At this moment, after hearing Jing Hongchen's announcement, the members of the Sun Moon Team immediately grew uneasy.
"Wait… the captain is taking leave?"
"At a time like this? The All-Continent High-Rank Soul Master Academy Soul Dueling Tournament is about to begin!"
"Yeah… training time is already tight, and he's taking a whole month off… He must've run into something serious!"
Whispers spread through the training ground as worry surfaced on everyone's faces.
They all understood Liu Yuan well—he was not someone who would abandon responsibility at a critical moment.
If he chose to leave now, then whatever he was facing must be something that could not be delayed.
For a moment, the entire team felt their hearts tighten.
Meng Hongchen, in particular, couldn't hold back. She quickly stepped forward and asked anxiously:
"Grandfather, what happened to Brother Liu Yuan? What exactly did he encounter? Is it serious?"
Jing Hongchen looked at his granddaughter and spoke in a calm, reassuring tone:
"He didn't go into detail. He only said it was a family matter."
He paused briefly before adding,
"But he gave a clear timeline—he'll be back within a month."
Even so, the tension in everyone's hearts didn't fully disappear.
Seeing their expressions, Jing Hongchen felt a sense of satisfaction. This kind of concern proved that Liu Yuan had truly united them.
He continued:
"Since he gave a definite return date, it means the situation isn't beyond control."
"I also asked whether he needed help from the academy. He declined."
"That alone shows he's confident in handling it himself."
Hearing this, the team finally relaxed a little.
That was true—if Liu Yuan said it was manageable, then it most likely was.
Jing Hongchen nodded slightly and left the training ground.
---
With the dean gone, Ma Rulong stepped forward, taking a deep breath.
As vice-captain, he understood that responsibility now fell on him.
He swept his gaze across the team and spoke firmly:
"Alright, enough worrying. Training continues."
"Even without the captain, we must push ourselves to the limit."
"When he returns, we'll show him an even stronger Sun Moon Team!"
"Understood?!"
"UNDERSTOOD!"
Their response thundered through the training ground.
Instead of losing morale, their fighting spirit ignited even further.
For a moment, the entire arena burned with renewed determination.
---
Meanwhile, far away from all of this, Liu Yuan continued his journey alone.
After leaving Sun Moon Royal Academy, he headed straight toward the Star Dou Great Forest.
The journey was long.
From Bright Capital to the forest's borders, even traveling at full speed with rest intervals, it would take around seven days.
The road was quiet—almost too quiet.
With no one to talk to, Liu Yuan's thoughts naturally began to wander.
---
Expectations for the Fifth Spirit Ability
His current abilities formed a near-perfect system:
Extreme Speed — burst movement and assassination
Storm — large-scale AoE damage and control
Dragon Dance — stacking buff for speed and strength
Surf — water-element coverage and battlefield clearing
Attack, mobility, buffs, AoE—everything was already well-balanced.
"So… what will the fifth spirit ring bring?"
Liu Yuan rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
"If it's about coverage…"
Fire-type skills like Flamethrower or Fire Blast
Electric-type skills like Thunderbolt or Thunder
"Those would expand my matchup advantage significantly."
Then another idea surfaced.
"Or… strengthening-type abilities?"
"Swords Dance… could that stack with Dragon Dance?"
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"If both work together… that would be terrifying."
Of course, deep down, there was one ability he desired most.
Dragon Ascent.
Rayquaza's signature move.
A true god-tier technique.
"If I get that… my combat power will skyrocket again."
---
Arrival at Sunset Town
Six days passed in a flash.
By the time Liu Yuan arrived at Sunset Town, night had already fallen.
This town served as the final stop for Spirit Masters before entering the forest.
It was lively, chaotic… and dangerous.
Perfect.
Liu Yuan planned to rest for the night and enter the forest the next morning.
He walked into one of the largest restaurants in town—
—and immediately sensed something wrong.
A surge of chaotic spirit power filled the air.
Bang!
A wooden table flew straight toward the entrance.
Liu Yuan casually sidestepped.
The table smashed into the wall behind him.
His gaze sharpened.
In the center of the hall—
A fight was underway.
---
A Familiar Face
A young girl in blue was being surrounded.
She controlled several tough blue vines, barely holding off attacks from four or five Spirit Masters.
Her cultivation wasn't weak—three spirit rings.
But her opponents had numbers.
And experience.
She was being pushed back, step by step.
Liu Yuan frowned slightly.
He disliked this kind of bullying—but normally, he wouldn't interfere without knowing the full story.
However…
When he saw her face clearly—
He froze.
That stubborn expression.
That familiar figure.
"…Tang Ya?"
It was none other than Tang Ya.
---
And in that instant—
Liu Yuan's calm journey… was about to take a very unexpected turn.
-------------Author---------------
Read 50 advanced chapter
👉 patreon.com/Master_fic
U can read 10 chapters ahead just for 5$