The Python of Thunder Marsh

It was five in the morning, and the sky had yet to fully brighten.

When Lin Mo walked out of the gates of Nuoding Academy with his pack, Grandmaster was already waiting there. The morning mist was heavy, and the man's black robes were soaked with dew, clearly having waited for a long time.

"Did you memorize the map?" Grandmaster asked.

"I did."

"The weakness of the Thunder Dragon Python lies in its throat and abdomen, where the scales are thinnest. Its lightning attacks rely primarily on the single horn atop its head; if you can break that horn first, its threat level will be cut by at least half." Grandmaster paused. "But do not attempt this lightly. That horn is where its soul power is most concentrated; getting close to it is seeking death."

Lin Mo nodded. He had already memorized these key points until he could recite them in his sleep.

Grandmaster reached into his robes, pulled out a palm-sized wooden box, and handed it over. "Open it and see."

Lin Mo lifted the lid—inside lay a dark red pill, the size of a thumb, its surface covered in fine golden veins that spread like blood vessels.

"Power Gathering Pill," Grandmaster said. "Consume it at a critical moment; it can restore fifty percent of your soul power within thirty breaths. There is only one, so do not use it unless absolutely necessary."

Lin Mo gripped the box tightly. He understood the value of this item—restoring fifty percent of his soul power in thirty breaths was equivalent to having an extra life. Although Grandmaster's words were cold, every item he prepared was meant to keep him alive.

"Grandmaster," Lin Mo looked up. "When I return, teach me your theoretical knowledge."

Grandmaster was stunned for a moment. "Why the sudden interest?"

"I used to think having enough strength was enough. But lately, I've realized that power alone isn't sufficient—I need to know where my power comes from, what my limits are, and how to break through them. These are things only you can teach me."

Grandmaster remained silent for a long time, so long that Lin Mo thought he wouldn't answer.

"Fine." Grandmaster turned away, his voice slightly hoarse. "Come back alive, and I will teach you."

Lin Mo watched his back disappear into the morning mist, then turned and stepped onto the path toward the Star Dou Forest.

The six-hundred-mile journey took him two days.

He covered three hundred miles on the first day, spending the night in a hunter's shack. He resumed his journey at dawn on the second day, and by noon, he finally saw the outline of the Star Dou Forest—a sea of dark green forest stretching from the horizon to his feet, with tree crowns towering into the clouds, blotting out the sun.

Standing at the edge of the forest, Lin Mo could feel the oppressive pressure rushing toward him. It was a field formed by the intertwined auras of countless soul beasts, like a sleeping giant beast breathing out primal power.

The system map unfolded in his mind—the Thunder Marsh was deep within the forest, about one hundred and twenty miles from the edge. The route was marked with dense red dots, each representing a soul beast. Hundred-year, thousand-year, even ten-thousand-year—the deeper he went, the denser and darker the red dots became.

"One hundred and twenty miles," Lin Mo estimated. "At my speed, it would take four hours to travel at full tilt. But I will encounter soul beasts along the way, so the actual time will at least double."

He took a deep breath and stepped into the forest.

The canopy blocked the sunlight, and the light dimmed instantly. The air was thick with the smell of rotting leaves and damp earth, and occasionally, the cries of unknown birds drifted from the depths, sounding eerily like the wailing of infants.

Lin Mo slowed his pace, his soul power perception fully engaged. His experience in jungle warfare from his past life told him—in a place like this, speed wasn't the most important thing; the most important thing was not stepping into a trap.

The first hour went smoothly. He bypassed the territories of three hundred-year soul beasts without disturbing anything. But starting from the second hour, the density of soul beasts increased significantly, and the species were more dangerous—he saw the footprints of an Iron-Armored Rhino, the droppings of a Wind Wolf, and even the claw marks of a Millennium Giant Bear carved into a tree trunk, two inches deep.

"I'm almost at the outer edge of the core zone." Lin Mo quickened his pace.

