The Grandmaster's Trial

A punch was thrown.

No martial soul, no soul skill, just pure power.

Xiao Chenyu crossed his arms to block, pushing his Iron-Armored Bear defensive soul skill to the limit. The moment fist met arm, he heard his own arm bones emit a groan of unbearable strain—crack!

His entire body flew backward, tumbling off the arena and kicking up a cloud of dust.

The entire arena fell silent.

The referee teacher stood stunned for a full three seconds before shouting, "Lin Mo, winner!"

The spectating students erupted into chaos.

"One punch! Just one punch!"

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

"Xiao Chenyu is level fifteen, this is just too absurd..."

Wang Sheng stood below the stage with his mouth agape, unable to close it for a long time. Xiao Wu clapped and cheered, "Beautiful! That's how you should fight!" Tang San silently noted the angle and force-application of Lin Mo's punch—no wasted movement, power concentrated on the hardest knuckles of the fist, a tricky angle that struck directly at the weakest point where the joints connected.

This kind of combat technique was not something the academy could teach.

Lin Mo jumped off the arena and walked toward the rest area. As he passed Xiao Chenyu, the blond boy lying on the ground subconsciously shrank back. Lin Mo didn't look at him, walking straight past.

A system prompt popped up:

[First round of practical assessment victory, reward: Evolution Points ×20]
[Current Evolution Points: 120]

In the matches that followed, Lin Mo didn't give anyone a chance.

The second round was against a level thirteen agility-type student who tried to use speed to kite him from the start. Lin Mo immediately activated his first soul skill, Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff—a dark golden shockwave exploded, boosting all attributes by 50%, and the intimidation effect caused the opponent's martial soul to wither on the spot, his legs turning so weak he nearly knelt.

One punch, and it was over again.

The third round was against a level fourteen defense-type student with an Iron Wall Turtle martial soul. The chubby boy confidently activated his third soul skill, covering his entire body in turtle shell and squatting on the ground like a bunker: "Go ahead and hit me, if you can move me, I lose!"

Lin Mo walked up to him, squatted down, and reached out to grab the edge of the turtle shell.

Then—

Rip.

Like tearing paper, he forcibly ripped a seam right down the middle of the shell. Dark golden flames seeped through the gaps, the Iron Wall Turtle let out a miserable shriek, his soul skill shattered, and he curled up on the ground, rolling in agony.

The arena fell into a deathly silence once more.

The referee teacher's mouth twitched: "Lin Mo, winner... kid, go easy next time, this is a sparring match, not a life-or-death struggle!"

Lin Mo nodded to show he understood, but everyone could see—he had already held back.

His opponent in the final was a level fourteen power-attack type with a Blazing Tiger martial soul. Before the match started, the student voluntarily conceded: "I can't beat you, I'm not looking for a beating."

Just like that, Lin Mo swept the freshman practical assessment and took the championship.

[Task Completed: Win all matches and take the championship in the practical assessment]
[Reward Distributed: Evolution Points ×300, Dragon Blood Crystal ×1]
[Dragon Blood Crystal: A bloodline purification item for dragon-type beings. Use to improve martial soul quality and unlock hidden talents.]
[Current Evolution Points: 440]

Lin Mo didn't rush to use the Dragon Blood Crystal, tucking it into his system inventory first.

During the awards ceremony, the dean personally pinned the gold medal on him and patted his shoulder: "A good seedling, cultivate well, you'll be at least a Soul Ancestor in the future!" Lin Mo thanked him politely, his peripheral vision catching someone on the edge of the crowd—a middle-aged man in a black robe leaning against a tree, watching him.

The man had a cold, stern face and sharp eyes, holding a notebook in his hand. His aura was completely different from a grassroots deacon like Su Yuntao.

Grandmaster, Yu Xiaogang.

