Level Twenty!

"Forty-seven seconds." Flender's voice came from the edge of the yard. He held a pocket watch in his hand. "Two seconds longer than yesterday."

Ma Hongjun panted lightly, fine beads of sweat forming on his forehead, but he wore a smile.

"Teacher, I think... I'm close."

Flender glanced at him and nodded.

"Test your Soul Power."

Ma Hongjun walked over to the Testing Crystal and placed both hands on it.

His Soul Power surged forth.

Blue light lit up, forming a number.

Twenty.

The blue glow stopped at the level twenty mark, steady and bright, without the slightest fluctuation.

"Level twenty." Flender's voice was calm, but there was a trace of unconcealed satisfaction in his eyes. "Three and a half months, from sixteen to twenty. Half a month faster than the goal you set for yourself."

Ma Hongjun withdrew his hands and took a deep breath.

Level twenty.

He had finally reached the threshold where he needed his second Soul Ring.

"Hongjun! Hongjun!"

Oscar's voice came from behind him. Before he arrived, his voice did.

The kid rushed over in a few quick strides, throwing an arm around Ma Hongjun's shoulders with an excited grin.

"You reached level twenty? Really, level twenty?"

"I just tested it." Ma Hongjun pointed at the Testing Crystal.

Oscar glanced at the lingering glow on the crystal and broke into a wide smile.

"Awesome! I broke through level twenty three months ago, and I'm already level twenty-three. You've just reached level twenty—maybe you'll catch up to me in another three months!"

Flender said blandly from the side, "It's only a matter of time before he catches up to you."

Oscar: "..."

"Teacher, could you not be so heartless when you speak?"

Flender remained expressionless. "The truth is always heartless."

Ma Hongjun could not help laughing.

Over the past three months, Oscar's progress had been equally astonishing.

Soul Power at level twenty-three was already genius among geniuses for an eight-year-old.

More importantly, his practical combat ability had improved by leaps and bounds.

Without using his Soul Bone, he could already exchange more than a dozen moves with Li Yusong without having his wooden stick knocked away.

Li Yusong had privately told Flender, "This kid's talent for combat is no worse than a Battle Soul Master's."

To receive such an assessment from the Dragon Pattern Staff Soul Emperor, Oscar's sweat over the past three months had not been wasted.

During breakfast, Ma Hongjun announced his plan to hunt for his second Soul Ring.

"Your second Soul Ring should be around seven to eight hundred years." Flender put down his bowl and chopsticks. "About the same as Oscar's last one."

Zhao Wuji nodded. "That age is just right. Any higher, and you won't be able to endure it. Any lower, and the improvement to your strength will be limited."

"Do you have any ideas about the type of soul beast?" Shao Xin asked.

Ma Hongjun set down his chopsticks and said seriously, "I want to continue down the Light Element path. My first Soul Ring was a Holy Light Sparrow. It would be best if my second Soul Ring came from a soul beast of the same type. The attributes would be more compatible, and it would suppress the Evil Fire more effectively."

Flender pondered for a moment. "Light Element soul beasts are indeed rare, and hundred-year ones are even harder to find. There may be seven- or eight-hundred-year Light Element soul beasts in the Star Dou Great Forest, but we'll need some luck."

"I'm not afraid." Ma Hongjun said. "If we can't find one, we'll deal with it then."

No one objected.

When they had hunted Oscar's Soul Ring last time, they had waited for more than half a day, but they had ultimately found their target.

Their luck probably would not be too bad this time either.

"Then get ready. We leave tomorrow." Flender made the decision.

After breakfast, Ma Hongjun did not rest and continued training.

Breaking through to level twenty was only the first step. The real challenge was choosing and absorbing his second Soul Ring.

He needed to keep his body in its best condition to deal with any situation that might arise.

In one corner of the yard stood dozens of wooden stakes as thick as bowls.

Zhao Wuji had specially made them as training equipment for him.

Ma Hongjun stood before the stakes and took a deep breath.

His first Soul Ring lit up, and pale golden Light Wings unfolded behind him.

He did not take flight. Instead, he used the thrust from his Light Wings to weave swiftly between the stakes.

He dodged left.

Shifted right.

Charged forward.

Retreated backward.

Every movement was crisp and decisive. With a light tap of his feet on a stake, his body shot forward like an arrow.

He had devised this training method himself.

Using the thrust of his Light Wings for ground maneuvering without flying.

Wings of Light were not merely for flight.

The thrust generated when his wings spread could greatly increase his movement speed for a short time.

Though the duration was brief, using it at a crucial moment would be enough to change the course of a battle.

"Your speed isn't bad."

Zhao Wuji's voice came from the side.

"But your turns are still too stiff. The thrust travels in a straight line. You need to learn to use the rotation of your body to change direction instead of forcing yourself around."

Ma Hongjun stopped and nodded.

Zhao Wuji walked into the center of the yard. His Vajra Bear Martial Soul Possession activated, though no Soul Rings lit up.

"Watch closely."

He suddenly sprinted forward. Halfway through the charge, his body spun sharply. With his left foot as the pivot, his right foot traced a half-circle across the ground. He turned like a top and charged straight back the way he had come.

"The thrust is straight, but your body is alive."

Zhao Wuji said, "Use your body's rotation to change the direction of the force. It takes less effort than forcing a turn, and it's more flexible."

Ma Hongjun's eyes lit up, and he immediately began trying.

The first time, he turned too sharply and nearly fell over.

The second time, he failed to control his speed and crashed into a wooden stake.

The third time, he barely managed the turn, but the movement was stiff.

The fourth time...

The fifth time...

The tenth time...

The sun rose from the east to directly overhead.

Ma Hongjun's clothes dried and became soaked again, over and over, more times than he could count.

But he finally did it.

Sprint, spin, turn, then continue sprinting.

The movement flowed smoothly in one seamless motion.

Watching from the side, Zhao Wuji could not help clicking his tongue.

"Flender, your disciple is excellent training material."

Flender leaned against the wall, the corners of his lips lifting slightly.

"Obviously."

That night, after his medicinal bath, Ma Hongjun sat on his bed and meditated as usual.

His Soul Power circulated slowly through his meridians, becoming a little purer with every cycle.

Compared to when he was level sixteen, his level twenty Soul Power had nearly doubled in total volume.

He could feel the surging power within him, like a river that had gathered enough water and was ready to burst forth at any moment.

But it was still not enough.

After obtaining his second Soul Ring, he would become even stronger.

After meditating for about two hours, Ma Hongjun opened his eyes.

He pulled out the notebook from beneath his pillow and wrote down today's summary.

Broke through to level twenty.

Second Soul Ring target: a seven- to eight-hundred-year Light Element soul beast. Holy Light-type birds were the first choice.

Teacher Zhao's turning technique was very practical. Continue practicing tomorrow.

Little Oscar was already level twenty-three. I can't let him leave me too far behind.

Leaving for the Star Dou Great Forest tomorrow. Hopefully, we'll find the target smoothly.

He closed the notebook and turned off the light.

Moonlight streamed through the window lattice, casting a patch of silver-white across the floor.

Ma Hongjun lay down and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow would mark the start of a new journey.