Breakthrough to Level 20, Teacher Shen's Kindness

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.

During these six months, Lin Mo's days at Plant Academy had been peaceful, ordinary, and fulfilling.

Lin Mo had long since completely integrated into the academy's daily rhythm.

In the eyes of others, he remained the same aloof, low-key genius of few words.

His genius stemmed from his rapid advancement in cultivation.

In half a year, Lin Mo's Soul Power had risen from Level 14 to Level 19. Based on the usual pace, he was likely to break through to Level 20 soon.

The academy's higher-ups had long since gone numb.

He was only nine years old, yet his cultivation was already nearing Level 20.

Even a genius with Innate Full Soul Power should not cultivate this quickly, right? (That meant increasing Soul Power by five levels in half a year.)

No matter how much noise the outside world made, Lin Mo remained steady and unruffled, hiding his depth well.

Every so often, strange thunderstorms would descend upon the academy's Back Mountain in the middle of the night.

The academy found it strange as well. The repeated midnight thunderstorms prompted them to take action.

They had secretly investigated several times, suspecting that some treasure had emerged.

Unfortunately, they only detected lingering, intense fluctuations of lightning Soul Power and could never find the source of the anomaly.

The thunderstorms came and went swiftly. After several fruitless investigations, and perhaps having realized something, the academy ultimately chose silence.

Over the past half year, Lin Mo had worked hard to improve himself.

During the day, he went with the flow and took things easy, living quite comfortably, yet his Soul Power Level kept shooting upward, turning him into Class A's "pressure monster."

With him around, everyone else's progress seemed "diminished."

Those students whose Soul Power had originally been higher than Lin Mo's watched as he gradually narrowed the gap, then surpassed them.

They were practically driven mad by someone they could not defeat no matter how hard they worked or competed.

His existence drove Class A to cultivate with particular intensity, not daring to relax in the slightest.

Their mindset gradually shifted from, "No, I can't let him surpass me," to, "Forget surpassing him, it would be good enough to barely keep up," and even, "Bro, slow down. We're about to lose you."

"No, I can't let him surpass me."

"Forget surpassing him, it would be good enough to barely keep up."

"Bro, slow down. We're about to lose you."

When night fell and all was quiet, the relaxed Lin Mo "awakened."

After a day of leisure, it was now time for his own cultivation.

Whenever the [Weather Manipulation] skill's cooldown ended, he would quietly slip into the dense forest of the Back Mountain, create a thunderstorm environment, and activate Thunder Hell Vine's exclusive hundredfold cultivation boost.

With a hundredfold cultivation speed boost, one moment in the dead of night was equivalent to a hundred days of another person's bitter training.

Those ahead of me are not ahead because they are more talented, but because they have cultivated longer.

Once I surpass them, they will no longer be qualified to be my opponents.

The future of Lin Heavenly Emperor will surely shake the ages and dazzle the world!

Through repeated tempering by lightning, Lin Mo's body became increasingly refined. Nourished by lightning, his meridians also grew broader and tougher, able to bear even more Soul Power.

At the same level, his reserves of Soul Power were greater than anyone else's, and its quality was purer!

Level 19 wavered faintly, showing signs of breaking through to Level 20 at any moment.

Ordinary Soul Masters needed years of accumulated effort to raise each level, spending months or even years of time.

But for Lin Mo, a few long stormy nights were enough to complete that accumulation.

After a long period of lying low, it was time to soar.

Tonight, Lin Mo once again came to the familiar Back Mountain.

Weather Manipulation, activate!

The thunderstorm returned!

Black clouds pressed down over the mountains, thunder exploded, and torrential rain poured endlessly. Countless lightning serpents raced wildly through the dark clouds and forest, filling the entire valley with dense, unyielding lightning elements.

Lin Mo stood at the very center of the storm, his eyes lightly closed. Dense Soul Power spread from his body as Thunder Hell Vine rooted itself into the ground, countless vine tendrils unfurling as they greedily Devoured the lightning filling the sky.

His Soul Power had long been stuck at the peak of Level 19. His foundation was incomparably solid; he only needed one final push.

Along with a deep rumble of Soul Power, his Soul Power began its stirring ascent!

Buzz—!

Soul Power several times more immense than before erupted from his dantian, surging through his meridians and washing over every bone and piece of flesh in his body.

His originally full and saturated Soul Power swelled once more, condensing, sublimating, and climbing steadily. It broke through layer after layer of barriers before finally stabilizing firmly at Level 20!

The suddenly surging fluctuations of Soul Power stirred waves of air through the rainy darkness, blowing away the surrounding mist.

The lightning coiling around Lin Mo became increasingly solid and domineering, while the patterns on the vines grew deeper and stranger. The foundation of his Martial Soul underwent another qualitative improvement.

[ Ding! System mission completed! ]

[ Congratulations, Host, on breaking through to Level 20! ]

The cold system notification sounded in his mind right on schedule.

Then there was nothing else.

He was now a Level 20 Soul Master, not a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster.