Lin Mo recognized him. In the original work, he was Tang San's cheap teacher, a "zero soul power" failure who was invincible in theory but useless in practice. Yet, when it came to the depth of understanding martial souls, no one else on the entire continent could compare.

Sure enough, after the event ended, Grandmaster approached him.

"Lin Mo." Grandmaster closed his notebook and got straight to the point, "Your martial soul is very special. Chaos Dragon Mastiff—this breed is not in any known martial soul compendium. Furthermore, your first soul ring is four hundred and fifty years old, far exceeding the limit of an ordinary soul master. Give me three months, and I will help you formulate an exclusive training plan."

Tang San stood to the side, wanting to say something but hesitating.

Grandmaster glanced at him: "You as well. Blue Silver Grass is not a trash martial soul; it's just that no one knows how to use it. Both of you, train with me."

Lin Mo didn't hesitate: "Okay."

Grandmaster nodded and pulled a piece of paper from his robe, handing it over: "This is tomorrow's training schedule. Five o'clock in the morning, meet at the back of the academy. One minute late, ten extra laps."

Lin Mo took the paper and scanned it—twenty kilometers of weighted cross-country, two hours of soul power control training, three hours of combat sparring, and physical conditioning until eight in the evening. The total rest time added up to less than two hours.

Tang San's expression shifted as well, but he said nothing.

Xiao Wu leaned over to look, sticking out her tongue: "Wow, is this training or torture?"

Grandmaster remained expressionless: "Geniuses aren't praised into existence; they are forged through training. If you can't take it, you don't have to come."

Lin Mo folded the paper and tucked it into his pocket: "See you tomorrow."

As he turned to leave, a new prompt popped up from the system:

[Detected key figure 'Yu Xiaogang' intervening, hidden quest triggered]

[Grandmaster's Trial: Complete the entire training plan without relying on the evolved form of your Martial Soul]

[Reward: Evolution Points ×200, Unlock hint for the upper limit of the Martial Soul's second spirit ring]

[Failure Penalty: None (but will affect the Grandmaster's evaluation of you)]

At 4:50 AM the next day, when Lin Mo arrived at the back mountain, the Grandmaster was already standing there.

Tang San was even earlier, already doing his warm-ups.

"Good." The Grandmaster glanced at the sky. "Not late. Let's begin—weighted cross-country. Each of you will carry a twenty-kilogram sandbag and run ten laps around the mountain. I'll time you."

Lin Mo strapped on the sandbag and started running. In his past life as a mercenary, weighted cross-country was commonplace. But his six-year-old body's foundation was too poor; his legs started to ache after three laps, and by the fifth lap, his breathing was like a bellows.

Tang San wasn't doing much better, but by circulating the Mysterious Heaven Skill to regulate his breathing, he could barely keep up.

The Grandmaster followed behind on horseback, stopwatch in hand, shouting expressionlessly, "Too slow! At this speed, your spirit rings were absorbed for nothing! Speed up!"

After ten laps, Lin Mo collapsed onto the ground. Tang San wasn't much better, leaning against a tree, gasping for air.

"Rest for five minutes." The Grandmaster tossed two canteens of water. "Next, spirit power control training."

He drew a circle on the ground, half a meter in diameter. "Stand inside, release your spirit power, and maintain it as an outward-projected shield to prop open this circle. If even a trace leaks out, it's a failure, and you start over."

It sounded simple, but it was deadly to do.

Releasing spirit power itself was a delicate task, and it had to be precisely controlled within the circle. Lin Mo failed three times—the Chaos Dragon Mastiff's spirit power was too violent; once released, it rushed out like a wild horse that had broken its reins, impossible to restrain.

The Grandmaster watched from the side, not offering guidance, merely recording.

After failing for the fourth time, Lin Mo stopped, took a deep breath, and closed his eyes.

His past life as a sniper told him that the more violent the power, the calmer the control needed. He stopped forcibly suppressing the violent nature of his spirit power and instead guided it, tamed it, like taming a wild horse.

