The Notting Storm

The Nuoding Academy work-study dormitory was an old, two-story wooden building.

The wall plaster was peeling, and the floorboards creaked with every step. Seven beds were crammed into the room like sardines in a tin. The air was thick with a strange, pungent mix of mold and sweat.

Wang Sheng lay on the floor, bruised and bloodied, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth.

Three other work-study students huddled in the corner, trembling.

Opposite them stood three youths in silk clothing, arms crossed, sneering. The golden-haired boy leading them was Xiao Chenyu, son of the city guard captain. Two yellow spirit rings rotated beneath his feet—a level twelve Spirit Master with an Iron-Armored Bear spirit.

"Work-study students should know their place." Xiao Chenyu stepped on Wang Sheng's hand, grinding it down with force. "This month's protection fee is doubled. Two Gold Soul Coins each. If you can't pay by tomorrow..."

He leaned down and patted Wang Sheng's face: "I'll break one of your legs."

The door was pushed open.

Lin Mo and Tang San walked in, arriving just in time to witness the scene.

"Newbies?" Xiao Chenyu raised an eyebrow. "Do you know the rules? One Gold Soul Coin per person, per month, or..."

He pointed at Wang Sheng on the floor: "You end up like this piece of trash, carried out."

Tang San's brows furrowed slightly, his right hand quietly reaching toward his waist.

Lin Mo said nothing.

He walked to the empty bed in the corner and set down his tattered bundle. His movements were slow and deliberate, as if he hadn't seen anyone else in the room.

"Hey! I'm talking to you!" One of the lackeys grew angry and reached out to grab Lin Mo's shoulder.

Before his hand could make contact, his wrist was caught and locked.

Lin Mo didn't even turn his head; he simply flipped and twisted his wrist.

Snap!

A crisp sound of bone fracturing echoed. The lackey shrieked and fell to his knees, his wrist bent at an unnatural angle.

Xiao Chenyu's expression shifted: "You're courting death!"

The phantom of an Iron-Armored Bear manifested behind him. His first spirit ring lit up, his bear paw swelling in size as he swung it toward the back of Lin Mo's head with a whistling wind!

If that strike landed, it would kill or cripple him.

Lin Mo finally turned around.

He didn't summon his spirit; he simply sidestepped the strike and lashed out with a whip kick to Xiao Chenyu's ribs. The movement was clean and precise, as if practiced a thousand times over.

Bang!

Xiao Chenyu flew backward, crashing through two beds and sending wood splinters flying.

"Y-you dare to fight back?!" The remaining lackey retreated in terror, his legs shaking.

Only then did Lin Mo slowly summon his spirit.

Dark golden flames ignited beneath his feet, and the phantom of a Chaos Dragon Mastiff coalesced behind him, letting out a silent roar—yet everyone felt their hearts clench in terror. Immediately following, a deep, profound purple spirit ring rose.

The purple light illuminated half the dormitory.

"P-purple... a thousand-year spirit ring?!" The lackey collapsed to the floor, his pants dampening.

Xiao Chenyu scrambled up, stunned at the sight of the purple ring. His father was a level thirty-eight Spirit Elder, and even his third spirit ring was only a thousand-year one. Just how old was this kid?!

"Get out." Lin Mo spat out the word.

The three of them scrambled away, not even daring to utter a parting threat.

Wang Sheng struggled to his feet, clutching his chest as he coughed: "Th-thank you... but they belong to the Xiao family; they have great influence in Nuoding City. You hit Xiao Chenyu, his father won't let this go..."

"It's fine." Lin Mo waved his hand and began making his bed.

Tang San looked at Lin Mo's spirit ring, thoughtful: "The age of your spirit ring exceeds all logic."

"Just lucky," Lin Mo said.

"It's not luck," Tang San shook his head. "A six-year-old body cannot withstand the energy of a four-hundred-year spirit ring. Unless..."

He didn't finish his sentence.

The two had just finished tidying their beds when the door was pushed open again.

A pretty little girl walked in.

She had short, ear-length pink hair and eyes so large and watery they seemed to speak. Her face was delicate, and she wore clothes that were patched but spotlessly clean. She carried a small bundle in her hand, looking around the room with curiosity.

"Hello everyone, my name is Xiao Wu, the 'Wu' for dance."

Wang Sheng hurriedly introduced the dormitory rules, but when he mentioned the "boss," Xiao Wu's eyes lit up: "Whoever can fight the best is the boss? That's simple."

She looked at Lin Mo: "Your spirit ring is impressive, but I'll only know your true skill after a fight."

Before Lin Mo could speak, Xiao Wu had already launched herself at him!

Her speed was so fast it left a blur! Her long leg whipped out like a lash, sweeping toward Lin Mo's neck!

So fast!

Lin Mo leaned back, the wind of her kick grazing the tip of his nose. Xiao Wu's second strike arrived at his face, her knee driving toward his chin. He raised his arms to block, and with a bang, he was forced back two steps—this girl's strength was absurd!

"Interesting!" Xiao Wu giggled, her offensive growing more urgent.

She unleashed her Soft Technique, her body moving as if she had no bones, attacking from all sorts of impossible angles. The dormitory was too small, and the tables and chairs suffered for it, shattering with a series of loud cracks.

