Dark Night Dragon Mastiff

The registration desk at the Great Soul Arena in Suotuo City was brightly lit. Lin Mo stood before the counter and handed over the forged identification documents prepared in advance by Grandmaster. The receptionist, a woman wearing heavy makeup, took them and glanced over: "Dragon Mastiff? That's a straightforward name."

"Mm." Lin Mo remained expressionless. Dragon Mastiff—short for Chaos Dragon Mastiff—was simple and crude, making it difficult for others to draw any specific associations.

"Twelve years old, rank thirty-four soul power, battle soul master." The woman entered the data into the system and looked up at him. "Twelve years old and rank thirty-four? Little brother, are you sure you didn't report that wrong?"

"I did not."

The woman shrugged and handed over an iron badge. "This is your entry credential. Newcomers must start from the Bronze rank and accumulate wins to upgrade. There are several Bronze-rank matches tonight; would you like to sign up?"

"I would."

"Individual match or team match?"

"Individual match."

The woman scribbled a few notes in the register. "Ring Seven, ninth match. Your opponent is an Iron-rank soul master, rank thirty-one, martial soul Iron-Back Wolf. You're taking on an Iron-rank soul master for your first match as a newcomer? Are you sure?"

"I am."

Lin Mo took the badge, turned, and walked toward the waiting area. He needed real combat—not for the sake of winning, but to allow his martial soul to further fuse under high-pressure conditions. Grandmaster had said that the conflict between his three attributes could only be smoothed out through actual combat; much like two pieces of rusted iron, they could only be forged into one through repeated hammering.

The waiting area was already filled with people. Soul masters in strange attire sat in small groups; some were polishing their weapons, while others sat with their eyes closed to conserve their energy. Lin Mo found a corner, sat down, and closed his eyes.

A system notification popped up:

[Great Soul Arena First Battle]
[Requirement: Increase martial soul fusion rate to 70% within three matches]
[Current fusion rate: 65%]
[Reward: Evolution Points x100, unlock soul power projection technique]
[Failure: No penalty, but stagnant fusion rate will affect the absorption of the fourth soul ring]

A 65% fusion rate—the three attributes barely coexisted peacefully within his body, but they were still far from true fusion. Lin Mo needed more high-pressure battles to accelerate the process.

"Ninth match, Dragon Mastiff versus Iron Wolf!" the staff member shouted at the entrance.

Lin Mo stood up and walked toward the ring.

Ring Seven was not large, capable of holding two or three hundred spectators. Tonight, however, it was nearly full—the residents of Suotuo City had a passion for soul dueling that far exceeded that of Nuoding. By the time Lin Mo stepped onto the ring, a thin, tall youth in his early twenties was already standing opposite him, his eyes fierce and a scar running along the corner of his mouth.

"Twelve years old?" Iron Wolf looked him up and down and sneered. "Does the Great Soul Arena let any stray cat or dog in these days?"

A burst of laughter erupted from the spectator stands.

The referee ignored them and raised a hand. "No restrictions on rules, but killing is prohibited. Begin!"

Iron Wolf instantly released his martial soul—the phantom of a gray-black giant wolf coalesced behind him, and two yellow soul rings lit up. His speed was immense; he turned into a blur the moment the match started, lunging at Lin Mo with claws aimed directly at his throat.

Lin Mo did not move.

When the claws were three inches from his throat, he turned sideways, thrust his right hand out to seize Iron Wolf's wrist, and twisted—crack! The sound of bone snapping was as crisp as a breaking tree branch.

Iron Wolf shrieked as his body was twisted around. Lin Mo raised his leg and delivered a knee strike to his ribs, resulting in two more snaps of bone. Iron Wolf flew out of the ring like a broken sack, slamming into the railing in front of the spectator stands, vomiting blood, and falling unconscious.

The entire arena fell into a deathly silence.

The referee stood stunned for three seconds before raising his hand. "Dragon Mastiff, winner!"

The spectator stands exploded.

