For the next two months, Mu Feng's life followed a strict, unchanging routine.
Wake up.
Go for a run.
Train at the gym.
Practice archery.
Cultivate.
Day after day, his life looped endlessly through these same steps. Occasionally, he would go out for a short drive or a bit of sightseeing, but those moments were rare. The vast majority of his time was spent cultivating—especially his Ice Element.
His efforts paid off.
In just two months, Mu Feng successfully connected all seven stars of his Ice Element. Not long after, he finally crossed the threshold and became capable of releasing Beginner Level 1 Ice Magic.
Ice Spread · Freeze.
The moment he realized he could finally release magic, Mu Feng could hardly contain his excitement.
At the same time, his archery training progressed smoothly. His aim had improved significantly, his posture more stable, his release cleaner. Recently, he had even begun practicing on moving targets, something he would have struggled with badly just weeks ago.
After connecting his seventh star, Mu Feng went straight to the training ground.
He stood before the practice area, three training dummies lined up in front of him. Taking a deep breath, he raised his hand and began circulating ice mana.
Seven seconds.
That was how long it took.
Seven long seconds filled with intense concentration, repeated failures, and near-misses. Sweat ran down his back as he maintained control, refusing to let the stars scatter.
Finally—
The spell formed.
"Ice Spread—Freeze!"
Cold surged outward.
In an instant, frost exploded across the ground, spreading like a white tide. The three training dummies were engulfed completely, their surfaces instantly sealed in thick layers of ice.
Mu Feng froze in place, staring.
All three dummies.
He remembered clearly—others who used the same spell could barely freeze one dummy, and even then only partially.
Yet his spell had covered all three with ease.
Mu Feng slowly lowered his hand, eyes gleaming.
"So this is the difference…"
His gaze drifted inward, toward the Innate Spirit Seed within him.
"It must be because of the spirit seed," he murmured.
"This thing gives me a huge advantage compared to others."
Not just stronger mana—but wider range, deeper freezing, and far greater control.
Mu Feng clenched his fist lightly.
Two months of relentless effort had finally borne fruit.
And this… was only the beginning.
After releasing Ice Magic a few more times, Mu Feng was completely exhausted. The repeated strain on his mind and mana left his body aching, his thoughts sluggish. Since he had already achieved his goal for the day, he decided to give himself a rare break.
He returned to his room, lay back on the bed, and turned on the television, casually watching a series while letting his mind relax. It felt strange—almost luxurious—to be idle after two months of relentless discipline.
That evening, during dinner, Mu Feng spoke to his grandfather.
"Grandpa, I can finally release Ice Magic."
Fang Ning looked up, mild surprise flickering across his eyes.
"Oh? Really? How was it?"
Mu Feng nodded, unable to hide his satisfaction.
"I was able to completely cover three training dummies in ice. It was much stronger than what others can do."
Fang Ning paused for a moment, then chuckled softly.
"Three dummies…" he repeated.
"It seems Mu Ningxue's talent is even stronger than we originally thought."
He set his chopsticks down and looked at Mu Feng seriously.
"Since you can now release Ice Magic, I'll appoint a Summoner for you. From now on, you'll begin proper combat training."
Then he added,
"And how is your archery progress?"
"I've started training on moving targets," Mu Feng replied.
"Good," Fang Ning said approvingly.
"Keep working hard. If you need anything, tell me."
After dinner, Mu Feng returned to his room and went straight to bed. That night, he slept deeper and longer than he had at any point in the past two months—his body and mind finally catching up.
The next morning, during breakfast, Fang Ning spoke again.
"The summoner will arrive at four in the afternoon," he said calmly.
"You'll have a two-hour training session."
Mu Feng nodded.
"Understood, Grandpa."
As he finished his meal, Mu Feng felt a quiet excitement build within him.
Ice Magic mastered.
Archery improving.
Combat training about to begin.
Step by step, he was moving closer to the path Fang Ning had laid out for him—and to the future he intended to seize.
At four in the afternoon, Mu Feng arrived at the training ground.
A familiar figure was already waiting for him.
