Reason Against "Force"

The instant the Lightning gathered in his palm, the heat in the air almost solidified into a tangible substance.

Lin Xiao's back was taut like iron.

Lu Yuan didn't move. His right hand hung at his side, and his index finger tapped lightly on the seam of his trousers.

"Seventh Grandpa."

The sound of Qingzhu broke in. The old man, leaning on his bamboo cane, took half a step forward, blocking the way to his left. The tip of his cane touched the ground, and a circle of green ripples spread across the ground.

"To act in my herb garden," Qingzhu said calmly, "Shouldn't we ask the master first?"

The Lightning in Seventh Master Lin's palm hadn't dissipated. He glanced at it sideways, his eyes looking at it like he was looking at roadside weeds.

"Qingzhu, you can't protect her."

"Whether we can protect them or not is another matter." The Qingzhu staff pointed forward again, "But this valley grows more than just herbs. If some things are damaged, your Lin Clan might not be able to afford to compensate for them."

There's a hidden meaning in his words.

Seventh Master Lin frowned slightly. He quietly spread his Soul Power perception, sweeping over the herb garden and bamboo house. A few breaths later, a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes.

The seemingly chaotic arrangement of medicinal plants vaguely forms an array. Something is buried underground, its Soul Power fluctuations obscure and ancient.

The Lightning in his palm subsided by half.

Just this tiny gap.

Lu Yuan spoke.

The voices were soft and steady, like a discussion about the weather.

"Your elder keeps saying the family has its own methods," he said. "May I ask what those methods are?"

Seventh Master Lin turned his gaze back to Lu Yuan, looking down at him.

"The Lin Clan has a thousand-year-old tradition with its own secret methods. How could a mere child like you possibly fathom them?"

"Secret technique," Lu Yuan repeated the word, "Is it to continue using that inherited cultivation method that isn't entirely compatible with Lin Xiao's Martial Soul, forcibly cultivating it, thus exacerbating the stagnation of his Soul Power circulation and the potential risk of him going berserk?"

Seventh Master Lin's eyes narrowed.

"Or," Lu Yuan continued, his speech still steady, each word like a needle, "Are you preparing to search for some kind of 'precious' medicine or Soul Bone, to forcibly 'correct' his mutation with external force, bringing him back to the 'template' you are familiar with?"

The air went still for a moment.

Lin Xiao suddenly turned his head. Qingzhu's hand, gripping the bamboo cane, had knuckles that were white.

Seventh Master Lin didn't speak. But a crack appeared on his nonchalant contempt.

Lu Yuan saw the crack.

He took half a step forward.

"If it's the former," he looked into Seventh Master Lin's eyes, "It's like drinking poison to quench thirst. The stagnation of Soul Power won't disappear; it will only be suppressed by a more powerful technique, buried even deeper. When his realm increases and he can no longer suppress it—the backlash from the eruption will probably be more than just crippling his cultivation."

He paused.

"If it's the latter," Lu Yuan's voice deepened, "It's like forcing a square peg into a round hole. Forcibly distorting the direction of the Martial Soul's mutation with external means is tantamount to erasing its greatest talent. In the end, what you get is nothing more than a 'qualified product' that conforms to the family's 'template' but has no further potential."

He tilted his head slightly and looked at Lin Xiao.

"Is this what you call 'doing it for his own good'?"

The last three words were asked very softly.

But it was like a hammer, striking the silence.

The Lightning in Seventh Master Lin's palm completely dissipated. He stared at Lu Yuan, his eyes filled with complex emotions—shock, anger, confusion, and a hint of embarrassment at having his secret exposed.

Within the family, opinions on Lin Xiao's situation were indeed divided. One faction advocated forcibly guiding him using more domineering cultivation methods; the other proposed searching for a lightning-attribute Soul Bone to "correct" him.

The two sides argued for half a year without reaching a resolution.

But how... how did this kid know?

