Li Fire

The day after returning to Nuoding Academy, Lin Mo threw himself into training.

Adapting to the Four-Attribute Form proved more difficult than he had imagined. Earth Fire and Frost clashed like two beasts trapped in a cage, ready to tear into each other at the slightest lapse. Thunder fanned the flames from the sidelines, while Chaos Power struggled to maintain the balance. Yet every time he circulated his Soul Power, Lin Mo felt a faint sting in his meridians.

Grandmaster devised an entirely new training regimen for him—not to pursue rapid growth in Soul Power, but to focus on balancing his attributes.

"Your problem now isn't a lack of strength. It's a lack of control." Grandmaster stood on the training ground, a record board in hand. "The four attributes in your Martial Soul have formed four separate energy pools, and there are no effective channels connecting them. Your task is to open those channels."

"How?"

"Compression," Grandmaster said. "Compress your Soul Power to the limit, leaving the four attributes no room to clash so that they can only fuse. It's like putting four different colors of sand in one bottle and shaking it hard. Keep shaking long enough, and the colors will mix."

Lin Mo did as he was told.

He sat cross-legged and drew Soul Power from his dantian, circulating it through his meridians. The energies of the four attributes flowed like four differently colored rivers, side by side. But the slightest point of contact sparked a violent clash.

Gritting his teeth, he forced all four streams of Soul Power toward the same point—Danzhong Acupoint, at the center of his chest.

The first stream was Chaos Power, dark gold, steady and weighty, like the pulse of the earth.

The second was Earth Fire Power, crimson, fierce and violent, like flowing magma.

The third was Thunder Power, blue-violet, frantic and darting, like lightning racing through the clouds.

The fourth was Frost Power, icy blue, bitterly cold, like the wind of the polar wastes.

The four powers collided at Danzhong Acupoint—

Boom!

Lin Mo felt as if a hole had been blasted through his chest. The agony forced a muffled groan from him, and blood seeped from the corner of his mouth. Light in four colors shone through his chest, burning several holes in his clothes.

"Hold steady!" Grandmaster's voice came from a distance. "Don't resist. Guide them into rotation!"

Clenching his teeth, Lin Mo used Chaos Power as the axis and set the other three forces spinning around it like planets. Earth Fire, Thunder, Frost—the three utterly opposed forces were forced into the same orbit, like three planets drawn together and repelled at once.

Faster, faster, faster still.

The faster they spun, the fewer clashes there were. When their speed reached its limit, the boundaries between the three forces began to blur. Where crimson met icy blue, violet light appeared; where blue-violet met dark gold, silver-white light emerged.

The Four-Color Wheel slowly took shape in Lin Mo's chest.

[Four-Attribute Fusion increased to 55%...65%...72%...]

[Current Fusion: 72%]

[Meridian Damage Rate: 23% (Within safe range)]

[Four Symbols Circulation passive effect activated. Soul Power recovery speed increased to 50%.]

Lin Mo opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of stale air. The breath congealed in the air, first crimson, then icy blue, and finally transparent—the four attributes had completed a full cycle within that single breath.

"Did it work?" Grandmaster walked over.

"It did." Lin Mo stood up. "It's still unstable, but at least they've stopped tearing into each other."

Grandmaster checked his meridians and nodded. "The damage is within controllable limits. Now you just have to practice over and over until the fusion becomes muscle memory."

For the next month, Lin Mo trained in attribute fusion for four hours every day. The process was tedious and painful—pressing the four forces together and making them spin, letting them go once they reached their limit, then starting over again and again. After every session, he looked as if he'd been hauled out of a river, drenched from head to toe.

But the results were striking.

By the end of the first week, his fusion had risen to 75%.

By the end of the second week, it had reached 78%.

By the end of the third week, it stood at 81%—already higher than the best he'd achieved with the three-attribute form.

By the end of the fourth week, the four attributes had formed a stable cycle within his body. Earth Fire and Frost no longer attacked each other, and Thunder had stopped causing trouble. Chaos Power was like a great river, bearing the other three forces as they surged through his meridians.

[Four-Attribute Form Adaptation mission complete]

[Rewards issued: Evolution Points ×200, Skill Enhancement Stone ×1]

[Current Evolution Points: 1440]

[Four-Attribute Fusion: 85%]

[Soul Power Level: Level 43]

A new prompt appeared from the system:

[The host has achieved a basic grasp of four-attribute fusion. New ability unlocked: Attribute Conversion]

[Attribute Conversion: In battle, the main attacking attribute can be switched instantly. Each conversion consumes a small amount of Soul Power. No cooldown.]

