The Journey Home

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

The setting sun stained the city walls dark red. A long line of caravans stretched before the city gate, and the clamor of voices, hoofbeats, and shouts blended together—a stark contrast to the forest's deathly silence. He stood at the gate and stared blankly for a moment. He had spent three days in Star Dou Forest, but it felt like three years.

"Out of the way, out of the way!" Someone shoved him from behind. A cart driver cursed as he hurried past. Lin Mo wasn't angry. Instead, he smiled. It felt good to be back among the living.

After entering the city, he didn't return to the academy. He first found a blacksmith's shop to repair his inner armor. The Thunder-Resistant Inner Armor Grandmaster had given him had been smashed to pieces by the Thunder Dragon Python's tail during the battle. Though he couldn't use it for the time being, it was valuable, and it would be a shame to lose it.

The blacksmith was a bald old man in his fifties. He took the inner armor and gave it a look, then clicked his tongue in admiration. "Thunder-Resistant Alloy. Good stuff. Who made this for you? Not bad craftsmanship, but the materials could've been better. If it had been made with Thunder-Pattern Steel, this inner armor could've withstood a full-force strike from a five-thousand-year Soul Beast."

"Can you repair it?" Lin Mo asked.

"I can." The old man weighed the inner armor in his hand. "Two Gold Soul Coins. Come back for it in three days."

Lin Mo paid and headed for the academy. As he passed Spirit Hall, he slowed his steps. The Nuoding branch hall looked much grander than it had a few months ago. Two guards in silver armor now stood at the entrance, and people streamed in and out. Since Zhao Wuji's arrival, activity here had clearly increased.

He looked away and quickened his pace.

By the time he returned to the academy, it was already dark. The dormitory windows glowed with lamplight, and Xiao Wu's laughter could be heard faintly. Lin Mo pushed open the door—

"Lin Mo!"

Xiao Wu was the first to rush over. She circled him once. "You're hurt? What happened to your chest? Are you all right?"

"Just a superficial wound. I'm fine." Lin Mo set down his pack.

Tang San came over and handed him a cup of water. "Did everything go smoothly?"

"Smoothly. I got my third Soul Ring—two thousand five hundred years." Lin Mo didn't mention the Black Dragon King or the Dragon God Crystal. It wasn't that he didn't trust them; the time wasn't right yet.

Xiao Wu's eyes widened. "Two thousand five hundred years?! Your First Soul Ring was only four hundred and fifty years, and your Second Soul Ring was one thousand four hundred years. Your Third Soul Ring jumped straight to two thousand five hundred years? That's a terrifying leap!"

"My Martial Soul can handle it," Lin Mo said as he released his Third Soul Ring.

A deep-purple ring of light rose from beneath his feet, darker than his first two Soul Rings, so deep a purple it was nearly black. Blue-violet arcs of electricity danced across its surface, crackling and popping as they cast an intermittent glow across the dormitory.

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

The other work-study students crowded around, peppering him with questions. Lin Mo briefly described how he'd hunted the Thunder Dragon Python, of course leaving out the dangerous parts. There was no need to worry them.

Only after everyone had dispersed did Tang San ask in a low voice, "There's a strange aura about you. It's not from a Soul Beast, and it's not human, either."

Lin Mo glanced at him. Tang San's Purple Demon Eye was growing more and more perceptive. That kind of sense was a natural advantage in battle.

"I'll tell you when we're back," Lin Mo said.

The two of them left it at that.

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

Grandmaster lived in a small wooden hut in the academy's back hills, surrounded by all kinds of medicinal herbs. When Lin Mo arrived, Grandmaster was watering them in the courtyard, moving slowly and carefully.

"You're back." Grandmaster didn't look up. "How's the injury?"

"Mostly healed." Lin Mo walked over. "Grandmaster, there's something I'd like to talk to you about."

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

The wooden hut was simply furnished: a bed, a table, and a bookshelf. Notebooks and scrolls covered the table. Grandmaster poured a cup of water and placed it in front of Lin Mo, then sat across from him.