Without adding a Soul Ring, he could not even obtain a reward.

Lin Mo slowly opened his eyes. Flecks of lightning flashed through their depths before vanishing, while the restless Soul Power around him gradually withdrew into his body.

An unprecedented feeling of clarity and strength swept through him. His Level 20 Soul Power far surpassed what it had been before; the toughness of his meridians, compatibility with his Martial Soul, and physical strength all completely crushed those of a Two-Ring Soul Grandmaster.

Feeling the surging power within him, Lin Mo's lips curved into a faint smile.

He had lain low for half a year and developed quietly.

Now, Level 20 had been achieved.

Next came his second Soul Ring!

He needed a century-old lightning-attribute Soul Ring with high compatibility and formidable power to strengthen his Thunder Hell Vine Martial Soul and further raise his combat strength.

With that thought, Lin Mo withdrew his Soul Power.

The dark clouds across the sky slowly dispersed, the roaring thunder gradually fell silent, and the torrential rain came to an abrupt stop.

The forest of the Back Mountain swiftly returned to silence, leaving only damp air and a faint lingering scent of lightning.

It was as though the violent storm just now had only been an illusory dream.

Now that things had come to this, he should return to his dormitory and sleep first.

He would think about adding a Soul Ring tomorrow.

The next morning, Plant Academy.

As usual, Lin Mo arrived at the special training grounds with a calm expression.

The one leading Class A's special training today was their homeroom teacher, Shen Lin.

Once the training ended, the other students gradually dispersed, but Shen Lin deliberately stopped Lin Mo just as he was about to leave.

This gentle-tempered homeroom teacher, whose judgment was exceptionally sharp, studied Lin Mo closely for a moment. Obvious surprise and approval flashed through his eyes.

Shen Lin slowly spoke, his tone carrying a trace of amazement. "Your Soul Power aura is thick and condensed, and your foundation is solid. Have you already broken through to Level 20?"

Shen Lin's Perception was extremely keen. With one glance, he saw through Lin Mo's true cultivation.

An ordinary new student could raise their Soul Power by three or four levels at most in half a year. Reaching Level 18 or 19 before the age of twelve was already considered genius-level talent.

Lin Mo was nine years old, yet he had directly crossed into Level 20.

Such heaven-defying cultivation speed was rare not just within the academy, but even among the younger generation across the entire empire.

"Yeah. I noticed it when I woke up this morning." Lin Mo nodded slightly and admitted it openly.

"You brat, that talent of yours... tsk, tsk." Shen Lin smiled and clicked his tongue.

"Since you've reached Level 20, the most important thing now is obtaining your second Soul Ring."

"After obtaining your second Soul Ring, your cultivation speed will improve further. Of course, with a higher limit, the time required for accumulation will also be longer."

Shen Lin had learned about Lin Mo's Martial Soul characteristics long ago. After some thought, he said,

"Your Thunder Hell Vine naturally possesses lightning attributes and is extremely domineering. This is a key direction that can be further developed. Your second Soul Ring should ideally come from a lightning-attribute Soul Beast in order to maximize your Martial Soul's power. If you choose poorly, it could instead limit the Martial Soul's growth."

"After all, every time you add a Soul Ring, it strengthens your Martial Soul, much like assigning talent points."

"If you assign them wrong, there will be no chance to regret it and change them later," Shen Lin warned.

Lin Mo nodded.

Naturally, he understood that.

"Lightning-attribute Soul Beasts are too rare. They are difficult to encounter in wild Soul Beast Forests, and their ages vary greatly. It is hard to find a quality century-old Soul Beast outside that matches your Martial Soul."

At this point, Shen Lin changed the subject and revealed the plan he had long prepared.

"Thunder Academy, next to Elemental City, has collected and raised quite a few pure lightning-attribute Soul Beasts in the Soul Hunting Forest under its jurisdiction. That area is the most suitable for you."

"Thunder Academy and our Plant Academy have always had dealings with each other. We have maintained close exchanges and shared resources for years."

"I already reported your situation to the academy in advance. They will discuss it with Thunder Academy's higher-ups and have Thunder Academy provide an entry pass so you can enter their exclusive Soul Hunting Forest and select a suitable lightning-attribute Soul Beast."

At this, Lin Mo's eyes shifted slightly, and a trace of surprise rose in his heart.

He had assumed that obtaining his second Soul Ring would require him to seek his own opportunities, risk exploring wild Soul Hunting Forests, and perhaps spend a great deal of time searching everywhere for a suitable lightning-attribute Soul Beast.

He had not expected the academy to have already paved the way for him.

"Will Thunder Academy agree?" Lin Mo asked.

"For this sort of matter, trust in the wisdom of the academy leaders. We only need to submit the application," Shen Lin said with a smile.

Lin Mo nodded.

"Thank you, Teacher Shen."

"No need to be polite. Cultivate well, so that you can become a powerful Soul Master in the future," Shen Lin encouraged.

"Mm." Lin Mo nodded.

He felt warmth fill his heart.