This ability was incredibly useful. Against opponents with different attributes, he could switch at any time to an attribute that countered theirs—fire countered ice, ice countered fire, thunder countered wind, and Chaos Power countered all Beast Martial Souls.

Lin Mo chose to enhance [Thunder Dragon Might]. The skill was highly effective against agility-type Soul Masters, but if he could further increase its range and damage, it would become a formidable crowd-control skill on the battlefield.

[Thunder Dragon Might enhancement in progress...]

[Enhancement successful!]

[Thunder Dragon Might → Thunder Domain]

[Effect: Releases a lightning domain with a radius of ten meters, centered on the user. All enemies within the domain suffer continuous lightning damage and have their speed reduced by 50%. They also have a 10% chance of being paralyzed for twenty counts.]

[Cost: Soul Power consumption increased by 100%]

A ten-meter radius, a 50% speed reduction, and a chance to paralyze—this was already a small-scale domain skill. Though its cost had doubled, its value in team battles was immeasurable.

Over at the Soto Great Soul Arena, "Dragon Mastiff" was becoming more and more famous.

Four matches in a month, all victories. His opponents' levels had climbed from 31 to 39, and even a Level 40 Soul Ancestor who challenged him was defeated in the third round.

The odds on "Dragon Mastiff" had shifted from five to one to 0.8 to one—everyone was betting on him to win.

Spirit Hall's people attended every match, sitting in their regular seats in the stands with notebooks in hand. Each time, Lin Mo deliberately held back, making the matches look a little more "difficult." He would let himself take a few hits, pretend he was running out of strength, and claim a "narrow victory" at the last moment.

His Disguise skill was already flawless. Three Yellow Soul Rings, the ordinary fluctuations of a Beast Martial Soul, and a mediocre fighting style—no one would connect "Dragon Mastiff" with Lin Mo of Nuoding Academy.

But Grandmaster's worries hadn't eased.

"Your disguise fooled ordinary deacons, but it won't fool an expert." One evening, he called Lin Mo into the wooden hut. "Sooner or later, Spirit Hall will send someone of a higher rank to investigate. When that happens, your disguise might not be enough."

"I know," Lin Mo said. "That's why I need to grow stronger faster."

"Getting stronger isn't the only way forward." Grandmaster took a letter from his desk drawer. "I contacted Flender of Shrek Academy. He agreed to accept you, Tang San, and Xiao Wu early. You can enroll next month."

"Early? Aren't they taking students next year?"

"Normally, yes. But the rules can be bent for a genius like you," Grandmaster said. "Besides, Shrek Academy is outside Suotuo City, far from Spirit Hall's eyes. You'll be able to train more freely there."

Lin Mo thought for a moment. "What about Tang San and Xiao Wu?"

"They're going with you. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass needs more advanced guidance, and Xiao Wu needs more systematic training. Nuoding Academy can't teach you anything more."

"Good. We'll leave next month."

There were still a few things to take care of before leaving Nuoding Academy.

Lin Mo went to see Old Jack first. The old man was already over seventy, his health much worse than before. He needed a cane just to walk. He lived in a small house on the edge of Holy Soul Village, scraping by on the villagers' charity.

"Lin Mo!" Old Jack was delighted to see him, grabbing his hand and refusing to let go. "I heard you've been doing well at the academy? Good, good! A true dragon has emerged from Holy Soul Village..."

"Grandpa Jack, I'm going to Suotuo City," Lin Mo said. "I probably won't be back very often."

Old Jack's smile stiffened for a moment, but then he patted Lin Mo's hand. "Go, go. Young people should get out and see the world. These old bones of mine can hold on for a few more years. Once you've made a name for yourself, just come back and visit me."

Lin Mo pulled a money pouch from his coat. It held the prize money he'd won at the Great Soul Arena—three hundred Gold Soul Coins.

"Grandpa Jack, take this."

Old Jack opened the pouch, his hands trembling. "Th-this is too much..."

"It isn't." Lin Mo pressed the pouch into his hand. "Holy Soul Village raised me for six years. This is only right."