After another half hour, the sounds of fighting suddenly came from ahead. It wasn't a struggle between soul beasts, but humans—someone was fighting a soul beast.

Lin Mo slowed his pace and approached quietly. Passing through a thicket, he saw a clearing—three soul masters were surrounding a thousand-year Iron-Backed Crocodile Lizard. Two men and one woman, all around twenty years old. Their soul ring configurations were two hundred-year rings, and the leader's third ring was a thousand-year one; his soul power was likely around level thirty-five.

The Iron-Backed Crocodile Lizard was covered in wounds but was in a frenzy. Its tail swept out, and a male soul master couldn't dodge in time, getting swiped away and snapping a tree in half.

"Retreat! We can't handle this thing!" the leader shouted.

The three fought and retreated, quickly disappearing into the woods. The Iron-Backed Crocodile Lizard chased them for a distance, gave up, and turned to crawl back toward the marsh.

Lin Mo waited until they were far away before emerging from the bushes. He looked in the direction where the Iron-Backed Crocodile Lizard had disappeared—that was the entrance to the Thunder Marsh.

"I've arrived."

The Thunder Marsh was more desolate than he had imagined.

The gray mudflats stretched as far as the eye could see, covered in dark green moss, with bubbles occasionally rising from the sludge and releasing foul-smelling gas when they burst. The sky was thick with dark clouds, lightning darting through them, and thunder rolled by every few seconds. The air was filled with a strange, pungent mix of ozone and rot, making one's throat feel parched.

On the system map, a massive red dot flickered in the center of the marsh—Thunder Dragon Python, two thousand five hundred years.

[Warning: Target is in an active state. It is recommended to formulate a detailed strategy before approaching.]

Lin Mo did not rashly venture deep. He found a relatively dry highland and lay down to observe the terrain.

The terrain of the marsh was complex—muddy areas, shallow water, and a few scattered patches of hard ground. The Thunder Dragon Python had strong territorial awareness; it coiled in the center of the marsh, and no other soul beast dared to approach within three hundred meters.

"I can't force my way in." Lin Mo analyzed the terrain. "The mudflats will limit my speed, but it lives in the marsh and is in its element. If I fight head-on, I won't even be able to exert half of my strength."

He had to lure it out.

Lin Mo observed for a while and discovered the Thunder Dragon Python's activity pattern—every two hours, it would swim from the central area to a patch of hard ground on the east side to sunbathe, staying for about fifteen minutes. That patch of hard ground was the only dry area in the marsh, surrounded by shallow water; the mud wasn't deep, making it barely passable.

"That's the spot." Lin Mo memorized the location and began his preparations.

He first circled to the east side of the hard ground and found a concealed spot to lie in ambush. Then, he put on the Thunder-Resistant Inner Armor given by Grandmaster and checked his short blades and pills. Once everything was ready, he began to wait.

One hour. Two hours.

The Thunder Dragon Python swam out from the center of the marsh right on time and slowly crawled onto the hard ground.

Lin Mo finally saw its full appearance—a seven-meter-long body, as thick as a barrel, covered in blue-purple scales. Arcs of electricity jumped across the surface of the scales, crackling loudly. A half-meter-long spiral horn sat atop its head, its tip flashing with blinding white light. Its eyes were vertical pupils, golden, burning like two lamps in the dark.

It coiled into a ball, resting its head on its body, eyes closed in rest. Arcs of electricity flowed between its scales, occasionally striking the ground and blasting small craters into the mud.

A two-thousand-five-hundred-year soul beast; its mere presence was enough to make one's scalp tingle.

Lin Mo didn't rush to act. He was waiting—waiting for the Thunder Dragon Python to enter a state of deep rest. The system indicated that its heart rate was dropping, its breathing was slowing, and the frequency of the electrical arcs was also decreasing.

Now.

