Yu Yuanchen, using the alias "Yu Chen," settled comfortably into his role as a practical combat instructor at Thunder Academy. He did not grow lax or arrogant despite his strength far exceeding that of an ordinary Soul Emperor; instead, he was exceptionally diligent and responsible. His teaching style was a stark departure from traditional instructors who merely read from textbooks and emphasized only the power and release speed of Soul Skills.
He focused more on guiding his students to "understand" their own soul power and Soul Skills.
"Releasing Thunder Dragon Claw isn't just about injecting soul power. Try to feel the speed and density of your soul power as it surges through your meridians. Think about how to make micro-adjustments to give the claw greater piercing power or a wider range."
"When facing a defensive opponent, should your lightning ball strike directly, or should you try to find the weak point in their defense, or perhaps use a series of lower-power lightning balls to interfere and disrupt their rhythm?"
He encouraged students to make all sorts of seemingly "unorthodox" attempts, even stepping onto the field himself to suppress his cultivation level and spar with them, pointing out how to use their Soul Skills more flexibly and efficiently during actual combat. This novel and highly effective teaching method quickly earned him the respect and affection of the students, and the reputation of "Instructor Yu Chen" spread rapidly among the junior and intermediate students at Thunder Academy.
During the teaching process, Yu Yuanchen also encountered a variety of students. Although Thunder Academy primarily focused on orthodox, masculine lightning, the continent was vast, and there were always students with mutated Martial Souls or special constitutions. He met a student whose Martial Soul was a Shadow Thunder Leopard; its lightning attribute leaned toward the feminine and stealthy, carrying strong paralysis and mental interference effects, which were completely different from the violent nature of orthodox lightning. There was another student whose Martial Soul was a Lava Thunder Lizard, in whose lightning was mixed a trace of scorching fire energy, with a destruction style that leaned more toward continuous burning and explosions.
These special cases were like lightning flashing through the darkness, providing Yu Yuanchen with great inspiration. He carefully observed and recorded the subtle differences in these students' soul power circulation, analyzing the similarities and differences between their soul power properties and orthodox lightning.
"Lightning is not just about destruction and violence. The feminine stealth of the Shadow Thunder Leopard and the scorching, explosive nature of the Lava Thunder Bird all show that there are different 'property' biases within the lightning attribute." The concept in Yu Yuanchen's mind became increasingly clear. "Then, since the lightning attribute can be differentiated, does it mean that a single attribute can also, through acquired guidance and learning, simulate or even master certain 'properties' or 'characteristics' of other attributes?"
This thought took root and sprouted in his heart like a seed. After nearly a month of observation, teaching, and the accumulation of his own insights, he felt the timing was ripe.
On this day, he solemnly submitted a project report titled "Preliminary Concept and Research Proposal on the Nature Change of Soul Power Attributes" to the senior management of Thunder Academy, including Dean Lei Dongtian and several senior Soul Douluo and Soul Sage-level research Elders.
At the beginning of the report, he dropped a bombshell of a viewpoint:
"The Soul Master World has always clearly divided attributes. Lightning-attribute Soul Masters study the violent piercing of lightning, while water-attribute Soul Masters pursue the gentleness and versatility of water, as if attributes naturally determine the characteristics of one's power. However, is the power of attributes truly so distinct and insurmountable?"
He cited examples from the academy such as the Shadow Thunder Leopard and the Lava Thunder Bird, pointing out that property differentiation already existed within the lightning attribute. He then proposed his core theory:
"I believe that so-called attributes are more like a basic 'tendency' or 'label' of energy, rather than solidified shackles. Soul power itself possesses extreme plasticity. Through acquired learning, imitation, and deep control, it is entirely possible for a Soul Master to guide their own soul power to simulate certain 'nature changes' of other attributes within a certain range."
He gave examples: "For instance, the lightning attribute generally possesses the nature of violence, piercing, and paralysis; the water attribute generally possesses the nature of gentleness, flow, and infiltration. But this does not mean that lightning-attribute soul power cannot, through special circulation methods and mental guidance, simulate the 'gentle and nourishing' nature similar to the water attribute, perhaps for healing or warming meridians? Conversely, can water-attribute soul power simulate the 'piercing' or 'paralysis' of lightning? Can fire attributes simulate the 'heaviness' of earth? Can wind attributes simulate the 'violence' of fire?"
In the report, he detailed the concept of "nature change," distinguished between "attribute essence" and "nature manifestation," and preliminarily conceived possible research directions, including but not limited to: detailed observation and recording of soul power characteristics of Soul Masters with different attributes, experimental methods for attempting to guide one's own soul power to perform nature simulation, and the Soul Skill innovations and applications that nature changes might bring. The logic was rigorous and the organization clear; although many ideas were still bold hypotheses, the foresight and pioneering spirit displayed were shocking!
