is unfamiliar with some basic concepts... it’s very strange!"
Cang Shi frowned, recalling the events, and spoke to Shen Bai.
"Is that so..."
Shen Bai also furrowed his brow after hearing this.
...
On the fifth floor of the Secret Armor Institute,
Ye Feng was engrossed in a thick book on basic arcane runes. This book was not from the library on the fifth floor but was given to him by Cang Shi.
Meanwhile, Xiao Xiao beside him was leafing through some precious tomes, searching for clues related to the Fire Seed Record, just as Ye Feng had asked her to do...
...
Ye Feng didn't leave the Secret Armor Institute all day. To be precise, he spent most of his time on the fifth floor, which was quiet and undisturbed, making it an ideal place for reading.
As dusk slowly fell,
Deep into the night,
Only the lights on the fifth floor of the Secret Armor Institute remained lit. Ye Feng was still mesmerized by the books on arcane runes, while Xiao Xiao had already made a small bed for herself nearby and fallen asleep.
...
The next morning,
"Miss Xiao Xiao, are you saying Ye Feng stayed up all night on the fifth floor reading arcane rune books?"
Shen Bai, while eating breakfast, looked at Xiao Xiao with surprise.
"Mhm!"
Xiao Xiao, eating a steaming hot date cake, replied, "But it wasn't the library's books. It was the basic arcane rune book that Uncle Cang Shi gave him. Big Brother hasn't started on the fifth floor's collection yet!"
"This..."
Shen Bai and Cang Shi exchanged glances, the surprise evident in their eyes.
Meanwhile, on the fifth floor of the Secret Armor Institute, Ye Feng was taking large bites of the date cake that Xiao Xiao had just brought up, all the while his eyes remained fixed on the thick arcane rune book in front of him, accompanied by a glass of milk.
Despite not having slept all night, Ye Feng, whose physical condition far surpassed that of ordinary people, showed no signs of fatigue. He was overjoyed.
Because after reading the basic arcane rune book given by Cang Shi, many of his doubts were answered. Especially those parts in the Fire Seed Record that he hadn't fully understood or seemed peculiar now made sense...
"Hoo~"
As he turned the last page, Ye Feng let out a long sigh.
"Ah~ Big Brother, what are you eating? You ate something wrong!"
Suddenly, Xiao Xiao, who had just arrived at the fifth-floor entrance, cried out in alarm.
"Huh? Ate something wrong? What's going on?"
"Isn't it the date cake you brought?"
Ye Feng frowned slightly.
With Xiao Xiao’s reminder, he immediately detected a minty flavor in his mouth, and the taste of the date cake had seemed a bit odd just now.
"Big Brother, look at the table to your left!"
Xiao Xiao blinked her eyes, disbelief etched on her face.
Ye Feng looked closer and couldn't help but feel speechless. He had mistaken the toothpaste he used for brushing his teeth for cheese and had squeezed it onto the date cake, eating them together.
And without realizing it, he had eaten more than half a tube of toothpaste. The cheese stick that Xiao Xiao had brought up with the date cake was still sitting there...
Ye Feng, now aware of the situation, didn't dwell on it. He reviewed the knowledge gained from reading the basic arcane rune book and his thoughts on what he had learned from the Fire Seed Record.
"Hmm... I should try to test something out!"
After a moment of thought, Ye Feng quickly had an idea.
Instantly, his eyes sharpened, and white arcane energy appeared between his fingers. He then began drawing arcane runes on the walls and ceiling of the room.
...
Half an hour later,
As the light of the arcane energy on Ye Feng's hands dissipated, the white light on the roof and walls of the fifth floor of the Secret Armor Institute flashed. The arcane rune array he had sketched was complete.
"Bang! Bang! Bang!~"
Almost simultaneously, Shen Bai and Cang Shi, who were busy with their own tasks downstairs, changed their expressions. They exchanged glances and then sprinted towards the upper floors of the Secret Armor Institute.
In a short while, they arrived on the fifth floor.
"Ye Feng, are you alright?"
Shen Bai and Cang Shi asked in unison, their faces full of concern.
"Uh... I'm fine..."
Ye Feng waved his hand gently.
"Big Brother, it feels cooler now~"
At this moment, Xiao Xiao's voice rang out.
"Ye... Ye Feng, did you draw this arcane array on the fifth floor?"
"Is it... is it the array in Wangfeng Pavilion that keeps it warm in winter and cool in summer?!"
Cang Shi’s surprised voice followed closely.
"Mhm!"
Ye Feng nodded. "I had some small insights, so I tried drawing it, and surprisingly, it worked!"
Upon hearing this, Shen Bai and Cang Shi looked at each other, then at Ye Feng, their gazes akin to looking at a monster.
"Kid, you're truly a genius. Perhaps... I now understand why the First City Lord thought so highly of you!"
Shen Bai murmured to himself, disbelief in his eyes.
"Ind... indeed..."
"The arcane array in Wangfeng Pavilion that provides warmth in winter and coolness in summer, though its function is quite ordinary, the array itself is not simple at all..."
Cang Shi also spoke, his shock no less than Shen Bai's. He himself had tried to create a similar arcane array to Wangfeng Pavilion multiple times, all ending in failure.
"Ye Feng, I hope you can keep this arcane array a secret for now!"
At this moment, Shen Bai spoke with a frown. "When a tree grows too tall, the wind will surely topple it... Your talent in fire seeds is already extraordinary... and if you're also this gifted in arcane runes..."
"This Mechanized City is far from peaceful in the shadows... even within the Secret Armor Institute!"
Shen Bai’s expression was grave.
"Oh, okay~!"
Ye Feng nodded. He naturally understood the principle that possessing a treasure without the strength to protect it would bring disaster. Moreover, he could tell that Shen Bai was genuinely concerned for him.
Subsequently, Cang Shi suggested they rest for a while, as Ye Feng had been studying for a day and a night.
Ye Feng had the same intention, not because he was tired, but because he had some questions he needed to discuss with Cang Shi and Shen Bai.
"You two seem to be in good spirits. Is there some great joy?"
As the group reached the stairwell on the first floor, an elderly male voice rang out.
...