After returning to East Blade Military Academy, Lin Yi settled into a new rhythm.
He still appeared in the lecture hall, explaining Source Energy theory to the students and answering their questions, but the deep eyes that once reflected them now reflected the paths of intangible rules.
He devoted nearly all his focus to exploring those rules.
As a coastal city, Helu City had an endless ocean that became the place where he most often went to seek insight.
He liked to stand on the reefs where the waves crashed ashore at dawn.
He wasn't there to watch the sunrise. Instead, he closed his eyes and focused, sensing the boundless "momentum" contained in the vast sea, surging endlessly through the ages.
He used this "momentum" to validate the Metal Element Rule's intent to "advance with sharpness" and "push forward through obstacles," seeking to understand the side of the rule that seemed gentle but held the power to sweep everything away.
He also walked along the beach under the moonlight, a wisp of ever-changing Source Energy circling his fingertips.
Sometimes, the Source Energy condensed into a hair-thin yet unbreakable thread that easily sliced through the incoming waves. This was his attempt to hone "ultimate sharpness."
At other times, the Source Energy mimicked the instant a wave crashed, then burst abruptly into a fine spray of golden foam, crystallizing the sand beneath his feet in an instant.
This was his exploration of "ferocity" and "impact."
Sometimes, the Source Energy grew heavy and dense, flowing silently like liquid mercury into the depths of the sand before suddenly thrusting upward. This was his practice in understanding "penetration" and "permeation."
The ocean tides seemed to resonate in some wondrous way with the flow of Source Energy within him and his understanding of the rules.
But