The Journey Home

Lin Mo returned to Nuoding City on the evening of the third day.

The setting sun dyed the city walls a dark red. A long line of merchant caravans queued before the city gate, the cacophony of shouting, horse hooves, and hawking blending together in stark contrast to the deathly silence of the forest. He stood at the gate, momentarily dazed—having spent three days in the Star Dou Forest felt like three years had passed.

"Move, move!" Someone shoved him from behind, and a carriage driver cursed as he pushed past. Lin Mo didn't get angry; instead, he smiled. The feeling of returning to the world of the living was truly good.

After entering the city, he didn't return to the academy immediately, choosing instead to find a blacksmith shop to repair his inner armor. The Thunder-Resistant Alloy armor given by Grandmaster had been shattered by the tail of the Thunder Dragon Python during the fight. Although he didn't need it for the moment, the item was worth a fortune, and it would be a pity to lose it.

The shop owner was a bald man in his fifties. He took the armor, glanced at it, and clicked his tongue in wonder: "Thunder-Resistant Alloy, good stuff. Who forged this for you? The craftsmanship is decent, but the materials are a bit lacking. If you had some Thunder-Pattern Steel, this armor could at least withstand a full-force strike from a five-thousand-year soul beast."

"Can it be repaired?" Lin Mo asked.

"It can." The old man weighed the armor in his hand. "Two Gold Soul Coins. Come back and get it in three days."

Lin Mo paid the fee and headed toward the academy. Passing by the Martial Soul Hall, he slowed his pace. The Nuoding branch looked much more imposing than it had a few months ago; two guards in silver armor stood at the entrance, and people flowed in and out incessantly. Since Zhao Wuji arrived, the activity here had clearly increased.

He withdrew his gaze and quickened his pace.

It was already dark when he returned to the academy. The lights were on in the dormitory building, and he could faintly hear Xiao Wu's laughter. Lin Mo pushed the door open—

"Lin Mo!"

Xiao Wu was the first to rush over, circling him once: "Are you hurt? What happened to your chest? Are you alright?"

"Just superficial wounds, I'm fine." Lin Mo set his pack down.

Tang San walked over and handed him a glass of water: "Did it go smoothly?"

"Smoothly. The third soul ring is secured, twenty-five hundred years." Lin Mo didn't mention the Black Dragon King or the Dragon God Crystal—it wasn't a lack of trust, but the time wasn't right.

Xiao Wu's eyes widened: "Twenty-five hundred years?! Your first soul ring was only four hundred fifty years, the second was fourteen hundred, and the third jumped straight to twenty-five hundred? That span is terrifying!"

"My martial soul can handle it," Lin Mo said, releasing his third soul ring.

A deep purple ring rose from beneath his feet, darker than the previous two—a purple so deep it was almost black. Blue-purple electric arcs danced across the surface of the ring, crackling and causing the dormitory to flicker in and out of light.

Wang Sheng sat up from his bed and rubbed his eyes: "Holy crap, you broke through again? Are you even human, kid?"

The other work-study students gathered around, asking questions all at once. Lin Mo gave a brief account of the process of hunting the Thunder Dragon Python, naturally omitting the dangerous parts—there was no need to make them worry.

Once the crowd dispersed, Tang San asked in a low voice: "There's a strange aura on you. It's not from a soul beast, nor is it human."

Lin Mo glanced at him. Tang San's Purple Demon Eye was becoming increasingly sharp; this perception was an innate advantage in battle.

"We'll talk later," Lin Mo said.

The two tacitly dropped the subject.

Early the next morning, Lin Mo went to find Grandmaster.

Grandmaster lived in a small wooden cabin on the back hill of the academy, surrounded by various medicinal herbs. When Lin Mo arrived, Grandmaster was watering the plants in the yard, his movements slow and meticulous.

"You're back." Grandmaster didn't look up. "How are your injuries?"

"Mostly healed." Lin Mo walked over. "Grandmaster, I have something I need to tell you."

Grandmaster set down the watering can and glanced at him: "Let's talk inside."

The cabin was simple: a bed, a table, and a bookshelf, with notebooks and scrolls scattered across the desk. Grandmaster poured a cup of water, placed it in front of Lin Mo, and sat opposite him.

