First Battle!

In the distance, a group of Mutant Beasts was gathered around a freshly captured prey, tearing into it.

Lin Dabao and the others crouched in the grass, watching from afar.

"Eight Green Back Porcupines. Two are Level Four, while the rest are all Level Three. Are we doing this?"

Lin Dabao turned back and asked.

"Of course! That's exactly ten points, two each." Chen Jia spoke first, looking eager to make a move.

Lin Mo's eyelids twitched at the sight.

He had figured it out. This sweet-looking fool was absolutely a battle maniac.

The moment combat was mentioned, she brimmed with energy.

"Well now, Pipi Pig. I didn't expect your first battle to involve killing your relatives." Xiao Ya cheerfully teased Lin Dabao.

Lin Dabao rolled his eyes and did not respond.

Though he was a chatterbox, he never got even the slightest advantage when dealing with Xiao Ya.

It was not that he could not outtalk her. It was that whenever the little girl felt she could not win an argument against him, she would threaten him by sending a flying dagger to his throat.

Who could possibly keep arguing with her after that?

"The six Level Threes are mine. Can you handle the two Level Fours?"

After thinking for a moment, Lin Mo asked.

What he needed now was battle and arduous cultivation. The more targets there were, the greater his gains would be.

"You alone are taking six?"

The others were stunned upon hearing that.

"I couldn't tell before, but you're pretty fierce, Lin Mo. No wonder you're the man I picked."

Xiao Ya spoke in an old-fashioned tone, though her manner and voice clashed sharply with her loli-like appearance.

"Pei Pei, hold the line. That Level Four is mine."

Chen Jia glanced at Lin Mo, tossed out those words, and charged at one of the Level Four Porcupines.

"What a hothead!"

Seeing her suddenly rush out, Liu Peipei shook her head with a bitter smile.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

The others moved as well.

Lin Mo was the second to charge into the beast pack, immediately drawing their aggression.

Chen Jia was the first to engage one of the Level Four Mutant Beasts, shifting sideways and drawing it away.

Lin Dabao rushed toward the other Level Four and struck with a palm right at its head.

"Vrrr—!"

The Green Back Porcupine roared in fury, its eyes instantly turning red as it charged at Lin Dabao.

Whoosh, whoosh!

Two flying daggers arrived in an instant, circling the porcupine as they stabbed and slashed wildly.

In the blink of an eye, several bone-deep wounds had been carved across the porcupine's body.

It was a Level Four Mutant Beast, after all. Even with its flesh split open, its ferocity remained undiminished.

But Lin Dabao was no pushover either. He showed no fear as he faced the Green Back Porcupine's savage charge.

He planted his feet firmly, and a layer of yellow light wrapped around his entire body.

A black-gold shield suddenly appeared in his hand.

He was preparing to take the attack head-on.

"Black Obsidian Shield?"

Lin Mo glanced over. This was the first time he had seen Lin Dabao's weapon.

He had not expected it to be a shield.

Bang!

The powerful impact failed to push Lin Dabao back even half a step.

The defensive enhancement of the earth element was plain to see.

Xiao Ya, standing behind him, naturally did not stop attacking. Taking advantage of the opening, her two Golden Flying Daggers stabbed toward the porcupine's forehead.

Splat!

The Golden Flying Daggers pierced straight through its skull. The Level Four Green Back Porcupine did not even have time to let out a wail before it crashed to the ground.

Psychic Masters really were formidable. Killing a Level Four Mutant Beast was this easy, and Lin Dabao's defense was a little absurd too.

Lin Mo watched the scene and thought to himself.

The Green Back Porcupine's defense was not low. Breaking through it was no easy feat, yet Xiao Ya had done it effortlessly.

Moreover, the force of that porcupine's charge was far stronger than the Thunder Horned Giant Wolf Lin Mo had encountered before.

Yet Lin Dabao had easily withstood its charge without suffering even the slightest injury.

Such defense was downright monstrous among those of the same rank.

On the other side, Chen Jia had also begun fighting a Level Four Green Back Porcupine.

Compared to her, Lin Dabao's method of taking attacks head-on was nothing much.

Chen Jia's battle was the true clash of steel against steel.

There was no dodging at all. She charged straight in, every punch landing solidly on flesh.

Facing a Green Back Porcupine with terrifying ramming power, Chen Jia actually met it with her fists and feet.

Not only that, every punch and kick sent the Level Four porcupine staggering backward again and again.

"Jiajia is amazing!"

Xiao Ya watched from the side and jumped up as she cheered.

Before long, the porcupine's forehead had been hammered inward. It crashed to the ground.

Chen Jia had beaten it to death with her bare hands!

In contrast, Chen Jia emerged from the battle completely unscathed, seemingly in a very good mood.

