Theory and Verification

Lin Xiao didn't try.

He straightened up, his tongue licking his canines and scanning the cavity. "Soul Power control? No rush." He walked to the stone platform and sat down, his boots dangling. "Let's talk about something else first."

"When I went back this time, I used your approach." He looked at Lu Yuan, his tone becoming serious, "Your ' Soul Power Map ' and your ' Martial Soul Trait Matching Soul Power Path' approach."

Mo Chen stopped tapping. Shen Moxin adjusted her glasses.

"Our family's cultivation technique is called ' Nine Revolutions of Hell,'" Lin Xiao said slowly. "It emphasizes power, speed, and strength, requiring ample Soul Power. We've been practicing it since we were children."

He paused.

"But my Martial Soul is a mutated Hell Spirit Cat." He raised his hand, and a faint black mist emerged from his fingertips, carrying a penetrating quality. "Its characteristics are concealment, penetration, and instantaneous speed bursts. In the past, circulating my Soul Power always felt a bit 'uncomfortable,' especially when I was fully activating my Soul Skill; my left rib would swell. The elder said it was 'body tempering through cultivation techniques' and told me to bear with it."

Shen Moxin gave a soft "Mmm".

"I've reorganized it according to your framework," Lin Xiao continued, "And discovered that the rhythm and intensity of the three secondary paths in ' Nine Revolutions of Hell ' conflict with the 'Agility' characteristic of my Martial Soul. Prolonged brute force will damage my meridians."

The cavern was quiet. Unauthorized alteration of the cultivation method is dangerous.

"How did you change it?" Lu Yuan asked.

"No major changes." Lin Xiao grinned. "We adjusted the operating rhythm of the three paths. We changed it from 'full-force infusion' to 'accumulate first, then release, pulse propulsion'. The intensity ratio was also adjusted, with the main path accounting for 70% and the secondary path for 30%, but it requires greater precision."

He stretched out his hand, and his Soul Power surged from his palm, condensing into a slender and stable stream of energy that flexibly Entanglement his fingertips.

"That's how you develop precise control," Lin Xiao said. "After the modifications, the stiffness in my left ribs lessened that very day. My Soul Power flowed smoothly."

Mo Chen stared at that Soul Power, his Adam's apple bobbing. Its precision far surpassed that of an ordinary Soul Ancestor.

"Then you changed your Soul Ring?" Shen Moxin pressed.

"Hmm." Lin Xiao withdrew his Soul Power, his eyes brightening. "If it feels right, we have to strike while the iron is hot. There's a 1,300-year-old ' Shadow Leopard ' in the family hunting grounds, and its characteristics are a good match. I'll sneak in tonight."

His tone was calm, but the content was shocking.

"That beast waited for me for two days. It wasn't until the third day that I finally found an opportunity to confront it head-on. I injured my left shoulder, and it broke a leg." Lin Xiao pointed to the faint scar on his face, "My old wound almost reopened. In the end, I relied on my adjusted Soul Power to unleash a burst of speed, half an instant faster than it anticipated, and ripped out my heart with a single claw."

Su Yan gasped. Li Wangye clenched his fists.

"Absorbing the Soul Ring is the real problem." Lin Xiao licked his canine teeth. "The Shadow Leopard's Soul Power is violent, carrying the 'Shadow' attribute, and its resonance with my Martial Soul is too powerful. The moment the Soul Power rushed into my meridians, I almost lost control. If I hadn't adjusted the path beforehand to make the flow more flexible... it might have exploded."

The smell of blood seemed to waft from the cavern.

"The process was perilous," Lin Xiao summarized, "But after it was successful, my Soul Power flowed so smoothly it was like I was a completely different person. The power of my fourth Soul Skill, ' Shadow Assault,' was at least 40% stronger than the standard effect recorded in the family. My control over it also improved, and the prelude to its activation was more concealed."

He looked at Lu Yuan, his amber vertical pupils reflecting the lamplight.

"Your line of reasoning was really dangerous to use." Lin Xiao said, still shaken, but with a gleam in his eyes. "But what's done is done. I believe it now. You really have to walk your own path. Even the most beautiful shoes given to you by others can hurt your feet."

After he finished speaking, there was complete silence.

Shen Moxin took off her glasses and rubbed her temples vigorously. She had been taking notes, the charcoal pencil leaving deep marks on the parchment. As a theoretical researcher, she knew the weight of these words—this was not mere theoretical talk, but a path verified by living, high-level Soul Master through life-and-death adventures.

And it worked.

