After half a month of actual combat against Soul Beasts, Combusken gradually developed a fighting style: using Ember for ranged attacks, then combining Double Kick with Fighting techniques and Slash for close combat.
Although it still hadn't learned the self-created skill Flame Claw, it compressed Ember in its dantian, then spun and unleashed it, eventually learning a skill called Fire Spin.
So far, Combusken's commonly used skills were Scratch, Focus Energy, Ember, Double Kick, Slash, and Fire Spin.
As its skills multiplied, combat experience grew richer, and Soul Power Level rose, Combusken's fighting strength also grew. In its normal state, it was already strong enough to defeat a Soul Beast with five hundred years of cultivation.
After the combined boost from its Speed Boost Ability and its First Soul Skill, Blaze, it became even stronger than a Soul Beast with seven hundred years of cultivation.
Once, Ye Chen ventured deep into the heart of the Core Zone and ran into an eight-hundred-year Power Bear.
The Soul Beast possessed outstanding strength and defense. It could often kill an enemy with a single palm strike, while its enemies struggled to even scratch it.
In the battle against the Power Bear, even the now-stronger Combusken was no match for it.
Thankfully, Ye Chen joined the fight. The man and chicken fought side by side, relying on Speed Boost and the First Soul Skill, Blaze, to wage a hit-and-run battle and finally claim victory.
The battle against the Power Bear was the closest Ye Chen had ever come to death. Afterward, he felt a measure of awe toward Soul Beasts as a whole and became exceptionally cautious in everything he did.
As the saying went, surviving a great calamity brought good fortune. After defeating the Power Bear, Combusken's overall strength and Fighting techniques reached a new level. Ye Chen also benefited from the experience of battle, his Soul Power rising straight from Level 25 and a half to Level 26.
Soon, another half month passed. Ye Chen had now spent a full month in the Soul Hunting Forest, and the Power Bear he'd encountered earlier was still the highest-cultivation and strongest Soul Beast he'd come across.
Ye Chen was certain that the Power Bear was probably the king of the Soul Hunting Forest. Unfortunately, it wasn't a Fire-type Soul Beast; otherwise, it would have made a good Second Soul Ring.
Although he hadn't absorbed a Second Soul Ring to break through the level bottleneck, the Soul Power in his body continued to accumulate.
All in all, Ye Chen's Soul Power had risen by a total of seven levels during this month of training in the Soul Hunting Forest. He was now at Soul Power Level 28.
He stayed in the heart of the Core Zone, seeking out the eight-hundred-year Power Bear every few days to grind levels. In the end, after nearly another month, he finally raised his Soul Power to the Level 30 bottleneck.
That was also when Ye Chen discovered the limitations of battle experience feeding back into his Soul Power.
Once his Soul Power reached the Level 30 bottleneck, if he still hadn't obtained a Second Soul Ring, then no matter how powerful the enemy he defeated, he could no longer gain Soul Power from the battle experience.
So the most pressing thing now was to get a Second Soul Ring as soon as possible and advance. That way, he could continue accumulating Soul Power after winning battles.
With Level 30 Soul Power strengthening his Body Martial Soul, and Combusken fighting alongside him, he should be able to go alone to the Star Dou Great Forest and find a Fire-type Soul Beast with a stronger bloodline to use for his Second Soul Ring.
After weighing his options, Ye Chen decided to end his training in the Soul Hunting Forest.
He was about to hire a carriage at the entrance to the Soul Hunting Forest and head back to Nuoding Academy when he spotted Dean Ding stepping down from a carriage.
"Brat, didn't I tell you to come out after a month? It's been almost two months. I thought a Soul Beast had eaten you."
Seeing that Ye Chen was safe and sound, Dean Ding didn't complain much. He waved him over. "Come on, it's time to head back to the academy."
"Okay." Ye Chen answered and followed Dean Ding into the carriage for the journey back to Nuoding Academy.
Sitting face-to-face, Dean Ding noticed that Ye Chen had grown quite a bit taller over the past two months. He was also sturdier; at a glance, he didn't look like a six-year-old child, but more like a ten-year-old boy.
Could this rapid physical development be the benefit of absorbing a five-hundred-year First Soul Ring beyond his limit?
Curious, Dean Ding asked, "Ye Chen, have you been killing Soul Beasts and eating them every day in the Soul Hunting Forest? How come your body's developed so quickly?"
Hearing this, Ye Chen immediately understood. Perhaps his body had developed so quickly because it was nourished by the Level 30 Soul Power inside him.
Although Dean Ding was a decent person and had treated him well, Ye Chen absolutely couldn't tell him the truth.
After hesitating for a moment, Ye Chen went along with what Dean Ding had said and nodded guiltily. "Dean, you're good at reading people. While training in the Soul Hunting Forest, I really did find some Ten-Year Soul Beasts to eat for dinner. It must be the combination of eating Soul Beast meat, keeping up with physical training, and fighting at high intensity that made my body develop so quickly."
Dean Ding said dubiously, "You really are lucky, kid. You stayed in the Soul Hunting Forest for nearly two months. Didn't the Spirit Hall patrol team suspect anything?"
"They did. But I really was lucky."
Ye Chen made up a story. "The Grandmaster who helped me awaken my Martial Soul, Su Yuntao, is currently serving on the Spirit Hall patrol team. He knows me, so he didn't suspect me. Whenever we ran into each other in the Soul Hunting Forest, he even went out of his way to look after me."
"Oh? Did Su Yuntao invite you to join Spirit Hall?" Dean Ding asked tentatively.
Ye Chen nodded. "He did, but I told him I was already a student at Nuoding Academy, so he didn't press me any further."
"Mm. Good." Dean Ding looked at Ye Chen, a hint of warmth in his eyes, and smiled. "Child, to be honest, I have high hopes for your talent and potential. If possible, I hope you'll graduate as a student of Nuoding Academy before heading out to make your way in the world. Then, if you become a Titled Douluo, my Nuoding Academy will be able to share in the glory."
"Dean, I will." Ye Chen didn't rush to apply for early graduation. Instead, he said solemnly, "Not only will I graduate as a student of Nuoding Academy, but if I have the chance to become a Titled Douluo someday, I'll tell the world that Nuoding Academy gave me the best First Soul Ring and laid a solid foundation for me. It'll be thanks to Nuoding Academy that I had the chance to earn that title."
"Mm. You really are a sensible kid. It's a pity I'm not cut out to be your master, or I'd definitely take you as my disciple. All right, enough talk. You must be tired after just finishing your training in the Soul Hunting Forest. Close your eyes and rest for a while."
With that, Dean Ding opened the carriage window, leaned out, and lit his pipe for a puff.
Ye Chen obediently closed his eyes and practiced Calm Mind, resting while reviewing what he had seen, heard, felt, and learned during his training in the Soul Hunting Forest.
The next day, at noon.
As soon as they returned to Nuoding Academy, Dean Ding went to the office to get busy. Ye Chen was afraid someone would discover his Soul Power Level 30, so he didn't register his Soul Master information at the Spirit Hall Branch after returning to the academy.
Although this meant losing a one-Gold-Soul-Coin monthly allowance, compared with a single Gold Soul Coin, making sure no one discovered his extraordinary Soul Power Level was clearly more important.
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