Breaking In

Over the next few days, Lin Yun explored the outer regions of the Magic Beast Mountain Range while engaging in constant combat.

The Magic Beast Mountain Range stretches over ten thousand miles long and is generally seven to eight hundred miles wide. The outermost hundred-mile perimeter is mostly inhabited by low-level magic beasts. If one ventures more than a hundred miles deep, level five and level six magic beasts become common. Going even deeper, level seven, eight, and nine magic beasts appear in abundance, and there is even a possibility of encountering Saint Realm magic beasts.

The beasts he encountered most frequently were level three to level four—Gale Wolves, Flame Lizards, Rock Giants... With every battle, he intentionally honed his practical combat skills.

His first fight against a Gale Wolf put him through the wringer.

It was a lone level four Gale Wolf, possessing extreme speed, and its Wind Blade was even more lethal than its sharp claws. Lin Yun had initially thought that with his peak level six strength, dealing with a level four magic beast would be a simple task.

But he was wrong.

The Gale Wolf's speed was too fast—so fast that he couldn't even finish his magic incantations. Just as he raised his hand, the wolf had already darted to his side, opening its maw to unleash a Wind Blade.

Lin Yun rolled away in a sorry state, his back slamming against a tree, causing him to wince in pain.

"Damn it!"

He didn't have time to think; the Gale Wolf lunged again. This time, he didn't attempt to cast an offensive spell, instead casting Saint Armor of Earth Protection on himself first.

"Bang!"

The Gale Wolf's claws struck his arm, sending stone chips flying. The Saint Armor of Earth Protection blocked most of the damage, but the impact still sent him stumbling back several steps.

Lin Yun gritted his teeth, his right hand condensing a Thunder Arrow—

The Gale Wolf seemed to sense the danger and leaped to the side. The Thunder Arrow struck the spot where it had just been standing, blasting a fist-sized crater into the ground.

He missed.

Lin Yun took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down. He quickly analyzed the Gale Wolf's movement patterns in his mind—its attack rhythm, its trajectory, the frequency of its Wind Blade releases...

Then, he adjusted his strategy.

He no longer rushed to cast offensive spells, instead using Wind Element magic to boost his speed and the Saint Armor of Earth Protection to bolster his defense. Then, he began to harass the wolf with small Fireballs and Ice Spikes, forcing it to keep moving and draining its stamina.

The Gale Wolf was indeed fast, but its endurance couldn't match Lin Yun's. After a few rounds, its movements noticeably slowed down.

Now is the time!

Lin Yun seized the moment the Gale Wolf landed, and a Earth Spike erupted from the ground beneath its feet. The Gale Wolf shrieked and jumped away, but Lin Yun's right hand was already prepared—

"Thunder Chain."

A purple Thunder Chain flew from his hand, wrapping around the Gale Wolf's body. Electricity rampaged through its frame; the Gale Wolf let out a shrill, miserable cry, struggled a few times, and finally collapsed.

Lin Yun slumped to the ground, gasping for air.

In this battle, he had used a combination of Wind, Earth, and Thunder elements just to barely take down a level four magic beast. If he had used his full power from the start, a single level six Thunder Element spell could have finished it, but he knew that would be meaningless.

What he wanted was training, not a one-sided slaughter.

Bebe jumped down from a tree, squatted beside the Gale Wolf's carcass, tilted his head to look at it, and then let out two "chi-chi" sounds, as if to say, "Not bad."

Lin Yun gave a wry smile: "Not bad? I was almost beaten into the dirt."

Over the following days, he fought different types of magic beasts every day. After each battle, he would find a safe place to review the entire process—what he did well, what he did poorly, and how he should improve next time.

His progress was visible to the naked eye.

By the third day, he no longer needed to combine three elements to deal with level four magic beasts; one was enough.

By the fifth day, he could handle two level four magic beasts simultaneously with ease.

On the seventh day, he began challenging level five magic beasts.

The gap between a level five magic beast and a level four magic beast was much larger than Lin Yun had imagined.

The first level five magic beast he encountered was a Bloodthirsty War Boar, over two meters long, covered in dark red scales, capable of spewing high-temperature flames from its mouth.

In the first fight, Lin Yun was nearly burned.

