Song Yunzhi's Summons! A New Opportunity!

Night fell.

Huang Fei returned to the dormitory. Instead of cultivating immediately, he took out paper and pen and carefully organized what he had gained during the day.

[Soul beast selection direction: Pure life attribute, plant type, with the highest possible bloodline grade. It would be best if he could find a species related to Vine of Life or one of its superior races.]

[Combat shortcomings: His offensive methods were still rather limited. Blue Silver Spear, Giant Wood Barrier, vine restraint, and Vine Forest were all practical, but he lacked a finishing move capable of defeating an enemy in one strike. He needed to incorporate more lethal techniques into his Combat Technique or develop more powerful Self-Created Soul Skills.]

[Soul Power Enhancement plan: Attend classes during the day, cultivate at night using a combination of Mysterious Water Pills, Spirit Gathering Stones, and Wood Element Crystal Cores. He estimated that he could attempt to break through one level every three days.]

After finishing, he put away his notes and sat cross-legged.

He swallowed a Mysterious Water Pill, placed a Spirit Gathering Stone before him, and held a Wood Element Crystal Core in his palm.

A pale green glow slowly enveloped his entire body.

Soul Power surged through him, steadily advancing toward the middle stage of Level Fourteen.

And so, day after day passed.

Theory classes, practical combat classes, meditation cultivation...

Huang Fei's life was orderly to the point of being almost rigid.

Yet he enjoyed it.

Every insight from a Theory Class, every tempering in a practical combat class, and every increase in Soul Power after meditation allowed him to clearly feel his own progress.

Seven days later, he broke through to Level Fifteen.

The Root Stage of the Wood Breathing Technique became increasingly refined. The range of his Earth Vein Sense expanded to sixty meters, and its precision improved as well.

During practical combat class, he could already handle the combined assault of Wu Feng and another Assault Type student.

And defeat them!

Tie Shan openly commented, "Huang Fei's combat awareness is no weaker than that of an ordinary Three-Ring Soul Elder."

After those words, no one in Class Nine questioned his position as class monitor any longer.

Ning Tian and Huang Fei also grew increasingly familiar with each other. From time to time, she shared copies of Soul Beast Illustrated Handbooks collected by the Nine Treasures Glazed Tile Sect, benefiting Huang Fei greatly.

After class, Huo Yuhao, Wang Dong, and the others often came to exchange ideas as well. The friendship of youths quietly grew through sparring and discussion.

In the blink of an eye, twenty days passed.

Huang Fei's Soul Power had reached the later stage of Level Eighteen, only a step away from Level Nineteen.

That evening, just as he was about to cultivate as usual, a faint warmth suddenly came from his Storage Ring.

When he took it out, he found that the token Song Yunzhi had given him was glowing faintly.

A Voice Transmission entered his mind:

"Come to Sea God's Pavilion after class tomorrow."

The message was brief, yet it made Huang Fei's heart tighten.

Sea God's Pavilion... that was Shrek Academy's core forbidden ground.

Why had his teacher suddenly summoned him?

Could she be giving him more resources?

Suppressing his doubts, he calmed his mind and continued trying to break through the Level Nineteen barrier.

Outside the window, the moonlight was bright and clear, as though silently watching the youth water his path ahead with sweat.

The following evening, class had just ended.

Huang Fei packed up his notes, briefly spoke with Ning Tian and Wu Feng, then headed alone toward the academy's depths.

The lingering rays of the setting sun passed through gaps between towering Ancient Woods, scattering across the Blue Stone path and drawing out a long, slender shadow.

The farther inward he went, the fewer voices he heard. Yet the air became increasingly fresh, with faint Pale Gold Light Spots floating through it.

After walking for roughly a quarter of an hour, a Towering Giant Tree came into view.

Its trunk was as thick as a small mountain. Its bark was Dark Gold, its layered patterns resembling dragon scales. Its Branches and Leaves blotted out the sky, radiating a gentle and ancient Life Aura.

This was the Golden Tree, where Sea God's Pavilion stood.

At the foot of the tree was an inconspicuous Wooden Door. Before it stood a Middle-aged Man dressed in Gray Clothes, his aura restrained and unfathomably deep.

Huang Fei took out the token Song Yunzhi had given him. The Middle-aged Man swept his gaze over it, nodded slightly, and stepped aside.

The door opened soundlessly, revealing a passage leading inward.

The instant he stepped inside, Huang Fei felt the Soul Power around his body ripple slightly, as if he had passed through an invisible Water Membrane.