Lin Mo catapulted from his hiding spot, Dragon Mastiff Fury instantly activated! All attributes surged by 80%, and a dark-gold shockwave erupted. He sprinted across the mud, each step kicking up massive sprays of water!

The Thunder Dragon Python woke up at the very last second!

The perception of a millennium-level soul beast saved it—it jerked its head up, white light exploding from its single horn, and a bolt of lightning as thick as an arm lashed out at Lin Mo!

Lin Mo had been prepared. The moment the lightning struck, he rolled to the side. The bolt grazed his shoulder and slammed into the mud, blasting a three-meter-high column of water into the air. His Thunder-Resistant Inner Armor did its job, conducting away most of the current, but Lin Mo still felt half his body go numb.

He gritted his teeth and kept charging. Distance—twenty meters, fifteen meters, ten meters—

The Thunder Dragon Python opened its maw, a second bolt of lightning gathering! This time it wasn't a horn attack, but a ball of lightning spat from its mouth—greater in range, faster in speed!

Lin Mo had no path to dodge. The mud was too deep, and soft sludge lay on both sides; to dodge was to sink.

He did not hesitate, unleashing Earth Fire Dragon Breath with everything he had!

Crimson flames and blue-white lightning collided in mid-air—BOOM! The explosive shockwave sent mud flying everywhere, reducing visibility to zero. Using the explosion as cover, Lin Mo lunged into the mist of mud, his right claw extended—

[Dragon Claw: Void Breaker!]

Five claw marks condensed into a single dark-gold blade of light, striking straight for the Thunder Dragon Python's vital spot!

The blade of light slashed against the scales, sparks flying! The Thunder Dragon Python let out a pained howl as three gashes were torn into its scales at its vital spot, blue-purple blood gushing out. But the defense of a 2,500-year soul beast was too strong; Dragon Claw: Void Breaker failed to land a killing blow, only inflicting a heavy wound.

The Thunder Dragon Python was enraged. Ignoring its injuries, it swept its tail across, crackling with electric arcs!

Lin Mo couldn't dodge in time and was struck in the chest by the tail—CRACK! The Thunder-Resistant Inner Armor shattered, and Lin Mo was sent flying, tumbling over ten meters through the mud before coming to a stop.

His chest burned with intense pain, his mouth filled with the taste of blood. Lin Mo struggled to climb up, looking down—the inner armor was broken, and a charred whip mark marred his chest, skin and flesh torn, ribs faintly visible.

The system notification flashed in red:

[Warning: Host has sustained heavy injuries. Left rib fractured, internal organs slightly displaced.]
[Dragon Mastiff Fury remaining time: 8 breaths.]

Eight breaths.

Lin Mo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and looked at the Thunder Dragon Python. It was also heavily wounded, blood still spurting from the gash at its vital spot, its movements clearly sluggish. But its ferocity had been fully ignited; its golden slit pupils were filled with killing intent, and the white light on its horn grew brighter—it was charging up, and the next strike would surely be fatal.

The system prompted frantically:

[Warning: Target is charging 'Thunder Dragon Breath', release in three seconds.]
[Suggestion: Interrupt or evade!]

Three seconds. There was no time to evade; Lin Mo was in an open area with no cover.

He had to interrupt it.

Lin Mo's right hand reached to his waist—the Power Gathering Pill given by Grandmaster. He bit down on the pill and swallowed, his depleted soul power instantly recovering by fifty percent. He then poured all his soul power into his right claw, scales covering his arm up to the shoulder, the dark-gold light on his sharp claws blindingly bright.

The Thunder Dragon Python opened its mouth, lightning gathering in its throat—

Lin Mo kicked off the ground and sprinted!

Dragon Claw: Void Breaker, full power! This time it wasn't one blade of light, but five—he poured every ounce of his soul power into this strike, holding nothing back!

Five dark-gold claw marks tore through the air, whistling sharply as they slashed toward the Thunder Dragon Python's single horn!