Dark golden spirit power surged from his body, forming a thin film of light on his skin. The edge of the light film perfectly aligned with the circle's boundary, not a trace leaking out.

The Grandmaster's eyes lit up. "Yes, just like that. Your Martial Soul's characteristic is ferocity, but you cannot be led by it. You must be the master, not the slave."

Lin Mo maintained it for a full ten minutes until his spirit power was depleted.

Next was combat practice.

The Grandmaster had Tang San and Lin Mo spar. Tang San's Mysterious Jade Hand combined with Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon, his moves were exquisite; Lin Mo purely relied on combat instinct and physical prowess to overwhelm. They fought for half an hour, neither gaining an advantage.

"Stop." The Grandmaster called a halt, writing and drawing in his notebook. "Tang San's moves are varied, but lack killing intent; Lin Mo has rich combat experience, but over-relies on instinct and lacks a systematic combat framework. Both have issues and need to improve."

Thus, the daily extreme training began.

The first week, Lin Mo was so sore he couldn't even get out of bed, relying on Xiao Wu to kick his door open every morning to rouse him.

The second week, he began to adapt to the intensity, his physical fitness surged, and his spirit power control also improved significantly.

The third week, the Grandmaster started adding special training items—combat with all five senses sealed. Blindfolded, ears plugged, relying solely on spirit power perception and combat intuition to respond to attacks.

"Spirit Masters cannot fight using only their eyes and ears," the Grandmaster said. "High-level spirit beasts and enemies will use various means to interfere with your perception. True powerhouses 'see' the world with their spirit power."

Lin Mo stood blindfolded in the center of the training ground, Tang San launching attacks from all directions.

At first, he couldn't last even three seconds, being sent flying by Tang San's palm strike every time.

But his past life as a mercenary came in handy—closing his eyes actually made him more focused. He stopped relying on sight and instead felt the flow of air, the vibrations of the ground, the fluctuations of spirit power.

By the end of the third week, he could last ten minutes.

The Grandmaster rarely showed a smile. "Your progress is faster than I expected."

Late one night, a month later, Lin Mo used the Dragon Blood Crystal alone in his dormitory.

The dark red crystal melted in his palm, seeping into his skin. In an instant, the Chaos Dragon Mastiff Martial Soul within him roared like it had been doused in boiling oil. Dark golden flames erupted from his pores, burning the entire bed to ashes.

Fortunately, his roommates were fast asleep, and no one noticed.

The intense pain lasted for a full hour. When the flames subsided, Lin Mo found his right hand had changed—from fingertip to elbow, it was covered in fine, dark green scales. His five fingers were an inch longer, flashing with cold light. Dark golden patterns appeared on the back of his hand, like some ancient totem.

[Dragon Blood Crystal used successfully]

[Martial Soul Quality improved: Top-tier → Extraordinary]

[New Talent: Dragon Might (100% increased suppression against dragon and sub-dragon type spirit beasts)]

[Hidden Skill unlocked: Dragon Claw: Sky Splitter (Single-target powerful attack skill, capable of tearing through most defenses)]

[Evolution Progress: 15% → 30%]

He tried swinging his right claw. The air was torn, emitting a sharp whistling sound. Where the claw tip passed, five faint black marks remained—proof that space had been briefly torn.

Lin Mo retracted his Martial Soul with satisfaction.

During training the next day, the Grandmaster noticed the change in his hand but didn't ask further, merely increasing the training intensity.

"Your physical fitness already far surpasses that of your peers," the Grandmaster said. "We can start preparing for your second spirit ring."

Lin Mo's eyes lit up. "The target is?"

"A thousand-year spirit beast," the Grandmaster declared, dropping a bombshell. "Your Martial Soul's endurance far exceeds that of ordinary spirit masters; your first spirit ring was already four hundred and fifty years. For your second spirit ring, at least a thousand years to start. And it must be a dragon-type spirit beast—your Martial Soul's evolutionary direction clearly leans towards the dragon lineage, and absorbing a dragon-type spirit ring will double the effect."

