Bai Yuan! Become the Silver Dragon King's First Stepping Stone!

At dawn, the sky had only just begun to brighten.

Bai Yuan had already begun his daily required practice in his room.

Dawnmaker flipped, thrust, spun, and slashed diagonally in his hands.

The sound of the blade cutting through the air was soft yet dense, weaving an invisible net through the room.

After finishing a set of sword forms, he sheathed his sword and stood still, slowly exhaling a breath of stale air.

"Whew—"

Still not enough.

His current swordsmanship might already seem smooth in the eyes of ordinary people, but Bai Yuan knew clearly that he was merely forcing it with the speed and reactions granted by his Eidolon.

True exquisite swordsmanship was not built through brute force and speed, but through every movement being perfectly timed and every fraction of strength applied exactly where it mattered.

What he lacked now was precisely that sense of "just right."

He still needed more practice.

However, he had recently discovered something that pleasantly surprised him.

The Worldbearing Coreflame could not only help him cultivate faster and resist mental attacks; it could also provide him with certain... memories?

No, they were not memories.

They were more like instincts engraved deep within the Core Flame, muscle memory tempered through countless reincarnations and countless swings of a sword.

Those sword techniques did not belong to him. They belonged to Xiao Bai.

To Phainon, who had borne the Core Flame in Honkai Star Rail and endured who knew how many cycles of reincarnation.

Whenever he gripped Dawnmaker tightly and focused on sensing the Core Flame, those techniques would flow into his mind from its depths like a gentle stream.

It was not rigid knowledge being force-fed into him, but an enlightening realization of, So this is how that strike should be delivered.

Bai Yuan lowered his head to look at the Core Flame in his palm, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

"Xiao Bai, thanks."

The Core Flame glimmered faintly, as though responding.

Moreover, the Core Flame had another, more practical function.

It could automatically gather the surrounding Soul Power.

When Bai Yuan cultivated, he could clearly sense that, centered around him,

the Soul Power within several dozen meters would slowly converge toward the Core Flame, then be purified and compressed by it before being fed back into his body.

Throughout this process, his rate of absorbing Soul Power was at least three to five times that of an ordinary Soul Master.

That was also why his Soul Power had already improved noticeably despite it not being long since his awakening.

Bai Yuan took a deep breath and gripped Dawnmaker again.

Continue practicing.

Xiao Bai had given him an entire set of cheats, but he still had to know how to use them himself.

When the time came, Bai Yuan sheathed his sword and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

It was time to see his teacher.

He pushed open his door, walked down the hallway to the elevator, and pressed the button.

The elevator doors slowly opened. He stepped inside and pressed the floor where Leng Yaozhu's private training room was located.

The elevator rose steadily.

Bai Yuan leaned against the elevator wall, his mind still replaying the sword techniques he had practiced earlier.

The techniques provided by the Core Flame truly were good stuff.

But he needed to digest and adapt to every swing himself. It was not something he could completely master overnight.

Ding.

The elevator doors opened. Bai Yuan stepped out, crossed the corridor, and arrived before the door to Leng Yaozhu's private training room.

He raised his hand and knocked softly twice.

"Come in."

Leng Yaozhu's voice came from within.

Bai Yuan pushed the door open and entered.

Inside the training room, Leng Yaozhu stood by the window. Sunlight streamed in from behind her, outlining her figure with a faint golden edge.

Today, she wore a crisp training outfit, her long hair tied behind her head. She seemed somewhat sharper than usual.

"Teacher."

Bai Yuan walked over and greeted her respectfully.

"Mm."

Leng Yaozhu turned around and glanced at him.

"You're here."

Her gaze lingered on Bai Yuan for a moment, seemingly checking how well he had rested the previous night. Then she shifted slightly aside, revealing the person behind her.

Gu Yuena stood in a corner of the training room, her silver hair falling down her back as her purple eyes calmly watched him.

She wore a white training outfit today, with a pale purple sash tied around her waist.