"One move! Just one move!"

"He didn't even activate his martial soul!"

"A rank thirty-one Iron-rank soul master was taken out in seconds? What kind of background does this kid have?"

Lin Mo withdrew his hand and walked off the ring. A system notification popped up:

[First battle victory, fusion rate increased to 66%]
[Evolution Points +20]

Too weak. This kind of opponent didn't even qualify to help him warm up. He needed stronger opponents—at least at the Soul Ancestor level—to truly put him under pressure.

"Wait!" the staff member chased after him. "Mr. Dragon Mastiff, your next match is in an hour, and your opponent is—"

"No need to wait," Lin Mo said. "Arrange the strongest Bronze-rank opponent for me directly."

The staff member swallowed hard. "The strongest Bronze-rank... is 'Blood Axe' Gray, rank thirty-nine, battle soul master, martial soul Blood Axe. He has already won eleven matches in a row and will be promoted to Silver-rank next month."

"He will do."

The staff member hesitated for a moment before running to find the supervisor. Ten minutes later, the news had spread—newcomer Dragon Mastiff was challenging Blood Axe Gray, one hour later, on the main ring.

The entire Great Soul Arena was in an uproar. A newcomer challenging a powerhouse with an eleven-match winning streak was not a common occurrence. The betting odds opened rapidly; Dragon Mastiff's odds were one to five, and almost no one favored him.

Lin Mo sat in the waiting area, closing his eyes to rest. Someone sat down beside him—an elderly man with white hair, wearing the uniform of a Great Soul Arena staff member with a "Tactical Consultant" badge pinned to his chest.

"Young man, do you know the background of Blood Axe Gray?" the old man asked.

"I do not."

"He is twenty-eight years old, rank thirty-nine, and his martial soul, the Blood Axe, is a mutated weapon-type martial soul, with thirty percent more attack power than ordinary weapon-type martial souls. His fighting style is simple—he opens with his soul skill, Blood Axe Strike, which has a five-meter range and enough power to cleave through iron armor. If you cannot dodge it in the first three seconds, you have essentially lost."

Lin Mo opened his eyes. "Are you helping me?"

The old man smiled: "I just didn't want to watch a one-sided match. Gray has already won eleven in a row; the audience is bored. We need a bit of suspense."

"Don't worry," Lin Mo stood up, "there will be suspense."

One hour later, the main arena.

The spectator stands were packed, a sea of black heads. When Lin Mo stepped onto the stage, Gray the Blood Axe was already waiting—a two-meter-tall brute, bald, his face covered in thick flesh, gripping a two-meter-long giant axe with blood-colored patterns carved into the blade. Three spirit rings revolved around him—two yellow and one purple.

"So you're the one challenging me?" Gray grinned, revealing a few gold teeth, "Little brat, have you even been weaned yet?"

The audience roared with laughter.

Lin Mo said nothing, simply standing his ground and waiting for the referee to announce the start.

"No rules, no killing. Begin!"

Gray instantly unleashed his first spirit skill—Blood Axe Strike! A surge of blood-red light erupted from the giant axe, transforming into a three-meter-long crimson blade that whistled as it slashed toward Lin Mo!

The speed and power of this strike far exceeded Iron Wolf's; before the blade even arrived, the air pressure caused the arena floor to creak. Lin Mo didn't take it head-on—he sidestepped, the blade grazing his shoulder and carving a two-meter-long gash into the floor.

Gray's second axe followed immediately. His attacks were continuous, one after another, each trailing a blood-red afterimage. Lin Mo wove through the axe shadows, his dodges missing by mere millimeters, like dancing on the edge of a blade.

The audience held their breath.

"Why is he just dodging? Why isn't he fighting back?" someone asked.

"He can't see Gray's attack rhythm. Striking blindly is just asking for death," a bystander explained.

Lin Mo was indeed observing. Although Gray's attacks were fierce, they had a pattern—a 0.3-second pause after every three swings, the interval where he caught his breath. Furthermore, his left flank was exposed every time he swung because his right arm was so powerful that his body tilted to the right involuntarily.

