Su Yan's Breakthrough

As morning light streamed into the backyard, Su Yan squatted against the wall. In front of him were three chipped earthenware bowls, filled with muddy water mixed with sand. He closed his eyes, his index finger hovering over the surface, and a wisp of Soul Power, as thin as a hair, slowly reached towards the middle bowl.

The water surface remained completely still.

The Soul Power clung to the inner wall of the bowl, probing downwards inch by inch, avoiding all the suspended grains of sand. Li Wangye watched from the side, not daring to breathe. He had tried it himself; his Soul Power dissipated as soon as it touched water.

Sweat beaded on Su Yan's forehead, and his lips were pursed white. The fine threads of his Soul Power had already reached the bottom of the bowl and began to trace a circle along the inner wall. There could be no fluctuation whatsoever.

The circle is halfway drawn.

His body trembled very slightly.

It wasn't out of control. It was that the sluggish, old-ox-like Soul Power within my body suddenly surged with a new force without warning. It was very weak, but clear. Like water that had been filled to the brim, it quietly overflowed the unseen line.

The wisps of Soul Power at her fingertips glowed for a fleeting moment before settling back to normal. The water in the bowl remained calm.

But everyone in the backyard felt it.

Bai Zhi raised her head. Lu Yuan straightened up. Behind the east wing window, Shen Moxin adjusted her glasses.

It was a change in aura. The previously stagnant and vague fluctuations of Soul Power suddenly became clear and stable, carrying a sense of perfect completion.

Su Yan opened her eyes.

He stared at his fingers, then at the flawless circle drawn with Soul Power on the bottom of the bowl. He remained stunned for a few breaths.

Then he slowly stood up and turned to Lu Yuan.

For the first time, such a clear emotion appeared on that usually expressionless face, a tremor of excitement mixed with relief. His eyes were a little red, but he held them back tightly.

He bowed deeply to Lu Yuan.

He bent over very low for a long time.

Lu Yuan walked over and waited for the boy to straighten up before patting his sturdy shoulder.

"Level 10," Lu Yuan said.

Su Yan nodded vigorously, her throat choked with emotion. "Sir..."

"It wasn't easy." Lu Qinghe walked over, his eyes filled with emotion. He understood this feeling.

Li Wangye rushed over, lightly punching Su Yan on the shoulder, grinning, but his eyes stung. "Good lad! You actually made it!"

Shen Moxin walked over quickly, holding a notebook in her hand. "How are you feeling? How smoothly is your Soul Power circulating? How has the control precision changed?" She spoke very fast.

Su Yan took a breath. "My Soul Power seems to have 'come alive.' It flows faster, and it's easier to control and concentrate." He paused, "I'm not tired. On the contrary, I feel energetic."

Shen Moxin quickly took notes, murmuring, "Essence nourishment combined with extreme micro-control, quantitative change leading to qualitative change... perfectly matching the model's predictions..."

Mo Chen looked up from the pile of parts, a smile tugging at his dirty face. "Alright, Little Stone. Now the hammer should be more stable."

Bai Zhi stood quietly a short distance away, the seed bracelet on her wrist swaying gently. She looked at Su Yan, then at Lu Yuan's calm profile, her eyes thoughtful.

Lu Yuan waited until Shen Moxin finished writing before speaking again.

"Well done." He looked at Su Yan, his gaze containing approval, but even more so, a calm scrutiny. "But this is just the beginning."

Su Yan immediately straightened her back.

"Level ten means you need your first Soul Ring." Lu Yuan's words calmed the atmosphere in the backyard.

Acquiring Soul Ring. For ordinary Soul Master, these four words mean risk, barriers, and even life and death.

Su Yan clenched her fists, her knuckles turning white, but her eyes did not falter.

"Your Martial Soul is 'Iron Hammer'," Lu Yuan continued, his tone like analyzing a research topic. "Your Soul Power characteristics are outstanding in 'steadiness' and 'strong control.' While your explosive power is lacking, your endurance and precision far surpass those of ordinary people."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "So for your first Soul Ring, we won't pursue a direct increase in attack power. That's not suitable for you, and it would be a waste of your talent."