The Bloodthirsty War Boar's flames were not only high in temperature but also had a wide range; his Saint Armor of Earth Protection couldn't hold up for long under such heat. Although Wind Element magic could increase his speed, he simply didn't have enough room to dodge in the narrow mountain forest.

"I can't use the old methods." Lin Yun thought quickly while retreating.

He needed a magic type that could counter fire—the Water Element.

Lin Yun took a deep breath, abandoned the Wind and Earth elements, and focused on Water Element magic. A Heavenly Water Curtain unfolded before him, blocking another blast from the Bloodthirsty War Boar. Steam filled the air, obscuring his vision, but Lin Yun's Spiritual Energy allowed him to clearly perceive the Bloodthirsty War Boar's position.

"Ice Spike Technique."

Dozens of ice spikes shot out from the mist, striking the Bloodthirsty War Boar's scales with a crisp clatter. Most of the ice spikes were deflected, but a few wedged into the gaps between the scales, and the freezing chill noticeably slowed the Bloodthirsty War Boar's movements.

The Bloodthirsty War Boar roared in anger, spewing flames frantically. But Water Element magic naturally countered the Fire Element, and the Heavenly Water Curtain blocked its attacks time and time again.

Lin Yun steadied his mind, maintaining the water curtain while condensing a more powerful Water Element spell—

"Water Dragon Bullet."

A water dragon surged from his hands, slamming heavily into the Bloodthirsty War Boar. The boar was knocked onto its side, and most of the flames on its body were extinguished instantly. Lin Yun seized the opportunity, his right hand firing a Thunder Arrow that struck its head with precision.

The Bloodthirsty War Boar twitched a few times and finally stopped moving.

Lin Yun let out a long breath and sat on the ground.

In this battle, he had used a combination of Water and Thunder elements. Although he won, the consumption was immense. He didn't have Linley's Coiling Dragon Ring to save magic power, and even though he possessed Seven-Element Magic, the constant use of level five spells took a significant toll on him.

"Level five magic beasts are truly not easy to deal with," he muttered.

But he did not lose heart. He knew that every battle was an accumulation of experience, and every victory was a breakthrough beyond his own limits.

In the days that followed, he continued to challenge various Level 5 magical beasts. Rock Giants, Shadow Cats, Thunder Eagles... Each type of beast had different characteristics and attack patterns, and every battle required him to adjust his tactics and utilize different combinations of magic.

His combat skills were growing at a rapid pace.

By the tenth day, he was already able to deal with most Level 5 magical beasts using only one element of magic.

On the thirteenth day, Lin Yun began to challenge Level 6 magical beasts.

The gap between a Level 6 magical beast and a Level 5 magical beast was on an entirely different level.

The first Level 6 magical beast he encountered was an Iron-Back Wolf. The Iron-Back Wolf was twice the size of an ordinary wolf, and its back was covered in a layer of hard bone armor that was difficult for ordinary magic to penetrate.

In the first battle, Lin Yun suffered a major setback.

His Thunder Arrow struck the Iron-Back Wolf's bone armor, leaving only a charred mark without causing any substantial damage. The Iron-Back Wolf's speed and strength far exceeded those of a Level 5 beast; with a single charge, it sent him flying, snapping a small tree as thick as a bowl in the process.

Lin Yun climbed up from the ground, a trace of blood seeping from the corner of his mouth.

"So strong." He wiped the blood away, but instead of fear, his eyes ignited with an even fiercer fighting spirit.

He took a deep breath and began to adjust his tactics.

Petrified Skin, Wind Guardian, Saint Armor of Earth Protection—with three layers of defense stacked upon him, his defensive power was pushed to the limit. Then, he abandoned the Thunder Element—it was ineffective against such thick-skinned beasts; he needed an attack with greater piercing power.

The Light Element.

Light magic had a restraining effect on dark creatures, but it also possessed top-tier piercing power against ordinary magical beasts. Lin Yun condensed a Spear of Light, aiming for the Iron-Back Wolf's abdomen—the area not covered by its bone armor.

"Spear of Light!"

The Spear of Light shot out with such speed that the Iron-Back Wolf had no time to dodge. It instinctively turned to the side, and the spear struck its flank. Although it didn't hit a vital organ, it still tore a bloody hole in its body.

