A clear understanding of one's own capabilities was the first lesson Silas had learned for survival. The assessment in the Trials Pagoda and his acquisitions from the library made him realize he needed a method of training that transcended the conventional—one that could mercilessly expose weaknesses and force rapid growth. He thought of Oshun's blessing: the ancient Mirror of Dueling Reflections. Its core function was simple yet powerful: create an exact mirror image of the user for combat.
After ensuring the simple warning array around his dorm room was active, Silas gripped the mirror's handle and sank his consciousness into it. "Duel."
The environment shifted to the familiar training ground. Opposite him, another "Silas" materialized, its eyes empty, yet exuding a disconcerting aura of near-perfect coordination.
From the very first moment of combat, Silas was at an absolute disadvantage. He attacked first, channeling the Thousand Streams Converging into the Sea Art and using the Falling Leaf Step, his spear thrusting forth. Yet, the mirror image's movements were supremely concise, precise, and efficient. It used the identical movement technique, but evaded his attack with ghostly ease, each step seemingly blending with the environment. The counterattack followed—the same origin force, but in the image's hands, it was condensed like a steel needle, piercing accurately into the most vulnerable point of Silas's force exertion.
"Thud!"
Silas was thrown backward, his chest aching. The power level of this strike was no different from his own, but the skill and timing employed were perfect. This wasn't an overpowering force, but an absolute gap in efficiency and comprehension!
He scrambled up, the Law of Life already beginning to repair the minor internal shock, his mind reeling with shock. "It's using... my techniques? How can they be this strong!"
The mirror image gave him no time to think, attacking again. Silas went all out, cycling through the Army-Shattering Spear Art, the Spirit Snake Spear Art, and others. But the image acted like a magnifying glass for all his flaws, always resolving his offenses in the most direct way and retaliating with the same techniques, each move seamless and fluid, as if tempered through countless trials, reaching a state of theoretical perfection. This was completely a one-sided, tutorial-style rout.
In an endless cycle of being knocked down and getting back up thanks to his astonishing recovery, pain became the finest teacher, while the Law of Life and his robust physique provided the capital for continuous learning.
Silas mustered all his concentration, deploying the several spear arts he had learned one after another—the sheer force of the Army-Shattering Spear Art, the cunning of the Spirit Snake Spear Art. But the mirror image always neutralized them with the simplest, most direct methods. It seemed to see through his every intention, every tiny tell before he committed his strength. The image's spearplay had no names, no set patterns, only the most fundamental thrusts, sweeps, flicks, and blocks, yet each movement contained a profound understanding of the spear itself, seamless and flawless.
This was no longer an even match, but a one-sided, tutorial-style crushing. The mirror image was like a silent, severe mentor, using the most painful method—repeated knockdowns—to point out every flaw in Silas's techniques, every superfluous movement, every waste of origin force.
"My Thousand Streams Art origin force circulation is half a beat slower than theirs, and not concentrated enough!"
"The turning angle here in theFalling Leaf Step is three degrees too wide, creating unnecessary drag!"
"My spear technique!It's all form without substance! The force application isn't penetrating enough, the recovery for defense is too slow!"
In this relentless cycle of defeat and recovery, Silas's mind operated at an unprecedented speed. The powerful comprehension granted by his second-rank soul allowed him to not just take a beating, but to frantically absorb, analyze, and imitate. The image offered no verbal guidance, but each of its perfect demonstrations was the most intuitive form of "teaching by example." Actions speak louder than words, especially when those actions were a perfect replica of his own body performing at its peak.
He forced himself to forget the names of techniques,focusing only on sensing the flow of power, the grasp of timing, the utilization of space. He began subconsciously mimicking the image's supremely efficient movements, adjusting the subtle flow of origin force in his meridians, correcting the coordination of his muscles during force exertion.
The most crucial change occurred in his comprehension of the Forgotten Spear Art. Facing the image's unadorned, flawlessly natural spear technique, the boundaries between the specific techniques Silas had learned—the sheer force of the Army-Shattering Spear Art, the cunning of the Spirit Snake Spear Art—began to blur in his mind. He stopped thinking about "what technique to use next," instead immersing himself completely in the rhythm of battle. The spear felt like an extension of his arm, its point directed by his will.
