Three Months Later! Level Sixteen!

"It is your battle instinct."

Zhao Wuji said in a deep voice, "When you fight, you don't look like a person, but more like a wild beast."

"No, even more terrifying than a beast."

"You are like a... natural predator."

Once these words were spoken, everyone fell silent.

They recalled the battle that had just taken place.

Every movement and every attack of Fu Wen carried a primitive, savage ruthlessness.

That feeling truly did not seem like a sparring match, but more like a hunt.

Li Yusong nodded, deeply moved.

"I agree with Old Zhao's view."

"This kid is born for battle."

Listening to these evaluations, Flender's mouth was crooked from grinning.

He stood up and patted Fu Wen on the shoulder.

"Alright, alright, stop the praise, or he'll start getting big-headed."

"Let's go, back to drink some tea."

Flender strode toward the office with a swaggering, arrogant gait.

His back view was as smug as it could possibly be.

The crowd dispersed, leaving only Fu Wen and Oscar on the training ground.

"Xiao Wen, that move you used earlier, can you teach it to me?"

Oscar looked at Fu Wen with eager eyes.

"You're a Food-type, you wouldn't be able to use it even if I taught you."

Fu Wen rolled his eyes.

"That's true."

Oscar sighed, but quickly perked up again.

"It doesn't matter, even if I can't fight, I can make sausages for you!"

"..."

Fu Wen's mouth twitched.

"Brother, you'd better keep your sausages for yourself."

"Hey, what do you mean by that? My sausages can restore stamina!"

"Still not eating them."

"..."

The two bickered as they walked toward the dormitory.

The sunlight spilled over them, stretching their shadows long and thin.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, three months had passed.

Shrek Academy, training ground.

The morning sun spilled onto the ground, plating it in a faint layer of gold.

Two figures moved rapidly across the training ground, fists and feet clashing with dull thuds.

"Ha!"

Oscar threw a punch, aiming straight for Fu Wen's face.

Fu Wen dodged to the side, easily evading the blow, and backhanded a slap onto the back of Oscar's head.

"Too slow."

"Again!"

Oscar rubbed the back of his head, rushing forward again, unconvinced.

Fu Wen shook his head and met him head-on.

In these three months, Oscar had made significant progress.

His soul power had climbed from nineteen to the very peak of nineteen, just one step away from level twenty.

His physical fitness was also a great deal stronger than it had been three months ago.

Compared to Fu Wen, however, he was still far behind.

The Fu Wen of today was a completely different person from the one three months ago.

It was not because of his Soul Power Level.

Although he had improved by three levels, reaching level sixteen.

It was because of his body.

Under the tempering of the Innate Divine Crocodile Art, Fu Wen's muscles, bones, and meridians had all undergone a qualitative leap.

His strength was at least fifty percent greater than it had been three months ago, and his speed had increased by thirty percent.

More importantly, there was his recovery ability.

After high-intensity training, an ordinary soul master would need at least half a day to recover.

Fu Wen only needed one or two hours.

This was the terrifying aspect of the Innate Divine Crocodile Art.

Refining the soul, refining the body, refining the spirit.

Cultivating all three simultaneously, they complemented each other.

"I'm done, I'm done!"

Xiao Ao plopped down onto the ground, gasping for air.

"Fighting you is just asking to be abused; I can't even touch the hem of your clothes."

Fu Wen smiled, reached out, and pulled Xiao Ao up.

"You've already made great progress. In a few days, when you break through to level twenty and hunt your second soul ring, your strength will go up another level."

"That still won't be enough to beat you."

Xiao Ao rolled his eyes. "You're only a one-ring, level sixteen, yet you can beat me, a peak level nineteen, to a pulp. Where is the justice in that?"

"Talent."

Fu Wen spat out the word with a deadpan expression.

"..."

Xiao Ao's mouth twitched, and he felt the urge to pin Fu Wen to the ground and rub his face in the dirt.

But he couldn't beat him.

The two returned to their dormitory and rinsed off the sweat from their bodies.

After changing into clean clothes, they headed toward the cafeteria.

On the way, they ran into Zhao Wuji.

"Xiao Wen, Xiao Ao."

Zhao Wuji called out to them, looked Fu Wen up and down, and nodded.

"Not bad, your aura has become more solid again."

"It's all thanks to Teacher Zhao's guidance."

Fu Wen laughed.

"Stop with the flattery."

Zhao Wuji waved his hand, though the corners of his mouth lifted involuntarily.

"Right, Xiao Ao, how is your soul power?"

"Peak level nineteen. I feel like I'll be able to break through in the next few days."

Xiao Ao replied truthfully.

"Good!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up. "When you break through to level twenty, I will personally take you to hunt for your second soul ring."

"Thank you, Teacher Zhao!"

Xiao Ao was so happy he nearly jumped for joy.

In the cafeteria, Shao Xin had already prepared breakfast.

Flender sat at the dining table, reading a newspaper while he ate.

Over these past three months, the food at Shrek Academy had improved significantly.

It wasn't that Shao Xin's cooking skills had improved, but rather that the quality of the ingredients had gone up.

In the past, it was always green vegetables and tofu, with only the occasional speck of meat.

Now, there was meat at every meal, and every few days, there was even large bone soup.

All of this was thanks to Fu Wen.

After selling the materials from the Bone-Splitting Giant Crocodile three months ago for four hundred Gold Soul Coins, Flender had used every cent remaining after paying wages and settling debts where it mattered most.

A large portion of that went toward improving their diet.

Furthermore, Flender had been working hard to earn money outside over these past three months.

In Flender's own words:

"The children are growing, and they can't afford to fall behind on nutrition."

"Both of you, eat well and cultivate diligently!"

"Especially Xiao Ao and Fu Wen; you both possess Innate Full Soul Power and are destined to aim for the Title Douluo rank in the future. You cannot afford to lose at the starting line!"

Every time he said this, Flender wore an expression of absolute certainty.

Fu Wen knew that his old man had pinned all his hopes on him and Oscar.

That was why he trained with such desperate intensity.

It wasn't just because he didn't want to disappoint his father; it was because he, too, wanted to become stronger.

After finishing their meal and resting for a while, Li Yusong appeared in the classroom right on time.

For the past three months, Fu Wen and Oscar had attended one theory class every day.

The content covered knowledge of soul beasts, soul ring combinations, the application of soul skills, continental history, and more.

Li Yusong was elderly and experienced, with a wealth of knowledge in his belly.

He explained things in a simple and accessible way, and Fu Wen listened with great interest.

"Today, we are discussing the limit of soul ring years."

Li Yusong stood before the blackboard and adjusted his glasses.

"As everyone knows, there is a limit to the age of a soul master's soul ring."

"The maximum a first ring can absorb is around four hundred and twenty-three years; this is a conclusion reached by Martial Soul Hall after centuries of research."

"Exceeding this age, the soul master's body will be unable to withstand it, leading to serious injury at best, or death by explosion at worst."

"However!"

Li Yusong's tone shifted.

"This limit is not absolute."

"Some gifted soul masters, or those with special martial souls and physical constitutions far exceeding the average person, can break through this limit."

"For example, Fu Wen."

Everyone's gaze turned toward Fu Wen.

Fu Wen's expression remained calm, and he said nothing.