Lightning erupted from the python's maw, colliding with the claw marks—BOOM! The explosion sent Lin Mo flying; he flipped twice in the air before crashing heavily into the mud.

His vision blurred, his ears ringing. Lin Mo struggled to lift his head—

The Thunder Dragon Python's horn was broken.

The half-meter-long horn had snapped at the root and fallen into the mud, the white light upon it still flickering like a dying firefly. Without its horn, the Thunder Dragon Python was like a tiger with its teeth pulled, the power of its lightning attacks dropping by ninety percent. It writhed in agony, its tail slapping the mud, but it was clearly in its death throes.

Lin Mo stood up and drew his short blade.

He walked up to the Thunder Dragon Python; it no longer had the strength to resist, only watching him with its golden slit pupils. There was no fear in those eyes, only unwillingness—a 2,500-year hegemon, dying at the hands of a six-year-old child.

"My apologies," Lin Mo said, driving the short blade into its vital spot.

The Thunder Dragon Python twitched one last time and went still.

A deep purple soul ring rose from the corpse, so dense it looked black—exactly 2,500 years.

Lin Mo sat down in the mud, gasping for air. His whole body felt as if it had been run over by a truck, and the wound on his chest made him break out in a cold sweat. But he had no time to rest—this was the core of the Star Dou Forest, and the scent of blood would attract other soul beasts.

He sat cross-legged and guided the soul ring into his body.

The moment the 2,500-year soul ring entered his body, Lin Mo felt as if he were about to explode! Violent thunder-attribute energy rampaged through his meridians, feeling like ten thousand needles pricking his blood vessels. Blue-purple electric arcs emerged on his skin, crackling and causing the surrounding mud to smoke.

The system notifications jumped frantically:

[Absorbing Thunder Dragon Python soul ring... 2,500 years...]
[Dragon blood concentration increased: 67% → 78%]
[Martial Soul Evolution opportunity detected! Consume 300 Evolution Points to accelerate absorption?]

"Consume!"

300 Evolution Points were deducted, and a wave of icy energy surged into his body, neutralizing the violence of the lightning. Two forces collided and merged within him—the dark-gold chaotic power, the crimson earth fire power, and the blue-purple thunder power; the three colors intertwined within Lin Mo, finally reaching a balance.

BOOM!

A barrier within his body was shattered once again.

One hour later, the soul ring was completely absorbed.

Lin Mo opened his eyes, and three soul rings rose beneath his feet—purple, purple, purple.

Three thousand-year soul rings!

[Third soul ring successfully acquired]

[Soul Power Level: 31 (Leap-style improvement)]

[Martial Soul Evolution progress: 45% → 65%]

[New Soul Skill: Thunder Dragon Might—Releases a dragon's might in a lightning domain; all enemies within range continuously take lightning damage and have their speed reduced by 30% for fifteen breaths]

[Evolution Form: Earth Fire Scale Armor form upgrading...]

[Chaos Dragon Mastiff: Earth Fire Scale Armor → Chaos Dragon Mastiff: Three-Attribute Form (Earth Fire + Thunder)]

[New Passive: Thunder Scale—30% chance to trigger a lightning pursuit upon attacking, dealing additional damage]

[New Active: Three-Attribute Breath—Can switch between Earth Fire/Thunder/Mixed Breath; Mixed Breath doubles power but also doubles consumption]

Lin Mo stood up, feeling the surging power within his body. The three thousand-year soul rings rotated slowly around him, with dark gold, crimson, and blue-purple energies flowing across his skin like three small dragons slithering beneath the surface.

He raised his right hand—scales covered his arm up to the shoulder, shifting in color from cyan-black to an interweaving of cyan-black and dark red, with blue-purple electric arcs dancing across the surface. His five-fingered claws were an inch longer than before, with lightning crackling at the tips.

[Current Evolution Points: 940]

He was still nine levels away from his fourth soul ring.

