Driving the Beast Tide? Time to Hunt (First-Day Release)

Thunder Academy, Soul Hunting Forest

Four Thunder Academy students entered the forest ahead of him, quietly observing Lin Mo as he wandered into the wooded area.

They exchanged glances, their eyes filled with mockery and certainty.

Following their instructors' instructions, they did not need to rush to hunt. They only needed to hold their positions.

The moment they spotted Lin Mo, they were to deliberately make noise, startle the soul beasts, drive the low-level soul beasts toward him, and completely lock down all high-quality soul beast resources.

"A One-Ring Soul Master from Plant Academy dares to come to Thunder Academy's territory and take a share?"

"The higher-ups said to give him a proper 'welcome.'"

"Don't rush. We don't need to do it ourselves. We just need to make sure he wraps things up hastily."

They spoke in low voices, brimming with confidence.

They had a map of this Soul Hunting Forest. It was practically like having wallhacks, giving them every advantage of the terrain.

Under such circumstances, dealing with him would be ridiculously easy.

Meanwhile.

Lin Mo stepped calmly into the Soul Hunting Forest.

Those students had long since disappeared from sight. It seemed they had deliberately put distance between themselves and him.

Thunder Academy had arranged for them to enter alongside him. They most likely had no good intentions.

Otherwise, they would not have obstructed him at every turn over the quota, then imposed all sorts of restrictions once he entered the Soul Hunting Grounds.

Therefore, they were most likely here to cause trouble.

The instant he was cut off from the outside world's sight and sound, Lin Mo's casual expression vanished, and a cold glint flashed deep in his eyes.

[Ding! The system has detected that the host has entered an exclusive lightning-element soul beast activity zone. Environmental compatibility: 100%]

[Passive triggered: Perception]

[While the host is in a thunderstorm environment and a lightning-element soul beast woodland, Soul Ring absorption efficiency increases by 300%, and Soul Beast Sensing expands to a five-hundred-meter radius around the host]

The system prompt sounded quietly.

Lin Mo's gaze shifted slightly.

The system had a very low presence and rarely appeared on its own to help him.

If it had not shown itself, he would have nearly forgotten about it.

After the system's voice sounded, Lin Mo immediately sensed the movements of soul beasts within a five-hundred-meter radius centered on himself.

This effect was very similar to when he had hunted the Golden Thunder Bamboo.

The only difference was that the previous area had been fixed.

Now, his "Soul Beast Sensing" had become a mobile "special domain" that moved with him.

With this system cheat's support, as long as he walked around this Soul Hunting Forest a little more, he would basically be able to uncover everything about the place.

"Two hundred and twenty years."

"One hundred and eighty years."

"One hundred and ten years."

"...They all have lightning attributes, but their ages are too low. Even for a first Soul Ring, they're somewhat lacking." As Lin Mo moved through the forest, he sensed the Hundred-Year Soul Beasts within range and raised an eyebrow slightly.

"Huh? Even squirrels have electricity?"

"Their ages are too low. Not suitable."

"I wonder if there are any yellow-furred mice that can release Ten Thousand Volts." Lin Mo muttered to himself, his pace neither hurried nor slow.

"This should still be the outer region. Higher-age soul beasts should be hiding deeper in the forest." Lin Mo steadily headed toward the depths of the woods.

Any powerful soul beast would possess its own territory.

Within a certain range, beings of the same level rarely appeared.

He wondered whether this Soul Hunting Forest had any Thousand-Year Soul Beasts.

Meanwhile, deep within the Soul Hunting Forest.

Several figures hidden among the trees watched the activity ahead and spoke softly to one another.

"He's heading our way. Perfect, let's give him something big."

"If he doesn't have the ability, he'll know to retreat when faced with difficulty."

"Heh, getting surrounded by so many Hundred-Year Soul Beasts won't make it easy for him to get away unscathed. The moment he injures one, he can be eliminated."

