Half a Year Later! Level Twenty!

"Half a year..." he murmured, "After reaching level twenty, I can contract a second Contract Beast."

The "soul beast with spatial abilities" that Yan Shaozhe mentioned had been lingering in his mind ever since.

Spatial ability.

On the Douluo Continent, spatial-type soul beasts were extremely rare; every single one was a creature that could be sought but never found.

If he could contract a spatial-type soul beast and complete a few more evolutions...

Just thinking about it made Bai Lan's heart race.

The more he thought, the more he looked forward to it.

This was also the motivation behind his rapid breakthrough to level twenty over the past six months.

"But it's still too early to think about that."

"I need to focus on pushing past this level nine first."

"If my level doesn't go up, everything else is just empty talk."

He took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.

Returning to his dormitory, Bai Lan did not rush to rest.

He sat cross-legged on his bed, opened the wooden box, and took out a Soul Gathering Pill to swallow.

The medicinal power dissolved within his body, and a warm current flowed through his meridians.

He closed his eyes and began to meditate.

At the same time, inside the Contract Space, the Iron Core Bamboo was quietly rooted in a void.

The Contract Space had no sunlight, but it had Soul Power.

The roots of the Iron Core Bamboo stretched out, slowly absorbing the surrounding Soul Power, and the bamboo body glowed faintly.

Cultivation was proceeding in sync.

Time flew by.

Three months later.

Simulated Soul Beast Forest.

Bai Lan was drenched in sweat, standing in a clearing, panting heavily.

Lying scattered around him were the corpses of seven or eight ten-year soul beasts.

Wind Wolves, Hedgehog Pigs, and Gale Rabbits—all of them had been hunted by him alone over the past half hour.

The Iron Core Bamboo stood behind him, nine bamboo leaves floating in mid-air, shimmering with a cold, silver light.

After three months of honing, his control over the Bamboo Leaf Flying Knife had reached perfection.

The nine bamboo leaves could lock onto nine different targets simultaneously, or they could merge into one to concentrate their attack on a single point.

"Not bad."

A voice came from the side.

Bai Lan turned his head to see a middle-aged man in a tight-fitting outfit walking out from behind a tree.

This was the high-level instructor responsible for guiding him, surnamed Zhou, a six-ring Soul Emperor who specialized in teaching combat techniques.

Teacher Zhou walked over to the soul beast corpses and crouched down to examine the wounds.

"Bamboo leaves pierced through, killing with a single blow." He stood up and looked at Bai Lan, "Three months ago, you struggled to kill even one Wind Wolf, but now you've killed seven or eight without even changing your expression."

Bai Lan wiped his sweat, "It's thanks to your teaching, Teacher."

Teacher Zhou waved his hand, "Don't flatter me. You're the one with the talent to progress this quickly."

He paused, his gaze falling on Bai Lan with a hint of emotion, "From level eleven to level fifteen in three months—you've completed the first phase of your goal a month ahead of schedule."

Bai Lan smiled but said nothing.

Teacher Zhou looked at him and suddenly asked, "What's your plan for breaking through to level eighteen?"

Bai Lan thought for a moment, "Two months, I suppose."

Teacher Zhou raised an eyebrow, "Two months to go from fifteen to eighteen? Three levels?"

Bai Lan nodded.

Teacher Zhou was silent for a few seconds, then smiled.

"Fine," he said, "Then I'll be waiting to see it."

After the fourth month.

Shrek Academy, Martial Soul Department Training Ground.

Bai Lan stood in the center of the arena, facing a twelve or thirteen-year-old boy, a three-ring Soul Elder.

This was a practical combat assessment arranged by Teacher Zhou.

The opponents were no longer limited to the Junior Class, but were gradually increasing in difficulty.

Today's opponent was a student from the Advanced Class with a Blazing Flame Wolf Martial Soul and a Soul Power Level of thirty-one.

"Begin!"

The moment the word fell, the boy opposite him charged forward!

Bai Lan's eyes narrowed, his feet shifted, and his mind stirred.

Behind him, nine leaves from his Iron Core Bamboo shot out simultaneously!

The nine silver streaks wove into a net, sealing off every path the boy could take.

The boy let out a cold snort as his first Soul Ring lit up, and a burst of flame erupted from his palms, engulfing all the bamboo leaves.

But just as he broke through the blockade of leaves, Bai Lan's figure was already gone from his sight.

Behind him!

The boy reacted with lightning speed, turning around to strike with a palm!

Bai Lan took the blow head-on, his body pushed back several steps, but there was no pain on his face—only a faint smile.

"Got you."

The boy froze and looked down.

At his feet, a piece of bamboo root had appeared at some point, tightly binding his ankle.

The root system of the Iron Core Bamboo had quietly spread beneath him long before the fight even began.

"You lost," Bai Lan said.

The boy was silent for a few seconds, then dropped his stance and raised his hands with a bitter smile.

"I concede."

On the sidelines, Teacher Zhou watched this scene, the corners of his mouth curling upward.

"Combat awareness, tactical layout, adaptability..." he muttered, "This kid is really starting to look the part."

Five months later.

Sea God Pavilion.

Elder Mu sat by the window, holding a report in his hand.

The report had been sent by Yan Shaozhe, detailing Bai Lan's cultivation progress over the past five months:

[Five-Month Enrollment Cultivation Record]

First Month: 11 → 12

Second Month: 12 → 13

Third Month: 13 → 15 (First phase completed ahead of schedule)

Fourth Month: 15 → 17

Fifth Month: 17 → 19

Current Soul Power Level: 19

Only one level away from twenty.

One month remaining until the half-year agreement.

Elder Mu put down the report and looked out the window.

Moonlight spilled down, and the lake was like a mirror.

"Five months, from eleven to nineteen..." he muttered, "This kid really wasn't bragging."

He stood up and walked to the window.

In the distance, a figure could be faintly seen sitting cross-legged by the lake, cultivating.

It was Bai Lan.

Even in the dead of night, he did not rest.

Elder Mu watched for a while, then suddenly smiled.

"The half-year agreement, it seems, is in the bag."

One month later.

The end of the half-year agreement.

Dean's office.

Bai Lan stood before Yan Shaozhe, his aura steady.

Yan Shaozhe placed a hand on his shoulder, eyes closed, carefully sensing the fluctuations of Soul Power within him.

A moment later, he opened his eyes.

"Level 20," he said, his tone carrying a hint of complex emotion. "Exactly half a year, not a day off."

Bai Lan smiled.

Yan Shaozhe looked at him, silent for a few seconds, before suddenly asking, "Has it been tiring these past six months?"

Bai Lan thought for a moment and nodded. "It has."

Yan Shaozhe asked, "Do you regret it?"

Bai Lan shook his head.

"I do not regret it."

"The increase in strength makes me feel that all of this was worth it."

"If not for this pressure, it would have been impossible for me to rise nine levels in just half a year."

Yan Shaozhe stared at him for a long while, then suddenly smiled.

"Good," he said. "Then now, it is time to fulfill our promise."

He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open.

Sunlight spilled in, illuminating the entire room.

"Pack your things; we leave tomorrow." He turned back to look at Bai Lan. "I will take you to contract that space-type Soul Beast."

Bai Lan's heart skipped a beat.

Half a year of bitter cultivation, and this was the day he had been waiting for.

"Yes," he said, bowing solemnly. "Thank you, Dean."

Yan Shaozhe waved his hand, his gaze fixed outside the window.

"No need to thank me," he said. "This is something you earned with your own actions."