He picked up speed, weaving irregularly from side to side, sometimes fast, sometimes slow. At times he stopped abruptly; at others, he suddenly accelerated.
Ning Rongrong stood there, keeping her eyes fixed on him as she maintained Heart Separation Control at full power.
Five minutes passed.
Ten minutes passed.
At the twelve-minute mark, sweat began to bead on Ning Rongrong's forehead.
By the fifteenth minute, her breathing had grown ragged, but the boost continued.
At the eighteenth minute, she finally couldn't hold on any longer. The glow of the boost flickered, then vanished.
Ning Rongrong dropped to one knee and gasped for breath.
Lin Mo ran over and crouched beside her. "Are you okay?"
Ning Rongrong looked up and glared at him. "What do you think? Eighteen minutes! I've never maintained a boost for that long!"
Seeing how pale she looked, Lin Mo felt a little guilty. "Want to rest for a while?"
Ning Rongrong didn't answer. She pulled a small porcelain bottle from her clothes, tipped a pill into her mouth, and swallowed it. A few seconds later, some color returned to her face.
"These pills restore Soul Power," she explained. "Our sect makes them. They work pretty well."
Lin Mo nodded. When she got back to her feet, he said, "You did great just now. Eighteen minutes was longer than I expected."
The corners of Ning Rongrong's mouth lifted slightly, but she quickly put on a stern face. "Of course. I'm a direct disciple of the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Sect."
She brushed the dust off herself, then suddenly asked, "When you were running just now, I felt like you were much faster and stronger than an ordinary person. Have you trained in martial arts?"
Lin Mo nodded. "It's an ancient martial art passed down in my family. I've practiced for over ten years."
"Ancient martial arts?" Ning Rongrong asked curiously. "It's different from Soul Power?"
"Different. In my world, there's no Soul Power. We can only train our bodies."
Ning Rongrong thought for a moment, then said, "Then show me a set."
Lin Mo glanced around, walked to an open patch of ground, and took his opening stance.
Taiji Fist.
But this wasn't how he usually practiced. He had picked up the pace.
Commencing Form, Grasp Sparrow's Tail, Single Whip, Lift Hands—every move cut through the air with a whistle. His movements flowed like water, yet every strike cracked through the air.
Ning Rongrong stared, transfixed.
Lin Mo finished the set, returned to his stance, and turned to look at her.
Ning Rongrong blinked, then applauded. "Impressive!"
Lin Mo smiled. "Just something I practice for fun."
"Can you use it in a fight?" Ning Rongrong asked. "It looks pretty slow."
Lin Mo walked over to a chunk of concrete about the size of a millstone. He took a deep breath and assumed a stance, then pushed out a palm. The movement was slow, but just as his palm reached the end of its arc, he unleashed his force.
Bang!
The concrete split in two.
Ning Rongrong's mouth fell open.
Lin Mo shook out his hand. It hurt a little, but nothing serious.
Ning Rongrong hurried over, looked at the broken concrete, then at Lin Mo. Her expression had changed.
"Y-Your palm force is almost as strong as a power-type Soul Master's."
"This is how Taiji generates force," Lin Mo explained. "The slow movement builds power. Then it all explodes in an instant at the very end."
Ning Rongrong crouched down and touched the broken concrete. Then she suddenly asked, "If I boost your strength, could you smash an even bigger one with a punch?"
Lin Mo considered it. "We can try."
Ning Rongrong stood up, and the Seven Treasure Glazed Tile Pagoda appeared again.
"First Spirit Skill, Strength Boost!"
Rainbow light fell over Lin Mo. He walked up to a larger piece of concrete, about half a person tall and weighing at least three or four hundred pounds.
He clenched his fist, drew a deep breath, and punched,
Boom!
The concrete exploded, sending fragments flying.
Ning Rongrong didn't dodge in time. A fist-sized chunk of rubble came flying at her. Quick as a flash, Lin Mo pulled her into his arms and shielded her with his back.
The rubble slammed into him with a dull thud.
Ning Rongrong went rigid in his arms.
When the fragments had all fallen, Lin Mo let her go and glanced over his shoulder. His back burned with pain.
Ning Rongrong stood there, her face bright red, unable to move for a long while.
Lin Mo looked at her. "What's wrong? Did you get hit?"
Ning Rongrong shook her head and said softly, "N-No."
She paused, then suddenly asked, "Why did you... block it?"
Lin Mo blinked. "What else was I supposed to do? Watch you get hit?"
Ning Rongrong lowered her head, lost in thought.
