201: Borrowing the starlight power of the Transmission Tower

Those obscure and difficult-to-understand obstacles, those abstract descriptions of 'the softness of water' and 'the resilience of water,' were now stripped bare, revealing their most fundamental textures.

"Water is not formless; it is myriad forms."

Su Ming subconsciously raised his hand, his fingertips tracing lines in the Void Realm.

The surrounding water vapor, guided by his hand, no longer simply condensed into a ball, but transformed into a thin, cicada-wing-like film of water.

This water film shimmered with a seven-colored glow under the moonlight, appearing incredibly fragile. Yet, when Su Ming tried to strike it with a Spiritual Qi, the water film actually dented, rotated, and deflected the force, ultimately bouncing back perfectly intact.

"Using softness to overcome hardness, borrowing strength to counter strength."

A flash of realization crossed Su Ming's eyes.

This was the true defensive method of the Ruoshui Art.

It wasn't about resisting head-on like an earthen wall, but about embracing, dissolving, and deflecting like the surface of water.

Just as Su Ming was immersed in the exhilaration of this Epiphany, a vast Divine Sense, without any warning, swept through his Sea of Consciousness.

The feeling was like being gazed upon by a higher-dimensional being.

There was no privacy whatsoever.

"Who?!" Lin Yu, inside the ring, instantly bristled, his Soul Body shrinking into a ball. "Holy crap, this Divine Sense..."

However, that Divine Sense did not linger, nor did it attack.

It merely confirmed Su Ming's identity and the aura of that token, then retreated.

And left Su Ming a piece of information:

"The Soul Cultivation Technique you Cultivate is the defensive Dao of the Spirit Race. However, the technique is incomplete. Follow its path carefully, and do not be overly stubborn."

Su Ming stiffened, cold sweat instantly soaking his back. He relayed this message to Lin Yu.

"Master, the key is that sentence," Su Ming said with a solemn expression. "The defensive Dao of the Spirit Race, the technique is incomplete."

Inside the ring, Lin Yu's expression became more serious than ever before.

He closed his eyes, carefully savoring the lingering aftertaste of that Divine Sense.

After a long while, Lin Yu suddenly opened his eyes, a brilliant light bursting forth from them.

"I understand!"

"I finally understand what those nonsensical logics in the True Explanation of Nurturing Spirit were all about!"

"Spirit Race... defensive Dao... incomplete technique..."

Lin Yu's voice echoed in Su Ming's mind, carrying a kind of ecstatic revelation, like clouds parting to reveal the sun, and a hint of deep-seated fear. "This Master always felt that this Cultivation Technique operated with abnormal stagnation, that Soul Power was like an untamed wild horse, and many crucial points went against common sense! It turns out it wasn't that the Cultivation Technique was wrong, but that we... took the wrong path!"

His phantom figure excitedly drifted within the ring space, his soul light flickering erratically.

"Disciple, you must understand. Human Race Cultivation, whether Dao, Demonic, Buddhist, or Demonic Beast, all use the Physical Body as a cauldron Foundation and Meridians and acupoints as paths, emphasizing condensation, purification, and control. However, the fundamental essence of this True Explanation of Nurturing Spirit lies in 'dispersion rather than gathering,' 'fusion rather than solidification,' and 'defense rather than offense'! This is more like a Cultivation Technique tailor-made for the Spirit Race, who are born of heaven and earth, formless and insubstantial, and resonate with the world!"

"Before, I was using a Human Race Soul to forcibly wield a Spirit Race technique, like making land beasts practice deep-sea fish swimming techniques. How could I not be restricted everywhere, with dangers lurking at every turn?"

Su Ming worried, "Then Master, your current state..."

"Haha, no matter! Now that I know the crux of the problem, there's a solution!"

Lin Yu let out a hearty laugh, his Soul Body fluctuations exuding a sense of sudden enlightenment and confidence. "What the Tower Spirit said, 'defensive Dao,' is the key! It points out that the core of this method is not aggressive conquest, but rather strengthening the Foundation and nurturing the origin, constructing an indestructible Divine Soul barrier!"