"Go on."

Lin Mo recounted what had happened in Star Dou Forest—the hunt for the Thunder Dragon Python, the Black Dragon King, the Dragon God Crystal, and the Soul Bone. He kept the system to himself, but told him everything else.

Grandmaster fell silent for a long time after hearing him out.

"The Black Dragon King... Zhu Hai." He murmured to himself, then stood and pulled a thick handwritten book from the shelf. He flipped to a page inside. "Eight hundred years ago, the Clear Sky Sect had a traitor—no, I should say a genius who was expelled from the sect. His name was Tang Chen, and he was Tang Hao's ancestor."

Lin Mo's heart gave a violent thump.

"Tang Chen's Martial Soul was the Clear Sky Hammer, but he awakened a Mutated ability—Dragon Transformation. His Clear Sky Hammer could take on the attributes of dragon-type Soul Rings, making it far more powerful than an ordinary Clear Sky Hammer." Grandmaster turned the pages of the handwritten book. "Later, he left the Clear Sky Sect and disappeared from the continent. Some said he'd died; others said he'd gone overseas. I never expected..."

"He fought the Black Dragon King in Star Dou Forest," Lin Mo finished for him.

"And didn't kill it." Grandmaster closed the book. "Tang Chen... He's a far more complicated man than I thought."

He looked at Lin Mo. "What do you intend to do with that Dragon God Crystal?"

"I'll absorb it once I reach level fifty," Lin Mo said. "The Black Dragon King said it was an energy crystal that shattered when the Dragon God fell, and that it contains a trace of the Dragon God Origin. The system—my Martial Soul—told me that absorbing it will unlock a divine evolution path."

Grandmaster nodded. "At your cultivation speed, reaching level fifty will take about three years. You must lay a solid foundation during that time. Growing your Soul Power too quickly isn't a good thing. If your foundation is unstable, you'll run into serious problems later."

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

Grandmaster actually smiled—not just the faintest lift at the corners of his mouth, but a genuine smile. "All right. Starting today, study theory with me every afternoon. Martial Soul studies, Soul Ring studies, Soul Beast studies, tactics—everything I can teach you, I'll teach you."

Lin Mo nodded.

That afternoon, Grandmaster began the first lesson.

"A Soul Master's cultivation isn't just about accumulating Soul Power." Grandmaster wrote a few words on the blackboard. "You need to understand your Martial Soul, your Soul Rings, and your body's limits. You must know not only 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 before. From what I've observed, it has three traits: evolution, devouring, and suppression."

"There's no need to say much about evolution. Devouring means it can absorb the power of dragon-type Soul Beasts to strengthen itself. All three of your Soul Rings came from dragon-type Soul Beasts, and your Martial Soul underwent a clear evolution after absorbing each one. Suppression refers to its innate dominance over Beast Martial Souls. Your Dragon Might suppressed Dai Mubai's White Tiger Martial Soul so strongly not because of your level, but because of your bloodline."

Lin Mo listened attentively. He'd had a vague sense of these things, but had never thought them through systematically.

"So your path of cultivation should be this: keep hunting dragon-type Soul Beasts and obtain high-quality Soul Rings. At the same time, strengthen your foundation and prepare to absorb the Dragon God Crystal." Grandmaster paused. "There's also a problem with your Soul Ring Configuration."

"What problem?"

"Your First Soul Ring is four hundred and fifty years old, your Second is one thousand four hundred years old, and your Third is two thousand five hundred years old. The gaps are too large." Grandmaster frowned. "Your Martial Soul may be able to withstand them, but the imbalance in energy between your Soul Rings will affect the stability of your Soul Power circulation. Think of it this way: your body is a cart pulled by three horses. If all three run at the same speed, everything's fine. But if one runs fast and the other two lag behind, the cart will overturn."

Lin Mo considered this. "So I need to balance the energy of my Soul Rings?"

"Exactly. Your Fourth Soul Ring can't make too big a leap. Ideally, it should be between three thousand and four thousand years old. And—" Grandmaster looked at him. "You can't hunt another lesser dragon for your Fourth Soul Ring. You need to hunt a true dragon."

