Having initially drafted his plan, Han Li did not implement it immediately; rather, his plan was never something that could be executed right away.
Finally getting a break, the first thing he did was to check on Xiu'er. He discovered that she had already set up the framework with the help of the people in the mansion. Decisive as ever, he summoned members of the affiliated families to temporarily take care of the plants.
After lunch, he informed Guang Ling and, accompanied by a few attendants, took Xiu'er down the mountain to roam around Wuhun City for the first time.
Last time, when Guang Ling had taken him around, Han Li had only received a brief introduction to some things, mostly focusing on the situation of the Martial Soul Hall. At that time, he wasn't in the mood to pay attention to other matters. Now, he wanted to see the city with his own eyes and try to integrate into it.
This had always been his favorite way to relax in his previous life. Whenever he felt bored, he would wander around to experience the essence of life. Of course, now that he had money, he could be more extravagant.
Most residents here were soul masters. Although many of them were not of high levels, they all had smiles on their faces, indicating a good quality of life. Even those who weren't soul masters were mostly family members of soul masters, and they had some basic knowledge. They didn't fear soul masters as ordinary people might, so no one cast strange looks at Xiu'er because of the ears on her head.
Overall, the experience was quite pleasant. Throughout the afternoon, the attendants led the way and introduced the specifics of the city. Han Li and Xiu'er bought a lot of things. Fortunately, they both had storage spaces, so there was no need to carry large bags, and Han Li could fully appreciate the charm of the Gold Soul Coins.
They played until dinner time. At the attendants' reminder, he reluctantly took Xiu'er back up the mountain. The exclusive chef and food-type soul master at home had already prepared a specific meal, so dining out was unnecessary for now.
After dinner and a medicinal bath, Han Li sent Xiu'er back to practice while he delved into his room.
He didn't start cultivating immediately. Instead, with a peculiar expression, he took out two items from his storage wristband: a Gold Soul Coin and a black-brown gelatinous substance.
The Gold Soul Coin was something he picked up while wandering in the afternoon. Yes, picked up. He did nothing special, just walked normally, and a Gold Soul Coin rolled to his feet. [TL: Mc got Passive Skill Golden Rule EX]
The black-brown gelatinous substance was naturally the whale glue the store owner had just planned to slowly dispose of. He saw it in a luxury store, placed in a corner. As for why it was in a luxury store rather than a medicinal herb shop or an auction house, it was because, at this time, whale glue was still considered an aphrodisiac.
This piece of poorly-conditioned "Millennium Whale Glue," though older than others, was thought by the merchants to be weathered. It was kept in the store as a display sample, not for sale, for fear of causing trouble if someone got sick from consuming it.
When Han Li expressed his desire to buy it, the store even offered a discount, costing him only a thousand Gold Soul Coins. The store owner also explained the situation, suggesting he could exchange it for a younger but better-conditioned piece if he wanted.
Of course, Han Li refused. He even endured looks that someone his age shouldn't have to bear. After all, a six- or seven-year-old child insisting on buying such an item was hard to comment on, leading to odd glances from the attendants and Xiu'er.
But Han Li, being who he was, had faced worse. He was someone who shamelessly tried to forge a relationship with Guang Ling upon awakening. Mere doubts didn't bother him. He insisted on the purchase and promised not to cause any trouble because of it. Xiu'er's flushed face throughout the latter half of the shopping trip was the price he paid.
"A Gold Soul Coin delivered to my door and 'Ten Thousand Year Whale Glue,' the good son is considerate. I hope this continues," Han Li muttered as he fiddled with the two items before tossing them back into his wristband and entering a state of cultivation.
The next morning, Han Li woke up on time. Despite cultivating late into the night, his sleep quality was unaffected. This was due to three months of grueling training that had conditioned him to enter deep sleep almost as smoothly as releasing a soul skill.
After a simple wash, he went straight to the training ground. Seeing that Guang Ling hadn't arrived yet, he began his regular training on his own.
After one round, he turned his head and saw Guang Ling gracefully land on the ground.
"You could sense my presence? Impressive," Guang Ling exclaimed in surprise, as he hadn't emitted any soul power fluctuations.
"Teacher, you must have forgotten about this. It helps me sense my surroundings. My spiritual power didn't detect you, but the airflow and temperature changes from your flight and landing were clearly fed back to me."
Han Li pointed to his head, and two antennae instantly popped out, wobbling to demonstrate.
