Undercurrents

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During these three days, Lin Mo did not lose his composure due to the threat from Martial Soul Hall. On the contrary, he trained even harder than usual—running fifty kilometers daily with weights, ten kilometers more than what Grandmaster required. His soul power control training was extended from four hours to six, and he fought in sparring matches until he was covered in bruises.

Grandmaster watched from the sidelines, saying nothing, merely adjusting the training plan silently to ensure he wouldn't push himself to the point of injury.

Tang San noticed the change in Lin Mo. That sense of urgency wasn't feigned—it was a genuine survival instinct. It was like a hunter in the forest catching the scent of a predator, instinctively sharpening its claws and fangs.

"Are you worried about Martial Soul Hall?" Tang San asked in the dormitory on the third night.

Lin Mo sat cross-legged on his bed, circulating his soul power within: "Not worried, just preparing."

"Preparing for what?"

"The worst-case scenario." Lin Mo opened his eyes, "If they discover the secret of my martial soul, we must leave Nuoding Academy as quickly as possible. You and Xiao Wu should prepare as well."

Tang San was silent for a moment: "Xiao Wu's identity... you know that too?"

Lin Mo glanced at him. Tang San's eyes were bright in the moonlight, filled with scrutiny and probing.

"A hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form, right?" Lin Mo said calmly, "Her Soft Technique and combat style are too obvious. Ordinary people might not notice, but a theoretical expert of Grandmaster's caliber would certainly have guessed. He hasn't pointed it out, which means he is protecting her."

Tang San's expression shifted, and he finally sighed: "You are truly not an ordinary person."

"Whether I am an ordinary person or not is irrelevant," Lin Mo said. "What matters is that the three of us are in the same boat. You, me, and Xiao Wu all have secrets that Martial Soul Hall must not know. Therefore—"

He looked into Tang San's eyes: "No matter what happens, we look out for each other."

Tang San nodded and extended his right hand. Lin Mo gripped it. The two hands clasped tightly under the moonlight, like some ancient covenant.

Xiao Wu, on the bed next to them, turned over and muttered in her sleep: "Hit him... kick him..." The two looked at each other and both smiled.

On the morning of the third day, the people from Martial Soul Hall arrived right on time.

There were three of them. The leader was Zhao Wuji—the newly appointed deacon of the Nuoding branch, a level 40 soul ancestor with an Iron Arm Ape martial soul—not the Zhao Wuji from Shrek, but a burly man nonetheless. Behind him followed two young deacons, both level 20-something soul grand masters.

"Student Lin Mo, are you ready?" Zhao Wuji asked with a smile, his expression as professional as a mask.

"I am ready." Lin Mo walked out of the dormitory, followed by Tang San and Xiao Wu.

Grandmaster had also arrived, standing in front of the teaching building with a cold expression: "Deacon Zhao, where will the martial soul appraisal be conducted?"

"Right here in your academy's training ground," Zhao Wuji said. "Just a simple test, it won't delay your training."

The training ground had already been set up by the people from Martial Soul Hall. In the center stood a black stone tablet half a person's height—a soul power test stele, more precise than the crystal balls commonly used by Martial Soul Hall. Beside it were several tables laden with various instruments and logbooks.

Lin Mo scanned the area—over a dozen guards from Martial Soul Hall stood around the training ground, all of them soul masters above level 20. This wasn't a routine appraisal; it was a semi-military screening.

"Please." Zhao Wuji gestured.

Lin Mo walked to the center of the training ground. Many students had gathered around, whispering and discussing. Wang Sheng squeezed into the crowd, his face full of worry. Xiao Chenyu had also come, standing in the distance with a complex look in his eyes.

Zhao Wuji opened a logbook: "First, the basic soul power test. Please release your martial soul and inject your full power into the test stele."

Lin Mo took a deep breath.

He released his Chaos Dragon Mastiff martial soul—dark golden flames ignited beneath his feet, blue-black scales covered his right arm, and five-inch sharp claws extended. Two purple soul rings rose from his feet, rotating slowly.

The training ground fell silent instantly.

The two young deacons from Martial Soul Hall widened their eyes. They had seen many geniuses, but a six-year-old monster with two thousand-year soul rings was unheard of.

