Fighting Xiao Wu

The crowd in Seven Dorm quickly cleared a space.

Everyone watched with excitement as Lin Mo and Xiao Wu stood in the center, ready for their first sparring match, whispering to one another in their anticipation.

"Who do you think will win?" one work-study student asked in a low voice.

"That goes without saying, it has to be Sister Xiao Wu."

Wang Sheng crossed his arms, his tone certain. "How many moves did Tang San take to beat me? And how many did Sister Xiao Wu take to beat Tang San? Isn't it obvious?"

The people nearby nodded in succession.

Tang San stood at the edge of the crowd, his gaze fixed on Lin Mo. After a moment of contemplation, he said softly, "Xiao Wu's grappling techniques are unique; it's hard to break free without sufficient strength. I also think she has the better chance of winning."

"So it's a sure win for Sister Xiao Wu."

"The newcomer is in for a rough time."

The crowd whispered, almost unanimously favoring Xiao Wu.

The two in the center remained deaf to the chatter.

"Please," Lin Mo said, gesturing for her to begin.

Just as he expected, Xiao Wu moved with lightning speed, raising her leg to kick him the very next moment.

Lin Mo raised his arm, blocking the strike with ease.

The force of the kick traveled through his arm, but Lin Mo didn't budge an inch.

Having made physical contact, Lin Mo gained a rough assessment of Xiao Wu's strength.

Without either of them using their martial soul avatars, his strength was superior to hers.

Though a flash of surprise crossed Xiao Wu's eyes when her first strike failed, she didn't hesitate for a second.

She used the momentum to pivot, her body coiling around him like a lithe snake. Her long legs wrapped around Lin Mo's waist, clearly intending to throw him to the ground just as she had done to Tang San earlier.

Some in the crowd already wore "I knew it" expressions.

However, to everyone's utter shock, Lin Mo's black hair suddenly turned white, his skin paled, and even his brown eyes shifted to match.

"What is this?"

"How did his appearance change so suddenly!"

Seeing this, the others widened their eyes in disbelief.

No one felt the change in Lin Mo more clearly than Xiao Wu, who was currently grappling with him.

Her long legs were wrapped around him, and she had expected to toss him aside just as she had with Tang San.

But at that moment, a faint white light shimmered across Lin Mo's skin. He felt as solid as an iron statue; no matter how much force she exerted, he remained immovable.

Xiao Wu gritted her teeth, engaging her core to try twice more, but Lin Mo didn't even sway.

Her grappling style relied on redirecting an opponent's force, but that only worked if the opponent's strength remained within a controllable range.

Once the opponent's power exceeded a certain threshold, her techniques became useless.

"Xiao Wu, you've lost."

Just as Xiao Wu released her legs, preparing to find another opening, Lin Mo raised his hand and struck her arms, which were crossed over her chest.

An irresistible force slammed into her, sending her flying backward. She looked as though she were about to land in a heap.

Before the crowd could even gasp, Lin Mo pushed off the ground, flickered forward, and reached out to catch her waist firmly.

With a smooth motion, he pulled her in, half-supporting and half-holding her in front of him with effortless composure.

The distance between them vanished, their noses nearly touching.

Xiao Wu's cheeks burned instantly, her heart skipping a beat, and for a moment, she forgot to struggle.

She simply stared, stunned, at Lin Mo so close before her.

The surroundings fell silent; everyone was dumbfounded.

After a moment, Lin Mo gently released her and stepped back, his appearance returning to normal.

Xiao Wu snapped out of it, her cheeks still flushed. Embarrassed and annoyed, she stomped her foot and pouted.

"I'm not fighting anymore! You have an excessive amount of strength—you completely counter me! My grappling techniques are useless against you..."

By the end, her tone was filled with frustration.

Yet, it was clear that the earlier defiance had faded, replaced by a subtle, uncharacteristic awkwardness.

Lin Mo's hair turned back to black, and his skin tone returned to normal.

At this moment, the work-study students of Seven Dorm, who had been stunned for a moment, erupted into cheers. They crowded around Lin Mo, firing questions at him from all sides.

"Brother Mo, what was that just now? How did your whole body turn white?"

"That move was too incredible! Sister Xiao Wu couldn't move at all!"

Wang Sheng squeezed to the front and hit the nail on the head with the question weighing on his mind: "Brother Mo, was that a Martial Soul Avatar? Could it be that you're already an official Spirit Master? But how come I didn't see your spirit ring?"

Beast Martial Soul users can only perform a Martial Soul Avatar after reaching level ten and obtaining their first spirit ring to become a true Spirit Master.

Wang Sheng poured out all the doubts in his heart like beans spilling from a bag.

Under the expectant gazes of the crowd, Lin Mo simply shook his head: "It wasn't a Martial Soul Avatar; I haven't obtained my first spirit ring yet. As for what my Martial Soul is? You might not believe it, but even I don't know what it is."

Hearing this, the confusion on everyone's faces deepened.

They had never heard of such a thing—having a Martial Soul but not knowing what it was.

Without hesitation, Lin Mo took the Martial Soul certificate that Su Yuntao had given him out of his pack and handed it to the group.

For Lin Mo, the fact that he had innate full spirit power could not be hidden. It would inevitably be recorded during the enrollment registration at Notting Academy. Rather than being secretive, it was better to be open about it. As for his Martial Soul? As long as he didn't say, no one could possibly guess what it was. His body-type Martial Soul was quite special; the Martial Soul was himself, so he had no need to perform a Martial Soul Avatar like a conventional Spirit Master. Wang Sheng's question had hit the mark, but the answer was not what they had imagined.

Wang Sheng reached out and took the paper, and the group swarmed around to look, chattering away in a lively commotion.

When they saw the information recorded on the slip, they couldn't help but exclaim in surprise.

"Innate full spirit power! Brother Mo, you actually have innate full spirit power!"

"No wonder you're so strong!"

"Not only that, but it's also an unknown mutated Martial Soul... What does this mean? There's actually a Martial Soul that even the Spirit Hall couldn't identify?"

Hearing the chatter from Wang Sheng and the others, Xiao Wu, who had been deliberately looking away, subconsciously turned her head toward Lin Mo, her eyes filled with surprise.

She reached out and patted Lin Mo on the shoulder, asking, "Lin Mo, you actually have innate full spirit power too!"

"What do you mean by 'too'? Could it be that you have innate full spirit power as well, Sister Xiao Wu?" Wang Sheng keenly caught the slip in her words and asked.

Xiao Wu chuckled, "Naturally."

Clearly, she was very pleased with Wang Sheng's use of the title "Sister Xiao Wu," and the slight gloom she felt from losing to Lin Mo was instantly swept away.

Tang San, who had been observing everything from the side, raised his hand: "Then there must be three of us in Seven Dorm with innate full spirit power."

Yu Xiaogang had already told him that he would be taking him out in a couple of days to obtain a spirit ring. His own innate full spirit power would naturally be exposed then, so there was no point in hiding it now.