"External soul bones are truly remarkable. When your level gets higher, no one will be able to approach you silently," Guang Ling said enviously. As a long-range archer, he also wished to have a similar ability.
"This is all thanks to you for helping me choose the soul beast. Otherwise, I wouldn't have found such a useful ability," Han Li replied with a smile.
"Alright, you little flatterer."
Guang Ling smiled, pleased, and then his expression turned serious: "Okay, let's start training. Show me your basic archery skills so I can see how well they've taught you."
Han Li's smile faded as he summoned the Ice-Fire Bow into his left hand. With his back straight, he turned around, and the bowstring and arrow materialized simultaneously. Without even looking, he raised his hand and shot.
"Whoosh!"
The sound of the arrow breaking through the air was followed by the distant target exploding from the center, scattering fragments imbued with ice and fire in all directions.
Guang Ling's eyebrows first shot up, then furrowed.
"Your archery is decent, but there seem to be significant issues."
Han Li nodded decisively. After three months of practice, he was well aware of his problems.
"I can't control the elemental power well. While my accuracy is acceptable, the power of the arrows is uncontrollable. The destructive force is considerable, but the precision is lacking."
Guang Ling nodded in satisfaction and asked, "Have you tried forming arrows solely from individual elements?"
Han Li nodded again without speaking and demonstrated. Two shots, and two elemental arrows—though less powerful than the fused arrow—still left large, uncontrollable elemental damage around the target area. The ice element arrow was somewhat manageable, but the fire element arrow was worse than the previous one.
"Within my spiritual control range, it's manageable. But beyond that range, I can't control it well. In battles of the same level, it might be okay, but in sparring, I fear I won't be able to hold back," Han Li summarized.
"What about arrows without elements or ordinary arrows?" Guang Ling asked again.
"I've tried. It's not feasible. One forms extremely slowly and can't be used in combat. The other gets infused with the martial soul's power and can't withstand it, exploding once it leaves my spiritual control range," Han Li shook his head.
"Then you'll just have to gradually improve your control and spiritual power," Guang Ling said, somewhat troubled. Han Li's Ice-Fire Bow, formed by opposing elements, was much more formidable than his martial soul.
"Yes, that's all I can do," Han Li replied, also feeling a bit frustrated. Of course, his frustration was mixed with a bit of happiness since the side effects he had worried about were starting to manifest, which in a way, also proved his strength.
As for sparring, he was just talking about it for now. He wasn't planning to spar with his peers anytime soon. Besides, isn't sparring with someone stronger than him still considered sparring?
In the training ground, Guang Ling first pointed out some subtle issues with Han Li's movements, then adjusted the difficulty of the shooting exercises to observe his fundamental skills from various perspectives.
"Your basics are quite solid. It's clear that your three months of practice were not in vain," Guang Ling nodded approvingly. Han Li's learning speed exceeded his expectations.
Of course, both of them knew that this result was due to Han Li's mental strength, which was much stronger than that of an average person, and even stronger than Guang Ling's at that time. However, this was part of Han Li's innate talent and unique opportunities. It would be foolish not to leverage his advantages.
As Tang Hao once said, insisting on forging a divine weapon from ordinary iron would be truly stupid, failing to distinguish between primary and secondary priorities.
"Your mental strength can greatly aid in learning the basics, but Xiao Li, don't rely solely on it. Try to use your eyes more for observation, and also your heart or intuition. Although it might be a bit early to tell you this, remember that for a good archer, intuition can sometimes be more valuable than anything else."
"Of course, I can't teach you this; it's something you have to discover for yourself. Maybe one day, when you draw the bow, you'll understand. I've only entered such a state twice in my life," Guang Ling said seriously, with a hint of nostalgia in his expression.
"Yes, teacher, I will remember," Han Li nodded thoughtfully. He had heard similar stories in his previous life, where some snipers relied on their intuition more than precise aiming. However, this wasn't immediately relevant to him. With only three months of learning, he was still laying the foundation. Such effects might come after experiencing battles and gaining proficiency, so it was best not to aim too high prematurely.
In the following time, Guang Ling continued to guide Han Li's training, integrating combat strategies into his teachings, and making Han Li nod in agreement repeatedly. Having a top-tier expert in a specific field break down their experience and feed it to you was far quicker than trying to figure out theoretical concepts on your own.