They were all merely Third-grade Martial Artists, yet they could effortlessly crush Level Four Mutant Beasts. Their strength was evident.

"Huh, is Lin Mo... tempering his Movement Technique?"

When they looked toward Lin Mo, Liu Peipei was the first to voice her surprise.

The Lin Mo before them was not killing Mutant Beasts at all. It looked more like he was walking them around for fun.

"It really is so. His Movement Technique has probably already reached Beginner level."

Watching Lin Mo continuously shift through the battle, fighting spirit immediately surged in Chen Jia's eyes.

"A Beginner-level Movement Technique is already impressive. If he reaches the Subtle realm, I'm afraid even my flying daggers would be unable to do anything to him."

Xiao Ya looked at Lin Mo in shock and spoke softly.

Psychic Masters' attacks were tricky and bizarre, making them impossible to guard against.

But once they encountered a martial artist whose Movement Technique had reached the Subtle realm, killing them would truly not be easy.

Once a Movement Technique reached the Subtle realm, a martial artist's body would develop a powerful sense of danger, greatly enhancing their ability to evade attacks.

[Ding, prolonged battle triggered a critical hit. Hundredfold Return obtained.]

[Blood Qi +10, Movement Technique +1]

[Current host Blood Qi Value: 604 cards. Movement Technique: Beginner level (2/100)]

Hearing the notification, Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.

It seemed that after reaching Third-grade, the growth of Movement Technique proficiency was about the same as before.

But the increase in Blood Qi had slowed considerably.

It seemed that the higher one's rank, the more slowly Blood Qi increased.

Thinking about it, that made sense. It was the same for ordinary martial artists advancing in rank—the farther they went, the harder it became to improve.

Otherwise, would there not be Great Martial Artists of the seventh, eighth, and ninth grades everywhere?

Still, Lin Mo was very satisfied with this speed.

In the past, gaining ten points of Blood Qi Value would have required him to cultivate bitterly for a very long time.

Since Xiao Ya and Chen Jia's side had already finished their battle,

and his side had also received the system's return,

Lin Mo did not want to drag things out any longer. After all, the system would not trigger another return within a short time.

So, he planned to gather enough points first, then slowly temper himself.

His aura suddenly changed, and the strength in his hands instantly surged.

Bang, bang, bang, bang!

One punch per beast—six Green Back Porcupines fell to the ground in an instant, dead on the spot.

The group gathered together, brought their number plates close, divided up the points, and set off again.

Not long after they left, several nameless men in black appeared at the scene.

"These little ones are all quite talented, except for that Liu Peipei."

"Liu Peipei is a Light Element Awakened. She has a rare ability, so even if her combat power is a little weaker, her role in a team will not be small."

"That's right. But the girl named Xiao Ya is the most formidable one. A Psychic Master—tsk, tsk. She truly is a genius of the South Province Xiao Family. Her future achievements will be limitless."

"Isn't that nonsense? She's only eighteen, and it has not been long since she awakened her Mental Power. The three years after a Psychic Master awakens are a period of rapid growth. This is nothing yet. Take another look in three years—she'll probably be terrifyingly strong."

"Don't underestimate Chen Jia, that Little Martial Fanatic, either. I heard her Mutant Ability has had a large portion of its power sealed away by her grandfather because he feared her current body could not bear it.

Even so, her combat power is still among the best of those at the same rank.

If the seal is completely lifted, who knows what she will become."

"By the way, did you notice? There seems to be something strange about that chubby boy from the Lin Family. I actually can't see through him."

"I was just about to say the same. I can't see through him either. That kid must have some Heavy Treasure on him that conceals his strength."

"The young master of Bao Zhi Lin Trading Company having a Heavy Treasure on him—is that strange?"

"It isn't strange for Lin Dabao to have a Heavy Treasure, but it is strange that Southern Province's most monstrous geniuses have gathered together."

"You're right. How did they even end up together? The Lin Family, Chen Family, Liu Family, and Xiao Family do not usually seem particularly close."

"Do you even need to ask? It must have been that chubby boy from the Lin Family. Don't let his silly appearance fool you—he's shrewd as a ghost, and his eye for people is exceptionally sharp."

"But what confuses me the most is Lin Mo. Why was he the first person Lin Dabao took a liking to?"

"Lin Mo came from River City in Southern Province. Southern Province Commander Lu Li also seems to think highly of him."

"You don't know this, then. I've read his information. He's a Thunder Element Awakened, and his combat power amplification has reached around five times."

"Oh? Thunder Element? A fivefold amplification? Then he truly is a pretty good prospect."

"Enough talking. They've gone far away. Hurry and follow them—don't let anything go wrong."

With that, the men in black followed in the direction Lin Mo had left...