True Strength

Time passed, second by second.

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

His arms began to ache faintly, and his legs grew a little stiff.

The distracting thoughts in his mind were gradually pushed aside, and his focus grew sharper.

He felt his heartbeat, the blood flowing through his veins, and the Soul Power slowly circulating through his meridians.

Even...

He felt the golden mark of the Yan Divine Weapon in his dantian, trembling faintly with each breath.

It was a curious state.

His body was still, yet the energy within him flowed.

His outward form remained unchanged, but power was gathering within.

"Time's up."

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

Chu Yan slowly came out of the stance and loosened his somewhat stiff arms and legs.

"How do you feel?" Chu Yuntian asked.

"Tired, but... really good," Chu Yan said.

"Good?" Chu Yuntian raised an eyebrow.

"It's like... my body's been awakened." Chu Yan thought for a moment, searching for the right words. "It's as if all the muscles and bones that are usually contracted have been stretched out. Everything feels open and clear."

A hint of approval flashed in Chu Yuntian's eyes.

"Your comprehension is even better than I imagined." He walked over to Chu Yan, crouched down, and met his son's gaze. "Many people practice for months without finding this feeling. You found it on your first try."

Chu Yan remained calm and said nothing more.

He knew it wasn't because he had some extraordinary talent. It was the combined effect of his memories from his previous life and everything he had learned in this one.

Although he had never practiced martial arts in his previous life, he had read countless martial arts novels and watched countless kung fu movies. Concepts like "standing meditation" and "lower-body stance" were familiar to him.

On top of that, three years of basic training with the Chu Clan had given his body a solid foundation.

The two things combined to produce today's results.

"But this is only the beginning." Chu Yuntian stood up, his expression turning serious again. "You need to practice the opening stance consistently, every day, until it becomes second nature. Come, I'll teach you the movements that follow."

Next, Chu Yuntian broke down several basic movements that followed the opening stance.

The downward strike.

The staff came down from above, its force concentrated at the tip. A single blow could break through an opponent's defenses.

Chu Yuntian demonstrated once. As the staff struck down, it sliced through the air with a sharp whistle.

Chu Yan followed along, striking down again and again.

At first, his movements were stiff, and his force didn't flow smoothly enough.

But after a dozen repetitions, he gradually found the feel of it.

The Ironwood Staff came down from overhead. Power traveled from the soles of his feet through his wrists, then gathered at the tip with a low, muffled hum.

It was nowhere near as sharp as his father's strike, but it was beginning to carry a hint of that same presence.

"Not bad. Keep going."

Next came the sweeping strike.

The staff swung horizontally, its force concentrated along the length of the shaft. It could be used for both offense and defense.

Then came the upward strike.

The staff rose from below, aimed at breaking through an opponent's low attack.

Finally, the thrust.

The tip of the staff darted forward like a spear, winning through speed.

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

The angle of each strike, the rhythm of each breath, the coordination of each step... He explained every detail clearly.

Chu Yan listened carefully and practiced with focus.

Sweat soaked through his training clothes, and the muscles in his arms began to ache, but he didn't stop.

Thanks to his experience from his previous life, he understood that these seemingly dull basic exercises were the very foundation of future strength.

Without a solid foundation, even the finest talent was only a castle in the air.

Time slipped by without his noticing.

The sun had risen fully above the sea, and golden light spilled across the Martial Arts Arena.

"All right, 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 it, wiped the sweat from his face, and gasped for breath.

A full morning of intense training, combined with barely sleeping the night before, was too much even for a body made of iron.

"Your talent really is quite good." Chu Yuntian patted his son on the shoulder, his voice full of relief. "But no matter how good your talent is, you still need to work hard to make the most of it. Starting today, you can't skip your basic training in the morning, and you'll need extra Soul Power practice in the evening."

"I understand, Father." Chu Yan nodded.

"There's one more thing." Chu Yuntian suddenly changed the subject and looked at Chu Yan. "When are you planning to get your Soul Ring from the Spirit Pagoda?"

Here it comes.

Chu Yan's heart tightened. He knew that sooner or later, this moment would come.

He looked up and met his father's gaze. "Father, there's something I want to tell you about that."

Chu Yuntian furrowed his brow slightly at his son's serious expression, puzzled. It was only a matter of absorbing a Soul Spirit. What could there be to discuss?

"Go on."

Chu Yan took a deep breath. Seeing that no one had come by at this hour, he leaned the Ironwood Staff against the weapon rack and walked to the empty space in the middle of the Martial Arts Arena.

Then he released his Martial Soul.

Buzz—

The dark golden Yan Divine Weapon appeared in his hand, and its ancient, domineering aura spread through the air.