As the third round of attacks ended, the moment Gray paused to breathe—

Lin Mo moved.

He didn't activate his martial soul, simply lashing out with a whip kick toward Gray's left flank. Gray's expression shifted, and he barely managed to turn and block—Bang! He was knocked back three steps, his left arm numbing.

"You—" Gray's eyes widened. A twelve-year-old kid, without activating his martial soul, knocked him back three steps with a single kick?

Lin Mo didn't give him time to react, closing the distance. Fists, elbows, knees, and legs—a storm of attacks poured down. None of the strikes were fatal, but each one landed on Gray's vital points—the temple, throat, heart, and ribs. These were the most vulnerable parts of the human body; even without spirit power, a hit could instantly incapacitate an opponent.

Gray was forced back step by step, his Blood Axe swinging more and more erratically. His spirit skills required charging, but Lin Mo gave him no chance to do so. Within three seconds, Gray was pushed to the edge of the arena.

"Enough!" Gray roared, his third spirit skill erupting—blood-red light surged from his entire body, forming a barrier that repelled Lin Mo. This was his life-saving skill, Blood Axe Protection, capable of deflecting all close-range attacks.

Lin Mo was pushed back three meters, sliding a step upon landing. Gray seized the opportunity to raise his Blood Axe, unleashing his second and third spirit skills simultaneously—Blood Axe Strike combined with Blood Axe Protection, offense and defense in one; this was his ultimate move.

The crimson blade slashed down, twice as large as before!

Lin Mo finally got serious.

He didn't activate his martial soul, but he used a spirit skill—[Dragon Claw: Void Breaker]. His right hand curled into a claw, dark golden light condensing at his fingertips, five claw marks coalescing into a single blade of light, clashing head-on against the crimson blade!

Boom!

The two blades collided, the explosive shockwave tearing up a large section of the arena floor. Ordinary spectators in the stands were blown off balance by the blast, and screams erupted everywhere.

As the dust settled, Lin Mo stood in place, his clothes dusted with grime, but he hadn't retreated a single step.

Gray knelt on one knee, his Blood Axe stabbed into the floor to support his body, gasping for air. His spirit power was exhausted, and the backlash from his third spirit skill left his entire body trembling.

"You... what kind of monster are you?" Gray looked up, his eyes filled with unwillingness.

Lin Mo didn't answer, turning to walk off the arena.

The referee raised his hand: "Dragon Mastiff, wins!"

The entire arena boiled over. A one-to-five upset, a newcomer challenging an eleven-win veteran, a flawless victory without activating a martial soul—these elements combined were enough to make everyone remember the name "Dragon Mastiff."

A system prompt popped up:

[Second battle won, synchronization increased to 68%]
[Evolution points +30]
[Hidden achievement triggered: Defeated an opponent above level 30 without activating martial soul]
[Reward: Spirit Power Projection technique unlocked]
[Spirit Power Projection: Can condense spirit power on the body surface to form armor or weapons, increasing defense and attack power; consumes spirit power continuously]

When Lin Mo returned to the waiting area, the white-haired old man appeared again.

"Brilliant," the old man applauded, "Defeating a level 39 battle spirit master without activating your martial soul—I've lived sixty years, and this is the first time I've seen it."

"He relies too much on spirit skills," Lin Mo said, "Once his spirit skills are suppressed, he has no other options."

The old man nodded: "You've hit the nail on the head. The problem with many spirit masters is an over-reliance on spirit skills, ignoring basic combat. But you are different—your combat techniques are more lethal than your spirit skills."

He handed over a business card: "I am a tactical consultant for the Great Soul Arena and a guest teacher at Shrek Academy. Any interest 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 of Shrek?"

"I've heard it mentioned."

"Very well, see you next year." Li Yusong stood up, then turned back after a few steps, "By the way, your performance tonight has already caught the attention of some people. Suotuo City is not like Nuoding; it's a mix of dragons and snakes. Be careful."