"What do you know, you mere brat!" Seventh Master Lin suddenly roared, his imposing aura rising once more. "Our family has been passed down for a thousand years, weathering countless storms. How dare you question us!"

The air buzzed. Several taller herbs in the herb garden were weighed down and fell to the ground.

Lu Yuan did not back down.

The oppressive force descended upon him like a mountain. His knees trembled slightly, his breathing became labored, but his back remained ramrod straight.

"A thousand-year legacy," he spoke against the oppressive aura, each word seemingly squeezed out from between his teeth, "But have you truly understood the essence of his Martial Soul Mutation?"

Seventh Master Lin was taken aback.

"Have you recorded any successful solutions for similar cases?" Lu Yuan took a breath.

silence.

"If not," Lu Yuan stared at him, "What makes you so sure that our 'efforts' are inferior to your 'methods'?"

"You guys?" Seventh Master Lin scoffed, his gaze sweeping over Lu Yuan and then over Lin Xiao. "A Trash Martial Soul, and a hothead who can't even control his own Martial Soul —what can they possibly do?"

Lu Yuan did not answer.

He turned his head and looked at Lin Xiao.

His gaze was calm, as if asking: Do you dare?

Lin Xiao understood.

He licked his canine teeth. The wound on his right arm still throbbed faintly, and his Soul Power wasn't flowing smoothly. But the pent-up frustration in his chest that had been building up for over a decade now burned like fire.

He took a deep breath.

Close your eyes.

His Soul Power rose from his dantian, circulating along the path that Lu Yuan had helped him clear over the past few days. It wasn't fast, but it was steady. Those nodes that were originally prone to blockage had already loosened a bit.

He deliberately slowed down.

Then, he slowly released a wisp of Martial Soul energy from his palm.

A very faint trace.

A deep, dark purple, with shimmering silver edges. The aura was no longer as frenzied and chaotic as before. It flowed out with a certain raw yet clear rhythm—like river water beginning to flow beneath the ice.

The feeling of stiffness and sluggishness has lessened somewhat.

It's much smoother now.

Qingzhu's eyes widened suddenly. He was the closest and could sense it most clearly. The "stuttering" and "violent" aura in Lin Xiao's Martial Soul spirit a few days ago had really faded.

Although it was only a little bit.

But this small change represents a qualitative leap.

Seventh Master Lin's pupils suddenly contracted.

He was Soul King. His senses were even sharper than Qingzhu's. The change in that aura was like a spark in the dark night, so dazzling that it could not be ignored.

"This..." He subconsciously took a step forward.

The oppressive aura dissipated.

Lin Xiao opened his eyes, a fine sheen of sweat on his forehead. Releasing this last bit of energy was more tiring than fighting. But a wild smile spread across his face.

"Seventh Grandpa," he said in a hoarse voice, "You see, I didn't do anything reckless."

Seventh Master Lin remained silent.

He stared intently at Lin Xiao's palm, at the wisp of dark purple-silver light that had not yet completely dissipated. His expression shifted—shock, doubt, disbelief—before finally settling into a complex and solemn look.

A thousand-year-old tradition... there really isn't a recorded case like this.

The old folks in the family only ever thought about "control" or "correction." No one mentioned "communication," and no one even considered that the Mutated Martial Soul might have its own "path."

And this kid, this commoner with the Trash Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass martial soul and only half a level of Innate Realm, actually...

"How did you do that?" Seventh Master Lin suddenly asked, his voice dry and lacking its previous domineering tone.

Lu Yuan did not answer directly.

He raised his hand and pointed to his head.

"Use this," he said. "Observe, analyze, build a model, and verify adjustments. Soul Power circulation follows certain patterns, and Martial Soul Mutation also have traceable clues. Just because you can't find it doesn't mean it doesn't exist."

He paused.

"Senior, Lin Xiao's Martial Soul isn't the problem. The problem is that you've always wanted to 'cultivate' it into the form you're familiar with. But perhaps, it shouldn't have been like that in the first place."

