Guidance (Two Chapters Combined)

After saying that, Leng Yaozhu stepped out from the side of the main seat, her gaze shifting toward the direction outside the main hall.

"Let's go. Take me to see the place where you usually practice."

Hearing this, Chu Yan nodded slightly. Without asking further, he turned and walked ahead to lead the way.

He guided Leng Yaozhu through the central courtyard, around the corridors, and along a stone path until they reached the entrance of the rear courtyard's martial arts arena.

Leng Yaozhu followed behind him with a steady, unhurried pace. Her eyes swept over the layout and furnishings of the Chu Clan manor, pausing for a brief moment here and there, but she said nothing.

Upon reaching the entrance to the arena, Chu Yan stepped aside, gesturing for Leng Yaozhu to enter first.

Leng Yaozhu did not decline. She stepped into the arena, scanned the smooth granite floor, and glanced at the Ironwood Staffs of varying wear on the weapon rack against the wall. Then, she turned to face Chu Yan and spoke.

"Attack with your full strength. Let me see your current level of combat proficiency."

Chu Yan's gaze tightened for a fleeting moment at her words.

He looked at Leng Yaozhu. She stood there with a casual posture, not even releasing her soul power.

Yet, a faint luster shimmered within her deep brown eyes; she was clearly not joking.

"Does Master mean we are to spar?"

"Yes." Leng Yaozhu nodded and continued, "Do not hold back. Use whatever techniques you wish; I will receive them."

She paused, then added, "Rest assured, I will not hurt you."

Hearing this, Chu Yan did not hesitate. He loosened his wrists and shook them out, took a few steps forward, and stood firm in the center of the arena.

He knew that Leng Yaozhu wanted to use a practical demonstration to test the results of his last three years; verbal reports were never as intuitive as a real fight.

Given Leng Yaozhu's cultivation realm, even his full-strength attack wouldn't scratch her. He had nothing to worry about, and could instead take this opportunity to test out his strongest trump card.

"Master, please forgive my offense."

As his voice faded, Chu Yan released his Martial Soul.

Hum—!

The dark gold Yan Divine Weapon appeared in his hands. The secret patterns on the surface of the staff flowed with an ancient golden light, appearing deeper and more substantial than they had three years ago.

Immediately following, two Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet, hovering and rotating slowly around his body.

The first Soul Ring was more vibrant than it had been three years ago, now tinged with a faint dark purple—the unique texture of a ring that had crossed the thousand-year threshold.

The second Soul Ring was a pure, deep purple, nearing three thousand years, its surrounding light almost solidifying.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze swept over the two purple Soul Rings around Chu Yan. There was no surprise in her eyes, only a sense of confirmation.

She had long known that Chu Yan's soul ring ages far exceeded those of his peers; after three years, this change was well within her expectations.

Chu Yan did not hesitate. He stomped his foot and lunged forward like an arrow released from a bow.

Hunyuan Staff Technique: Opening Move!

He held the Yan Divine Weapon horizontally before him, his steps steady and his stance solid. Three years of practice had integrated the foundations of this staff technique into his very instincts.

The moment he neared Leng Yaozhu, he used his momentum to flick the Yan Divine Weapon upward from below. The tip of the staff traced a sharp arc, aiming straight for her chest.

The Flick!

The strike carried a heavy, solid force, the sound of it cutting through the air clearly audible.

Leng Yaozhu did not move her feet; she merely raised her right hand and flicked her finger.

Ding—!

With a crisp, light sound, her fingertip struck the side of the staff with precision. A soft yet irresistible force traveled through the weapon, forcing Chu Yan's attack to veer off course. The recoil sent him stumbling half a step to the right.

The gap between them was clearly immense.

Chu Yan steadied himself. Undeterred and without pause, he used the momentum of his stumble to twist his waist and turn. He swept the Yan Divine Weapon from right to left, the staff whistling through the air as it aimed for Leng Yaozhu's waist.

But Leng Yaozhu still did not move her feet. She simply pressed her palm downward, pinning the sweeping staff in place.

Then, she applied a slight pressure, and Chu Yan felt an irresistibly heavy force surge from the staff. His center of gravity was forced downward, his knees buckled, and he was driven half a head shorter.

He had attacked twice, yet he hadn't even touched the hem of her clothes.

Chu Yan steadied his stance, took a deep breath, and retreated two steps to create some distance.

"Your close-quarters staff technique has indeed reached a respectable level." Leng Yaozhu withdrew her hand, her tone approving, but she immediately changed the subject.

"However, the Yan Divine Weapon is not primarily suited for close-quarters brawling, is it?"

