Reed's consecutive victories over Brown and Aaron spread through Lake Knight Academy like wildfire.

  His name, once obscure, suddenly became the hottest topic in the academy.

  When these discussions reached Reed's ears, he merely smiled faintly and didn't take them to heart.

  He knew very well that this was just a fleeting commotion. Real strength isn't earned by words but through solid cultivation.

  On the back hill of Lion City, Reed continued practicing thunder roar.

  This was the most powerful attack skill he had mastered so far, but he was well aware that Thunder Roar still had much room for improvement.

  What he had mastered was only the first level, and its power was far from enough.

  He wanted to break through to the second level, or even higher, to make thunder roar his true trump card.

  "Thunder Roar!" Reed shouted softly, swinging the starfall sword in his hand.

  A dazzling lightning bolt instantly burst from the blade, like a roaring thunder dragon, rushing forward with a howl.

  "Boom!" The lightning struck the ground, producing a loud explosion.

  The ground was blasted into a charred pit, with debris flying everywhere.

  The power was indeed impressive, but it wasn't enough.

  Reed frowned, dissatisfied with the effect of this attack.

  He could feel that the power of the lightning was still too scattered, not concentrated enough.

  To break through to the second level, he needed to make the lightning's power more concentrated, more ferocious, truly achieving the effect of a "roar."

  "It seems I still need to try by the Bourne River," Reed thought to himself.

  The Bourne River, a turbulent river near Lion City, with its swift currents, might be where he could find the opportunity to break through to the second level of thunder roar.

  With this in mind, Reed didn't hesitate any longer.

  He picked up the starfall sword and headed towards the Bourne River.

  After walking for about half an hour along a small path on the back hill, Reed finally arrived at the Bourne River.

  The scene before him made his eyes light up.

  A wide river roared and surged, with rapid currents like unbridled wild horses, mighty and powerful.

  On the river's surface, waves rolled, producing deafening roars.

  On both sides of the riverbank were dense woods, with green trees providing ample shade.

  Sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, sparkling on the river's surface.

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  "What a great place!" Reed couldn't help but exclaim.

  The power of nature was indeed formidable, making one feel refreshed and invigorated.

  He walked to the riverside, found a relatively flat rock, and steadied himself.

  Taking a deep breath, he calmed his mind, then slowly drew the starfall sword.

  "Thunder Roar!" Reed shouted again, swinging the sword in his hand.

  Another lightning bolt burst from the blade, slashing towards the turbulent river.

  "Boom!" The lightning struck the river, instantly creating a huge splash, with water droplets scattering everywhere.

  However, the river was only blasted open for a small gap, which was quickly filled by the surging waters, returning to its original state.

  The effect wasn't ideal. Reed frowned again.

  The river's impact was stronger than he had imagined, and the lightning power he released was too scattered, making it difficult to concentrate.

  "It seems I need to change my approach," Reed thought.

  He sheathed his sword, walked to the riverside, took off his shirt, and jumped into the water to feel the coldness and impact of the river.

  The water continuously hit his body, making him feel cold and numb. The powerful impact seemed as if it would tear him apart.

  "Such strong force!"

  He closed his eyes and began to imagine. He imagined himself as a bolt of lightning, a streak that could pierce the night sky, full of power and speed.

  He wanted to merge himself into the turbulent river, feel its power, learn its flow, and master its "momentum."

  Suddenly, he felt something click in his mind. He opened his eyes abruptly, a glint of insight flashing in them.

  "Momentum!" he murmured to himself.

  He finally understood that the essence of the second level of thunder roar wasn't about the power of the lightning itself, but the use of "momentum."

  And the turbulent flow of the Bourne River contained a powerful "momentum"—rushing from high to low, unstoppable.

  If he could combine the power of lightning with this "momentum," he might be able to break through to the second level of thunder roar.

  With this thought, Reed felt a surge of excitement.

  He drew the starfall sword again. This time, he didn't rush to attack but stood by the river, quietly feeling the flow of the water and its "momentum."

  He pointed the sword tip towards the river and began to swing it slowly, gently, like flowing water, continuous and unbroken.

  "Thunder Roar!" When he swung the sword to a certain extent, he shouted again, and another lightning bolt burst from the blade.

  This time, the form of the lightning seemed to have changed.

  It was no longer the scattered thunder dragon shape but became more concentrated, more focused, like a high-speed rotating lightning drill, with an unstoppable sharpness, drilling fiercely into the river.

  "Sizzle..." The lightning made a piercing sound as it contacted the water, splashing waves and producing white smoke as if scorched by high heat.

  This time, the river was truly torn apart by the lightning's power, forming a deep trench.

  The water on both sides of the trench was pushed away by the powerful lightning force.

  "It's working!" Reed felt a surge of joy.

  He could feel that this thunder roar was significantly more powerful than before. The lightning's power was more concentrated and more penetrating.

  He continued to swing his sword, using the thunder roar skill repeatedly to fight against the turbulent river.

  He kept adjusting the rhythm of his sword, trying to perfectly combine the power of lightning with the "momentum" of the river.

  As time passed, Reed became completely immersed in his cultivation, forgetting the passage of time and everything around him.

  Until a moment when a flash of inspiration struck him.

  "That's it!" He suddenly stopped his sword, a look of ecstatic joy on his face.

  He had comprehended the essence of the second level of thunder roar! "Let's try again!"

  Reed took a deep breath and raised the starfall sword once more.

  "Thunder Roar!" He let out a furious roar, swinging the sword with all his might.

  "Boom!" A more dazzling, more ferocious lightning bolt burst from the blade, violently striking the river.

  "Splash..." The river was blasted into a towering column of water, with mist spreading everywhere, as if a small explosion had occurred.

  Success!

  Not only that, but he also felt that he had broken through the bottleneck of squire level 1 during these five hours of arduous training, reaching squire level 2!

  "What a pleasant surprise!" This training session by the Bourne River not only allowed him to master the second level of thunder roar but also elevated his strength to a higher level—killing two birds with one stone.

  He sheathed his sword and looked up at the sky.

  The sun was already setting, and it was getting late. Reed decided to call it a day, go home to rest, and continue training tomorrow.

  ……