Li Fire

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

Adapting to the four-attribute form was more difficult than he had imagined. The conflict between Earth Fire and Frost was like two wild beasts trapped in a cage; the moment he relaxed his focus, they would tear at each other. Thunder fanned the flames in between, and Chaos Power barely maintained the balance, but every time he circulated his soul power, Lin Mo could feel a faint, stinging pain in his meridians.

Grandmaster had designed a brand-new training regimen for him—no longer pursuing rapid growth in soul power, but focusing instead on the balance of attributes.

"Your problem right now isn't a lack of power; it's a lack of control." Grandmaster stood on the training field, holding a clipboard. "The four attributes have formed four independent energy pools within your martial soul, and there are no effective channels for them to circulate between one another. What you must do is open up these channels."

"How do I open them?"

"Compression," Grandmaster said. "Compress your soul power to the extreme so that the four attributes have no space to conflict and are forced to merge. It's like putting four different colors of sand into a bottle and shaking it vigorously—after shaking for long enough, the colors will blend together."

Lin Mo did as he was told.

He sat cross-legged, drawing his soul power out from his dantian and circulating it through his meridians. The four attribute energies were like four rivers of different colors, running parallel without interference, but the moment they touched, they sparked violent conflict.

He gritted his teeth, forcibly pushing the four strands of soul power toward a single node—the Danzhong Acupoint in the center of his chest.

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

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

The third strand, Thunder Power, was blue-violet, manic and leaping, like lightning darting through clouds.

The fourth strand, Frost Power, was ice-blue, chilling and bone-piercing, like the winds of the polar regions.

The four forces collided at the Danzhong Acupoint—

BOOM!

Lin Mo felt as if a hole had been blown through his chest. The intense pain made him grunt, and blood seeped from the corners of his mouth. Four-colored light shone through his chest, burning several holes in his clothes.

"Steady!" Grandmaster's voice came from afar. "Do not resist, guide them to rotate!"

Lin Mo gritted his teeth, using Chaos Power as the main axis to make the other three forces rotate around it like planets. Earth Fire, Thunder, and Frost—three diametrically opposed forces were forcibly constrained into the same orbit, like three stars that both attracted and repelled one another.

Rotate, accelerate, and accelerate again.

The faster the speed, the fewer the conflicts. When the rotation reached its limit, the boundaries between the three forces began to blur—where crimson and ice-blue met, a purple glow appeared; where blue-violet and dark gold met, a silver-white glow appeared.

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

[Four-attribute fusion rate increased to 55%... 65%... 72%...]

[Current fusion rate: 72%]

[Meridian damage rate: 23% (within safe range)]

[Four Symbols Circulation passive effect enabled, soul power recovery speed increased to 50%]

Lin Mo opened his eyes and exhaled a breath of turbid air. The air current condensed in the air, first crimson, then ice-blue, and finally becoming transparent—the four attributes had completed a full rotation in that single breath.

"Did it work?" Grandmaster walked over.

"It worked." Lin Mo stood up. "Although it's still unstable, at least they won't tear at each other anymore."

Grandmaster checked the condition of his meridians and nodded. "The damage is within a controllable range. The next step is repetitive practice until the fusion becomes muscle memory."

Over the next month, Lin Mo performed four hours of attribute fusion training every day. The process was dull and painful—pressing the four forces together to rotate, pushing them to the limit, then releasing them, over and over again. Every time the training ended, he was soaked through, as if he had been fished out of water.

But the results were significant.

At the end of the first week, the fusion rate increased to 75%.

At the end of the second week, 78%.

At the end of the third week, 81%—already surpassing the best level of his 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, Thunder no longer caused trouble, and Chaos Power acted like a great river, carrying the three forces as they surged through his meridians.

[Task: Adapt to four-attribute form completed]

[Reward issued: Evolution Points x200, Skill Enhancement Stone x1]

[Current Evolution Points: 1440]

[Four-attribute fusion rate: 85%]

[Soul Power Level: 43]

The system popped up a new notification:

[Detected that the host has initially mastered four-attribute fusion, unlocking new ability: Attribute Conversion]

[Attribute Conversion: Can instantly switch the primary attack attribute during combat. Each conversion consumes a small amount of soul power, no cooldown time]

This ability was incredibly practical. When facing enemies with different attributes, he could switch to the attribute that countered them at any time—Fire counters Ice, Ice counters Fire, Thunder counters Wind, and Chaos Power counters all beast martial souls.

Lin Mo chose to enhance Thunder Dragon Might—this skill was highly effective against agility-type soul masters, but if he could further increase its range and damage, it would become a god-tier control skill on the battlefield.