He took out a map from his robe and pointed to a red circle on it. "Eighty li northeast of Nuoding City, there's a place called 'Dragon Weeping Valley.' It was once the lair of an Earth Fire Dragon King. Although the Dragon King died hundreds of years ago, many sub-dragons still linger in the vicinity. The most suitable among them—"

Grandmaster tapped a point on the map with force.

"The Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King. A direct descendant of the Earth-Fire Dragon King, it possesses the highest bloodline concentration in Dragon Weeping Valley. Its spirit ring age is likely between 1,200 and 1,500 years. Given your current physical constitution, you can barely withstand it."

"Barely?" Tang San frowned. "That's too risky."

"How can you grow stronger without taking risks?" Grandmaster said, his expression blank. "Lin Mo's martial soul requires a high-pressure environment to evolve. Absorbing ordinary spirit rings by the book would only waste his talent. But—"

He looked at Lin Mo. "I must make this clear. The Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King is not comparable to a Single-Horned Fire Lizard. That creature has intelligence and uses tactics; the earth-fire it spews can melt gold and dissolve stone. With your current strength, facing it alone is suicide. Therefore—"

Grandmaster pulled a scroll from his robes. "I have prepared a tactical plan for you. With the three of you working in coordination, you have a chance."

"Three people?" Lin Mo asked.

"You, Tang San, and Xiao Wu." Grandmaster unfolded the scroll, which displayed a detailed combat diagram. "Tang San is responsible for control and containment, Xiao Wu is responsible for flanking and harassment, and Lin Mo is the primary attacker. The coordination training you three have done lately hasn't been in vain; this tactic is designed based on your respective strengths."

That night, Lin Mo called Tang San and Xiao Wu together.

"The Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King—are we doing this?"

Xiao Wu's eyes lit up. "A millennium spirit beast? Exciting! My second spirit ring is still up in the air anyway. Although I can't absorb a millennium one, helping out is no problem!"

Tang San pondered for a moment. "I've looked over Grandmaster's tactics; they are theoretically feasible. But there is one problem—the Earth-Fire Dragon King can fly. Although it doesn't fly high, if it stays airborne, none of the three of us can reach it."

"Then we can't let it take flight," Lin Mo said. "We have to cripple its wings at the start."

Xiao Wu rubbed her palms together. "Then what are we waiting for? Shall we go tomorrow?"

"The day after," Lin Mo said. "We'll train for one more day tomorrow to drill the coordination into our muscle memory."

Tang San nodded. "Agreed."

The next day, the three of them engaged in frantic extra training according to Grandmaster's tactics. Grandmaster directed them from the sidelines, refining every detail to the extreme—when Lin Mo should cut in, at what angle Tang San should use his control, from which side Xiao Wu should harass, and even simulating every possible reaction the Earth-Fire Dragon King might make.

"Remember," Grandmaster said at the end. "Your advantage is coordination. That Earth-Fire Dragon King has been the hegemon of Dragon Weeping Valley for many years with no natural predators; it will certainly be overconfident. Use that to your advantage—the first wave of the surprise attack must deal maximum damage."

On the morning of the third day, the three set out.

Grandmaster stopped at the entrance of the valley. "I wouldn't be of any help if I went in, so I will wait for you on the outskirts. Remember—if the situation turns, retreat immediately. Your lives are more important than a spirit ring."

Lin Mo nodded and led Tang San and Xiao Wu into Dragon Weeping Valley.

The valley was filled with the smell of sulfur, the air was scorching, and dark red fissures were visible everywhere on the ground, with flames occasionally darting out from the cracks. Vegetation was sparse, consisting only of drought-resistant thorns and withered grass.