"Speak."

Lin Mo recounted his experience in the Star Dou Forest—the process of hunting the Thunder Dragon Python, the matter of the Black Dragon King, the Dragon God Crystal, and the soul bone. He only withheld the information about the system, laying everything else out.

Grandmaster remained silent for a long time after hearing it.

"Black Dragon King... Zhu Hai." He muttered to himself, rising to pull a thick, hand-copied book from the shelf and flipping to a page. "Eight hundred years ago, the Clear Sky Sect had a traitor—no, it would be more accurate to say a genius who was expelled from the sect. His name was Tang Chen, an ancestor of Tang Hao."

Lin Mo's heart skipped a beat.

"Tang Chen's martial soul was the Clear Sky Hammer, but he awakened a mutated ability—Dragon Transformation. His Clear Sky Hammer could be imbued with the attributes of dragon-type soul rings, and its power far exceeded that of an ordinary Clear Sky Hammer." Grandmaster flipped through the book. "Later, he left the Clear Sky Sect and vanished from the continent. Some said he died, others said he went overseas. I never expected..."

"He fought the Black Dragon King in the Star Dou Forest," Lin Mo added.

"And he didn't kill it." Grandmaster closed the book. "Tang Chen... this man is more complex than I imagined."

He looked at Lin Mo: "How do you intend to use that Dragon God Crystal?"

"I'll absorb it when I reach level fifty," Lin Mo said. "The Black Dragon King said it was a crystallized fragment of energy from when the Dragon God fell, containing a trace of the Dragon God's origin. My martial soul told me that absorbing it will unlock a god-level evolutionary path."

Grandmaster nodded: "At level fifty, given your cultivation speed, it will likely take three years. During these three years, you must build a solid foundation. Rapid soul power growth isn't necessarily a good thing—if the foundation is unstable, you will face major problems later."

"That is why I need your theoretical guidance," Lin Mo said. "You promised."

Grandmaster smiled, a rare occurrence—not just a slight upturn of the lips, but a genuine smile: "Very well. Starting today, you will learn theory from me every afternoon. Martial soul theory, soul ring theory, soul beast theory, tactical theory—everything I can teach, I will teach you."

Lin Mo nodded.

That afternoon, Grandmaster began the first lesson.

"A soul master's cultivation is not merely the accumulation of soul power." Grandmaster wrote a few words on the blackboard. "You need to understand your martial soul, your soul rings, and your physical limits. You must know not just what is, but why it is."

He pointed at Lin Mo: "Your martial soul is the Chaos Dragon Mastiff, a martial soul that has never been recorded. Based on my observations, it has three characteristics: Evolution, Devour, and Suppression."

"Evolution goes without saying. Devour refers to its ability to absorb the power of dragon-type soul beasts to strengthen itself. All three of your soul rings come from dragon-type soul beasts, and each time you absorb one, your martial soul undergoes a clear evolution. Suppression refers to its innate dominance over beast martial souls—the reason your Dragon Might had such a strong suppressive effect on Dai Mubai's White Tiger martial soul wasn't because of your level, but because of your bloodline."

Lin Mo listened intently. He had vaguely sensed these things, but he had never thought about them systematically.

"Therefore, your cultivation direction should be to continue hunting dragon-type soul beasts to obtain high-quality soul rings. At the same time, strengthen your foundation to prepare for absorbing the Dragon God Crystal." Grandmaster paused. "Furthermore, your soul ring configuration has a problem."

"What is the problem?"

"Your first soul ring is four hundred and fifty years, the second is one thousand four hundred, and the third is two thousand five hundred. The span is too wide." Grandmaster frowned, "Although your martial soul can withstand it, the energy imbalance between the soul rings will affect the stability of your soul power circulation. To put it simply—your body is a carriage pulled by three horses; it is fine if all three run at the same speed, but if one is fast and two are slow, the carriage will overturn."

Lin Mo was thoughtful: "So I need to balance the energy of the soul rings?"

"Correct. The fourth soul ring cannot have too large a span; it is best to be between three thousand and four thousand years. And—" Grandmaster looked at him, "you cannot hunt sub-dragon species for your fourth soul ring. You need to hunt a true dragon."