During one intense exchange, the image launched a straightforward, unadorned thrust, its speed and power pushed to the extreme. Silas reacted almost instinctively. His mind flashed with the lethal swiftness of a giant python striking and the instantaneous explosive power of a rock goat kicking off a cliff face. His body moved accordingly. He didn't block, nor did he fully evade. Instead, his wrist flicked, the spear tracing an extremely short and sharp arc. The spear tip, like a venomous snake's fang, arrived later but struck first, aiming precisely at the image's spear-wielding wrist! This strike discarded all redundancy, condensing speed and precision into a single point, brimming with bestial intuition and ferocity.
"Ssshh!"
Although the image instantly altered its move to neutralize the attack, Silas's heart pounded violently. This spear thrust didn't belong to any spear art he had learned! It was born from the foundation of his studies, yet fused with his combat instincts and understanding of bestial abilities. This was the embryo of his own spear technique! He named it [Viper's Strike]! This marked the vital first step on the path of the Forgotten Spear Art—from learning to forgetting—allowing him to touch the edge of forming his own spear path.
Twenty-four hours inside the mirror passed like tempering in a hellish furnace. By the time it was about to end, Silas's aura had undergone a dramatic change. Though he still couldn't defeat the image, the gap had narrowed drastically. The circulation of his origin force via the Thousand Streams Converging into the Sea Art was incredibly smooth, its efficiency multiplied, having clearly advanced to a profound level within the Comprehension and Integration stage! His Falling Leaf Step became even more elusive and unpredictable, its concealment and mobility greatly enhanced. And his spear technique, after comprehending [Viper's Strike], was firmly stabilized at the peak of the Subtlety stage, truly touching the threshold of a "Spear Heart."
It was only now, through this brutal comparison, that Silas truly understood what the mirror image demonstrated: the Perfection and Accord realm that his learned techniques could theoretically achieve at his current level. He himself, through this tempering, had undergone a qualitative leap, reaching a deep stage of Comprehension and Integration, and had found the initial path of his own spear. This gave him combat capital far surpassing his peers and a solid foundation for challenging those above his rank.
Returning to reality, the sky outside his window was still dark. The surge of power and exquisite sense of control within him was exhilarating, but reason suppressed the impulse to immediately verify his strength at the Trials Pagoda. "Finn Cole" needed to project steadiness.
Strength needed to be hidden, but resources had to be acquired. The art of alchemy became his new target. In the following days, he immersed himself in the library's Hundred Arts section, exchanging for relevant jade slips.
Alchemy heavily favored innate talent. Yet, Silas discovered his advantages: the powerful perception from his second-rank soul, the sensitivity to the energetic properties of herbs granted by the Law of Life, and the refined control over origin force honed by the mirror training. He began practicing in the public alchemy workshops. Failure was natural at first, but he would mentally replay the mirror image's flawless energy control patterns, seeking the gaps.
Days passed. After several failures, Silas finally successfully refined his first batch of Coagulation Pills. He didn't announce it, but continued practicing quietly, also attempting a slightly more difficult first-rank pill, "Energy Recovery Powder," which he also managed to produce after a few failures.
One afternoon, he had just finished refining a batch of Energy Recovery Powder (two pills, common quality) and was preparing to leave the workshop. His ability to successfully produce pills consistently over several days, albeit of unstable quality, had attracted the attention of some older students who frequented the lower-level workshops.
Just then, three students—two young men and a woman—approached him. The leader was a tall, stout young man with a hearty smile.
"Excuse me, you're Finn Cole, right?" the young man said with a cupped-hand salute. "I'm Barton. This is Junior Sister Aileen and Junior Brother Karn." He gestured to the girl in a green dress behind him, who looked at Silas with curiosity, and a lanky young man who merely nodded slightly, his gaze sharp.
Barton continued, "We're putting together a team to gather 'Moonglow Grass' in the outskirts of the Beastbone Forest near the academy, and try our luck while we're at it. There are bound to be bumps and scrapes in the forest. Having an alchemy apprentice in the team would greatly improve our safety margin. We were wondering if you'd be interested in joining us? The mission reward and any materials gathered will be split fairly based on contribution."
Silas looked at the trio, weighing the options in his mind. Solo action was efficient but risky; team action was safer and also a good opportunity to learn about the academy and others. He offered a smile that fit the "Finn" persona—slightly cautious yet interested.
"Senior Brother Barton, you flatter me; I've only just begun," Silas replied. "I'm honored by your invitation. If you don't mind my modest strength, I'd be happy to join you and gain some experience."