At the foot of Angel God Mountain, inside the Training Camp dormitory.
In the blink of an eye, more than a year had passed since Yang Chang'an returned to the Training Camp. Throughout that time, he had cultivated and trained like a madman every day, raising his cultivation at an astonishing pace.
Yang Chang'an now looked more spirited and youthful, his figure taller and straighter. A heroic air had begun to emerge between his brows, and his gaze was sharp as a spear. Standing there, he resembled a keen sword about to leave its sheath, making others hesitate to approach.
Over the past year and more, Yang Chang'an's days had been packed to the brim. Aside from eating and sleeping, he had spent almost every moment cultivating or practicing with his spear.
To improve his strength, he had also begun occasionally using Body Tempering Pills to support his cultivation.
But pills were still pills, and taking too many naturally caused the body to develop resistance. Eventually, Body Tempering Pills had little effect on Yang Chang'an's Soul Power growth and were mostly used to strengthen his body.
Fortunately, Qianjun Douluo proved a highly capable teacher, regularly bringing out rare medicines that could not be found in the outside world for Yang Chang'an to use.
On top of that, Yang Chang'an was a cultivation fanatic through and through, cultivating like mad from morning to night. Thus, although his cultivation speed was far beyond ordinary people-terrifying, even-the higher-ups did not grow particularly suspicious.
Improving frantically, one solid step at a time, Yang Chang'an had finally broken through to level nineteen three months earlier, catching up directly with Jin Li'er, Shi Hao, and Qingyu, who were all a year older than him.
At the start, Yang Chang'an's level had lagged behind theirs. Now, however, he had forcibly made up that final shortcoming and stood on the same starting line as them.
Moreover, over that year and more, Yang Chang'an had not merely advanced rapidly in level. His understanding and control of his Martial Soul, the Soul Breaking Spear, had also progressed smoothly.
His spear techniques had grown increasingly fierce, earning praise from both Qianjun Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo on more than one occasion.
According to them, Yang Chang'an's spear techniques now had virtually no shortcomings in theory or execution. What he lacked was neither cultivation nor technique, but a true trial of iron and blood in actual combat.
Once he entered a battlefield and fought enemies with real weapons in mortal combat, his spear techniques would immediately climb another major step.
At that moment, Yang Chang'an sat cross-legged on a hard wooden bed, his eyes closed and his expression calm.
Soul Power surged wildly around him, its intense fluctuations palpable even in the air. He was concentrating all his focus on breaking through an invisible, intangible barrier that had stopped countless geniuses.
He now stood firmly at the peak of level nineteen, only half a step away from the first true milestone for a Soul Master-a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster!
Not far from Yang Chang'an, a boy built as solidly as a young bull stared at him with wide eyes and a tense expression, not daring to breathe too loudly.
After more than a year of cultivating and growing together, Niu Wenchuan had changed considerably as well. He had always been sturdier than his peers, and now he had grown even more powerfully built. Though only eight years old, he had shot up to a staggering 1.7 meters!
With his firm muscles and broad frame, he looked like a little iron tower when he stood there. In the entire Training Camp, only the equally muscular Shi Hao could rival his build.
Time passed, second by second and minute by minute. The dormitory was so quiet that only their faint breathing and the sound of Soul Power flowing around Yang Chang'an could be heard.
An unknown amount of time passed before, suddenly-
Yang Chang'an's body trembled slightly, and a fierce aura far stronger than before erupted from within him!
That aura was as sharp as a real spear, almost piercing the roof!
It worked!
Before long, Yang Chang'an slowly opened his eyes.
The instant he opened them, a fierce gleam like a spear's edge, almost visible to the naked eye, flashed through his gaze. Then he turned his attention inward, sensing the abundant Soul Power within him. The corners of his mouth rose involuntarily into a relaxed, happy smile.
I finally did it!
Eight years old, a level-twenty Soul Grandmaster!
Of course, this achievement could not compare with the uniquely blessed Qian Renxue. Her talent stood at the very ceiling of the entire continent, beyond anyone else's reach.
But in this era, Yang Chang'an's achievement was absolutely like striking from a higher dimension!
After all, in this era, apart from Qian Renxue, that daughter chosen by heaven, the greatest geniuses on the continent possessed Innate Full Soul Power.
Yet even among geniuses with Innate Full Soul Power, almost none could truly bring out their talent to its fullest.
Tang San and Xiao Wu were not focused on serious cultivation at all right now. Following their normal course, they would not break through to level twenty until they were nine, a full year behind Yang Chang'an!
As for Feng Xiaotian, he was not even worth mentioning.
Among the continent's younger generation, the only one who might rival Yang Chang'an in terms of age was Shui Bing'er, who would make her first appearance in the future as a sixteen-year-old, level-forty-four Soul Ancestor.
And the Spirit Hall Golden Generation, praised to the skies?
They would not break through to Soul King until they were twenty-one or twenty-two, an achievement that was not even top-tier in the original story. If Qian Renxue had not appeared later to uphold their prestige, Spirit Hall's younger generation would have been too embarrassing to look at.
Feeling the fierce Soul Power radiating from Yang Chang'an, Niu Wenchuan could not hide the wild joy on his face. He hurried over in great strides, his voice trembling with excitement:
"Chang'an! You did it! Level twenty! My heavens, level twenty at eight years old! From today onward, you're number one in our entire Training Camp!"
Hearing his friend's praise, Yang Chang'an shook his head gently and said calmly, "Hold off on the praise. As far as I know, Jin Li'er returned to her clan half a month ago. She must have broken through to level twenty before I did."
"Who cares whether she got there first!"
Hearing Yang Chang'an's modest reply, Niu Wenchuan waved his large hand, grinning without a care.
"She started a full three levels ahead of you! And what happened? You still caught up to her in just over a year! That already proves you're better than her!"
As he spoke, a smug smile returned to Niu Wenchuan's face, and he continued, "I also heard that Shi Hao and Qingyu still need a few more days to break through to level twenty. They're a step behind you too!"
At that point, the smile on Niu Wenchuan's face slowly faded, replaced by a faint trace of bitterness and disappointment.
He scratched his head and said a little sheepishly, "Meanwhile, it looks like I really can't keep up with you anymore. I said before that we'd go hunt for Soul Rings together, but now it looks like I'm holding you back..."
Niu Wenchuan was currently at the peak of level sixteen, only a little short of level seventeen. His progress was actually not much slower than that of Jin Li'er, Shi Hao, and Qingyu.
Moreover, thanks to Yang Chang'an, Qianjun Douluo and Demon Subduing Douluo would give Niu Wenchuan a few pointers from time to time.
Among the nearly one hundred geniuses in the Training Camp, his level firmly ranked in the top ten, just behind Yang Chang'an and the others.
At his current pace, breaking through to level twenty before turning nine was a certainty. But what could he do when his best friend was a monster like Yang Chang'an?
By comparison, Niu Wenchuan felt as slow as a turtle.
Seeing his friend looking a little down, Yang Chang'an reached out and patted Niu Wenchuan's shoulder, teasing him with a smile. "What's wrong? Feeling crushed?"
Niu Wenchuan, who had been feeling a little gloomy, immediately bristled at those words. He slapped Yang Chang'an's hand away and said with feigned irritation, "Who wants to compare themselves to you? Anyway, no one can shake my position as number six in the Training Camp. That's enough for me!"
Yang Chang'an burst out laughing at that, patted his arm, and said easily, "Then that settles it! Take your time. We'll grow stronger together, brother. Neither of us will be left behind!"
Niu Wenchuan was his childhood friend, and his best friend in this world. He would never let him stop at the level of an ordinary genius.