A true dragon.

Lin Mo's eyes lit up.

"Deep within the Star Dou Forest lies the territory of the dragon race, where several true dragons live—not sub-dragon species, but true dragons. Their age ranges between three thousand and five thousand years." Grandmaster took a map from the bookshelf and pointed to a red circle on it, "This is Dragon Valley, one of the most dangerous areas in the Star Dou Forest. Once you reach level forty, I will take you there."

"You will take me?" Lin Mo was stunned. Grandmaster was only level twenty-nine; going deep into the Star Dou Forest was no different from seeking death.

"Although my strength is lacking, my theoretical knowledge is sufficient to help you avoid most dangers." Grandmaster said expressionlessly, "Besides, it will be a long time before you reach level forty. During this time, I can make full preparations."

Lin Mo was silent for a moment: "Grandmaster, why are you so good to me?"

Grandmaster's movements stopped. He stood with his back to Lin Mo, silent for a long time.

"Because..." his voice was very low, "I have spent my whole life studying martial soul theory, but I am a failure myself. Level twenty-nine, unable to break through for a lifetime. My theories cannot help me, but they can help you."

He turned around and looked at Lin Mo: "You, Tang San, Xiao Wu—you are all geniuses. But geniuses need proper guidance, otherwise, it is a waste. I do not want to see you take detours—just like I did back then."

Lin Mo did not know what to say. He knew of Grandmaster's past—abandoned by his clan because of his mutated martial soul "Luo Sanpao," mocked for his low strength, spending his entire life trying to prove the value of his theories but unable to verify them in practice. He pinned all his hopes on his students; it was not exploitation, but faith.

"Grandmaster." Lin Mo stood up, "When I become strong, I will help you break through."

Grandmaster was stunned for a moment, then shook his head: "The defect in my martial soul is congenital, it is impossible to—"

"There is no such thing as impossible." Lin Mo interrupted him, "The Chaos Dragon Mastiff can devour the power of dragon-type soul beasts to evolve; perhaps it can devour other things as well. Once I fully understand the evolution mechanism of my martial soul, I might be able to find a way to help you repair yours."

Grandmaster looked at him, complex light in his eyes—moved, gratified, and a hint of unbelievable anticipation.

"Fine." He said, "I will wait."

In the days that followed, Lin Mo's life entered a fixed rhythm.

He woke up at three in the morning for a sixty-kilometer cross-country run with weights. After the run came soul power control training—Grandmaster increased the difficulty from ten protective barriers to fifteen, and the precision requirement from five percent to three percent.

"Your soul power is becoming increasingly violent." Grandmaster looked at the test data, his brows locked tight, "The attributes of your three soul rings conflict with each other—Earth Fire and Thunder are inherently incompatible; it is already a miracle that your martial soul can contain them both. But the difficulty of controlling them will increase exponentially."

Lin Mo could feel it. When circulating his soul power, the power of Earth Fire and Thunder often collided in his meridians like two stubborn brutes refusing to yield. Each collision brought a sharp pain, and over time, the walls of his meridians would suffer minor damage.

"This problem must be solved." Grandmaster said, "Otherwise, when you reach level fifty and absorb the Dragon God Crystal, all three attributes will go berserk at once, and your body will explode."

"How do I solve it?"

Grandmaster thought for a long time: "You need an external force that can harmonize the attributes. For example—a rare treasure that contains both fire and thunder attributes, or a soul bone from a soul beast that possesses both."

Lin Mo thought of the Black Dragon King soul bone. A hundred-thousand-year Black Dragon King, its attributes were darkness and... no, the Black Dragon King's attributes were darkness and dragon power, which had nothing to do with fire and thunder.

"Do not rush for now." Grandmaster said, "When you reach level forty and we go to the Star Dou Forest, we will look for it. There are many rare medicinal herbs and minerals in Dragon Valley; perhaps we can find what you need."

The afternoon theory class was immovable. Grandmaster started from the most basic classification of martial souls, all the way to the optimal soul ring configuration, the ecological distribution of soul beasts, and the operating laws of different attribute soul powers. Lin Mo learned quickly—a habit formed when he was a mercenary in his past life; any knowledge that could save his life had to be memorized in the shortest possible time.