Lin Mo looked toward the deeper parts of the swamp—on the system map, that golden marker was still flickering, about fifty miles away:

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

He hadn't dared to approach before because his strength was insufficient. But now—level thirty-one, three thousand-year soul rings, and his Chaos Dragon Mastiff had evolved into its Three-Attribute form.

"It's time to take a look." Lin Mo retracted his martial soul and began walking toward the golden marker.

He spent two hours covering the fifty miles.

The deeper he went, the more bizarre the swamp environment became—the mud turned deep black, and a faint mist drifted across the surface. The mist carried a sweet, cloying, bloody scent that caused dizziness if inhaled too much. The system warned that the mist was mildly toxic, so Lin Mo tore a strip of cloth, dampened it, and covered his nose and mouth.

Traces of soul beasts became increasingly scarce. Within the final ten-mile radius, there wasn't a single red dot on the system map—it wasn't that there were no soul beasts, but that all of them were avoiding this area.

What kind of thing could force thousand-year soul beasts to give it such a wide berth?

Lin Mo slowed his pace, his soul power perception fully extended. After another half hour, a massive pool of water appeared ahead—not mud, but clear, bottomless water. In the center of the pool lay a small island, upon which grew a dead, giant tree so thick that ten men couldn't wrap their arms around it.

The golden marker was right there on the island.

Lin Mo did not rush onto the island. He circled the pool and discovered claw marks on the bank—enormous claw marks, each the size of a washbasin, deeply embedded in the mud. The edges of the prints held dried, blackened blood, clearly from a long time ago.

He crouched down to examine them closely—the prints had five toes, and the deep gouges at the front indicated that the creature's claws were incredibly sharp. The spacing between the prints was vast, with a stride exceeding three meters; its body size was at least three times that of a Thunder Dragon Python.

"Three times the size of a Thunder Dragon Python..." Lin Mo frowned. The Thunder Dragon Python was seven meters long, so three times that would be twenty-one meters. A dragon-type soul beast of that size was at least at the ten-thousand-year level.

But what about the age marked by the system?

He looked at the system map—next to the golden marker, the age column was empty, containing only a question mark.

[Unknown Dragon Bloodline · Age: ???]

[Recommendation: Do not approach]

Even the system advised against approaching.

Lin Mo hesitated. Reason told him he should retreat—he was only level thirty-one, and facing a ten-thousand-year soul beast would be suicide. But his intuition told him that this thing had some sort of connection to him. His Chaos Dragon Mastiff martial soul was restless within his body, as if responding to something.

He took a deep breath and made a decision—he wouldn't get close; he would just take a look from afar.

Lin Mo circled to the leeward side of the pool and climbed up a large tree. Reaching the canopy, he parted the leaves and looked toward the island—

A dragon was coiled beneath the dead giant tree.

It was not a sub-dragon species; it was a true dragon.

Its body length exceeded twenty meters, covered from head to tail in pitch-black scales, with dark gold patterns along the edges of the scales resembling some sort of ancient rune. Its four limbs were as thick as pillars, and dried blood still clung to its claws. A pair of tattered wings rested on its back, the wing membranes riddled with holes, clearly no longer capable of flight. One of the dragon horns on its head was broken, and the other was covered in cracks.

It kept its eyes closed, breathing slowly, its chest rising and falling rhythmically. With every breath, the dark gold patterns on its body pulsed, like the rhythm of a heartbeat.

Lin Mo's Chaos Dragon Mastiff martial soul roared frantically inside him, as if trying to break free. He suppressed it with all his might, but the restlessness of his martial soul grew increasingly intense—

The Black Dragon opened its eyes.

Golden vertical pupils, ten times larger than those of a Thunder Dragon Python, burned in the darkness like two suns. It looked toward the direction where Lin Mo was hiding—it wasn't just looking; it was staring. It was like a hunter watching prey, or a monarch looking down upon an ant.

Lin Mo's entire body went rigid.

