Raw Jade Needs Carving, Dao Resonance Tempering the Restless Heart

When Perpetual Academy held its second round of admissions, it welcomed an extraordinarily gifted student—a youth named Lan Ze from the Mermaid Spirit Race of the Eastern Sea. Lan Ze was the youngest son of the Mermaid Spirit Race's chieftain. His innate talent for Water Control Power far surpassed that of his kin; not only could he easily manipulate spirit water, but he could also stir up small-scale tides. Even upon enrollment, his cultivation had already reached heights that many cultivators could pursue for decades without attaining.

Yet his exceptional talent had also fostered an impatient and arrogant temperament. In class, he often interrupted the instructors' explanations, believing the material was far too elementary and unworthy of his gifts. During nature studies, he disdained such "trivial chores" as planting spirit herbs and monitoring soil, always wanting to accomplish some earthshaking act of guardianship. When interacting with other students, he frequently argued with them over differing opinions, believing everyone else's ideas were mediocre and that only his own plans were the optimal solution.

During a practical lesson on "spirit water regulation," the instructor divided the students into groups and tasked them with designing a water-saving irrigation system for the academy's spirit stream. It had to meet the water needs of the park's vegetation without causing waste. The other students in Lan Ze's group suggested proceeding step by step: first monitor the vegetation's water requirements, then devise the irrigation plan. Lan Ze, however, scoffed. "It's such a simple matter. Why make it so troublesome? Watch me!"

Before the group had even finished discussing it, he activated his Water Control Power alone and drew upon the spirit stream's current, intending to irrigate the vegetation directly. Though his control was powerful, he lacked any understanding of how much water the plants needed. The flow