Canghui Academy was located in Fasno City, the capital of the Fasno Province. Situated in the northern part of the province, it experienced relatively distinct seasons.
The distance was not short, so the group traveled by carriage.
At Zhao Liuyun's request, Shi Nian agreed to take a detour through Nuoding City for a brief stop and rest.
Zhao Liuyun returned home. Aside from a thick layer of dust, there were no signs of intruders or thieves. After a quick cleaning, he went to visit his mentor, Bai Hong.
The old man was in high spirits and remained physically robust. He was overjoyed to see his disciple return, and upon hearing that the boy had already become a Grand Spirit Master, he clapped his hands repeatedly in praise and excitement. In a little over three years, the disciple's growth had far exceeded anything Bai Hong had imagined.
Afterward, Zhao Liuyun visited Su Yuntao before returning to Nuoding Academy.
His primary goal was to see Tang San and Xiao Wu. It wasn't to flaunt his status as a Grand Spirit Master, but because he had to play the role of a "good friend" convincingly.
Zhao Liuyun had finished reading every book in the Nuoding Academy library and possessed an intimate understanding of the surrounding geography. He knew that the location where Tang Hao had hidden Ah Yin was within a three-hundred-mile radius of Holy Spirit Village. Based on the two prominent features—a great waterfall and a secluded pond—combined with the flow of the rivers, he had long ago deduced the exact coordinates.
This was the benefit of joining Canghui Academy. Both Fasno City and Nuoding City were within the Fasno Province! It made it easy to indirectly monitor Tang Hao's location through Tang San and choose the perfect moment to "steal the bone."
Zhao Liuyun did not linger at Nuoding Academy. After some brief pleasantries, he left with the group.
Two days later, Fasno City.
As a provincial capital, Fasno City gathered the essence of the entire province. It housed two Advanced Spirit Master Academies and was densely populated, appearing dozens or even hundreds of times more prosperous than the Star Dou hunting town.
Zhao Liuyun, however, was indifferent to the sights. He focused silently on circulating the crude body-refining technique he had developed. Thanks to the flexibility and extensibility of his muscles, he could make adjustments during practice without suffering injury.
After completing his enrollment and inquiring about Shi Nian's teaching plan, Zhao Liuyun headed straight for the Ye family's local properties. It seemed the old patriarch, Ye Wenxi, had reached out in advance; his status as a "Candidate Guest Elder" proved truly useful. He simply went there every day for a medicinal bath, and the Ye family prepared everything for him.
Upon returning to the academy, Zhao Liuyun maintained the study habits he had formed at Nuoding. Every morning, he allocated a tiny sliver of attention to the lectures while focusing the bulk of it on his books. The behavior was obvious, but as the genius disciple favored by Shi Nian, the teachers all pretended not to see it.
The process of borrowing books from the academy library was also very smooth. In an Advanced Spirit Master Academy, the library not only held far more books but the content was also more profound and esoteric. In just one morning, Zhao Liuyun gained 60 points of General Experience!
The afternoon was reserved for Shi Nian's private tutoring. Zhao Liuyun found him in a serene, elegant bamboo forest.
"Teacher, I am here," Zhao Liuyun bowed respectfully.
"No need for such formalities, my disciple." Shi Nian was usually ice-cold toward others, but facing Zhao Liuyun, his expression softened, revealing a rare hint of warmth.
"Your teacher is a Level 72 Control System Spirit Sage. My Martial Soul is called 'Vestigial Dream,' a pure spiritual-type soul that is tangible yet formless."
It was the same category as the Dream Demon Zhao Liuyun had encountered.
"When it comes to the cultivation of Spiritual Power," Shi Nian said with an unquestionable pride in his voice, "no one under heaven can surpass me."
Zhao Liuyun's eyes lit up. "Please guide me, Teacher."
Shi Nian asked, "Do you know what the foundation of us spiritual-type Spirit Masters is?"
"It lies in Spiritual Power," Zhao Liuyun answered without hesitation.
Shi Nian nodded and asked further, "Then do you know how Spiritual Power should be cultivated?"
Purple Demon Eye, Zhao Liuyun thought to himself, but aloud he asked tentatively, "Is it by exhausting one's Spiritual Power and letting it recover naturally?"