Seventh Master Lin remained silent for a long time.

Dusk had completely fallen. A wind rose in the valley, rustling the leaves of the herbs. Two guards stood like statues in the distance.

Finally, he slowly exhaled.

"Even if what you say makes sense," his tone remained firm, but the imposing aura had vanished, "The family will not allow its direct bloodline to be scattered outside. Especially someone with Xiao'er's... talent."

"Wandering?" Lu Yuan shook his head. "He didn't wander; he made a choice."

"A choice?" Seventh Master Lin sneered. "Choose to follow you, a commoner Soul Master with less than level 20 Soul Power, hiding and running away?"

"That's how it is now," Lu Yuan admitted readily, "But it won't be like that in the future."

"With you?"

"Based on knowledge," Lu Yuan said. "Knowledge can be transformed into power, resources, methods, and even new rules. My current weakness does not mean I will always be weak."

He said this in a calm tone, as if stating a fact.

There was no arrogance, no passion, just calm reasoning.

Looking at him, Seventh Master Lin suddenly recalled the words in Shen Moxin's letter, "This boy's determination and extraordinary vision are extraordinary; he is no ordinary person."

At the time, he felt that Shen Moxin had read too many books and was pretentious.

Now...

"Seventh Grandpa," Lin Xiao suddenly spoke, "Go back and tell those old fogies at home—I'll walk my own path. If the family insists on forcing me back to be a puppet..."

He paused, his eyes sharpening.

"Then I'll disappear completely. So you'll never find me."

That's a very sharp statement.

Seventh Master Lin's expression darkened. He knew Lin Xiao was capable of such a thing. The stubbornness in this kid's bones was even fiercer than the thunder and fire attribute inherited by the Lin Clan.

Another silence fell.

Qingzhu coughed softly.

"Seventh Master," the old man's tone softened, "It's getting late, why don't you stay here for the night? There's plenty of simple food and drink. Some things... can't be rushed."

This is giving them a way out.

Seventh Master Lin glanced at Qingzhu, then at Lu Yuan and Lin Xiao. Finally, his gaze settled on Lin Xiao's lingering Martial Soul aura.

That smooth feeling was like a thorn, stuck in his heart.

A family tradition spanning a thousand years... perhaps, something is truly missing.

"That's enough." He suddenly waved his hand, as if shaking off a heavy burden. "Let's end it here for today."

He completely withdrew his Soul Power and transformed back into the tall and dignified old man, only now his brows showed signs of weariness.

"Xiao'er," he looked at Lin Xiao, his tone complex, "Are you sure you want to go down this path?"

Lin Xiao nodded.

No regrets?

"Regret is my own business."

Seventh Master Lin gave him a deep look, then said nothing more. He turned and waved to the two guards.

"Walk."

The guard hesitated for a moment, then quickly followed.

The three figures disappeared at the end of the path, shrouded in twilight.

The herb garden fell silent.

Lin Xiao's legs went weak, and he almost collapsed. Lu Yuan reached out to support him, his own face also turning pale. That confrontation had consumed more than just his Soul Power.

He walked over, leaning on Qingzhu cane.

"We've passed the initial hurdle," the old man sighed, "But only temporarily. The Lin Clan won't give up so easily, especially... because they've seen hope."

Lu Yuan nodded.

He knew that what allowed him to force Seventh Master Lin to back down today was the slight wavering in the other party's heart and his fear of the unknown. But the pressure from his family would not disappear.

"We need to speed things up," he said in a low voice.

Lin Xiao leaned on his shoulder and caught his breath.

"Thanks." The voice was muffled.

Lu Yuan didn't respond. He looked up at the darkening sky, his eyes calm.

The first step in using knowledge to counter force has been taken.

A flock of night birds were startled into flight from the distant mountains and forests.

The fluttering of wings carried far in the quiet twilight.