Resources Aid, Breakthrough to Level Fourteen!

Cultivation knew no passage of years.

In the blink of an eye, it was dusk the next day.

The Spirit Gathering Stone's glow had dimmed, fine cracks appearing across its surface.

The energy within had been exhausted, turning it into an ordinary stone.

The Wood Element Crystal Core had also become completely ashen white, crumbling into powder with a light squeeze.

Only the residual medicinal power of the Mysterious Water Pill still flowed slowly through his meridians, though less than a tenth of its effect remained.

Huang Fei opened his eyes at that moment.

A flash of green light flickered in his eyes, and his aura suddenly surged!

Buzz!

Pale green Soul Power poured from his body, vaguely forming the phantom of a Blue Silver Grass behind him.

Its grass leaves were three parts broader and thicker than before, the Silver Patterns clearer than ever, with an exceedingly faint golden gleam even appearing along their edges.

He had broken through!

A Level Fourteen Soul Master!

Huang Fei slowly exhaled a breath of Turbid Qi. His breathing was deep and steady, his Soul Power fluctuations stable and solid, utterly lacking the unsteady feeling of someone who had just broken through.

He clenched his fist, sensing the nearly thirty percent increase in his total Soul Power, and the corners of his mouth curled upward slightly.

What delighted him even more was that, as his Soul Power Level rose, his understanding of the Wood Breathing Technique deepened another layer.

With a thought, his Soul Power silently extended underground like roots!

Within fifty meters, the slightest tremors in the ground, the paths crawled by insects, and even the Soul Power fluctuations of other students in the nearby dormitory building... all appeared within his perception like images.

Though it was still very blurry, it had already begun to take shape.

[Wood Breathing Technique · Root Stage proficiency increased. It has reached minor accomplishment.]

[Derived ability unlocked: Earth Vein Sense (Beginner)—use Soul Power Roots to investigate earth vein fluctuations and signs of life within fifty meters. Perceptual precision increases with proficiency.]

The system notification sounded at just the right moment.

"Earth Vein Sense... that's quite a practical scouting ability."

Huang Fei nodded in satisfaction. Just as he was about to rise and stretch his limbs, a gentle Voice Transmission suddenly sounded in his ear:

"One day to break through, yet your foundation remains stable. Not bad."

It was Song Yunzhi's voice.

She paused before continuing:

"Resources may be useful, but they are ultimately external things."

"On the path of a Soul Master, one's foundation is paramount. Do not damage your roots in pursuit of speed."

"This disciple will remember."

Huang Fei responded respectfully.

The Voice Transmission ended there, as though it had never existed.

Yet Huang Fei knew that this teacher had been watching over him all along.

Being valued like this did not feel bad.

That evening, after washing up and changing into clean clothes, Huang Fei was about to head for the cafeteria when there came a light knock on his door.

When he opened it, Huo Yuhao and Wang Dong stood side by side outside.

"Huang Fei, want to go eat together?"

Huo Yuhao invited him with a smile, though his gaze lingered on Huang Fei for an extra moment.

He keenly noticed that Huang Fei's aura was much more substantial than it had been yesterday.

"Congratulations on your breakthrough."

Wang Dong was more direct. She raised an eyebrow and said, "Your cultivation speed really doesn't seem like that of a Blue Silver Grass Soul Master."

Huang Fei smiled. "Just good luck. Let's go, I'm hungry too."

The three set off together, chatting casually along the way, mostly about the official start of classes tomorrow.

According to information Huo Yuhao had learned from Tang Ya, the Freshmen's first lesson would be Soul Beast Characteristics and Soul Ring Selection, taught by a veteran Soul Beast studies instructor.

"I heard this instructor has a rather strange temper. He loves asking questions most of all, and anyone who can't answer has to stand as punishment for an entire day."

Wang Dong curled her lip, clearly quite resistant to being made to stand.

"Who cares? As long as he can teach us something."

Huang Fei did not mind. If anything, he was looking forward to it.

Most of his knowledge about Soul Beasts came from memories of his Past Life and information provided by the system.