A true dragon.

Lin Mo's eyes lit up.

"There's a dragon clan's territory deep within Star Dou Forest. A few true dragons live there—not lesser dragons, but true dragons. They're between three thousand and five thousand years old." 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 Star Dou Forest. Once you reach level forty, I'll take you there."

"You'll take me?" Lin Mo stared at him. Grandmaster was only level twenty-nine. Going into the depths of Star Dou Forest with him would be tantamount to suicide.

"My strength may be lacking, but my theoretical knowledge is more than enough to help you avoid most dangers," Grandmaster said expressionlessly. "Besides, it'll be a long time before you reach level forty. I can make ample preparations in the meantime."

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

Grandmaster's hands stopped moving. With his back to Lin Mo, he was silent for a long time.

"Because..." His voice was very low. "I've spent my whole life studying Martial Soul theory, but I'm a useless man myself. I'm level twenty-nine and will never break through. My theories can't help me, but they can help you all."

He turned and looked at Lin Mo. "You, Tang San, Xiao Wu—you're all geniuses. But geniuses need the right guidance, or their potential goes to waste. I don't want to see you take the wrong path, the way I did."

Lin Mo didn't know what to say. He knew Grandmaster's past: his family had abandoned him because of his Mutated Martial Soul, Luo Sanpao; people had mocked him for his lack of strength; and he'd spent his life proving the value of his theories without ever being able to test them in practice. He'd placed all his hopes in his students, not to use them, but because he believed in them.

"Grandmaster." Lin Mo stood. "Once I get stronger, I'll help you break through."

Grandmaster was taken aback, then shook his head. "The flaw in my Martial Soul is innate. It can't—"

"Nothing is impossible." Lin Mo cut him off. "The Chaos Dragon Mastiff can devour the power of dragon-type Soul Beasts and evolve. Maybe it can devour other things, too. Once I've figured out how Martial Soul evolution works, I might find a way to repair your Martial Soul."

Grandmaster looked at him, complex emotions glimmering in his eyes—gratitude, comfort, and a trace of hope he hardly dared to believe in.

"All right," he said. "I'll be waiting."

In the days that followed, Lin Mo settled into a fixed routine.

He rose at three in the morning and ran sixty kilometers with weights. After that came Soul Power control training. Grandmaster had raised the difficulty from ten shields to fifteen, and increased the required precision from five percent to three percent.

"Your Soul Power is growing more and more violent." Grandmaster studied the test results, his brows knitted tight. "The attributes of your three Soul Rings are in conflict. Earth Fire and Thunder are inherently incompatible, and it's already a miracle that your Martial Soul can contain both at once. But controlling them will become exponentially harder."

Lin Mo could feel it. When he circulated his Soul Power, Earth Fire Power and Thunder Power often collided in his meridians like two stubborn louts refusing to give way. Every collision brought a stab of pain. Over time, it would cause tiny injuries to the walls of his meridians.

"This has to be solved," Grandmaster said. "Otherwise, when you reach level fifty and absorb the Dragon God Crystal, three different attributes will run wild at once, and your body will explode."

"How do we solve it?"

Grandmaster thought for a long time. "You need an external force to harmonize the attributes. For example, a heavenly treasure containing both fire and thunder attributes, or the Soul Bone of a Soul Beast that possesses both."

Lin Mo thought of the Black Dragon King Soul Bone. The hundred-thousand-year-old Black Dragon King had the attributes of darkness and... No, the Black Dragon King's attributes were darkness and dragon power. Neither matched fire or thunder.

"Don't rush," Grandmaster said. "We'll look when you reach level forty and we go to Star Dou Forest. Dragon Valley has plenty of rare medicinal herbs and minerals. We might find what you need there."

The afternoon theory lessons continued without fail. Grandmaster started with the most basic classifications of Martial Souls, then moved on to the ideal distribution of Soul Rings, Soul Beast habitats, and the circulation patterns of different attributes of Soul Power. Lin Mo learned quickly. It was a habit he'd developed in his previous life as a mercenary: memorize anything that could save your life as quickly as possible.

