The Soto Great Soul Arena's registration office was brightly lit. Lin Mo stood before the counter and handed over the false identity documents Grandmaster had prepared in advance. The receptionist was a heavily made-up woman. She took them and glanced over them. "Dragon Mastiff? That's a pretty direct name."
"Mm." Lin Mo's face remained expressionless. Dragon Mastiff—an abbreviation of Chaos Dragon Mastiff. Simple and blunt, and unlikely to invite speculation.
"Twelve years old, Soul Power Level thirty-four, Battle Soul Master." The woman entered the information into the system, then looked up at him. "Thirty-four at twelve? Little brother, are you sure you didn't make a mistake?"
"I'm sure."
The woman shrugged and handed him an iron plaque. "This is your tournament token. Newcomers have to start in Bronze Soul Fighter matches and rack up wins to rank up. There are a few Bronze Soul Fighter matches tonight. Want to sign up?"
"Sign me up."
"Solo or team match?"
"Solo."
The woman wrote a few lines in the register. "Arena Seven, ninth match. Your opponent's an Iron Soul Fighter, level thirty-one, with an Iron-Back Wolf Martial Soul. You're facing an Iron Soul Fighter in your first match? Are you sure?"
"I'm sure."
Lin Mo took the plaque and turned toward the waiting area. He needed real combat—not to win, but to further fuse his Martial Soul under pressure. Grandmaster had said that the only way to reconcile the conflicting attributes inside him was through combat, like two rusty pieces of iron that could only be forged into one through repeated hammering.
Quite a few people were already seated in the waiting area. Soul Masters in all sorts of strange outfits sat in groups of two and three; some were sharpening their weapons, while others rested with their eyes closed. Lin Mo found a corner seat and closed his eyes.
A system notification appeared:
[Soto Great Soul Arena: First Match] [Requirement: Increase Martial Soul Fusion to 70% within three matches] [Current Fusion: 65%] [Reward: Evolution Points ×100, Soul Power Projection technique unlocked] [Failure: No penalty, but stalled fusion will affect absorption of the fourth Soul Ring]
Fusion at 65%—the three attributes within his body were barely coexisting peacefully, but they were still far from truly fusing. Lin Mo needed more high-pressure battles to speed up the process.
"Match nine, Dragon Mastiff versus Iron Wolf!" a staff member called from the entrance.
Lin Mo rose and walked toward the arena.
Arena Seven was small, with room for two or three hundred spectators. But tonight it was nearly full—Suotuo City's residents were far more passionate about Soul Fighting than Nuoding's. By the time Lin Mo stepped onto the arena, a lanky young man in his early twenties was already standing opposite him. He had a vicious look in his eyes and a scar at the corner of his mouth.
"Twelve years old?" Iron Wolf looked him up and down and scoffed. "Does the Great Soul Arena let just any Tom, Dick, or Harry up there these days?"
Laughter rippled through the audience.
The referee paid no attention and raised his hand. "No restrictions, but killing is forbidden. Begin!"
Iron Wolf released his Martial Soul in an instant. The phantom of a massive gray-black wolf took shape behind him, and two yellow Soul Rings lit up. He was incredibly fast; right from the start, he turned into a blur and lunged at Lin Mo, claws aimed straight for his throat.
Lin Mo didn't move.
When the claws were three inches from his throat, he sidestepped, reached out with his right hand, and seized Iron Wolf's wrist. Then he twisted with the momentum—crack! The sound of bone breaking was as crisp as a branch snapping.
Iron Wolf screamed as his body twisted around. Lin Mo lifted a leg and drove a knee into his ribs. Two more cracks rang out. Iron Wolf flew from the arena like a torn sack, slammed into the barrier in front of the audience, and spat blood before passing out.
The entire arena fell silent.
The referee stared for three seconds before raising his hand. "Dragon Mastiff wins!"
The audience erupted.
"One move! Just one!"
"He didn't even release his Martial Soul!"
"A level-thirty-one Iron Soul Fighter got taken out in one hit? Who is this kid?"
