The notice for the Soto Great Soul Arena exchange tournament went up, and all of Nuoding Academy erupted.
"Suotuo City? That's a huge border city. I heard its Great Soul Arena is ten times bigger than ours in Nuoding!"
"There are cash prizes for the top three in the exchange tournament. First place gets five hundred Gold Soul Coins!"
"The important thing is that we'll get to meet elite students from other academies. I heard the monsters from Shrek Academy will be there too..."
Lin Mo stood before the notice board and scanned the rules. There were individual and team events, with an age limit of under twelve and a maximum Soul Power Level of thirty. Nuoding Academy would send three teams. Lin Mo was listed for the individual event and would also team up with Tang San and Xiao Wu for the team event.
"Shrek Academy will be there too." Grandmaster stood behind him, his tone calm. "They have a student named Dai Mubai who defeated a level-twenty opponent when he was only level fifteen. If you run into him, don't underestimate him."
Dai Mubai.
Lin Mo remembered the name—the Evil Eye White Tiger, with a White Tiger Martial Soul, and the leader of the Shrek Seven Devils. In the original story, he was arrogant but fiercely loyal. He should be twelve now, with a Soul Power Level of around thirty-seven?
No, the timeline was a little muddled. Lin Mo recalled the original story: Tang San entered Nuoding Academy at six and didn't go to Shrek until he was twelve. Lin Mo was six now, so was Dai Mubai six too? But Grandmaster had said, "Defeated a level-twenty opponent at level fifteen." That happened later.
Forget it. No matter how the timeline changed, strength was what mattered.
"Grandmaster, when does the exchange tournament start?"
"In half a month. I'll increase the intensity of your training during that time." Grandmaster opened his notebook. "Starting tomorrow, you'll spar with Tang San for four hours every day. No rules, no restrictions on your methods. You'll continue until one of you is no longer able to fight."
Xiao Wu stuck out her tongue. "Isn't that a bit much?"
"On the battlefield, no one will follow the rules for you." Grandmaster's expression remained impassive. "Lin Mo's Second Soul Ring is a Thousand-Year Soul Ring from the Millennium Earth-Fire Dragon King. His Soul Power has surged, but his control hasn't kept pace. Tang San's Mysterious Heaven Skill can help him hone that control. In turn, Lin Mo's combat experience can help Tang San make up for his lack of decisiveness in a fight to the death."
Tang San nodded. "I'm fine with that."
Lin Mo nodded too. After spending so much time together, he and Tang San had developed a tacit understanding. They didn't need to say much; a glance was enough to tell each other what they meant. That kind of understanding was a deadly weapon in a team battle.
The next half month, their training was hellish.
They got up at four every morning and ran thirty kilometers with weights—ten more than before. Afterward came Soul Power control training. Grandmaster drew ten circles on the ground and ordered Lin Mo to maintain ten Soul Power shields at once, each with a different strength, ranging from 10% to 100%.
"Your Soul Power is fierce and explosive, so it's harder to control," Grandmaster said. "But that's precisely why you have to be better at control than anyone else. Otherwise, you'll be at a serious disadvantage in a fight that calls for precision."
Lin Mo gritted his teeth and kept at it. The patience he'd learned as a sniper in his previous life came in handy: he could stand completely still for two hours just to fine-tune the precision of his Soul Power output. By the tenth day, he could maintain eight shields of different strengths at once, and Grandmaster gave him a rare nod of approval.
The afternoons were for sparring.
Tang San stood in the middle of the training ground, a white Soul Ring turning beneath his feet as Blue Silver Grass spread across the earth.
"Watch out," he said.
The Blue Silver Grass surged toward Lin Mo like a nest of snakes. It looked soft but was tough as wire. Tang San's Hundred-Year Mandala Snake Soul Ring had given his Blue Silver Grass a paralyzing toxin. Touching it would spell trouble.
Lin Mo didn't summon his Martial Soul. He relied entirely on footwork to dodge. Like a falling leaf, he slipped through the gaps in the Blue Silver Grass, each movement narrowly avoiding Entanglement. Tang San's Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon was exquisite, but Lin Mo's battle instincts were even more frightening. He could predict where the Blue Silver Grass would go and react before the attack took shape.