As he spoke, the slightly restless Soul Power fluctuations within the xuantian ring, which had been trying to surge outwards, suddenly changed, rapidly converging and retracting like a tide.

Lin Yu no longer forcibly condensed and compressed his Soul Power. Instead, he followed the guidance of the obscure scriptures in the True Explanation of Nurturing Spirit, allowing his Soul Power to naturally 'disperse,' transforming into a gentle yet resilient mist of light that slowly merged with the internal spatial structure of the ring.

Buzz—

The ring no longer felt hot; instead, it exuded an aura as smooth as warm jade and as tranquil as a deep pool.

Lin Yu's Soul Body was not weakened by 'dispersion.' On the contrary, it seemed to have found its true home, establishing an unprecedentedly close connection with this mysterious ancient ring.

"Wonderful!"

Lin Yu let out a comfortable sigh. "Soul returns to its place, spirit binds to its artifact! Disciple, this Master feels that my relationship with this ring is no longer one of mere inhabitation, but rather... a connection of Divine Souls, as if I am its spirit!"

"Not only that," Lin Yu's voice carried a hint of exploration, "the compatibility between my Divine Soul and this ring has greatly increased. I seem to... be able to perceive some secrets that were previously inaccessible."

Su Ming's heart stirred. "Master, are you referring to the core ancient formation?"

"Precisely. Previously, looking at this formation was like reading a heavenly book, a complete Chaos. Now, though still profound and difficult to understand, I can already discern some of its Pathway." Lin Yu's Soul Power pointed to a previously dim rune node in the corner of the ring space. "Do you see that? That seems to be a 'Spirit Hub Eye,' one of the key nodes for this ring to absorb external spiritual energy. Before, we could only passively absorb a small amount of scattered Spiritual Qi, which was inefficient. If we can activate this hub..."

Before he finished speaking, Lin Yu manipulated the Soul Power, now compatible with the new Cultivation Technique, transforming it into an invisible trickle that cautiously probed the node.

As if a key had been inserted into a lock, an almost inaudible hum sounded.

The next instant, Su Ming clearly felt that the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi within the quiet room, and even around the courtyard, began to actively and continuously converge towards the xuantian ring, like hundreds of rivers flowing into the sea!

Its absorption speed was more than several times faster than before!

Moreover, this Spiritual Qi, transformed by the 'Spirit Hub Eye,' became exceptionally pure and gentle, directly nourishing Lin Yu's Soul Body, and even a trace of it flowed back, moistening Su Ming's ring-holding fingers.

"The Spirit Hub is open, and henceforth, Spiritual Qi absorption efficiency will greatly increase!" Lin Yu's tone was filled with satisfaction. "At this speed, this Master's Soul Power recovery will far exceed the past. When necessary, it may even help you purify Spiritual Qi faster and assist in your Cultivation."

Su Ming looked at the ring on his fingertip, which seemed to have come alive, his eyes filled with shock. Master had not only resolved his own Cultivation Technique's hidden dangers but had also elevated the ring's function to another level!

"However, disciple, don't be happy too soon." Lin Yu's tone shifted, returning to solemnity. "The Tower Spirit said 'the technique is incomplete.' This means that the Legacy this Master received might only be a fragmented piece, especially lacking offensive variations and higher-level evolution methods. In other words..."

"The road ahead still requires caution, and biding our time remains fundamental." Su Ming immediately understood.

"Indeed!" Lin Yu praised. "The defensive Dao first emphasizes a stable Foundation, remaining as unmoving as a mountain. In the future, you must continue to maintain your connections and accumulate resources discreetly outside; this Master, inside, will fully consolidate my Soul Foundation and manage this xuantian ring into our final bastion. Survival is always the primary objective."

Su Ming nodded solemnly.

This was a principle Master had repeatedly emphasized, and he kept it in mind.