Tears fell from Old Jack's eyes as he held Lin Mo's hand and talked at length. He said things like "May your ancestors protect you," "Make something of yourself," and "Don't forget your roots." Lin Mo listened patiently, not interrupting him once.

By the time Lin Mo left Old Jack's house, night had fallen. He stood at the village entrance and looked back at Holy Soul Village—little more than a dozen shabby wooden houses, huddled crookedly on the hillside like a group of weary old people huddling together for warmth.

Six years ago, he'd woken on this road, an orphan in Holy Soul Village.

Six years later, he was leaving, bound for a much wider world.

"I'll come back." He turned and strode toward Nuoding City.

The last thing he had to do was find Tang Hao.

Lin Mo found him in the blacksmith's shop in Holy Soul Village. Tang Hao was hammering iron, bare-chested and drenched in sweat. His hammer struck the metal, sending sparks flying.

"You're here." Tang Hao didn't look up. "I heard you're leaving?"

"I'm going to Shrek Academy next month."

"Mm." Tang Hao kept hammering, each strike steady as a heartbeat. "Little San's going with you?"

"Yes."

Tang Hao fell silent for a while, then set down his hammer and wiped away his sweat.

"Look after him," he said hoarsely. "I'm no use as a father. I can't give him anything. But you can."

Lin Mo looked into Tang Hao's eyes—tired and weathered, yet still sharp. A Titled Douluo, one of the most powerful people on the continent, calling himself useless. The contrast made his heart ache.

"I will," Lin Mo said. "I promise."

Tang Hao nodded, turned around, and resumed hammering.

As Lin Mo left the blacksmith's shop, he heard a faint sigh behind him.

The day they left was sunny.

Grandmaster hired a large carriage and loaded all their luggage into it. Lin Mo, Tang San, and Xiao Wu sat inside, while Grandmaster sat beside the driver to give directions.

The students and teachers of Nuoding Academy all came to see them off. Wang Sheng's eyes were red, but he stubbornly held back his tears. "Lin Mo, don't bring shame on Nuoding when you get to Shrek!"

"I won't." Lin Mo patted him on the shoulder.

Su Yuntao had come too, standing behind the crowd with a complicated expression. A few months ago, he'd discovered a monster in the shabby Spirit Hall Branch in Holy Soul Village. Now that monster was heading for a much bigger stage.

"Lin Mo!" he called. "Do your best!"

Lin Mo waved to him.

The carriage started slowly and rolled out through the gates of Nuoding Academy.

Xiao Wu leaned against the carriage window, watching Nuoding City grow smaller in the distance. "I'm going to miss it a little."

"We'll come back someday," Tang San said.

Lin Mo didn't speak. He watched the scenery outside the window—fields, woods, distant mountains. Everything was so peaceful. But he knew that the peaceful days wouldn't last much longer.

Shrek Academy, the Soto Great Soul Arena, Spirit Hall, Star Dou Forest...

And the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, the Dragon God Crystal, and the unknown being sleeping deep in Dragon Valley.

The road ahead stretched on without end, fraught with danger.

But he wasn't afraid.

"Grandmaster." Lin Mo leaned out. "How long until we reach Shrek Academy?"

"Two days," Grandmaster said. "You can cultivate in the carriage during the trip. Don't waste your time."

Lin Mo retreated into the carriage and closed his eyes.

Soul Power circulated through his body, the four attributes surging through his meridians. At the center of his chest, the Four-Color Wheel turned slowly. With every rotation, the four forces fused a little more deeply.

The system panel appeared in his mind:

[Host: Lin Mo]

[Martial Soul: Chaos Dragon Mastiff: Four-Attribute Form (Earth Fire + Thunder + Frost)]

[Soul Power Level: Level 43]

[Soul Rings: Purple (450 years), Purple (1400 years), Purple (2500 years), Purple (3500 years)]

[Soul Skills: Dragon Mastiff Fury, Earth Fire Dragon Breath, Dragon Claw: Void Breaker, Thunder Domain, Frost Wind Dragon Wings]

[Talents: Scale Armor Protection, Earth Fire Protection, Thunder Scale, Four Symbols Circulation, Attribute Conversion]

[Evolution Progress: 78%]

[Evolution Points: 1440]

[Special Items: Dragon God Crystal Fragment (requires Level 50), Black Dragon King Soul Bone (requires Level 60), Haotian Order (one-time use), Skill Enhancement Stone ×1]

[Quest Progress: Tang Hao's Entrustment (10%), Legacy of the Dragon God: Stage One (5%)]

He was seven levels away from Level 50.