"Are you only going to dodge?" Tang San taunted him.
Lin Mo's mouth curved into a smile. Suddenly, he sped up!
He sprang off the Blue Silver Grass stems, flipped in midair, and swept a leg toward Tang San's face. Tang San raised both arms to block, hardening them with Mysterious Jade Hand as he took the kick head-on—Boom! A burst of air exploded between them, and Tang San staggered back three steps.
"You're even stronger now." Tang San shook out his numbed arms.
"I haven't even used my full strength." Lin Mo landed, pushed off the ground, and charged again.
The two of them clashed at close range. Lin Mo's hand-to-hand combat was ruthless and direct, every move aimed at a vital point. Tang San's techniques were elegant and unpredictable, Mysterious Jade Hand and Controlling Crane Capturing Dragon working together in both offense and defense. The shockwaves of their punches and kicks cracked the training ground beneath them.
Xiao Wu sat nearby, watching and occasionally commenting. "Tang San's angle on that move is so tricky... Lin Mo's reactions are unbelievably fast. How did he even dodge that...?"
Grandmaster stood to one side, taking notes, his frown deepening by the minute.
It wasn't that he was dissatisfied. The two were improving so quickly that he had to keep adjusting his training plan.
"Stop." An hour later, Grandmaster called a halt. "Tang San, you're getting better at using Mysterious Jade Hand, but you rely too much on defense and lack aggression. Lin Mo, your close-combat skills have taken shape, but you rely too much on your physical abilities. You'll be at a disadvantage against opponents who are physically stronger than you. Both of you need to improve."
The two nodded, panting.
Grandmaster glanced at the sky. "That's enough for today. We'll continue tomorrow."
That night, Lin Mo studied the system panel in his dormitory.
[Evolution Points: 190]
[1 Soul Power Level remaining until level 20]
[Tang Hao's observation progress: 75% (45 days remaining)]
[Suggestion: Break through to level 20 as soon as possible to unlock the level cap for the Third Soul Ring]
One level left.
At a normal cultivation rate, it would take at least two or three months to go from level nineteen to level twenty. But Grandmaster's training plan had compressed that time to less than a month. The high-intensity sparring and Soul Power control training pushed him to his limits every day.
The system suddenly displayed a new prompt:
[Host's Soul Power is nearing a breakthrough. Temporary mission triggered: Break Through Your Limits]
[Requirement: Break through to level 20 within three days through high-intensity combat]
[Reward: 150 Evolution Points, plus one additional Skill Slot unlocked]
[Failure: No penalty]
Three days?
Lin Mo frowned. At his normal pace, he would need at least another week. But the system wouldn't give him a prompt without a reason. There had to be some kind of opportunity.
During training the next day, Grandmaster brought some news.
"The exchange tournament has been moved up. It starts in five days, and Nuoding Academy leaves tomorrow." He paused. "There's another piece of bad news: people from Spirit Hall are here."
Lin Mo's heart tightened. "Spirit Hall?"
"A routine inspection. Every child who awakens a Martial Soul has to be registered." Grandmaster glanced at Lin Mo. "But your situation is unusual. The Chaos Dragon Mastiff isn't listed in any Martial Soul compendium, and you have Innate Full Soul Power and two Thousand-Year Soul Rings... Spirit Hall is bound to take an interest in you."
"What will happen if they do?"
"If their interest is mild, they'll send you an invitation and ask you to join Spirit Hall Academy. If it's serious..." Grandmaster trailed off, but the meaning was clear. Spirit Hall had always taken the same view of talented people: if they couldn't be used by them, they couldn't be allowed to serve anyone else.
Lin Mo fell silent for a moment. "When are they arriving?"
"The day after tomorrow. So we'll leave tomorrow and avoid them." Grandmaster pulled three travel permits from his robes. "I've already arranged your invitations to the Soto Great Soul Arena exchange tournament. We leave first thing tomorrow morning."
Tang San frowned. "Avoiding Spirit Hall won't work forever."
"I know," Grandmaster said. "But Lin Mo isn't strong enough yet. Once he breaks through level thirty and can protect himself, he can face Spirit Hall. If we clash with them now, we'll be the ones who suffer."
