My Dreams Connect to Ancient Times-Chapter 57 - 56: Time, Slower, and Slower Still

’No... it can’t be, right?’

An unbelievable thought flashed through one student’s mind, but he immediately dismissed it.

’It’s not possible.’

This new transfer student looked clean and had a gentle presence, like a breath of fresh spring air, but he was from the shantytown district. There was no way he could know Yanbing Mountain.

Although no one knew what Yanbing Mountain’s family did, she had a private driver who brought her to school. The car was different every day—sometimes a luxury sedan, sometimes a Hovercar. Her family had to be incredibly wealthy and influential.

In the dead silence, the students exchanged glances. The troublemaking student looked like he was about to shout something, but a stern look from Teacher Xiaohe stopped him.

Teacher Xiaohe first handed a stack of textbooks to Lu Xuan, then cleared her throat and said,

"Lu Xuan, there are plenty of empty seats in the classroom. Go ahead and find one. As for this bag of chestnuts..."

She thought for a moment but decided to let it go, adding only a word of caution:

"Don’t bring things like this to class in the future."

"Okay, Teacher Xiaohe."

Lu Xuan nodded lightly. Then, with the oversized bag of chestnuts in one hand and his textbooks in the other, he walked down the aisle under everyone’s watchful eyes, heading straight for a corner seat by the window.

"He’s not going to..." A student’s eye twitched. Then, he saw the clean-cut boy brazenly sit down right next to Yanbing Mountain!

’How does he dare...’

Someone swallowed hard and looked around, bewildered. Everyone knew that Yan Jiangxue was the epitome of cold and aloof, always giving off an unapproachable air. That was why, despite being as beautiful as a siren, no one dared to sit next to her.

There had been some who tried, but they usually didn’t last more than three days before scurrying away to a different seat.

"A true warrior!"

"Badass!"

Some students secretly gave Lu Xuan a thumbs-up. Others, anticipating a good show, watched with smirks. The freckle-faced boy curled his lip and muttered,

"Another toad trying to eat swan meat..."

He didn’t get to finish his sentence.

"Here."

Lu Xuan held out the large bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts, a smile on his face as warm as a spring breeze.

"Thank you, Xiaolu!" Yan Jiangxue pursed her lips, her eyes curving into crescents. Under countless pairs of astonished, stupefied eyes, she accepted the bulging bag of sugar-roasted chestnuts.

She held it carefully in her arms and smiled again. The ice mountain melted, revealing a smile that could topple cities and kingdoms.

"It’s such a big bag... Xiaolu, you’re the best!"

"It’s Uncle Chen who’s the nice one. He gave me a lot of extras today."

"I’m so happy."

The two of them conversed in soft whispers while everyone else, including Teacher Xiaohe on the podium, stared, dumbfounded.

The boy and girl finally, belatedly, noticed the countless pairs of eyes fixed on them and shrank back in unison. The classroom fell into a strange silence, broken only by the sound of breathing from all around.

You could hear a pin drop.

The students looked at one another, seeing the bewilderment, shock, confusion, and doubt in each other’s eyes. A torrent of different emotions welled up from within them.

The freckled boy immediately shut his mouth and turned away, burying his face.

After a long moment, it was Teacher Xiaohe who finally broke the silence.

"Everyone, get ready. First period is math. Pay attention."

As she spoke, she couldn’t help but glance again at the clean-cut boy in the corner.

After Teacher Xiaohe left, the classroom erupted. All sorts of discussions broke out at once.

"I must’ve woken up too fast. I just saw Yanbing Mountain smile..."

"I don’t think you woke up too fast. I think you’re still dreaming and haven’t woken up yet!"

"No, but on what grounds? Huh? What gives him the right...?"

The chatter didn’t affect Lu Xuan and Yan Jiangxue.

The latter just whispered,

"Do you want to preview the textbooks? The explanations are pretty detailed... Of course, this knowledge is probably useless to you. It doesn’t matter if you read it or not."

"I’ll take a look." Lu Xuan smiled faintly and casually opened the math textbook. He scanned an entire page at a glance and finished flipping through the whole book in no time.

He frowned.

’This is so simple...’

In just a few moments, Lu Xuan had completely understood and absorbed all the knowledge contained in the entire second-year high school math textbook for the first semester.

He had even managed, in that short time, to extrapolate from the textbook’s content to concepts that would only be taught in the third year of high school or even at Wenhua University.

Lu Xuan flipped through the textbooks for the other subjects. They were no different from the math book; in fact, they were even simpler.