The scene before him suddenly opened up.

Rather than the cramped tree hollow he had imagined, it was a vast space filled with light as soft as Morning Glow.

The Soul Power in the air was so dense it was nearly mist. Every breath felt as though a Clear Spring were flowing through his Meridians.

The floor was covered in dark wood grain, while ancient portraits hung upon the walls on both sides. The people in them were seated or standing, each with an extraordinary bearing.

Occasionally, figures passed through the depths of the Corridor. Their auras were long and profound, and when their gazes swept over him, they carried faint scrutiny. Yet not one of them spoke to question him.

Following the token's guidance, Huang Fei walked down the left Corridor to its end and stopped before a half-open Wooden Door.

He knocked three times.

"Come in."

He pushed open the door and entered. The room was simple and sparse.

There was one table, one chair, and one Cattail Mat. An Ink Wash Landscape hung on the wall, its artistic conception distant and empty.

Song Yunzhi sat in the chair. When she saw Huang Fei enter, a trace of warmth flickered through her eyes.

He closed the door and bowed.

"Sit."

Song Yunzhi raised her hand in a gesture, indicating that he should take a seat.

"Your cultivation has progressed quite quickly lately."

Her voice was calm.

Huang Fei nodded. "Yes, Teacher. This disciple is at Level Eighteen."

Song Yunzhi looked at him, her gaze seeming capable of piercing through flesh and staring directly at the source of his Soul Power.

"Speed is a good thing, but it can easily become a hidden danger."

"From Level Eighteen to Level Twenty, the total amount of Soul Power will undergo its first major leap. If your foundation is unstable and your Soul Power is superficial, future breakthroughs at Level 30 and the Fiftieth Rank will become ten times more difficult."

As she spoke, she took out a scroll of pale azure parchment from her sleeve and gently pushed it toward Huang Fei.

"This is the Fragmentary Secret Art of Soul Condensation. It can help you compress your Soul Power and temper its origin."

"You may only circulate it once a day, and each session must not exceed half a Shi Chen. Excessive use will damage your Meridians."

"Thank you, Teacher."

Huang Fei accepted it with both hands and opened it for a brief look.

I didn't expect there to be something this good.

The writing on it was ancient, accompanied by diagrams of circulating energy. It described how to use Soul Power as a hammer to repeatedly strike the vortex in the Dantian, removing impurities and preserving the essence.

Upon closer examination, this method actually complemented the Wood Breathing Technique in several ways.

The Breathing Technique focused on drawing in external energy and connecting with heaven and earth, while the Soul Condensation Art focused on internal refinement and strengthening one's foundation.

"Thank you, Teacher." Huang Fei carefully put it away.

Song Yunzhi nodded slightly, gave him a few more instructions regarding cultivation, then indicated that he could leave.

Huang Fei bowed and withdrew, closing the door behind him.

The Corridor was deep and silent.

He returned along the original path. Halfway through, he saw a rattan lounge chair leaning at an angle around a corner. A White-Haired Old Man lay upon it with his eyes half-closed, seemingly dozing.

The Old Man's aura was utterly ordinary, as though he had merged with the surrounding wood grain.

Huang Fei paused slightly, about to go around him, when the Old Man slowly opened his eyes.

His gaze was cloudy, yet it seemed capable of reflecting the human heart.

"Little one, come here."

The Old Man's voice was hoarse and carried faint weariness.

Huang Fei approached and offered a disciple's salute.

The Old Man looked him over from head to toe, then suddenly asked, "What do you think Soul Master cultivation cultivates?"

Huang Fei pondered for a moment before replying slowly, "It cultivates the evolution of life and harmony with the laws of heaven and earth."

A faint glimmer seemed to flash in the Old Man's eyes.

"And after achieving harmony?"

Huang Fei fell silent. He had not yet given that question much thought.

The Old Man did not press him further. He merely extended a withered finger and lightly tapped Huang Fei's forehead.

A point of gentle Golden Light entered between his brows, transforming into a warm current that dispersed through his heart and veins.

"This mark can protect your heart and veins once. It will activate on its own in a moment of danger."

"Go."

The Old Man withdrew his hand and closed his eyes again.

Huang Fei bowed once more, then turned to leave.

After taking a few steps, he suddenly remembered.

Could this Old Man be Dragon God Douluo Mu En of Sea God's Pavilion?

His heart shook, but his steps did not falter.

As he neared the exit, he suddenly heard a roar in the distance.

Following the sound, he saw two figures clashing in midair above an open Training Ground.