The air in the courtyard carried a hint of dryness, as if influenced by the surging power within Aaron.

  He had just finished a day of training, feeling the holy light coursing through his limbs.

  The sense of strength was indeed much stronger than before.

  Squire Level 4, achieved!

  Aaron couldn't help but smile slightly, but his expression was soon interrupted by a metallic, sweet taste.

  "Pfft!" A mouthful of blood uncontrollably gushed out, blooming like a striking red plum against the snow-white ground.

  Aaron furrowed his brows, not bothering to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.

  Instead, he focused on inspecting his internal condition.

  Damn, it really is the aftermath of forcing a breakthrough.

  The holy light power, like a wild horse, rampaged within his body.

  His internal organs ached faintly, as if countless tiny needles were pricking them. This feeling was truly unpleasant.

  He staggered a few steps, leaning on the stone table in the courtyard to barely steady himself.

  His chest heaved violently like a bellows, each breath tugging at his organs, bringing waves of sharp pain.

  "Cough, cough, cough..."

  Another bout of coughing, but this time, no more blood was coughed up. However, his chest felt extremely tight.

  Aaron sat down cross-legged, trying hard to calm the chaotic energy within him.

  He knew that the most important thing now was to stabilize his current state, not to continue pursuing speed. Haste makes waste—he understood this principle well.

  "Huuu..." He exhaled a long breath of turbid air, slowly guiding the raging holy light power to subside.

  Although his current strength couldn't match a normal squire level 4 opponent, he was still a squire level 4. Dealing with Reed should be manageable.

  "Reed, just you wait!" A hint of ruthlessness flashed in Aaron's eyes.

  …

  On the other side, Reed had rested at home for the entire day.

  He arrived at the open space in the small courtyard. The air still carried a trace of the day's heat, but compared to the academy, this place was quieter and more suitable for training.

  He stretched his limbs. Since the fight with Morris and choosing the white bone bow from the armory, he hadn't had a proper chance to practice.

  But now, the most urgent matter was to master the swift wind step.

  A skill "borrowed" from Morris—might as well make use of it.

  Reed mobilized the gray holy light within him, recalling the sensation when Morris used the swift wind step.

  That guy was indeed fast. If it weren't for his quick reflexes, he might have been the one lying on the ground.

  This skill was worth studying thoroughly.

  The notebook was placed on the stone table beside him. Reed flipped to a blank page, ready to record his practice as he went.

  The swift wind step had three levels. According to the description in his mind, at full mastery, one's movements would be as swift as the wind.

  It sounded impressive.

  He took a deep breath and, following the descriptions in the skill book, began to attempt to channel the holy light.

  The gray holy light, guided by him, slowly flowed and gradually gathered in his legs.

  "Whoosh—" Reed exhaled sharply, pushing off with his feet, attempting the first step of the swift wind step.

  Huh?

  There was a slight sensation.

  His body felt lighter, and his speed was a bit faster than usual. Though not by much, there was indeed an improvement.

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  Over the next few days, Reed dedicated almost all his time to practicing the swift wind step.

  During the day, he practiced in the courtyard; at night, he repeatedly ran through the motions in his mind before sleep.

  Other knights might take a long time to figure out the tricks to cultivating skills.

  But he was different. The gray holy light seemed to have its own "translation" function, quickly understanding the essence of the skill and transforming it into his own power.

  His progress could be described as "leaps and bounds."

  In just a few days, his proficiency in the swift wind step soared.

  Level one, level two, and soon, level three.

  When he used the swift wind step again, the feeling was completely different.

  "Whoosh—"

  Reed's figure moved, almost turning into a blur as he darted around the courtyard.

  The speed was so fast that it stirred up faint gusts of wind.

  He himself was somewhat surprised. Was this really him?

  This speed was almost unbelievably fast.

  No wonder Morris was so troublesome. The swift wind step was truly a great skill.

  Stopping, Reed panted slightly, feeling the changes in his body.

  When using the swift wind step, the holy light accelerated blood flow, enhancing muscle strength and making the body more agile.

  Moreover, this enhancement was comprehensive—not just speed, but also reaction time and balance were improved.

  He picked up the notebook, carefully recording his insights from practicing the swift wind step. He noted the pathways of the holy light, techniques for exerting force, and some common mistakes.

  He wrote in great detail, aiming to make it understandable even for beginners.

  His sister, Emily, had always wanted to learn knight skills but lacked suitable ones.

  The swift wind step was light and graceful, fast, and didn't require much strength. It seemed quite suitable for girls.

  Once he mastered it, he could teach her.