Lin Mo lowered his hand and left the arena. A system notification appeared:
[First Match Victory, Fusion increased to 66%] [Evolution Points +20]
Too weak. An opponent like that wasn't even fit to warm him up. He needed a stronger opponent—at least a Soul Ancestor—to put real pressure on him.
"Wait!" A staff member hurried after him. "Mr. Dragon Mastiff, your next match is in an hour. Your opponent is—"
"No need to wait," Lin Mo said. "Just set me up with the strongest Bronze Soul Fighter."
The staff member swallowed. "The strongest Bronze Soul Fighter is Gray, the 'Blood Axe.' He's level thirty-nine, a Battle Soul Master, with a Blood Axe Martial Soul. He's won eleven matches in a row and will rank up to Silver Soul Fighter next month."
"I'll take him."
The staff member hesitated, then ran to find the supervisor. Ten minutes later, the news had spread: newcomer Dragon Mastiff had challenged Blood Axe Gray. The match would be held on the main arena in an hour.
The entire Great Soul Arena was in an uproar. It wasn't often that a newcomer challenged a powerhouse on an eleven-match winning streak. Betting opened in a flash, and Dragon Mastiff's odds were five to one. Almost no one thought he had a chance.
Lin Mo sat in the waiting area with his eyes closed. Someone sat beside him—a white-haired old man wearing the Great Soul Arena's staff uniform, with a "Tactical Advisor" badge pinned to his chest.
"Young man, do you know anything about Blood Axe Gray?" the old man asked.
"No."
"He's twenty-eight, level thirty-nine. His Blood Axe Martial Soul is a mutated weapon Martial Soul, and its attack power is thirty percent higher than that of an ordinary weapon Martial Soul. His style is simple—he opens with a Soul Skill, Blood Axe Strike. It has a five-meter range and enough power to cleave through iron armor. If you can't dodge in the first three seconds, you've basically lost."
Lin Mo opened his eyes. "Are you helping me?"
The old man smiled. "I just don't want to watch a one-sided match. Gray's won eleven in a row, and the audience is getting bored. We need a little suspense."
"Don't worry." Lin Mo stood up. "There'll be suspense."
An hour later, on the main arena.
The stands were packed, a sea of dark silhouettes. When Lin Mo stepped onto the arena, Blood Axe Gray was already waiting there—a two-meter-tall, brawny man with a shaved head and a face full of jowls. He gripped a two-meter-long great axe, its blade etched with blood-red patterns. Three Soul Rings revolved around him: two yellow and one purple.
"So you're the one who challenged me?" Gray grinned, showing several gold teeth. "Hey, brat, did you get weaned yet?"
The audience roared with laughter.
Lin Mo said nothing. He simply took his place and waited for the referee to announce the start.
"No restrictions, but killing is forbidden. Begin!"
Gray unleashed his first Soul Skill in an instant—Blood Axe Strike! Blood-red light surged across his great axe, forming a three-meter-long blade of crimson light that whistled toward Lin Mo!
This attack was far faster and more powerful than Iron Wolf's. Before the blade even reached him, the pressure had the arena floor creaking. Lin Mo didn't try to block it. He sidestepped, and the blade skimmed past his shoulder before cleaving into the arena and blasting open a two-meter-long fissure.
Gray's second swing was already on its way. His attacks flowed without pause, one axe strike after another, each trailing a blood-red afterimage. Lin Mo weaved through the shadows of the axe, dodging each strike by a hair's breadth, as if dancing on the edge of a blade.
The audience held its breath.
"Why's he just dodging? Why isn't he fighting back?" someone asked.
"He can't read Gray's attack rhythm. If he strikes carelessly, he'll just be throwing his life away," someone nearby explained.
Lin Mo was indeed watching. Gray's attacks were fierce, but they followed a pattern—after every three strikes came a pause of 0.3 seconds, the moment he needed to catch his breath. And every time he swung, his left ribs were exposed, because the strength of his right arm made his body tilt unconsciously to the right.
The third round of attacks ended. The moment Gray paused to catch his breath—
Lin Mo moved.