Lin Mo nodded to show he understood. At level nineteen, with two Thousand-Year Soul Rings, he could walk all over Nuoding Academy. But in Spirit Hall's eyes, he wasn't even an ant.
He had to get stronger—faster than ever.
That night, Lin Mo went alone to the training ground.
Beneath the moonlight, he summoned his Chaos Dragon Mastiff Martial Soul. Flames woven from dark gold and crimson flared at his feet, and two purple Soul Rings turned slowly around him. A phantom five meters tall took shape behind him, its Dragon Might filling the air. The insects around the training ground fell silent at once.
[Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff] activated—all attributes increased by 50%!
[Earth Fire Protection] activated automatically—dark red flames covered his body!
He drew a deep breath and began to drive his Soul Power at a frenzied pace. He didn't use the method Grandmaster had taught him. Instead, he used a more violent, direct approach. Just as he'd pushed his body to its limits on the battlefield in his previous life, he drove his Soul Power to the extreme, sending it racing through his meridians and battering every blocked point!
Pain.
It felt as if molten iron were coursing through his veins, his meridians stretched to the point of bursting. Lin Mo gritted his teeth until his gums bled, but the flow of Soul Power only grew faster.
The Chaos Dragon Mastiff Martial Soul sensed its master's will and let out a silent roar. Dark golden flames shot into the sky, illuminating half the training ground!
Soul Power surged through his meridians like a flood breaching its banks—
Boom!
A barrier inside him shattered.
Soul Power poured out like a tide, forming a layer of dark golden light around his body. Crimson patterns flowed across the membrane, like lava coursing through it.
[Congratulations, host! You have broken through to level 20!]
[Soul Power Level: 20]
[Break Through Your Limits mission complete. Rewards issued: 150 Evolution Points, one additional Skill Slot]
[Current Evolution Points: 340]
[Tang Hao's observation progress: 80% (40 days remaining)]
He'd broken through.
Lin Mo dropped to one knee, gasping for breath. Sweat drenched him, but his body surged with power—at least twice what he'd had before. Beneath the moonlight, the two purple Soul Rings revolved, their color deeper than before. The Second Soul Ring in particular had turned almost black, nearing the limit of two thousand years.
"Not bad."
A voice came from the edge of the training ground.
Lin Mo looked up and saw Tang Hao leaning against a tree, a wine bottle in his hand. Under the moonlight, the scruffy blacksmith's eyes were sharp as knives.
"Level twenty, with two Thousand-Year Soul Rings." Tang Hao took a swig. "Faster than I expected."
Lin Mo stood up without withdrawing his Martial Soul. "You've been watching me all along."
"Mm." Tang Hao walked over, each step carrying a sense of oppression. It wasn't the pressure of Soul Power, but sheer presence—the presence of a Titled Douluo. Even held in check, it was enough to make an ordinary Soul Master's legs go weak.
But Lin Mo stood his ground. He'd never backed down in a hail of gunfire in his previous life, so why would he fear a Titled Douluo?
Tang Hao stopped in front of him and looked down at the six-year-old child.
"Your Martial Soul isn't an ordinary mutation," he said. "Chaos Dragon Mastiff—do you know what that name means?"
Lin Mo shook his head.
"Legend has it that in ancient times, before the Dragon God split into the Golden Dragon King and Silver Dragon King, he had a mount. It wasn't a dragon, and it wasn't a beast. It was a fusion of the two, possessing the dragon's strength and the beast's wild nature." Tang Hao's gaze grew profound. "After the Dragon God fell, that mount vanished from history. Some said it died. Others said it became a Martial Soul, lying dormant in human bloodlines."
He looked at Lin Mo. "Your Chaos Dragon Mastiff might be descended from that creature."
Lin Mo's heart gave a violent leap.
The system displayed a prompt he had never seen before:
[High-level information detected. Hidden background unlocked]
[Origin of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff: Bloodline remnant of the Dragon God's mount, the Primordial Dragon Beast; possesses the potential to evolve to godhood]
[Current awakening: 15%]
[Requirements for complete awakening: Unknown]
Potential to reach godhood.
Lin Mo drew a deep breath and forced down his shock.