The pressure he felt wasn't soul power suppression; it was a suppression of life hierarchy—a true dragon's suppression of a mortal being. His Chaos Dragon Mastiff martial soul trembled beneath this pressure, as if it had encountered its master.

The system notifications flashed red frantically:

[Warning! Warning! High-level existence detected—]

[Black Dragon King · Zhu Hai · ??? Years (Suspected critical injury status)]

[Danger Level: Unable to evaluate]

[Suggestion: Escape immediately!]

Lin Mo did not run.

It was not that he did not want to run, but that he could not move. The gaze of the Black Dragon King pressed down on him like a mountain, leaving him unable to move even a single finger.

The Black Dragon King watched him for a long time. Long enough that Lin Mo thought he was going to die right there.

Then, the Black Dragon King spoke.

The voice was as aged as weathered rock, as low as the shifting of tectonic plates: "Chaos Dragon Mastiff... I did not expect to see one again."

Lin Mo's heart hammered—this thing recognized his Martial Soul?

"Come here," the Black Dragon King said.

Lin Mo's body floated up from the tree against his will, drifting slowly toward the small island. He struggled desperately, but the Black Dragon King's soul power acted like invisible chains, binding him tight.

Landing on the island and standing before the Black Dragon King, Lin Mo truly felt the creature's immense scale—its head alone was larger than his entire body. Although one dragon horn was broken, the other was still three meters long. The dark golden patterns on its scales grew brighter as he approached, as if responding to something.

The Black Dragon King lowered its head, its golden vertical pupils scrutinizing him at close range.

"Six years old, level thirty-one, three thousand-year soul rings," it said. "Faster than I thought."

"Are you... waiting for me?" Lin Mo asked.

"Waiting for a long time," the Black Dragon King closed its eyes. "So long that I can no longer remember."

It was silent for a moment, then said: "I am not waiting for you. I am waiting for him—the guy who killed me."

Lin Mo was stunned.

"A long time ago, a man came here and fought me. He won, but he did not kill me. He said that when his descendant arrived, I was to hand something over to them." The Black Dragon King opened its eyes. "I have waited eight hundred years."

Eight hundred years.

Lin Mo gasped. Someone from eight hundred years ago had calculated that a descendant would come to find this creature today?

"Who was that man?"

The Black Dragon King did not answer. It opened its mouth, and dark golden light surged deep within its throat—then it spat out a fist-sized crystal, which landed in front of Lin Mo.

The crystal was dark gold, its surface covered in countless tiny facets, each refracting a different light. Liquid flowed inside, as if it were alive.

[Detected—Dragon God Crystal Fragment!]

[Dragon God Crystal Fragment: An energy crystal shattered when the ancient Dragon God fell, containing a trace of the Dragon God's origin.]

[Effect: Can purify Martial Soul bloodline, unlocking the hidden evolution path of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff.]

[Warning: Absorption requires level fifty soul power or higher, otherwise there is a risk of bodily explosion.]

Dragon God Crystal.

Lin Mo's hands were trembling. The value of this item was higher than any soul ring or soul bone—the origin power of the Dragon God, even just a trace, was enough to evolve his Martial Soul to another level.

But it required level fifty to absorb. He was only level thirty-one.

"Keep it safe," the Black Dragon King said. "Use it when you are strong enough. Do not waste it."

It closed its eyes again, its breathing becoming sluggish. The dark golden patterns on its body grew dimmer, like a lamp about to go out.

"Are you dying?" Lin Mo asked.

"Soon," the Black Dragon King said. "I have waited for you long enough; it is time to go."

Lin Mo was silent. He did not know what to say. This Black Dragon King had waited eight hundred years just to pass a crystal to a man's descendant. And that man was likely the previous owner of the Chaos Dragon Mastiff Martial Soul.

"Is there anything I can do for you?" Lin Mo asked.

The Black Dragon King opened its eyes and watched him for a while. Then it smiled—a dragon's smile was terrifying, but Lin Mo could feel the goodwill behind it.

