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**
Soon, two days passed.
Ling Xiao's newly born bones had finished being nurtured and were now completely adapted to his physical body.
Deep within the secluded courtyard behind Spirit Hall Academy, a figure shifted rapidly.
Dressed in white and holding the Profound Sky Axe, Ling Xiao danced with the weapon, his face carrying a smile that was both relaxed and solemn. He didn't look like he was sparring with an enemy; instead, he seemed to be practicing his axe techniques to limber up his body.
The Profound Sky Axe was heavy and sharp.
As he swung it, the air let out series of sharp whistles.
The heavy giant axe actually gave off a sharp, keen edge no less than that of the Moon Blade, and it exuded a profound sense of power. Every stance and strike seemed capable of splitting mountains and cracking rocks.
Even if he didn't use the blade's edge, a strike would likely shatter an opponent's bones and tendons.
Bang!
With a massive boom, Ling Xiao's final strike came down upon a giant boulder on the side of the courtyard—one about half a man's height and two men's length.
In an instant, it was split in two.
The axe fell and the stone parted in one seamless motion, the cut surface appearing incredibly smooth.
A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, and Ling Xiao's eyes brimmed with excitement. Today, he had finally unleashed the true power of the Profound Sky Axe without any lingering deficiencies.
Looking at the boulder split in two, Ling Xiao's mind stirred.
A flash of dark-red light followed as he retracted his Profound Sky Axe Martial Soul. He kicked out with his right foot, and with a bang, one of the severed halves of the boulder was kicked high into the air, flipping and tumbling upward.
Extending one arm, he caught it with his right hand, bringing it to a steady halt. Feeling the power within his body, Ling Xiao's eyes flashed with a sharp light. He exerted force in his right arm and threw the stone smoothly into the sky.
Then, he circulated his soul power.
A majestic surge of soul power, radiating a dark-red glow, erupted from his body. Ling Xiao leaped violently, soaring several meters into the air, leaving a trail of soul power behind him like dark-red flames burning beneath his feet.
The violent eruption of soul power provided Ling Xiao with a powerful burst of explosive force and momentum, aiding his ascent. Combined with his own physical strength, he managed to reach the flying boulder first, throwing a punch out with full force.
"Boom!"
Fragments of stone flew everywhere as the giant boulder was instantly shattered into pieces. Ling Xiao circulated his soul power around his body to protect himself as he crashed through the cloud of debris.
Seeing his "results," he beamed with joy.
Simultaneously, he released another burst of soul power, and with a flash of dark-red light, he descended from above and landed on the ground.
However, because he could not yet fully control his strength and his application of soul power was too violent and crude—failing to achieve the state of "handling the heavy as if it were light"—the savage downward force left a large crater in the ground.
Caught up in his excitement, Ling Xiao failed to notice this. After dispersing his soul power, he gave a light blow to clear the stone dust from his right fist.
Staring at his hand and feeling the power contained within, he muttered to himself, "This feeling is wonderful. Now, even without using my First Soul Skill, I should be able to easily break Meng Yiran's First Soul Skill with just the Profound Sky Axe!"
The door to the small wooden hut in the center of the courtyard suddenly opened, and Mu Chen walked out slowly.
He spoke up, "You brat, I usually like to lie on that stone platform when I have nothing to do. I didn't expect you to destroy it today, even shattering half of it. From now on, you are not allowed to practice your axe or exert force here."
"Uh!"
Hearing Mu Chen's words, Ling Xiao couldn't help but feel a bit embarrassed. He rubbed his nose and replied, "Disciple understands. Hehe, Master, please calm your anger. I was simply a bit too excited because the effects of the bone transformation were so good."
"It is somewhat understandable." Mu Chen walked forward slowly, seemingly forgiving of the act.
However, his tone shifted as he addressed Ling Xiao, "But, although your transformation is complete and your physical body far surpasses what it once was, you cannot become arrogant because of it. If you think that this physical foundation alone can make you a true powerhouse, you are dreaming."
"Disciple understands."
"Do you really understand?" Mu Chen looked at Ling Xiao with a meaningful gaze.
He approached and asked, "What did you think of that punch just now?"
At the mention of this, Ling Xiao grew excited again. He said enthusiastically, "It felt great, Master! I feel that my current strength, at the same cultivation level, definitely won't be weaker than those Soul Masters with top-tier Beast Martial Souls."
"In fact, if they haven't activated their Martial Soul Possession, I might even be stronger by comparison."
"Your current strength is indeed great, but if power is not utilized well, then this divine strength is merely wasted," Mu Chen said.
"That punch of yours just now seemed imposing, but in reality, the force was scattered. To a Soul Master specialized in defense, it wouldn't pose much of a threat."
"Scattered force?" Ling Xiao was somewhat confused.
Seeing the confusion on his face, Mu Chen smiled faintly.
He raised a hand and placed it on the surface of the remaining half of the giant boulder.
"Watch closely."
As he spoke, he lightly lifted his right palm and suddenly slapped it down.
Bang!
A loud explosion echoed, but the boulder did not move.
There weren't even any cracks. Ling Xiao couldn't see what had happened and frowned deeply.
Mu Chen glanced at him and moved his palm away.
When Ling Xiao saw the spot that had been covered, he couldn't help but be shocked.
It turned out that the strike was not without effect. In the spot where Mu Chen's palm had landed, a small hole had appeared. The hole wasn't large—only about two fingers wide—but upon closer inspection, it was incredibly deep.
Ling Xiao exerted his strength and flipped the boulder over, only to find that the hole went completely through to the other side.
Mu Chen's palm strike had not been weak; rather, the force was so condensed that it had pierced straight through the half-man-high boulder without damaging the surrounding stone in the slightest.
Master's control over his own power is truly terrifying, he thought to himself.
With this, Ling Xiao finally understood why Mu Chen had called his punch "scattered."
Indeed, shattering the stone looked impressive, but it meant his force was dispersing in all directions. If he had control like his Master, even a punch with the same amount of power would have several times the destructive force.
"Master, how... how do I achieve that? How can I be like you—piercing through instead of shattering?"
"That is exactly what I am going to teach you next."
Mu Chen said with a smile.
How could a teacher not teach his disciple anything? Although the profession of a Soul Master seems to only require meditation for soul power cultivation—leaving seemingly little to teach—that is not the case.
Whether it is the control of one's own power, the cultivation of the Martial Soul, the application of soul power and soul rings, or the utilization of the Martial Soul's source power, there is much to learn.
Those so-called teachers who only help students obtain soul rings, or who simply talk without practicing and only recommend which rings to pick, are nothing but mediocre fools who mislead their students.
Looking at Ling Xiao, Mu Chen turned around, placed his hands behind his back, and said calmly, "Xiao'er, I am going to teach you two fist techniques. From now on, aside from your classes and soul power cultivation, you must practice these two techniques diligently. They will serve as your foundation."
**
Enjoying the story? Support the translation and get early access to future chapters here: www.patr eon.com/c/FanficTranslator
Thanks for reading!
I have 70 advanced chapter now on Patreon. I will post 5 advanced chapter on Patreon everyday except Sunday