Lin Mo nodded. He knew who Li Yusong was referring to—the Martial Soul Hall branch in Suotuo City, and those factions that specialized in "scouting for talent" at the Great Soul Arena.

That night, Lin Mo did not return to Nuoding Academy, choosing instead to stay at an inn near the Great Soul Arena.

While cultivating in the middle of the night, the system suddenly popped up a notification:

[High-energy reaction detected nearby, distance 300 meters, currently moving]

[Energy signature: Martial Soul Hall deacon standard configuration, Soul Power Level 42]

Lin Mo opened his eyes and walked to the window. Under the moonlight, two figures in black robes were standing in the alley opposite the inn, looking in his direction. One of them held a disc-shaped Soul Tool, upon which light spots were flickering.

A tracking Soul Tool.

Lin Mo frowned. The people from Martial Soul Hall had arrived faster than he expected. He had only exposed his strength at the Great Soul Arena that evening, and within a few hours, someone had already tracked him down.

He put on his coat, climbed out of the back window of the inn, and vanished into the night.

The two black-robed men waited in the alley for ten minutes before realizing something was wrong and rushing into the hotel room—the person was already gone.

"He ran." One of the black-robed men gritted his teeth. "Notify the branch; the target has high vigilance."

The other black-robed man looked at the tracking Soul Tool in his hand: "The signal has disappeared. He masked his soul power fluctuations."

"How is that possible? He is only level 34; how could he possibly mask soul power detection?"

"I don't know. But that is the reality."

The two exchanged a glance, their expressions grim.

Lin Mo traveled through the dark alleys of Suotuo City for half an hour, and only after confirming no one was following him did he stop.

A system notification popped up:

[Anti-reconnaissance skill has been automatically enabled, masking of soul power detection successful]

[Martial Soul Hall tracking squad has lost the trail]

[New mission triggered: Shadow of the Martial Soul Hall]

[Requirement: Under the continuous surveillance of the Martial Soul Hall, complete at least ten Great Soul Arena matches without having your identity discovered]

[Reward: Evolution Points ×200, Disguise skill upgrade (can simulate ordinary martial souls)]

[Failure: Identity exposed, triggers 'Hunt' event]

Ten matches, without being identified.

Lin Mo leaned against the wall, pondering a strategy. Martial Soul Hall had already set its sights on him. Although the alias "Chaos Dragon Mastiff" was safe for now, as long as he continued to compete in the Great Soul Arena, he would eventually be subjected to a deep investigation. When that time came, the data regarding his Chaos Dragon Mastiff martial soul and his three thousand-year soul rings would all be exposed.

He had to change his strategy.

After thinking for a long time, he decided that starting tomorrow, he would use a disguise during his matches—he would not manifest his martial soul, would only use partial soul skills, and would deliberately suppress the color of his soul rings to make them appear to others as ordinary hundred-year soul rings.

With the anti-reconnaissance skill and the disguise skill working in tandem, he should be able to deceive most people's eyes.

As for Martial Soul Hall...

Lin Mo pulled out the Haotian Order given to him by Tang Hao. If things truly reached a point of no return, this would be his final trump card.

Early the next morning, he returned to Nuoding Academy.

After Grandmaster heard about his experience in Suotuo City, his expression turned ugly: "Martial Soul Hall is moving faster than I anticipated. You must be more careful in your upcoming matches."

"I know. That's why I've decided to reduce my frequency of participation to at most two matches a week. And I will only fight on the main arena, not the small ones—the main arena has more spectators, which actually makes it easier to hide my identity."

Grandmaster nodded: "That is a sound approach. The more open and above-board you are, the less likely you are to be suspected. Also—"

He took a thick, handwritten manuscript off the bookshelf: "This is my compiled theory on martial soul disguise. It covers how to adjust the frequency of soul power output to change soul ring colors, and how to simulate the soul power fluctuations of different martial souls. Take this and master it within three days."

