Training self-created soul skills (1 / 2)

When Tang San and Xiao Wu returned to the academy, Li Hanqiu was holed up in Back Mountain, sitting beside a stone table and leafing through a stack of documents.

A thick pile of soul beast records lay spread across the stone table, weighing down pages whose corners had begun to curl.

Li Hanqiu turned the pages one by one, occasionally furrowing his brow. The notebook beside him was densely packed with annotations, but most of them had been crossed out with an "×."

Luo Sanpao lay in the shade of a tree, chin resting on forepaws, half asleep.

Footsteps sounded from the far end of the mountain path.

"Teacher! We're back!"

Xiao Wu's voice bounded ahead of her before she even arrived. She ran and skipped along, her braid whipping wildly in the wind.

Tang San followed behind at a slightly slower pace, but his eyes sparkled.

Li Hanqiu looked up and glanced over his two disciples.

"Oh, you girls are back."

His gaze lingered on Tang San's face for a moment, as though he had noticed something, and the corners of his lips lifted slightly. This boy seemed to have changed quite a bit after just one trip away.

The timidity between Tang San's brows had faded considerably, and his eyes seemed to hold a newfound steadiness, along with some emotion that was difficult to name.

"Mm." Tang San nodded, approached him, and bowed properly. "Teacher, we're late getting back."

"As long as you're back. No need to be so formal." Li Hanqiu lowered his head to the documents again.

Xiao Wu came over and leaned against the edge of the table, her face full of curiosity. "Teacher, what are you reading? It's so packed with writing!"

"Soul beast records."

"Teacher, are you choosing your fourth soul ring?" Tang San looked over as well.

Li Hanqiu grunted in assent, running a finger along the edge of a page. "I've already ruled out a whole bunch. These are the ones left, but I still need to eliminate a few more."

Several names were circled on the topmost pages, followed by information such as age, attributes, and habitat ranges.

Some entries had been circled repeatedly in red ink, while others had been crossed out and rewritten.

Xiao Wu could not make sense of it. She looked up and asked, "Teacher, isn't it just a soul ring? Can't you hunt whatever you find?"

Li Hanqiu did not even lift his eyes. "Every ring is crucial. You can't be careless."

He paused, then continued, "Age, bloodline, attributes-if any of them don't fit, I won't take it.

"Once the fourth soul ring is settled, changing it will be difficult. I'd rather wait another two months than make do."

"Oh, right. If I'm not beside you in the future, you must also choose carefully before hunting soul beasts on your own. You can't be careless about this."

"Yes, Teacher-" Xiao Wu drew out the words as she hopped around Li Hanqiu with her little hands clasped behind her back.

Tang San's face looked young and docile, his calm gaze resting on Li Hanqiu without the slightest hint of anything unusual. Yet an obstinate thought began circling deep in his heart:

Teacher really is the best person in the world. He cares about me every moment of every day...

As for parting with Teacher... no. I'm already all alone, so I will never leave him!

As long as he doesn't push me away, I'll cling to his side for the rest of my life, never leaving him for even a step. No one-absolutely no one-can get close to him or steal even a fraction of his attention!

He can only be mine. He can only watch over me, always. He has to stay with me forever, forever...

With those thoughts, Tang San slowly lowered his eyes. The loose hair over his forehead covered half his face, concealing every trace of his expression.

Though he appeared gentle and obedient, his eyes beneath that shadow churned with obsessive madness. His lips curved ever so slightly into a strange smile as the fixation in his heart grew wildly:

He can belong only to me. Through every lifetime, he must stay by my side forever.

Li Hanqiu did not notice the strange change in Tang San. He was still bent over the records, eliminating soul beast candidates.

Only half understanding, Xiao Wu scratched her head. "Then, Teacher, when are you going hunting?"

"In a little while," Li Hanqiu said. "Once I've more or less settled on three to five soul beasts as my first choices and backups, I'll hire a team of soul masters and hunt them myself."

As he spoke, Li Hanqiu gathered the documents and weighted them down.

Then he stood and looked gently at his two disciples.

"All right, enough about that."

He looked at Tang San and Xiao Wu with clear eyes. "Starting today, we'll add a new subject to your training."

Tang San and Xiao Wu straightened at the same time. Xiao Wu looked at Li Hanqiu eagerly, her eyes brimming with anticipation.

Li Hanqiu's lessons were different from the rigid routines of other teachers.

He always let them learn while playing, and by the time the fun was over, so was the lesson. That was why Xiao Wu loved Li Hanqiu's classes most.

Tang San had also returned to his usual adorably shy demeanor, staring at Li Hanqiu with sparkling eyes. Not a trace of his earlier obsession remained visible.

Back Mountain, beneath the old locust tree.

Li Hanqiu stood with his hands behind his back, the mountain breeze snapping his blue-green robes.

"Starting today, you'll begin working on self-created soul skills."

Tang San tilted his head up. "Teacher, what are self-created soul skills?"

"Hmm... they're moves you devise yourself to suit you, rather than soul skills granted by soul rings or soul bones," Li Hanqiu said. "It's a form of training reserved for geniuses."

He paused before continuing, "The process of developing self-created soul skills is itself a way of controlling soul power.

"Even if you never create a soul skill in the end, your fine control over your own soul power will be completely different from before."

Xiao Wu's eyes darted as she listened. "Teacher, Teacher, does that mean we won't have to do boring soul power cultivation anymore, and can just practice self-created soul skills?"

Li Hanqiu glanced at her.

"In your dreams."

Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue.

"At the end of the day, self-created soul skills are merely flowers embroidered on brocade," Li Hanqiu straightened and explained patiently. "A soul master's foundation will always be soul power.

