"Hello," Lin Yuan said with a smile, his eyes carrying a hint of curiosity as he looked at the person before him.
Loulan He didn't reveal much personal information, aside from his name and residence.
"Thunder Rain Starfield?" Lin Yuan mused, realizing it was a distant and advanced starfield, far from the Crimson Leviathan Star Domain.
He didn't know much about it, but anyone willing to spend a billion Civilization Coins for an hour of guidance was surely wealthy or influential.
"How do you plan to guide me, Teacher Yuan?" Loulan He asked.
"You paid, so you get to decide," Lin Yuan replied politely.
A billion for an hour meant nearly thirty thousand Civilization Coins per second.
Lin Yuan's short response had already netted him hundreds of thousands in funds.
"Let's spar, then. My father said that powerful evolution paths come with strong combat abilities," Loulan He suggested, stepping back with a determined look in his eyes.
"Be careful, Teacher Yuan. Although I haven't trained specifically, this body of mine is naturally strong and not weaker than most second-tier evolvers," Loulan He warned.
"Come on," Lin Yuan replied calmly.
He felt no threat from Loulan He.
With a swift motion, Loulan He vanished, only to reappear beside Lin Yuan the next moment, swinging a punch.
"Such speed," Lin Yuan thought, surprised by the sheer physical quickness, devoid of any other powers.
As Loulan He's punch neared, Lin Yuan lifted his right hand to block it, channeling the principles of the Taiji Dao to redirect the force back onto Loulan He.
Boom.
Loulan He was sent flying, landing tens of meters away.
He quickly got up, eyes wide on Lin Yuan.
"What style is this? How was it so gentle, but it felt like my punch ended up hitting me?" Loulan He was frustrated.
Being overpowered by brute force would have been less aggravating than feeling he almost had it.
"Again," Loulan He insisted, disappearing once more, but Lin Yuan smiled.
The Taiji Dao, with its yin-yang transformation, was adept at turning others' force against them, easily countering a rival who relied purely on strength and speed.
Though saying strength could overwhelm technique is true, Loulan He was far from reaching that overwhelming strength.
"Ahhh," Loulan He roared, his speed increasing, mysterious markings on his forehead beginning to faintly glow.
He approached from Lin Yuan's blind side this time.
Boom.
Loulan He was sent flying once again.
"I refuse to believe this!" He stood defiantly.
In reality, Loulan He's body would have been gravely wounded by now, but this was a virtual world, where a mere thought could restore it completely.
Whoosh.
Loulan He charged again, aiming a punch at Lin Yuan's shoulder, but it felt as if Lin Yuan had a vortex inside him, absorbing the force completely and then returning it as it was.
Boom.
Loulan He flew off another hundred meters.
"Don't rely solely on brute force," Lin Yuan advised.
If this were a real fight, Loulan He wouldn't have been able to get within a hundred meters.
But given that Loulan He paid dearly for guidance, Lin Yuan allowed him to experience the Taiji Dao up close, feeling how it could turn and channel power.
To ensure Loulan He saw value in his investment, Lin Yuan restrained his abilities to the first-tier level, showcasing the power of Taiji in its truest form.
Boom.
Boom.
Boom.
Each time Loulan He was knocked back, spitting virtual blood — a distressing cycle.
Always just short, always so close.
Eventually, "Stop. I'm done," Loulan He said, sitting down heavily, instructing his intelligent assistant to analyze their spar's footage.
"You're saying Teacher Yuan used only first-tier power?"
Loulan He was shocked.
His body model, derived from a rare species deep in the universe, was something his father spent an immense fortune on to replicate.
Even with its inherent abilities, on par with second-tier beings without training, Teacher Yuan easily bested him with a first-tier power?
"Teacher Yuan, is this the Martial Evolution Path?" Loulan He eagerly asked, running over to Lin Yuan.
"Indeed. This is the Taiji Dao," Lin Yuan nodded.
"The Taiji Dao isn't about pure strength. It's more about using the grand direction of power," Lin Yuan explained patiently.
Loulan He nodded, not fully grasping but understanding its importance.
To help him, Lin Yuan injected a strand of Taiji power into him, allowing for a month of comprehension, a method akin to understanding the True Martial Sword’s essence of sun and moon.
For someone like Loulan He, it was enough, even though Lin Yuan couldn't let the Taiji power exist outside for long with his current skills.
"Good," Loulan He replied, now deeply interested in the Martial Evolution Path.
He wanted to stand like Lin Yuan, effortlessly sending enemies flying — it was too cool.
With Loulan He’s agreement, Lin Yuan placed his right hand on Loulan He's shoulder, infusing a bit of Taiji's moon and sun forces combined.
As the power entered Loulan He's body, Lin Yuan instinctively sensed inside.
“What’s this?” Lin Yuan’s eyes twitched slightly.
Loulan He’s body, similar in appearance to a human's, was fundamentally different.
Inside his flesh were countless blood vessels weaving into a unique pattern, while at the cellular level, myriad runes flowed, creating a perfect balance locked within his body.
“Perfect. Truly perfect,” Lin Yuan thought, becoming absorbed.
His heaven-defying comprehension illuminated truths as he examined Loulan He's unknown physiology.
Insights poured into his mind.
He realized that by understanding this, he could enhance his own physical essence immensely.
In the short term, Lin Yuan would improve his Main World body’s potential, boosting his basic strength and speed.
In the long term, during traversal, every body his consciousness inhabited would benefit.
Next time, if Lin Yuan comprehended this type of body’s essence, his newborn form wouldn’t be cast into life-or-death danger.
With such a model, Lin Yuan could modify a baby’s body in just hours, reaching a strength that wouldn’t pale to an adult.
“Teacher Yuan, are you okay?” Loulan He asked, puzzled that Lin Yuan hadn't removed his hand from his shoulder for a long time.
“I’m fine. Your body is unique, needing some time,” Lin Yuan dismissed lightly, yet his gaze on Loulan He grew intense.
Loulan He felt tense but remained still, recalling Lin Yuan's earlier demonstration of strength.
After half an hour, Lin Yuan reluctantly removed his hand.
"It's done," he exhaled.
Although he hadn’t completely deciphered the body, he memorized the structures for future study.
"Thank you, Teacher Yuan," Loulan He said, sensing the Taiji power within him.
“The time is up. If I have questions, I’ll come back to Teacher Yuan,” Loulan He felt fulfilled, unaware of how much Lin Yuan had gleaned.
Back at Water Moon District, House Number Thirty-Two, in the underground training room, Lin Yuan disconnected from the virtual world, Loulan He’s body mysteries still lingering in his mind.
"Truly... blessed by heaven," Lin Yuan marveled.
Through the Gate of Myriad Realms, he’d traversed two times, spending a century reaching the second tier.
Yet, with such a body, potential could naturally grow to that level shortly after birth.
It was abnormal.
"This body isn't purely human," Lin Yuan speculated, sensing an ancient, grand aura within during his insights.
But no matter, he thought; once comprehended, it would be his.
Lin Yuan closed his eyes, continuing to ponder.
He began dedicating more time, usually spent understanding the third tier, to unraveling this body's marvels, hoping before his third traversal, he’d fully grasp it.
Then, regardless of entering a child’s form again, he’d handle extreme situations better.
Two months flashed by.
During this period, Loulan He sought Lin Yuan twice more, spending two billion on guidance.
Lin Yuan took the opportunity to observe Loulan He's body closely again, nearing full comprehension.
On this day, Lin Yuan opened his eyes, ending his session because the Azure Blue Star’s tournament was commencing. (End of Chapter)