  Thinking of his sister, Reed's face showed a faint smile.

  Emily would be thrilled if she knew he had learned such a powerful skill.

  She, like him, had always admired knights, dreaming of one day becoming a powerful knight herself.

  After finishing his training in the swift wind step, Reed began practicing thunder roar.

  From his battle with Morris, he had deeply experienced the power of thunder roar.

  Moreover, after that fight, his understanding of thunder roar had deepened.

  It was no longer just about releasing the power of thunder, but also about trying to control it, making the thunder's power more concentrated and precise.

  He drew the starfall sword, its blade gleaming coldly under the sunlight.

  Infusing it with holy light, tiny arcs of electricity began to dance along the blade.

  "Thunder roar!" Reed shouted, swinging the starfall sword.

  A brilliant bolt of lightning erupted from the blade, like a roaring thunder dragon, instantly striking a large rock in the courtyard.

  "Boom—"

  The rock shattered upon being hit by the lightning.

  The power had increased again!

  Reed nodded in satisfaction. The intense training over the past few days had not been in vain.

  However, this high-intensity training had consumed a large amount of holy light.

  But he also felt that his holy light capacity was slowly increasing.

  Although he hadn't broken through to Squire Level 3 yet, his capacity was nearing the mid-level of Squire Level 3.

  Once his holy light was fully restored, even a squire level 4 opponent might not want to face him, as the outcome would be uncertain.

  …

  Time flew by, and two days later, the day of the knight examination finally arrived!

  At the training ground of Lake Knight Academy, there was a sea of people. Not only the academy's students but also many citizens had come.

  The usually spacious area was now packed with a dense crowd, more bustling than a festival.

  Almost all the academy's instructors, big and small, were present, standing sternly on the high platform, scanning the crowd below with sharp eyes.

  "Look, look, almost all the instructors are here! Today's setup is really grand."

  The students gathered in small groups, chatting noisily.

  Some were excited, eager to try their hand; others were nervous, their faces pale and palms sweaty.

  After all, this examination was no joke. Those who passed could continue their studies at the knight academy, while those who failed had to leave.

  Reed stood in the crowd, unusually calm.

  His gaze swept across the surroundings, spotting Finn and Aaron.

  "Quiet!" A loud roar, like a sudden thunderclap, instantly drowned out all the noise.

  It was Instructor Carl.

  His mere presence exuded authority, and the previously noisy scene immediately fell silent, even the breathing sounds softened.

  "Today's examination officially begins!" Carl's voice was firm and resonant. "The first event—free sparring! All students, freely choose your opponents and demonstrate your strength!"

  "Free sparring? Interesting." The crowd began to stir.

  Who would go first? Who to challenge?

  This required careful consideration.

  "Reed, where's Reed?" Suddenly, a slightly sharp voice broke the silence.

  Reed was startled, looking in the direction of the voice.

  Finn was pushing through the crowd, walking towards him with an inscrutable smile on his face.

  "Finn? What does he want?"

  The surrounding people also noticed Finn, turning their attention to him.

  Finn stopped in front of Reed, smiling as he looked at him, "Reed, long time no see. Your strength has improved a lot recently, hasn't it?"

  Reed frowned slightly, "Not bad. What, you want to spar with me?"

  His tone was flat, neither angry nor pleased.

  Finn laughed, "Yeah, I want to spar with you, to see how strong the academy's rising star really is."

  He paused, "So, do you dare accept my challenge?"

  Challenge?

  Reed raised an eyebrow, "Why wouldn't I dare? But you're not here just for a spar, are you?" he probed.

  Finn's smile stiffened momentarily, then quickly returned to normal, "Of course not. You're overthinking it. I just think you've been getting too much attention recently and want to bring you down a peg."

  Reed's lips curled slightly, "I doubt you have the ability to do that."

  "Got what it takes? Let's find out!" Finn suddenly drew his sword and pointed it at Reed. "After you, Reed!"

  "Wow, Finn is challenging Reed first? This is going to be good!"

  "Didn't expect Finn to have the guts!"

  "Who do you think will win?"

  "Do you even need to ask? Definitely Reed!"

  The surrounding students started chattering again, all excitedly watching the two in the center, eager to see the spectacle.

  Reed looked at Finn. This guy knew his strength had improved, yet he dared to challenge him directly. He must be up to no good.

  But since he wanted to play, Reed was ready to see it through.

  On the arena, the two stood facing each other, the atmosphere instantly tense, as if the air had frozen.

  All eyes were on them, holding their breath, waiting for the battle to begin.

  ……