If he could systematically learn about the Soul Beasts of this world, it would undoubtedly benefit his future hunt for Soul Rings and development of his Martial Soul.

He might have read the novel in his Past Life.

But that guy San Shao had only given a cursory description, without going into specific detail.

Many things were different.

Moreover, this world was not a novel.

It was a real world in every sense.

Do not assume that just because the people here looked the same as they did in the animation,

that they could truly be compared to the novel.

Every one of them was a living, breathing person of flesh and blood.

When it came to knowledge, Huo Yuhao yearned for it.

Although he had grown up in the Duke's Mansion, his birth had not exactly been ordinary.

But his status had been low from childhood.

The knowledge he had learned was likewise limited.

Naturally, he was eager to see how a professional instructor from Shrek Academy would explain this subject.

As for Wang Dong, she truly did not care much about it.

Although her memories were currently sealed,

the knowledge she had learned at the Clear Sky Sect from childhood to adulthood had been extremely comprehensive.

She had not the slightest interest in this subject.

This was not something she was deliberately pretending.

Just then,

while they were talking, two people approached from ahead.

They were Ning Tian and Wu Feng.

Was it really such a coincidence, or had they done it on purpose?

Only Ning Tian and Wu Feng themselves knew.

After all, the two of them were now extremely eager to recruit a Monster like Huang Fei.

Being politely turned down once did not matter.

As long as they could successfully recruit him in the future, no number of previous failures would be too many.

"What a coincidence."

"Your aura is even stronger now."

"Looks like our Class Monitor Huang Fei has improved again."

Ning Tian smiled faintly. As her gaze fell upon Huang Fei, a trace of shock and understanding flashed through her eyes, though she did not forget to tease him.

Huang Fei cupped his hands. "Cultivate diligently, and you can do it too."

"Hmph, look at you showing off."

"Although I lost to you, I'll definitely win it back someday."

"Once I break through to Level 30 Soul Elder, I'll fight you again."

"But don't worry, I'm not interested in the position of class monitor."

"I simply want to win it back."

Wu Feng gave a soft snort, but she no longer provoked him as she had before. Instead, there was a little more recognition in her eyes.

In the world of Soul Masters, strength was always the best passport.

Huang Fei had defeated her openly and fairly. That was the most direct proof of strength.

Huang Fei was not afraid upon hearing this. Instead, he looked forward to it. "Alright, you're welcome anytime."

And so,

the six of them simply headed to the cafeteria together. Along the way, they ran into familiar faces such as Zhou Sichen and Cao Jinxuan, and their group grew ever larger.

The setting sun stretched the shadows of the young men and women long, while laughter and cheerful voices filled the Avenue of Trees.

Their youth was in full bloom, and the future held endless promise.

Late at night, Huang Fei sat cross-legged on his bed. Rather than continuing to cultivate, he focused on regulating his breathing and consolidating his realm.

A system notification surfaced in his mind once more:

[Consecutive Breakthrough Quest triggered]

[Quest objective: Reach Level 20 Soul Power within thirty days]

[Quest reward: Random Soul Skill Optimization Card ×1]

[Failure penalty: None]

Thirty days, from Level Fourteen to Level 20.

On average, he would need to advance one level every four days or so. For an ordinary Soul Master, that would be nothing short of a fantasy.

But fighting spirit ignited in Huang Fei's eyes.

"With resources to assist me and the boost of the Breathing Technique, it may not be impossible to try."

As for Teacher Song Yunzhi telling him not to rely too heavily on resources,

he had agreed verbally,

but inwardly, he believed that refusing to use resources when they were available was something only a fool would do.

With the Heavenly Dao Diligence System,

as long as he cultivated properly,

even if he relied rather heavily on external things,

the Soul Power cultivated within his body would still remain extremely solid.

Song Yunzhi could see his outward performance, but it was difficult for her to see what lay within.

Only he himself understood his own circumstances.

Others could not.

Huang Fei closed his eyes, and his aura gradually sank.

Outside the window, the moonlight was tranquil, as though silently witnessing the beginning of yet another legend.