Training Complete
Six months is neither a long nor a short time.
Ning Buhui sent two messages to Spirit City. The first was shortly after he settled in the Star Dou Great Forest, when he asked a passing mercenary team to deliver it. The letter simply stated that he was safe and sound, training in the Star Dou Great Forest, and his return date was uncertain, asking his teacher not to worry. The second time was three months later. He deliberately took a long detour back to a small town on the outskirts of Star Dou, revealed his identity at the local Spirit Hall Branch, and used their messenger channels to send a message to Spirit City. This time, he was even more brief: everything was fine, but he still needed time; he would return when the time came.
Bibi Dong didn't reply. Ning Buhui thought this was normal. That woman wouldn't write anything caring or inquiring; not replying meant she received the letter, knew about it, and let it go.
For the first two months, he fought methodically in the Yanshan area. Every day, he would choose a Soul Beast that was 8,000 to 10,000 years old, using all his skills, then retreating into the tower to recover before emerging again. During that time, he fought very steadily, without being hasty or impatient. When he encountered a formidable opponent, such as the ten-thousand-year-old Giant Rock Python, he wouldn't fight head-on. If he couldn't win, he would retreat and wait until he recovered before fighting again, honing his skills through repeated battles. This fighting method wasn't very efficient, but it was safe. He spent nearly a month wearing down the giant python until it completely surrendered, retreating deep into the depression and never coming out again.
In the third month, he began to feel dissatisfied.
He changed areas and ventured deeper into the rocky mountains. The Soul Beast there were generally between 12,000 and 15,000 years old, some even approaching 20,000. The first time he encountered a 13,000-year-old Rock Armor Dragon, he was beaten almost to a pulp. The chains were uncontrollable, the Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind was countered by his elemental attributes, and although the Void Rending Slash could break through his defenses, it could only create a shallow cut with each strike, failing to injure any vital organs. He barely managed to escape by Warp six times in a row using his Wind Thunder Wings, landing with his Soul Power depleted and his knees shaking so badly he could barely stand.
After that battle, he took three days to recover before going out again. But he didn't back down; instead, he consciously began to seek out such opponents. A Stone Armor Lizard that was twelve thousand years old, a Rock Python was thirteen thousand years old, and an Earth-Traversing Scorpion that was fourteen thousand years old. Every battle was extremely difficult, and every battle was a tightrope walk on the edge of life and death. Several times, he really thought he was going to die. The Soul Power of his Wind Thunder Wings was exhausted, his vine armor was shattered into pieces, and his right arm Void Rending Slash. But every time, he was able to find an opening at the last moment, either delivering a fatal blow or taking advantage of the opponent's moment of hesitation to Warp away.
In the fourth month, he found himself changed.
His reaction speed was significantly faster than before. Previously, when the giant python's tail whip swept down, he needed a moment to think before he could make Warp; now, the moment the tail whip moved, he was already ten steps away. The chains of the Vine Locks the Nine Nether Regions were being used faster and faster, and all nine could be unleashed in just two breaths. The sturdiness and duration of the Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind had also increased. The accuracy of the Void Rending Slash had also improved considerably; before, he had to aim before slashing, but now he could adjust the trajectory by feel the moment he slashed, making almost every strike hit its mark.
By the fifth month, he had achieved his first kill against a higher-level opponent.
It was a 13,000-year-old Rock Armor Dire Bear. He found it under a rocky cliff and observed it for two whole days, figuring out its activity patterns and habits. On the day he made his move, he first used the Butterfly Suppresses the Nether Spring to block its first burst of Soul Power, then spread out the Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind, enveloping both the Violent Bear and himself between six lightning pillars. The Violent Bear's speed plummeted in the cage, each step feeling like wading through mud. Ning Buhui used his Wind Thunder Wings to constantly soar within the cage, shooting out chains from all directions. Nine thick chains restrained it head-on, while thinner chains burrowed into the gaps in the Violent Bear's neck fur to absorb its Soul Power. The Violent Bear charged left and right in the cage, lightning arcs striking its back every three seconds. Although its protective armor could defend, each defense consumed a portion of its Soul Power. It tried to break free, but the Thunder Prison Imprisons Wind sealed off all movement Soul Skill, so it could only rely on brute force to ram outwards, each time it was bounced back by a lightning pillar.
Two quarters of an hour later, the Violent Bear's Soul Power was gradually drained by the thin chains. Ning Buhui the opportunity and slashed its throat with a Void Rending Slash. After the battle, he was covered in blood and lay paralyzed beside the Violent Bear's corpse for half an hour before he could get up. But he was still alive and had won the battle.
That night, while meditating, he suddenly entered Deep Meditation state, and his Soul Power Level soared to level 38, reaching the level 39 barrier.
After that, he no longer regarded the 15,000-year-old Soul Beast as an insurmountable barrier, but only as an opponent that required more time and patience. He began to systematically select targets, recording the habits, weaknesses, and battle rhythms of different Soul Beast every day. He used the bookshelves in the bamboo house as filing cabinets, writing down the recaps of each battle on paper and marking the areas for improvement.
In the sixth month, he had a sudden epiphany, which allowed him to reach the threshold of level forty.
That day, he had just finished fighting a 14,000-year-old Stone-Patterned Leopard and returned to the cave to rest. After entering a meditative state, his Soul Power circulated in his meridians, and suddenly, with a surge, he felt as if something was lifting him up from below. The Soul Power in his meridians was more than twice as thick as before, and the speed of its circulation was also much faster. He opened his eyes, feeling the surging power within his body, and knew that he had broken through to level forty.
It took him half a year to go from thirty-six to forty. This speed would have been astonishing in the Spirit Hall, but given his experience over those six months, it seemed perfectly normal. In those six months, he fought hundreds of life-or-death battles, mostly against Soul Beast with a lifespan of 12,000 to 15,000 years. Each time, he struggled on the edge of his limits, each time trading his life for experience. With this kind of fighting style, let alone leveling up four times in half a year, most people would be lucky to even survive the first month.
He sat in the bamboo hut all night, meticulously compacting the foundation of his level 40 base again and again. The next morning, he emerged from the tower and stood at the exit of the Dark River Cave, gazing at the rocky mountain illuminated by the morning light. Half a year ago, he was level 35 when he arrived; now he was level 40. This forest had given him so much, but it was time for him to leave.
He's level 40, old enough to absorb his Fourth Soul Ring. He needs to return to Spirit City.
The return journey was much faster than the way there. He changed into clean clothes, switched his Thousand-Transformation Illusory Mask back to the face of the gray-haired youth, left the Star Dou Great Forest, and headed towards Star Luo City along the official road. He deliberately slowed his pace along the way, mentally reviewing every battle he had fought in the past six months.
After more than half a year of fighting, he realized what he lacked in actual combat, so he would have to think carefully about his Fourth Soul Ring before making a decision.
He calculated the journey. In almost a month, he would be back in Spirit City. He wondered what changes had occurred in Spirit City during his nearly year-long absence, how well Brother Xie Yue was acquiring his Fourth Soul Ring, and what levels Yan and Hu Liena had reached.
Ning Buhui walked on the road back, the wind blowing behind him, carrying the unique scent of grass and trees from the Star Dou Great Forest. He didn't turn around. He would go back to that forest again, but not now. Now he had to go back and get his Fourth Soul Ring.