After walking for half an hour, the system map suddenly popped up a notification:

[Warning: High-energy reaction detected ahead]

[Target: Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King · Sub-dragon species · 1,400 years]

[Dragon blood concentration: 52%]

[Status: Sleeping (Digesting)]

[Suggestion: Launch a surprise attack while it is digesting its prey; success rate increased by 30%]

Lin Mo raised his hand to signal a stop and lowered his voice. "Found it. It's in the cave ahead, sleeping."

Tang San activated his Purple Demon Eye, peering through the rock wall to see the scene inside—a five-meter-long dark red dragon beast curled up deep in the cave, its abdomen rising and falling slightly, its mouth still clamped around half an uneaten Iron-Armored Rhino. Its scales were covered in magma-like patterns that pulsed with light and dark, like the rhythm of breathing.

"It's digesting its food; its reactions will be sluggish," Tang San said. "This is our chance."

Xiao Wu had already circled to the side above the cave and signaled—ready.

Lin Mo took a deep breath and slowly drew the refined steel short blade Grandmaster had given him. The blade was coated with a fire-resistant layer; while it wouldn't be of much use against a creature of the Earth-Fire Dragon King's caliber, it was better than nothing.

The system notification popped up again:

[Battle is about to begin. Suggested tactic: Strike the wing roots directly to disable its flight capability]

[Current evolution points: 440. Can temporarily exchange for 'Strength Boost (three minutes)' x1, costing 50 points]

[Exchange?]

"Exchange."

A warm current surged from within his body, his muscles expanded, and his strength skyrocketed.

Lin Mo gripped the short blade tightly, dark golden spirit power condensing on the edge. His Chaos Dragon Mastiff martial soul roared within him, ready to erupt at any moment.

"Three."

He counted silently.

"Two."

Inside the cave, the Earth-Fire Dragon King's abdominal movements slowed as it entered a deep sleep.

"One."

Lin Mo pushed off the ground, his entire body launching forward like a cannonball!

A dark golden shockwave exploded outward, and [Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff] was activated instantly! All attributes surged by 50%, and the intimidation effect was released at full force! Using the momentum of his charge, he stabbed his blade toward the root of the Earth-Fire Dragon King's left wing—the fatal weak point of any flying spirit beast, the junction where the wing membrane met the body, where the defense was thinnest!

The Earth-Fire Dragon King woke up at the very last second!

The perception of a millennium-level spirit beast saved its life. It instinctively shifted its body, and the lethal strike failed to pierce the wing root joint, instead slicing across the left wing membrane—Riiip! A half-meter-long gash was torn into the dark red wing membrane!

"ROAR—!"

The Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King let out a pained howl, its sonic waves causing loose stones to rattle down from the cave walls. It opened its maw and unleashed a torrent of Earth Fire—dark red flames mixed with molten lava, the temperature so high that even the air seemed to burn!

Lin Mo had been prepared, sliding and side-stepping behind a stone pillar in the cave. The Earth Fire struck the pillar, instantly melting the half-meter-thick stone into lava that splashed all over the ground.

"Tang San!"

Tang San was already in position. Blue Silver Grass surged wildly from the ground, binding the Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King's right leg and hind claws. Although the Blue Silver Grass, backed by a century-level spirit ring, was as brittle as paper before a millennium-level dragon beast and snapped with a single struggle, Tang San didn't need control—he needed a distraction.

The moment the Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King lowered its head to bite at the Blue Silver Grass, Xiao Wu dropped from the ceiling!

"Waist Bow!"

She clamped her legs around the dragon's neck and exerted force from her waist and abdomen, her entire body spinning like a top, forcibly dragging the five-meter-long dragon beast to one side! The essence of her soft-body technique was to use finesse to overcome a thousand pounds, borrowing force to strike back—Xiao Wu turned the Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King's own weight into a weapon, causing it to slam into the rock wall!

Boom!

