The First Soul Ring

It was a four-meter-long behemoth.

Dark red scales, like red-hot iron armor, covered it from head to tail. A single horn on its head curved like a blade, glinting with a cold light. A bone hammer covered in barbs dragged at the end of its tail. When it opened its mouth, fire surged deep within its throat.

A Century-Old Single-Horned Fire Lizard!

"Four hundred and fifty years!" Su Yuntao's face turned deathly pale. "Retreat! Retreat quickly!"

It was too late.

The fire lizard had already locked onto its target—Lin Mo, who was at the front. It kicked off the ground with its hind legs, pouncing faster than a wild wolf! As its blood-filled maw opened, a stream of crimson flame erupted, the temperature so high it distorted the air!

Su Yuntao was about to activate his first soul skill, but he saw Lin Mo move.

He didn't retreat; he lunged forward!

A wave of dark golden energy exploded around the boy! The phantom of a Chaos Dragon Mastiff flashed behind him, and he was propelled forward like a stone from a slingshot, sliding along the ground. The flames grazed his scalp, leaving the pungent smell of scorched hair.

Sliding beneath the lizard's belly, he thrust his sharp claws straight into its throat!

Screech—!

The sound of scales shattering was as piercing as tearing through sheet metal. The fire lizard let out a pained howl, a jet of blood spurting from its neck. It thrashed its head wildly, its horn sweeping sideways. Lin Mo let go and rolled away; the horn grazed his ribs, tearing his clothes and leaving a bloody gash on his skin.

Enraged, the fire lizard swung its tail, the bone hammer smashing toward Lin Mo's head!

If that blow landed, his skull would be crushed.

Su Yuntao's heart nearly stopped. "Dodge!"

Lin Mo didn't dodge.

He crouched, kicked off the ground, and instead of retreating, he lunged forward! The bone hammer slammed into the ground where he had just been, sinking half a foot deep and sending mud flying. Using the momentum, Lin Mo sprang up, flipped onto the lizard's back, and clamped his legs tight.

The fire lizard went mad, slamming into the nearby trees!

One, two, three! Trees as thick as bowls snapped in half. Lin Mo was shaken so violently his internal organs felt like they were shifting, and the taste of blood filled his mouth. But his hands didn't loosen; his ten sharp claws, like iron hooks, dug deep into the gaps between the scales and into the flesh.

Blood gushed out like a spring.

The fire lizard's struggles grew weaker. With a final mournful cry, it collapsed with a crash, kicking up a cloud of dust.

A purple soul ring rose from the corpse, rotating slowly.

Dead silence.

Su Yuntao's mouth hung open, unable to close it for a long time. He looked at the lizard's carcass, then at Lin Mo, who had just jumped off its back, his throat dry. "You... you killed a four-hundred-year soul beast with your bare hands?! Are you really six years old?!"

Tang San emerged from behind a tree, his expression complex.

He had seen it more clearly—every one of Lin Mo's movements had been devoid of waste. The dodging, the counter-attacks, the strikes to vital points—it was as if he had practiced them countless times. That kind of combat instinct was not something a child should possess.

Lin Mo sat down, gasping for air.

His right palm had been split by the recoil, the webbing between his thumb and forefinger a bloody mess. The wound on his left rib burned with searing pain. Yet, there was a light in his eyes—a light bordering on exhilaration.

During the fight, the system prompts had been flashing frantically:

[Absorbed Dragon Blood (trace amount), Martial Soul compatibility +5%]

[Killing Instinct activated, learned basic skill 'Rending Claw' (passive: attacks carry armor-piercing effect)]

[Soul ring ready for absorption. Proceed now?]

"Start," Lin Mo said in his mind.

The purple soul ring drifted over and merged into his body.

Boom—!

Violent energy exploded! It felt like molten iron being poured into his meridians. Lin Mo let out a muffled groan as patterns of blue-black scales flickered across his skin. His bones cracked and popped, as if being shattered and rebuilt.

The burden of a four-hundred-year soul ring on a six-year-old body was far too great.

Su Yuntao panicked. "This is madness! You aren't even a Soul Master yet; absorbing a four-hundred-year ring directly will make you explode! Stop!"

He tried to rush over to interrupt, but Tang San blocked him.

"Wait," Tang San stared at Lin Mo. "He... he can handle it."

