"That is certainly good news."
Seiun nodded beside them.
"However, the whereabouts of the Heart of Light and Darkness have always been a mystery."
"Even my master was never able to discover its exact location."
"At least now we have a direction to follow."
Rowan closed the ancient book with a smile.
"That's far better than wandering blindly."
After spending several hours inside the Archive, the three companions accepted Seiun's suggestion and decided to rest.
The sanctuary was the perfect place to recover.
The air was pure.
The natural energy was rich.
Every breath nourished both body and soul.
"You should stay here for a few days."
Seiun spoke warmly.
"The storms outside have become especially active lately."
"It isn't safe to leave just yet."
"Then we'll gratefully accept your hospitality."
The three thanked him together.
The next morning, they awoke to birdsong and the fragrance of blooming flowers.
After a full night's rest, they felt better than they had in a very long time.
The sanctuary's abundant life energy had completely erased their exhaustion.
Even their understanding of the Laws had become noticeably clearer.
"How do you feel?"
Seiun appeared before them with a cheerful smile, carrying the same teapot that somehow never seemed to run empty.
"Better than ever."
Rowan stretched comfortably, feeling tremendous power surging through every part of his body.
"This place is incredible."
"It surpasses every cultivation ground I've ever visited."
"Naturally."
Seiun smiled proudly.
"Every blade of grass and every tree here carries traces of my master's comprehension of the Laws."
"Simply living here is like constantly receiving guidance from a supreme expert."
The three exchanged another astonished glance.
For an environment itself to contain the insights of the Laws...
How powerful must Seiun's master have been?
"Senior Seiun."
Thor bowed respectfully.
"We'd like to ask for your guidance regarding martial cultivation."
"If you don't mind."
"Oh?"
Seiun's eyes sparkled with interest.
"Have you reached a bottleneck?"
"Not exactly."
Leon answered honestly.
"I've realized that my fighting style depends too heavily on Law powers."
"During our battles against the Dark Servants, whenever they suppressed my Law abilities, my combat strength dropped dramatically."
"I've noticed the same problem."
Rowan nodded.
"Modern warriors rely too much on external power."
"We've neglected the potential of our own bodies."
"What an interesting observation."
Seiun nodded approvingly.
"The fact that you've recognized this flaw already says a great deal."
"Many cultivators climb to greater heights only to forget the foundation that brought them there."
"Then..."
Luna joined the conversation.
"Could you teach us some methods for strengthening those fundamentals?"
"I feel my close-quarters combat is still lacking."
Seiun pondered quietly.
A mysterious smile slowly spread across his face.
"If that's what you seek..."
"I have a rather interesting training exercise prepared."
"Though I should warn you."
"It may not be what you're expecting."
"What kind of training?"
All three became curious.
"Come with me."
Instead of answering, Seiun simply led them toward the Spirit Beast Garden.
They stopped in a spacious grassy field.
Seiun let out a long, low call.
The strange sound carried an unfamiliar rhythm.
Moments later...
The ground trembled slightly.
Heavy footsteps echoed in the distance.
A massive figure slowly emerged from the forest.
As it approached, they finally saw it clearly.
It was an enormous rhinoceros.
Nearly three meters tall.
More than five meters long.
Its bronze-colored hide was covered with glowing ancient patterns.
Most striking of all was the enormous horn on its forehead.
Over a meter long.
Sharp enough to pierce mountains.
"This is Bobo."
Seiun affectionately patted the rhinoceros' head.
"My old friend."
The giant beast rubbed against his hand like an oversized puppy.
"Don't let his gentle appearance fool you."
"He's far stronger than he looks."
Indeed...
The rhinoceros looked incredibly docile.
Its eyes even carried an innocent, almost foolish expression.
Watching it affectionately nuzzle Seiun, it was difficult to imagine it could ever become a dangerous opponent.
"Senior..."
Rowan hesitated.
"Do you want us to fight him?"
"Exactly."
