The Third Soul Beast, Twelfth Birthday

Time flowed silently through a routine of cultivation, sparring, real-world combat, and classroom learning.

When Xiao Qing sensed the loosening of his Soul Power Level bottleneck, he realized his twelfth birthday was approaching, and the threshold of the thirtieth level was already within reach.

Over these past few years, everyone at Shrek Academy had undergone significant changes, both in their strength and their mental outlook.

The most intuitive change was in Ma Hongjun; with the continuous assistance of the Clear Heart Sausage, the Evil Fire that had once caused him such agony was finally being brought under control.

Although there was still a long way to go before he could master it completely, the restlessness that could have erupted at any moment had largely subsided. Now, he no longer needed to rely on Oscar's sausages for suppression, as his own willpower and the increasingly familiar fire-control techniques were enough to maintain stability in his daily cultivation and life.

Oscar's changes were more internalized; under the careful guidance of Teacher Shao Xin and his own constant experimentation, he had made great strides in the micro-manipulation of his soul power.

He discovered that by actively increasing the total soul power output when creating sausages, and sacrificing the time the sausage could maintain its physical form and peak effect after creation, he could slightly but steadily enhance the efficacy of his sausages.

Whether it was the healing and nourishing effects of the Recovery Big Sausage or the calming and soothing intensity of the Clear Heart Sausage, both could see an improvement of about ten to fifteen percent.

This once again verified that the potential of a support-type soul master was by no means limited to that brief moment on the battlefield.

Dai Mubai's transformation was nearly subversive.

Ever since he was defeated by Xiao Qing and awakened by Flender, the aura of decadence mixed with arrogance that had clung to him gradually faded away.

He no longer frequented the entertainment venues of Suotuo City, nor did he spread hedonistic rhetoric; he poured all his energy back into cultivation, with a ferocity that even surpassed the harsh training he endured in the Star Luo Imperial Palace during his childhood.

He had come to terms with it: even if he could not escape the fate of the Star Luo royal competition, he would fight standing up until the end, rather than rotting away while lying down.

More importantly, Oscar's Clear Heart Sausage allowed him to personally experience the fulfillment brought by high-efficiency cultivation, and the progress of Xiao Qing, Ma Hongjun, and the others showed him another possibility.

He no longer viewed his elder brother, Dai Weisi, as an insurmountable mountain, instead attributing the other's lead merely to an age advantage.

With the help of Oscar's sausages and the environment of Shrek, it is not impossible for me to catch up from behind.

This thought became the core of his new motivation for cultivation. His soul power level rose steadily, and his combat style became less flamboyant, gaining more composure and precision.

Just a few days before his birthday, after a session of deep meditation, Xiao Qing broke through the barrier of the thirtieth level as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

Xiao Qing did not dwell too long on the joy of the breakthrough, but instead began to calmly plan the selection of his third soul beast.

He stood up, preparing to find Flender or Zhao Wuji to discuss the soul-hunting matter.

The dormitory door was pushed open violently at that moment, and Oscar rushed in like a gust of wind, his face flushed with excitement. He grabbed Xiao Qing by the shoulders, his voice filled with irrepressible fervor: "Xiao Qing! You absolutely won't believe what I just managed to do!"

Xiao Qing's gaze swept over Oscar's face, keenly capturing the soul power fluctuations that had not yet fully subsided around him; those fluctuations were clearly a notch stronger than before, reaching a critical point.

"You've broken through to the twenty-ninth level."

Xiao Qing's tone was calm.

Oscar's excited expression stiffened for a moment, then his shoulders slumped, feeling both deflated and amused: "How did you see that at a glance? That's no fun! I wanted to give you a surprise!"

He scratched his head, but the joy in his eyes remained.

"I also just broke through, to the thirtieth level."

Xiao Qing continued, as if speaking of a trivial matter.

"Thirtieth level?!"

The frustration Oscar felt from his failed "show-off" was instantly replaced by even greater shock.

He stared at Xiao Qing with wide eyes, opened his mouth, and finally just muttered: "Monster..."

He knew well how hard Xiao Qing worked, but this speed still exceeded his expectations.

Thinking of his own excitement just a moment ago, he suddenly felt a bit dull, so he turned and walked toward the door: "I'm going to tell Fatty this 'good news' and let him 'rejoice' too!"

Xiao Qing watched Oscar run toward Ma Hongjun's dormitory next door and shook his head.

