"Architecture Series? Is that some newfound category? How come I've never heard of it?"
Cousin Chen Xiaojia fired off a series of questions.
Even the widely knowledgeable elder cousin looked puzzled at Tang Yu.
Tang Yu cleared his throat, "It's not really a category, my ability is just quite special. On one hand, it's similar to the Solidification Series, on the other hand, well, I thought about it and couldn't fit it into any existing category, so I simply created the Architecture Series."
However, his explanation was basically in vain as they didn't understand what he was talking about.
The surrounding elders, not grasping any of this since they lived in a different world from the Awakeners, didn't bother to ask any more. They just reminded the younger generation to be careful and not to venture into dangerous places.
Tang Yu and two others could only nod repeatedly like chickens pecking at rice, not daring to continue the topic.
They enjoyed their meal very much.
Such a lavish meal was hard to come by on ordinary days, even for the elder cousin's family who didn't indulge in luxury often.
For Tang Yu, these foods were nothing special, yet he enjoyed them thoroughly—after all, they were made by Tang's Mom, a point that made them more precious than any exotic delicacies.
He secretly made up his mind to prepare a truly sumptuous meal once he got a new house or returned to his territory.
After dinner, the elders discussed their matters, and naturally, the younger ones gathered together, resuming the interrupted conversation.
"Brother Yu, show us your ability."
At this point, they were walking in the residential area, on a narrow path where only cars could pass, and even pedestrians felt cramped. Sometimes when survivors from the opposite direction walked by, they had to sidestep to pass each other.
In such an environment, if he casually built an Arrow Tower with a wave of his hand, other buildings could collapse under the pressure within minutes.
Tang Yu's lips twitched, "My ability is from the Architecture Series, by definition, it's like constructing buildings, affecting a wide area. I can't really demonstrate it here. If you really want to see it, let's go to the wilderness another day where I can show you."
"Wilderness... I've never been there."
His cousin showed a longing look.
Having lived inside tall city walls since the apocalypse began, she was not alone in her curiosity towards the outside world. However, only those who had been through hardships, pain, and abandonment outdoors knew that it was not a place to yearn for.
Yet her curiosity about the Architecture Series abilities only deepened.
As they walked out of the residential area, the orange hue of streetlights gave the main roads an almost urban feel.
Elder cousin looked at Tang Yu, making a suggestion, "Since it's your first time in Luoxia, why don't I take you to a shooting club? I know people there; we can get a discount. It's good to master shooting skills for an advantage in the wilderness."
"No Brother Yu, that won't do. Come with me to the Martial Arts Hall instead, there's a lecture by the Master tonight!"
It was evident she highly respected the Zhentian Martial Arts Hall.
"A lecture... If it's a lecture by the Master from Zhentian, that would indeed be good. Yu, you should go listen, you might learn something," the elder cousin remarked after thinking it over.
Tang Yu was confused, "Master? What's that?"
"Master is the strongest person in our Martial Arts Hall." Chen Xiaojia quickly answered, "Our hall has several masters who teach, and the strongest among them is the Master."
"Strong... Well, it's hard to say. I can only sense a faint essence of an Awakener from the Master, but he is really strong. The first time he taught a class, because his essence was weak, and didn't even compare to the First Layer of Awakening, some thought they were tricked out of a hefty membership fee and looked down on him. A highly capable Awakener challenged him..."
His cousin tilted her head, recalling the scene, "The challenger's essence was as strong as yours, Brother Yu, and he looked even more fierce, with arms thicker than the Master's thighs. He threw a punch at the Master, but guess what..."
She paused for a moment, seeing neither of them showed any interest in guessing, then continued with a mix of disappointment and boredom:
"That punch was actually stopped by a single finger from the Master," they said. "Afterward, the two started fighting, and that person couldn't withstand even two rounds before he was thrown out of the Martial Arts Hall. Now he's too ashamed to show his face."
"Our students all say... this is called 'playing the pig to eat the tiger.' Oh, if I could one day become a master like the Master, that would be great, even a powerful Awakener with a presence similar to Brother Yu can't last two rounds."
