First Test of Sharpness

Having successfully absorbed the soul ring and officially become a one-ring Soul Master, Lin Ciyan felt his entire body brimming with an unprecedented sense of power.

He could hardly wait to test the might of his first soul skill.

"Grandfather, my first soul skill—it's a success!" Lin Ciyan said to Lin Qingmo, his tone laced with excitement.

"Oh? Let Grandfather see!" At these words, a sharp glint flashed in Lin Qingmo's eyes, full of anticipation.

Lin Ciyan took a deep breath, and the deep yellow soul ring beneath his feet suddenly flared with light.

"First soul skill: Dawn Break Fist!"

He let out a low shout. Instead of attacking immediately, he slowly raised his right fist.

The surrounding light elements seemed to respond to a monarch's summons, rushing toward his palm. In the blink of an eye, they condensed into a fist-sized ball of light, as brilliant and dazzling as a miniature sun.

The interior of the orb shimmered with iridescent colors, radiating a heart-stopping energy fluctuation that illuminated Lin Ciyan's handsome face.

The entire process took less than a single breath.

"Go!"

Lin Ciyan locked his gaze onto a piece of hard bluestone half a person's height away and thrust his fist forward.

The orb did not fly in a straight line; instead, it traveled along a mysterious trajectory, seemingly tearing through the air, and slammed into the bluestone in an instant.

There was no deafening explosion.

The moment the orb touched the surface of the stone, an invisible, highly compressed force of "Light Shock" erupted!

"Hum—!"

A dull, strange sound echoed. Countless fine cracks appeared on the surface of the hard bluestone, spreading instantly like a spiderweb.

Immediately after, the center of the impact collapsed inward, turning into a cloud of fine powder that drifted away in the wind.

Yet, the overall structure of the bluestone remained largely intact, maintaining its general shape, save for a hole in the center that pierced straight through!

Extreme piercing power!

It wasn't over yet. The moment the "Light Shock" erupted, a violent flash of light flared within a radius of several meters around the stone.

It was as if a flashbang had been detonated, bathing the area in a searing white light that made it impossible to look directly at.

Even Lin Qingmo, standing nearby, instinctively squinted his eyes.

It carried a blinding light effect!

Lin Ciyan shifted his focus. Instead of releasing the orb, he kept the condensed light elements tightly wrapped around his fist.

His figure flickered as he closed in on another rock.

He threw a punch, the light on his fist suddenly retracting, only to unleash another "Light Shock" the moment it struck the rock.

"Bang!"

This time, a clear fist print was blasted into the surface of the rock. Cracks radiated from the center of the mark, stone fragments flew, and a flash of intense light vanished as quickly as it had appeared.

"Good! A fine Dawn Break Fist indeed!" Lin Qingmo couldn't help but clap in admiration, his face full of pleasant surprise.

"It possesses both immense single-target piercing damage and area-of-effect crowd control! The grade of this soul skill is far beyond that of an ordinary hundred-year soul skill!"

"Ciyan, what is the soul power consumption like for this skill?"

Lin Ciyan sensed his internal state for a moment and replied, "The consumption isn't high; it's very flexible. If I only trigger a minor-power version, I can use it frequently."

"If I output at full power, with my current soul power, I should have no problem using it two or three times in succession."

"I have a feeling that if I land a full-force strike, any opponent below the Soul Grand Master level, unless they have special defensive measures, would find it hard to take head-on."

The moment he obtained the soul skill, he understood all its characteristics and applications as if by instinct.

This skill could be used at range or in close quarters, for precision control or crowd disruption, making it capable of handling most combat scenarios.

The more Lin Qingmo heard, the more satisfied he became, nodding repeatedly. "It combines attack, penetration, and control, all with such reasonable consumption."

"Ciyan, this first soul skill of yours is nothing short of perfect! As your soul power increases in the future, its might will continue to grow."

"It seems this Dawn Spirit was truly a perfect match for your martial soul!"

After evaluating the soul skill, Lin Qingmo turned his attention to the carcass of the Dawn Spirit he had just processed.

