Tang San and Tang Hao soon arrived in a mountainous area.
After climbing a steep cliff, they entered a secluded valley.
In front of them was a towering waterfall, and beneath it, a crystal-clear pool.
With sunlight shining down, a semicircular rainbow stretched across the pool—indescribably beautiful.
"You'll be training here for the next two years!"
Tang Hao looked at Tang San seriously as he spoke.
"Okay!" Tang San nodded.
Then, Tang San began practicing his hammer technique in front of the waterfall, repeatedly striking at it with the Clear Sky Dog.
"I wonder if the Clear Sky Dog will drown?"
Tang San would raise it high after each strike, so it wouldn't drown.
...
Spirit Hall City.
After bidding farewell to Bibi Dong, Zhang Fan left the Spirit Hall and boarded a carriage, departing the city.
He headed toward the Heaven Dou Empire.
Meanwhile, Bibi Dong flew up to the city walls, watching Zhang Fan's carriage leave.
From a distance, the wind blew at her dress, tangled her hair, and... her heart.
She watched until the carriage disappeared from sight.
Only then did she fly back to the Spirit Hall.
After entering the territory governed by the Heaven Dou Empire, academy teams began to disband and return to their own cities.
Soon, people from Blazing Fire Academy headed toward Blazing Fire City.
Then, the group from Tianshui Academy returned to Tianshui City.
Gradually, only Blue Star Academy and Heaven Dou Imperial Academy remained, and they soon arrived at the capital of the Heaven Dou Empire.
Back at Blue Star Academy.
Having graduated, Oscar left Blue Star Academy to train on his own.
After all, the girl he liked—Ning Rongrong—was already taken.
He couldn't compete, so all he could do was train hard.
Bald Bai also left the academy. At this point, he didn't even know where he should go.
Even though their team had defeated the Star Luo Royal Academy, and Zhu Zhuqing had changed her future by breaking off their engagement...
He hadn't participated in that battle and felt like Zhu Zhuqing had won everything on her own.
He shook his head helplessly.
Ma Hongjun left with Flender, and Yu Xiaogang had already parted ways with Zhang Fan back in Spirit Hall City.
Now, only Zhang Fan, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong, and Xiao Wu remained at Blue Star Academy, all sticking close to Zhang Fan.
"Where are we going next?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously, looking at Zhang Fan.
"First to the Star Dou Great Forest to get a soul ring. Then I'll take you all to train."
After saying that, Zhang Fan went alone to the Star Dou Great Forest.
He hunted a 30,000-year-old light-attribute soul beast.
Then, he modified it into a Bright Patamon, since that beast could evolve into a Seraphimon.
After that, he attempted to modify it to 300,000 years.
"Ding, modification failed. Please try again."
"Then 200,000 years!"
Zhang Fan figured that should work.
"Ding, modification failed. Please try again."
"150,000 years!" Zhang Fan pursed his lips. This one better work.
"Buzz… Modification successful. The plot is average, no reward points given."
"…"
Zhang Fan was speechless. No reward? Fine, whatever.
Soon, he felt a powerful energy surge through his body.
He immediately leveled up five times, reaching Level 66.
Afterward, he returned to the Heaven Dou Capital.
One year later.
Tang San had fully mastered his hammer technique and could now swing it eighty-one times under the waterfall.
After taking the pill that the Shura God King had given him earlier, he also reached Level 50.
He felt that training only got slower as he progressed.
"Dad, I've reached Level 50!" Tang San said excitedly. But then he thought about that monster Zhang Fan—he had probably advanced even faster and might already be over Level 60.
"Hmm, very impressive. But compared to Zhang Fan, you're still far behind. You'll need to push yourself even harder!"
Tang Hao said seriously.
"Yes!" Tang San nodded.
Reaching Level 50 at sixteen was already a monstrous feat.
But compared to the even more monstrous Zhang Fan, Tang San couldn't help but look like the underdog.
Tang Hao shook his head at the thought.
"Dad, I'm Level 50 now. I need to find a suitable soul ring!" Tang San said.
"No rush. I'll take you when the time comes." Tang Hao replied earnestly.
"Alright then." Tang San nodded.
Pope's Hall.
"Have you thought this through?" Bibi Dong looked at the kneeling Hu Liena and asked.
"Your Majesty, if I can't become stronger, I'll never catch up to Zhang Fan. For the sake of the Spirit Hall, I'm willing to take the risk."
Hu Liena replied firmly.
"It's good to have Zhang Fan as your benchmark, but he's not your enemy. You're outstanding already. That place might be a one-way trip. You'd be better off training in Death Canyon."
Bibi Dong didn't want Hu Liena to take such a dangerous gamble.
"No! Death Canyon is dangerous, yes, but it won't help me improve fast enough. What I want is the experience that comes from life-and-death combat!" Hu Liena said resolutely.
"This time, I hope you don't assign anyone to protect me. I will come back alive." Hu Liena declared with unwavering determination.
"Alright, you may go." Seeing her resolve, Bibi Dong no longer tried to stop her. She then held out a white skull:
"Absorb this before you leave!"
"This is too valuable!" Hu Liena was stunned.
"Take it!" Bibi Dong said in a commanding tone.
Hu Liena had no choice but to accept it.
"One more thing—if you run into Zhang Fan, don't treat him as an enemy. He's one of us."
Bibi Dong said solemnly.
"Understood!" Hu Liena was surprised that her teacher would say such a thing—it left her confused.
When did Zhang Fan become one of us?
She could never forget that terrifying sword strike from him—
One sword to open the heavens.
He instantly defeated their entire team. That scene was burned into her memory.
She was someone who strove for strength, and even though she lost badly, she would still fight to the end.
...
In the mountains.
Tang Hao was sharing some of his experience with Tang San.
After reaching Level 50, even two levels a year was considered fast.
After Level 70, many soul masters could go years without improving at all.
It showed just how hard training was in the later stages.
Two years passed.
Tang San had honed his hammer technique to the terrifying point where he could summon a Black Dragon with it.
...
Meanwhile, Zhang Fan had already reached Level 73.
He had cultivated the Nine Yang Divine Art to the seventh layer, and his dantian now contained seven miniature suns that provided endless energy.
His Phantom Demon Step had also reached the seventh level, making him even faster.
His Heaven-Splitting Sword Technique had been cultivated to an unprecedented level.
...
Then, Tang Hao took Tang San to a forest to obtain his fifth soul ring.
"Release your Blue Silver Chicken. Sense your surroundings!"
Tang Hao looked at Tang San and said.
"Yes!" Tang San nodded and summoned the Blue Silver Chicken.
"Cluck cluck..." The Blue Silver Chicken landed on the ground, getting excited by the surrounding Blue Silver Grass, and began munching away.
He could feel the aura of Blue Silver Grass everywhere.
"King, our great king, is it really you? You've finally come—thank the heavens!"
Tang San furrowed his brow as he heard this. Suddenly, a strange mental field appeared in his spiritual world.
"King, please come to me!" a pleading voice echoed in his mind.
"Go on. I'll wait here for you." Tang Hao said calmly.
"Whoosh..." Tang San darted deeper into the forest.
...
(End of Chapter)