For the next few days, Ma Hongjun behaved himself.
He had no choice. The lesson from the last time he set the academy on fire was still fresh in his mind.
Flender arranged some basic physical training for him: running laps, punching, and horse stance. The workload wasn't heavy; it was mainly to consolidate the foundation of his tenth-level Soul Power.
Ma Hongjun was fat, but he had a decent foundation and could keep up through gritted teeth.
"Xiao Pang, don't think about hunting for a Soul Ring these next few days. Stabilize your Soul Power first."
Flender stood on the training ground and pushed up his glasses.
"Level ten is a hurdle. Your foundation is at its most unstable right after a breakthrough, so there's no need to rush."
"Got it, Master."
Ma Hongjun wiped the sweat from his forehead, his round face flushed.
"Brother Wen said you have to sharpen your axe before chopping wood."
Flender glanced at Fu Wen beside him, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly.
That kid sure knew how to talk.
Fu Wen was sparring with Oscar, exchanging punches and kicks.
Calling it sparring was a bit of a stretch. Fu Wen was really just acting as Oscar's training partner.
Oscar had been stuck at the peak of level nineteen for several days, unable to break through that final barrier.
Zhao Wuji said it was normal. Some people got stuck for a few days, others for a few months. There was no rushing it.
But Oscar was in a hurry.
Ma Hongjun was already level ten, and Oscar still hadn't reached level twenty. It was hard to save face.
"Again!"
Oscar wiped away his sweat and charged forward.
Fu Wen sidestepped and slapped him on the back of the head.
"You're rushing."
"Your form's falling apart. Can't you feel it?"
Oscar froze, then stopped.
He was right.
When Oscar had thrown his punch just now, he'd had enough power, but the angle was off.
"You can't eat hot tofu in a hurry."
Fu Wen patted him on the shoulder. "Relax. The more you rush, the tighter that bottleneck gets."
Oscar took a deep breath and nodded.
"You're right."
The third day.
Early morning.
Fu Wen was still asleep when a violent surge of Soul Power suddenly jolted him awake.
He snapped his eyes open and looked at Oscar beside him.
Oscar sat cross-legged on the bed, eyes closed, his whole body enveloped in a faint blue glow.
Soul Power surged wildly, as though something were about to break out of its shell.
Ma Hongjun had woken up too. He rubbed his eyes and sat up.
"Brother Ao, is—"
"Don't make a sound."
Fu Wen raised a finger to his lips, signaling for him to stay quiet.
The two of them watched Oscar without moving.
About the time it took to burn a stick of incense passed.
Hum!
A low, muffled sound came from within Oscar.
The blue light flared, then slowly faded.
Oscar opened his eyes, his face alight with joy.
"I broke through! I'm level twenty!"
"Awesome!"
Ma Hongjun was the first to jump up.
Fu Wen smiled too, walked over, and held out his hand.
"Congratulations."
Oscar clasped Fu Wen's hand, so excited his eyes were turning red.
"Finally... finally level twenty!"
"I've been going crazy these past few days!"
In the dining hall, Flender nearly dropped his chopsticks when he heard the news.
"He broke through?"
"He's level twenty?"
Oscar nodded hard. "Level twenty! A solid level twenty!"
"Good!"
Flender slapped the table and burst out laughing.
"Double joy! We're adding extra dishes today!"
Shao Xin poked his head out of the kitchen. "What are we adding?"
"Braised pork! A big serving!"
Flender waved a hand, full of swagger.
Zhao Wuji sat across from them, smiling as he looked at Oscar.
"Xiao Ao, not bad. You're already better than your old man was at your age."
"Of course!"
Oscar puffed out his chest. "You know who I am!"
Fu Wen added from the side, "Who are you?"
"..."
Oscar's smile froze.
"I'm your big brother!"
He ground out the words through clenched teeth.
Fu Wen kept a straight face. "Oh."
Ma Hongjun laughed so hard he nearly doubled over.
After the meal, Flender called everyone together.
"Xiao Ao broke through, and Xiao Pang reached level ten. We might as well take you both out to hunt for Soul Rings."
"We'll take care of Xiao Ao's Second Soul Ring and Xiao Pang's First Soul Ring on the same trip."
"Dad, have you found a suitable Soul Beast?"
Fu Wen asked.
Flender nodded. "I've been poring over the books these past few days, and I finally found a suitable target."
He turned to Ma Hongjun. "Xiao Pang, your Martial Soul is the Evil Fire Phoenix. In theory, your First Soul Ring should come from a fire-attribute Soul Beast."
"But your situation is unusual. If we don't solve the Evil Fire problem, it'll cause endless trouble down the road."
"So this time, I plan to find you a light-attribute Soul Beast with purifying abilities."
Ma Hongjun blinked. "Master, did you find one?"
"I did."
Flender pushed up his glasses, his expression serious.
"This Soul Beast is called the Dawn Light Spirit Crane."
"The Dawn Light Spirit Crane?"
Fu Wen raised an eyebrow. He'd never heard of it.
Flender nodded and began to explain.
"The Dawn Light Spirit Crane is an extremely rare bird-type Soul Beast. It lives in Dawn Marsh, in the eastern part of the Soul Hunting Forest."
"This Soul Beast is born with a light attribute, and its Soul Power has a sacred, purifying quality."
"Legend says its feathers shimmer gold in the sunlight, and can drive away darkness and poison."
"More importantly, the Dawn Light Spirit Crane has a trace of Phoenix bloodline within it."
"Though it's so faint as to be almost negligible, it shares a source with Xiao Pang's Phoenix Martial Soul, so absorbing it shouldn't cause much rejection."
After listening, Zhao Wuji frowned. "A trace of Phoenix bloodline? Are you sure?"
"That's what the ancient texts say," Flender replied. "The Dawn Light Spirit Crane looks much like an ordinary crane, but it has a tuft of golden feathers on its head shaped like a phoenix crown."
"And its call isn't like a crane's cry. It's more like a melodious song, somewhat similar to a phoenix's cry."
"Many scholars believe the Dawn Light Spirit Crane may be descended from an ancient Phoenix. Its bloodline was simply so faint that it gradually degenerated into what it is now."
"What's its age?"
Fu Wen asked the most important question.
"A little over four hundred years."
Flender said, "Normally, absorbing a Soul Ring of four hundred years would be a bit risky for Xiao Pang, since it'll be his first."
"But the Dawn Light Spirit Crane has a gentle temperament. It isn't as violent as other Soul Beasts, and its Soul Ring energy is relatively mild."
"With Xiao Pang's physical strength, he should be able to handle it."
"Besides, your First Soul Ring was four hundred and thirty years old. Four hundred years shouldn't be a problem for Xiao Pang."
Fu Wen thought it over, then nodded.
"The age is right, and the attributes match. It's worth a try."
Ma Hongjun looked utterly confused, but nodded vigorously anyway.
"Master, I'll trust you!"
Flender turned to Oscar.
"Xiao Ao, as a food-type Soul Master, you have plenty of options for your Second Soul Ring."
"I plan to find you a support-type Soul Beast to strengthen your support abilities."
"We'll see what's available once we reach the Soul Hunting Forest. There's no need to rush."
Oscar nodded. "All right. I'll leave it to you, Dad."
"Good. Pack your things. We leave first thing tomorrow morning!"
Flender slapped the table and made the decision.
Before you continue