"Why are you telling me this?" he asked.
Tang Hao was silent for a long time.
So long that Lin Mo thought he wasn't going to answer.
"Because..." Tang Hao's voice rasped like sandpaper scraping wood. "I owe Ah Yin a promise. She said that if someone appeared on this continent who could change fate, I should help him."
He turned and walked a few steps before stopping.
"I'm entrusting Xiao San to you." His voice was so quiet Lin Mo could barely hear him. "As his father...I haven't been able to give him anything."
His figure disappeared into the night.
Lin Mo stood where he was, watching in the direction Tang Hao had gone.
So Tang Hao hadn't been watching him only because his Martial Soul was unusual. He was also honoring Ah Yin's promise. Ah Yin, the Blue Silver Emperor and Tang San's mother, was a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast who had taken human form. Her dying words had led Tang Hao to watch over every genius who might change fate.
The system displayed a new prompt:
[Hidden mission triggered: Tang Hao's Entrustment]
[Requirement: Protect Tang San and help him grow to level 50]
[Reward: 500 Evolution Points, plus a clue to the Chaos Dragon Mastiff's fourth-stage evolution path]
[Current progress: 0%]
[Warning: This is a long-term mission. Failure will permanently close the Chaos Dragon Mastiff's path to godhood]
Lin Mo withdrew his Martial Soul and returned to the dormitory.
Tang San was already asleep, breathing evenly. Moonlight fell across his face. His features were still boyish, but there was already a hint of determination between his brows.
When Lin Mo had read the novel in his previous life, he'd thought of Tang San as a protagonist pushed along by fate—revenge, godhood, saving the world, each step seemingly ordained. But now, looking at the six-year-old boy, he thought of something else.
Tang Hao had said he couldn't give him anything.
A Titled Douluo, one of the strongest people on the continent, yet he couldn't even give his own son a normal childhood. The title of Clear Sky Douluo was too sensitive, Spirit Hall's pursuit too relentless, and the hatred over the Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Ring too heavy.
So Tang Hao could only hide away in Holy Soul Village and work as a blacksmith, watching his son get bullied, awaken the Trash Martial Soul Blue Silver Grass, and set out on a path destined to be full of thorns.
"I'll look after him," Lin Mo said inwardly. "Not because of the mission, but because...he deserves it."
Early the next morning, the three of them set off for Suotuo City with Grandmaster.
Suotuo City was three hundred li from Nuoding City, a two-day journey by carriage. Grandmaster hired a spacious carriage, but didn't let up on their training along the way. He had them practice Soul Power control inside the jolting carriage, making it twice as difficult.
"The Soto Great Soul Arena is the largest fighting venue on the border," Grandmaster explained on the way. "It hosts more than student exchange tournaments. They also hold real death matches. Soul Masters fight there for money, fame, and cultivation resources. You're entering the student exchange tournament, so it's relatively safe, but that doesn't rule out someone playing dirty."
"Playing dirty?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened.
"The Great Soul Arena prohibits killing, but crippling someone isn't against the rules." Grandmaster's expression remained impassive. "Some students have been trained as fighting machines since childhood. They don't know how to hold back. Be careful."
Lin Mo wasn't worried. During his mercenary career in his previous life, he'd seen plenty of "fighting machines." They were strong, sure, but they lacked flexibility. Once you figured out their patterns, they were sitting ducks.
"The team event is three against three, with no restrictions on combat," Grandmaster continued. "Lin Mo attacks, Tang San controls, and Xiao Wu harasses. You've practiced working together extensively, but there's one thing to remember: don't reveal your full strength too early."
He looked at Lin Mo. "Especially you. The moment you reveal two Thousand-Year Soul Rings, everyone will target you. So hold back in the early matches and deal with your opponents using basic combat skills. Save your full strength for the finals."
Lin Mo nodded. He understood. Hide your strength and strike a fatal blow at the crucial moment. An old mercenary trick.
The carriage reached Suotuo City on the evening of the second day.
The city was more than three times the size of Nuoding City, with towering walls and broad streets lined with taverns and shops. The streets teemed with people, shoulder to shoulder, and Soul Masters in all kinds of strange outfits could be seen everywhere. The air was thick with the scents of roasted meat, ale, and cheap perfume.