"Become strong," it said. "Strong enough that no one can kill you. And then—"

It closed its eyes.

"Burn a stick of incense for that guy for me. His name was... never mind, I have forgotten it."

The breathing stopped.

The dark golden patterns extinguished completely, and the Black Dragon King's body began to disintegrate—the scales turned into black light particles and drifted away, the flesh turned to ash, and the bones crumbled into powder. The entire process took only ten breaths; the twenty-meter-long true dragon vanished without a trace, leaving behind only a Dragon God Crystal and... a bone.

A palm-sized bone, dark gold, its surface carved with runes.

A system prompt popped up:

[Black Dragon King Zhu Hai has died.]

[Obtained: Dragon God Crystal Fragment x1]

[Obtained: Black Dragon King Soul Bone · Right Arm (??? years · Absorbable)]

[Warning: Black Dragon King Soul Bone exceeds one hundred thousand years; absorption requires level sixty soul power or higher, otherwise death is certain.]

A hundred-thousand-year soul bone.

Lin Mo looked at the bone in his hand, his hands shaking even more violently. A soul bone from a hundred-thousand-year soul beast—there were only a handful in the entire continent. And the one in his hand was a soul bone from a true dragon.

"Wait until I reach level sixty..." he muttered to himself. "I wonder how long that will take."

He stowed away the Dragon God Crystal and the Soul Bone, bowing deeply in the direction where the Black Dragon King had vanished.

"I will become stronger. Strong enough that no one can kill me."

As he turned to leave the small island, the system prompted a new mission:

[Main Quest Triggered: Legacy of the Dragon God]

[Phase One: Break through to level 50 within three years and absorb the Dragon God Crystal Fragment]

[Reward: Chaos Dragon Mastiff evolves to Fourth Form, unlocks God-tier evolution path]

[Failure: Permanent loss of God-tier evolution opportunity]

[Phase Two Clue: Absorb Black Dragon King Soul Bone (requires level 60)]

Going from level 31 to level 50 in three years.

Lin Mo took a deep breath. This goal was insane, but not impossible. The Grandmaster's training plan, the system's bonuses, and the potential aid of the Dragon God Crystal—as long as he didn't die, he could do it.

By the time he walked out of the Thunder Marsh, the sky had already turned dark.

Lin Mo found a safe spot to spend the night, lighting a fire to roast some dry rations. The wound on his chest still ached, but the circulation of his soul power accelerated the healing; there shouldn't be any lasting damage.

He checked his system panel:

[Host: Lin Mo]

[Martial Soul: Chaos Dragon Mastiff: Three-Attribute Form (Earth Fire + Thunder)]

[Soul Power Level: 31]

[Soul Rings: Purple (450 years), Purple (1,400 years), Purple (2,500 years)]

[Soul Skills: Dragon Mastiff Fury, Earth Fire Dragon Breath, Dragon Claw: Void Breaker, Thunder Dragon Might]

[Talents: Scale Armor Protection (30% damage reduction), Earth Fire Protection (counterattack), Thunder Scale (pursuit), Dragon Might (suppression)]

[Evolution Progress: 65%]

[Evolution Points: 940]

[Special Items: Dragon God Crystal Fragment (requires level 50), Black Dragon King Soul Bone (requires level 60), Haotian Order (one-time use)]

[Quest Progress: Tang Hao's Entrustment (0%), Legacy of the Dragon God Phase One (0%)]

Nineteen levels to go.

Lin Mo closed his eyes and drifted into sleep. Tomorrow, he would return to Nuoding City, learn theory from the Grandmaster, and then continue his cultivation.

Three years—it was neither long nor short.

But with the goals of the Dragon God Crystal and the Hundred Thousand Year Soul Bone, he felt that every day had meaning.

Deep in the forest, the howl of a wolf echoed.

Lin Mo turned over, sleeping soundly.