Wind and Fire

Meanwhile.

Somewhere in the Flame Basin of Sunset Forest.

A lion with flames burning from its neck upward ran through the basin.

A piercing sound tore through the air as dozens of wind blades traced arcing paths through the sky, sealing off the lion's route forward.

However, just as those wind blades were about to strike, the lion's flaming mane flashed, condensing a ring of fire that knocked them away.

"Now!" A sharp glint flashed in Feng Xiaotian's eyes as the fourth Soul Ring beneath his feet lit up.

Fourth Soul Skill: Blade Claw of Wind!

Three foot-and-a-half-long blades sprang from between the knuckles of each of Feng Xiaotian's hands, while an illusory wolf-shaped silhouette emerged behind him.

He then spread his hands apart, unleashing nearly ten-foot-long azure light from the six blades. The instant the fire ring vanished, it struck the lion.

This lion, with flames burning from its neck upward, was called a Blazing Flame Lion. Its cultivation was around fifteen hundred years.

The Blazing Flame Lion possessed the innate Soul Skill, Blazing Flame Ring. A ten-year Blazing Flame Lion could only use it once a day, a hundred-year one twice a day, and a thousand-year one three times a day.

And that Blazing Flame Ring just now had been this thousand-year Blazing Flame Lion's final use for the day.

Moreover, having just released its Blazing Flame Ring, the Blazing Flame Lion was in a brief period of stiffness after using its skill and could not dodge.

Thus, the Blazing Flame Lion could only watch helplessly as the massive pale azure wind blade struck it.

The wind blade passed through the Blazing Flame Lion, accompanied by the sound of flesh being severed and the lion's despairing, agonized roar.

From midair, Feng Xiaotian looked down at the Blazing Flame Lion lying in a pool of blood. He retracted the illusory wings behind his back and slowly descended, saying gently to Huo Wu in the distance, "Xiao Wu, it's your turn."

"Mm." Seeing Feng Xiaotian display such might, Huo Wu's face flushed slightly. She answered softly, stepped forward to end the Blazing Flame Lion's life, and began absorbing its Soul Ring.

Ever since the incident in Sunset Forest two years ago, Feng Xiaotian had seemed like an entirely different person in Huo Wu's eyes.

He no longer humbly tried to please her, and he had begun taking cultivation seriously, displaying the astonishing cultivation speed befitting Innate Full Soul Power.

Two years ago, Feng Xiaotian's soul power had still been at level thirty-three.

Yet three months ago, Feng Xiaotian had already broken through to level forty.

At the time, Feng Xiaotian had still been a month away from turning eighteen.

In one year and eight months, his soul power had risen from level thirty-three to level forty—an average cultivation speed of four levels per year.

This often made Huo Wu marvel that the cultivation speed of Innate Full Soul Power could be so astonishing.

Three months after breaking through to Soul Ancestor, Feng Xiaotian's soul power advanced once more, reaching level forty-three.

Feng Xiaotian's change stirred Huo Wu's competitive spirit, so she threw herself into cultivation.

Two years ago, the eleven-year-old Huo Wu had been at level twenty-five soul power.

Over the past two years, Huo Wu had also broken through to level thirty.

A thirteen-year-old Soul Elder had already broken the historical record since Blazing Fire Academy's founding.

Huo Wu herself was also confident that she could break through to level forty before turning eighteen and would not lag too far behind the eighteen-year-old Feng Xiaotian.

But Huo Wu also understood that from the age of eighteen onward, as they grew older, the gap in soul power between them at the same age would only widen.

Two hours later.

When Feng Xiaotian saw Huo Wu awaken, he hurried over and asked, "Xiao Wu, how was it? Did the Soul Skill meet your expectations?"

"It exceeded my expectations." Huo Wu replied with a smile, then explained the effects of her third Soul Skill to Feng Xiaotian.

"My third Soul Skill is called Repelling Flame Ring. Like the Blazing Flame Lion's Blazing Flame Ring, it can knock all enemies within the fire ring's range away by a certain distance."

"The Soul Skill covers an area sixty meters in diameter and three meters high. As long as the opponent's attacking Soul Skill is not more than ten levels above my own soul power, it can ignore any skill or defense and drive them out of the fire ring's range."

"Also, unlike the Blazing Flame Lion's Blazing Flame Ring, my Repelling Flame Ring has no limit on the number of uses. As long as I have enough soul power, I can keep using it."

"That's great, Xiao Wu." Feng Xiaotian congratulated Huo Wu. "This Repelling Flame Ring will have an extremely powerful controlling effect in the arena environment of the All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament."

"In the tournament after next, your Blazing Fire Academy will definitely achieve outstanding results."

Huo Wu nodded in agreement. Since Feng Xiaotian had brought it up, she took the opportunity to ask, "Brother Tian, will you participate in next year's All-Continent Advanced Spirit Master Elite Tournament?"

Hearing this, Feng Xiaotian thought for a moment before finally answering, "I won't participate in next year's tournament."

"Because by then, although my cultivation will be close to that of a Soul King, I still won't be able to close the gap between Godwind Academy and Spirit Hall's seeded team by myself."

"But I will participate in the tournament after next, six years from now."

"By then, at the age of twenty-four, I will at least be a high-level Soul King, perhaps even a Soul Emperor."

"That way, I'll be confident in leading Godwind Academy to seize the championship from Spirit Hall, becoming another team after the Star Luo Empire to win the title from Spirit Hall."

"Xiao Wu, when the time comes, if our two academies meet on the battlefield... uh, I'll go a little easier on you."

At that, Feng Xiaotian scratched his head awkwardly.

"Brother Tian, aren't you a little too confident?" Huo Wu replied with a soft laugh. "I heard that the Soul Master Academy directly affiliated with Spirit Hall has produced three peerless geniuses, and two of them even possess a Martial Soul Fusion Skill."

"By the tournament six years from now, there's a high chance that all three of them will have broken through to Soul King."

"When the time comes, facing three Soul Kings, two of whom have a Martial Soul Fusion Skill, will you still be certain of victory, Brother Tian?"

"Besides, even if you manage to hold off those three Soul Kings, your six future teammates may not necessarily be able to defeat Spirit Hall's remaining four members."

"After all, in every previous tournament, the main members of Spirit Hall's seeded team have never included a Soul Ancestor with Soul Power below level forty-five."

Feng Xiaotian froze where he stood after hearing that.

Over the past two years, he had immersed himself in training and paid no attention to anything in the outside world apart from Huo Wu.

Spirit Hall had only begun promoting the three members of the Golden Generation a year ago.

Thus, before Huo Wu brought it up, Feng Xiaotian had known nothing about the Golden Generation.

Seeing Feng Xiaotian standing there in silence, Huo Wu could not help but laugh. She comforted him, saying:

"Don't worry, Brother Tian."

"If you really want to win the championship that badly, I can help you."

Seeing the puzzled look on Feng Xiaotian's face, Huo Wu smiled and explained:

"It's actually very simple. When the time comes, I'll have Blazing Fire Academy's main Soul Ancestor members temporarily join Godwind Academy. That way, your academy will have a full team of seven main members at Soul Ancestor level."

"My father is the headmaster of Blazing Fire Academy. This won't be difficult for me."