"That is the stupidest method."
Zhao Liuyun was slightly stunned. Was there actually another Spiritual Power cultivation technique in the Douluo Continent?
"A better method is the 'Spiritual Cage'." Shi Nian suddenly grinned, and a vast, sea-like spiritual pressure erupted, completely enveloping Zhao Liuyun.
"So heavy!"
Zhao Liuyun groaned. His vision seemed to darken, and his brain felt heavy. It wasn't actual darkness, just a sensation. Shi Nian's Spiritual Power wrapped around his entire body, imprisoning Zhao Liuyun's own Spiritual Power inside his physical shell, making it impossible to project it outward. He felt like a frog that knew the world was vast but was trapped at the bottom of a deep well—filled with frustration yet unable to break free. The sense of oppression brought by this spiritual cage was almost suffocating.
Shi Nian spoke slowly, "Spiritual Power is difficult to recover once damaged, and a slight lapse can harm the origin of the soul. Therefore, it cannot be improved through direct spiritual crushing."
Methods like weight-bearing runs used for physical training were strictly out of the question here. Any injury that directly damaged the spirit could affect the Sea of Consciousness and shake the foundation of the soul.
"Since spiritual-type Spirit Masters excel at micro-manipulation, I use my Spiritual Power to form a cage, trapping yours inside your body. A cage brings a sense of oppression, but the nature of the spirit is to long for freedom. When the two clash, potential is stimulated. What you must do is try to break through my blockade using your own Spiritual Power!"
Zhao Liuyun concentrated his intent and gently pushed his Spiritual Power against the barrier. With just one touch, he knew a head-on collision was impossible. The Spiritual Power of a Spirit Sage was incredibly dense; how could he, a mere Grand Spirit Master, shake it?
To break through, he had to condense!
Zhao Liuyun quickly found the key. He compressed his Spiritual Power to the extreme, forming a sharp drill, and lunged fiercely at the spiritual cage Shi Nian had set.
Naturally... he failed to break through. He tried several times, but there wasn't even a hint of a breach. Instead, he consumed a significant amount of his own Spiritual Power.
However, this was a process of using oppression to stimulate potential. The consumption of Spiritual Power was a necessary path in this cultivation.
Zhao Liuyun wanted to continue, but Shi Nian withdrew his Spiritual Power.
"Spiritual cultivation is the most taxing on the mind; it must be done last," he said calmly but firmly. "Now, focus. I will teach you a method of applying Spiritual Power."
Zhao Liuyun's expression turned solemn as he nodded. Judging from the Spiritual Cage alone, this pure spiritual Spirit Master really had something to offer. It made him look forward to the application teaching even more.
Shi Nian smiled proudly. "One of the applications I researched: Presence Diminishment."
Zhao Liuyun's eyes sparkled. This was a truly good thing!
No wonder Shi Nian had hunted geniuses everywhere without ever being caught, and no wonder he could activate soul skills so quietly that Tang San fell into an illusion. Presence Diminishment could naturally divert an opponent's attention toward front-line defensive Spirit Masters during battle, thereby ensuring the safety of a control-type Master. In daily life, it allowed one to move silently without attracting notice.
If paired with his own profession "Thief" and the shapeshifting ability of his second soul skill "True Illusion"... wouldn't he reach the pinnacle of stealth and infiltration?
"Please teach me, Teacher." A burning light ignited in Zhao Liuyun's eyes. For the first time, he addressed Shi Nian as "Teacher" with genuine sincerity.
Shi Nian smiled. "Presence Diminishment originates from my third soul skill, but it is a spiritual application that can be learned."
As soon as he finished speaking, soul power circulated around Shi Nian, and his third soul ring quietly lit up. In an instant, his physical form didn't change, yet he seemed to be covered by a thin mist. He appeared to blend into the very air, his presence nearly vanishing into nothingness.
"Sense it carefully with your Spiritual Power. Try to mimic the rhythm within."
The soul shares a common source; all things have spirit.
In essence, all spiritual soul skills were simply different methods of applying Spiritual Power. In theory, they could all be practiced without hindrance. But the difficulty...
Zhao Liuyun did not fear the challenge. He gave an affirmative response and immediately focused his mind, immersing his entire being into that ethereal, flickering spiritual fluctuation.
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