Immediately afterward, a deep yellow Soul Ring rose from beneath his feet, hovering around him as it slowly revolved.

Chu Yuntian's pupils contracted sharply.

Deep yellow!

A Soul Ring of seven to eight hundred years!

How was that possible?!

He sprang upright, his tiger-like eyes wide as he stared at the Soul Ring around his son.

As an eighty-third-ranked Soul Douluo, he couldn't possibly mistake a Soul Ring's age.

That deep yellow color definitely meant a Soul Ring of more than seven hundred years!

But... how was that possible?

His son had only awakened his Martial Soul yesterday, and already had a Soul Ring this morning?

When had he gone to the Spirit Pagoda?

No, that couldn't be right.

Even if he had gone to the Spirit Pagoda, with his son's age and physical strength, it should have been absolutely impossible for him to absorb a Soul Ring that was over seven hundred years old!

The Soul Master World across the entire continent recognized the maximum limit for a First Soul Ring as four hundred and twenty-three years.

A genius with Innate Full Soul Power might be able to break that limit, but only to somewhere between five and six hundred years.

Seven hundred years...

That was beyond everyone's understanding!

"Yan'er, this..." Chu Yuntian's voice wavered. "What's going on with your Soul Ring?"

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

As expected, he'd reacted just as Chu Yan had imagined.

"Father, this is what I wanted to tell you." Chu Yan tightened his grip on the Yan Divine Weapon and said calmly, "My Martial Soul... the Yan Divine Weapon can condense Soul Rings on its own."

"Condense Soul Rings on its own?" Chu Yuntian knitted his brows. He understood every word, but somehow, the whole thing sounded strange.

"That means I don't need to hunt Soul Beasts or 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 Soul Ring suited to my condition."

Chu Yuntian fell silent.

He stared at the deep yellow Soul Ring around his son, his thoughts in turmoil.

Condensing a Soul Ring on its own...

He had never heard of such a thing.

Even the legendary divine-bestowed Soul Ring required a deity to grant it. It wasn't something a Martial Soul could condense on its own.

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

His son had awakened his Martial Soul only yesterday and hadn't left the Chu Clan. There was no way he could have gone to the Spirit Pagoda, much less hunted a Soul Beast through layers of defenses.

And this Soul Ring was real, not an illusion or a disguise.

"Are you sure?" Chu Yuntian asked gravely.

"Yes." Chu Yan nodded, his tone firm. "Last night, I tried to cultivate Soul Power, and the Yan Divine Weapon suddenly stirred. Then this Soul Ring appeared. I can clearly feel that all the energy in this Soul Ring came from the Yan Divine Weapon itself. It has nothing to do with anything outside me."

Chu Yuntian fell silent once more.

He walked around Chu Yan, his gaze fixed on the deep yellow Soul Ring.

As an experienced Soul Douluo, he could sense that the energy in the Soul Ring was exceptionally pure, without a trace of impurity.

Whether a Soul Ring came from hunting a Soul Beast or from a Soul Spirit obtained through the Spirit Pagoda, it always carried the aura of energy from outside the body.

But this Soul Ring didn't.

It was as if it had grown out of Chu Yan's body, fitting his Martial Soul perfectly, as though they were one.

"Unbelievable..." Chu Yuntian murmured, his voice full of shock.

He had lived for more than forty years and considered himself well-informed, but what had happened today had completely overturned everything he knew.

"Father." Chu Yan dismissed his Martial Soul, and the Soul Ring vanished with it. Looking at his father, he said seriously, "For now, I don't want anyone else to know about this."

Chu Yuntian came back to himself and gave his son a long, deep look.

He understood what Chu Yan meant.

If the outside world learned that he could condense Soul Rings on his own, it would cause a tremendous stir.

The top powers, and the Holy Spirit Cult lurking in the shadows, would all covet this ability.

The Chu Clan might be a dominant force in Eastsea City, but on the entire continent, it was only a drop in the ocean.

And with an evil organization like the Holy Spirit Cult out there, always targeting geniuses, Chu Yan would be in far greater danger if those people found out. Even going out would become risky.

"You're right." Chu Yuntian nodded, his expression growing grave. "You and I are the only ones who can know about this. Not even your mother or the clan elders can be told."

"I understand, Father." Chu Yan nodded.

"And one more thing." Chu Yuntian thought it over, then added, "When you're outside, if anyone asks about your Soul Ring, say you got it from the Spirit Pagoda. You'll also need to keep the details of its age and Soul Skill to yourself. Don't reveal everything."

Chu Yan nodded again.

He had thought of that too.

In this world, full of hidden dangers, you could never reveal all your trump cards.

A true strong person always kept others guessing about the depths of their strength.