The Great Soul Arena stood in the heart of the city, a massive circular building that could hold tens of thousands of people. Its outer walls were built from white stone and carved with reliefs of Soul Beasts and Soul Masters. The structure was magnificent.
"Wow..." Xiao Wu looked up at the building, eyes shining. "It's huge!"
Grandmaster took them to register. The Spirit Hall clerk at the desk glanced at Lin Mo's registration information, and his expression changed. "Two Thousand-Year Soul Rings? At six years old?"
"Is there a problem?" Lin Mo asked.
"N-no, no problem." The clerk swallowed and hurriedly completed the paperwork. "Your number is 2077. The first round of the individual event is the morning after tomorrow. Your team event number is Team 13, and the first round is that afternoon."
The three collected their contestant badges and checked into an inn beside the Great Soul Arena.
That night, Lin Mo studied the schedule in his room.
There were sixty-four competitors in the individual event. It was a single-elimination tournament, and three wins would get you into the quarterfinals. The team event had thirty-two teams, also competing in a single-elimination format.
The system displayed a new mission:
[Soto Great Soul Arena Exchange Tournament]
[Individual event goal: Win the championship]
[Team event goal: Win the championship]
[Reward: Individual championship—200 Evolution Points, one Skill Enhancement Stone]
[Team championship—300 Evolution Points, one random Soul Bone fragment]
[Bonus reward for winning both championships: Unlock a specific location hint for the Third Soul Ring]
Double Crown.
Lin Mo stared at the quest panel, the corners of his mouth lifting.
Then he'd take first place in both.
The next day was free time. Grandmaster took them to the Great Soul Arena to watch the matches and familiarize themselves with the venue and their opponents.
The first individual match was between two eleven-year-old students. One had Soul Power at level eighteen, the other at level nineteen. They fought by the book—activating their Martial Souls, displaying their Soul Rings, and trading Soul Skills. It was like watching a staged exhibition match. In the end, the level-eighteen student lost after running out of strength.
"At this level, you could take them out with one punch each," Xiao Wu commented.
Tang San shook his head. "They're hiding their strength. They haven't shown their real finishing moves."
Grandmaster nodded. "Tang San is right. The Great Soul Arena isn't like sparring at the academy. Everyone holds something back. You need to observe more than just their Martial Souls and Soul Skills. Pay attention to their habits, their mindset, and their weaknesses, too."
The second match was more interesting.
A black-haired boy stepped onto the arena. He looked around eleven or twelve, with a lean build and a cold expression. His opponent was a burly man at level twenty, whose Martial Soul was an Iron-Back Bear and who had two Yellow Soul Rings.
The instant the referee called the start, the burly man roared and charged. His first Soul Skill activated, tripling the size of his bear paw as he swung it at the black-haired boy with a whistling rush!
The black-haired boy didn't activate his Martial Soul.
He simply sidestepped, raised his leg, and whipped a kick into the burly man's ribs.
Crack.
The sound of breaking ribs rang out loud and clear. The burly man screamed as he flew off the arena and crashed into the audience, drawing a wave of shrieks.
The entire arena fell silent.
The black-haired boy lowered his leg and walked off without a change in expression. As he passed Lin Mo and the others, his gaze swept over them—and lingered on Lin Mo for half a second.
It was an assessing look.
"Dai Mubai," Grandmaster said quietly. "He's from Shrek Academy. Level thirty-seven, a Battle Soul Master, and his Martial Soul is the White Tiger. He didn't hold back with that kick. If it had landed squarely, the burly man would have broken at least three ribs."
Level thirty-seven.
Lin Mo had a good idea of where he stood. Dai Mubai was seventeen levels above him, a huge gap in raw strength. But actual combat wasn't just about levels—in his previous life, he'd seen too many useless fighters with high levels lose to weaker opponents. What mattered was the Martial Soul, Soul Skills, combat experience, and mental fortitude.
After Dai Mubai walked away, Xiao Wu let out a breath of relief. "That guy's presence is so intimidating."