Two years—neither long nor short.

But Lin Mo knew the real challenges had only just begun.

Shrek Academy, Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar, Ning Rongrong...and Liu Erlong, hidden behind the scenes.

Then there was the hunt by Spirit Hall, the opportunity at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, and the stage of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

Every step was perilous, and every step was an opportunity.

The carriage traveled down the main road, its wheels crunching over gravel with a creaking sound.

Lin Mo closed his eyes and immersed himself in cultivation.

Two days later, Suotuo City.

The carriage stopped in front of a run-down cluster of buildings in the southern part of the city. The walls were mottled, the gates crooked, and four characters were written on the sign outside:

Shrek Academy.

"This is it?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened. "You call this an academy? It's even shabbier than Nuoding!"

Grandmaster jumped down from the carriage, expressionless. "The exterior doesn't matter. What matters is the people inside."

Lin Mo jumped down and looked at the shabby gates.

When he'd read the novel in his previous life, Shrek Academy had been where the protagonist's group began, the place where their legend started. Now, he was standing here.

A new prompt appeared from the system:

[Entered new map: Shrek Academy]

[Main quest triggered: The Seven Devils of Shrek]

[Requirement: Become one of the Shrek Seven Devils and help Shrek Academy win the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament]

[Reward: Evolution Points ×500, unlock fifth Soul Ring hunting target, open hidden instance "Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well"]

[Failure: Permanently lose the opportunity at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well]

The corners of Lin Mo's mouth lifted.

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament championship—that was one of Tang San's achievements in the original story. But Lin Mo's path was different now. He didn't need to tread in Tang San's footsteps. He would walk his own road.

"Let's go," he said. "We'll take a look inside."

Pushing open the gates, they found themselves in a shabby training ground. Several youths were training—a tall, blond boy was punching a sandbag, a black-haired girl was practicing assassination techniques, and a chubby boy nearby was munching on a sausage.

Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar.

The blond boy stopped and turned to look. His mismatched eyes lingered on Lin Mo for a second before he smiled.

"We meet again."

Lin Mo nodded. "We meet again."

Dai Mubai walked over and held out his hand. "Welcome to Shrek. I lost to you last time, but I won't lose again."

Lin Mo shook his hand. "Anytime."

Their hands clasped tightly, like some ancient ritual.

Tang San stood behind them, watching thoughtfully. Xiao Wu had already started greeting Zhu Zhuqing, chattering away without pause. Oscar came over and offered everyone a sausage. "Want one? Free samples."

Grandmaster and Flender walked out of the teaching building. Flender was a tall, thin middle-aged man with glasses and a smile as sly as a fox's.

"You're here?" He looked at Lin Mo. "I hear you're quite famous at the Soto Great Soul Arena?"

"More or less."

"Then let's skip the chatter." Flender pushed up his glasses. "Entrance exam starts now. Opponent—Dai Mubai. Win and stay. Lose and get out."

Xiao Wu was furious. "What kind of rule is that? He's just arrived, and you're making him fight!"

Flender ignored her and looked at Lin Mo. "Do you dare?"

Lin Mo smiled.

He walked to the middle of the training ground and looked at Dai Mubai. "Come on."

Dai Mubai's eyes lit up. He released his White Tiger Martial Soul in an instant, and three Soul Rings revolved around him—two yellow and one purple. His Soul Power was stronger than it had been when they last met, at least level thirty-nine, just one step away from level forty.

"Last time you won because Dragon Might suppressed me," Dai Mubai said. "This time, I won't let you hold me down again."

Lin Mo said nothing and released his Martial Soul.

Four Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet—all purple.

The whole arena fell silent.

Flender's glasses nearly fell off. "Four... Thousand-Year Soul Rings?"

The sausage dropped from Oscar's hand. "What the hell is this monster?"

Zhu Zhuqing's pupils contracted, and she instinctively took a step back.

Dai Mubai froze for a second, then smiled. "Interesting."

He charged, gathering the White Tiger Intense Light Wave in his palm before firing a beam of white light at Lin Mo!

Lin Mo didn't dodge. He raised his right hand and spread his fingers—

[Attribute Conversion: Frost]

Ice-blue Soul Power gathered in his palm, forming an ice shield. The White Tiger Intense Light Wave slammed into it, blasting ice crystals through the air. Lin Mo was forced back one step, but the shield remained intact.