Tang San would occasionally come to audit. Grandmaster's teaching method for him was different from Lin Mo's—Lin Mo's martial soul was of the violent type and needed to learn control; Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was of the control type and needed to learn how to burst.

"Your Blue Silver Grass gained toxicity and toughness after absorbing the Mandala Snake soul ring." Grandmaster said, "But it is not enough. Your next soul ring needs to come from a soul beast that can grant the Blue Silver Grass stronger offensive capabilities."

Tang San thought for a moment: "What type?"

"Ghost Vine. Between five hundred and eight hundred years, growing in dark and damp places. Its vines are highly toxic and can actively attack prey. If your Blue Silver Grass can fuse with the characteristics of the Ghost Vine, your control will be raised to a new level."

Tang San took note, preparing to act when Lin Mo went to the Star Dou Forest.

Xiao Wu's cultivation did not fall behind either. Grandmaster designed an explosive training program for her—five hundred weighted squats every day, three hundred pull-ups, and a set of jujitsu movements specifically for training waist and abdominal strength.

"Your soft skills are already very strong, but you lack the ability to kill with a single blow." Grandmaster said, "If your strength can be doubled, combined with the leverage of your soft skills, no one at the same level will be able to stop you."

Xiao Wu gritted her teeth and practiced without complaint. Lin Mo knew what she was striving for—once her identity as a hundred-thousand-year soul beast in human form was exposed, Martial Soul Hall would hunt her down with all their might. Becoming stronger was her only path to survival.

A month later, Lin Mo's soul power increased from level thirty-one to level thirty-four.

This speed was faster than Grandmaster expected, but within a controllable range. More importantly, his soul power control precision reached the three percent requirement set by Grandmaster, and the conflict between the three attributes had also eased—not solved, but he had learned how to let them "coexist peacefully" in his meridians.

"Great progress." Grandmaster rarely offered praise, "But it is not enough. Your goal is to reach level fifty within three years, which means an average increase of more than six levels per year. At your current speed, it is barely enough. But it gets harder the further you go—after level forty, the soul power required to increase each level is double that of the previous ones."

"I know." Lin Mo said, "So I need to increase the training volume."

Grandmaster shook his head: "No. Your body has already reached its limit. Increasing the training volume further will only be counterproductive."

"Then what should I do?"

Grandmaster thought for a while: "You need actual combat. Not sparring with classmates, but fighting against real opponents. The Soto Great Soul Arena holds professional soul master matches every month, and the participants are all soul masters between level twenty and level forty. If you go there to fight a few matches, your progress will be much faster than burying your head in training."

Lin Mo's eyes lit up. This was a good idea—when he was a mercenary in his past life, he grew through actual combat. Paper talk was never as good as real blades and guns.

"But there is one problem." Grandmaster said, "The Soto Great Soul Arena records the information of all participants. If you compete under your real name, Martial Soul Hall will know very soon."

"I can use a fake name." Lin Mo said.

"You can. But your martial soul is too unique; once the Chaos Dragon Mastiff is revealed, anyone who knows it will recognize it at a glance."

Lin Mo thought for a moment: "Can I use only part of my martial soul's abilities? For example, without summoning the martial soul, using only soul skills?"

Grandmaster pondered for a moment: "Theoretically, yes. Your soul skills are deeply bound to your martial soul and can be released without summoning it, but the power will decrease by about thirty percent. However, for you, thirty percent less power is still enough to deal with most opponents."

"Then it's settled," Lin Mo said. "I'll go to the Soto Great Soul Arena and compete under a pseudonym."

Grandmaster nodded. "I'll make the arrangements for you. Also—"

He took a piece of paper from his drawer and handed it to Lin Mo. "This is the enrollment brochure for Shrek Academy. Next year, they will be recruiting new students across the entire continent. The requirements are being under twelve years old with a spirit power above level twenty. You, Tang San, and Xiao Wu all meet the criteria."

Lin Mo took the paper. Shrek Academy—the starting point for the main cast in the original story, Flender, Zhao Wuji, and those insane entrance exams.

