Kamehameha!

Ever since he obtained a Soul Ring, Feng Baiyu's cultivation method had changed.

First, he took Whale Rubber to improve his physique, then fought until he had exhausted his Soul Power. Once his Soul Power was completely depleted, he returned to the Green Maple Phoenix Tree to cultivate and recover. Then he took more Whale Rubber to improve his physique, repeating the cycle over and over.

Feng Baiyu was able to cultivate this way thanks to the Fire Phoenix Avatar having no period of weakness!

Perhaps that was the advantage of an external Martial Soul. Either way, Feng Baiyu thought it was quite convenient.

If using a Soul Skill left you weakened, how were you supposed to fight?

After obtaining his First Martial Soul, Feng Baiyu also discovered that Little Black had indeed become smarter.

When Feng Baiyu didn't give him any orders, Little Black would play by himself beneath the Green Maple Phoenix Tree.

Feng Baiyu had deliberately raised some ordinary animals and noncombat Soul Beasts for decoration there. Little Black was actually able to play with them.

Well... mostly, he played with them.

Little Black was, after all, a Martial Soul that had absorbed an 800-year Soul Ring. The aura he gave off was nothing those animals and Soul Beasts could compare to.

Just a trace of Soul Power leaking out was enough to make the whole place go into chaos.

Feng Baiyu didn't stop him. As long as Little Black didn't go around eating disgusting things like bugs, he could do as he pleased.

The only problem was that Feng Baiyu's Innate Soul Power was just 2.5, so his cultivation speed was ultimately limited.

Before, he'd managed to reach level ten in five months, but his cultivation speed had slowed again after that.

Another two and a half months passed, and Feng Baiyu's Soul Power reached level fourteen.

Reaching level fourteen just seven and a half months after awakening seemed fast, but two of those levels had come from his Soul Ring. What's more, Feng Baiyu's cultivation was a bottomless pit when it came to resources—an insatiable one.

Feng Baiyu thought the area around the Green Maple Phoenix Tree was too quiet, so Feng Qingluan went out to catch some plants and animals to liven it up.

Feng Baiyu said in the morning that he wanted spicy rabbit heads, and by noon Feng Qingluan had brought back an ancient rabbit at the thousand-year level to cook.

Feng Baiyu said cultivation was too exhausting, and Feng Qingluan found ten maids to play music and dance for him...

Even the direct descendants of the Upper Three Sects and Spirit Hall probably hadn't enjoyed such treatment, right?

Well... perhaps Ning Rongrong could. After all, she was also deeply doted on in the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect!

How many hours a day could Yu Yuanzhen spare to guide his grandson's cultivation?

Probably not even three hours a month.

But Feng Baiyu spent at least three hours every day fighting his grandfather!

That was the benefit of having a grandfather who invested everything in you. Whatever Feng Baiyu needed, the old man provided.

If there was even the slightest way to improve Feng Baiyu's cultivation speed, the old man would do it seriously and thoroughly.

His treatment was already as good as it could get, yet his cultivation speed still couldn't match that of someone with Innate Full Soul Power who simply meditated without any resources.

"As expected, a Martial Soul determines a person's lower limit, while Innate Full Soul Power determines their upper limit!" After finishing his cultivation, Feng Baiyu couldn't help complaining. "If an ordinary person had a Martial Soul like mine, they could probably break through to level fifty by the time they were twenty-nine!"

"Bai Yu, don't compare yourself to ordinary people." Feng Qingluan smiled as Feng Baiyu grumbled. "You're you. The you of a minute from now will be stronger than the you of a minute ago. Ordinary people not having resources is their problem, but everything our Feng Family has is available to you."

"Grandpa, I understand." Feng Baiyu thanked him, then looked at his grandfather and said, "I made a cultivation schedule. If nothing else changes, even after another year of cultivation, I still won't reach level nineteen!"