He didn't release his Martial Soul. He simply lashed out with a side kick toward Gray's left ribs. Gray's expression changed, and he barely managed to turn and block—thud! The impact sent him stumbling back three steps, his left arm numb.
"You—" Gray's eyes widened. A twelve-year-old kid, without even releasing his Martial Soul, had kicked him back three steps?
Lin Mo gave him no time to react and closed in. Fists, elbows, knees, and legs rained down like a violent storm. None of the blows were fatal, but each one struck a vital point on Gray's body—the temples, throat, chest, and ribs. These were the most vulnerable parts of the human body; even without Soul Power, a solid hit could instantly take someone out of the fight.
Gray was driven back step by step, his Blood Axe swinging more and more wildly. His Soul Skills required time to charge, but Lin Mo gave him no chance to do so. Within three seconds, Gray was forced to the edge of the arena.
"Enough!" Gray roared. His third Soul Skill erupted—blood-red light surged from his entire body, forming a barrier that knocked Lin Mo away. It was his life-saving skill, Blood Axe Protection, which could repel any close-range attack.
Lin Mo was sent flying three meters and slid a step when he landed. Gray seized the opportunity to raise his Blood Axe and unleash his second and third Soul Skills at once—Blood Axe Strike and Blood Axe Protection, offense and defense in one. This was his ultimate move.
The blood-red blade came crashing down, twice as large as before!
Lin Mo finally got serious.
He didn't release his Martial Soul, but he did use a Soul Skill—[Dragon Claw: Void Breaker]. His right hand curled into a claw, dark golden light gathering at his fingertips. Five claw marks coalesced into a single blade of light, and he slashed it head-on toward the crimson blade!
Boom!
The two blades of light collided. The blast of air sent a huge section of the arena floor flying. Ordinary spectators in the stands were knocked off their feet by the shock wave, and screams rang out all around.
When the dust cleared, Lin Mo stood where he had been. A little dust clung to his clothes, but he hadn't taken a single step back.
Gray was on one knee, using the Blood Axe embedded in the arena to support himself as he gasped for air. His Soul Power was spent, and the backlash from his third Soul Skill left him trembling all over.
"What...what kind of monster are you?" Gray looked up, his eyes full of unwillingness to accept defeat.
Lin Mo didn't answer. He turned and walked off the arena.
The referee raised his hand. "Dragon Mastiff wins!"
The entire arena erupted. Five-to-one odds, a newcomer challenging a powerhouse on an eleven-match winning streak, and a complete victory without releasing his Martial Soul—those things were enough to make everyone remember the name "Dragon Mastiff."
A system notification appeared:
[Second Match Victory, Fusion increased to 68%] [Evolution Points +30] [Hidden Achievement Triggered: Defeat an opponent above level thirty without releasing your Martial Soul] [Reward: Soul Power Projection technique unlocked] [Soul Power Projection: Condense Soul Power over the body into armor or a weapon, increasing defense and attack power. Consumes Soul Power while active]
When Lin Mo returned to the waiting area, the white-haired old man appeared again.
"Spectacular." The old man applauded. "Defeating a level-thirty-nine Battle Soul Master without releasing your Martial Soul—I've lived for sixty years, and this is the first time I've seen it."
"He relied too much on his Soul Skills," Lin Mo said. "Once they were suppressed, he had no other options."
The old man nodded. "You hit the nail on the head. A lot of Soul Masters rely too heavily on their Soul Skills and neglect basic combat skills. But you're different—your fighting skills are deadlier than your Soul Skills."
He handed Lin Mo a business card. "I'm a tactical advisor at the Great Soul Arena, and a visiting teacher at Shrek Academy. Would you be interested in studying at Shrek Academy?"
Lin Mo took the card—Li Yusong, Shrek Academy, Teacher.
"I'll go next year," Lin Mo said.
Li Yusong's eyes lit up. "You know about Shrek?"
"I've heard people mention it."
"Good. See you next year." Li Yusong stood up and walked a few steps, then turned back. "By the way, your performance tonight has already caught some people's attention. Suotuo City isn't like Nuoding. It's a mixed bag, so be careful."