"His White Tiger Martial Soul follows the Power Attack System. He's all about facing his opponent head-on," Lin Mo said. "But if we can suppress his speed and keep him from using his strength to its full advantage, we'll have a chance."
Grandmaster glanced at Lin Mo. "Already come up with a plan?"
"I have a few options. Which one we use depends on how the fight goes."
Grandmaster didn't ask any more questions, but there was a note of approval in his eyes.
During the team-match previews that afternoon, Lin Mo saw more of their opponents. One team in particular caught his attention: three twelve-year-old students with Wind Wolf, Shadow Cat, and Dark Night Bat Martial Souls. All three were Agility Attack System Soul Masters, and their coordination was seamless. They moved swiftly, striking and withdrawing like assassins.
"They're simulating an assassination tactic," Tang San said. "They'll start by using the Dark Night Bat to create darkness. Then the Shadow Cat will sneak in for a surprise attack while the Wind Wolf harasses them from a distance. Once their opponents are thrown into disarray, the whole team will move in for the kill."
"Is there a way to counter them?" Xiao Wu asked.
Tang San thought for a moment. "If I can use Blue Silver Grass to block their routes—"
"No," Lin Mo cut in. "It'll take time to block their routes, and they won't give you that time. Let me handle the opening. I'll unleash Dragon Might at full force to suppress their speed and reactions. Then Xiao Wu will get up close and tie down the Shadow Cat, Tang San will control the Dark Night Bat, and I'll take out the Wind Wolf."
Grandmaster nodded. "That tactic should work. Dragon Might suppresses Beast Martial Souls, and Agility Attack System Soul Masters are especially vulnerable to attribute suppression."
That night, Lin Mo used the Skill Enhancement Stone at the inn.
[Skill Enhancement Stone successfully used. Select a skill to enhance] [Available: Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff, Earth Fire Dragon Breath, Dragon Claw: Sky Splitter]
Lin Mo considered it for a moment, then chose [Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff].
It was his core skill. A fifty percent increase to all attributes was crucial in battle. If he could enhance it further, the payoff would be enormous.
[Enhancing Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff...] [Enhancement successful!] [Wrath of the Dragon Mastiff → Dragon Mastiff Fury] [Effect: All attributes increased by 80% for fifteen breaths. Intimidation effect enhanced (suppression of Soul Beasts/Beast Martial Souls increased by 200%)] [Side effect: Weakness after the skill ends extended to thirty breaths]
An eighty percent increase to all attributes!
Feeling the change in the skill, Lin Mo nodded in satisfaction. The weakness afterward would last longer, but as long as he finished the fight within fifteen breaths, it wouldn't be a problem.
The next day, the exchange tournament officially began.
Lin Mo's first individual match was at nine in the morning. His opponent was a ten-year-old student at level eighteen whose Martial Soul was an Iron Sword.
The two stood on the arena. The moment the referee called the start, his opponent summoned his Martial Soul—a black Iron Sword floated before him as two Yellow Soul Rings lit up. His first Soul Skill activated. The Iron Sword split into three sword images, stabbing toward Lin Mo's throat, heart, and abdomen!
Lin Mo didn't move.
When the sword images were half a meter away, he raised his hand and caught the one in front between two fingers.
Clang!
A crisp metallic ring sounded. The sword image quivered between his fingers like a snake caught by the neck.
His opponent's expression changed dramatically. "How is that possible?!"
Lin Mo squeezed his fingers. Crack—the Iron Sword chipped.
"Give up," he said. "Your sword can't hurt me."
His opponent gritted his teeth and activated his second Soul Skill! The Iron Sword blazed with dazzling white light and vibrated violently, breaking free of Lin Mo's grip before transforming into a rain of swords that poured down over him!
Lin Mo sighed.
[Dragon Might] unleashed!
A dark golden pressure erupted from within him, crashing down on his opponent like an invisible hammer. The Iron Sword Martial Soul shuddered violently, and the sword rain scattered at once. His opponent's legs gave way, and he dropped to his knees, face pale.
"I-I give up..."
The referee announced, "Number 2077 wins!"
The audience gave a scattered round of applause. The match had ended so quickly that they hadn't even had time to react.