A few seconds passed. Then she suddenly looked up at Lin Mo, her eyes bright.
"Hey," she said. "Let's try it again."
Lin Mo asked, "Try what?"
Ning Rongrong held out her right hand. "Let's try Martial Soul Fusion. Not a real Martial Soul Fusion Skill. I'll channel the power of my boost directly into your body. That way, when you fight, you won't have to wait for my Spirit Skill to lock onto you. You'll be able to react faster."
Lin Mo looked at her outstretched hand, a little surprised.
Her hand was small and pale, her fingers slender, but they trembled slightly.
She was nervous.
Still, she kept her hand extended, waiting for him to take it.
Lin Mo was silent for two seconds, then reached out with his right hand and took hers.
It was soft and a little cool.
Ning Rongrong blushed again when he took her hand. But she bit her lip, closed her eyes, and activated her Martial Soul.
Rainbow light welled from her palm and flowed along their clasped hands, slowly entering Lin Mo's body.
Lin Mo felt a warm power surge through his limbs and bones. It was different from the boost before. Previously, the light had formed a layer around him; now, the power flowed directly into his body.
He clenched his fist. His whole body felt brimming with strength.
"Is it working?" Ning Rongrong opened her eyes and looked at him.
Lin Mo nodded, walked over to another chunk of concrete, and punched,
Boom!
The punch hit harder than the last one. The concrete crumbled to dust.
Lin Mo turned to Ning Rongrong. Their eyes met, and they both smiled.
Ning Rongrong's eyes curved into crescent moons. Then she realized he was still holding her hand and quickly pulled it away, hiding it behind her back.
"Um... not bad." She turned her head aside. "Better than I expected."
Lin Mo looked at the tips of her ears, red as could be, and said nothing.
But he couldn't suppress the curve of his lips.
In the distance, the sun began to sink. Golden light fell across the ruins, and the wild grass rustled in the wind.
Ning Rongrong suddenly asked, "Is that Huyan Li really strong?"
Lin Mo thought it over. "He's level sixty-five. He should be a little weaker than Shi Nian."
"Could he beat you?"
"I don't know."
Ning Rongrong fell silent. A few seconds later, she said softly, "If you can't beat him, run."
Lin Mo looked at her.
She didn't turn around. She just kept staring at the distant sunset and continued,
"You're fast. You can definitely get away. I'll hold him off for you. I'm a support-type Soul Master, anyway. Even if I can't fight him, I can still dodge."
"What about you?" Lin Mo asked.
"I'll hide. Didn't we agree? You run, and I hide."
Lin Mo looked at her, then suddenly smiled.
He walked up beside her and watched the sunset with her. "We don't need to run."
Ning Rongrong turned to look at him.
"We can beat him together," Lin Mo said.
Ning Rongrong stared at him for several seconds, then looked away and said softly,
"Then do your best."
Lin Mo nodded.
The sun sank slowly, and dusk began to fall.
A few crows cawed from a factory building in the distance.
Ning Rongrong shivered and edged closer to Lin Mo.
"Let's go," Lin Mo said. "We'll head back."
The two of them turned and walked out.
When they reached the entrance, Ning Rongrong suddenly stopped and looked back at the ruins.
In the sunset's afterglow, the pile of construction debris, the few dilapidated factory buildings, and the rusted steel frames were all gilded in dark red.
She suddenly asked, "Are we coming back tomorrow?"
Lin Mo nodded. "Yes."
Ning Rongrong murmured in acknowledgment and turned to keep walking.
After a few steps, she suddenly reached out and tugged at Lin Mo's sleeve.
Lin Mo looked down at her.
She didn't look up. She just held on to his sleeve and said softly,
"That Martial Soul Fusion... let's keep practicing tomorrow."
Lin Mo blinked, then nodded.
The two of them walked into the night.
Behind them, the ruins were quiet, as if nothing had ever happened.
But Lin Mo knew there were still two days to go.
The real battle would begin in two days.
He glanced down at the sleeve of his right arm. Ning Rongrong was still holding it; she hadn't let go.
Never mind.
Let's go home and eat first.
When they got back to the studio, Ning Rongrong had indeed washed the dishes.
After she finished, she sat on the sofa and suddenly asked, "What's Huyan Li's weakness?"
Lin Mo thought about the information the system had given him. "He's slow. Strong, but slow to react."
Ning Rongrong nodded, mulling it over.
After a few seconds, she suddenly said, "Then we can do this—"
Just as she was about to continue, the system's light screen suddenly popped up.
Before you continue