The Rear Road

The next morning, Zhuo Shi stood at the entrance of the Sea God Pavilion for a long time.

The door was open, and he could see Yun Ming sitting at a table with a cup of tea in front of him, looking at files.

He didn't go in, standing at the doorway, raising his hand and then lowering it, lowering it and then raising it again.

Yun Ming looked up and saw the hesitant figure standing at the door. He put down the files. "What are you doing standing at the door? Come in and sit?"

Zhuo Shi walked in and sat down opposite Yun Ming.

Yun Ming poured him a cup of tea and pushed it over.

Zhuo Shi took it, took a sip, put it down, and said nothing.

Yun Ming watched him, waiting for him to speak.

Zhuo Shi opened his mouth, then closed it again.

Yun Ming didn't rush him, picking up his own teacup and taking a sip.

Zhuo Shi held back for a long time, finally speaking, "Pavilion Master, Little Jing Heng's talent is very high."

Yun Ming nodded. "I know."

Zhuo Shi fell silent again, rubbing his fingers on the teacup, turning it around and around.

"He's already at the fourth ring, and he's only 11 years old. At this age and cultivation level, how many people on the entire continent have achieved this in years?"

Yun Ming looked at him. "What do you want to say?"

Zhuo Shi hesitated, then gritted his teeth. "He shouldn't waste his talent on a second profession."

His voice was a little muffled. "Forging, Soul Tools, those things can be learned anytime, but his cultivation, his martial soul, his sword, those are the fundamentals."

"He's in a period of rapid progress right now. If he spends his time on a second profession, his cultivation will fall behind. The gains won't be worth the losses."

Yun Ming said nothing.

Zhuo Shi looked at him, waiting for his reaction.

Yun Ming picked up his teacup, took a sip, and put it down. "You think he's wasting his time?"

Zhuo Shi was stunned. "I didn't say he was wasting his time, I meant--"

"You think he's wasting his time," Yun Ming repeated, his tone very calm.

Zhuo Shi opened his mouth, but couldn't say anything.

Yun Ming stood up and walked to the window, pushing it open.

The Sea God Lake shimmered, and the sunlight fell on the water, shattering into a golden expanse.

He looked at the lake for a while. "He came to borrow blueprints from you yesterday?"

Zhuo Shi nodded. "He did. The One-Word Armor blueprints."

"The day before yesterday, he went to see Lan Muzi, Tang Yinmeng, and Elder Long. The day before that, he went to see Feng Wuyu and Cai Yue'er."

"He borrowed the One-Word Armor blueprints from everyone, spread them out on the floor, and studied them for several days."

Yun Ming turned around and looked at Zhuo Shi. "You think he's wasting his time?"

Zhuo Shi said nothing.

Yun Ming walked back and sat down at the table. "When he was making the Moon Palace, some people also said he was wasting his time. Why would a Soul Master, instead of cultivating properly, make Soul Tools?"

He looked at Zhuo Shi. "But the Moon Palace could save his life."

Zhuo Shi fell silent.

Yun Ming continued, "He's learning forging not to become a blacksmith. He wants to make his own Battle Armor, not by asking for help, but by making it himself from start to finish."

"He needs to understand the properties of every piece of metal, the path of every circuit, the precision of every component."

"Only in this way can the finished product be the most suitable for him."

Zhuo Shi was silent for a long time. "I'm just worried he'll be distracted."

Yun Ming looked at him. "Are you worried he'll be distracted, or worried he'll go down the wrong path?"

Zhuo Shi was stunned.

Yun Ming didn't wait for his answer. "The path he's taking is different from ours back then. Back then, we learned whatever our masters taught us, and used whatever the academy gave us."

"He's not like that. He wants to design it himself, choose the materials himself, and make it himself. No one has ever walked this path before, and no one knows if it's right or wrong."

He paused. "But I know one thing—he's not wasting his time. He has his own understanding in everything he does."