His opponent in the second round was an eleven-year-old Agility Attack System Soul Master whose Martial Soul was a Wind Falcon. He took to the air as soon as the match began, hoping to use his aerial advantage to keep Lin Mo at a distance.
Lin Mo looked up at him. "You sure you don't want to come down?"
"Come get me if you can!" the student called smugly.
Lin Mo pushed off the ground and leaped ten meters into the air. There, he unleashed [Earth Fire Dragon Breath]!
Scarlet flames spewed from his palm, covering a five-meter area—just enough to engulf the Wind Falcon's flight path. The student screamed as his wings caught fire, and he spiraled down. Lin Mo landed and caught him with one hand, setting him on the ground.
"You lost."
The student stared at his scorched wings, close to tears. "Y-you're cheating! How can you use a Soul Skill like that?!"
"The rules don't say I can't use it after jumping," Lin Mo said, dusting off his hands as he left the arena.
Two consecutive victories. He advanced to the quarterfinals.
In the team matches that afternoon, Lin Mo, Tang San, and Xiao Wu's "Team 13" faced a team with an average Soul Power of level seventeen in the first round.
The fight was over in three seconds.
Lin Mo unleashed Dragon Might at full force, and the other team's Martial Souls all faltered at once. Xiao Wu charged in and sent one opponent flying with a Waist Bow, while Tang San's Blue Silver Grass bound the other two. Lin Mo didn't even activate his Martial Soul. One punch apiece was enough to finish them off.
The audience stared in stunned silence.
"W-was this an inter-academy tournament? Are they sure it's not professional Soul Masters bullying beginners?"
"What kind of monster is that kid in black? The moment he unleashed Dragon Might, the other team went straight to their knees!"
"Team 13... Remember that number. They're definitely favorites to win!"
They won the second round just as easily. Lin Mo didn't even go all out; Tang San and Xiao Wu did most of the fighting.
The quarterfinalists were decided.
Among the eight individual competitors, Lin Mo noticed several opponents worth taking seriously: a girl named Jing Ling with a Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul, a Control System Soul Master at level twenty-one; a burly man named Zhao Wuji—not the Zhao Wuji from Shrek, just someone with the same name—with an Iron Arm Ape Martial Soul, a Power Attack System Soul Master at level twenty-three; and Dai Mubai, at level thirty-seven and the top seed in the individual competition.
Shrek Academy's team also made it to the team-match quarterfinals. Dai Mubai was their captain, and the other two members were the twelve-year-old Zhu Zhuqing and the thirteen-year-old Oscar.
Zhu Zhuqing's Martial Soul was the Hell Spirit Cat, and she was an Agility Attack System Soul Master. Oscar was a Food System Soul Master with a Sausage Martial Soul—but he could provide a variety of buffs.
"Shrek's team won't be easy to beat," Grandmaster analyzed. "Dai Mubai attacks head-on, Zhu Zhuqing strikes from the flanks, and Oscar provides support. Their teamwork isn't as good as yours, but their individual strength is formidable. Dai Mubai in particular is level thirty-seven. That's a whole other dimension compared to you."
"We have a way," Lin Mo said. "Oscar is their weak link. Food System Soul Masters can't fight, so we take him out first. Then it's two against two: Tang San controls Zhu Zhuqing, and I take on Dai Mubai."
"Are you confident you can handle Dai Mubai?" Grandmaster asked with a frown. "You're seventeen levels apart."
"I definitely can't beat him in a head-on fight," Lin Mo said. "But if I can just hold him off until Tang San deals with Zhu Zhuqing, then we can fight him two against one. We'll have a chance."
Grandmaster thought for a moment. "In theory, that could work. But the White Tiger Martial Soul has tremendous explosive power. Can you hold him off?"
Lin Mo revealed his right claw. Blue-black scales covered it up to the elbow, and its talons gleamed coldly.
"Even if I can't, I have to."
The semifinals would take place on the third day after the quarterfinals ended.
In the individual semifinals, Lin Mo faced Jing Ling.
Her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Martial Soul belonged to the Control System, and she was at level twenty-one. Jing Ling was a petite girl, but her eyes were cold and sinister, like a snake's.
After the match began, she didn't rush to attack. Instead, she released the Jade Phosphorous Serpent's poisonous mist, cloaking the entire arena in green fog.
