Flender Reaches Level 80! His Martial Soul Evolves Again: Flying Blackfeather Eagle!

The next second,

Flender whipped around to look at Cao Kun, who stood nearby with a smile. In an instant, he understood.

It had to be Cao Kun!

It had to be the work of that mysterious sect, Mount Buzhou!

Cao Kun nodded to Flender in greeting.

Zhao Wuji threw an arm around Flender's shoulders and gave him a vigorous shake. "That's right! I'm Level 90 now!"

"One more Soul Ring and I'll be a full-fledged Titled Douluo! As for my Martial Soul..."

Pride blazed in his eyes as he spoke.

"Kun gave me a bottle of High-Tier Martial Soul Evolution Liquid. After I drank it, my Great Strength Vajra Bear Martial Soul evolved!"

"Now it's called the Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear!"

"Well? Impressive, right?"

"Flender, you came all this way to congratulate me on my breakthrough, didn't you?"

"The Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear?!"

Flender sucked in a sharp breath!

As the well-traveled headmaster, he had of course heard of that legendary top-tier Soul Beast.

It was a forest overlord that could rival the Titan Giant Ape and the Sky Azure Bull Python!

Zhao Wuji's Martial Soul had evolved into something like that?!

He had been transformed from the ground up!

Envy, shock, elation, and a tangle of feelings he could not name surged through Flender.

He looked at the triumphant Zhao Wuji, then at the unruffled Cao Kun. Finally, he thought of how he was older than Zhao Wuji yet still stuck at Level 79, with only a high-tier Martial Soul. The scales in his heart tipped decisively.

He took a deep breath, slipped out from under Zhao Wuji's arm, straightened his robes, and walked up to Cao Kun. Bowing deeply, he spoke with a gravity and sincerity he had never shown before:

"Cao Kun... no, Young Master Cao. I've been slow to see the truth. I've wasted half my life, trapped at the Soul Saint realm."

"Today, seeing Zhao Wuji seize this opportunity and transform himself, I finally understand how vast the world is and how rare such a chance can be. I... am willing to bring all of Shrek Academy into Mount Buzhou! From this day forward, we'll follow your lead and serve you with undivided loyalty! Please, young master... accept us!"

With that, he remained bowed and motionless, waiting for Cao Kun's answer.

Watching from the side, Zhao Wuji was happy for his old friend. Flender might seem miserly and calculating, but Zhao Wuji knew how proud he was deep down. This decision could not have been easy.

Cao Kun looked at the deeply bowed Flender, his smile unchanged, and reached out as if to help him up. "Headmaster Flender, there's no need for such formality. You've made a wise choice in joining Mount Buzhou."

"Shrek Academy can also serve as one of Mount Buzhou's public footholds, recruiting talent and passing on our principles."

"As for your cultivation and Martial Soul..."

At a thought, Cao Kun turned his hand over. Another jade-green bottle, identical to the one he had given Zhao Wuji, appeared in his palm.

"This, too, is High-Tier Martial Soul Evolution Liquid."

Cao Kun handed the jade bottle to Flender. "Your Four-Eyed Cat Owl Martial Soul already excels at speed and scouting. It has considerable potential."

"Drink this and follow my sect's Guidance Method. Your Martial Soul should evolve to the top tier, and breaking through to Level 80 and becoming a Soul Douluo will follow naturally."

Flender accepted the jade bottle with faintly trembling hands. Feeling the immense energy within it and smelling its unusual medicinal fragrance, he could hardly contain his excitement.

He raised his head, tears glimmering in his eyes. "Young master, I will... never forget what you've done for me!"

"No time like the present. Drink the evolution liquid here, Headmaster. Teacher Zhao and I will guard you." Cao Kun pointed to the clearing where Zhao Wuji had just broken through.

Flender nodded firmly. Without further hesitation, he walked to the center of the clearing and sat cross-legged.

He glanced at the jade bottle in his hand, then at Zhao Wuji, who was waggling his eyebrows at him with a look that said, Go on, try it. It feels incredible. Gritting his teeth, Flender pulled out the stopper and swallowed the evolution liquid in one gulp!

Unlike the violent heat Zhao Wuji had experienced, Flender felt a cool, swift torrent rush into his body. It seemed to become countless tiny wind blades, coursing through his meridians, cutting and reshaping them!

The image of his Four-Eyed Cat Owl Martial Soul appeared on its own with a clear cry. Its form began to change dramatically!

The Cat Owl's once somewhat bulky body grew sleeker and more streamlined. Its feathers shifted from gray-brown to a deep black with a metallic sheen.

Its eagle-like head grew sharper, and its four eyes in particular became brighter and more piercing. Light like wind and lightning seemed to flicker in their pupils!

Its wings spread wider and stronger, their outer feathers sharp as knives. Each gentle beat stirred thin black wind blades!

Cao Kun recognized the direction of Flender's Martial Soul Evolution at a glance.

A top-tier Beast Martial Soul: the Flying Blackfeather Eagle!

It was a top-tier flying Martial Soul with astonishing speed, keen perception, and formidable cutting power!

At that moment,

Flender kept his mind focused, guiding the medicine's power with all his strength.

As he absorbed it, his Soul Power began to seethe and surge under the evolution liquid's influence!

Under the combined force of the medicine and his Martial Soul's evolution, the barrier at Level 79 shattered like paper!

"Screeech!"

An eagle's cry, sharp enough to pierce metal and split stone, rang through the clouds!

Behind Flender, the fully evolved image of the Flying Blackfeather Eagle spread its wings with pride. Its black plumage seemed capable of blotting out the sky, and its piercing gaze saw through all illusions!

His aura climbed steadily, then surged past the threshold of Level 80.

It continued to rise before finally settling at the peak of Level 80!

Flender's eyes snapped open, shining so intensely that he seemed able to see into a person's heart!

He felt the ceaseless flow of Soul Power within him, light and agile yet charged with tremendous cutting force. He felt the improvements his Martial Soul's evolution had brought in every respect, especially the enormous leaps in speed and perception. Unable to hold back, he let out a long cry that shook the surrounding land!

"Level 80! The Flying Blackfeather Eagle! Hahahaha!"

Flender laughed with sheer delight. After years at a standstill, he had finally broken through, and his Martial Soul had evolved to the top tier he had always dreamed of. His joy was beyond words!

He moved and appeared beside Zhao Wuji almost as if he had teleported, so fast that only a faint black afterimage remained where he had stood!

"What speed!"

Zhao Wuji's eyes lit up, and he clicked his tongue in amazement.

Flender bowed deeply to Cao Kun once more. This time, it came from heartfelt gratitude and loyalty. "Thank you for giving me a new lease on life, young master! From this day forward, I, Flender, will devote myself to you and Mount Buzhou!"

Cao Kun accepted the bow with a smile. "Headmaster Flender... no, I should call you Protector Flender now."

"Since you've joined Mount Buzhou and successfully broken through, I appoint you, under the sect's rules, as one of the Twenty-Four Protectors of Mount Buzhou. You'll serve as a right-hand Protector, responsible for intelligence, external relations, and some internal affairs. Do you accept?"

Flender cupped his fists solemnly. "I accept! I won't fail the trust you've placed in me!"

Cao Kun nodded in satisfaction.

Zhao Wuji would lead in battle, his strength unmatched.

Flender would oversee intelligence and external relations, bringing his sharp mind and capable hand to the task.

One suited to combat, the other to strategy. They complemented each other perfectly.

Together with the newly joined Three Great Generals elders, Mount Buzhou's strength had grown once again.

When Mount Buzhou finally stepped into the open, it would shake the world!