27: Chapter 27 News: Yangxi Town Falls

After school, Lin Mo and the other two returned to Niu Ers Food Stall together.

"Children, eat more! Do well on your exams tomorrow and strive for good grades!"

Da Chun's mother brought a steaming plate of stir-fried kidney to the table.

Watching the three of them wolf down their food, the smile lines at the corners of her eyes deepened.

Ever since she found out that with Lin Mo's help, Da Chun's Soul Power had surged to level seven, she had been convinced from the bottom of her heart that Lin Mo was a genius.

As long as her son could stay by his side, he would surely have a bright future.

"Auntie Lan, Uncle Niu's cooking is so delicious!" Lin Mo said, his mouth stuffed full. He mumbled a compliment before picking up another big chopstick-full and stuffing it into his mouth.

Lu Mengmeng nodded along, her chopsticks never stopping. She mumbled, "Exactly, exactly! It's even better than what the chefs at home make!"

Niu Dachun chuckled.

Just then, the television suddenly interrupted with a news broadcast.

"Citizens, it is with deep regret that we inform you that three hours ago, Yangxi Town in Nandu City was attacked by a beast tide and has fallen. The number of casualties is currently being tallied."

The aroma of the stir-fried kidney still lingered in the air.

But the voice from the television was like a basin of ice water, instantly extinguishing the liveliness at the dining table.

Lin Mo's hand, holding his chopsticks, froze in mid-air.

If not for this news, he would have almost forgotten the dangers of this world during these days of comfort.

Yangxi Town was only three hundred kilometers away from Linjiang City, and it had already been breached by the beast tide.

"How could this happen..."

The plate in Da Chun's mother's hand clattered onto the table with a loud "clang," her face turning pale. "But there are tens of thousands of people in Yangxi Town..."

Although one or two base cities were attacked by beast tides every year, it was rare for one to be completely overrun.

"Auntie Lan, please don't panic."

Lin Mo put down his chopsticks and picked up the remote to turn up the volume. "The news didn't mention the level of the beasts. Maybe there were high-level beasts leading the charge, which is why the defense line was broken."

The television screen cut to aerial footage of Yangxi Town; the once peaceful town was now a sea of flames.

Several massive beasts were rampaging through the streets. Among them, a rhinoceros-like beast with giant spiral horns overturned half a building with a single charge.

Looking at the footage, it seemed unlikely there would be any survivors in the town.

Those who managed to escape were likely only a small number of Soul Masters.

"Forget it, let's stop watching."

Seeing that everyone was heavy-hearted, Lin Mo turned off the television.

The only sound left in the food stall was the clinking of bowls and chopsticks, and the atmosphere was as stifling as an impending storm.

Lin Mo poured a glass of hot water for Da Chun's mother. "Auntie Lan, don't worry. The city defenses of Linjiang City are ten times stronger than those of Yangxi Town, and there are high-level Soul Masters stationed here. Nothing will go wrong."

Linjiang City was a city under the jurisdiction of Donghai City, and it was indeed very safe.

"That's right, Auntie Lan." Lu Mengmeng poked at the rice in her bowl, her voice muffled. "My mom said the city defense army recently deployed several battalions to Linjiang."

Auntie Lan waved her hand to show she was fine. "Sigh, I just wonder what has happened to this world."

"I've heard from the elders that before there were Martial Souls, rift secret realms, and beasts, we ordinary people could freely go out into the wilderness for sightseeing and picnics..."

Speaking of this, a look of longing appeared in Auntie Lan's eyes.

Lin Mo nodded secretly.

Wasn't that exactly how the world was before he transmigrated?

That was truly something to yearn for.

Unlike now, where every day was filled with cultivation and hunting beasts, never able to relax for a moment.

After all, only after the college entrance exams and entering a Martial Soul university would one truly begin to face this cruel world.

Niu Dachun suddenly put down his chopsticks and stood up. "Brother Mo, I want to buy some more soul crystals to see if I can strive to reach level 8."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow.