Chu Yan nodded and said, "Then I shall change my approach."

He gripped the Yan Divine Weapon tightly, pouring his spiritual power into it.

Fine, intricate cracks appeared on the surface of the dark gold staff. One, two, three...

Eighteen Golden Small Swords flew out from the fissures, hovering around him.

Each small sword was only the size of a palm, covered in delicate secret patterns that shimmered with a cold, metallic luster under the afternoon sun.

The eighteen small swords arranged themselves in a semi-circle in the air, their tips pointing outward, glinting with a sharp, icy light.

Leng Yaozhu glanced at the Eighteen Golden Small Swords, her gaze noticeably more focused than before; this boy's Martial Soul was completely unlike any other.

Chu Yan did not hesitate. With a shift of his intent, all eighteen small swords moved at once!

Nine of the swords accelerated instantly, transforming into nine golden streaks of light that pierced toward Leng Yaozhu along varying trajectories.

Simultaneously, the other nine swords traced more erratic arcs through the air, flickering in and out of existence like phantoms as they circled around, clearly intended to confuse and distract.

The nine golden lights struck from different angles with astonishing speed.

Seeing this, Leng Yaozhu finally moved.

She merely tilted her body slightly, and the first golden streak grazed past her lapel.

Then came the second, the third, the fourth... Her body seemed to know the trajectory of every sword light in advance, shifting just half a step at the perfect moment each time. Those golden small swords, moving at speeds that even an ordinary Spirit King might struggle to dodge, all missed their mark.

Chu Yan did not stop. He continuously drove the nine primary attack swords to alter their paths, attempting to seal off all of Leng Yaozhu's possible escape routes, while the other nine swords created distractions on the periphery, searching for an opening.

Yet, Leng Yaozhu's movements remained calm and unhurried. Her steps were minimal; often, she merely tilted a shoulder or turned her head, requiring no large-scale movement at all.

The nine golden streaks wove and intersected around her, appearing so dense that there seemed to be no gaps, yet not a single one could touch her.

A thin layer of sweat beaded on Chu Yan's forehead as his mental energy consumption accelerated.

He did not give up. With a shift of his intent, the nine primary swords retracted, gathering back at his sides.

He took a deep breath and immediately activated his second Soul Skill.

The nine golden small swords accelerated abruptly, winding around each other and compressing as they spun at high speed!

The golden light flared brilliantly. The nine streaks rapidly condensed into a single spiral, compressing and fusing layer by layer. The phantom images peeled away, leaving only the sharpest core, which continued to shrink amidst the high-speed rotation.

Within a single breath, a palm-length, dark-gold conical spike hovered before Chu Yan.

The spike was perfectly smooth, its surface etched with fine golden patterns, and at the very tip, a faint, hair-thin black crack flickered in the air before vanishing.

The Law of Space had been triggered.

Chu Yan's mental energy was connected to the thin thread of telekinetic light at the tail of the spike. His gaze hardened, and he exerted his full strength to thrust the spike forward!

Whoosh—!

The moment the spike pierced the air, it left behind a pitch-black line—the trace of space being torn open before it could heal.

The speed of this strike was more than double that of the Phantom Sword Style; it appeared before Leng Yaozhu almost the instant it left his hand!

Leng Yaozhu finally stopped using side-steps to evade.

She raised her right hand, palm facing forward.

About half an inch from her palm, an invisible force manifested out of thin air, acting like an intangible yet solid wall of air that held the dark-gold spike firmly in place.

The tip of the spike continued to tremble slightly, and black spatial cracks flickered frequently across its surface, yet it could not advance even a fraction further.

Leng Yaozhu's gaze lingered on the spatial crack at the tip of the spike for a moment, a rare flicker of emotion crossing her eyes.

She did not speak immediately, simply holding her hand up and letting the spike hover in the air for two or three breaths before flicking her finger.

Snap!

With a soft sound, the dark-gold spike shattered, dissolving into the phantom images of the nine golden small swords that scattered in the air before reforming into their solid state and flying back to Chu Yan's side.

Chu Yan caught his breath, retracted the eighteen small swords, and watched as the Yan Divine Weapon collapsed back into its long staff form, which he gripped in his hand.

He looked at Leng Yaozhu, waiting for her to speak.

Leng Yaozhu walked over to him, her tone significantly more serious than before as she said:

"You've already managed to combine reality and illusion with the nine swords in your Phantom Sword Style, and your second Soul Skill, the Sky Piercing Form, can achieve a spatial tear. Although it's only a sliver, it has indeed touched the edge of the Law of Space. To reach this stage at level twenty-nine completely exceeds my expectations from three years ago. You should know that many Titled Douluo cannot even touch the edge of the laws."