So you always use me as a comparison, why is that? Your cousin is not someone who'd be knocked out in two rounds!
... He could at least last a few more rounds!
but he was also somewhat surprised.
It wasn't about the Master's strength; rather, it was the combination of factors such as faint aura...Martial Arts Hall...powerful, which led him to some guesses in his heart.
Then he thought of Lin Wei, who had already thrown in the towel. His outward appearance also concealed part of his strength, and Lin Wei's power was surprisingly strong. At the time, despite being one Layer behind in Awakening, he managed to fight Luo Zhe and maintain his ground for quite a long while without being defeated.
Beside him, Tang Yu was truly shocked, "The Master of your Martial Arts Hall can actually conceal his presence to just a last hint?"
Tang Yu raised his eyelids.
He noticed his cousin's choice of words, 'conceal', indeed, the Military...now it should be called Ancestor Dragon, wouldn't be unaware of this, Awakening, absorbing soul power, breakthrough, these were just the basics, and an Awakener themselves is like a huge treasure, still waiting for people to explore and unearth.
"To conceal it down to the last hint, is that really so impressive... I guess that's right, after all, he is the Master. The other instructors can't even manage to conceal their auras."
Chen Xiaojia said and seemed a bit distressed, "If I could learn the real skills of the Master, that'd be great, but those are only accessible to Core Apprentices, and I haven't even mastered the Breathing and Exhaling Technique yet."
Seeing Tang Yu's confusion, she continued,
"Our Martial Arts Hall's student system, as I've mentioned before, depending on the membership fee paid is divided into members and Advanced members, with different privileges available. Above the Advanced members, there's an extremely limited number of Core Apprentices who receive personal instruction from the Master. It's not just about having money; one must have enough talent too."
"Previously, the Master taught the Breathing and Exhaling Technique in our Advanced member course and promised that whoever could master the Breathing and Exhaling Technique in a short time could become a Core Apprentice."
The Martial Arts Hall was giving out such core content?
Then he heard his cousin continue, "But the Breathing and Exhaling Technique, contrary to what I imagined could make people fly or burrow in the past, is, as the Master said, only a sophisticated health preservation method before the apocalypse. But now, as an Awakener can learn and use it in battle, it's said to reduce physical exertion during combat, which is quite significant."
Tang Yu realized that this was not the Cultivation Skill he had imagined. However, he was certain that the Zhentian Martial Arts Hall possessed real Cultivation Techniques, and mastering the Breathing and Exhaling Technique might just be a prerequisite for a certain Cultivation Skill.
Chen Xiaojia checked her watch, "There's a lecture by the Master in an hour, as an Advanced member, I just happen to have one invitation slot. Brother Tang, come with me. We'll just take our time walking there, we should arrive right on time…"
She looked at Tang Yu.
With such an explanation, Tang Yu was genuinely curious about the Martial Arts Hall and nodded, "But you only have one invitation slot, then Brother Yu…"
"Brother Yu has already received teachings in the military, he doesn't need to attend lectures."
"I mean, it seems a bit wrong to leave Brother Yu behind, unable to enter the lecture while we do... oh wait a second." Tang Yu looked down beside him, to his five- or six-year-old cousin who had come with them and was surprisingly not causing any trouble.
That's very unlike a typical mischievous child.
Initially worried about his cousin not having anything to do, but now…
Tang Yu patted Brother Yu's shoulder, "The crucial task of taking care of your little cousin falls on you. This isn't leaving you out, but for your own good."
Brother Yu looked puzzled.
"Brother Yu, you're at that age where you're considering marriage, starting to learn how to take care of children now will give you an edge in the future. Think of this as a great training opportunity, and who knows, it might increase your success rate with the ladies by a few percentage points..."
Brother Yu watched as the mischievous child was hoisted into his arms for him to hold.
Although his cousin's words made sense, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was amiss.
Shouldn't he find a girl first before considering childcare issues?