Training During the Holiday

After that, Lan Hong lived his usual routine, going back and forth between the same few places. The only difference was that Xiao Wu would come over to talk to him during classes and meals.

Though it was nothing more than ordinary contact, Lan Hong could still clearly sense Tang San's faint, intermittent killing intent.

"As expected of Tang the Great Buddha, always going on about the Way of Seeking Death!"

Lan Hong grumbled inwardly. He had no intention of making an enemy of Tang San. It was not that he feared him, but there was no need to put himself in danger.

A gentleman did not stand beneath a crumbling wall! Any danger that could be avoided had to be avoided. If a young tiger failed to grow up, it would become nothing more than a cat!

Thus, Lan Hong lived on for several more months. Including the months before that, nearly a year had passed.

Lan Hong had already reached level eighteen, but aside from himself, no one else knew his Soul Power Level.

He planned to apply for early graduation once he reached level twenty. Spending six years at a junior Soul Master Academy was completely pointless, and he had already read nearly all the books in Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy's library.

Now that Nuoding Junior Spirit Master Academy was on break, Lan Hong was preparing to return to Cat King Village.

"Lan Hong! It's vacation, and I have nowhere to go. Can I come home with you?"

"No."

"Why?"

Only after sensing that no one was watching did Lan Hong speak.

"Why do you think? Are you trying to get me killed? Would Tang Hao let his precious daughter run around freely? If you came back with me, he would definitely follow us.

Any little accident could reduce my village to ashes. Even if the odds are small, I can't gamble with the lives of the people in my village!"

"Hmph! Fine, then don't let me come! Why say so much?"

"Xiao Wu! I'm telling you, after vacation ends, I plan to apply for early graduation!"

"Huh? Have you reached level ten?"

"Yeah! I'll teach you a way to save your life!"

"What way?"

"Fish for Tang San!"

"???"

"Tang San obviously likes you. He has the mind of an adult, yet he likes a six-year-old girl. That's seriously disgusting!

You just need to keep him hooked, give him a little sweetness now and then, and make him utterly devoted to you. Then Tang Hao won't kill you. He might even protect you.

Of course, don't fall for him yourself. If you die or get sacrificed, it'll have nothing to do with me!"

As a Hundred Thousand Year Rogue Rabbit, Xiao Wu naturally understood what Lan Hong meant.

"Will we still be able to meet in the future?"

"If fate allows it, we'll meet again! I don't want us to become enemies someday, so take care!"

After packing his things, Lan Hong returned to Cat King Village. Before that, he went to Spirit Hall and collected his subsidy of one Gold Soul Coin.

"I was still wondering how to hide my Soul Power Level. I never expected that just flashing my White Spirit Ring would be enough—they gave it to me without even testing my Soul Power.

As expected, no one pays attention unless you're a genius. A White Spirit Ring has become a kind of protective camouflage instead."

Lan Hong used that Gold Soul Coin to buy Old Cat Grandpa a gift, then headed home.

Rather than hire a carriage, he walked and took the opportunity to practice his Lightness Skill. Treading Snow to Seek Plum Blossoms and Lingbo Weibu were the Lightness Skills Hong Mao had taught him.

Treading Snow to Seek Plum Blossoms emphasized agility, while Lingbo Weibu focused on movement and evasion. Both were first-rate Lightness Skills, no weaker than Tang San's Ghost Shadow Perplexing Track.

Nothing happened along the way, and he safely returned to Cat King Village.

Old Cat Grandpa was delighted to see Lan Hong return.

"School's on break, right? I was planning to pick you up, but I didn't expect you to come back on your own! How have things been at school? No one bullied you, right..."

Old Cat Grandpa asked many questions. He truly cared about Lan Hong.

"Don't worry! I'm doing great, and I'm already a Spirit Master now!"

Lan Hong displayed his White Spirit Ring. Rather than being disappointed, Old Cat Grandpa praised him again and again.

When he saw the gift Lan Hong had brought him, he smiled so widely that his mouth would not close.

Lan Hong stayed in Cat King Village for several days, and his Soul Power rose to level nineteen. He was only one step away from level twenty.

"Brother Cat, do we still need Spirit Beast blood to condense the second Spirit Ring?"

"We still do. Without Spirit Beast genes, a Spirit Ring cannot take shape. Even I can't change that!"

"Looks like I'll have to ask Xiao Wu for a few more bottles of blood after school starts!"

"Lan Hong, you don't need to trouble that little girl. Other Spirit Beasts will do as well! I don't want to slaughter Spirit Beasts, but taking a little blood without harming their lives is fine."

"Can we do that? If we enter a Spirit Beast Forest, we may be attacked by Spirit Beasts. Then it won't be a matter of whether we want to kill them or not."

Lan Hong truly took Hong Mao's feelings into consideration. Unless necessary, he did not want to put Hong Mao in a difficult position.

"If we encounter danger, then fight. Lan Hong, you underestimate me, Hong Mao, too much! I'm not that rigid!"

"Mm! All right! In a few days, we'll head to a Spirit Beast Forest!"

Several days later, Lan Hong bid Old Cat Grandpa farewell and headed for a Spirit Beast Forest. The closest one to Nuoding City was Soul Hunting Forest.

However, without an entry permit, Lan Hong could only sneak in under cover of night.

After entering the forest, Lan Hong raised his vigilance to the highest level. This trip was also training for him. He could not remain shut away and blindly study; he needed real combat experience.

It was hard to say whether Lan Hong was lucky or unlucky. A tiger's roar rang out, and when he turned around, he saw a tiger more than a meter tall at the shoulder not far behind him.

"A Spirit Beast Battle Tiger. It looks like it has only just passed a hundred years!"

Roar!

The Battle Tiger roared again, then accelerated toward Lan Hong. It had clearly chosen him as its dinner.

The wooden sword on Lan Hong's back had long been replaced by an iron sword. He drew it and held it horizontally, forcibly blocking the Battle Tiger's pounce.

"Its strength is acceptable. My efforts weren't wasted!"

Lan Hong moved his feet, leaped high into the air, and swung his sword, leaving a bloody gash across the Battle Tiger's body.

Wounded, the Battle Tiger became even more ferocious and turned to pounce again. This time, Lan Hong only defended, using his Lightness Skill to circle around it.

Battle Tigers could unleash tremendous bursts of power, but they lacked endurance. After several fierce pounces failed to harm Lan Hong, the Battle Tiger was already exhausted.

Roar!

Another tiger's roar sounded. This was no ordinary roar, but the Battle Tiger's soul skill, Tiger Roar Mountain Forest. While intimidating its enemy, this move increased all of its attributes by twenty percent.

After activating its soul skill, the Battle Tiger pounced at Lan Hong again. Its speed had indeed increased considerably, as had its strength.

Lan Hong still only defended without attacking, continuing to fight the Battle Tiger. As the battle went on, both his sword techniques and Lightness Skill improved.

In the end, the Battle Tiger collapsed from sheer exhaustion.

"Thanks for being my sparring partner, big tiger. I'll take a little of your blood. I won't harm your life!"

Lan Hong drew a large bottle of tiger blood, but compared to the Battle Tiger's size, it was not much at all.

After leaving the Battle Tiger, Lan Hong did not leave Soul Hunting Forest. Instead, he continued deeper into the forest.

He needed more Spirit Beasts as sparring partners to fully integrate the Changhong Swordplay and other martial arts he had learned.

In the blink of an eye, two months passed, and Lan Hong emerged from Soul Hunting Forest in tattered clothes.

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