Zhao Wuji's smile didn't change, but his eyes grew sharper. His recording pen scribbled a few lines rapidly.

Lin Mo walked to the test stele and pressed his right hand against it. He injected his soul power with full force—

The stone tablet lit up with a blinding dark golden light. The scale climbed rapidly: level 10, 15, 20, 23... finally stopping at level 23.

"Level 23?" Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow, "Your registration information says level 20."

"I had a breakthrough these past three days." Lin Mo withdrew his hand.

From level 20 to 23 in three days. A collective gasp echoed around the field. An ordinary soul master would need at least three months to go from level 20 to 23; Lin Mo had done it in three days.

Zhao Wuji's pen paused for a moment, then continued writing: "Good. Next is the martial soul form record. Please maintain your martial soul release state; we need to draw a martial soul illustration."

A young deacon brought over a bulky camera—a type of soul tool capable of capturing the form of a martial soul. Lin Mo stood in the designated spot, maintaining his martial soul release. The camera clicked, capturing the phantom of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff.

"Martial soul name: Chaos Dragon Mastiff." Zhao Wuji read the information from the logbook, "Form: Lion's body with dragon scales, dark golden flame mane, horns beginning to take shape. Body length: five meters (phantom). Martial soul quality—tentatively classified as transcendent."

He looked at Lin Mo: "Does your martial soul show signs of mutation? Such as changes in form, attribute conversion, or the like?"

Here it comes.

Lin Mo remained expressionless: "No. It has always been like this."

A system notification popped up:

[Counter-reconnaissance skill enabled, masking martial soul evolution information... Masking successful]

[Current disguise: Chaos Dragon Mastiff · Basic Form (No signs of evolution)]

Zhao Wuji stared at Lin Mo for a while, then nodded: "Good. Next item—soul ring age detection. Please release the complete data for your two soul rings in sequence."

This was the most dangerous part.

Soul ring age detection could precisely measure the age and attributes of a soul ring. If any abnormal data regarding the evolution of Lin Mo's martial soul remained on the soul rings, it would be recorded.

Lin Mo first released his first soul ring—the 450-year-old Single-Horned Fire Lizard soul ring. A dark purple halo circulated on his body, and upon being sensed by the test stele, it displayed a string of data: 452 years, fire attribute, intensity rating A.

Zhao Wuji recorded: "First soul ring, 452 years, limit absorption, rating A."

Then came the second soul ring—a 1,400-year-old Earth Fire Dragon King soul ring. A purple, near-black halo emerged, and the data on the Testing Stele made everyone hold their breath: exactly 1,400 years, dual fire/earth attributes, intensity rating S.

"An S-rank soul ring..." a young deacon muttered to himself, "A six-year-old child absorbing an S-rank thousand-year soul ring, this is impossible..."

The smile finally vanished from Zhao Wuji's face. He stared at the data for a long time before writing several lines heavily in his logbook. When he looked up, the smile had returned, but something in his eyes had changed—it was no longer professional warmth, but the scrutiny of a hunter eyeing prey.

"Student Lin Mo, your talent is truly astonishing," he said. "Martial Soul Hall will continue to monitor your growth. If you ever change your mind, you can come find me at any time."

He closed the logbook and stood up: "The appraisal is finished. Thank you for your cooperation."

The people from Martial Soul Hall packed their things and left. As Zhao Wuji walked to the exit of the training ground, he glanced back at Lin Mo. That look made Tang San subconsciously step in front of Lin Mo, and Xiao Wu clenched her fists.

Zhao Wuji smiled and turned away.

Once they were far off, Grandmaster let out a long breath: "You did well. They didn't discover anything unusual."

"But they won't let it go," Lin Mo said.

Grandmaster nodded: "The habit of Martial Soul Hall is—first recruit, if recruitment fails then observe, and if they still can't obtain what they want after observation, they will..." He didn't finish, but everyone understood.

What they cannot obtain, they destroy.

"So we must possess the ability to protect ourselves before they make a move," Grandmaster said. "Lin Mo, your training plan needs to be adjusted again. The original goal of breaking through to level 30 within two months is now changed to one month."

"One month?" Tang San frowned. "That's too risky."

"Risky is still better than waiting for death," Grandmaster said expressionlessly. "Break through to level 30 within a month, then go hunt the Thunder Dragon Python to obtain your third soul ring. A level 30 Lin Mo, combined with two thousand-year soul rings and a third soul ring, will at least be able to protect himself against opponents at the Soul Ancestor level."

He looked at Tang San and Xiao Wu: "You two must also accelerate. Tang San, your Blue Silver Grass needs stronger control; I will teach you a new cultivation method. Xiao Wu, your strength training will be doubled."

Xiao Wu didn't complain this time, only nodded heavily.

From that day on, the training ground behind Nuoding Academy turned into a purgatory.

Waking up at three in the morning every day, they did a sixty-kilometer weighted cross-country run—twenty kilometers more than before. After running came soul power control training, where Grandmaster required Lin Mo to maintain ten soul power shields of different intensities simultaneously, with a precision error of no more than five percent.

"Your soul power is violent, making control even harder," Grandmaster said. "But precisely because of that, you must be better at control than others. When you reach level 30 and face opponents at the Soul Ancestor level, fine-tuned operation will be the deciding factor."

Lin Mo gritted his teeth and trained. The patience of a sniper from his past life was pushed to the limit—he could stand motionless for three hours just to shrink the precision error of his soul power output from five percent to three percent.

Sparring was even more brutal. Grandmaster had Lin Mo fight Tang San and Xiao Wu simultaneously, with no limits on methods or rules, until one side lost the ability to fight.

"Two against one?" Xiao Wu rubbed her hands together. "Don't go crying to your mommy."

Lin Mo didn't speak; he started the fight immediately.

Tang San's Blue Silver Grass surged from all directions, while Xiao Wu approached at high speed from the flank. Lin Mo unleashed his Dragon Might to suppress Tang San's Blue Silver Grass while side-stepping Xiao Wu's flying kick. His right claw extended, Dragon Claw: Void Breaker striking directly at Tang San—not to truly injure him, but to force him to defend.

Tang San blocked with both arms, his Mysterious Jade Hand hardened to the limit to take the blow head-on. Bang! He was knocked back five steps, his arms numb. But the moment Lin Mo attacked Tang San, Xiao Wu had already circled behind him, her legs locking around his neck—

"Waist Bow!"

Lin Mo was twisted into the air, but he adjusted his posture mid-flight. Upon landing, he braced one hand on the ground to flip, grabbing Xiao Wu's ankle with his backhand and throwing her away. Xiao Wu flipped twice in the air and landed steadily.

"You've improved," Lin Mo said.

"That goes without saying!" Xiao Wu grinned and charged again.

The three of them tangled for a full hour. In the end, Lin Mo's stamina was exhausted; he was bound hand and foot by Tang San's Blue Silver Grass, with Xiao Wu sitting triumphantly on his back.

"I give up, I give up," Lin Mo panted, lying on the ground.

Grandmaster recorded the data on the side, his brows slightly furrowed: "Lin Mo's physical fitness is his weak point. His explosive power is strong, but he cannot sustain a long battle. We must strengthen his physical training next."

"Strengthen it even more?" Xiao Wu's eyes widened. "He's already only sleeping four hours a day!"

"Then he will sleep for three hours," Grandmaster said expressionlessly.

A month later, Lin Mo's soul power soared from level 23 to level 28.

This speed shocked even Grandmaster. "It's much faster than expected." He looked at the data on the Testing Stele, a rare look of surprise on his face. "Your body's absorption efficiency for soul power far exceeds that of ordinary people, perhaps due to the evolutionary characteristics of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff martial soul."

Lin Mo knew the real reason—the system. Every time he completed a task, the system rewarded him with evolution points. These points could not only be used to strengthen skills but also subtly transformed his body, increasing his soul power absorption efficiency.

But that didn't matter; what mattered was that he was at level 28, only two levels away from level 30.

"Give me another week," Lin Mo said. "I'll break through to level 30 within a week."

Grandmaster shook his head: "No. Your body has reached its limit. If you force it any further, you will sustain hidden injuries."

"Martial Soul Hall won't wait for my hidden injuries to heal."

Grandmaster was silent for a long time before finally sighing: "Three days. I will give you three days to break through to level 30. After three days, regardless of whether you have reached level 30 or not, you must rest. That is an order."

Lin Mo nodded.

Three days.

He returned to the dormitory and sat cross-legged. Knowing he was making a dash for level 30, Tang San and Xiao Wu went outside to stand guard, ensuring no one would disturb him.

Lin Mo closed his eyes, his soul power circulating frantically within his body. The gap between level 28 and level 30 was the threshold of a Soul Elder, requiring the breakthrough of two barriers—one in the dantian, one at the center of his brow. These two barriers were thicker than any before, like two walls standing across the path of his soul power.

He did not circulate his soul power in the conventional way, but used the most violent method—compressing all his soul power into a single point, then detonating it.

It was like the explosives he used on the battlefield in his past life—the more tightly the gunpowder was packed, the greater the power of the explosion.

Soul power condensed in his dantian, compressing, and compressing again. It hurt as if someone were lighting a fire inside his stomach. Lin Mo gritted his teeth until his gums bled, but the compression of his soul power did not stop.

When his Soul Power was compressed to the limit, he suddenly released it--

BOOM!

The barrier in his dantian shattered, and Soul Power surged into his meridians like a flood. Then came the barrier between his eyebrows--the same method, compress, detonate, impact.

The moment the second barrier broke, Lin Mo felt as if his brain had been struck by a hammer. His vision went black, and he almost fainted. But he bit his tongue to stay conscious, guiding his Soul Power to circulate thirty-six minor cycles within his body until it stabilized.

[Congratulations to the host for breaking through to Level 30!]

[Soul Power Level: Level 30]

[Evolution Points +200 (Breakthrough Reward)]

[Current Evolution Points: 1040]

[Tang Hao Observation Progress: 95% (15 days remaining)]

[Third Soul Ring Hunting Target Confirmed: Thunder Dragon Python · 2500 Years · Star Dou Forest Thunder Marsh]

He broke through.

Lin Mo opened his eyes and found himself drenched in sweat. The bedsheets were covered in blood--blood from his gums and the capillaries on his skin that had burst from the Soul Power impact.

He stood up, his legs a little shaky, but the Soul Power within him surged like the ocean. The difference between Level 30 and Level 29 was greater than the combined difference from Level 10 to Level 20. It was a qualitative leap--a crossing from Soul Grand Master to Soul Elder.

He pushed open the door and found Tang San and Xiao Wu still waiting outside.

"Broke through?" Tang San asked.

Lin Mo nodded.

Xiao Wu cheered and jumped up to hug him, but Tang San pulled her back. "He's injured."

"It's nothing," Lin Mo smiled. "Just superficial wounds."

Grandmaster walked over from the end of the corridor, holding a scroll. He sized Lin Mo up and nodded. "Not bad. Breaking through to Level 30 in three days is faster than I expected. But now--"

He handed the scroll to Lin Mo. "You need to rest. We'll depart for the Star Dou Forest tomorrow to hunt the Thunder Dragon Python."

Lin Mo took the scroll and unrolled it--it was a detailed map of the Star Dou Forest, with the location of the Thunder Marsh marked with a red circle. The map also indicated the distribution areas and danger levels of various soul beasts, all in Grandmaster's handwriting.

"I prepared this map for a long time," Grandmaster said. "The Thunder Marsh is on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest's core area, six hundred li from Nuoding City. It's constantly plagued by lightning and filled with swamps; ordinary soul masters wouldn't dare approach. But for your martial soul, it's the best hunting ground."

"The Thunder Dragon Python is one of the most dangerous among the pseudo-dragon species," Grandmaster continued. "Its lightning attacks have a wide range and high burst power, which puts your close-combat style at a disadvantage. So--"

He took out a piece of dark gold metal from his robe and handed it to Lin Mo. "This is Thunder-Resistant Alloy. Inlaid on your armor, it can offset some lightning damage. I had someone forge it for you. Put it on."

Lin Mo took the metal piece. It felt heavy in his hand, with fine patterns on its surface. He glanced at Grandmaster--this man, though cold in his words, prepared things more thoroughly than anyone.

"Thank you, Grandmaster."

"Don't thank me," Grandmaster turned to leave. "Just come back alive."

That night, Lin Mo organized his equipment in the dormitory.

The Thunder-Resistant Alloy piece was already inlaid on his inner armor, fitting snugly to protect his vital chest and abdomen. His Refined Steel Dagger was sharpened to a razor's edge, and the handle was wrapped with anti-slip rope. There were also the antidote, hemostatic medicine, and insect repellent given by Grandmaster, all stuffed into his backpack.

On the system panel, his Evolution Points had accumulated to 1040. Lin Mo considered whether to strengthen a skill but ultimately decided against it--he might need to spend points to accelerate evolution after absorbing the third soul ring, so it was better to be prepared.

Tang San pushed the door open, holding a small bottle. "This is healing medicine refined by Mysterious Heaven Skill; its effects are better than ordinary medicine. Take it with you."

Lin Mo took the bottle. "Aren't you going?"

"Grandmaster said this hunt is too dangerous. If Xiao Wu and I went, we'd just be a burden," Tang San showed a rare expression of unwillingness. "A 2500-year-old Thunder Dragon Python, my Blue Silver Grass can't control it."

"When I get back, I'll help you find a good soul ring," Lin Mo said.

Tang San nodded. "Be careful."

Late at night, Lin Mo lay down to rest. Suddenly, there was a faint sound outside the window--not the wind, but footsteps.

He rolled over and sat up, his right hand extending into a claw.

"Don't be nervous," a hoarse voice came from outside the window. "It's me."

Tang Hao.

Lin Mo walked to the window and saw Tang Hao leaning against a tree, a wine bottle in his hand. In the moonlight, the disheveled blacksmith's eyes were clear, not drunk.

"Level 30 now," Tang Hao said. "Faster than I thought."

"You've been watching."

"Mm," Tang Hao took a swig of wine. "Going to the Star Dou Forest tomorrow?"

"Mm."

Tang Hao was silent for a moment, then took something out of his robe and threw it over. Lin Mo caught it--it was a palm-sized black token, engraved with the character "Hao."

"If you encounter danger, crush it," Tang Hao said. "I'll be able to sense it."

Lin Mo held the token, a complex emotion surging in his heart. This man was a Titled Douluo, one of the strongest beings on the continent, yet he could only hide in the shadows and watch his son and his friend's child venture into danger. His power and his powerlessness were two sides of the same coin.

"Thank you," Lin Mo said.

"Don't thank me," Tang Hao turned to leave. "Just come back alive. Same as Grandmaster said."

His figure disappeared into the night.

Lin Mo tucked the token away and lay back down on the bed. Before he closed his eyes, the system popped up one final notification:

[Tang Hao observation progress: 100%]

[Mission to reach level 30 within three months completed!]

[Rewards issued: Unlocked clue for second Martial Soul Evolution form + Evolution Points ×200]

[Second Martial Soul Evolution form clue: Devour at least three dragon-type spirit bones, or absorb a dragon-type spirit ring of ten thousand years or older]

[Current Evolution Points: 1240]

[Tang Hao favorability: Respect (Hidden assistance unlocked: Haotian Order)]

[Haotian Order: Crush to summon a phantom of Tang Hao for a single strike, with power equivalent to 30% of a Titled Douluo's full-strength attack (one-time item)]

Thirty percent of a Titled Douluo's full-strength attack.

Lin Mo gasped—this was effectively an extra life. In a place like the Star Dou Forest, having this trump card in hand made him feel much more secure.

He stowed the Haotian Order away and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, the Star Dou Forest.

A 2,500-year-old Thunder Dragon Python, his third spirit ring.

And that golden marker that had been flickering on the system map—an unknown dragon bloodline with a 68% concentration of dragon blood.

Once he obtained his third spirit ring, he would go and see exactly what that was.

Outside the window, the moonlight was like water, and in the direction of the Star Dou Forest, the faint sound of rolling thunder could be heard.

Lin Mo drifted into sleep. In his dream, a giant python wreathed in lightning thrashed through a swamp, while dark golden Dragon Might retreated before it step by step.

But he did not retreat.

He charged forward to meet it.