Tang San observed from the side, his shock growing with every passing second.

Xiao Wu's Soft Technique was exquisite, every move imbued with clever force, targeting vital joints. But Lin Mo's combat intuition was even more terrifying—he hadn't used any soul skills, relying only on the simplest blocks and dodges, yet he predicted the trajectory of every attack and neutralized them with minimal movement.

It was like... like he was a veteran who had experienced thousands of life-or-death battles.

Finally, Lin Mo seized an opening.

As Xiao Wu performed an aerial flip-kick, her waist and abdomen were left exposed. Lin Mo closed the distance, his left hand gripping her ankle to pull her down while his right hand pressed against her shoulder.

"That's enough."

Xiao Wu struggled, but couldn't break free. She pouted, "You win. You can be the boss."

Lin Mo let go. Xiao Wu jumped up and brushed off the dust, showing no resentment. "What is your Martial Soul? It looks so fierce."

"Chaos Dragon Mastiff."

"Never heard of it," Xiao Wu blinked, "but it feels very powerful."

That night, after the dormitory beds were repaired, everyone went to sleep.

In the dead of night, Lin Mo opened his eyes.

A system interface appeared in the darkness:

[Defeat opponents of the same rank (3/3), mission complete]

[Reward: Evolution Points ×100]

[Current Martial Soul evolution progress: 15%]

[Consume 100 points to initiate the first evolution, proceed?]

"Initiate."

His internal Martial Soul suddenly boiled!

Dark golden flames seeped from his pores, forming a cocoon around his body. His bones felt as if they were being dismantled and reassembled, and a tidal wave of agonizing pain washed over him. Lin Mo gritted his teeth so hard his gums bled—he couldn't make a sound, couldn't let anyone discover him.

An hour later, the cocoon shattered.

Lin Mo felt the changes within his body.

His strength had increased by at least thirty percent, and faint scale patterns were visible beneath his skin, spreading from his forearms to his elbows. His soul power was more condensed, flowing through his meridians like mercury. Most importantly, a piece of information appeared in his mind:

[First evolution complete]

[Chaos Dragon Mastiff → Dragon Mastiff: Scale Armor Form]

[New talent: Scale Armor Protection (Passive damage reduction 20%)]

[Next stage evolution requirement: Level 30 + Dragon-type Soul Bone ×1]

He clenched his fist lightly.

The air popped with a sharp crack, like a small firecracker going off.

Under the moonlight outside the window, a black shadow stood silently on the roof, holding a wine bottle and looking toward the dormitory.

Tang Hao tilted his head back and took a swig, the liquor running down his chin.

"An evolutionary Martial Soul... the continent is going to be in chaos."

He turned and vanished, as if melting into the night.

Inside the dormitory, Tang San was also feigning sleep.

Operating his Purple Demon Eye to its limit, he vaguely saw the dark golden light on Lin Mo's bed and the scale patterns that appeared and vanished on his skin.

What exactly was the background of this roommate?

The next morning, the academy bulletin board was crowded with people.

Lin Mo squeezed in to take a look: the freshman practical assessment schedule had been posted, detailing the first round of matches.

His opponent: Xiao Chenyu.

Wang Sheng's face turned pale. "The young master of the Xiao family... Lin Mo, why don't you just forfeit? His father is the captain of the city lord's guards; it'll be even more trouble if you win. Besides, he's level 15 and you're only level 11—that's a four-level gap..."

Xiao Wu curled her lip. "What are you afraid of? Just fight him! It's only four levels, and that guy looks like he just used medicine to boost his rank; he's all fluff."

Tang San looked at Lin Mo. "Are you confident?"

Lin Mo stared at the match schedule and suddenly smiled.

A system mission popped up:

[Practical Assessment: Win every match to take the title]

[Requirement: Do not use the evolution form, rely only on basic strength]

[Reward: Evolution Points ×300, Dragon Blood Crystal ×1 (can purify bloodline)]

He turned and walked toward the training grounds.

"Since you insist on delivering yourself to my doorstep..."

"Then I shall just have to break your legs."

Ten sparring rings had already been erected across the training grounds.

Xiao Chenyu stood on the third ring, arms crossed, his face etched with arrogance. His father had force-fed him a potion last night, stabilizing his soul power at the peak of level fifteen. He had even given him a stern instruction: beat him to death, and if he ended up crippled, the family would handle the consequences.

The referee struck the bell: "Ring three, Lin Mo versus Xiao Chenyu—begin!"

Xiao Chenyu immediately summoned his martial soul.

The phantom of an Iron-Armored Bear roared as two yellow soul rings flared to life. He activated his first soul skill, and his arms were instantly covered in an iron-gray horny layer, resembling a pair of metal gauntlets.

"Brat, I'll make you pay ten times over for what happened yesterday!"

He charged forward, throwing a punch aimed straight at Lin Mo's face.

Lin Mo did not dodge.

He raised his right hand, fingers splayed, and caught the punch with effortless ease.

BANG!

A shockwave erupted.

Xiao Chenyu froze—his full-force punch felt as if it had struck an iron wall, failing to move his opponent even an inch?

Lin Mo looked up, a flash of dark gold flickering in his eyes:

"My turn."