48-Hour Special Training (Part 1)

The system warning flashed before his eyes for a full ten seconds before it vanished.

Lin Mo stared at the line of text reading "Potential Early Arrival," his brow furrowing. Yesterday, Shi Nian had arrived nearly twenty hours ahead of schedule; there was a chance this one might do the same.

When Ning Rongrong emerged from the kitchen, this was the expression she saw on his face.

"What's wrong?"

Lin Mo didn't hide it from her, repeating the system prompt.

After listening, Ning Rongrong was silent for a few seconds before saying, "Then let's go."

"Go where?"

"To that abandoned construction site you mentioned." She wiped her hands. "Aren't we supposed to train? Let's go early and get familiar with the terrain."

Lin Mo looked at her, somewhat surprised.

Ning Rongrong felt uncomfortable under his gaze and turned her head away. "What are you looking at? You said you'd protect me, and I said I'd help you. Is there any point in just talking without acting?"

Lin Mo didn't say anything more; he stood up and grabbed his jacket.

As they were heading out the door, Ning Rongrong suddenly tugged on his sleeve.

Lin Mo turned back to see her pointing at the empty bowl on the coffee table. "I'll wash the bowl when we get back."

Lin Mo paused, then nodded.

When the two of them went downstairs, they ran into the old lady from the second floor again. This time, the old lady was carrying a vegetable basket, and when she saw Ning Rongrong, her eyes lit up again. "Oh, the little girl looks so good in that outfit today!"

Ning Rongrong was wearing the white T-shirt and denim overalls Lin Mo had bought yesterday, her hair tied into a single ponytail. She couldn't understand the Shanghai dialect, but she could understand the old lady's smile.

She whispered to Lin Mo, "What is she saying?"

Lin Mo said, "She's complimenting you."

Ning Rongrong froze, her face flushing slightly. She glanced at the old lady, whispered a "Thank you," and then hurried downstairs.

The old lady behind them couldn't stop smiling. "That little girl, she's really interesting..."

The two left the building and hailed a taxi toward the outskirts of the city.

In the car, Ning Rongrong kept staring out the window. She was no longer as wide-eyed and curious as she had been on the first day, but a flicker of wonder still crossed her eyes whenever she saw tall buildings or heavy traffic.

The driver was a middle-aged man who glanced at them several times through the rearview mirror until he finally couldn't help but ask, "Young man, is this your little sister?"

Before Lin Mo could speak, Ning Rongrong spoke up. "No."

The driver was stunned and looked at Lin Mo.

Lin Mo said, "A friend's child. I'm helping look after her for a few days."

The driver nodded and didn't ask any more questions.

But Ning Rongrong frowned and muttered under her breath, "Whose child..."

Lin Mo ignored her.

Forty minutes later, the car stopped at the entrance of a deserted industrial zone.

Lin Mo paid the fare, and they both got out. Before leaving, the driver poked his head out the window. "This place is remote and not safe at night. Get back early."

Lin Mo nodded, watched the car drive away, and then turned to face the rusted iron gate.

Ning Rongrong stood beside him, surveying the ruins before them.

It was even more dilapidated than the construction site where Shi Nian had appeared yesterday.

The iron gate was half-open, its chain long since rusted through. Inside was an empty lot with uneven ground covered in wild grass. In the distance stood several abandoned factory buildings with shattered windows and walls covered in vines. Most conspicuous was a large pile of construction debris in the center of the lot—broken bricks, concrete blocks, and rusted steel bars piled into a small hill.

The wind blew, making the wild grass rustle and the tin roof creak.

Ning Rongrong took a deep breath and said, "This place is quite suitable for a fight."

Lin Mo looked at her. "Aren't you afraid?"

"What good would fear do?" Ning Rongrong said. "I've already seen Shi Nian; why would I be afraid of this?"

She sounded tough, but Lin Mo noticed that as she entered the gate, she leaned a little closer to his side.

The two walked into the lot to inspect their surroundings.

Lin Mo memorized the terrain as he walked—where to hide, where to ambush, and where it would be easy to set traps. This was something he had learned from the elders in his family; ancient martial arts weren't just about practicing punches and kicks, but also about knowing how to utilize the environment.

Ning Rongrong followed behind him and suddenly asked, "What level is that Huyan Li you mentioned?"

"Level sixty-five Soul Emperor."

"What is his martial soul?"

"Diamond Mammoth. Power-type, extremely high defense."

Ning Rongrong was silent for a few seconds before saying, "He's from the Elephant Armor Sect."

Lin Mo turned to look at her. "You know them?"

"I've heard of them," Ning Rongrong said. "The Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect is one of the Upper Three Sects, and we've dealt with the Elephant Armor Sect before. Everyone in their sect is a power-type soul master—thick-skinned, sturdy, and possessing great attack power. Their only weakness is their speed."

She paused, then added, "I've heard the name Huyan Li. He's a direct descendant of the Elephant Armor Sect and ranks in the top three of the younger generation. It's said his strength is astonishing; he once killed a five-thousand-year-old soul beast with a single punch."

Lin Mo nodded and continued walking forward.

He stopped beside the pile of construction debris and examined the heap. The broken bricks and concrete chunks ranged from the size of a human head to as small as a fist, piled three or four meters high.

He suddenly asked, "How long can your boosts last?"

Ning Rongrong thought for a moment. "With Heart Separation Control, if I boost four attributes for one person simultaneously, I can maintain it for about a quarter of an hour. If I only boost one or two, I can last much longer."

"How long is a quarter of an hour?"

"It's just... where we're from," Ning Rongrong gestured, "about the time it takes for two incense sticks to burn?"

Lin Mo pulled out his phone to check the time and did a quick mental conversion. A quarter of an hour was fifteen minutes. Two incense sticks were about twenty minutes; that was close enough.

He pointed at the pile of debris. "If I hide behind this, can you still boost me through these obstacles?"

Ning Rongrong paused, then released her Martial Soul. Seven-colored light condensed in her palm, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared. She closed her eyes to sense it and said, "It should be possible. The boosts from the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda are directional. As long as there is soul power locking onto the target, it can pass through obstacles."

"What if I'm moving?"

"That would be a bit harder." Ning Rongrong opened her eyes. "Heart Separation Control requires me to keep my eyes on the target. If you run too fast or your line of sight is blocked, the boost might break."

Lin Mo thought for a moment and said, "Let's try it."

He pulled a steel bar about a meter long from the debris pile and weighed it in his hand. Then he said to Ning Rongrong, "You stand here and boost my strength and speed. I'll run around this pile and see how long you can keep it up."

Ning Rongrong nodded, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda shone brilliantly.

"First Soul Skill, Strength Boost!"

"Second Soul Skill, Agility Boost!"

Two streams of seven-colored light landed on Lin Mo simultaneously.

Lin Mo immediately felt his body brimming with power, and his footsteps became much lighter. He gripped the steel bar and began to run around the debris pile.

At first, he ran very fast, but after a few laps, he realized that Ning Rongrong's boosts remained steadily on him. No matter which direction he ran, the seven-colored light found him with perfect accuracy.