Raiding and "Teaching Materials"

A breeze picked up in the valley.

The wind whipped up sand and dust, casting alternating shadows of light and dark on the cliff faces on either side. Lu Yuan crouched behind a rock, his fingertips dusty with grime.

Lin Xiao slid down. "The guard team consists of five people, led by Soul Elder, and four Soul Grandmaster. There are three pack carts carrying raw ore. They will arrive in half an hour."

Where is Su Yan?

"Up there, guarding the Interference Ball." Lin Xiao licked his canine teeth. "Mr. Shen is keeping watch with those two kids on the ridge. You really want them to observe?"

"See," Lu Yuan said, "They'll only believe theories if they're turned into knives."

He pulled out a stone slab and drew lines with a charcoal stick. "Su Yan, detonate the Interference Ball first. You cut in from the left and take care of the Soul Elder —knock him out. The remaining four, Mo Chen and I will handle. Be quick, finish within a hundred breaths. Take the highest purity ore, thirty catties per person as the limit."

Lin Xiao nodded, and his figure vanished in a flash.

Lu Yuan crouched back down. The thorny grass in the rock crevice pricked his arm, causing a slight pain. He adjusted his breathing, keeping his Soul Power at a minimum level.

The sound of bells and the panting of pack animals could be heard in the distance.

Three pack animals drove into the valley. The man leading the group swayed slightly, his Soul Power fluctuating noticeably. When they reached the middle section, a low rumble came from the ground.

Soul Power perception became instantly disordered.

"Enemy attack!" the leader shouted, covering his arms with gray-white stone armor.

From the shadows on the left, a dark figure shot out like an arrow.

Lin Xiao didn't release his Martial Soul, relying solely on explosive power to advance. In the blind spot created by the interference, he ducked past the stone-armored fist, his hand precisely slicing into the side of the opponent's neck.

The Soul Elder rolled his eyes and collapsed.

The remaining four Soul Grandmaster drew their swords; two rushed towards Lin Xiao, while two protected the vehicle. From the pile of rocks on the right, Mo Chen leaned out, his short-tube Soul Tool aimed at one of them.

Laugh!

A pale blue thread pierced his chest, instantly slowing the Soul Grandmaster's movements. Mo Chen rushed forward, striking him on the back of the head with his iron-clad short club.

Another guard swung his knife, but suddenly Blue Silver vines sprouted from beneath his feet, wrapping around his ankle and pulling hard.

He fell forward.

Lu Yuan stood up and stabbed the opponent's wrist tendon with a sharpened piece of hardwood. The knife slipped from his hand, and he was then struck on the back of the head by Mo Chen's stick.

The two who lunged at Lin Xiao were already lying on the ground. One had a twisted neck, and the other had a caved-in chest.

From the moment the Interference Ball detonated to the end, it took less than sixty breaths.

Mo Chen lifted the thick burlap lining of the cart. Beneath it lay piles of gray-black ore, the surface shimmering with Soul Power patterns.

"Good purity." Mo Chen grinned.

"Move."

The three of them quickly packed the bags, each carrying one. Lu Yuan weighed the bag in his hand; thirty pounds was pressing down on his shoulders, and he frowned.

Physical strength remains a weakness.

Mo Chen handed over a rough metal piece. The front was engraved with Blue Silver Grass Entanglement thorns, with Spark bursting from the tips of the grass leaves. On the back was a line of small characters: Knowledge breaks Shackles, Spark.

Lu Yuan took it and tucked it inside the robe of the unconscious Soul Elder.

"Walk."

The four men carried the bags and went into the forest.

On the mountain ridge, Shi Xiaochuan's face was pale, his fingers digging into the rocks. Zhao Tiezhu was breathing heavily. "Fifty-seven breaths. One Soul Elder and four Soul Grandmaster... just like that, gone."

Shen Moxin pushed up her glasses. "What did you see?"

"We didn't fight head-on," Shi Xiaochuan said, his voice dry. "We created chaos through distraction, then picked them off one by one. Brother Lin Xiao, take care of the strongest first."

"And then there's the terrain," Zhao Tiezhu added, "Narrow valleys restrict formations. The area where the Interference Ball is most concentrated is the most vulnerable."

Shen Moxin nodded. "The precision of Soul Power control determines the efficiency of environmental utilization. Mr. Lu, how much control did you need at the timing and angle when you wrapped your feet with Blue Silver Grass vines?"

Shi Xiaochuan was stunned.

He thought of his "rusty dagger." Mr. Lu had mentioned it might possess a hidden "armor-piercing" quality. If he could train his control to that level...

My heart started pounding.

Zhao Tiezhu asked, "Was that metal piece left behind intentionally?"

"Um."

"Aren't you afraid of being investigated by the Cloud Mist Sect?"