A massive crater was smashed into the rock wall, sending stone shards flying. The Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King was left dazed and disoriented, but the constitution of a millennium-level spirit beast was too strong; it shook its head, scrambled up, and swept its tail horizontally—

Xiao Wu had already jumped away, but she was still clipped by the tip of the tail, letting out a muffled grunt as she slammed into the cave wall.

"Xiao Wu!" Tang San's expression shifted.

"I'm fine!" Xiao Wu wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth and gritted her teeth as she stood up. "Just a surface wound! Lin Mo, now!"

The Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King was enraged. It held nothing back, its scales standing on end, the lava-like patterns on its body glowing with a blinding light—this was the precursor to a major ultimate move!

The system notifications flashed frantically:

[Warning: Target detected charging 'Earth Fire Burning City' (Area-of-Effect attack), release in three seconds]
[Suggestion: Interrupt! Interrupt immediately!]

Lin Mo did not have three seconds.

He only had one.

He unleashed his dark golden spirit power to its limit! The phantom of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff solidified behind him and let out a roar toward the heavens! Dragon Might was fully unleashed—the talent that increased suppression against dragon-type spirit beasts by 100% was pushed to its absolute peak at this moment!

The Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King's movements froze for a fraction of a second.

For a millennium-level spirit beast, this amount of time wasn't even enough to blink. But for Lin Mo, it was enough.

He pushed off the ground, charged, and his right claw tore through the air—

[Dragon Claw: Sky Splitter!]

Five dark golden claw marks slashed through the air, carrying the power to rend space itself, and struck the Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King's neck with brutal force!

Scales shattered! Flesh and blood flew! Even the cervical vertebrae were exposed!

The Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King let out a final, dying wail as the charged Earth Fire exploded within its throat—Boom! Its entire head was blown into a bloody mess by its own flames, and its five-meter-long body crashed to the ground, kicking up a sky full of dust.

A purple spirit ring floated up from the corpse, so dense it was almost black—one thousand four hundred years.

Lin Mo knelt on one knee, gasping for air. That last strike had drained most of his spirit power, and the duration of [Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff] had ended; the side effects surged up, leaving his entire body feeling as if it had been hollowed out.

"We did it..." Xiao Wu leaned against the wall, rubbing her bruised shoulder. "That guy was really tough."

Tang San walked over to inspect the corpse of the Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King, letting out a sigh of relief once he confirmed it was dead. "Absorb the spirit ring quickly. The scent of blood here is too strong; it will attract other spirit beasts."

Lin Mo nodded, sat cross-legged, and guided the purple spirit ring into his body.

The moment the millennium spirit ring entered him, he felt as if his entire being was about to explode!

Violent fire-attribute energy rampaged through his meridians, as if trying to burn through his blood vessels. Large patches of dark red patterns appeared on his skin—the power of the Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King was reshaping his body.

The system notifications jumped frantically:

[Absorbing Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King spirit ring...]
[Dragon blood concentration increased: 52% → 67%]
[Martial Soul Evolution opportunity detected! Consume 200 evolution points to accelerate absorption?]

"Consume!"

200 evolution points were deducted instantly, and a stream of icy energy surged into his body, neutralizing the violence of the Earth Fire. The two forces collided and merged within him, finally reaching a balance.

An hour later, the spirit ring was fully absorbed.

Lin Mo opened his eyes, and two spirit rings rose beneath his feet—purple, purple.

Two millennium spirit rings!

[Second spirit ring successfully acquired]
[Soul Power Level: 19 (one step away from level 20)]
[Martial Soul Evolution progress: 30% → 45%]
[New Spirit Skill: Earth Fire Dragon Breath—Exhale high-temperature flames, five-meter range, with burning and armor-piercing effects (power increased by 50% due to bloodline compatibility)]
[Evolution Form · Scale Armor effect strengthened: Passive damage reduction 20% → 30%]

Xiao Wu's eyes widened. "Two purple ones?! What kind of monster are you!"

