First Soul Skill: River Sever - No Return

Chen Xin watched Wang Chuan stagger as he landed, his silvery-white brows drawn tight with self-reproach. "Are you all right, Xiao Chuan? It was my negligence as your master! When I checked earlier, it was clearly a five-hundred-year soul beast. Who would have thought it had already broken through? It nearly injured you. Does anything feel wrong? Let me examine you with Mental Power first."

With that, Chen Xin gathered a wisp of gentle pale-blue Soul Power at his fingertips and slowly reached toward Wang Chuan's brow. The instant his Mental Power seeped into Wang Chuan's meridians, his tense expression abruptly relaxed—there was not only none of the expected damage to his meridians, but he could clearly sense that the vitality within Wang Chuan was even more vigorous than before. The toughness of his bones and muscles had also faintly improved, as though they had been tempered by the energy dispersed when the soul beast broke through.

Wang Chuan rubbed his wrist, his face full of excitement. "See, Master? I told you I was fine! And you can't be blamed for this. Who could have expected that soul beast to have broken through at just the right time? Besides, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. After its breakthrough, its age was nearly seven hundred years. The soul ring I absorbed is far better in quality than we originally expected!"

"It's good that you're fine. Don't get too excited yet." Chen Xin raised a hand and pressed it onto his shoulder, his tone becoming steady. "After absorbing the soul ring, quite a bit of residual Soul Power remains in your meridians. If you do not refine it in time, it will not only be wasted, but may also affect your future cultivation. I'll teach you how to guide this Soul Power on your own. Watch carefully and follow along."

"Yes, Master!" Wang Chuan immediately composed himself and sat cross-legged, his back straight as his gaze remained fixed on Chen Xin's hand gestures.

Chen Xin moved behind him and gently pressed his palm against the center of his back. His voice came slowly along with the flow of Soul Power. "Calm your mind and focus your attention on your Dantian. First, let your own Soul Power circulate steadily. Once your breathing is smooth, guide the Soul Power within your Dantian to flow through the meridians of your limbs and body bit by bit, like a stream winding around mountains. Remember, move slowly and keep the force even. When you encounter a blockage of residual Soul Power, do not force your way through. Slowly wrap it with your own Soul Power, then guide it into the Dantian together..."

Wang Chuan followed his instructions. At first, his brows would furrow slightly due to the unfamiliar circulation of Soul Power, but under Chen Xin's guidance, he gradually found the knack. The pale golden soul ring above his head slowly revolved, strands of Soul Power escaping from it and merging into his meridians under his guidance. About half an hour later, when the final trace of residual Soul Power had been completely refined into his Dantian, Wang Chuan felt as if the Soul Power within him had been forged like refined steel. It was not only several times more abundant than before, but also lacked its former sluggishness as it circulated. With a slight movement of his fingers, Soul Power flowed smoothly to his fingertips, and even his limbs and body seemed to brim with a light, powerful feeling.

When he opened his eyes, they were filled with delight. Just as he was about to speak, Chen Xin cut him off first. Looking at him, Chen Xin spoke with solemnity. "Xiao Chuan, you must practice the Soul Power guidance method I just taught you once every day before cultivation. Remember this: more Soul Power is not necessarily better. There is also a difference in its quality. Even among Level Eleven Soul Masters, if you can condense your Soul Power to the utmost limit, then when you fight Soul Masters who only know how to blindly accumulate Soul Power without refining its quality, your victory will be overwhelming. Condensed Soul Power can not only increase the power of your soul skills by more than thirty percent, but also broaden your meridians and lay a solid foundation for breaking through to greater realms in the future. This is crucial to your path ahead. Do you understand?"

Although Wang Chuan's understanding of "Soul Power quality" remained superficial, he could still hear the deeper meaning in his master's words. He nodded heavily. "Yes, Master, I understand! I'll practice according to the method you taught me every day. I definitely won't let you down!"

Seeing his seriousness, Chen Xin revealed a faint, gratified smile. Then his gaze shifted to the pale golden soul ring still floating above Wang Chuan's head, and his tone became full of concern. "Good. By the way, now that you've finished absorbing the soul ring, your First Soul Skill should have awakened as well. Try activating it and see what effect it has."

"My First Soul Skill is called River Severance: No Return. I swing my katana and unleash an extremely fine, nearly invisible line of Nothingness. This slash possesses immense cutting power and can easily tear through defensive soul skills of the same rank. The severed surface of anything cut will temporarily enter a state of 'Nothingness,' making it difficult to heal. After this soul skill strikes a target, it can also restore a small amount of my own Soul Power. And it can be released continuously."

Chen Xin was somewhat startled when he heard this. "In other words, the stronger you become, the more impossible it will be to counter this power of Nothingness. No matter what attribute the opponent has, it can erode it and merge it with your own Nothingness. This power is simply too terrifying. For a First Soul Skill to possess such strength... very good. This operation has been a great success."

"Then, Master, are we heading back to the sect now?"

"No rush. Last night, I adapted the sword technique into a saber technique suitable for your longsword. Perhaps it can be called the Seven Kill Saber Technique. We'll take our time walking back. Once we return to the sect, Rong Rong will cling to me, and it will not be convenient for me to guide you."

"Yes, Master."

After walking for a day, Wang Chuan had gained some understanding of the technique. However, that afternoon, a snake speeding forward at incredible velocity caught the master and disciple's attention. The snake passed directly before them without the slightest regard for Chen Xin's pressure.

The cries for help coming from ahead stirred Wang Chuan's heart. He did not wish to see anyone die in the jaws of a snake. After explaining himself to Chen Xin, he chased after it. After all, Chen Xin did not want his disciple to be someone who stood by and watched others die, cold and heartless. He could also take the opportunity to see how well Wang Chuan had comprehended the saber technique.