Lin Mo took the manuscript and opened the first page—it was filled with dense handwriting, diagrams, and formulas. Grandmaster's theoretical foundation was truly profound; such material could never be written by an ordinary soul master.

"Three days?" Lin Mo looked up.

"Three days." Grandmaster said expressionlessly, "If you can't do it, don't go to Suotuo City."

Lin Mo said nothing more, hugged the manuscript, returned to his dormitory, and began to study.

For three days, he did not close his eyes.

The first night, he read the manuscript from cover to cover, gaining a general understanding of the principles—the color of a soul ring depends on the frequency and wavelength of the soul power output, and soul rings of different ages have specific frequency ranges. If one could precisely control the frequency of soul power output, one could make the soul rings appear in the desired color.

The second night, he began to experiment. In the first hour, he failed seventeen times—every time he adjusted the frequency, the color of the soul ring would flicker erratically, like a broken lightbulb. By the fifth hour, he had barely managed to compress his third soul ring from deep purple to light purple, making it look like a thousand-year ring. By the eighth hour, he succeeded—all three soul rings were successfully disguised as the yellow of hundred-year soul rings, maintaining a stable output without any flaws.

The third night, he practiced simulating the soul power fluctuations of a martial soul. The soul power fluctuations of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff were violent and fierce, like the roar of a beast. He had to disguise them as the fluctuations of an ordinary beast martial soul—such as a wolf, tiger, or leopard. This was much harder than disguising soul rings because soul power fluctuations are the essential characteristic of a martial soul; forcing a change would reduce his soul power efficiency 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 rotated around him, the phantom of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff was blurry and indistinct, and his soul power fluctuations were gentle and steady, looking exactly like an ordinary beast martial soul master.

Grandmaster watched for a long time before nodding: "That will do. Although there are still flaws, ordinary people won't be able to tell."

"Where are the flaws?"

"Your soul power fluctuations are too stable." Grandmaster said, "The soul power fluctuations of an ordinary beast martial soul have subtle undulations; yours are too perfect, which makes them seem fake. However, this requires time to refine; it cannot be rushed."

Lin Mo took note of this. For the following week, he cultivated his soul power during the day, practiced his disguise at night, and went to Suotuo City on the weekend to compete.

In the first week, he fought two matches and won both. His opponents were intermediate soul masters just over level thirty, and he won without even using fifty percent of his strength. The people from Martial Soul Hall observed both matches from the sidelines and found nothing unusual.

During the second week, he fought two more matches and won both. In one match against a level 38 Battle Soul Master, he deliberately made it look "difficult" before finally securing a "narrow victory." The people from Martial Soul Hall recorded his match data, labeling him as a "promising newcomer, but not a top-tier genius."

The third week, the fourth week... after ten matches were completed, Lin Mo's Bronze Soul Fighting Badge was upgraded to Silver, with a one hundred percent win rate.

[Ten matches completed, mission accomplished]

[Rewards distributed: Evolution Points ×200, Disguise skill upgraded]

[Disguise skill upgraded: Can perfectly simulate the soul power fluctuations of ordinary martial souls, soul power consumption reduced to 10%]

[Current Evolution Points: 1240]

[Martial Soul Fusion Rate: 74% (Target of 70% exceeded)]

[Fusion Rate breakthrough reward: Conflict between the three attributes reduced by 30%, soul power circulation efficiency increased by 15%]

After ten matches, Lin Mo's Soul Power Level also rose from level 34 to level 36. He was one step closer to his goal of level 50.

More importantly, after the Martial Soul Fusion Rate broke through 74%, the conflict between the Earth Fire and the Thunder had significantly decreased. Now, when circulating his soul power, the three attributes flowed much more smoothly through his meridians, no longer rampaging as they had before.

After Grandmaster checked his physical condition, he rarely smiled: "Great progress. At this rate, you will reach level 40 within half a year."