Tang San was also shocked—two millennium spirit rings; this was unheard of in the entire world of spirit masters. For an ordinary spirit master, being able to absorb a millennium ring as their second was the mark of a genius among geniuses, yet Lin Mo had directly crossed that boundary.

But the even greater changes were yet to come.

Lin Mo stood up, feeling as if something within him was desperate to break free. His Chaos Dragon Mastiff martial soul manifested uncontrollably, dark golden flames burning wildly—then, the flames shifted.

They transformed from dark gold into a mixture of dark gold and crimson.

The form of his martial soul was changing as well. The original three-meter-tall phantom expanded to five meters, its frame becoming more robust. Its scales shifted from blue-black to an interweaving of blue-black and dark red, resembling magma flowing beneath steel. The horns atop its head grew an inch, and the crimson-gold light in its eye sockets gained a blood-red hue. Within the dark golden flames of its mane, a crimson, earth-fire-like color was now interspersed.

[Martial soul deep evolution detected--]

[Chaos Dragon Mastiff: Scale Form → Chaos Dragon Mastiff: Earth-Fire Scale Form]

[New Passive: Earth Fire Protection--Automatically triggers a flame counterattack when struck, dealing 30% of the incoming damage]

[New Active: Dragon Might Intimidation--Release Dragon Might to reduce the attributes of all enemies within range by 20%, lasting for ten breaths]

"It evolved..." Grandmaster appeared at the valley entrance, his eyes complex as he looked at Lin Mo. "Your martial soul can evolve. This is not an ordinary mutated martial soul, but... a growth-type martial soul."

He took a deep breath. "Lin Mo, do you know what this means? In the entire history of the soul master world, there are fewer than ten recorded growth-type martial souls. Every single one of them eventually became a Titled Douluo."

Lin Mo retracted his martial soul, feeling power surging within his body.

[New mission triggered: Break through to level 20 within one month]

[Reward: Evolution Points ×300, unlock third soul ring limit hint]

[Special prompt: Tang Hao's observation progress has passed the halfway mark; please increase your strength as soon as possible]

He looked toward the northeast—deeper into Dragon Weeping Valley, where the golden marker on the system map was still flickering:

[Dragon Blood Concentration 68% · Unknown Dragon Bloodline · Status: Dormant]

Once he broke through to level 20, he would go and see what that actually was.

"Let's go, back we go." Lin Mo turned around. "The final exams are only a month away."

Grandmaster followed. "The final exams won't be a problem for you. But I suggest you participate in the 'Great Soul Arena' exchange tournament in a month. That is the place where one is truly tempered."

Great Soul Arena.

Lin Mo paused his steps. That was the starting point for the fame of the Shrek Seven Devils, and also a key node in the emotional development between Tang San and Xiao Wu.

But his path was already completely different now.

"Fine," he said. "I'll go."

Night fell, and the three returned to Nuoding Academy.

Lin Mo checked his system panel in the dormitory:

[Host: Lin Mo]

[Martial Soul: Chaos Dragon Mastiff: Earth-Fire Scale Form (Transcendent Quality · Evolvable)]

[Soul Power Level: 19]

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

[Soul Skills: Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff, Earth Fire Dragon Breath]

[Talents: Scale Armor Protection (30% damage reduction), Earth Fire Protection (Counterattack), Dragon Might (Suppression), Dragon Claw: Sky Splitter]

[Evolution Progress: 45%]

[Evolution Points: 190]

Under the moonlight outside the window, the figure of Tang Hao flashed by.

Lin Mo knew that the man had been watching him all along.

The mission to break through to level 20 within three months still had two months remaining. At his current pace, there was plenty of time.

But the "unknown dragon bloodline" mentioned by the system always left him feeling uneasy.

Deep within Dragon Weeping Valley, what exactly was sleeping?

He closed his eyes and drifted into sleep.

Tomorrow, even more grueling training awaited him.