This report caused an uproar among the senior management of Thunder Academy!
Upon first reading, several Elders felt it was a fantasy and scoffed at it. But as they read deeper, especially with the examples within the academy and the rigorous logical deductions Yu Yuanchen provided, the contempt on their faces was gradually replaced by shock and contemplation.
Dean Lei Dongtian read it three times, then slammed the table, a terrifying gleam erupting in his eyes: "A genius! No, a freakish talent! If this project succeeds, it will overturn the existing cognitive boundaries of Soul Master combat and even cultivation!"
A Soul Douluo Elder specializing in soul power theoretical research trembled his beard and muttered: "Attribute barriers... can they really be broken? If one could truly master multiple nature changes, even if only through simulation, what a terrifying improvement in a Soul Master's adaptability and combat power that would be!"
After intense discussion, the academy's senior management unanimously determined that the "Soul Power Attribute Nature Change" project proposed by Instructor Yu Chen had epoch-making significance! His concept was not a castle in the air; it was supported by real-world cases and was logically self-consistent, making it worthy of dedicating resources to in-depth research!
However, problems followed. The classics and experience accumulated by Thunder Academy were almost entirely concentrated on the development of the various characteristics of the lightning attribute itself; information regarding the basic properties of other attributes was extremely scarce. To verify and advance this project, it was necessary to obtain detailed information on the four attributes of wind, fire, water, and earth, especially core knowledge regarding their soul power characteristics, circulation laws, and nature manifestations.
"It is difficult for Thunder Academy alone to support such a grand project," Lei Dongtian said in a deep voice. "This project concerns the future of the Soul Master World and is not a private matter for one family or one academy. I propose inviting the four major academies—Godwind, Blazing Fire, Skywater, and Boulder—to participate in this research together! The project's proposer and leader, Instructor Yu Chen, shall serve as the overall head of the research!"
This decision sparked another round of debate. It was unprecedented to have such a young and inexperienced "Soul King" instructor lead such an important project involving the five major academies. But Lei Dongtian overruled the objections: "This project stems from Yu Chen's thoughts; no one understands its core ideas better than him. Furthermore, observing his teaching, his thinking is meticulous and he is skilled at guidance; he will certainly be up to the task!"
In the end, Thunder Academy sent formal official letters to the other four Elemental Academies, attaching a summary version of Yu Yuanchen's project report.
As expected, this official letter caused a bigger storm in Elemental City than it had within Thunder Academy!
When the senior management of Godwind Academy, Blazing Fire Academy, and Skywater Academy first heard of it, their reactions were identical to those of the Thunder Academy Elders, ranging from skepticism to shock, and then to unprecedented importance. They keenly realized that once this project achieved a breakthrough, it would have a profound impact on the entire Soul Master World, especially for academies like theirs that specialized in a single attribute!
As for the delicately positioned Boulder Academy, after receiving the official letter, internal divisions arose. The Conservative Faction, led by the old Dean, believed that participating in such pioneering research might enhance the academy's reputation and strengthen their independent capital to resist the annexation of the Elephant Armored Sect. Meanwhile, those infiltrated by the Elephant Armored Sect secretly obstructed it, claiming it was a conspiracy by Thunder Academy intended to steal the core secrets of each academy.
However, with the active mediation of Thunder Academy and the clear support and willingness to participate from the other three major academies, the old Dean of Boulder Academy finally withstood the pressure and decided to participate in the cooperation.
After several rounds of tense negotiations, the five academies finally reached an agreement: to establish the "Elemental Nature Transformation Joint Research Group." Each academy would provide information on nature changes related to their own attributes—excluding their most core secret techniques—and select outstanding students and teachers as research subjects and participants. The research location would be set at Thunder Academy, with the project proposer, Instructor "Yu Chen," serving as the leader of the research group, with full authority over the formulation of research directions and the advancement of specific work!
When the news spread, the entire Elemental City was in an uproar. A young, unknown instructor from Thunder Academy had suddenly become the core figure influencing the five major academies?
Yu Yuanchen (Yu Chen) stood in front of the window of his new office at Thunder Academy—which was also the temporary headquarters of the Joint Research Group—looking at the bustling scene of Elemental City outside, a subtle curve appearing at the corner of his mouth.
The plan was proceeding smoothly according to his vision. By leveraging the power of the five major academies to collect detailed information on the four attributes of wind, fire, water, and earth, he could use this as a foundation to deduce and simulate corresponding nature changes, assisting him in completing his concept of Viscera Quenching. This was a hundred times faster than fumbling on his own.
A revolution that would sweep through Elemental City and potentially influence the future direction of Soul Master development had quietly begun in the hands of this young "group leader" who had hidden his true identity and purpose. And for his path of quenching his five viscera and exploring the true meaning of lightning, he had finally found the best assistance.
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan