Undercurrent

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

During those three days, Lin Mo didn't lose his composure under Spirit Hall's threat. On the contrary, he trained harder than ever—running fifty kilometers cross-country with weights every day, ten kilometers more than Grandmaster had assigned. He extended his Soul Power control training from four hours to six, and only stopped sparring once he was covered in bruises.

Grandmaster watched without comment, quietly adjusting the training plan to make sure Lin Mo didn't push himself into ruin.

Tang San noticed the change in Lin Mo. That sense of urgency wasn't an act—it was a genuine awareness of danger. Like a hunter catching the scent of a vicious beast in the forest and instinctively sharpening his claws and fangs.

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

Lin Mo sat cross-legged on his bed, circulating Soul Power through his body. "I'm not worried. I'm preparing."

"Preparing for what?"

"The worst-case scenario." Lin Mo opened his eyes. "If they discover the secret of my Martial Soul, we'll have to leave Nuoding Academy as quickly as possible. You and Xiao Wu need to be ready, too."

Tang San fell silent for a moment. "You know about Xiao Wu's identity... too?"

Lin Mo glanced at him. Tang San's eyes were bright in the moonlight, full of scrutiny and suspicion.

"She's a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soul Beast who took human form, right?" Lin Mo said calmly. "Her Soft Technique and fighting style are too obvious. Ordinary people wouldn't notice, but someone like Grandmaster, a theoretical expert, could definitely guess. He hasn't called her out, which means he's protecting her."

Tang San's expression shifted. At last, he sighed. "You really aren't an ordinary person."

"Whether I am or not doesn't matter," Lin Mo said. "What matters is that the three of us are in the same boat. You, me, and Xiao Wu all have secrets we can't let Spirit Hall discover. So—"

He looked Tang San in the eye. "Whatever happens, we look out for each other."

Tang San nodded and held out his right hand. Lin Mo clasped it. Their hands gripped tightly in the moonlight, like some ancient pact.

On the bed beside them, Xiao Wu rolled over and mumbled in her sleep, "Hit him... kick him..." The two exchanged a glance and laughed.

At dawn on the third day, Spirit Hall's people arrived right on time.

There were three of them. Their leader was Zhao Wuji, the new deacon of the Nuoding City branch. He was a fortieth-level Soul Ancestor with the Iron Arm Ape Martial Soul—not the Zhao Wuji from Shrek, but a similarly burly man. Two young deacons in their twenties, both Soul Grandmasters above level twenty, followed behind him.

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

"I'm ready." Lin Mo walked out of the dormitory, with Tang San and Xiao Wu behind him.

Grandmaster had arrived as well. He stood in front of the teaching building, his expression cold. "Deacon Zhao, where will the Martial Soul examination take place?"

"Right on your academy's training field," Zhao Wuji said. "We'll run a few simple tests. It won't interrupt your training."

Spirit Hall's people had already set up the training field. A waist-high black stele stood in the center—the Soul Power Test Stele, more precise than the crystal balls Spirit Hall usually used. Several tables beside it held assorted instruments and record books.

Lin Mo swept his gaze around. More than a dozen Spirit Hall guards stood around the training field, all Soul Masters above level twenty. This wasn't an ordinary examination; it was a semi-military inspection.

"Please." Zhao Wuji gestured.

Lin Mo walked to the center of the training field. A crowd of students had gathered around, whispering among themselves. Wang Sheng squeezed into the crowd, looking worried. Xiao Chenyu had come, too. He stood in the distance, his expression complicated.

Zhao Wuji opened a record book. "First, a basic Soul Power test. Release your Martial Soul and pour all your Soul Power into the stele."

Lin Mo took a deep breath.

The Chaos Dragon Mastiff Martial Soul appeared—dark golden flames flared from beneath his feet, blue-black scales covered his right arm, and five-inch claws extended from his hand. Two purple Soul Rings rose from beneath his feet and revolved slowly.

The training field fell silent.

The two young Spirit Hall deacons stared wide-eyed. They had seen plenty of geniuses, but they had never heard of a six-year-old monster with two Thousand-Year Soul Rings.

Zhao Wuji's smile didn't change, but his eyes sharpened. His pen quickly scratched down several lines.

Lin Mo walked up to the Soul Power Test Stele and placed his right hand against it. He poured in all his Soul Power—

The stele blazed with dazzling dark golden light. The markings climbed rapidly: level ten, level fifteen, level twenty, level twenty-three... Finally, they stopped at level twenty-three.

"Level twenty-three?" Zhao Wuji raised an eyebrow. "Your registration information says level twenty."

"I broke through in the last three days." Lin Mo withdrew his hand.

He had risen from level twenty to level twenty-three in three days. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd. An ordinary Soul Master needed at least three months to advance from level twenty to level twenty-three. Lin Mo had done it in just three days.

Zhao Wuji's pen paused, then continued moving. "Good. Next, we'll record your Martial Soul's form. Keep it released while we draw an illustration for the Martial Soul catalogue."

A young deacon brought over a bulky camera, a type of Soul Tool that could photograph a Martial Soul's form. Lin Mo stood at the appointed spot and kept his Martial Soul released. The camera clicked, capturing the phantom image of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff.

"Martial Soul name: Chaos Dragon Mastiff," Zhao Wuji read from the record book. "Form: lion's body, dragon scales, dark golden flaming mane, horns beginning to take shape. Length: five meters, phantom image. Martial Soul quality—provisionally classified as extraordinary."

He looked at Lin Mo. "Has your Martial Soul shown any signs of mutation? Changes in form or shifts in its attributes, for example?"

Here it comes.

Lin Mo kept his expression unchanged. "No. It's always been like this."

The system prompt appeared:

[Anti-Detection Skill activated. Concealing Martial Soul Evolution information... Concealment successful]

[Current Disguise: Chaos Dragon Mastiff · Basic Form (no signs of evolution)]

Zhao Wuji studied Lin Mo for a moment, then nodded. "Good. Next—the Soul Ring age assessment. Please release the full information for both Soul Rings, one at a time."

This was the most dangerous part.

The Soul Ring age assessment could precisely measure a Soul Ring's age and attributes. If the traces of Lin Mo's Martial Soul Evolution had left any unusual readings in his Soul Rings, they would all be recorded.

Lin Mo first released his First Soul Ring—the 450-year Soul Ring from a Single-Horned Fire Lizard. A dark purple ring of light flowed around him. Once the stele detected it, a string of information appeared: 452 years, fire attribute, strength rating A.

Zhao Wuji made a note. "First Soul Ring, 452 years, absorbed at the limit, rating A."

Next came the Second Soul Ring—the 1,400-year Soul Ring from the Earth Fire Dragon King. A ring of light, so dark a purple it was almost black, appeared. The readings on the stele left everyone holding their breath: exactly 1,400 years, dual fire and earth attributes, strength rating S.

"An S-grade Soul Ring..." one young deacon murmured. "A six-year-old absorbing an S-grade Thousand-Year Soul Ring... That's impossible..."

Zhao Wuji finally lost his smile. He stared at the readings for a long time, then wrote several lines in the record book with a heavy hand. When he looked up, his smile had returned, but something in his eyes had changed. The professional warmth was gone, replaced by a hunter's scrutiny as he looked upon his prey.

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

He closed the record book and stood. "The assessment is over. Thank you for your cooperation."

The Spirit Hall group packed up and left. When Zhao Wuji reached the training field's exit, he glanced back at Lin Mo. Tang San instinctively stepped in front of Lin Mo, and Xiao Wu clenched her fists.

Zhao Wuji smiled, then turned and left.

Only after the group had gone far away did Grandmaster let out a long breath. "You did well. They didn't find anything unusual."

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

Grandmaster nodded. "Spirit Hall's usual approach is to recruit first. If recruitment fails, they observe. And if they still can't get what they want after that, they'll..." He didn't finish, but everyone understood.

If they couldn't have it, they'd destroy it.

"That's why we need the ability to protect ourselves before they make a move," Grandmaster said. "Lin Mo, your training plan needs another adjustment. Your original goal was to break through level thirty within two months. We're changing it to one month."

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

"Better a risk than waiting to die." Grandmaster's expression was impassive. "Break through level thirty within a month, then hunt the Thunder Dragon Python for your Third Soul Ring. At level thirty, with two Thousand-Year Soul Rings and a third Soul Ring, Lin Mo should at least be able to protect himself against a Soul Ancestor-level opponent."

He looked at Tang San and Xiao Wu. "You two need to pick up the pace as well. Tang San, your Blue Silver Grass needs stronger control. I'll teach you a new cultivation method. Xiao Wu, double your strength training."

Xiao Wu didn't complain this time. She simply nodded firmly.

From that day on, the training ground behind Nuoding Academy became a hell.

Every day, they woke at three in the morning and ran sixty kilometers cross-country with weights—twenty kilometers more than before. After the run came Soul Power control training. Grandmaster required Lin Mo to maintain ten Soul Power shields of different strengths at once, with a margin of error no greater than five percent.

"Your Soul Power is explosive, which makes it harder to control," Grandmaster said. "But that's exactly why your control must be better than everyone else's. When you reach level thirty and face Soul Ancestor-level opponents, precise control will decide the fight."

Lin Mo gritted his teeth and trained. The patience he'd learned as a sniper in his previous life came into full play. He could stand perfectly still for three hours just to reduce the margin of error in his Soul Power output from five percent to three.

The sparring grew even more brutal. Grandmaster made Lin Mo fight both Tang San and Xiao Wu at once, with no limits on methods or rules, until one side could no longer fight.

"One against two?" Xiao Wu rolled her shoulders, ready for a fight. "Don't start crying."

Lin Mo didn't answer. He attacked at once.

Blue Silver Grass surged in from every direction as Xiao Wu raced toward him from the flank. Lin Mo unleashed his full Dragon Might to suppress Tang San's Blue Silver Grass while dodging Xiao Wu's flying kick. His right claw shot out—[Dragon Claw · Space-Shatter] aimed straight at Tang San. He didn't mean to hurt him; he was forcing him to defend.

Tang San crossed his arms and hardened his Mysterious Jade Hand to the limit, taking the blow head-on. Bam! He staggered back five steps, his arms numb. But the instant Lin Mo attacked Tang San, Xiao Wu had already circled behind him and locked her legs around his neck—

"Waist Bow!"

Lin Mo was twisted up into the air, but he adjusted his posture midair. When he landed, he braced himself with one hand and rolled, then caught Xiao Wu by the ankle and flung her away. Xiao Wu turned two somersaults in the air and landed steadily.

"You're improving," Lin Mo said.

"Of course!" Xiao Wu said with a grin, charging at him again.

The three of them fought for a full hour. In the end, Lin Mo ran out of strength. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass bound his hands and feet, while Xiao Wu sat triumphantly on his back.

"I give up, I give up." Lin Mo lay on the ground, panting.

Grandmaster recorded the results beside them, his brow furrowed. "Lin Mo's stamina is his weak point. His explosive power is excellent, but he can't last in a prolonged fight. We'll need to strengthen his physical training."

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

"Then he'll sleep three," Grandmaster said impassively.

A month later, Lin Mo's Soul Power soared from level twenty-three to level twenty-eight.

Even Grandmaster was startled by the pace. "You're progressing far faster than expected." He studied the readings on the Testing Stele, surprised for once. "Your body absorbs Soul Power far more efficiently than an ordinary person's. It may be because of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff Martial Soul's evolutionary properties."

Lin Mo knew the real reason: the system. Every time he completed a mission, it rewarded him with Evolution Points. The points could strengthen his skills, but they also subtly reshaped his body and improved his Soul Power absorption efficiency.

But that wasn't important. What mattered was that he had reached level twenty-eight, just two levels short of thirty.

"Give me one more week," Lin Mo said. "I'll break through level thirty within a week."

Grandmaster shook his head. "No. Your body has already reached its limit. If you keep pushing it, you'll suffer hidden injuries."

"Spirit Hall won't wait for my injuries to heal."

Grandmaster was silent for a long time. At last, he sighed. "Three days. I'll give you three days to break through level thirty. After that, whether you've reached level thirty or not, you must rest. That's an order."

Lin Mo nodded.

Three days.

He returned to the dormitory and sat cross-legged. Tang San and Xiao Wu knew he was making a push for level thirty, so they volunteered to stand guard outside and keep anyone from disturbing him.

Lin Mo closed his eyes and circulated Soul Power through his body at a frantic pace. The threshold from level twenty-eight to level thirty marked the entry into the Soul Elder rank. He needed to break through two barriers—one in his dantian, the other between his brows. Both were thicker than any barriers he'd faced before, like two walls blocking the path of his Soul Power.

He didn't circulate his Soul Power methodically. Instead, he used the most violent approach—compressing all of it into a single point, then detonating it.

Like the explosive packs he'd used on the battlefield in his previous life—the more tightly the powder was packed, the greater the blast.

His Soul Power gathered in his dantian, compressed, then compressed further. It hurt as if someone had lit a fire inside his belly. Lin Mo gritted his teeth until his gums bled, but he didn't stop compressing his Soul Power.

When it was compressed to the limit, he released it in one explosive burst—

Boom!

The barrier in his dantian was blasted apart, and Soul Power surged through his meridians like a flood. Then came the barrier between his brows—the same method: compress, detonate, break through.

The instant the second barrier shattered, Lin Mo felt as if a hammer had struck his head. His vision went black, and he nearly passed out. But he bit the tip of his tongue to stay conscious and guided Soul Power through thirty-six small cycles in his body until it finally stabilized.

[Congratulations, host, on breaking through to level 30!]

[Soul Power 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 · 2,500 years · Thunder Marsh, Star Dou Forest]

He'd broken through.

Lin Mo opened his eyes and found himself drenched in sweat, the bedsheets covered in blood—blood from his gums, and from capillaries that had burst beneath his skin under the impact of his Soul Power.

He stood up. His legs were a little weak, but the Soul Power inside him surged like an ocean. The gap between level thirty and level twenty-nine was greater than the combined gap between level ten and level twenty. It was a qualitative transformation—the leap from Soul Grandmaster to Soul Elder.

He opened the door. Tang San and Xiao Wu were still standing guard outside.

"You broke through?" Tang San asked.

Lin Mo nodded.

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

"It's nothing," Lin Mo said with a smile. "Just surface wounds."

Grandmaster came down the corridor, holding a scroll. He looked Lin Mo up and down, then nodded. "Not bad. Breaking through level thirty in three days was faster than I expected. But now—"

He handed the scroll to Lin Mo. "You need to rest. Tomorrow, you'll leave for the Star Dou Forest to hunt the Thunder Dragon Python."

Lin Mo took the scroll and unfurled it. It was a detailed map of the Star Dou Forest, with a red circle marking the Thunder Marsh. The map also showed the distribution zones and danger levels of various Soul Beasts, all labeled in Grandmaster's handwriting.

"I prepared this map a long time ago," Grandmaster said. "The Thunder Marsh lies on the outskirts of the Star Dou Forest's core region, six hundred li from Nuoding City. Lightning and thunder rage there year-round, and the marshes are everywhere. Ordinary Soul Masters wouldn't dare go near it. But for your Martial Soul, it's the ideal hunting ground."

"The Thunder Dragon Python is one of the most dangerous among the lesser dragons," Grandmaster continued. "Its lightning attacks have a wide range and tremendous burst power, which puts you at a disadvantage in close combat. So—"

He pulled a piece of dark golden metal from his robes and handed it to Lin Mo. "This is Thunder-Resistant Alloy. Set into your armor, it'll absorb some of the lightning damage. I had someone make it for you. Wear it."

Lin Mo took the metal piece. It felt heavy in his hand, its surface etched with fine patterns. He glanced at Grandmaster. The man was cold in word and manner, but he'd prepared more thoroughly than anyone else.

"Thank you, Grandmaster."

"Don't thank me." Grandmaster turned and left. "Just come back alive."

That night, Lin Mo sorted out his equipment in the dormitory.

The Thunder-Resistant Alloy plates had been fitted into his inner armor, protecting his chest and abdomen perfectly. His Refined Steel Dagger had been sharpened, and its handle wrapped with anti-slip cord. Grandmaster had also given him antidote, medicine for stopping bleeding, insect repellent, and other odds and ends, all packed into a backpack.

According to the system panel, he had accumulated 1,040 Evolution Points. Lin Mo considered strengthening one of his skills, but ultimately decided to save them. He might need to spend points to speed up his evolution after absorbing the Third Soul Ring. Better to be prepared.

Tang San pushed the door open and came in with a small bottle. "Medicine made with the Mysterious Heaven Skill. It works better than ordinary medicine. Take it with you."

Lin Mo took the bottle. "You're not coming?"

"Grandmaster said this hunt is too dangerous. Xiao Wu and I would only hold you back." Tang San rarely looked so frustrated. "My Blue Silver Grass can't control a 2,500-year Thunder Dragon Python."

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

Tang San nodded. "Be careful."

It was late. Lin Mo lay down, ready to rest. Suddenly, he heard a faint sound outside the window—not the wind, but footsteps.

He sat up and extended the claws on his right hand.

"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. He wasn't drunk.

"Level thirty," Tang Hao said. "Faster than I expected."

"You've been watching."

"Mm." Tang Hao took a swig of wine. "You're going to the Star Dou Forest tomorrow?"

"Mm."

Tang Hao fell silent for a moment, then pulled something from his robes and tossed it over. Lin Mo caught it. It was a palm-sized black token engraved with the character "Hao."

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

Lin Mo gripped the token, a tangle of emotions welling up inside him. This man was a Titled Douluo, one of the strongest people on the continent, yet all he could do was hide in the shadows and watch his son and his friend's child face danger. His strength and helplessness were two sides of the same coin.

"Thank you," Lin Mo said.

"Don't thank me." Tang Hao turned and left. "Just come back alive. Same as Grandmaster said."

His silhouette vanished into the night.

Lin Mo put the token away and lay back down. Before he closed his eyes, the system displayed one final notification:

[Progress observing Tang Hao: 100%]

[Mission complete: Break through to level 30 within three months!]

[Reward issued: Clue to unlocking the Second Martial Soul's evolutionary form + 200 Evolution Points]

[Clue to the Second Martial Soul's evolutionary form: Devour at least three Dragon-type Soul Bones, or absorb a Dragon-type Soul Ring aged over ten thousand years]

[Current Evolution Points: 1240]

[Tang Hao's Favorability: Respect (Hidden aid unlocked: Haotian Order)]

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

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

Lin Mo sucked in a sharp breath—that was as good as having another life. In a place like the Star Dou Forest, having that trump card in hand made him feel much more secure.

He put the Haotian Order away and closed his eyes.

Tomorrow, the Star Dou Forest.

A 2,500-year-old Thunder Dragon Python. His third Soul Ring.

And that golden marker that had been flashing on the system map all along—the unknown Dragon bloodline with a Dragon blood concentration of 68%.

Once he had his third Soul Ring, he would go see what it was.

Moonlight poured like water outside the window. From the direction of the Star Dou Forest came the faint rumble of thunder.

Lin Mo drifted off to sleep. In his dream, a giant python wreathed in Thunder thrashed through a swamp, while dark-golden Dragon Might crumbled before it.

But he did not retreat.

He charged forward.