Break Through Level 60

The incident with Bu Le was like a stone cast into a lake; though it stirred ripples, they quickly subsided into the day-to-day grind of grueling training.

Yet, within the hearts of the Shrek Seven Devils, a profound and unspoken sense of awe had taken root toward that silent guard, Lin Yi.

His declaration that "any factor potentially threatening the young lady's safety, or any latent danger, has no need to exist," combined with his clean and efficient method of killing, made them deeply realize that this seemingly gentle support-type Soul King possessed the cold blood of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect's core power flowing through his veins.

Grandmaster Yu Xiaogang's devilish training continued unabated. He pushed the potential of the Shrek Seven Devils to the absolute limit, employing all manner of inconceivable training programs designed to shatter their boundaries and temper their wills and team synergy.

From struggling against the current beneath a waterfall while weighted down, to weaving through dense arrays of bamboo spears, to engaging in life-or-death combat while restricting their own soul power... every day, the backyard of Shrek Academy echoed with the wails and gasps of the youths, but it also bore witness to their visible growth.

Throughout this long, nine-month period of high-pressure training, Lin Yi strictly adhered to his own boundaries.

During the day, when Ning Rongrong and the others were drenched in sweat and challenging their limits under Yu Xiaogang's stern supervision, he never approached the training grounds, appearing as a complete outsider.

He simply remained in his room or in a secluded corner of the academy, immersed in his own cultivation.

Without the "mimicry cultivation grounds" that the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect had spent vast fortunes to build—which were highly compatible with his own martial soul—Lin Yi could clearly feel that his rate of soul power accumulation was significantly slower than it had been at the sect.

However, he was not impatient, for he understood the importance of a solid foundation.

He devoted more of his focus to refining the purity of his soul power, deepening his understanding and micro-control of the five soul skills of his Snow Lotus martial soul, and using his spiritual power to constantly communicate with and nurture the two ice dragons and the ice phoenix that remained dormant within his body.

He pushed the meditation techniques taught by Sword Douluo Chen Xin to their limit, absorbing, refining, and channeling strands of heaven and earth energy into his level 55 soul power barrier.

In nine months, he had risen from level 52 to level 55; to outsiders, this speed was already shocking, but to him, it was indeed "much slower."

Only at night, when Yu Xiaogang announced their departure to the Soto Great Soul Arena for practical experience, would Lin Yi appear on time, silently following at the end of the team.

He still rarely took action, acting more like a calm observer. Only when a team member was injured or their soul power was excessively depleted, affecting subsequent combat, would he quietly release "Healing Light" or a localized "Extreme Cold Domain" (activating only the healing buffs), helping them recover their state with precision and efficiency. His healing was always perfectly timed, never overstepping, and never seeking credit, as if he were merely completing a routine task.

The Shrek Seven Devils made rapid progress in their strength over these nine months, their coordination becoming increasingly tacit, and they gradually built a reputation at the Soto Great Soul Arena.

Lin Yi's presence was like an invisible anchor, allowing them to worry less when facing formidable enemies. Ning Rongrong had also shed much of her pampered nature during this arduous training; though she remained mischievous, her eyes now held a touch of resolve and trust in her companions.

She would occasionally steal a glance at the silent figure at the end of the team, her heart filled with complex emotions—gratitude, reliance, and perhaps a trace of a complicated sentiment born of distance that she herself had not yet realized.

The nine-month training period ended, and the Shrek Seven Devils welcomed a brief respite, preparing for the upcoming All-Continent Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

It was at this moment that a sharp, peerless sword intent, like a meteor piercing the sky, descended upon Shrek Academy.

Sword Douluo, Chen Xin, had arrived.

He was still dressed in his pristine white robes, his face austere and his eyes as sharp as a blade.

His arrival did not disturb anyone; he appeared directly outside Lin Yi's door.

"Teacher." Lin Yi opened the door and bowed respectfully, seemingly unsurprised by Chen Xin's arrival.

Chen Xin's gaze was like lightning as he swept over Lin Yi, nodding slightly. "Level 55. Your foundation is solid, and you have not been slack. It seems that although this Shrek Academy lacks a mimicry environment, it has its own unique tempering effects."