The difficulty of this thick stack of textbooks was millions of times simpler than comprehending the first of the Great Dao Texts of the Mediation of Creation.

"Right? I think it’s too easy, too. That’s why I usually skip the academic classes and spend most of my time in the library."

After a pause, Yan Jiangxue whispered,

"But I came to class today because I was thinking you’d be here!"

Lu Xuan said softly,

"Actually, the reason I came to school, aside from fulfilling an old wish, is mostly because you’re here."

These words, which sounded like a confession of love, made Yan Jiangxue lower her head shyly. A blush spread from her face to her earlobes and down her neck, making her look like a ripe apple, so delicious it could make one’s mouth water.

"Oh..." she mumbled, her head still down.

Lu Xuan, on the other hand, was baffled. He didn’t quite understand Xiaoyan’s reaction. ’Wasn’t I just stating a fact?’

Soon, the classroom quieted down as the math teacher walked in and began to drone on, reciting from the textbook.

At first, Lu Xuan listened attentively, but after a few minutes, he lost all desire to pay attention. He felt that the teacher’s understanding of the math concepts wasn’t even as deep as his own after just flipping through the book.

Instantly, his pupils dilated slightly as his consciousness sank into his Spiritual World. While secretly practicing the Breathing and Exhaling Supreme Foundation Establishment Chapter, he began to visualize several Supreme Skills.

Lu Xuan was immersed in his Spiritual World, but just as he began to deconstruct one of the Great Dao Texts, his thoughts were interrupted.

It was Xiaoyan. She timidly poked Lu Xuan’s arm and offered him a peeled chestnut, whispering,

"Here, eat it secretly!"

Lu Xuan wasn’t annoyed at having his cultivation interrupted. He smiled happily and quietly took the chestnut.

Then, he shifted from multitasking four things at once to six.

He practiced the Breathing and Exhaling Supreme Foundation Establishment Chapter, visualized the Mediation of Creation, the Primordial Body, and the Slaying Sword Form, while also keeping an eye on the teacher so he could sneak bites of chestnuts and occasionally whisper with Xiaoyan.

Multitasking six things at once was a bit tiring, but he was happy.

This minute, this second, was the most relaxed Lu Xuan had felt, outside of his dreams or his time with his master.

For now, he cast aside his worries, burying his hatred and great ambitions deep in his heart, and peacefully enjoyed this moment. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Lu Xuan suddenly wished time would slow down, just a little more, or even freeze right here, forever.

When Yan Jiangxue finished peeling two more chestnuts and ate one, she tried to pass the other to Lu Xuan but found that he didn’t take it.

She glanced over and saw that his eyes were slightly closed, a serene smile on his face, as if he were in a state of enlightenment.

He was, in fact, in a state of enlightenment.

「...」

A massive passenger jet slowly touched down on the runway at the airport in East Sea City.

"Xiaosang, we’ve arrived in East Sea City!" a young man said eagerly. "Is this your hometown? It looks really beautiful."

Li Xiaosang shot him a cool glance.

"Give it a rest. All airports look the same. How can you tell it’s beautiful?"

The young man wasn’t bothered, chuckling happily.

"Any place with you in it is naturally the most beautiful place."

"Tone down the simping!" another person mocked. The young man didn’t react, continuing to fawn over the girl, but a hint of gloominess flickered in his eyes.

Li Xiaosang didn’t notice the fleeting darkness on the young man’s face. She just felt exasperated. If this temporary mission hadn’t required a three-person team, she would never have partnered with this man.

She immediately turned her head to look out the window, not bothering to pay him any more attention.

As she gazed out, Li Xiaosang’s mind began to wander.

’I’m back...’

Suddenly, she thought of that clean-cut figure, and a dazed look came over her.

’I wonder how Lu Xuan is doing.’

The girl shook her head sharply, casting aside these messy thoughts. The frown she hadn’t realized she was wearing smoothed out, and she smiled with a sense of relief.

’These days, that boy and I are probably people from two different worlds, aren’t we?’

’He’s still on the ground, while I’ve reached the clouds.’

’I’m already a Bone Marrow Refining Martial Master. The gap between us will only grow wider and wider from now on...’

’Maybe... after I finish the trial mission, I should make time to go see him? He should have enrolled in East Sea High School by now, right?’

’He’s an old acquaintance, after all. The white moonlight of my ignorant youth.’

’Yes. This will be the last time.’

Li Xiaosang thought to herself.