The man stood with his hands behind his back, calm and composed, his presence steady like a mountain. He was middle-aged, with sharp eyes that seemed to miss nothing.
Mu Feng recognized him immediately.
Mu Shen.
One of his grandfather's trusted subordinates—and a Super-Tier Summoning Mage.
Mu Feng walked toward him and bowed slightly.
"Uncle Shen."
Mu Shen nodded, a faint smile appearing on his face.
"Xiao Feng. You're right on time," he said.
"Your grandfather has entrusted me with the task of teaching you how to deal with demons. We'll begin today's lesson immediately."
"Yes, Uncle Shen."
Mu Shen's expression turned serious.
"Before we start, let me tell you the most important thing."
He took a step forward, his gaze sharp.
"Always be vigilant. In the wild, a demon can appear from anywhere."
He paused for a heartbeat.
"And you've already failed."
Mu Feng frowned slightly.
"…Failed?"
"We've just begun."
Mu Shen didn't answer directly.
"Look behind you."
Mu Feng turned.
His breath caught.
Behind him stood a giant bear, towering nearly ten meters tall. Its body was covered in dense, golden fur that gleamed faintly in the sunlight. Its claws dug effortlessly into the ground, and its eyes were calm—predatory, intelligent.
This was no ordinary beast.
"This," Mu Shen said calmly, "is my summoned beast."
The bear let out a low growl that vibrated through the ground.
"A Terrorclaw Bear. Its attack and defense are both invincible at the same level. Among Ruler-tier demons, it's is quite powerful."
Mu Feng felt a chill crawl up his spine.
"If that were a wild demon," Mu Shen continued evenly,
"you would already be dead."
He looked directly at Mu Feng.
"Remember this well—not just in the wild, but everywhere."
"Never let your guard down."
Mu Feng straightened immediately.
"Yes, Uncle Shen."
"Good."
Mu Shen raised one hand.
"Now for your real lesson."
His expression sharpened.
"I will summon a demon. Your task is simple."
He pointed forward.
"Aim at it—and stop it in its tracks."
Mu Feng took a deep breath.
"Understood."
Mu Shen nodded.
"Good."
He lifted his hand higher.
Seven stars lit up in his spiritual space, connecting instantly into a perfect star track. The air in front of them—cracked—like glass under pressure.
A rift opened.
From within it—
A massive wolf leapt out.
It landed heavily on the ground, dust exploding outward. The demon stood nearly three meters tall, its entire body covered in deep blue fur that shimmered faintly with elemental energy. Its fangs were long and sharp, breath misting in the air.
Mu Feng's pupils narrowed.
"A Spirit Wolf," Mu Shen said calmly.
"A fairly powerful Servant-level demon."
The wolf lowered its body, muscles tensing, eyes locking onto Mu Feng.
"It will attack you," Mu Shen continued.
"Do not hesitate."
The Spirit Wolf snarled.
And then—
It charged.
Seeing the demon charging straight at him, Mu Feng's entire body froze.
His mind went blank.
He tried to raise his hand—tried to move—but it was as if his body no longer belonged to him. His instincts screamed, yet his limbs refused to obey. The Spirit Wolf closed the distance in an instant.
Three meters.
Two.
One.
Mu Feng shut his eyes, bracing for impact.
But—
Nothing happened.
No pain.
No crushing force.
He slowly opened his eyes.
The Spirit Wolf stood right in front of him, its massive head lowered, breath steaming as it stared at him calmly—no longer hostile.
Then a sharp whistle cut through the air.
"Come back."
Mu Shen's voice was steady.
At the sound, the Spirit Wolf turned around obediently and trotted back to Mu Shen's side, sitting down like a well-trained hound.
Mu Feng stood there, stunned, his back soaked in cold sweat.
Mu Shen walked toward him.
"You did pretty well," he said calmly.
Mu Feng let out a shaky breath.
"Was that really good?" he asked bitterly."I couldn't even raise my hand. My body completely froze."
Mu Shen chuckled lightly.
"Don't worry about it," he said."You did fine."
He looked Mu Feng straight in the eyes.