The Mysterious Heaven Skill was running at its limit, and the Purple Demon Eye was active. Tang San could see it—there was a more ferocious power inside Lin Mo devouring the soul ring's energy, like a starving beast feeding. The level of that power far exceeded the soul ring itself.

A stick of incense passed, feeling like a year.

Lin Mo was drenched in sweat, blood seeping from the corners of his mouth. Yet he never screamed, only gritting his teeth until his gums bled.

Finally, the soul ring was fully absorbed.

The purple light receded, and a deep, profound purple soul ring rose from beneath Lin Mo's feet, rotating slowly.

Leaping over a century, he had absorbed a four-hundred-year soul ring directly!

Su Yuntao slumped to the ground, muttering to himself, "A monster... he really is a monster..."

Lin Mo opened his eyes.

The world was different.

His vision was clearer; he could see the veins on leaves thirty meters away. His hearing was sharper; he could hear the crawling of insects a hundred meters away. His strength had surged; he felt he could kill a cow with a single punch. Soul power surged through his meridians like a floodgate being opened.

[First Soul Ring acquisition successful]

[Soul Power Level: 11]

[Martial Soul Evolution progress: 15%]

[Reward issued: Exclusive Soul Skill 'Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff'--Upon activation, all attributes increase by 50% for ten breaths, accompanied by a deterrent effect (suppression power doubled against Soul Beasts/Beast Martial Souls)]

[New Quest: Join Nuoding Academy and defeat all challengers of the same level]

[Quest Reward: Evolution Points ×100]

Lin Mo stood up and flexed his wrists. His joints popped, filled with a sense of power.

He looked toward the deeper reaches of the northeast—on the system map, there was a golden marker: [Dragon Blood Concentration 68% · Unknown Dragon Bloodline · Status: Dormant].

But he wasn't strong enough yet.

"Deacon, let's head back," Lin Mo said.

"Good, good, good!" Su Yuntao was eager to leave this godforsaken place as quickly as possible.

The three of them began their return journey. On the way, they encountered a ten-year Mandala Snake; Tang San used his hidden arrow to land a sneak attack and absorbed the white soul ring. Su Yuntao was already numb—the children from Holy Soul Village this year were more outrageous than the last.

When they returned to the village, it was nearly dark.

Old Jack had been waiting at the village entrance, pacing back and forth like an ant on a hot pan. Seeing the three return, he rushed up and grabbed Lin Mo by the shoulders: "How was it? Are you hurt? The soul ring..."

Lin Mo didn't speak; he raised his hand.

A purple soul ring rose, glowing with a dim light in the twilight.

Old Jack rolled his eyes back and fell straight backward. Su Yuntao hurriedly caught him and pinched his philtrum. When the old man woke up, his first words were: "Purple... a thousand-year one?"

"Four hundred and fifty years," Lin Mo said.

"That's still terrifying enough..." Old Jack trembled, "A true dragon has emerged in the village... a true dragon..."

That night, an uninvited guest arrived outside the door of Lin Mo's dilapidated wooden house.

A man in a black robe carried a wine bottle, reeking of alcohol, his gait slightly unsteady. But those eyes were terrifyingly bright, like a wolf in the dark of night—it was Tang Hao.

"Kid," he spoke hoarsely, his voice like a broken bellows, "let me see that Martial Soul of yours again."

Lin Mo did not hesitate and summoned the phantom of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff.

Dark golden flames burned in the night, and the dragon's might permeated the air. The neighbor's dog was too scared to bark, and there was a flurry of flapping in the chicken coop.

Tang Hao stared at it for a long time.

So long that Lin Mo thought he had fallen asleep.

Suddenly, Tang Hao laughed, a sound as desolate as the north wind sweeping across a wasteland: "Good, truly good... this world, it's damn interesting."

He turned to leave, then stopped after a few steps without looking back:

"When you go to Nuoding City, be careful. Some people... cannot stand to see geniuses."

As his words faded, he vanished into the night.

Lin Mo frowned.

A system notification popped up abruptly:

[High-level existence 'Tang Hao' has taken notice, triggering a hidden event line]

[Event Quest: Under Tang Hao's observation, break through to level 20 within three months]

[Completion Reward: Unlock clue for second Martial Soul evolution form + Evolution Points ×200]

[Failure Penalty: Evolution progress reset to zero]

The night wind blew, carrying a chill.

Lin Mo retracted his Martial Soul and looked toward the direction of Tang San's house.

Behind that broken window, a pair of eyes was faintly watching him as well.