"Your soul power level is the foundation on which you stand. I'm having you work on self-created soul skills now only to refine your control over soul power while you're laying that foundation. It's preparation for the future, nothing more."

He reached out and tapped his knuckles lightly against the stone table.

"One more thing."

"Self-created soul skills are your hidden trump cards. Against an evenly matched opponent, whoever holds an extra card has a better chance of turning the tables."

Tang San's and Xiao Wu's eyes lit up at the same time.

"However," Li Hanqiu changed his tone, "this is only a transitional phase. Once you're past level twenty, both of you must shift your focus back to cultivating soul power.

"If either of you neglects proper cultivation to fiddle around with fancy tricks, I won't let you off."

As he spoke, his gaze swept slowly over the two of them.

"I know a genius with innate full soul power whose talent is no less than yours.

"But he was far too fond of tinkering with techniques and wouldn't cultivate his soul power properly. All day long, he worked on some 'Gale Something Thirty-Six Consecutive Slashes,' letting his own soul power level fall by the wayside."

"You must take that as a warning. Understand?"

"Understood, Teacher," Tang San answered earnestly.

"Understood!" Xiao Wu answered loudly.

"By the way, Teacher, who's that genius with innate full soul power you mentioned?"

Li Hanqiu smiled without answering, saying only that they would find out in the future.

Then he nodded. "Starting tomorrow, you'll cultivate soul power every morning and work on self-created soul skills in the afternoon.

"For now, each of you should release your martial soul. I'll suggest a direction for your self-created soul skill training based on your individual abilities."

Tang San answered, "Yes," and was the first to act.

He turned his palm upward, and blue silver grass sprouted from it, its verdant leaves swaying gently in the wind.

"Your blue silver grass has flexibility to spare, but lacks brute force," Li Hanqiu said. "So don't try to force it into those broad, sweeping moves. A plant should act like a plant. Entangling, winding, twisting, and locking-that's where your strengths lie."

Li Hanqiu offered his assessment calmly. "Combined with the 'life-type' soul ring path I've tailored for you, it will greatly enhance your strengths and avoid your weaknesses, allowing your true power to shine."

After speaking, Li Hanqiu noticed that Tang San was looking at him very strangely. Pink hearts almost seemed to be popping up in his eyes.

"What's wrong, Little San? Did I say something incorrect?" Li Hanqiu asked, puzzled.

Tang San shook his head and slowly closed his eyes. "No, Teacher. Everything you say is right. I simply admire your vast knowledge and couldn't contain my feelings for a moment."

As he spoke, Tang San urged the blue silver grass into a slow dance. Stem after stem spiraled and crossed in the air, as though weaving an invisible net.

Li Hanqiu scratched his head, unable to understand what had gotten into Tang San or why he was suddenly so full of admiration and praise.

Still, he did not dwell on it, assuming Tang San had simply spoken from the heart.

"Little San, that part isn't quite right."

Li Hanqiu put the matter behind him and began guiding Tang San.

"You're circulating your soul power a little too hastily. Don't think about controlling it yet. First, use your soul power to 'feel' it.

"Etch every blade of blue silver grass into your heart. Where it emerges, where it goes, where its force is applied-feel it all with care."

Tang San murmured his assent, beads of sweat seeping from his temples.

The blue silver grass slowed, moving little by little, as though he were running his hands along the stems one at a time.

"Yes, that's the feeling," Li Hanqiu said.

Beside them, Xiao Wu could no longer wait.

"Teacher! What about me? What self-created soul skill should I practice?"

The moment she spoke, Tang San's flow faltered, and the blue silver grass went limp with a snap.

Li Hanqiu shot Xiao Wu a sideways look. "Since you're so fidgety, this is exactly what you should practice first."

"Practice what?"

"Balance through your waist and legs," Li Hanqiu said. "Your legs are strong and flexible, but the moment you get impatient, you become unsteady and lose your balance."

He pointed to the clearing. "Go hold a horse stance. Nail your lower body firmly to the ground."

Xiao Wu pouted, but still walked into the clearing, lowered herself on both legs, and took up a horse stance.

"Your back is sagging."

Xiao Wu pressed down a little farther.

"A little lower."

She gritted her teeth and sank another half inch.

"Good. Hold it," Li Hanqiu said. "Once you can stand for two full hours without your waist trembling, we can talk about self-created soul skills."

Xiao Wu let out an aggrieved whimper.

The mountain breeze passed through the locust tree, its leaves rustling.

Tang San stood beneath the tree, the loose hair over his forehead plastered down with sweat. Blue silver grass rose and fell slowly around him, like a small sea of green waves.

Xiao Wu held her horse stance, her face flushed crimson and both legs trembling, yet stubbornly kept her back perfectly straight.

Li Hanqiu stood to one side, his gaze clear and quiet.

Looking at Tang San, he thought, Xiao Wu is a hundred-thousand-year soul beast who took human form. Her talent for cultivation is equal to that of the very finest soul masters with innate full soul power.

But you're different, Little San. Having lost your Clear Sky Hammer martial soul, even with innate full soul power, the inferior quality of your martial soul has undoubtedly lowered your ceiling.

Li Hanqiu sighed. As your teacher, I can only do everything possible to make up for your weaknesses. In the future, I'll also find an immortal herb to remedy your martial soul's shortcomings.

Perhaps you'll encounter some great stroke of fortune, and your blue silver grass will evolve into the Blue Silver Emperor. Or perhaps... you'll gain a new second martial soul. Who can say for certain?

The sun traveled from east to west.

Spring passed, and autumn came again.

The old locust tree in Back Mountain shed its leaves and grew them anew, then shed them once more.

Day after day, five years passed in this way.