"This disciple would not dare to slacken."

"Rongrong has stabilized here and made significant progress." Chen Xin shifted the topic. "Your Snow Lotus martial soul support system has taken initial shape, but for offense and self-preservation, you cannot rely entirely on others. You must reach the Soul Douluo realm as soon as possible."

Lin Yi's heart stirred, and he looked up.

"Come with me." Chen Xin's tone allowed for no doubt. "The Far North is where you truly belong. Only there can your ice find its home."

Without unnecessary farewells, and without even seeing Ning Rongrong, Lin Yi simply explained the situation to Flender and Yu Xiaogang, who had rushed over upon hearing the news. Then, led by Chen Xin, they transformed into two streaks of light and vanished into the sky above Shrek Academy, heading straight for that bitter, frozen wasteland.

One year and three months later.

The core region of the Far North, Douluo Continent.

This was a forbidden zone of life, a land of eternal permafrost where the howling cold winds were like bone-scraping blades, and the air was filled with an extreme chill capable of freezing soul power. As far as the eye could see, it was a vast expanse of white; glaciers stood like forests, and blizzards raged.

Inside an ice mountain that had remained frozen for ten thousand years, within a cave forcibly carved out, Lin Yi sat cross-legged. His body was covered in a thin layer of ice crystals, his eyebrows and hair turned snow-white, as if he had merged with the mountain itself.

Terrifying cold energy surged into his body like a tide, only to be greedily devoured and refined by the three extreme ice-attribute martial souls within him.

Here, there were no comfortable mimicry environments, only the most primitive, violent heaven and earth energy and extreme ice elements.

Every day, he fought against the bitter cold, accompanied by loneliness, tempering his will, physical body, and soul power on the edge of life and death.

Sword Douluo Chen Xin did not offer much guidance on his soul skills; he only used his supreme sword intent to help Lin Yi stabilize his rampaging energy when he could no longer bear it, and provided silent prodding with an even colder gaze whenever he showed signs of slackening.

This was the most brutal of bitter cultivations, and also the most effective path to growth.

One year and three months—nearly five hundred days and nights of suffering and tempering.

On this day, the aura around Lin Yi suddenly turned violent. The cold energy that had accumulated in the ice cave for who knows how many years surged toward him frantically, forming a massive frost vortex above his head. The soul power within him churned like a boiling river, slamming against that sturdy barrier.

BOOM--!

A muffled, thunderous sound erupted from within his body. The walls of the ice cave shook violently, causing countless ice shards to rain down. Lin Yi snapped his eyes open, and the phantoms of an ice dragon and an ice phoenix seemed to flash through his pupils—sharp and cold!

Level 60!

In just one year and three months, under such harsh conditions, he had forcibly broken through from level 55 to the threshold of level 60! If this cultivation speed were to be spread, it would be enough to leave the entire soul master world speechless.

Chen Xin, who had been guarding the perimeter and using his own sword intent to isolate most of the energy fluctuations in the area, walked in at this moment.

He looked at Lin Yi, whose aura was surging and whose coldness was becoming increasingly pure and biting, and a trace of undisguised admiration finally flashed in his eyes.

"Level 60. Not bad." Chen Xin's words remained concise. "Your physical strength and spiritual power, tempered by the cold here, have far surpassed those of the same level. This sixth soul ring should be able to withstand even greater power."

His gaze turned toward the depths of the endless snow and glaciers outside the ice cave, his tone carrying a hint of gravity and determination. "The target is a near-20,000-year-old overlord of the Far North—a descendant of the 'Ice Jade Empress Scorpion', or a 'Frost Dragon Lizard' of the same rank. Only a soul ring from such a beast is worthy of your bitter cultivation, and only then can your Snow Lotus martial soul undergo a qualitative leap!"

Lin Yi took a deep breath of the bone-chilling air, feeling the surging level 60 soul power within him, as well as the ice dragon and ice phoenix martial souls that were becoming increasingly restless due to the breakthrough. A scorching fighting spirit burned in his eyes.

"Yes, Teacher!"