Tang San occasionally came to sit in on the lessons. Grandmaster taught him differently than he taught Lin Mo. Lin Mo's Martial Soul was violent, so he needed to learn control. Tang San's Blue Silver Grass was suited to control, so he needed to learn how to unleash its power.

"After absorbing the Mandala Snake Soul Ring, your Blue Silver Grass gained poison and resilience," Grandmaster said. "But that's not enough. For your next Soul Ring, you need a Soul Beast that can give your Blue Silver Grass greater offensive power."

Tang San thought for a moment. "What kind?"

"Ghost Vine. Between five hundred and eight hundred years old, growing in dark, damp places. Its vines are poisonous, and it can actively attack its prey. If your Blue Silver Grass can fuse with the Ghost Vine's traits, its control will improve by a whole level."

Tang San made a note of it, preparing to join Lin Mo on his next trip to Star Dou Forest.

Xiao Wu's cultivation wasn't neglected either. Grandmaster designed an explosive-strength training regimen for her: five hundred weighted squats a day, three hundred pull-ups, and a set of specialized flexibility exercises to strengthen her waist and abdomen.

"Your Soft Technique is already very strong, but it lacks the ability to kill with a single strike," Grandmaster said. "If your strength doubles, then combined with the way you use your opponent's force against them, no one at your level will be able to stop you."

Xiao Wu trained through gritted teeth and never complained. Lin Mo knew what she was striving for. If her identity as a hundred-thousand-year Soul Beast in human form was exposed, Spirit Hall would spare no effort to hunt her down. Getting stronger was her only way to survive.

A month later, Lin Mo's Soul Power rose from level thirty-one to level thirty-four.

That was faster than Grandmaster had expected, but still within a manageable range. More importantly, his Soul Power control reached the required three percent precision, and the conflicts between his three attributes eased somewhat. They hadn't been resolved; he'd simply learned how to make them "coexist peacefully" in his meridians.

"You've made a lot of progress." Grandmaster rarely praised him. "But it's still not enough. Your goal is to reach level fifty within three years, which means you need to gain more than six levels a year on average. At your current rate, you'll barely make it. But it gets harder the further you go. After level forty, every additional level will require twice as much Soul Power as the previous one."

"I know," Lin Mo said. "So I'll increase my training."

Grandmaster shook his head. "No. Your body is already at its limit. Increasing your training will only backfire."

"Then what should I do?"

Grandmaster considered it. "You need real combat. Not sparring with your classmates—fighting real opponents. The Soto Great Soul Arena holds professional Soul Master matches every month. The participants are all Soul Masters between levels twenty and forty. If you fight a few matches there, you'll progress much faster than by burying yourself in training."

Lin Mo's eyes lit up. It was a good idea. In his previous life as a mercenary, he'd grown through real combat. Paper strategies could never compare to real blades and guns.

"But there's a problem," Grandmaster said. "The Soto Great Soul Arena records information about every participant. If you compete under your real name, Spirit Hall will find out about you very quickly."

"I can use an alias," Lin Mo said.

"You can. But your Martial Soul is too distinctive. The moment you reveal the Chaos Dragon Mastiff, anyone who recognizes it will know who you are."

Lin Mo thought for a moment. "Could I use only some of my Martial Soul's abilities? For example, release Soul Skills without summoning the Martial Soul?"

Grandmaster pondered this for a moment. "In theory, yes. Your Soul Skills are already deeply bonded to your Martial Soul, so you can release them without summoning it, but they'll be about thirty percent weaker. Still, even at thirty percent less power, they'll be more than enough to deal with most opponents."

"Then that's settled," Lin Mo said. "I'll enter the Soto Great Soul Arena under an alias."

Grandmaster nodded. "I'll arrange it for you. Also—"

He took a piece of paper from a drawer and handed it to Lin Mo. "This is the Shrek Academy enrollment notice. Next year, they'll recruit new students throughout the continent. Applicants must be under twelve and have at least level twenty Soul Power. You, Tang San, and Xiao Wu all meet the requirements."