Han Li's learning speed also greatly satisfied Guang Ling. His personality wasn't particularly calm, so seeing his disciple quickly grasp and build upon concepts gave him a sense of pride in being a skilled teacher.
During this teaching process, Guang Ling also continuously refined his own combat and theoretical frameworks. Han Li's frequent new ideas, although sometimes cunning, were added to Guang Ling's tactical repository, sparking further innovations that delighted him.
With proper preparation, Guang Ling considered, Xiao Li could handle three opponents of the same level at once. While not guaranteed to win, he certainly wouldn't lose if he achieved a successful initial surprise attack, especially against ground-based martial souls like the Clear Sky Hammer.
Additionally, two sets of radio gymnastics routines that Guang Ling and Azure Luan had taken from Han Li were preliminarily improved. While the basic movements hadn't changed much, the revised routines were sharper and more martial arts-oriented. Although still unsuitable for direct combat, the new soul power circulation routes made the exercises much more vigorous and effective, outperforming their previous body-strengthening techniques.
Upon comparison, neither set of body-strengthening movements proved superior to the other. One was more suitable for beginners, while the other was more advanced. Overall, everyone was quite satisfied, and Guang Ling and Azure Luan expressed their intention to continue researching and developing more powerful body-strengthening techniques, to which Han Li could only agree.
In this atmosphere, two months flew by, and Han Li successfully broke through to level 16, much to Guang Ling's delight. This was a testament to the effectiveness of expert guidance, as his breakthrough speed even surpassed that of the notorious Bibi Dong.
After that, Guang Ling no longer accompanied Han Li for daily training but visited once a week or every half month for intense master-disciple shooting matches, correcting Han Li's minor training errors along the way. His family's followers continued to assist Han Li diligently in his training.
Han Li finally emerged from the intense foundational training he had been undergoing. Now, aside from some basic training, he had time each day after his practice to pursue extracurricular activities. The cultural lessons had also been optimized; instead of fixed classes, he could read on his own and undergo periodic assessments. This change lightened his load and made his subsequent plans more feasible.
In his study, Han Li placed his book aside, stretched contentedly, and looked at the data he had meticulously compiled. A slight smile formed on his lips—he had finally completed his task.
Glancing at the stack of books, which stood taller than him, he couldn't help but shake his head. He enjoyed reading, but when it became a chore involving specific data extraction from designated texts, the joy turned into a burden. Despite not being a real child, he found it exceedingly tedious.
Fortunately, he had persevered. With the data he had gathered, his hypothesis now seemed reasonable.
Yes, he had been researching various information about whale glue, compiling records into data, and deriving conclusions from it.
Although no specific record explicitly stated that whale glue could enhance the physical body, the subsequent developments in the records, combined with a bit of reasonable speculation, were sufficient for Han Li. With his previous martial soul development theories and the tangible success of Xiu'er as a case study, even a hypothesis was enough to gain attention.
As for whether this would aid the enemy, he wasn't foolish. He planned to communicate with Guang Ling first, securing the higher-grade and easily collectible materials before reporting his findings.
Regarding Bibi Dong, even if Qian Daoliu informed her immediately, she would have lost the initiative. The high-grade materials she could collect afterward would be just enough for the so-called "Golden Generation." Moreover, with so many subordinates, keeping it all to herself was unrealistic. She wasn't foolish either; she would likely seal off the information to prevent it from spreading.
Speed was crucial. As long as Han Li could secure the greatest benefits and fastest development from this, everything would be worth it.
After sitting at his desk for a while longer and finalizing his explanation, Han Li left the study and headed toward his teacher's residence. He had already checked that Guang Ling would be home today.
As expected, Han Li found Guang Ling drinking in the pavilion. Azure Luan was there too, but that didn't affect his plan. He had intended to inform this senior uncle as well.
"Hmm, Xiao Li, why are you here? Have you finished today's training?" Guang Ling asked, turning his head as Han Li approached. Given his usual discipline, Han Li's appearance at this time was unexpected; he should have been reading.
"Yes, I've finished. Even if I hadn't, I would make it up later. Don't worry, Teacher," Han Li replied with a smile. He glanced around to ensure no one else was present before taking out a piece of paper from his bracelet and looking at the two curious faces.
"Master, Martial Uncle, I think I've discovered a big secret in the books—a secret so significant it could shake the Soul Master world. Interested in hearing about it?" Han Li asked, waving the paper with an innocent expression.