Lin Mo nodded. He knew who Li Yusong meant—the Spirit Hall Branch in Suotuo City, as well as the forces that specialized in "scouting talent" at the Soul Fighting Arena.
That night, Lin Mo didn't return to Nuoding. He stayed at an inn near the Great Soul Arena.
While cultivating around midnight, a system notification suddenly appeared:
[High-energy reaction detected nearby, distance: 300 meters, moving] [Energy profile: Standard Spirit Hall deacon configuration, Soul Power Level forty-two]
Lin Mo opened his eyes and went to the window. In the moonlight, two people in black robes stood in the alley across from the inn, looking in his direction. One of them held a disc-shaped Soul Tool with a blinking light on it.
A tracking Soul Tool.
Lin Mo frowned. Spirit Hall had found him sooner than he'd expected. They had come for him only a few hours after he'd revealed his strength at the Soul Fighting Arena.
He put on his coat, climbed out through the inn's back window, and vanished into the night.
The two men in black robes waited in the alley for ten minutes. When they realized something was wrong, they rushed into his room at the inn—but he was already gone.
"He escaped." One of the men in black robes gritted his teeth. "Notify the branch. The target is highly alert."
The other man looked at the tracking Soul Tool in his hand. "The signal's gone. He masked his Soul Power fluctuations."
"How is that possible? He's only level thirty-four. How could he mask his Soul Power from detection?"
"I don't know. But that's what happened."
The two men exchanged a glance, both looking grim.
Lin Mo made his way through the back alleys of Suotuo City for half an hour. Only after confirming that no one was following him did he stop.
A system notification appeared:
[Counter-surveillance skill automatically activated, Soul Power detection successfully masked] [Spirit Hall tracking team has lost the target] [New Quest Triggered: The Shadow of Spirit Hall] [Requirement: Complete at least ten Soul Fighting Arena matches while under Spirit Hall's continuous surveillance without having your identity exposed] [Reward: Evolution Points ×200, Disguise skill upgraded (can simulate ordinary Martial Souls)] [Failure: Identity exposed, triggering the 'Hunt' event]
Ten matches without being identified.
Lin Mo leaned against the wall and considered his options. Spirit Hall had already set its sights on him. Although the alias "Dragon Mastiff" was safe for now, if he continued competing at the Soul Fighting Arena, they would eventually investigate him thoroughly. By then, the form of his Chaos Dragon Mastiff Martial Soul and the records of his three thousand-year Soul Rings would all be exposed.
He had to change his strategy.
After thinking it over, he decided that starting tomorrow, he would use Disguise during matches at the Soul Fighting Arena—not releasing his Martial Soul, using only some of his Soul Skills, and deliberately suppressing the colors of his Soul Rings so outsiders would see them as ordinary Hundred-Year Soul Rings.
With the counter-surveillance and Disguise skills working together, he should be able to fool most people.
As for Spirit Hall...
Lin Mo took out the Haotian Order Tang Hao had given him. If things really reached the point of no return, this would be his last card.
Early the next morning, he returned to Nuoding Academy.
After hearing about his experience in Suotuo City, Grandmaster's expression turned grim. "Spirit Hall acted faster than I expected. You'll have to be more careful in your next matches."
"I know. So I've decided to compete less often, no more than twice a week. And I'll only fight on the main arena, not the smaller ones—the main arena has more spectators, which actually makes it easier to hide my identity."
Grandmaster nodded. "That's the right idea. The more openly you act, the less suspicious you'll seem. Also—"
He took a thick handwritten manuscript from the bookshelf. "This is my collection of theories on Martial Soul Disguise. How to alter the color of a Soul Ring by adjusting the frequency of your Soul Power output, how to simulate the Soul Power fluctuations of different Martial Souls. Take it and study it. Master it within three days."
Lin Mo took the manuscript and opened to the first page. It was covered in dense writing, diagrams, and formulas. Grandmaster's theoretical foundation really was profound; an ordinary Soul Master could never have written something like this.
"Three days?" Lin Mo looked up.
