The next day, in Yu Xiaogang's dorm room on the top floor of Notting Academy's dormitory building.
Yu Xiaogang sized up Lin Mo, who looked noticeably sturdier than he had half a month ago, then stepped forward and patted him on the shoulder.
He walked around Lin Mo several times, sighing with emotion. "You must have gained quite a lot this time, kid!"
"Quite a lot." Lin Mo nodded.
Even without counting the two External Soul Bones, just the Rainbow Piercing Qi Second Soul Skill alone was enough to make Lin Mo feel that his gains had been immense.
In terms of attack alone, this was a Thousand-Year Soul Skill far more powerful than White Tiger Vajra Transformation.
As for defense?
With Body-Protecting Qi layered on top of Inversion of Three, Lin Mo wouldn't need to worry about his defenses for a long time to come.
"Release your Martial Soul. I'm curious to see what a rare owner of two Soul Rings, one of them a thousand-year ring, looks like," Yu Xiaogang said.
Lin Mo nodded. Then he activated Inversion of Three, and two Soul Rings, one yellow and one purple, appeared beneath his feet.
"It looks like that thousand-year Dark Gold Terrorclaw Bear has given you a tremendous boost."
After sensing the aura around Lin Mo for a moment, Yu Xiaogang said thoughtfully, "Judging from the aura you're letting off, you're already no weaker than an ordinary three-ring Soul Elder."
A good while later, Yu Xiaogang spoke again. "Your body is in even better shape than I expected.
"I was worried you might feel unwell after absorbing a thousand-year Soul Ring, but it seems I was concerned for nothing."
"Thank you for your concern, Grandmaster," Lin Mo said.
Yu Xiaogang waved a hand. "By the way, Xiao Wu and Tang San have been asking about you these past few days.
"Especially Xiao Wu. Judging by the look of her, she's still determined to challenge you to a spar."
Hearing this, Lin Mo nodded. "I promised her."
As they were speaking, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.
Knock, knock, knock!
Immediately afterward, someone rapped on the door.
"Grandmaster! Is Lin Mo there?" Xiao Wu's voice came from outside.
Yu Xiaogang and Lin Mo exchanged a glance. "Come in," Yu Xiaogang called.
The door swung open, and Xiao Wu walked in first, with Tang San following behind her.
"Ready, Lin Mo?" Xiao Wu eagerly looked him up and down, rubbing her palms together as if itching for a fight.
"Don't forget what you promised me before you went to hunt for a Soul Ring! I'll prove that your big sister Xiao Wu is still your big sister Xiao Wu!"
Hearing Xiao Wu, Tang San lowered his head, looking a little embarrassed.
Xiao Wu had also successfully broken through to level twenty during this time.
According to Xiao Wu, her family had taken her to the Soul Hunting Forest, where she had successfully obtained a Hundred-Year Soul Ring.
After getting her second Soul Ring, Tang San and Xiao Wu had sparred again.
Unfortunately, though their cultivation levels were close, Tang San was missing a Soul Ring's boost. Without resorting to Hidden Weapons or other special methods, he hadn't been able to beat Xiao Wu since.
"All right, let's go." Lin Mo looked at Xiao Wu and nodded.
"Why don't you all come with me to the back hill?" Yu Xiaogang suggested.
"It's class time, so there should hardly be anyone back there.
"Lin Mo, you won't need to worry about anyone else discovering your thousand-year Soul Ring.
"It'll also give me a chance to see how much you've improved. Actual combat is the only test of truth."
"Sure." Lin Mo nodded in agreement.
Notting Academy's back hill wasn't very tall, but it was secluded. Few people went there on an ordinary day.
"All right, here will do. I'll be your referee." Yu Xiaogang smiled at Lin Mo and Xiao Wu, who were standing on opposite sides.
"Xiao Wu, Rabbit Martial Soul, level twenty-one, two-ring Battle Soul Master." Xiao Wu beckoned to Lin Mo.
"Lin Mo, level twenty-three, two-ring Battle Soul Master!" Lin Mo remained as calm as ever.
He looked at Xiao Wu, a playful expression appearing on his face. "Xiao Wu, how about this? If you can force me to use a Soul Ring, you win the spar. What do you say?"
"Lin Mo, aren't you being a little too arrogant?" Xiao Wu wrinkled her nose, her tone tinged with displeasure.
But when Lin Mo stated his Soul Power Level, Tang San suddenly fell silent beside them.
The two companions who had enrolled alongside him were now both two-ring Soul Grandmasters.
And Lin Mo, who had absorbed a thousand-year Soul Ring beyond his level, had already reached level twenty-three.
This rate of cultivation far exceeded Tang San's expectations.
He had been making progress all this time, too, but compared with Lin Mo, the gap hadn't narrowed. It had only grown wider.
The feeling of being left far behind made Tang San feel especially miserable.
Yu Xiaogang noticed the change in Tang San's expression and shook his head helplessly.
When it came to this sort of inner struggle, it would do Tang San the most good in the long run to work things out for himself and move past it.
"Begin!" Yu Xiaogang raised his hand, then sharply swept it down.
The moment his words fell, Xiao Wu had already kicked off toward Lin Mo.
Xiao Wu was incredibly fast, rushing toward Lin Mo like an arrow loosed from a bow.
She raised her right foot high and kicked straight at Lin Mo's face.
Lin Mo stood where he was, not moving. He merely tilted his head slightly and easily dodged Xiao Wu's kick.
Xiao Wu's toes skimmed past Lin Mo's ear.
Her first strike missed, but Xiao Wu didn't pause.
Using the momentum of her kick, she flipped in midair, her other leg sweeping toward Lin Mo's waist like a whip.
But Lin Mo simply raised his left hand and blocked Xiao Wu's sweep with ease.
Thud!
Xiao Wu's kick struck Lin Mo's arm with a muffled sound.
Lin Mo's arm didn't budge. Xiao Wu, on the other hand, felt a pang of pain in her lower leg.
Lin Mo's freakish strength seems to have gotten even greater, Xiao Wu thought.
Xiao Wu didn't back down.
She was exceptionally supple. After Lin Mo blocked her attack, she twisted with the motion, her whole body coiling around him like a snake.
Like a snake climbing a pole, the instant Xiao Wu's toes brushed Lin Mo's clothes, her incredibly soft body wrapped around him like a strip of cloth. Her legs clamped around his waist.
As the Second Soul Ring beneath her feet lit up, Xiao Wu's pink eyes had somehow turned blood-red. She stared straight at Lin Mo.
To keep Lin Mo from escaping, Xiao Wu even covered his head with both hands.
Second Soul Skill: Charm!
Activated.
This was Xiao Wu's greatest confidence in challenging Lin Mo.
In her view, no matter how strong Lin Mo's body was, his mental strength might not be anything special.
If she could use Charm to control Lin Mo for even one or two breaths, she was sure she could throw him to the ground.
But Lin Mo, his black hair now turned white as he entered the Inversion of Three state, merely looked at Xiao Wu with a smile.
Seeing how utterly confident Lin Mo was—letting her attack without resisting at all—Xiao Wu immediately sensed that something was wrong.
The next instant, an intense, needle-like pain struck from deep within Xiao Wu's mind.
Xiao Wu let out a muffled groan. Her hands, which had been covering Lin Mo's head, released him instinctively and moved to clutch her own head.