Forged in Guidance, Bound for Destiny
The week that followed was a transformative immersion, a symphony of disciplined brutality and profound revelation. Under the tutelage of Di Tian and Xiong Jun, Yao Xuan's understanding of his own power was dismantled and rebuilt.
Di Tian's instruction on blood energy was not about raw output, but about finesse. He taught Yao Xuan to feel the individual currents within the roaring river of his vitality—to differentiate between the surge for explosive power, the steady flow for endurance, and the subtle, whisper-thin streams that could enhance sensory perception or accelerate cellular repair. He learned to cycle his blood energy not just in broad, powerful circuits, but in intricate, localized patterns, reinforcing a single knuckle for a pinpoint strike or flooding his ocular nerves to track the almost-invisible shift in Di Tian's shoulder before a move.
Xiong Jun's lessons were more visceral. They pertained to the body as a weapon—its levers, its pivots, its inherent kinetics. The massive bear king demonstrated how to ground force through the bones, making every punch an extension of the earth itself; how to twist the torso not just for power, but to make a defense an uncoiling counterattack. He drilled Yao Xuan on balance under overwhelming force, teaching him to flow with a blow to dissipate it, turning his enemy's strength into his own momentum.
The training was relentless. Mornings were spent in meditative focus with Di Tian, tracing the luminous pathways of his own internal energy. Afternoons were a storm of combat against Xiong Jun's immovable force, where every bruise was a lesson in anatomy and every parry a study in angles. Evenings were for consolidation, often with Gu Yue by his side, her own sharp insights adding another layer of analysis.
The sustenance provided by the castle was fuel for this metamorphosis. Each spirit-grade meal poured foundation-solidifying energy into him. Combined with the daily gains from his intense sessions, the system's tally was staggering.
The numbers told only part of the story. The true gain was in the feel of it. When he now activated his Ancestral Dragon transformations, the scales seemed to click into place with a quieter, more deadly certainty. His Sky-Splitting Strike lost none of its ferocity but gained a lethal efficiency, consuming less soul power for a sharper effect. He was learning to be a surgeon with a god's scalpel.
Di Tian also spoke of horizons beyond technique. "Power condenses into aura. Aura, mastered, becomes presence. Presence, woven into the world, becomes a Domain. This is the path of sovereignty, Young Master." Yao Xuan listened, thinking of the "Ancestral Dragon Domain" waiting at the 30% bloodline threshold. The path was becoming clear.
Amidst the grueling cultivation, his bond with Gu Yue deepened into a comfortable, radiant warmth. The constraints of the academy fell away. Here, they were simply Yao Xuan and Gu Yue. They shared quiet conversations in castle libraries, walks through the manicured, moonlit gardens where her laughter seemed to make the stars brighter, and silent companionship in the training arena's aftermath. The physical affection remained innocent—linked arms, her head resting on his shoulder, his hand gently brushing silver hair from her face—but each touch now carried the weight of shared legacy and a future openly dreamed of. The unspoken promise of more hovered in the air, sweet and inevitable, awaiting only the perfect, mutual moment.
On the morning of the eighth day, after a breakfast that tasted of both home and impending departure, Gu Yue turned to him. "Yao Xuan," she began, her silver eyes holding a mix of pride and excitement. "My teacher, the Heavenly Phoenix Douluo. Today is the day."
He smiled, feeling the new, solid strength in his limbs and the calm focus in his mind. "I remember. I'm ready." He reached out, not taking her hand, but simply letting his fingers intertwine with hers—a gesture of partnership, not possession.
"Teacher is formidable, but fair," Gu Yue explained as they were driven towards the Heaven Dou City soul guidance airport in the plush silence of a private sedan. "She values talent, but respects character. Be respectful, as you are with Teacher Wu. She will likely offer you the resources of the Spirit Pagoda—advanced access to the Spirit Ascension Platform, a future soul spirit guarantee. It's her duty as Deputy Tower Master to recruit promise." She squeezed his hand gently. "And she wishes to take you as her disciple. There may be a test. But I have no doubt."
"Then I'll simply be myself," Yao Xuan replied, his thumb tracing circles on the back of her hand. "And having you there will be my greatest advantage."
The private soul guidance aircraft was a capsule of luxury and silence. As it ascended, leaving Dragon Castle—a fortress that had become a crucible—behind, Yao Xuan gazed out at the sprawling landscape of Heaven Dou City shrinking below. He was no longer just a talented student from the coast. He was the heir to a dragon god's legacy, tempered by ancient beast kings, his heart tethered to a silver dragon, and now approaching the court of one of humanity's strongest guardians.
He was a nexus of converging powers. The week of progress had honed him. The love beside him anchored him. As the aircraft banked towards the distant, formidable spires of Shrek City, home to the Spirit Pagoda's heart, Yao Xuan felt not anxiety, but a steady, thrilling certainty. The next page of his destiny was not about hiding or testing anymore. It was about claiming his place in the world, one deliberate, powerful step at a time.