Three Months Later! Level Sixteen!

"Your fighting instincts."

Zhao Wuji said gravely, "When you fight, you don't look like a person. You look more like a beast."

"No, something even more terrifying than a beast."

"You're like a... born predator."

At those words, everyone fell silent.

They thought back to the fight they had just witnessed.

Every one of Fu Wen's movements, every attack, carried a raw, savage ferocity.

It really hadn't felt like a sparring match. It had been more like a hunt.

Li Yusong nodded deeply, feeling the same way.

"I agree with Old Zhao."

"This kid was born to fight."

Listening to all the praise, Flender was grinning so broadly his mouth nearly split.

He got to his feet and patted Fu Wen on the shoulder.

"All right, all right, that's enough praise. Keep it up and he'll get carried away."

"Come on, let's go back and have some tea."

Flender strode toward the office with a swagger that said he didn't care who he offended.

His retreating figure practically radiated smugness.

After everyone left, only Fu Wen and Oscar remained on the training field.

"Xiao Wen, could you teach me that move you used just now?"

Oscar gazed at Fu Wen with pleading eyes.

"You're a food-type Soul Master. Even if I taught it to you, you wouldn't be able to use it."

Fu Wen rolled his eyes.

"True."

Oscar sighed, but quickly perked back up.

"It's fine. I might not be able to fight, but I can make you sausages!"

"..."

Fu Wen's mouth twitched.

"Bro, you should keep your sausages for yourself."

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? My sausages can restore your stamina!"

"I still won't eat them."

"..."

They bickered as they headed back to the dormitory.

Sunlight fell across them, stretching their shadows long behind them.

Time flew by.

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

Shrek Academy, training field.

The morning sunlight gilded the ground with a faint golden sheen.

Two figures raced across the field, trading blows with a series of dull thuds.

"Ha!"

Oscar threw a punch straight at Fu Wen's face.

Fu Wen sidestepped with ease, then slapped the back of Oscar's head.

"Too slow."

"Again!"

Oscar rubbed the back of his head and charged in again, refusing to give up.

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

Oscar had made no small amount of progress over the past three months.

His Soul Power had climbed from level nineteen to the very peak of level nineteen. He was just one step away from level twenty.

His physical strength had also improved by leaps and bounds since three months ago.

But compared to Fu Wen, he was still far behind.

Fu Wen was a completely different person from the one he'd been three months ago.

It wasn't because of his Soul Power Level.

Though he had indeed gained 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 sinews 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, his recovery.

After intense training, an ordinary Soul Master needed at least half a day to recover.

Fu Wen needed only one or two hours.

That was the terrifying thing about the Innate Divine Crocodile Art.

It cultivated the soul, the body, and the spirit.

All three were cultivated together, complementing one another.

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

Oscar dropped onto the ground and panted heavily.

"Fighting you is just asking for a beating. I can't even touch the hem of your clothes."

Fu Wen smiled and held out a hand, pulling Oscar to his feet.

"You've already improved a lot. Once you break through to level twenty in a few days and get your Second Soul Ring, your strength will rise another level."

"I still won't be able to beat you."

Oscar rolled his eyes. "You're only a one-ring Soul Master at level sixteen, but you can beat up a level-nineteen peak like me. Where's the justice in that?"

"Talent."

Fu Wen replied expressionlessly with a single word.

"..."

Oscar's mouth twitched. He wanted nothing more than to pin Fu Wen down and grind him into the dirt.

But he couldn't beat him.

The two returned to their dormitory and washed the sweat off.

They changed into clean clothes and headed to 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.

"Good. Your aura's become even more solid."

"That's all thanks to Teacher Zhao's instruction."

Fu Wen smiled.

"Don't butter me up."

Zhao Wuji waved a hand, though the corners of his mouth still lifted despite himself.

"By the way, Xiao Ao, how's your Soul Power?"

"Level nineteen peak. I feel like I'll break through in the next few days."

Oscar answered honestly.

"Good!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up. "Once you reach level twenty, I'll personally take you to hunt for your Second Soul Ring."

"Thank you, Teacher Zhao!"

Oscar was so excited he nearly jumped.

In the cafeteria, Shao Xin had already prepared breakfast.

Flender sat at the table, eating as he read the newspaper.

The food at Shrek Academy had improved considerably over the past three months.

It wasn't that Shao Xin's cooking had gotten better. They were simply using better ingredients.

Before, they'd had little more than greens and tofu, with the occasional scrap of meat.

Now there was meat at every meal, and bone broth every few days.

It was all thanks to Fu Wen.

Three months ago, after selling the Bone-Splitting Giant Crocodile materials for four hundred Gold Soul Coins, Flender had paid the salaries and settled the debts. He'd put every coin he had left to good use.

A large portion had gone toward improving the food.

And over the past three months, Flender had also been working hard to earn money elsewhere.

As Flender put it:

"The kids are still growing. They can't do without proper nutrition."

"You two had better eat well and cultivate hard!"

"Especially you, Xiao Ao, and you, Xiao Wen. You're both Innate Full Soul Power talents. You're going to aim for the Titled Douluo realm someday, so you can't fall behind from the starting line!"

Whenever he said this, Flender wore an expression that made it seem perfectly obvious.

Fu Wen knew that his father had placed all his hopes in him and Oscar.

That was why he trained especially hard.

Not only because he didn't want to disappoint his father, but also because he wanted to grow stronger himself.

After breakfast, they rested for a while. Li Yusong arrived in the classroom right on time.

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

The lessons covered Soul Beast knowledge, Soul Ring combinations, the use of Soul Skills, the history of the continent, and more.

Li Yusong was old and experienced, with a wealth of knowledge.

He explained things clearly and thoroughly, and Fu Wen listened with great interest.

"Today's lesson is on the maximum age of Soul Rings."

Li Yusong stood before the blackboard and pushed up his glasses.

"As everyone knows, there's a limit to the age of the Soul Rings a Soul Master can absorb."

"For a first Soul Ring, the maximum is around four hundred and twenty-three years. That's the conclusion Spirit Hall reached after several centuries of research."

"Exceed that limit, and a Soul Master's body won't be able to withstand it. At best, they'll be badly injured. At worst, they'll explode and die."

"But!"

Li Yusong changed tack.

"That limit isn't absolute."

"Some exceptionally gifted Soul Masters, or those with special Martial Souls and far greater physical strength than ordinary people, can exceed it."

"Fu Wen, for example."

Everyone turned to look at Fu Wen.

Fu Wen remained calm and said nothing.