With Xiao Wu secured and Tang San effectively neutralized and isolated, Lin Feng shifted his focus from strategic manipulation to pure power projection. His goal at Nuoding Academy was no longer merely to attend, but to utterly dominate the school, establishing his authority before the arrival of the Grandmaster.
Lin Feng spent the next few weeks refining his understanding of the Infinite Fusion System (IFS). He realized that the greatest efficiency came not from large, chaotic merges, but from small, consistent fusions applied directly to his Martial Soul—the Fusion Phoenix. Since his Martial Soul was a 'fusion' in itself, it acted as a perfect spiritual crucible.
He began experimenting with the environment, creating practical "micro-fusions" to unlock latent potential:
Fusion Shadow Clone: He targeted the smallest, most elusive spiritual insect he could find in the academy gardens—a Phantom Midge. He fused the Midge's natural 'Invisibility' and 'Spiritual Fragmentation' concepts directly onto his Fusion Phoenix essence. The result was a new, effortless technique: the ability to momentarily split off a shadowy clone that could fuse with the environment for perfect, short-duration stealth and reconnaissance.
Fusion Vision: He fused the spiritual energy of a common academy owl with the 'Concept of Soul Power Perception' he had extracted earlier. This allowed him to perceive the hidden energy lines of fused objects and, more importantly, see the flaws in conventional martial soul techniques, giving him an unmatched tactical advantage.
These micro-skills required minimal Soul Power to maintain and provided an impossible edge, cementing his rapid growth toward Level 14.
Academy Battles and The White Ring's Mystery
The hierarchy of Nuoding Academy was decided through mock combat, and Lin Feng eagerly accepted every challenge. Students from the upper classes, seeing his Level 13 power and his deceptively weak White Soul Ring (disguised from his 100,000-year Red Ring), assumed he was a reckless genius overreaching his limits. They were catastrophically wrong.
In the combat arena, Lin Feng didn't even need his devastating Phoenix Fusion Flame. He used his fused Agility and Fusion Vision to predict every move. His opponents' attacks, even those from Level 20+ upperclassmen, became sluggish and transparent to him. When a Level 23 student attempted a complex wind-blade attack, Lin Feng easily countered by using a swift, precise micro-fusion: he fused the 'Air Resistance' concept onto the student's blade, causing the attack to disperse harmlessly.
He defeated every challenger effortlessly, often in a single move. His signature became the use of the mysterious White Soul Ring, which somehow delivered power far beyond its supposed 10-year limit. The other students were baffled. Lin Feng's legend grew: he was the 'White Ring Genius,' the boy who shattered the fundamental laws of Spirit Masters simply through sheer, unexplainable talent. He was the undisputed master of the primary academy.
Xiao Wu trained fiercely alongside Lin Feng, her admiration and affection deepening with every shared victory. Lin Feng treated her as an equal, but consistently ensured her power developed exponentially faster than the original timeline.
He continuously shared subtle, high-grade fused consumables: he would fuse common fruits with trace 'Agility Essence' and 'Soul Purity' and give them to her, claiming they were "special academy snacks." This secret enhancement ensured her Rabbit Martial Soul grew stronger and faster, making her the perfect complement to his strength.
Xiao Wu's devotion became absolute. She acted as Lin Feng's public second-in-command, a constant barrier protecting him from unnecessary social interaction, and fiercely defended his honor. Their combined presence completely overshadowed Tang San, who was forced to watch their constant displays of victory and partnership from the fringes of the common dormitory, further fueling his isolated bitterness.
Tang San was practicing his Mysterious Heaven Skill in a secluded corner, attempting to compensate for the mysterious flaw Lin Feng had introduced. He watched Lin Feng and Xiao Wu dominate the arena. The emotional toll was immense. He was supposed to be the strongest, the one with the hidden twin martial soul. Yet, this arrogant, smiling rival had stolen his destiny, his companion, and his spotlight.
Lin Feng, aware of Tang San's desperate training, performed a final, calculated act of dominance. He used a low-level Fusion Clone (Chapter 9) and discreetly planted a small, fused object near Tang San's training area—a piece of stone he had fused with 'Subtle Suppression Aura.' The object wouldn't harm Tang San, but it would subtly slow his cultivation speed and slightly disrupt his concentration, forcing him to work ten times harder for half the result.
Lin Feng ensured that when the Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang, finally arrived, the genius he observed would be Lin Feng—the Level 13 prodigy with the baffling White Ring and the terrifying, unorthodox combat style—not the struggling, isolated Tang San. The groundwork was laid; the final piece of the academy puzzle was about to fall into place.