The True Strong

Time ticked away, second by second.

Sweat slid from Chu Yan's forehead, tracing his cheek before dripping onto the ground.

His arms began to ache slightly, and his legs grew stiff.

The distracting thoughts in his mind were cast aside bit by bit, his focus sharpening.

He could feel his own heartbeat, the blood flowing through his veins, and his soul power circulating slowly through his meridians.

Even...

He could feel the golden mark of the Yan Divine Weapon in his dantian, vibrating faintly in rhythm with his breathing.

It was a marvelous state.

His body was still, yet the energy within was in flux.

His external form remained unchanged, but his internal power was brewing.

"Time's up."

Chu Yuntian's voice rang out, breaking Chu Yan's immersion.

Chu Yan slowly withdrew from his stance, stretching his stiff arms and legs.

"How do you feel?" Chu Yuntian asked.

"Very tired, but... very comfortable," Chu Yan replied.

"Comfortable?" Chu Yuntian raised an eyebrow.

"It's that feeling of... my body being unlocked," Chu Yan said, searching for an apt description. "It's like my muscles and bones, which are usually constricted, have all been stretched out. It feels very clear and open."

A flash of approval crossed Chu Yuntian's eyes.

"Your comprehension is even better than I imagined." He walked over to Chu Yan, crouched down, and looked his son in the eye. "Many people practice for months without finding this feeling, yet you found it on your first try."

Hearing this, Chu Yan's expression remained calm; he did not say much.

He knew this wasn't due to some extraordinary talent, but rather the combined result of his past-life memories and his current-life accumulation.

Although he had never practiced martial arts in his previous life, he had read countless wuxia novels and watched endless kung fu movies, so concepts like "standing stake" and "stance" were not foreign to him.

Coupled with the three years of basic training in the Chu Clan, his body already possessed a solid foundation.

It was the combination of the two that led to today's results.

"But this is only the beginning." Chu Yuntian stood up, his expression turning serious again. "The opening stance requires long-term persistence; you must practice it every day until it becomes your instinctual reaction. Come, I will continue to teach you the movements that follow the opening stance."

Next, Chu Yuntian began to break down the basic movements that followed the opening stance.

The overhead strike.

The staff was brought down from above, the power concentrated at the tip, capable of shattering an enemy with a single blow.

Chu Yuntian demonstrated it once, and as the staff descended, the air emitted a sharp, whistling sound.

Chu Yan followed along, practicing the strike over and over.

At first, his movements were stiff, and his power delivery was not fluid.

But after practicing a dozen times, he gradually found the rhythm.

The Ironwood Staff swung down from above his head, the force traveling from the soles of his feet to his wrists, finally concentrating at the tip of the staff with a dull "hum."

Although it was far less fierce than his father's, it already carried a faint sense of momentum.

"Not bad, continue."

Next was the sweeping strike.

The staff was swept horizontally, the power concentrated along the shaft, serving both offense and defense.

Then came the upward parry.

The staff was flicked upward from below, specifically designed to break an enemy's low-level attacks.

Finally, the thrust.

The tip of the staff acted like a spear, stabbing forward rapidly, winning through speed.

Chu Yuntian broke down each of the four basic movements in extreme detail.

The angle of force, the rhythm of breathing, the coordination of footwork... every detail was explained with absolute clarity.

Chu Yan learned earnestly and practiced with total dedication.

Sweat soaked his training clothes, and the muscles in his arms began to ache, but he did not stop.

Because of his experience from his past life, he knew clearly that these seemingly dull, basic drills were the foundation for future strength.

Without a solid foundation, even the greatest talent would be nothing more than a castle in the air.

Time slipped away unnoticed.

The sun had fully risen above the horizon, and golden sunlight bathed the Martial Arts Arena.

"Alright, that's enough for now."

Chu Yuntian called a halt to the training, walked over to Chu Yan, and handed him a towel.

Chu Yan took the towel, wiped the sweat from his face, and gasped for air.

After a morning of high-intensity training, combined with the fact that he had barely slept the night before, even a body made of iron would struggle to hold up.

"Your talent is indeed excellent." Chu Yuntian patted his son on the shoulder, his tone full of gratification, and said, "However, no matter how good your talent is, it still requires hard work to realize it. Starting today, your morning basic training must not be interrupted, and you will add soul power training in the evening."

"I understand, Father." Chu Yan nodded.

"There is one more thing." Chu Yuntian suddenly changed the subject, looked at Chu Yan, and asked, "When do you plan to go to the Spirit Pagoda to obtain your soul ring?"

It was here.

Chu Yan's heart tightened; he knew that what was meant to come would eventually come.

He raised his head, met his father's gaze, and said, "Father, regarding this matter, there is something I would like to tell you."

Chu Yuntian frowned slightly, looking at his son's serious expression, and couldn't help but feel puzzled. It was just absorbing a soul spirit, what could be the matter?

"Speak."

Hearing this, Chu Yan took a deep breath. Seeing that there was no one else around at this hour, he leaned his Ironwood Staff against the weapon rack and walked to the open space in the center of the Martial Arts Arena.