[Thunder Dragon Might enhancing...]

[Enhancement successful!]

[Thunder Dragon Might → Thunder Domain]

[Effect: Releases a lightning domain with a radius of ten meters centered on oneself. All enemies within the range continuously take lightning damage, speed is reduced by 50%, and there is a 10% chance to fall into a paralyzed state, lasting for twenty seconds]

[Consumption: Soul power cost increased by 100%]

A ten-meter radius, fifty percent speed reduction, and a chance to paralyze—this was already a minor domain-type skill. Although the consumption was doubled, its value in team battles was immeasurable.

Over at the Soto Great Soul Arena, the reputation of "Dragon Mastiff" was growing ever larger.

Four matches in one month, all victories. His opponents had soared from the initial level 31 all the way to level 39, and even a level 40 Soul Ancestor who challenged him had been defeated in the third round.

The odds for "Dragon Mastiff" had shifted from the initial one-to-five to one-to-zero-point-eight—everyone was betting on him to win.

Members of the Martial Soul Hall attended every match without fail, sitting in fixed seats in the audience with notebooks in hand. Lin Mo deliberately suppressed his strength each time, making the matches appear "difficult"—intentionally taking a few hits, feigning exhaustion, and "narrowly winning" at the final moment.

His Disguise skill had reached a state of perfection. Three yellow soul rings, the fluctuations of an ordinary beast martial soul, and a mediocre fighting style—no one would ever link "Dragon Mastiff" to Lin Mo of Nuoding Academy.

But Grandmaster's worries had not diminished.

"Your disguise has fooled ordinary deacons, but it won't fool the experts." One evening, he called Lin Mo into his wooden hut. "Martial Soul Hall will eventually send someone of a higher rank to investigate. When that time comes, your disguise might not be enough."

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

"Growing stronger is not the only way out." Grandmaster took a letter from his drawer. "I have contacted Flender of Shrek Academy. He has agreed to accept you, Tang San, and Xiao Wu early. You can enroll next month."

"Early? Isn't the enrollment next year?"

"For a genius like you, the rules can be changed," Grandmaster said. "Besides, Shrek Academy is on the outskirts of Suotuo City, far from the eyes of Martial Soul Hall. You can cultivate more freely there."

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

"They are going together. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass requires higher-level guidance, and Xiao Wu also needs more systematic training. Nuoding Academy can no longer teach you anything."

"Fine. We leave next month."

Before leaving Nuoding Academy, there were still some matters to attend to.

Lin Mo first went to see Old Jack. The old man was already over seventy, his health far worse than before, and he had to lean on a cane to walk. He lived in a small hut on the edge of Holy Soul Village, relying on the charity of the villagers to get by.

"Lin Mo," Old Jack was overjoyed to see him, clutching his hand and refusing to let go. "I heard you've been doing very well at the academy? Good, good, good. Holy Soul Village has produced a dragon, a true dragon..."

"Grandpa Jack, I'm going to Suotuo City," Lin Mo said. "I might not be able to come back very often in the future."

Old Jack's smile stiffened for a moment, then he patted his hand: "Go, go. Young people should head out into the world. These old bones of mine can still hold on for a few more years; just come back and visit me once you've become a big shot."

Lin Mo reached into his robe and pulled out a money bag containing the prize money he had won at the Great Soul Arena—three hundred Gold Soul Coins.

"Grandpa Jack, take this."

Old Jack opened the bag, his hands trembling: "This, this is too much..."

"It's not," Lin Mo pressed the bag into his hands. "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 spoke at length. Things like "the ancestors are watching," "make something of yourself," and "don't forget your roots"... Lin Mo listened patiently, not interrupting once.

When he left Old Jack's house, the sky had already turned dark. He stood at the entrance of the village and looked back at Holy Soul Village—a dozen dilapidated wooden huts huddled crookedly on the hillside, like a group of weary old men leaning against each other for warmth.

Six years ago, he had woken up on this very road and become an orphan of Holy Soul Village.

Six years later, he was leaving this place to head toward a much larger world.

"I will return," he turned and strode toward Nuoding City.

The final preparation was to find Tang Hao.

Lin Mo found him in the blacksmith shop of Holy Soul Village. Tang Hao was forging iron, shirtless and drenched in sweat, his hammer striking the iron block as sparks flew in every direction.

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

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

"Hmm." Tang Hao continued to forge, his hammer striking with a rhythm as steady as a heartbeat. "Is Tang San going with you?"

"Yes."

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

"Protect him," he said, his voice raspy. "I am a useless father; I can give him nothing. But you can."