Shen Moxin was silent for a moment. "Some things can't be avoided. Leaving a mark is to tell the other side—we are here, we have names, we have ideals." She looked at the two boys, "Which do you think is easier to extinguish: to forever hide in the shadows and pretend not to exist, or to stand up and let everyone know that this fire exists?"

Shi Xiaochuan and Zhao Tiezhu exchanged glances, their expressions changing.

By the time we returned to the mine base, it was already dark.

The sacks were unloaded in a corner, Mo Chen began sorting them. Lin Xiao leaned against the wall, panting. Su Yan silently boiled water.

Lu Yuan moved his stiff shoulders.

Shen Moxin brought in two students. Shi Xiaochuan took a deep breath. "Sir, I understand. Self-control isn't something you can practice to look good; it's something that can actually kill."

Zhao Tiezhu chimed in, "And there's coordination. Each step is linked to the next."

Lu Yuan looked up. "Remember what you saw today. But don't take one success for granted." He waved his hand. "Go and rest."

After they left, Shen Moxin said softly, "The results were better than expected. Especially for Shi Xiaochuan."

"Um."

"But the risk has been sown. That metal piece was a provocation."

Lu Yuan didn't reply.

He knew it was a provocation, but if he kept hiding and showing weakness, the other party would think he was easy to bully. Only when he hit them hard enough to make them realize that if they reached out, they would hesitate.

The name "Spark" was forcefully forced into their field of vision.

Footsteps echoed from the cave entrance. Deacon Han lifted the curtain and entered, his expression complex. He glanced at the Soul Crystal Ore and then looked at Lu Yuan.

"Young friend Lu, isn't this commotion a bit too much?"

Lu Yuan stood up. "What does Deacon Han mean?"

"Don't play dumb," Deacon Han in a low voice. " In the Yakou Valley Passage, the Cloud Mist Sect's transport team was robbed. One guard was killed and four were injured, and the Soul Crystal ore was lost. Metal fragments were left at the scene, engraved with Blue Silver Grass and Spark." He stared at Lu Yuan. "That marking is too blatant."

Lu Yuan calmly said, "This is simply to let the Cloud Mist Sect, and everyone who thinks they can bully the weak at will, know that we are here."

Deacon Han frowned. "You're putting yourselves in a very dangerous position."

"What does Deacon Han think is more likely to be extinguished: to forever hide in the shadows and eke out a living, or to stand in the light and let more people see this flame?"

Deacon Han remained silent.

He sighed, took out a folded note, and handed it over. "Miss Bai Zhi asked me to pass this on. It's inconvenient for her to come in person."

Lu Yuan unfolded.

The handwriting was elegant, but the content was somber. "The Cloud Mist Sect has made contact with the ' Listening Wind Pavilion ' for cooperation. The Listening Wind Pavilion excels at intelligence tracking, and its members arrived in Maple Leaf Town three days ago to collect all unusual records. In addition, rumors of an 'underground cult' and 'heretical doctrines' have appeared in the town. The source is unknown, but they are spreading very quickly. Be careful."

After Lu Yuan finished reading it, he released a small amount of his Soul Power, and the paper ball turned into powder and scattered.

He had heard of the Listening Wind Pavilion. The Cloud Mist Sect had mobilized its professional forces.

And then there are those rumors. "Underground cult," "heresy doctrine"... the labels are accurate and harsh.

Deacon Han observed his expression. "The people of the Listening Wind Pavilion have noses sharper than dogs. You should all tone it down a bit lately."

"Is Deacon Han a reminder or a warning?"

"A reminder," Deacon Han curtly, "Your survival is still useful to the person behind me." He turned to leave, then stopped. "By the way, those five pilot class trainees are making good progress. The higher-ups have noticed."

He lifted the curtain and left.

The mine tunnels fell silent.

Mo Chen leaned closer. "Listening Wind Pavilion? Those guys aren't easy to fool. They can even roughly analyze the remnants of Soul Power."

Lin Xiao licked his canine teeth. "One comes, one kill."

"We can't kill them all," Lu Yuan shook his head. "Besides, killing them would only confirm that we're hiding something." He walked to the stone wall, his fingers unconsciously tracing the surface of the rock. "Rumors are spreading. Listening Wind Pavilion is investigating. Cloud Mist Sect has been humiliated and will not let this go."

He turned to look at the crowd.

"We must be more careful with every step from now on, but we can't stop what needs to be done." His gaze swept over the Soul Crystal ore. "Process these ores into Soul Crystals as soon as possible. Accelerate the workshop construction. Trainee training will continue as usual."

Shen Moxin frowned. "Isn't this too risky?"

"It's risky, but we have to do it," Lu Yuan said. "If we cower in fear of being discovered, it's no different from waiting to die. We need to become stronger and more deeply rooted before they find us."

He paused, his voice calm.

"The fire is already lit. Now the task is not to worry about it being blown out by the wind, but to make it burn even brighter, so brightly that the wind cannot extinguish it."