Success or Failure of Tenacity, Iron Wolf

The days that followed were, for Lin Mo, nothing short of a brutal test of willpower and taste buds.

Training could bring about an increase in strength, but devouring the Iron-Wire Snake was pure torture. Five snakes a day, without fail. The tough, rubbery meat, reeking of heavy rust and earthy rot, felt like a challenge to his physiological limits with every swallow.

By the third day, as the nauseating taste of the third Iron-Wire Snake filled his mouth once more, Lin Mo nearly vomited. He looked at the two twisted snake carcasses remaining in his feeding bowl, his heart filled with struggle and hesitation.

Give up... why bother? You can still get stronger by devouring other beast meat step by step, just a little slower... a voice tempted him.

But another, firmer voice immediately retorted: Shut up! You've already eaten fifteen! If you quit now, all the suffering you've endured will be for nothing! Think about that [Tough Skin]! Think about the glory of being invulnerable to blades and guns in the future! Go for it!

In the end, his craving for power and his unwillingness to fail overcame his physical discomfort. He closed his eyes, as if facing a life-or-death enemy, and bit down viciously once more, frantically circulating his Devour talent as if to consume and refine this pain along with the meat.

Day after day.

Training, eating snakes, training, eating snakes... life seemed to have fallen into a monotonous and painful cycle. Wang Keke felt a pang of heartache just watching him and tried to persuade him to change his diet several times, but seeing the pain yet unwavering determination in Lin Mo's eyes, she swallowed her words.

Lin Mo himself couldn't remember how many times he had cursed these damned Iron-Wire Snakes in his heart. He felt like he was developing a psychological trauma regarding snakes; even seeing something resembling a rope made him think of that terrible texture and taste.

Until the fifteenth day.

As he went through the motions like a routine, filled with indignation and numbness, he tore off the last piece of flesh from the seventy-fifth Iron-Wire Snake and swallowed it with great difficulty—

Hum!

A heat flow, completely different from before, suddenly exploded from his stomach! This heat did not spread throughout his entire body; instead, as if it had a life of its own, it surged precisely toward his fur and every inch of skin beneath it!

Immediately following, a clear stream of information merged into his mind:

[Analysis successful! Inherited talent: Tough Skin (Basic)!]

He did it!

Lin Mo suddenly raised his head, his amber tiger eyes, which had been somewhat dim from long-term "torture," instantly erupting with brilliant light! All the pain, suffering, and nausea seemed to vanish in this moment, transforming into unparalleled ecstasy!

Seventy-five! A full seventy-five Iron-Wire Snakes! He had finally succeeded!

He couldn't wait to test this newly acquired talent.

He ran to the testing area of the training ground, where various targets were used to measure attack intensity. He didn't use his claws or teeth; instead, he aimed his flank directly at a hardwood target with sharp protrusions and slammed into it!

Bang!

A dull thud echoed. The pain of skin tearing that he had imagined didn't come; in its place was a feeling of tough resistance. The sharp wooden spikes struck his skin and fur, yet it felt as if they had hit a layer of dense rubber, causing him only slight impact and a dull ache, without even breaking his fur!

He tried scratching his forearm lightly with his claws; the force that should have easily left white marks or even broken skin now left only a shallow mark that quickly faded away.

"Roar—!"

Lin Mo couldn't help but let out a hearty, low roar! The effect was even better than he had expected! Although it was only basic level, his defense had already improved by several tiers! Attacks from ordinary Beast Soldier Rank beasts would likely find it hard to cause him any substantial damage now!

These fifteen days of hellish torture were worth it!

Just as he was immersed in the joy of gaining a new talent, that annoying voice rang out at an inopportune time.

"Yo, little sister Keke, still using these wooden blocks to train your 'precious' battle pet?"

Wang Xiao walked over swaggeringly with his Iron-Claw Wolf, which had grown a size larger and had an even more ferocious look in its eyes. The Iron-Claw Wolf also seemed to have made great progress, its aura reaching the mid-stage of the Beast Soldier Rank, its claws flashing with a metallic cold light as it looked at Lin Mo and let out a disdainful low growl.

Wang Keke frowned: "Cousin Wang Xiao, what do you want now?"

"Nothing much," Wang Xiao said, crossing his arms and tilting his chin toward Lin Mo, "just feel that some battle pets can't amount to much just by eating and training against wood. With the tournament coming up soon, my Iron-Claw Wolf just had a breakthrough and needs a sparring partner. How about it? Let your 'Mimi' spar with my wolf pup? Don't worry, I'll tell it to hold back its claws; after all, your battle pet looks... so soft and tender."

He deliberately emphasized "soft and tender," dripping with sarcasm.

If it were before, Wang Keke might have refused outright to avoid unnecessary conflict and injury. But at this moment, looking at Lin Mo beside her, who was sharp-eyed and brimming with confidence from his new talent, and thinking of the questioning voices within the family, a sudden impulse surged in her heart.

She looked down at Lin Mo and asked softly: "Mimi, do you want to try?"

Lin Mo raised his head, his amber eyes devoid of any fear, burning instead with a fighting spirit eager to be tested. He was just worrying about where to test the combat effectiveness of [Tough Skin], and this punching bag had delivered itself to his door!