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

"Grandmaster, are you saying—"

"Nuoding Academy's teaching is limited. You can't learn much more here," Grandmaster said. "Shrek Academy may be small, but its teaching methods suit geniuses better. Flender is an eccentric man, but he's genuinely capable."

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

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

Lin Mo knew about Grandmaster and Flender's connection—they were members of the Golden Iron Triangle. But he didn't point it out. He simply nodded. "All right. We'll go to Shrek next year."

That night, Lin Mo cultivated in the dormitory.

His Soul Power circulated through his meridians, growing slowly but steadily. Three Soul Rings shimmered around his body: purple, purple, and deep purple. Their colors grew darker with each one. The Third Soul Ring in particular, the two-thousand-five-hundred-year Thunder Dragon Python's ring, was nearly black—the sign of a Ten Thousand Year Soul Ring.

"I'm still seven thousand five hundred years short of reaching ten thousand," Lin Mo muttered to himself. "If I can get a Soul Ring between three thousand and four thousand years for my Fourth Soul Ring, then I can aim for ten thousand with my Fifth Soul Ring."

The system displayed a notification:

[Host's Soul Power has reached level 34. Evolution Points +50]

[Current Evolution Points: 990]

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

[Suggestion: Complete at least three combat evolutions before reaching level 40 to improve the Martial Soul's capacity for the Fourth Soul Ring]

Combat evolution—this was a newly unlocked system function. By using his Martial Soul to its limits in actual combat, he could accelerate its fusion with his body and raise its capacity. Simply put, the harder he fought, the stronger he'd become.

Lin Mo committed the suggestion to memory. The Soto Great Soul Arena was the perfect place for it.

He lay down to sleep. Familiar footsteps sounded outside the window.

Tang Hao.

Lin Mo walked to the window. Tang Hao leaned against his usual spot, a wine flask in his hand, but he wasn't drinking. In the moonlight, his expression looked even gloomier than usual.

"I heard you went to Star Dou Forest," Tang Hao said. "Did you meet the Black Dragon?"

Lin Mo nodded.

"What did it tell you?"

"It told me about a man named Tang Chen. Eight hundred years ago, he fought it, but didn't kill it. He told it to pass something on to a descendant."

Tang Hao was silent for a long time—so long that the moon shifted toward the edge of the sky.

"Tang Chen." He finally spoke, his voice as rough as sandpaper. "He was my grandfather."

Lin Mo had already guessed as much, but hearing it confirmed still shook him.

"I was three when he disappeared." Tang Hao tipped his head back and took a swig of wine. "Some people said he died. Others said he went to the Divine Realm. I never thought... he'd been in 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, complex emotions glimmering in his eyes, as though he saw something familiar.

"Then get stronger," he said. "Strong enough to protect everyone."

He turned and walked away, but stopped after a few steps.

"Xiao San... I'm entrusting him to you."

His figure vanished into the night.

Lin Mo stood by the window, looking at the empty courtyard. Every time Tang Hao came, he said the same thing: take care of Xiao San. A Titled Douluo, one of the strongest people on the continent, couldn't even protect his own son. Lin Mo understood that feeling of helplessness.

In his previous life as a mercenary, he'd seen too many fathers like that—fighting for their lives on the battlefield, then unable to make it home in time for their children's parent-teacher meetings. It wasn't that they didn't want to. They couldn't.

"I will," Lin Mo whispered. "I promise."

He closed the window and lay back down.

Moonlight streamed through the window, painting a neat, square patch of light on the floor. In the distance, insects chirped, the wind sighed, and a night watchman struck his clapper. Everything was so peaceful, like the calm before the storm.

Lin Mo closed his eyes.

Tomorrow would be another new day. Weighted runs, Soul Power control, combat sparring, theory lessons—day after day, until he became strong enough.

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

Outside, the moon slipped behind the clouds, and the earth sank into a brief darkness.

Then the moonlight emerged again.

As before.