The requirement for the Phoenix Nine Trials First Trial was to obtain two Soul Rings within two and a half years. His schedule left him just barely enough time.

Still, cultivation became twice as difficult every ninth level, and he wasn't sure he could go from level nineteen to level twenty in half a year.

"Bai Yu, don't worry. Going from level nineteen to level twenty isn't that difficult. The first real hurdle is going from level twenty-nine to level thirty." Feng Qingluan said, "I've worked out your cultivation schedule too. Even if level nineteen is a little harder to reach, you'll still make it three months before the deadline. And I've already got a lead on your second Soul Ring."

His grandson had already decided to pursue a path of all attributes. Feng Qingluan couldn't talk him out of it, so he had naturally agreed.

Based on the age of his grandson's First Soul Ring, he had also roughly estimated that his grandson could withstand a Soul Ring of at least two thousand years for his second one. For that reason, he had already ordered the family to search for a Pure-Blooded Phoenix of the appropriate age.

If they could catch one, they would bring it back and raise it. If they couldn't, he could take action himself.

Even if they ultimately failed to find a Pure-Blooded Phoenix, Feng Qingluan had three two-thousand-year substitutes ready.

No matter what difficulties arose, Feng Qingluan could help his grandson obtain a Second Soul Ring before the deadline.

With Feng Qingluan, the family's head of external affairs, looking after everything, Feng Baiyu didn't need to worry about anything besides cultivation.

Looking at his grandfather's earnest gaze, Feng Baiyu felt nothing but gratitude.

He was so glad he had been reborn into the Feng Family. Aside from his own grandfather, who was powerful and helped him with everything he had, who else could have done this for him?

Even Bibi Dong probably hadn't been treated this well when she was a saintess!

"Bai Yu." Feng Qingluan looked at Feng Baiyu. "Shall we spar some more?"

"Sure." Feng Baiyu didn't dare slack off in the slightest. He jumped down from the tree and said, "Little Black, Fire Phoenix Avatar!"

At Feng Baiyu's command, Little Black immediately appeared in front of him.

The man and his Martial Soul transformed in the blink of an eye.

Feng Baiyu flew into the air, a short sword appearing in his hand. "Grandpa, watch out!"

As soon as he finished speaking, Feng Baiyu beat his wings and charged at his grandfather.

This kind of battle took place several times a day in the Feng Family. Feng Qingluan could easily dodge his grandson's attacks without even summoning his Martial Soul. From time to time, he would also use a fraction of his strength to meet Feng Baiyu's attacks head-on, gauging their force and angle.

"Your attacks are pretty fast, but your aim still needs work."

"That one was on target, but you were still too slow."

Boom!

As Feng Qingluan casually evaluated him, two beams of fire shot toward him.

Feng Qingluan remained completely at ease as he handled them, even commenting, "Your attack is getting more and more powerful. Too bad the energy fluctuations are a little obvious while you're stockpiling power."

Feng Qingluan was over a hundred years old. He'd been fighting longer than Feng Baiyu had even been alive in this world.

His combat experience was beyond anything Feng Baiyu could imagine.

Yet Feng Qingluan used this very method to squeeze out every last bit of Feng Baiyu's potential, ensuring that he gained a great deal from every battle.

The battle continued, but Feng Baiyu suddenly stopped attacking. He halted in midair, slowly raised both arms, and brought his hands together in a calyx shape, palms facing each other. Then he drew them back to his right hip, leaving a small gap between them.

A faint red glow began to rise around Feng Baiyu as the Soul Power throughout his body gathered.

Feng Baiyu uttered a string of strange words: "Kamehameha!"

"Hm?" Feng Qingluan watched his grandson's movements with interest. "Is this... a Self-Created Soul Skill?"

By then, Feng Baiyu had gathered all his Soul Power. He suddenly thrust his hands forward.

Whoosh!

A fiery-red wave shot out, sweeping toward Feng Qingluan.