Seiun nodded seriously.
"But there are rules."
"You may only use your physical bodies."
"No Law abilities."
"No energy techniques."
"No weapons."
"Only your fists, feet, and bodies."
"Only hand-to-hand combat?"
Thor frowned.
"Our offensive power will be greatly reduced."
"That's precisely the point."
Seiun explained.
"You've become too dependent on external power."
"This training will help you rediscover the strength that has always existed within yourselves."
"And what's the objective?"
Leon asked.
"It's simple."
Seiun smiled.
"If you can land a hit on Bobo using nothing but your body..."
"You pass."
"Don't underestimate him."
"He's no ordinary spirit beast."
At first...
The challenge sounded easy enough.
After all...
No matter how powerful a rhinoceros was...
It was still only an animal.
Or so they thought.
"Bobo."
Seiun gently patted the beast.
"Show them what you can do."
The rhinoceros let out a deep rumble.
Then...
It moved.
In an instant...
The seemingly clumsy giant transformed into a streak of lightning.
Its enormous body shot across the field at unbelievable speed.
Afterimages filled the grassland.
"What?!"
The three stared in disbelief.
Its speed exceeded that of many Domain Lord experts who specialized in movement techniques.
Even more unbelievable...
Despite its enormous size...
It moved without making the slightest sound.
It seemed to glide through space itself.
"How is that possible?"
Thor exclaimed.
"How can something that large move so fast?"
"And completely silently."
Leon narrowed his eyes.
"That level of body control surpasses many martial artists."
"Bobo belongs to the Void Rhino race."
Seiun explained.
"They're an extremely rare species."
"They're born with an innate understanding of spatial movement."
"They appear slow and cumbersome."
"But in reality..."
"They're among the most agile creatures in the universe."
A Void Rhino.
None of them had ever heard of such a species before.
But after witnessing Bobo's movement...
None of them doubted Seiun's words.
"Now you understand the challenge."
Seiun smiled.
"His speed and agility are first-rate."
"If you want to touch him without relying on the Laws..."
"You'll need nothing but instinct and pure technique."
Against an opponent like this...
Law-based attacks would normally be their greatest advantage.
Without them...
The difficulty increased many times over.
"So..."
Seiun folded his arms.
"Who wants to go first?"
"I will."
Rowan stepped forward without hesitation.
Bobo calmly returned to the center of the field.
He stood quietly...
Waiting.
Yet the intelligence shining in his eyes made it clear.
He was already prepared.
"Remember."
Seiun reminded him once more.
"No Laws."
"No weapons."
"Bobo will hold back enough not to seriously injure you."
"But his counterattacks are still dangerous."
Rowan took a deep breath.
He cast aside every thought related to Law techniques.
Instead...
He focused entirely on his own body.
His muscles.
His bones.
His breathing.
His heartbeat.
He searched for the instinctive warrior buried beneath years of sophisticated techniques.
"Begin."
The moment Seiun gave the signal...
Rowan charged.
His speed was impressive.
But compared to Bobo...
It wasn't enough.
Just as Rowan entered striking distance...
The rhinoceros vanished.
There had been no warning.
One instant he stood ahead.
The next...
He appeared beside Rowan.
If Rowan hadn't reacted in time, the massive horn would have sent him flying.
"So fast."
Rowan quickly regained his footing.
His eyes sharpened.
Bobo attacked again.
Silently.
From another angle.
This time Rowan anticipated the movement and sidestepped.
But unbelievably...
The Void Rhino changed direction in the middle of its charge.
The pursuit continued.
"His mobility is unbelievable."
Rowan muttered while evading.
"He can alter direction freely at full speed."
Several more attacks followed.
Every strike missed.
Finally...
Rowan stopped chasing.
"This won't work."
He frowned.
"I'll never hit him like this."
"Well?"
Seiun asked calmly.
"What have you realized?"
"His speed and agility exceed my expectations."
Rowan admitted honestly.