He let out a low growl and stepped forward, his posture steady, his gaze locked firmly onto the Iron-Claw Wolf.

"Okay!" Receiving the response, Wang Keke took a deep breath and said to Wang Xiao: "A match is fine, but keep it friendly!"

"Haha, don't worry!" Seeing the other side accept the challenge, Wang Xiao was overjoyed and immediately signaled the training ground staff to clear an open space.

Some Wang Family disciples who were training nearby were also attracted, curiously gathering to watch this battle between pets.

"Begin!" Following the command of a guard acting as a temporary referee.

"Awoo!" The Iron-Claw Wolf had long been unable to restrain itself; its hind legs kicked the ground, turning into a gray-black bolt of lightning, pouncing toward Lin Mo with a foul stench! Its sharp iron claws aimed straight for Lin Mo's neck, moving with astonishing speed! It clearly wanted to end the fight quickly and secure a victory in one stroke!

The onlookers held their breath, and Wang Keke clenched her fists nervously.

However, facing this swift pounce, Lin Mo appeared exceptionally calm. With the sense of balance provided by his wings and his human combat mindset, he judged the trajectory the moment the opponent launched.

He didn't take it head-on; instead, he bent his four limbs slightly, engaged his waist, and coordinated with a sudden flap of his wings!

Whoosh!

His body glided lightly to the side and back as if weightless, dodging the Iron-Claw Wolf's sure-fire strike perfectly!

"What?!" Wang Xiao's pupils shrank; he hadn't seen the movement of the wings, only feeling a blur before Lin Mo had dodged.

The Iron-Claw Wolf missed its pounce, but its reaction was extremely fast. The moment it landed, it twisted its body, its sharp claws sweeping horizontally toward Lin Mo's abdomen! This strike was heavy and powerful, enough to crack stone!

This time, Lin Mo did not dodge completely. He wanted to test [Tough Skin]!

He adjusted his angle, using his white-furred flank to meet the cold, flashing iron claws head-on!

Screech—!

A teeth-grinding sound of friction rang out!

The scene of torn skin and flesh that had been expected did not occur! The sharp claws of the Iron-Claw Wolf felt as if they had struck a layer of incredibly Tough Skin; although they left behind a few clear white marks and even tore out a few tufts of fur, they were completely unable to break the skin!

"How is this possible?!" Wang Xiao exclaimed in shock! He knew the power of his own Iron-Claw Wolf's claw strikes better than anyone!

The Iron-Claw Wolf was also stunned, its animal instincts telling it that something was wrong.

And in that split second of hesitation, Lin Mo moved!

He had been waiting for this exact opportunity!

The Beast Soldier Rank power within his body erupted, and he launched himself forward like a spring compressed to its limit! He didn't use his claws, but instead threw his entire body into the Iron-Claw Wolf's chest! At the same time, he swung his head violently, his hard forehead bone acting like a heavy hammer as it slammed fiercely into the bridge of the Iron-Claw Wolf's nose!

"Awoo—!"

The Iron-Claw Wolf let out a shrill, miserable howl. The bridge of the nose was a vulnerable spot for canines, and this headbutt left it seeing stars, tears and snot streaming down its face, its offensive momentum instantly collapsing.

Lin Mo did not let up, using the momentum of the collision to pin the Iron-Claw Wolf to the ground. Although he didn't go for a lethal bite, his heavy tiger paws, imbued with immense strength, rained down like a storm, striking the Iron-Claw Wolf's head, neck, and ribs!

Thud, thud, thud, thud!

Dull, rhythmic thumping sounds echoed incessantly. The Iron-Claw Wolf struggled desperately, its sharp claws scratching wildly at Lin Mo, but it could only leave more useless white marks on his Tough Skin, unable to inflict any effective damage at all.

Meanwhile, every one of Lin Mo's strikes contained the full power of a Beast Soldier Rank, beating the Iron-Claw Wolf until it wailed incessantly. Soon, blood began to spill from its nose and mouth, and it lost all ability to resist.

The battle ended as fast as lightning.

When Lin Mo rose from the Iron-Claw Wolf and elegantly shook out his slightly disheveled fur, the entire arena fell into silence.

Everyone stared at the center of the field in stunned disbelief. The white Winged Tiger they had previously dismissed as "delicate" and "all show and no substance" was standing proudly, completely unscathed. As for the Iron-Claw Wolf, known for its ferocity and boasting mid-stage Beast Soldier Rank strength, it lay on the ground in a pathetic state, able only to emit pained whimpers.

Wang Xiao's face turned ashen, looking as if he had been slapped hard across the face; he looked absolutely miserable.

Wang Keke, however, rushed forward in delight and threw her arms around Lin Mo's neck: "Mimi! You were amazing!"

Lin Mo enjoyed Wang Keke's embrace, his gaze sweeping indifferently over the ashen-faced Wang Xiao and the miserably defeated Iron-Claw Wolf.

Not a bad punching bag, just a bit too fragile, he hummed to himself.

After this battle, no one in the Wang Family Manor would ever dare to underestimate him again!