The Iron-Back Wolf let out a pained roar and lunged madly at Lin Yun.

Lin Yun did not retreat; instead, he charged forward to meet it. The moment the Iron-Back Wolf pounced in front of him, he swerved violently while condensing a wind blade in his right hand—

"Wind Blade Slash!"

The wind blade precisely sliced through the wound on the Iron-Back Wolf's flank, and blood gushed out. The Iron-Back Wolf let out a miserable howl, crashed heavily to the ground, struggled a few times, and then stopped moving.

Lin Yun stood beside the carcass of the Iron-Back Wolf, gasping for air.

In this battle, he had used a combination of Light, Wind, and Earth elements, and he had even been injured. The strength of a Level 6 magical beast far exceeded his expectations.

But he had won.

Bebe jumped down from a tree and crouched on his shoulder, chirping twice and rubbing its little head against his cheek. There was less of the usual playfulness in the little guy's eyes and more seriousness.

It knew that Lin Yun was undergoing a transformation.

In the days that followed, Lin Yun continued to challenge Level 6 magical beasts.

Flame Bulls, Frost Pythons, Thunder Eagles... Each beast brought him new challenges, and every battle made him more mature.

He learned the timing for switching magic during combat, learned to utilize the terrain and environment, learned to predict the movements of the beasts, and learned to deliver a fatal blow at the most appropriate moment.

His combat style gradually took shape—flexible and varied, integrating offense and defense, rotating through seven elements, and becoming impeccable.

By the twentieth day, he was able to deal with Level 6 magical beasts with relative ease.

"That's enough for now." One evening, Lin Yun sat by the campfire and said to Bebe, "It's time to try a Level 7 magical beast."

Bebe chirped, patting his shoulder with its small paw as if to say, "I'll go with you."

Lin Yun smiled and looked up toward the deeper parts of the mountain range.

There, even stronger opponents were waiting for him.

Swallowed Star World

Twelve-year-old Lin Yun was already in middle school and still in the same class as Luo Feng. Despite being only twelve, Lin Yun had an exceptionally tall and sturdy build, comparable to that of a seventeen or eighteen-year-old; if not for his slightly youthful face, others would have mistaken him for a young man of that age.

By now, Lin Yun had roughly figured out his current strength. His warrior level was equivalent to a Junior War General, while his Spiritual Force, limited by his physical body, could only exert power two levels above his physical fitness, which was the High-Level War General level.

The reason Lin Yun was clear about his strength was because of Luo Feng. As soon as they entered the first year of middle school, they joined the Limit Dojo, and naturally, he had dragged his childhood friend in with him.

However, Lin Yun did not reveal too much of his strength, showing only enough to be considered an Advanced Trainee. Even so, this shocked everyone in the dojo, and he was held in high regard by the dojo master, Jiang Nian.

It should be known that in the current world, almost every middle and high school student in every country and region would join a dojo in addition to their cultural education to develop their human potential.

For example, at Yi'an District No. 3 High School, among the nearly five thousand high school students across three grades, the vast majority were only Junior Trainees of the dojo! Only a very small number were "Intermediate Trainees," and those who could obtain the qualification of "Advanced Trainee" were as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns.

Since Lin Yun was only twelve and his body hadn't fully developed, yet he had already reached the level of an Advanced Trainee, it was a certainty that he would become a Warrior once he entered high school. For this reason, Jiang Nian, the master of the Limit Dojo in the Yi'an branch, had persuaded Lin Yun several times not to waste time on school but to focus on cultivation to reach the level of a Warrior as soon as possible. The Limit Dojo was even willing to let him join early; after all, major factions were fighting over such a peerless genius.

Lin Yun was naturally very tempted, but at twelve years old, it was too shocking. On one hand, he didn't know how to explain it to his grandfather, and on the other, he was worried that such talent would be too sensational and might attract the attention of certain factions.

As for Luo Feng, his physical fitness was also much stronger than the average person. In his first year of middle school, he was already a Junior Trainee at the dojo, comparable to some ordinary first or second-year high school students. Although he couldn't compare to Lin Yun, he was still highly valued by the dojo.