"Most people piss themselves the first time a demon charges at them. Some scream. Some run. Some faint."
His expression turned serious.
"You stayed standing."
Mu Feng clenched his fists slightly.
"That alone is enough for a first encounter."
Mu Shen turned back toward the Spirit Wolf.
"Now," he said, "we'll try again."
Mu Feng's heart tightened.
"This time, don't think about winning. Don't think about fear."
He raised one finger.
"Just do one thing—release your Ice Magic at the Spirit Wolf."
Mu Feng nodded.
"Yes, Uncle Shen."
The Spirit Wolf stood up again, muscles coiling.
Mu Feng forced himself to breathe steadily.
Ice Stardust spun inside his spiritual world. One star lit up… then another… then another. He began connecting them, carefully, deliberately.
Too carefully.
"Ice—Spread—Freeze!"
The star track finally formed, and icy energy burst forward—
But it was slow.
Far too slow.
The Spirit Wolf's eyes flashed. With a powerful kick of its hind legs, it dodged to the side effortlessly. The ice spread across the ground where it had been standing just a moment earlier, freezing the soil into a solid white sheet.
Mu Feng's heart sank.
"I was too slow…" he muttered.
Mu Shen nodded, unsurprised.
"Very slow," he agreed bluntly.
He looked at Mu Feng.
"But that's normal."
Mu Shen walked over to the frozen ground and tapped it with his foot.
"Your spell power is good—better than average, actually. That's thanks to your Spirit Seed."
He turned back.
"But in real combat, power means nothing if it can't hit."
Mu Feng lowered his head slightly, absorbing the lesson.
"Magic isn't released in comfort," Mu Shen continued."It's released under pressure—while moving, while panicking, while being hunted."
He raised his hand again.
"We'll keep repeating this."
Mu Feng looked up.
"Again?" he asked.
Mu Shen smiled faintly.
"Again."
The Spirit Wolf growled softly and lowered its body.
"Until your body learns to move before your fear does."
For the next two hours, Mu Feng repeated the exercise again and again.
Each time the Spirit Wolf charged, his heart still jumped—but the fear no longer completely paralyzed him. He forced himself to breathe, forced his mind to stay clear, and focused solely on one thing: release the spell.
Failure followed failure.
Sometimes his star connection broke midway.
Sometimes the spell formed too slowly.
Sometimes the wolf dodged effortlessly, as if mocking him.
But gradually—almost imperceptibly—things began to change.
His release time grew faster.
The seven Ice stars responded more smoothly, no longer resisting his control. His movements became more natural, less stiff, as his body slowly adapted to the pressure of combat.
Without realizing it, the Spirit Wolf had also become an excellent moving target—far better than any wooden dummy.
By the end of the two hours, Mu Feng was drenched in sweat, his mana nearly exhausted, but his eyes burned with focus rather than fear.
Mu Shen raised his hand.
"That's enough for today."
The Spirit Wolf immediately retreated to his side and dissolved into light.
Mu Shen looked at Mu Feng approvingly.
"We'll continue like this until your attack can touch the Spirit Wolf," he said.
"Only then will we move on to the next phase."
Mu Feng nodded, breathing heavily.
"Yes, Uncle Shen."
With that, his first real combat lesson came to an end.
That night, at dinner, Fang Ning spoke casually.
"Mu Shen was praising your performance today," he said, sipping his tea.
"He was quite satisfied with your first lesson."
Mu Feng shook his head.
"I didn't do that well," he admitted.
"I completely froze at the beginning."
Fang Ning waved his hand dismissively.
"That reaction is common," he said calmly.
"You'll get used to it. Fear fades with exposure."
He glanced at Mu Feng.
"What matters is that you didn't run."
Mu Feng nodded silently.
After dinner, he returned to his room.
Instead of resting, he sat cross-legged on his bed and closed his eyes.
This time, he focused on his Summoning Element.
Moon-white stars slowly appeared in his spiritual world, one by one, as Mu Feng entered cultivation once more—his mind steady, his resolve sharper than ever.
Each day, he was no longer just growing stronger.
He was learning how to fight.