Floodwaters Drawn East!

"My Blood Qi is surging, making my fist techniques much smoother to execute."

Lin Mo harvested Mandala Beasts while reflecting on the benefits of his breakthrough.

After advancing to the third rank, he barely felt any stamina drain when using Military Boxing.

His sustained combat duration had instantly multiplied several times over.

By the time Zhang Junjie and Qin Bufan had finished off a single Mandala Beast, Lin Mo was already done.

"Whoa, this kid Lin Mo is fierce."

"Lin Mo, little brother, come help your big sister out!"

Wang Ling shouted from a distance.

Among the team, she had the lowest Blood Qi Value, and facing three Mandala Beasts at once was proving somewhat strenuous.

Lin Mo chuckled, leaped over twice, and arrived at Wang Ling's side with a single punch.

One Mandala Beast crumpled to the ground, let out two weak cries, and went still.

The remaining two immediately turned, abandoned Wang Ling, and charged at Lin Mo together.

In an instant, Wang Ling's pressure vanished, and she clicked her tongue in amazement.

Lin Mo didn't retreat but advanced, stepping forward with his left leg, sinking into a bow stance, and throwing a punch.

"Woom!"

The surrounding air rippled from the impact.

"Boom! Boom!"

The two Mandala Beasts were struck, sent flying several meters back, each with a bloody hole in its head before crashing to the ground.

"Wow, Lin Mo, little brother, you're amazing—one punch, one kill! Impressive, impressive!"

Wang Ling gasped in admiration.

Lin Mo smiled, glanced back, and then dashed toward Guo Li and Guo Hong.

Although this sibling pair had Blood Qi Values reaching 200, their attack style leaned toward speed, making them vulnerable in direct confrontations with multiple Mutant Beasts.

They were better suited for support, assassination, and ambushes.

Qin Bufan and Zhang Junjie, on the other hand, had no major issues.

So Lin Mo chose to deal with the beasts surrounding the siblings first.

With a few quick flashes, he joined their battle circle.

A few casual punches directly claimed the lives of several Mandala Beasts.

The speed was astonishing.

"Thanks."

Guo Li nodded at Lin Mo. Her forehead was soaked with sweat; handling four Mandala Beasts alone had been quite taxing.

Guo Hong stared at Lin Mo, hesitated for a moment, then forced out, "Th... thanks."

Lin Mo looked at him until Guo Hong grew uncomfortable under his gaze and furrowed his brows. Only then did Lin Mo laugh heartily and dart away.

"Bastard, messing with me."

Guo Hong cursed inwardly.

Guo Li, however, watched her embarrassed and annoyed brother and covered her mouth with a light laugh.

Ever since the incident a few years ago, her brother had worn a sour expression toward everyone, even developing a twisted temperament.

He never bowed to anyone.

But this time, he seemed different with Lin Mo.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Qin, I'll help you two."

"Haha, that's great—we're exhausted." Zhang Junjie laughed heartily.

Qin Bufan also twitched the corner of his mouth, a trace of a smile appearing on his face.

A few breaths later, the battle ended.

All twenty-five Mandala Beasts were slain.

"Lin Mo, you're insane—after a whole fight, your breathing is still steady. What a monster."

"Little brother, someone like you would be a prized treasure at any school. How could they bear to let you run wild in the wilderness alone?"

Zhang Junjie and Wang Ling's words drew the others' attention.

Especially Wang Ling's point—she was right. A genius like this should normally be coddled and protected.

Who would be willing to let him venture into the wild alone? If an accident happened, it would be a massive loss.

A prodigy like Lin Mo—if lost—wouldn't just be the school's problem; it would involve the entire River City Martial Alliance, even the Southern Province Martial Alliance.

"Isn't that exactly why I snuck out? What they teach at school is all book theory—real combat is a whole different story."

Lin Mo chuckled.

"Mm, you're not wrong. Real combat sharpens faster in the wild."

Wang Ling nodded.

"Alright, let's pack up the materials. Good haul today. We'll find a first-level beast later and cook it for dinner."

Zhang Junjie sliced off a mandrake flower and said cheerfully.

"Sure!" everyone replied with a smile.

With Lin Mo as an unexpected asset, the group felt the pressure of this mission ease considerably.

"Hm? Something's off."

Suddenly, Lin Mo stood up, staring toward a direction on the left.

"What's wrong?"

The others were puzzled—they hadn't sensed anything.

But the next second, Qin Bufan's brow furrowed, and his face went pale. "Run!"

No one hesitated.

The moment the word "run" left his mouth, they were already sprinting.

Years of teamwork had forged trust between them.

Though Qin Bufan was only a First-grade, he was a veteran of the wilds, rich in experience.

If he said run, there was a reason.

After they had covered a hundred meters, they saw rows of trees collapsing in a line along the border between B-zone and C-zone.

Several dark specks, varying in size, grew larger as they approached.

"Holy shit! A Level Five Exotic Beast—Thunder Horned Giant Wolf King!"

When Qin Bufan made out the massive creature at the rear, his soul nearly fled his body.

One of the kings of A-zone had actually wandered into C-zone.

Looking closer, the dark specks running ahead, driven by the wolf king, were all beasts from B-zone and A-zone.

It had become a small-scale beast tide.

And at the very front was a ragged man with a striking scar across his face.

"Damn it!"

That man was Xu Xiaodao. He cursed frantically, panic written all over him.

Who would have thought this wolf king would chase him all the way from A-zone to here? No matter how he ran, he couldn't shake it.

To make matters worse, he had no idea what bad luck had struck today.

The areas where human martial artists usually lurked and hunted were completely empty.

He had planned to lead the disaster elsewhere—run to a hunting zone and let other martial artists draw the wolf king's attention while he escaped.

But along the way, he hadn't seen a single soul.

He'd run into pack after pack of beasts instead.

Under the wolf king's roar, those beasts had all joined the chase.

Now, behind him were no fewer than three hundred beasts, ranging from Second-grade to Fourth-grade.

He had been fleeing at full speed the entire way, his stamina nearly spent. There was no way he could make it to the outermost perimeter.

"Fuck, am I going to lose everything?"

Xu Xiaodao clutched the Thunder Bead, unwilling to let go.

But compared to his life, if it came down to it, he would have to grit his teeth and abandon it.

Otherwise, the wolf king behind him clearly wouldn't stop.

Suddenly, he spotted Lin Mo and the others fleeing ahead.

Joy crept onto his face.

"Swoosh!"

He turned and changed direction, chasing after Lin Mo's group.

"Bastard, he's leading the beasts right to us."

Zhang Junjie and the others had deliberately avoided Xu Xiaodao's escape route, veering to the side.

Now, seeing Xu Xiaodao suddenly change course and run toward them, fury erupted.

Only an idiot wouldn't know what that bastard was thinking.

"Hahaha, gentlemen, you've worked hard."

The moment Zhang Junjie finished speaking, Xu Xiaodao had already caught up behind him.

The speed of a Peak Fourth Rank cultivator was naturally beyond what Zhang Junjie and his group could match.

With a laugh, he tossed out a crystal ball shimmering with purple light, then flashed past Zhang Junjie's party and bolted toward the outer perimeter.

"Bastard!"

Zhang Junjie and the others glared with eyes wide in fury.

"Roar!"

A furious roar sounded behind them at the same time.