They didn't linger after leaving the sect outpost.
Understanding the structure of this world had already changed their approach. This wasn't a place where wandering blindly would work anymore. There were systems, factions, limits—and if they wanted to move fast, they had to use them properly.
Lin Mo headed straight for the task board again, this time without even glancing at the lower tiers. Shi Yue walked beside him, her expression calm but focused, already aligned with the decision. Lin An'an rested quietly against her shoulder, half-asleep, her small presence grounding them even as everything else accelerated.
The board was more crowded than before, but Lin Mo ignored the noise and scanned only the upper-mid section. Tasks here were fewer, but the rewards were significantly higher. More importantly, they were closer to what the sect required for exchanging techniques.
He picked one immediately.
"Twin Ridge Hunt. Two high-tier beasts. Reward: refined stones, bonus for rapid completion."
Shi Yue read it once and nodded. "We finish it fast."
Lin Mo took the token.
No hesitation.
—
They left at once.
—
The difference in their movement was obvious now. Their steps were lighter, more controlled, their bodies responding naturally to the Qi flowing within them. It wasn't speed alone—it was efficiency. Every movement served a purpose, every adjustment reduced waste.
They reached the ridge in less than half the expected time.
—
The first beast appeared almost immediately.
It was larger than the previous ones, its body denser, its presence sharper. The moment it noticed them, it charged without hesitation.
Lin Mo didn't step back.
He stepped forward.
—
The impact came fast.
—
But instead of meeting it head-on, he shifted slightly at the last moment, redirecting the force rather than stopping it. His strike followed immediately—not heavy, not forceful, but placed exactly where it needed to be.
The beast staggered.
—
Shi Yue moved in the same instant.
Her timing matched his perfectly, her strike landing on the exposed point without delay.
—
The beast collapsed.
—
No wasted motion.
No prolonged fight.
—
They moved on immediately.
—
The second target was deeper within the ridge, and the pressure it carried was noticeably stronger. Its movements were faster, more aggressive, its reactions sharper.
It attacked the moment they entered its range.
—
This time, Lin Mo didn't engage directly.
He shifted to the side, controlling the angle, forcing the beast to commit to its movement. Instead of clashing, he guided the fight, creating openings rather than reacting to them.
Shi Yue adjusted instantly.
She circled, closing in from the blind side.
—
The coordination between them had changed.
It wasn't just instinct anymore.
It was structure.
—
Lin Mo forced the opening.
Shi Yue finished it.
—
The beast fell.
—
Silence returned.
—
Lin Mo exhaled once, steady.
"…Faster," Shi Yue said.
—
He nodded.
—
They were no longer adapting mid-fight.
They were controlling it from the start.
—
They gathered proof quickly and turned back without delay.
—
By the time they returned to the settlement, the sun was still high.
That alone drew attention again.
But this time, Lin Mo didn't go straight to the exchange point.
He paused briefly, looking upward.
—
A cultivator passed overhead.
—
Not walking.
—
Flying.
—
Not high.
Not fast.
But unmistakable.
—
Shi Yue followed his gaze.
"…Foundation Establishment," she said quietly.
—
Lin Mo nodded.
—
The flight wasn't smooth or effortless. It was controlled, but limited, as if the cultivator was maintaining it rather than moving naturally through the air.
That alone revealed something important.
—
"This world allows it earlier," Lin Mo said.
"…But not fully."
—
Shi Yue understood immediately.
"Weaker laws."
—
Lin Mo nodded.
"In stronger worlds, this level wouldn't be enough."
—
Which meant—
everything here required less strength to achieve.
—
But also meant—
it had a lower ceiling.
—
Shi Yue looked forward again.
"…Then we use it."
—
Not question it.
Not resist it.
—
Use it.
—
Lin Mo agreed.
"…We reach the Ninth Layer fast."
—
Not recklessly.
—
Efficiently.
—
Because now they understood something clearly.
—
This world wasn't where they would peak.
—
It was where they would accelerate.
—
They resumed walking, heading toward the exchange point.
This time, when Lin Mo placed the proof down, the man didn't hide his reaction.
"…You finished it already."
—
Not a question.
—
Lin Mo didn't respond.
—
The reward was handed over without delay.
More refined stones.
Better again.
—
Lin Mo took them and turned.
—
Shi Yue walked beside him, her voice low.
"…Next step."
—
Lin Mo nodded.
"…We get a technique."
—
Not optional anymore.
—
Necessary.
—
Because now—
they weren't just progressing.
—
They were preparing—
—
to leave this world behind.