She paused, then shifted her tone: "However, you are still too reliant on your Soul Skills."

Hearing this, Chu Yan did not argue, listening quietly instead.

"Your foundation in staff techniques is good, but in actual combat, the staff is merely an auxiliary tool. The true limit of the Yan Divine Weapon lies in your comprehension of the Law of Metal and the Law of Space, not in how many small swords you can control."

She pointed to the Yan Divine Weapon in his hand and continued: "The fact that you produced a spatial crack today shows you have had initial contact with the Law of Space, but it was triggered passively, not controlled actively. If you want to go further, you must learn to comprehend it proactively."

Chu Yan nodded, committing these words to memory.

Leng Yaozhu glanced at him, and seeing that he did not rush to defend himself or argue, but simply accepted the advice, she stopped lecturing.

She withdrew her gaze, turned, and walked to the stone table at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena to sit down, her posture returning to that lazy, casual air, as if she had merely been going through the motions.

"Alright, the assessment is over. Your foundation is solid; just continue in this direction."

Chu Yan put away the Yan Divine Weapon and walked to the stone table, sitting on the stone stool opposite her.

Leng Yaozhu looked at him and added: "By the way, regarding your channel for upgrading Soul Rings, the Spirit Ascension Platform at the East Sea City Spirit Pagoda is sufficient to support you until you reach the Spirit King stage. Unless absolutely necessary, do not use other methods. Stability is more important than anything else."

"This disciple understands."

The two sat by the arena for a while. Leng Yaozhu offered a few suggestions regarding his future cultivation path, her tone flat, as if they were chatting about daily life.

Chu Yan listened quietly for the most part, occasionally responding or asking a question about the details of soul power circulation based on her words.

About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Leng Yaozhu stood up.

"I must be going; I have other matters today. Prepare yourself well. Come to Shrek City in a month, and I will have someone prepare the apprenticeship ceremony."

"Yes, Teacher."

Leng Yaozhu took a few steps, then suddenly stopped and turned back. Her gaze lingered on Chu Yan for a moment before she spoke in a tone devoid of emotion.

"By the way, keep that pendant safe."

Chu Yan was slightly stunned. He looked down at the silver pendant around his neck—the one Na'er had left for him. He had put it on after reading her letter that day and hadn't taken it off since.

He looked up, wanting to ask how she knew about it, but Leng Yaozhu had already turned and walked out of the courtyard gate. Her moon-white skirt hem flickered against the doorframe before vanishing deep into the corridor.

Chu Yan stood at the edge of the Martial Arts Arena, watching that figure disappear at the end of the corridor. He lowered his head to touch the cool silver gemstone on his chest, lost in thought.

He was well aware of Leng Yaozhu's perception; at the level of a Limit Douluo, it was not strange for her to sense an extra pendant on his person.

However, the fact that she had specifically stopped to mention it spoke volumes.

She must have sensed some kind of special energy fluctuation within the pendant, which was why she had gone out of her way to remind him to keep it safe.

Chu Yan pulled the silver pendant out from his collar and held it in his palm, examining it for a while longer.

The layer of iridescent light swirling inside the gemstone continued to flow slowly, as if a living creature were sealed within the transparent crystal.

What exactly was this to the Silver Dragon King?

After watching it for a moment, he put it back on, turned, and walked back to the Martial Arts Arena. He retrieved the Ironwood Staff from the weapon rack and began practicing his basic movements.

He needed time to digest what Leng Yaozhu had said today, especially the parts regarding the comprehension of laws. However, he did not rush to dive into it all at once; instead, he chose to finish his daily training first, intending to calmly sort through it all that night.

In the days that followed, Chu Yan's cultivation rhythm did not change much due to Leng Yaozhu's arrival.

Every morning he practiced with the staff, in the morning he cultivated his soul power, in the afternoon he studied the Soul Guidance Array Notes or practiced the precision of controlling the Yan Divine Weapon, and at night he sat in meditation to seek enlightenment.

The only difference was that he began to consciously incorporate the "comprehension of laws" that Leng Yaozhu had mentioned into his daily training.

For instance, when controlling the small golden swords, he would deliberately try to sense the subtle changes in resistance as they sliced through the air, feeling the trajectory of the airflow the moment it was cut.

Although he had no leads for the time being, he was not anxious; the comprehension of laws was not something that could be achieved overnight.

As the days passed, the start of the intermediate division at East Sea Academy drew closer, as did the time to head to the Heavenly Spirit Pagoda.