"Three days." Grandmaster's expression was impassive. "If you can't do it, don't go to Suotuo City."
Lin Mo said no more. He carried the manuscript back to his dormitory and began poring over it.
For three days, he didn't sleep a wink.
On the first night, he read through the manuscript once and more or less grasped the principles—the color of a Soul Ring depended on the frequency and wavelength of Soul Power output, and Soul Rings from different year ranges had specific frequency bands. If he could precisely control the frequency of his Soul Power output, he could make his Soul Rings appear whatever color he wanted.
On the second night, he began experimenting. He failed seventeen times in the first hour—every time he adjusted the frequency, the color of the Soul Rings flickered wildly, like a broken lamp. After five hours, he managed to suppress the deep purple of his third Soul Ring to a pale purple, making it look a thousand years old. After eight hours, he succeeded—the colors of all three Soul Rings were disguised as yellow, like Hundred-Year Soul Rings. Their output was stable, and there were no visible flaws.
On the third night, he practiced simulating the Soul Power fluctuations of other Martial Souls. The Soul Power fluctuations of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff were violent and ferocious, like a beast's roar. He needed to disguise them as those of an ordinary Beast Martial Soul—something like a wolf, tiger, or leopard. This was much harder than disguising Soul Rings, because Soul Power fluctuations were an essential trait of a Martial Soul. Forcing them to change would reduce the efficiency of his Soul Power circulation by more than thirty percent.
But he had no other choice.
Three days later, Lin Mo stood before Grandmaster and released his Martial Soul. Three yellow Soul Rings revolved around him. The Chaos Dragon Mastiff's phantom was blurred, and its Soul Power fluctuations were mild and steady. He looked like an ordinary Beast Martial Soul Soul Master.
Grandmaster watched for a long time, then nodded. "That'll do. There are still flaws, but ordinary people won't notice."
"Where are the flaws?"
"Your Soul Power fluctuations are too steady," Grandmaster said. "Ordinary Beast Martial Souls have subtle ups and downs in their fluctuations. Yours are too perfect, which makes them seem fake. But that will take time to polish. There's no rushing it."
Lin Mo committed this to memory. Over the following week, he cultivated Soul Power by day, practiced his Disguise at night, and went to Suotuo City to compete on the weekend.
During the first week, he fought twice and won both matches. His opponents were intermediate Soul Masters just above level thirty. He beat them without even using half his strength. Spirit Hall's people watched both matches from the sidelines and noticed nothing unusual.
In the second week, he fought two more matches and won both. One was against a Battle Soul Master at level thirty-eight. He deliberately made the fight look "grueling," then "narrowly won" in the end. The people from Spirit Hall recorded his match details and labeled him "a promising newcomer, but not a top-tier genius."
In the third week, then the fourth... After ten matches, Lin Mo traded his Bronze Soul Fighter badge for a Silver Soul Fighter badge, with a hundred percent win rate.
[Ten matches completed. Mission complete] [Rewards issued: Evolution Points ×200, Disguise skill upgraded] [Disguise skill upgraded: Can perfectly simulate the Soul Power fluctuations of ordinary Martial Souls; Soul Power cost reduced to 10%] [Current Evolution Points: 1240] [Martial Soul Fusion: 74% (exceeded the 70% target)] [Fusion breakthrough rewards: Conflict between the three attributes reduced by 30%; Soul Power circulation efficiency increased by 15%]
After ten matches, Lin Mo's Soul Power Level had risen from thirty-four to thirty-six. He was one step closer to his goal of reaching level fifty.
More importantly, after his Martial Soul Fusion reached 74%, the conflict between Earth Fire and Thunder had noticeably diminished. When he circulated his Soul Power now, the three attributes flowed much more smoothly through his meridians, no longer crashing about like they had before.
After examining his condition, Grandmaster wore a rare smile. "You've made tremendous progress. At this rate, you'll reach level forty within six months."
"Then we go to the Star Dou Forest to hunt my Fourth Soul Ring?" Lin Mo asked.