Lin Mo looked into Tang Hao's eyes—weary, weathered, yet still sharp. A Titled Douluo, one of the strongest beings on the continent, calling himself "useless." The contrast made his heart ache.

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

Tang Hao nodded and turned back to his forging.

As Lin Mo walked out of the blacksmith shop, he heard a faint, soft sigh from behind him.

The day of departure was clear and sunny.

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

The students and teachers of Nuoding Academy all came to see them off. Wang Sheng's eyes were red, and he struggled to keep from crying: "Lin Mo, don't you dare embarrass Nuoding when you get to Shrek!"

"I won't," Lin Mo patted his shoulder.

Su Yuntao also came, standing behind the crowd with a complex expression. A few months ago, he had tested a monster in that dilapidated Martial Soul Hall branch in Holy Soul Village, and now that monster was heading to a much larger stage.

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

Lin Mo waved at him.

The carriage slowly started, driving out through the gates of Nuoding Academy.

Xiao Wu leaned against the carriage window, watching Nuoding City grow smaller in the distance: "I'm actually a little reluctant to leave."

"We will return one day," Tang San said.

Lin Mo did not speak. He looked at the scenery outside the window—fields, forests, distant mountains; everything was so peaceful. But he knew that peaceful days were numbered.

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

And the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, the Dragon God Crystal, and that unknown existence slumbering in the depths of the Dragon Valley.

The road ahead was long and fraught with peril.

But he was not afraid.

"Grandmaster," Lin Mo poked his head out, "how long until we reach Shrek Academy?"

"Two days," Grandmaster said. "You can cultivate in the carriage during these two days. Do not waste your time."

Lin Mo retreated into the carriage and closed his eyes.

Soul Power circulated within his body, four types of elemental energy surging through his meridians. In the center of his chest, the Four-Color Wheel rotated slowly; with every revolution, the fusion of the four powers deepened.

A system panel appeared in his mind:

[Host: Lin Mo]
[Martial Soul: Chaos Dragon Mastiff · Four-Attribute Form (Earth Fire + Thunder + Frost)]
[Soul Power 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 Phase 1 (5%)]

Seven more levels until Level 50.

Two years was neither long nor short.

But Lin Mo knew that the real challenge had only just begun.

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

As well as the hunts by Martial Soul Hall, the opportunities at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, and the stage of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament.

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

The carriage traveled along the main road, the wheels grinding over gravel with a creaking sound.

Lin Mo closed his eyes and sank into cultivation.

Two days later, Suotuo City.

The carriage stopped in front of a dilapidated complex of buildings in the south of the city. The walls were mottled, the gate was crooked, and a sign at the entrance bore four characters:

Shrek Academy.

"This is it?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened. "This is called an academy? It's even more run-down than Nuoding!"

Grandmaster jumped off the carriage, expressionless. "The exterior is not important. What matters is the people inside."

Lin Mo jumped down and looked at the dilapidated gate.

When he read the novel in his past life, Shrek Academy was the starting point for the protagonist group, the place where the legend began. Now, he was standing here.

The system popped up a new notification:

[Entered new map: Shrek Academy]
[Triggered Main Quest: The Shrek Seven Devils]
[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, unlock hidden dungeon 'Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well']
[Failure: Permanently lose the opportunity of the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well]

The corners of Lin Mo's mouth curled up.

Champion of the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament—this was Tang San's achievement in the original work. But now, his path was different. He did not need to follow in Tang San's footsteps; he would walk his own path.

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

Pushing open the gate, he saw a worn-out training ground inside. Several youths were training—a tall, blond-haired boy was hitting a sandbag, a black-haired girl was practicing assassination, and a chubby boy was gnawing on a sausage nearby.

Dai Mubai, Zhu Zhuqing, Oscar.

The blond boy stopped his movements and turned to look over. His heterochromatic eyes lingered on Lin Mo for a second, and then he smiled.

"We meet again."

Lin Mo nodded. "We meet again."

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

Lin Mo gripped his hand: "I'm ready whenever you are."

The two hands clasped tightly, like some ancient ritual.

Tang San stood behind them, watching the scene with a thoughtful expression. Xiao Wu had already begun greeting Zhu Zhuqing, chattering away incessantly. Oscar leaned in and handed everyone a sausage: "Want one? Free samples."

Grandmaster and Flender walked out of the teaching building. Flender was a tall, thin middle-aged man wearing glasses, his smile as cunning as a fox.

"You've arrived?" He looked at Lin Mo, "I heard you're quite famous at the Soto Great Soul Arena?"

"It's alright."

"Then let's skip the small talk." Flender pushed up his glasses, "The entrance exam starts now. Your opponent is Dai Mubai. Win and you stay, lose and get out."