The wind rustled through the woods, and the branches and leaves swayed in the breeze, producing faint whispering sounds.

Lin Mo suddenly stopped.

Thanks to the Soul Beast Sensing granted by the system, he had detected the disturbance in the surrounding forest in advance.

Several Hundred-Year lightning-element soul beasts were charging toward him in panic.

Then, the number of Hundred-Year Soul Beasts continued to rise.

More than a dozen Hundred-Year Soul Beasts frantically sprinted toward this area.

If this were a wild Soul Hunting Forest, a predator would most likely have appeared.

But since this was happening inside a captive Soul Hunting Grounds, the situation was suspicious, and the answer was obvious.

These Hundred-Year Soul Beasts had been deliberately driven here by someone.

"Looks like the people from Thunder Academy are behind this."

A chill entered Lin Mo's eyes, and he understood everything in an instant.

Their method was sinister yet straightforward—

They had driven low-level Hundred-Year Soul Beasts over to surround him and wear down his condition.

If he injured even one Hundred-Year Soul Beast while dealing with them, it would mean he had used up this hunting quota.

Either he gave up on absorbing it and left immediately.

Or he could only hastily absorb a low-age soul beast as his second Soul Ring, completely losing any chance at the high-level lightning beasts deeper in the forest.

If he held back his strength under these circumstances, an ordinary Level 20 Soul Master might truly be worn down by these low-level soul beasts, or even forced to leave.

They had calculated this quite cleverly.

A trace of coldness flashed through Lin Mo's eyes.

Ever since he entered Thunder Academy, they had made things difficult for him at every turn.

Entry restrictions, student provocations, instructors' rules.

From beginning to end, these people had relied on their home-field advantage to bully an "outsider."

Too bad I'm not a soft target.

Buzz—

Lin Mo immediately activated his special skill:

[Weather Manipulation · Thunderstorm]

Activated!

In an instant, a special domain spread out from Lin Mo, covering the airspace within a five-hundred-meter radius.

The previously clear forest was instantly shrouded beneath dark clouds, while violent winds raged.

Dull thunder boomed deep within the clouds, shaking the mountains and forest until they trembled and rustled.

Drip, drip!

The Thunder Academy students hiding in the darkness felt droplets touch their shoulders and subconsciously raised their hands to look at the sky.

"Is this... about to become a downpour?"

Whoosh!

Rain lashed through the forest as the sudden storm descended!

The extreme weather arrived so abruptly and swiftly that no one was prepared. The entire area turned dark and gloomy, while howling winds pierced through the forest like the wails of ghosts.

"It's raining? Why did a downpour suddenly start?"

"What kind of damned weather is this?"

The four stared in shock, inexplicably panicked. They could not understand why the perfectly fine Soul Hunting Forest had suddenly changed so drastically.

The Hundred-Year Soul Beasts that had been frightened and were running toward Lin Mo—

Under the intimidation of several bolts of purple lightning, the soul beasts turned back in terror, charging and crashing about as they fled at full speed!

"Not good, those soul beasts are charging back!"

"Run! Quickly, retreat!"

Beneath the cover of the raging wind and rain, flickering purple lightning illuminated Lin Mo's moon-white figure.

Behind him, the Thunder Hell Vine twisted and grew, madly absorbing energy.

In this environment, Lin Mo's Perception was amplified even further, and he immediately detected those people hiding in the distance.

At that moment, a cold light flickered in his eyes.

It had originally only been a guess. Now, the evidence was conclusive.

Since you refuse to show mercy, don't blame me for showing none!

Lin Mo immediately triggered the [Simulation] skill.

The moon-white figure in the forest transformed amid flashes of lightning into a several-meter-tall Purple Thunder Baboon, its body muscular, electric arcs circling it, radiating the aura of a Thousand-Year Soul Beast.

The Thunder Hell Vine that had been twisting and growing swiftly changed in appearance, turning into ordinary green vines before burrowing underground to hide.

Kids, I'm coming to collect you!