Then, he released his martial soul.

Hum—

The dark golden Yan Divine Weapon appeared in his hands, and an ancient, domineering aura instantly permeated the air.

Immediately following, a deep yellow soul ring rose from beneath his feet, hovering around him and rotating slowly.

Chu Yuntian's pupils contracted sharply.

Deep yellow!

A seven-to-eight-hundred-year soul ring!

How is this possible?!

He stood up straight abruptly, his tiger-like eyes wide open, staring fixedly at the soul ring circling his son.

As an eighty-third-level Soul Douluo, his judgment of a soul ring's age could not be wrong.

That deep yellow hue was definitely a soul ring of over seven hundred years!

But... how could this be?

His son had only awakened his martial soul yesterday; how could he have a soul ring this morning?

When did he go to the Spirit Pagoda?

No, that wasn't right.

Even if he had gone to the Spirit Pagoda, given his son's age and physical strength, it would be absolutely impossible for him to absorb a soul ring of over seven hundred years!

The limit for a first soul ring was universally recognized throughout the soul master world as four hundred and twenty-three years.

A genius with innate full soul power might be able to break this limit, but only within the range of five or six hundred years.

Seven hundred years...

This already exceeded everyone's understanding!

"Yan'er, this..." Chu Yuntian's voice had changed, and he said, "What is going on with your soul ring?"

Chu Yan looked at his father's shocked expression and sighed inwardly.

As expected, this reaction was within his expectations.

"Father, this is what I wanted to tell you." Chu Yan gripped the Yan Divine Weapon and said calmly, "My martial soul... the Yan Divine Weapon, it can condense soul rings on its own."

"Condense soul rings on its own?" Chu Yuntian's brows were locked tight. He recognized every word, but when put together, why did it feel so strange?

"It means I don't need to hunt soul beasts, nor do I need to go to the Spirit Pagoda to obtain a soul spirit."

Chu Yan continued to explain, "As long as my body and mental strength are strong enough, the Yan Divine Weapon will automatically condense a corresponding soul ring based on my own condition."

At this, Chu Yuntian fell silent.

He stared at the deep yellow soul ring around his son, his thoughts churning in his eyes.

Condensing soul rings on its own...

He had never heard of such a thing.

Even the legendary God-bestowed soul rings required the bestowal of a deity, not the autonomous condensation of a martial soul.

But the reality before him left him no choice but to believe it.

His son had only awakened yesterday and had not left the Chu Clan; it was impossible for him to have gone to the Spirit Pagoda, and even more impossible for him to have bypassed layers of defenses to hunt a soul beast.

And this soul ring was truly real; it was neither an illusion nor a disguise.

"Are you certain?" Chu Yuntian asked in a deep voice.

"I am." Chu Yan nodded, his tone firm, and said, "Last night, when I attempted to cultivate my soul power, the Yan Divine Weapon suddenly underwent a strange change, and then this soul ring appeared. I can clearly feel that the energy of this soul ring comes entirely from the Yan Divine Weapon itself and has nothing to do with the outside world."

Chu Yuntian fell silent once more.

He circled around Chu Yan, his gaze fixed firmly on that deep yellow spirit ring.

As an experienced Spirit Douluo, he could sense that the energy within this spirit ring was incredibly pure, without even a trace of impurity.

Whether it was a spirit ring obtained from hunting a spirit beast or a spirit soul acquired from the Spirit Pagoda, both would carry the aura of external energy.

But this spirit ring did not.

It was as if it had grown directly from within Chu Yan's body, perfectly compatible with his martial soul, forming a seamless whole.

"Incredible..." Chu Yuntian murmured, his voice filled with shock.

He had lived for over forty years and considered himself well-traveled and knowledgeable, but today's events had completely overturned his understanding.

"Father." Chu Yan retracted his martial soul, and the spirit ring vanished along with it. He looked at his father and said earnestly, "For the time being, I do not want anyone else to know about this."

Chu Yuntian snapped back to reality and took a long, deep look at his son.

He understood what his son meant.

If the ability to autonomously condense a spirit ring were to be known to the outside world, it would trigger an unimaginable storm.

Those top-tier factions and the Holy Spirit Cult lurking in the shadows would all flock to seize such an ability.

Although the Chu Clan was a hegemon in East Sea City, they were but a drop in the ocean when compared to the entire continent.

Not to mention the existence of an evil organization like the Holy Spirit Cult, which specifically targeted geniuses; if that group were to find out about Chu Yan, his future travels would become far more dangerous.

"You are right." Chu Yuntian nodded, his expression turning grave as he said, "This matter must be known only to you and me. You cannot even tell your mother or the clan elders."

"I understand, Father." Chu Yan nodded.

"Also," Chu Yuntian thought for a moment before adding, "In the future, if anyone asks about your spirit ring, just say you obtained it from the Spirit Pagoda. You must also be reserved about the specific age and spirit skills; do not reveal everything."

Chu Yan nodded again.

He had already considered this point as well.

In this world fraught with peril, one must never reveal all their trump cards.

A true powerhouse is one whose depth can never be fully fathomed.