Xiao Wu was indignant: "How can you do that! Making someone fight the moment they arrive!"

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

Lin Mo smiled.

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

Dai Mubai's eyes lit up. He instantly released his White Tiger Martial Soul, and three soul rings rotated around his body—two yellow and one purple. His soul power was stronger than when they last met, at least level thirty-nine, just a step away from level forty.

"You won last time because of your Dragon Might suppression," Dai Mubai said. "This time, I won't be held down by you."

Lin Mo didn't speak; he released his Martial Soul.

Four soul rings rose from beneath his feet—purple, purple, purple, purple.

The entire field fell into a dead silence.

Flender's glasses nearly fell off: "Four... thousand-year soul rings?"

The sausage in Oscar's hand dropped: "What kind of monster is this?"

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

Dai Mubai froze for a second, then laughed: "Interesting."

He charged forward, the White Tiger Intense Light Wave condensing in his palms, transforming into a beam of white light that blasted toward Lin Mo!

Lin Mo didn't dodge. He raised his right hand, fingers splayed—

[Attribute Conversion: Frost]

Ice-blue soul power condensed in his palm, forming an ice shield. The White Tiger Intense Light Wave slammed into the shield, shattering into a sky full of ice crystals. Lin Mo was pushed back a step, but the ice shield remained intact.

Dai Mubai's second strike had already arrived. Using the cover of the explosion, he rushed in front of Lin Mo, his sharp claws aiming straight for the throat!

Lin Mo dodged sideways, his right hand gripping Dai Mubai's wrist while his left hand pressed against his shoulder—

[Attribute Conversion: Thunder]

Blue-purple electricity surged from his palm. Dai Mubai's entire body went numb, his movements stiffening for half a second.

Half a second was enough. Lin Mo used the momentum to twist and threw Dai Mubai away. Dai Mubai flipped in the air and landed shakily, stumbling on his feet.

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

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

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

"You too."

Dai Mubai retracted his Martial Soul and turned to walk toward Flender: "He passed."

Flender looked at Lin Mo with a complex expression. He had been a dean for many years and had seen many geniuses, but a monster with four thousand-year soul rings and a four-attribute Martial Soul was a first.

"Passed," Flender said. "From today on, you are a student of Shrek Academy."

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

Grandmaster smiled, a rare sight: "I told you so."

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

"Passed," he said.

Xiao Wu rolled her eyes at him: "Duh, if you didn't pass, who would?"

Tang San looked at Lin Mo's four purple soul rings, deep in thought: "Is your fourth soul ring ice-attributed? You didn't have that back in Nuoding."

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

Tang San nodded and didn't ask further. But as he pushed his Purple Demon Eye to its limit, he saw more—four types of elemental energy circulating within Lin Mo's body, and a dark golden light slowly rotating in his chest. The aura of that light made even his Mysterious Heaven Skill feel a hint of trepidation.

The Shrek Seven Devils, assembled.

A new chapter had begun.

Lin Mo stood on the dilapidated training ground, sunlight filtering through the clouds and casting mottled shadows on the ground.

In the distance, the silhouette of Suotuo City loomed. Further away, in the direction of the Star Dou Forest, thunder rumbled.

He clenched his fist, four-colored light dancing at his fingertips.

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

The road ahead was long, but he was not afraid.

Because he was not alone.

"Let's go." He turned around. "It's time for training."

A system prompt popped up:

[Shrek Academy enrollment complete]

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

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

[Countdown to Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament: One year and ten months]

[Suggestion: In the upcoming training, raise Soul Power Level to above 50 to prepare for the fifth soul ring]

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

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

"Let's go."

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

Tang San watched from the side, silently recording the combat data of the two. Xiao Wu and Zhu Zhuqing began to spar, while Oscar cheered them on from the sidelines.

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

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

"It's not enough," Grandmaster said. "Martial Soul Hall won't give them much time."

"Then we shall make them stronger."

Grandmaster nodded, opened his notebook, and began to draft a new training plan.

Sunlight spilled over the dilapidated school buildings of Shrek Academy and onto the youths sweating profusely on the training field.

A new legend was being written.

(Volume One: Nuoding Awakening - End)

[Volume One complete]

[Cumulative Evolution Points earned: 1840]

[Current Evolution Points: 1440 (400 consumed)]

[Martial Soul Evolution progress: 78%]

[Soul Power Level: 43]

[Next volume preview: The monsters of Shrek, the bloody storms of the Soto Great Soul Arena, the opportunities at the Ice and Fire Yin-Yang Well, and the prelude to the Continental Advanced Soul Master Academy Elite Tournament—Volume Two: Monster Concentration Camp, is about to begin]