"And then go to the Star Dou Forest to hunt for my fourth soul ring?" Lin Mo asked.

"Correct." Grandmaster unfolded a map, "I have already marked the location of Dragon Valley. There are three true dragons there—a 3,000-year-old Crimson Flame Dragon, fire attribute; a 3,500-year-old Frost Wind Dragon, ice and wind dual attributes; and a 4,000-year-old Green Scale Poison Dragon, poison attribute."

"Which one should I choose?"

"It depends on your needs." Grandmaster said, "Your martial soul has already fused fire and thunder; if you add ice or poison, the attribute conflict will become even more severe. Therefore, I suggest choosing the Crimson Flame Dragon—it is fire attribute, originating from the same source as your Earth Fire power, making it the least risky to absorb."

Lin Mo thought for a moment: "But if I can absorb the Frost Wind Dragon, my martial soul could possess ice, fire, and thunder attributes simultaneously, making it much more powerful."

"The risk is also much greater." Grandmaster said sternly, "Three attributes have already put you through enough suffering; you cannot withstand four."

"I know. But—I have the Dragon God Crystal. Once I absorb the Dragon God Crystal, the issue of attribute conflict should be resolved."

Grandmaster was silent for a moment: "That is a gamble."

"Cultivation itself is a gamble." Lin Mo said, "The safe path does not lead to becoming a powerhouse."

Grandmaster looked at him for a long time before finally sighing: "You are right. But we must prepare for the worst—if the absorption of the Frost Wind Dragon fails, you could die."

"I won't." Lin Mo said, "I will not die."

Grandmaster did not try to persuade him further, only marking the Frost Wind Dragon's information on the map: "Then choose the Frost Wind Dragon. But on one condition—you must reach level 40, and your Martial Soul Fusion Rate must reach 80% or higher. Otherwise, you will obediently absorb the Crimson Flame Dragon."

"Agreed."

For the next month, Lin Mo poured all his energy into cultivation.

During the day, he studied theory with Grandmaster; at night, he cultivated his soul power; and on weekends, he went to Suotuo City for matches. Life was as monotonous as the operation of a machine, but his soul power grew steadily—level 36, 37, 38.

His Martial Soul Fusion Rate also climbed—74%, 76%, 78%.

Every breakthrough was accompanied by excruciating pain. The three attributes collided and fused within his body, like three hammers repeatedly forging a piece of raw iron. Lin Mo gritted his teeth and endured, never complaining.

Tang San saw it all and said nothing, simply accompanying him in his cultivation. Xiao Wu also became more diligent—Lin Mo's desperation made her realize that the days of ease were coming to an end.

Late one night a month later, Lin Mo sat cross-legged on his dormitory bed, pushing his soul power to the limit.

Inside his body, dark gold, crimson red, and blue-purple energies surged through his meridians like three giant dragons locked in combat. He guided them toward his dantian—there, a new barrier awaited, the barrier of level 40.

BOOM!

The barrier shattered.

Soul power surged out like a tidal wave, forming a tri-colored membrane of light on the surface of his skin. His three soul rings spun frantically, their colors deepening—the first soul ring shifted from light purple to deep purple, the second from deep purple to purple-black, and the third from purple-black to nearly black.

[Congratulations to the host for breaking through to level 40!]

[Soul Power Level: 40]

[Evolution Points +200]

[Current Evolution Points: 1440]

[Martial Soul Fusion Rate: 81%]

[Time remaining for the first stage of the Dragon God's legacy: 2 years and 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 breath of turbid air. The air current condensed into frost in the air—that was the cold energy contained within his soul power, a byproduct of the collision between the third soul ring's thunder power and his Earth Fire power.

"Level 40." He muttered to himself.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water.

In the direction of the Star Dou Forest, there was a faint howling of wind and snow.

That was the territory of the Frost Wind Dragon.

Lin Mo clenched his fist, the three-colored light dancing at his fingertips. In one month, he would embark on his journey.

This time, the target was a true dragon.