"Grandmaster, what do you mean—"

"The teaching level at Nuoding Academy is limited; you can no longer learn anything more here," Grandmaster said. "Although Shrek Academy is small, its teaching methods are better suited for geniuses. That man Flender may be eccentric, but he is truly capable."

"What about you?" Lin Mo asked. "Are you going?"

Grandmaster fell silent for a moment. "I will go with you. Flender... is an old friend of mine."

Lin Mo knew the relationship between Grandmaster and Flender—they were members of the Golden Iron Triangle. But he didn't point it out, simply nodding. "Alright. When school starts next year, we'll go to Shrek."

At night, Lin Mo practiced in his dormitory.

His spirit power circulated through his meridians, growing slowly but steadily. Three spirit rings revolved around his body: purple, purple, and deep purple, their colors growing increasingly intense. The third spirit ring, in particular—the 2,500-year-old Thunder Dragon Python ring—was already approaching black, the mark of a ten-thousand-year spirit ring.

"Still 7,500 years away from ten thousand," Lin Mo muttered to himself. "If the fourth spirit ring can be between three thousand and four thousand years, the fifth spirit ring can aim for the ten-thousand-year threshold."

The system popped up a notification:

[Detected host spirit power breakthrough to level 34, evolution points +50]

[Current evolution points: 990]

[Time remaining for the first stage of the Legacy of the Dragon God: 2 years and 11 months]

[Suggestion: Complete at least three combat evolutions before level 40 to enhance the martial soul's capacity to bear the fourth spirit ring]

Combat evolution—this was a newly unlocked system function. By pushing the martial soul to its limits in actual combat, one could accelerate the fusion between the martial soul and the host's body, raising the upper limit of what it could bear. Simply put, the harder the fight, the stronger one became.

Lin Mo noted the suggestion. The Soto Great Soul Arena was the perfect platform for this.

He lay down to sleep, but familiar footsteps sounded outside the window.

Tang Hao.

Lin Mo walked to the window. Tang Hao was leaning in his usual spot, holding a wine bottle but not drinking. Under the moonlight, his expression was gloomier than usual.

"I heard you went to the Star Dou Forest," Tang Hao said. "Did you see that black dragon?"

Lin Mo nodded.

"What did it tell you?"

"It spoke of a man named Tang Chen. Eight hundred years ago, he fought it, didn't kill it, and made it pass something on to his descendants."

Tang Hao was silent for a long time. So long that the moon drifted to the edge of the horizon.

"Tang Chen," he finally spoke, his voice as raspy as sandpaper. "That was my grandfather."

Lin Mo had already guessed, but hearing it confirmed still gave him a jolt.

"He disappeared when I was only three," Tang Hao tilted his head back and took a swig of wine. "Some said he died, others said he went to the God Realm. I never expected... he had been in the Star Dou Forest all along."

"He wants me to absorb the Dragon God Crystal and become stronger," Lin Mo said. "Strong enough that no one can kill me."

Tang Hao looked at him, a complex light in his eyes—as if he were seeing something familiar.

"Then become strong," he said. "Strong enough to protect everyone."

He turned to leave, then stopped after a few steps.

"Xiao San... I leave him to you."

His figure vanished into the night.

Lin Mo stood by the window, looking at the empty courtyard. Tang Hao said the same thing every time he visited—I leave Xiao San to you. A Title Douluo, one of the strongest beings on the continent, yet he couldn't even protect his own son. Lin Mo understood this sense of powerlessness.

When he was a mercenary in his past life, he had seen too many fathers like this—fighting for their lives on the battlefield, yet unable to even attend their children's school meetings when they returned home. It wasn't that they didn't want to; it was that they couldn't.

"I will," Lin Mo said softly. "I promise."

He closed the window and lay back down on the bed.

Moonlight shone through the window, painting a square patch of light on the floor. In the distance, there were the chirping of insects, the sound of the wind, and the clapper of the night watchman. Everything was so peaceful, like the calm before a storm.

Lin Mo closed his eyes.

Tomorrow would be another new day. Weighted cross-country running, spirit power control, combat sparring, theory classes—day after day, until he was strong enough.

Strong enough that no one could hurt the people he cared about.

Outside the window, the moon hid behind the clouds, and the earth fell into a brief darkness.

Then, the moonlight emerged once more.

As always.