As he skillfully dismantled it, he explained to Lin Ciyan:

"This horn is where the essence of the light element resides. When ground into powder, it serves as a primary ingredient for many high-grade light-attribute pills and can also be used to engrave soul guidance runes."

"This heart blood is the most precious part, containing its life essence. When consumed with certain mild medicinal herbs, it can solidify your foundation and greatly nourish your meridians and martial soul."

"And these muscles and bones are highly nourishing as well. Long-term consumption will subtly strengthen your physique and accelerate your soul power cultivation speed."

"When we get back, Grandfather will personally prepare medicinal meals for you, ensuring we squeeze every bit of value out of this soul beast so you can eat 'clearly and thoroughly'!"

Once everything was handled, Lin Qingmo took Lin Ciyan, their figures turning into a streak of light as they sped toward the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest.

The journey back was not entirely smooth.

As they passed through a dense thicket, a foul wind suddenly lunged at them from the flank!

It was a hundred-year Shadow Leopard, its body lithe and its fur a grayish-brown!

It clearly regarded Lin Ciyan (who was alone, as Lin Qingmo had long since concealed his presence and was watching from afar) as its prey.

Moving with lightning speed, its sharp claws went straight for Lin Ciyan's throat.

Lin Qingmo stood with his hands behind his back atop a treetop, showing no intention of intervening, his eyes filled with scrutiny and trust.

Facing the ambush, Lin Ciyan was startled but not flustered.

Two months of training had already etched combat instincts into his very bones.

He shifted his footwork, his body arching backward at a near-impossible angle, narrowly evading the lethal claw strike.

The Shadow Leopard, missing its first strike, did not pause upon landing; it pushed off with its hind legs and lunged again, its blood-red maw reeking of stench.

This time, Lin Ciyan did not dodge.

"Just in time!"

His spirit ring lit up beneath his feet, and a ball of light instantly condensed upon his right hand.

However, he did not choose to release it from a distance, instead waiting for the Shadow Leopard to pounce right in front of him.

The moment it was about to touch him, he slammed the ball of light directly onto the leopard's forehead!

"Dawn Break!"

At such close range, the ball of light exploded instantly!

"ROAR—!"

The Shadow Leopard let out a shrill, miserable howl.

The highly concentrated power of Light Shock pierced directly into its relatively fragile skull, the excruciating pain bringing its forward momentum to a sudden halt.

At the same time, the erupting glare exploded before its eyes, instantly stripping away its vision.

The Shadow Leopard fell into total chaos and panic, forced to flail its claws blindly and spin in circles out of pure instinct.

How could Lin Ciyan let such an opportunity slip by?

He nimbly circled to the Shadow Leopard's flank.

Avoiding the blind swipes, he condensed his spirit power once more—this time, his fist was wrapped in a halo of light!

"BANG!"

Another solid Dawn Break Fist slammed into the Shadow Leopard's vital midsection!

"CRACK!"

A clear sound of bone fracturing rang out. The Shadow Leopard let out a whimper, its massive body collapsing limply to the ground.

After a few twitches, it went still.

From start to finish, the battle had lasted barely a dozen seconds.

Relying on the powerful control and burst damage of his first spirit skill, Lin Ciyan had cleanly and efficiently taken down a century-level spirit beast known for its speed.

Ding! First independent victory over a century-level spirit beast using spirit skills. Combat capability verified. "Relaxed" combat mindset beginning to emerge. Slacking Points +90!

Atop the treetop, Lin Qingmo nodded in satisfaction and drifted down.

Lin Ciyan calmed the surging spirit power within his body, looking at the Shadow Leopard on the ground with a clearer understanding of his own strength.

He looked up toward the direction of Shrek Academy, thinking to himself:

I've been out for nearly two months; that kid Bei Bei must have obtained his first spirit ring by now...

Carrying the spoils of his first real battle and thoughts of his companion's current situation, the grandfather and grandson set off once more, their figures quickly vanishing into the edge of the forest.