"Correct." Grandmaster unfolded a map. "I've marked the location of Dragon Valley. There are three true dragons there: a three-thousand-year-old Crimson Flame Dragon with a fire attribute; a three-thousand-five-hundred-year-old Frost Wind Dragon with dual ice and wind attributes; and a four-thousand-year-old Green Scale Poison Dragon with a poison attribute."
"Which one should I choose?"
"That depends on what you need," Grandmaster said. "Your Martial Soul has already fused with fire and Thunder. Adding ice or poison could make the clash between your attributes even worse. So I recommend the Crimson Flame Dragon. Its fire attribute shares the same origin as your Earth Fire Power, making it the safest to absorb."
Lin Mo considered this. "But if I can absorb the Frost Wind Dragon, my Martial Soul will have ice, fire, and Thunder all at once. It'll be more powerful."
"The risk will be greater, too," Grandmaster said sternly. "You've already suffered plenty from three attributes. You won't be able to handle four."
"I know. But I have the Dragon God Crystal. Once I absorb it, I should be able to resolve the problem of conflicting attributes."
Grandmaster fell silent for a while. "That's a gamble."
"Cultivation is a gamble in itself," Lin Mo said. "The safe path won't make you strong."
Grandmaster watched him for a long time, then finally sighed. "You're right. But we have to prepare for the worst. If you fail to absorb the Frost Wind Dragon, you could die."
"I won't," Lin Mo said. "I won't die."
Grandmaster didn't try to dissuade him again. He simply marked the Frost Wind Dragon's details on the map. "Then we'll choose the Frost Wind Dragon. But on one condition: you must reach level forty, and your Martial Soul Fusion must reach at least 80%. Otherwise, you'll obediently absorb the Crimson Flame Dragon."
"Agreed."
Over the next month, Lin Mo devoted all his energy to cultivation.
He studied theory with Grandmaster during the day, cultivated his Soul Power at night, and went to Suotuo City for matches on weekends. Life was as monotonous as a machine's turning gears, but his Soul Power steadily grew: level thirty-six, thirty-seven, thirty-eight.
His Martial Soul Fusion was rising, too: 74%, 76%, 78%.
Each breakthrough came with agonizing pain. The three attributes collided and fused inside him, like three hammers repeatedly forging a block of raw iron. Lin Mo gritted his teeth and endured it, never complaining.
Tang San saw it all but said nothing, quietly keeping him company as they cultivated. Xiao Wu became more serious, too. Lin Mo's desperate effort made her realize that the days of ease would soon be over.
Late one night, a month later, Lin Mo sat cross-legged on his dormitory bed, circulating his Soul Power to its limit.
Inside him, three energies—dark gold, crimson, and blue-violet—surged through his meridians like three dragons battling. He guided them toward his dantian, where a new barrier stood: the level-forty barrier.
Boom!
The barrier shattered.
Soul Power surged forth like a tide, forming a three-colored film of light over his body. His three Soul Rings spun wildly, their colors deepening by the moment. The First Soul Ring shifted from pale purple to deep purple, the Second Soul Ring from deep purple to purple-black, and the Third Soul Ring from purple-black to nearly black.
[Congratulations, host, on breaking through to level forty!] [Soul Power Level: 40] [Evolution Points +200] [Current Evolution Points: 1440] [Martial Soul Fusion: 81%] [Time remaining in the first stage of the Legacy of the Dragon God: 2 years, 8 months] [Fourth Soul Ring hunting target confirmed: Frost Wind Dragon · 3,500 years · Dragon Valley, Star Dou Forest]
Lin Mo opened his eyes and exhaled a mouthful of stale air. The breath condensed into frost in midair. It was the chill contained in his Soul Power, a byproduct of the collision between the Thunder Power of his Third Soul Ring and his Earth Fire Power.
"Level forty," he murmured.
Outside the window, the moonlight flowed like water.
From the direction of the Star Dou Forest came the faint howl of wind and snow.
That was the Frost Wind Dragon's territory.
Lin Mo clenched his fist. Light in three colors danced at his fingertips. In one month, he would set out on his journey.
This time, his target was a true dragon.
Before you continue