Shen Moxin nodded and continued, "Strengthening the 'stability,' 'vibration,' or 'precision' characteristics would be better. For example, making the hammer swing accompanied by stable vibrations to damage the internal structure; or enhancing the subtle control over the hammer's impact point and force. These abilities may play unexpected roles in the future in Soul Tool creation, rune inscription, or specific tactics."

Su Yan listened intently, his bright black eyes unblinking. These words opened a door he had never imagined.

"I have a target Soul Beast." Lu Yuan walked to a corner where a crude map of the Black Stone Mountain Range' outer perimeter was drawn on the muddy ground. "The outer perimeter is a relatively safe area, and several species fit the description. ' Iron-Armored Pangolin Beast,' with strong defense and slow movement; its Soul Ring may have 'Stabilize' or 'Shock.' ' Thousand-Segment Stone Worm,' sensitive to vibration, slightly more difficult to hunt, but may grant enhancements like 'Force Transmission' or 'Precise Perception.'"

He tapped several marks on the map with a twig. "Which one to choose depends on on-site investigation and luck."

Lu Yuan raised his head and glanced at everyone in the courtyard.

"This acquisition of Soul Ring isn't just for Su Yan," he said in a low voice, drawing everyone's attention, "It's also a practical exercise. It's a test of our recent training effectiveness, and a chance to further familiarize ourselves with the outer environment of the Black Stone Mountain Range, especially the edges of the areas where the Cloud Mist Sect is frequently active."

He paused, lowered his voice, and spoke with a calm calculation.

"Furthermore, perhaps we can take this opportunity to verify firsthand just how effective the Inspection Office's notice is in restraining the Cloud Mist Sect. Have they truly curbed their activities on the border?"

Mo Chen narrowed his eyes. "Want to go over and take a look?"

"We're not going to force our way in," Lu Yuan shook his head. "We'll operate on the perimeter and observe. If the patrol intensity is as stated in the notice, the Cloud Mist Sect should be more cautious, at least reducing large-scale overt searches. This is crucial for us to understand the current situation."

Lu Qinghe was silent for a moment. "When do we set off?"

"Su Yan just broke through, and his Soul Power needs two or three days to stabilize. We also need to prepare," Lu Yuan calculated. "Three days later. Travel light and quickly. Have a clear objective: obtain the Soul Ring and then retreat without lingering."

He looked at Su Yan and Li Wangye: "These next three days, you two continue to consolidate your skills. Su Yan, familiarize yourself with the circulation of level ten Soul Power. Li Wangye, you will practice with him."

The two boys nodded emphatically.

He then looked at Shen Moxin Mentor Wen: "You two stay behind. Compile information on the target Soul Beast's habits and weaknesses. If we bring back the corpse, you'll need to plan the subsequent processing and research."

Finally, it was Mo Chen and Bai Zhi's turn. "Mo Chen, check those hastily made trinkets to make sure they're usable. Miss Bai Zhi, prepare emergency wound medicine and antidote in lightweight quantities."

The instructions were clear and specific. Everyone responded, and the backyard bustled with activity once again, each with a different sense of purpose.

Su Yan walked up to Lu Yuan and was about to bow again, but Lu Yuan stopped her by raising his hand.

"Sir," Su Yan looked at Lu Yuan, her voice steady, "I will obtain the most suitable Soul Ring. I will not waste everyone's opportunity, nor will I hold anyone back."

He knew this operation was initiated because of him, and carried additional risks. This pressure made his eyes look heavy.

Lu Yuan looked at him, offering no words of comfort, but simply nodded.

"Remember the feeling," he said. "The feeling of breaking through. There's a long road ahead, and this 'natural progression' will take you further than forcing your way through."

Su Yan tried hard to remember this sentence.

As dawn broke, the three ceramic bowls still sat on the ground in a corner of the backyard. The water in the middle bowl remained calm, with only the circular mark carved by Soul Power on the bottom silently telling the story of the transformation that had just occurred.

An ordinary iron hammer is about to undergo its first tempering. And this tempering journey will also be the first time that this tiny Spark hiding in the shadows actively reaches out to the outside world.

Three days passed quickly.