Zhuo Shi sat there, looking at the teacup in front of him.

The tea had gone cold, and he hadn't drunk it.

He suddenly smiled. "Alright, I understand."

He stood up and walked towards the door.

He took two steps, then stopped again, looking back at Yun Ming.

"Pavilion Master, if that kid needs any materials when he's making his Battle Armor, tell me. I'll help him find them."

Yun Ming smiled, "Good."

Zhuo Shi left.

Yun Ming sat before the table and took a sip of his tea.

The tea had gone cold, and he frowned, setting the cup down.

Ya Li walked out from behind him and sat beside him, "Zhuo Shi left?"

Yun Ming nodded, "He did."

Ya Li looked at him, "What did he say?"

Yun Ming thought for a moment, "He said Jing Heng shouldn't waste his time on a second profession."

Ya Li was silent for a moment, "What did you say?"

Yun Ming looked at her, "I said, he's not wasting his time."

Ya Li smiled, "You certainly know how to talk."

She paused, "Then what do you think?"

Yun Ming was silent for a long time.

He looked at the lake surface outside the window, the sunlight falling on the water, very bright.

"I want him to grow up happy."

His voice was very soft, "He can do whatever he likes. If he likes making Soul Tools, he can make Soul Tools. If he likes learning forging, he can learn forging. If he likes practicing swordsmanship, he can practice swordsmanship."

"He doesn't need to live to become something, he doesn't need to live for others' expectations."

Ya Li looked at him, her eyes a little red.

She reached out and took his hand, "I think the same way."

Yun Ming looked at her, and Ya Li smiled very happily.

"He's not completing a mission, he's doing what he wants to do."

Ya Li smiled, then her expression turned serious, "Jing Heng's soul spirit... can't provide any more soul rings."

Yun Ming's hand, holding the teacup, paused.

"If it's gone?"

"Yes, providing four is about the limit, right?"

"Shouldn't it be able to provide about five?"

"That's for a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Spirit."

"..."

Yun Ming put down his teacup and tilted his head back.

This ceiling is really a ceiling...

Ya Li: Stares

"He currently has four soul rings. The first ring is over five thousand years old, the second is over nine thousand years old, the third is ten thousand years old, and the fourth is ten thousand years old."

"The energy provided by the soul spirit is almost depleted. From the fifth ring onwards, there will be no soul spirit."

He paused, "He can either hunt soul beasts for soul rings, or find a new soul spirit."

Ya Li looked at him, "You want him to hunt soul beasts?"

Yun Ming didn't speak.

Ya Li continued, "Don't you know how difficult the situation for soul beasts is nowadays?"

"They only have the Core Area left, and a small patch of woods outside called the 'Outer Area'."

Yun Ming gave a wry smile, "Then finding a new soul spirit?"

Ya Li looked at him, "Where would we find one? The Star Dou Great Forest?"

Yun Ming didn't speak.

Ya Li thought for a moment, "Last time you went to the Star Dou Great Forest, you owed Di Tian a favor."

"If you go again this time, how will you ask? 'Di Tian, give my son another soul spirit'? Why would he do that for you?"

She paused, "Besides, Xiao Jiu is already his soul spirit, a descendant of the Silver Moon Fox King."

"If you find another one, what level would it have to be? Would an ordinary soul spirit be worthy of him?"

Yun Ming was silent for a long time, "Hundred-Thousand-Year."

He said, "At least a Hundred-Thousand-Year."

Ya Li was stunned for a moment, "A Hundred-Thousand-Year soul spirit? How many Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beasts are there in the entire Star Dou Great Forest? Why would they leave with you?"

Yun Ming didn't speak.

He stood up and walked to the window, looking at the Sea God Lake outside.

The lake's surface shimmered, sunlight shattering into a golden expanse.

He watched for a long time. "I don't know."

His voice was soft. "But we have to find a way."

"Should we ask the War God Temple?"

"What could the War God Temple possibly have?"

"We have to ask, right...?"