"My poisonous mist can corrode Soul Power," Jing Ling's voice drifted through the fog, wavering and elusive. "No matter how strong your Dragon Might is, it can't suppress poison."
Lin Mo held his breath and closed his eyes.
He spread out his Soul Power perception and located Jing Ling in the fog. She was moving quickly, but her path followed a pattern: left, right, left, forward...
On her third move to the left, Lin Mo sprang into action.
[Dragon Mastiff Fury] activated!
All his attributes surged by eighty percent. Dark golden energy burst outward, scattering the poisonous fog in a shock wave! Lin Mo shot forward like a cannonball, his right claw ripping through the air—
[Dragon Claw: Sky Splitter!]
Five dark golden claw marks slashed through the air. Jing Ling's expression changed dramatically as she poured everything into her Jade Phosphorous Serpent Soul Skill, forming a serpentine barrier in front of her. But [Dragon Claw: Sky Splitter] was far more powerful than she had imagined. The barrier tore like paper, and the claw marks shot straight toward her face!
"I give up!"
Jing Ling shrieked and crouched down. The claw marks passed just over her head, slicing off a few strands of hair.
Lin Mo forced himself to halt in midair and landed in front of her, his right claw stopping three inches from her throat.
"You fought well."
Jing Ling's face was deathly pale, and her legs were so weak she couldn't stand.
The referee announced, "Number 2077 wins! He advances to the final!"
His opponent in the final was Zhao Wuji—the one with the Iron Arm Ape Martial Soul.
The burly man stood on the arena, his two-meter frame like an iron tower. Two Yellow Soul Rings revolved around him, and his Soul Power surged strongly.
"Kid, your Dragon Might won't work on me," Zhao Wuji said with a grin. "The Iron Arm Ape is built to withstand pressure. The stronger the pressure, the more excited I get!"
Lin Mo didn't answer. He went straight on the attack.
Zhao Wuji's tactic was simple: overwhelm him head-on. His Iron Arm Ape's first Soul Skill, [Iron Wall], hardened his arms like steel, while his second Soul Skill, [Earthquake], unleashed a shock wave over a wide area. He charged as he pounded the ground, leaving cracks all over the arena.
Lin Mo didn't meet his attacks head-on. He darted through the gaps between them like a slippery loach, slipping away each time Zhao Wuji came close to landing a hit.
"Is dodging all you can do?!" Zhao Wuji roared. His punch missed, blasting a huge crater into the ground.
Lin Mo's eyes lit up.
For a fraction of a second after each punch, Zhao Wuji's weight shifted forward, leaving the back of his neck exposed. It was something Lin Mo had learned on the battlefield in his previous life: the stronger the opponent, the greater the opening after an attack.
Zhao Wuji threw another punch!
Lin Mo didn't dodge.
He ducked into Zhao Wuji's arms, drove his left elbow into the man's chest, and thrust out his right claw—
[Dragon Claw: Sky Splitter!]
Five claw marks struck Zhao Wuji right in the back of the neck!
The Iron Arm Ape's defense was indeed strong. [Dragon Claw: Sky Splitter] only left five bloody marks on the back of his neck and didn't seriously injure him. But the force of the Soul Skill briefly blanked Zhao Wuji's mind, freezing his body for half a second.
Half a second was enough.
Lin Mo flipped onto Zhao Wuji's shoulders, clamped his legs around the man's head, and poured out all his Soul Power, wrenching down hard!
Zhao Wuji's two-meter body toppled sideways and crashed onto the arena, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Give up," Lin Mo said, jumping down. "If we keep going, your neck's going to snap."
Zhao Wuji lay face-down and touched the bloody marks on the back of his neck. His expression shifted several times. At last, he gritted his teeth. "I give up."
The referee announced, "Number 2077 is the individual champion!"
The crowd erupted in cheers.
Lin Mo stood on the arena and raised his right hand. A system prompt appeared:
[Individual championship complete. Rewards issued: Evolution Points ×200, Skill Enhancement Stone ×1] [Current Evolution Points: 540]
Tomorrow was the team-match final.
His opponent: Shrek Academy.
Before you continue