Su Yan and Li Wangye exchanged glances, their eyes blazing with anger. Lin Xiao was a prodigy, but even the "perfect path" his family provided could be difficult. What about them? The path Mr. Lu offered might not be easy, but at least it was a path that fit them.

Mo Chen spoke in a low voice, "So, the precision you control over your Soul Power is something you achieved by modifying your cultivation technique?"

"Otherwise what?" Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow. "Relying on mindless practice? That's too inefficient."

Mo Chen stopped talking, lowered his head and tapped the stove, his movements becoming lighter.

Lu Yuan remained silent, tapping his index finger lightly on his knee. Lin Xiao's explanation was like a key piece of a puzzle being fitted into his theoretical framework.

"The compatibility between Martial Soul characteristics and Soul Power path..." Lu Yuan slowly began, "Not only affects immediate combat power, but also relates to the foundation of cultivation. Universal cultivation techniques pursue 'universality,' but at the cost of sacrificing the 'optimal resonance' with the individual Martial Soul."

He looked at Shen Moxin: "Teacher Shen, how far have traditional theories progressed in this research?"

Shen Moxin put her glasses back on, her voice calm. "Very rare. The mainstream view is that Soul Master need to 'adapt' to the cultivation method, not the other way around. A few top sects may have refined adjustments to the inheritance, but they never pass it on to outsiders. Cases like Lin Xiao, who optimized based on his own characteristics... are almost unrecorded."

She paused, then continued, "This requires keen Martial Soul perception, profound control skills, and..." glancing at Lin Xiao, "... the courage to question."

Lin Xiao scoffed. "Courage? Forced into it. If you don't find a way out, you'll either be turned into a weapon, or one day you'll ruin yourself."

Lu Yuan nodded. Lin Xiao's case verified the applicability of the theory to top-tier Martial Soul. So, this approach could also open up unique paths for Su Yan's "Iron Hammer," Li Wangye's "Hatchet Cleaver," and even his own mutated "Blue Silver Grass."

More importantly, this enhances the "persuasiveness" of the theory. It's not wishful thinking, but practice that can withstand the test of life and death.

His thoughts drifted far away. The information about the "Land of Lightning Strikes" brought by Lin Xiao, Mo Chen's Soul Tool, Shen Moxin's theoretical compilation, Su Yan and Li Wangye's group of Core Flame... and his father's maneuvering outside, this stronghold.

A vague road is piecing together in my mind.

Knowledge needs verification, verification requires power, power requires resources, and resources require territorial alliances. And all of this, in turn, supports deeper exploration of knowledge.

Breaking free from Shackles is never a single-point breakthrough. It requires a system, a long journey from the individual to the collective.

Lu Yuan looked up at Lin Xiao.

"Next, are you interested in doing some bigger 'research' together?" he asked, his voice low but weighty.

Lin Xiao raised an eyebrow. "How big?"

"For example," Lu Yuan took out the hexagonal token, its dark metal gleaming with an eerie light, "To investigate this token and what lies hidden beneath the Thousand Needle Stone Forest."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over every face in the cavern.

"If the ' Land of Lightning Strikes ' can temper Martial Soul and purify the Origin Soul Power, what is the underlying principle? Was that 'ancient ritual or environment' naturally formed or man-made? If man-made, who were the builders? What knowledge did they possess?"

The question landed in the silent air.

Shen Moxin's breathing quickened slightly. Mo Chen stopped tapping, his eyes fixed. Su Yan and Li Wangye held their breath; although they couldn't understand, they instinctively sensed that what their teacher was saying was profound.

Lin Xiao stared at Lu Yuan, his amber vertical pupils narrowing into slits. A few seconds later, he grinned, his canine teeth dazzlingly white.

"Interesting." His voice held a hint of excitement. "More interesting than scheming against the old fogies in my family. How do we do it?"

Lu Yuan put away the token.

"The first step is to obtain more detailed geological structures and historical records of the Thousand Needle Stone Forest. The second step is to improve our strength. Lin Xiao, you've just broken through and need to consolidate your gains. Mo Chen, the next stage of the Soul Power Diverter requires your expertise. Teacher Shen, I entrust the basic training and theoretical enlightenment of Su Yan and Li Wangye to you."

He spoke at a steady pace.

"We ourselves must continue onward," Lu Yuan concluded, looking at his palm where a slender Blue Silver Grass quietly emerged, swaying in the faint glow of his Soul Power. "The road is still long. But at least now, we know the direction."

The sound of wind came from deep within the mine tunnels outside the rock cavity. The flames of the Soul Power lamps flickered, casting long and short shadows on the stone walls.

Like a road that has just begun to take shape.