The matter of the independent dormitory was something he had secured from Flender last year after careful calculation and negotiation.

Relying on his silver tongue, he finally convinced the shrewd dean to pay out of his own pocket (though Flender was extremely pained at the time) to build an independent dormitory with slightly better conditions.

Xiao Qing and Oscar shared one room, while Ma Hongjun and Dai Mubai still lived in the original dormitory, though the space was a bit more generous.

Arriving at the dean's office, Xiao Qing stated his purpose directly to Flender and elaborated in detail on his vision for his third soul beast.

"Currently, the combination of Xiao Feng and A'Man basically covers the ground battlefield. But there are obvious shortcomings: one is anti-air, and the other is underwater environments."

"Considering the low probability of me venturing into vast water areas, prioritizing the supplementation of anti-air capabilities is the optimal choice."

"Furthermore, among the population of soul masters, the proportion of those possessing flight capabilities is extremely low, which means that in most skirmishes, once I have air superiority, I will have the advantage whether attacking or retreating."

Flender leaned back in his chair, his fingers tapping lightly on the desk.

Over the past few years, with the help of Oscar's Clear Heart Sausage which improved meditation efficiency, his cultivation had yielded twice the result with half the effort, and he had finally succeeded in breaking through not long ago to become a Soul Douluo, feeling quite high-spirited.

He deeply agreed with Xiao Qing's analysis. As a soul master who possessed flight capabilities himself, he knew better than anyone the value of air superiority in combat and operations.

"The line of thought is very clear." Flender nodded. "There are many types of flying soul beasts; what kind are you looking for?"

Xiao Qing had already considered this question: "Speed is the foundation to ensure mobility. It is best to have a certain degree of offensive capability as well; it doesn't need to be too strong, but it must be threatening enough to coordinate with ground units to form a three-dimensional strike. If its elemental properties can produce a certain synergy or complement Xiao Feng, that would be even better."

Flender pondered for a moment: "The Wind-Thunder Falcon, a soul beast that possesses both wind and thunder attributes. It is extremely fast, has strong explosive power, and excels at straight-line raids and lightning attacks."

"That works."

Xiao Qing did not hesitate; the characteristics of the Wind-Thunder Falcon met his requirements.

Early the next morning, Flender took Xiao Qing and set off for the Star Dou Great Forest.

With a newly promoted Soul Douluo personally escorting them, the soul-hunting process went more smoothly than they could have imagined.

Flender, relying on his formidable strength and wealth of experience, quickly pinpointed the activity zone of a small flock of Wind-Thunder Falcons.

They selected a lone, prime Wind-Thunder Falcon with an age of approximately twenty-seven hundred years.

The battle itself was almost devoid of suspense.

Flender released the pressure of a Soul Douluo, disrupting and restricting the Wind-Thunder Falcon's flight.

Xiao Qing directed Xiao Feng to launch wind blades from the ground to harass the beast and force its movement, while A'Man stood guard on the sidelines, prepared for any desperate diving attacks.

Under Flender's precise control, the Wind-Thunder Falcon was quickly exhausted and wounded until it was on the verge of losing all ability to resist.

Seizing the opportunity, Xiao Qing summoned his Prism Ball, enveloping the target in a white beam of light and successfully capturing it.

This twenty-seven-hundred-year-old Wind-Thunder Falcon granted Xiao Qing his third soul skill: Lightning Flash.

Just three days later, Flender brought Xiao Qing, who had successfully obtained his third soul ring, back to Shrek Academy.

As they walked through the academy's somewhat dilapidated gate, they found Oscar, Zhao Wuji, Ma Hongjun, Dai Mubai, and even Teacher Shao Xin, who rarely participated in student activities, all gathered in the courtyard.

Seeing them return, Oscar was the first to run over, holding something in his hands.

It was a round pastry crudely made from ordinary flour, eggs, and a small amount of frosting, its surface coated in a thin, uneven layer of milky-white substance, with the number "twelve" written crookedly in some kind of fruit jam.

"Xiao Qing! Happy birthday!"

Oscar held the simple "cake" up in front of Xiao Qing, his face beaming with a sincere smile. "The timing is just right! Teacher Shao and I tried several times to make this; although it doesn't look like much, it should taste alright! Celebrating you breaking through to level thirty, and also celebrating you turning twelve!"