Dai Mubai's second strike was already upon him. Using the explosion as cover, he rushed in close, claws aimed straight at Lin Mo's throat!

Lin Mo sidestepped, caught Dai Mubai's wrist with his right hand, and pressed down on his shoulder with his left—

[Attribute Conversion: Thunder]

Blue-violet electricity surged from his palm. Dai Mubai's whole body went numb, and his movements locked up for half a second.

Half a second was enough. Lin Mo used the momentum to twist and throw Dai Mubai away. Dai Mubai flipped in midair and managed to land, but stumbled on his feet.

"Do you still want to fight?" Lin Mo asked.

Dai Mubai steadied himself and looked at Lin Mo, silent for a long while.

"You've gotten stronger," he said. "Faster than I expected."

"So have you."

Dai Mubai withdrew his Martial Soul and turned toward Flender. "He passed."

Flender looked at Lin Mo, his expression complicated. He had been dean for many years and had seen plenty of geniuses, but this was the first time he had encountered a freak with four Thousand-Year Soul Rings and a Martial Soul with four attributes.

"He passed," Flender said. "From today onward, you're a student of Shrek Academy."

He looked at Grandmaster. "This kid you brought is even more outrageous than you said."

Grandmaster actually smiled. "I told you."

Lin Mo withdrew his Martial Soul and walked over to Tang San and Xiao Wu.

"I passed," he said.

Xiao Wu rolled her eyes at him. "Obviously. If you couldn't pass, who could?"

Tang San looked at Lin Mo's four purple Soul Rings, thoughtful. "Your fourth Soul Ring has an ice attribute? You didn't have it back in Nuoding."

"I hunted it in Star Dou Forest. A Frost Wind Dragon, three thousand five hundred years old."

Tang San nodded and didn't ask anything else. But as his Purple Demon Eye reached its peak, he saw more—the energies of four attributes circulating inside Lin Mo, and a cluster of dark golden light slowly turning in his chest. The aura of that light made even his Mysterious Heaven Skill feel a hint of wariness.

The Shrek Seven Devils had assembled.

A new chapter had begun.

Lin Mo stood on the dilapidated training ground. Sunlight filtered through the clouds, casting mottled shadows across the ground.

In the distance, Suotuo City's outline appeared and disappeared. Farther still, thunder rumbled in the direction of Star Dou Forest.

He clenched his fist. Four colors of light danced at his fingertips.

The Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament, the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, the Dragon God Crystal, the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone...

The road ahead was long, but he wasn't afraid.

Because he wasn't alone.

"Let's go." He turned around. "Time to train."

The system prompt appeared:

[Shrek Academy enrollment complete]

[Shrek's Seven Devils quest updated: Become one of the Seven Devils (1/7)]

[Current members of the Seven Devils: Lin Mo, Dai Mubai, Tang San, Xiao Wu, Oscar, Zhu Zhuqing, Ning Rongrong (not yet joined)]

[Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament countdown: one year and ten months]

[Suggestion: Raise your Soul Power to level fifty or higher during the upcoming training to prepare for your fifth Soul Ring]

Lin Mo closed the system panel and walked toward the training ground.

Dai Mubai was already waiting for him. "Another round?"

"Sure."

The two clashed again, the shockwaves from their punches and kicks making the training ground tremble.

Tang San watched from the side, silently recording their combat data. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing began sparring, while Oscar cheered them on.

Flender and Grandmaster stood at the entrance to the teaching building, watching it all.

"This batch of students is stronger than any before," Flender said.

"Still not enough," Grandmaster said. "Spirit Hall won't give them much time."

"Then we'll make them stronger."

Grandmaster nodded, opened his notebook, and began drawing up a new training plan.

Sunlight fell on Shrek Academy's dilapidated buildings and on the boys sweating profusely in the training ground.

A new legend was being written.

(End of Volume One: Awakening in Nuoding)

[Volume One complete]

[Total Evolution Points earned: 1840]

[Current Evolution Points: 1440 (400 spent)]

[Martial Soul Evolution progress: 78%]

[Soul Power Level: 43]

[Next volume preview: The Shrek monsters, the bloody battles at the Soto Great Soul Arena, the opportunities at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, and the opening of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament—Volume Two: Monster Concentration Camp begins soon]