"And..."
"It feels like he can predict everything I'm about to do."
"That's because you're still thinking like a martial artist."
Seiun smiled.
"Forget the complicated techniques."
"Forget the countless moves you've memorized."
"Fight with your instincts."
"Your most primitive instincts."
Instinct...
Rowan quietly repeated the word.
It was true.
Even without using the Laws...
He was still unconsciously relying on combat techniques learned through years of training.
"I'll try again."
This time...
He emptied his mind completely.
No strategy.
No calculations.
No martial arts.
No techniques.
He simply trusted his body.
He slowly closed his eyes.
Instead of seeing...
He felt.
Something remarkable happened.
Without using any spiritual power...
Without activating any Law...
He could somehow sense Bobo's presence.
Not through vision.
Not through energy.
But through pure instinct.
Rowan opened his eyes.
He charged once more.
His movements had changed completely.
Every step flowed naturally.
No unnecessary motions.
Only instinct.
Bobo darted away again.
Yet this time...
Rowan's attacks became strangely unpredictable.
Instead of forcing elaborate combinations...
He simply followed where his body led him.
Finally...
During one exchange...
His fist brushed against Bobo's flank.
It wasn't a clean hit.
But it was contact.
"Excellent."
Seiun nodded with satisfaction.
"You've improved."
"You're beginning to understand."
Though only a glancing blow...
It was a major breakthrough.
Rowan finally realized something.
When he abandoned everything he had learned...
And returned to pure instinct...
His true combat potential became even greater.
"My turn!"
Thor eagerly stepped forward.
Bobo calmly returned to the center of the field.
This time...
His eyes held far more respect than before.
Thor's fighting style differed greatly from Rowan's.
He relied on explosive bursts of speed and overwhelming power.
Unfortunately...
None of those advantages mattered.
Bobo's mobility rendered every explosive attack useless.
"He's way too slippery!"
Thor complained after several failed attempts.
"It's like fighting a shadow."
"Don't become impatient."
Seiun warned.
"Impatience clouds judgment."
"Bobo excels at exploiting emotional fluctuations."
It was true.
The more frustrated Thor became...
The more ruthless Bobo's counters grew.
The Void Rhino seemed capable of sensing every emotional disturbance.
He attacked at precisely the moments Thor became most reckless.
"Stay calm..."
Thor muttered to himself.
"Don't let him dictate the pace."
After gradually settling down...
Thor also began making progress.
Following Rowan's example...
He stopped relying on techniques.
Instead...
He trusted instinct.
Although his improvement wasn't as dramatic...
He slowly began threatening Bobo's movements.
"My turn."
Leon finally stepped forward.
Unlike his two brothers...
He didn't rush.
Instead...
He quietly observed.
Every movement.
Every step.
Every change in rhythm.
"Interesting..."
Leon murmured.
"His movement isn't truly random."
"It has rhythm."
Indeed...
Although the Void Rhino moved with incredible unpredictability...
It was still a living creature.
Its instincts followed natural behavioral patterns.
Anyone patient enough could eventually discover them.
Based on that observation...
Leon adjusted his approach.
Rather than chasing Bobo...
He controlled his own position.
Step by step...
He gradually reduced Bobo's available movement space.
The strategy worked.
The Void Rhino found himself with fewer escape routes.
Eventually...
He was forced into a close-range confrontation.
At that instant...
Leon slammed his shoulder into Bobo's side.
"Excellent!"
Seiun applauded happily.
"All three of you found your own path."
Indeed...
Although they had all succeeded...
Their methods were completely different.
Rowan relied on instinct.
Thor mastered emotional control.
Leon used calm observation and tactical positioning.
"So..."
Seiun smiled.
"Do you understand the purpose of this training now?"
Rowan nodded thoughtfully.
"It teaches us to rediscover the strength of our own bodies."
"Instead of depending entirely on external Law powers..."
"We must awaken the limitless potential that has always existed within ourselves."
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