She looked clean and capable, like a young bamboo shoot that had just broken through the earth—cool and upright.

Bai Yuan's heart stirred slightly, but his expression remained unchanged.

"Hello."

He nodded at Gu Yuena, his tone casual and natural.

"Gu Yue."

Gu Yuena looked at him. There was no unnecessary emotion in her purple eyes. She merely nodded faintly and replied in a clear, cold voice:

"Hello."

Just two words, neither more nor less.

Bai Yuan withdrew his gaze, but he could not help muttering inwardly.

Still as cold as ever.

But that's fine. Better than a love-struck fool and a freeloader.

Leng Yaozhu did not notice the brief exchange between them and merely said casually,

"Since you're both here, let's begin.

The two of you will train together today."

Bai Yuan: "..."

Together?

He subconsciously glanced at Gu Yuena and discovered that she was looking at him as well.

Their gazes met for an instant before they both looked away.

Leng Yaozhu lightly clapped her hands, signaling for the two to focus.

"You will both be pillars of the Spirit Pagoda in the future, and you are both my disciples.

Knowing each other well is the first step toward building trust. It will also make it easier for you to look after one another in the future."

Bai Yuan spoke first. "My name is Bai Yuan. My Martial Soul is a weapon-type Martial Soul: Dawnmaker and the Core Flame."

Leng Yaozhu nodded in satisfaction and turned her gaze toward Gu Yuena.

Gu Yuena rose to her feet, her purple eyes as calm as water.

"Gu Yue. My Martial Soul is Elementalist. Six-Element Control."

Here it comes, here it comes.

Keep pretending. Go on, keep pretending.

What "Elementalist," what "Six-Element Control."

Your Martial Soul is clearly the Seven-Colored Elemental Dragon, inheritor of the Dragon God's seven great elements.

You control light, space, earth, ice, fire, wind, and darkness.

You might fool everyone else, but you can't fool me.

Leng Yaozhu nodded in satisfaction.

"Very good. If you can be honest with each other, your cooperation will be more seamless in the future."

Bai Yuan agreed aloud, but inwardly he grumbled.

Teacher, she wasn't honest at all. She's hiding more than anyone.

Gu Yuena seemed to sense the scrutiny in his gaze.

Her purple eyes flicked toward him without betraying a thing, then calmly shifted away again.

But Bai Yuan knew that she was definitely calculating something as well.

Two old foxes, both understanding without saying a word.

Leng Yaozhu stood up and clapped her hands.

"Alright, now that you know each other, let's begin today's combat training."

Bai Yuan and Gu Yuena nodded at the same time.

Bai Yuan stood on one side of the Training Ground, his face outwardly calm.

On the other side, Gu Yuena's silver hair hung down as her purple eyes lowered. She looked quiet and obedient.

But in her mind, her thoughts had already taken countless turns.

Defeat him.

She told herself inwardly.

Bai Yuan was a disciple personally brought back by Leng Yaozhu. His talent had been recognized, and he had performed astonishingly in the assessment.

If she could defeat him, it would prove that she was stronger than he was.

Leng Yaozhu would see it. The Spirit Pagoda's upper ranks would see it.

A genius more valuable than Bai Yuan deserved more resources, greater authority, and faster advancement.

Step by step, she would seize the Spirit Pagoda's resources.

Level by level, she would climb the Spirit Pagoda's ladder of power.

In the end, she would take the Spirit Pagoda into her own hands!!!

Gu Yuena lowered her head slightly, her silver hair concealing the faintest curve at the corner of her lips.

"Hahahahahaha."

She laughed wildly and freely in her heart.

As expected of my earth-shattering wisdom!

As for Bai Yuan?

She lifted her eyes, her purple pupils calmly sweeping over the young man opposite her.

His talent was not bad, and neither was his temperament.

Unfortunately, in this world, geniuses had always existed to be surpassed.

Bai Yuan.

She silently repeated his name in her heart.

Become my first stepping stone.