This kid usually couldn't sit still when no one was supervising him, but today he was taking the initiative.

"Alright, go ahead once you're done eating."

Da Chun's mother saw the seriousness in her son's eyes and sighed. "Go ahead, stay safe. If you don't have enough money, tell Mom. Mom still has some savings here."

Since her son had chosen the path of a Soul Master, she and her husband could only choose to support him.

After dinner, the three of them went their separate ways.

Lin Mo did not return to his rental apartment; instead, he took a taxi to Pei Luohan's villa.

Pei Luohan had called him a few days ago.

She said a batch of rare books had been transferred over from Jinghai.

But he had been too busy cultivating and raiding secret realms these past few days to make any time.

Today he finally had some free time, so he planned to come over and take a look.

When he reached the entrance of the villa, the lights inside were not on. It seemed Pei Luohan was not home.

Lin Mo took out the spare key and opened the door. The sensor light in the entryway lit up in response.

Under the warm yellow light, he could see a couple of cardboard boxes neatly stacked in the center of the living room, with sealed strips bearing special markings pasted on them.

He stepped forward, tore off the seal, and lifted the lid. Inside, sure enough, was a stack of books.

He had originally thought they would be books related to Martial Soul theory or Soul Power cultivation.

But when he casually picked one up, the title on the cover made him pause.

"《On Ancient Martial Arts and Martial Souls》?"

This title felt unfamiliar. Lin Mo raised an eyebrow and pulled the book out to flip through it.

The pages were yellowed, and the paper had a sense of age. The opening sentences mentioned terms like "Internal Energy" and "Blood Qi," words he had never seen in any Martial Soul classics.

It was completely different from the Soul Power system he knew.

He pulled a few more books from the box.

"《Meridians: The Mysteries of the Human Body Before Martial Soul Awakening》"

"《The Correlation Between Ancient Body Tempering Methods and Soul Power Capacity》..."

As he flipped through them one by one, they were all books exploring the relationship between ancient martial arts and Martial Souls.

The theoretical systems between the lines were novel yet rigorous.

Because Lin Mo didn't need to memorize them seriously himself, he flipped through the pages very quickly.

It took him about ten minutes per book on average.

By the time he finished one box, it had only taken him two hours.

"Before Martial Souls appeared, this world already had another cultivation system..." Lin Mo fell into deep thought.

Just as he was deep in thought, there was a soft click at the door lock.

Then he saw Pei Luohan walk in.

Pei Luohan had seen the lights on from outside and knew Lin Mo had arrived.

Therefore, seeing Lin Mo sitting on the living room floor, she didn't feel surprised.

She took off her coat, which was damp with night dew, and seeing the books spread all over the floor, she raised an eyebrow. "Lin Mo, did seeing these books make your eyes light up?"

"Yeah! It actually took me by surprise." Lin Mo nodded noncommittally and put the book in his hand back into the box.

He wasn't lying; after all, once System AI digested all this knowledge, it would certainly improve further.

"That's true. Ordinary people can't access these books, so it would be strange if you weren't shocked." Pei Luohan poured a glass of water and sat on the sofa, her expression neither happy nor sad.

"I was under immense pressure to get these books."

"Then I really thank you." Lin Mo chuckled and prepared to open another box.

Pei Luohan raised an eyebrow. "A verbal thank you isn't as good as some practical appreciation!"

Upon hearing this, Lin Mo paused, looking at Pei Luohan with an ambiguous expression.

"Practical appreciation? Which aspect are you referring to?"

Pei Luohan frowned.

What kind of expression is that kid making?

"You agreed to be my Martial Soul instructor. Shouldn't you provide some guidance in cultivation?"

Pei Luohan wasn't stupid. Lin Mo's Martial Soul was only C-grade, yet in a short period, his Soul Power had risen from level five to level 12.

This showed that he had his own methods regarding cultivation.

Hearing Pei Luohan bring it up, Lin Mo finally remembered that he had indeed agreed to be her Martial Soul instructor.

"That's true."