Mo Bai's gaze lingered on the corpse for barely three seconds before he quickly slipped behind a large tree, waiting for the second boar. A short dagger, perfectly sized for his right hand, slid out from its sheath as he stole glances, anticipating the horned boar's arrival.
About thirty seconds later, the delayed second boar finally rushed to the same spot, halting abruptly as it noticed the large pit before it.
At that moment, seeing the horned boar approaching, Mo Bai wasted no time. In the blink of an eye, he leapt onto the boar from behind.
Quickly gripping the boar with his left hand and feet, Mo Bai drove the sharp short blade deep into its skull. A spray of hot blood stained his face crimson.
"Arrgh!"
The boar screamed violently, blood pouring from its head, struggling fiercely to throw Mo Bai off its back. But Mo Bai held tight, plunging his dagger twice more into the creature's head in just three seconds, before finally being thrown off with a heavy thud by the severely bleeding beast.
Meanwhile, the boar continued bleeding, attempting to move and attack, but it only managed a slow, weak step before collapsing sideways into a pool of its own blood.
"Hah, another prey added to the list. Successfully killed." Mo Bai exhaled, muttering to himself as he wiped the blood off his face with his sleeve.
"Alright, time to gather resources." He drew a small dagger and approached the fallen boar, beginning to skin it and extract valuable parts like the horn and fur.
Half an hour later, Mo Bai's leather sack was already filled with the spoils of his prey. He then started back to Black Blade City with quiet steps.
Back in the city, Mo Bai went through the usual post-hunt routines. He visited the monster goods shop and exchanged the parts for a total of two Nia stones, then returned home with some extra coin in his pockets.
Opening the door to the two-story house, Mo Bai entered silently, greeted by a young maid in her twenties.
"Welcome back, young master. Should I prepare some food for you? I've already warmed the water if you want to take a bath," she bowed respectfully.
"Hmm, cook some food, I'm hungry. But I'm going to my room now. Don't bother me. When I come out, I want the food ready on the table," Mo Bai replied dryly without even glancing at her, heading upstairs to his room.
Once inside, he lay down on his bed, sinking into thought.
"My father is on a mission and won't return for a week. After learning how to use the Nia, this week is for theory. I must use it to prepare for the first step of the plan. These early stages are the most crucial."
He continued thinking over the various steps of the plan his father had set since his birth, until seven full days passed.
...
Inside the clan academy, a vast hall spanning hundreds of meters, about two hundred students sat on benches. Their teacher, an old man with gray hair, stood before them, hands clasped behind his back, speaking calmly.
"So, you have spent this week learning everything about controlling Nia energy, opening your seals, using your powers, training, and leveling up. Now you are finally ready to begin training. The academy rewards the fastest seal-breakers."
He continued in the same calm, neutral tone: "The top ten who open their seals faster than others and reach the initial stage will receive 20 Nia stones; the third place gets 30; second place 40; and first place, the best, will get 50 stones. So work hard and try to break through as fast as you can—the clan's generous rewards are reserved for talent only."
Hearing the prizes, many students from weaker backgrounds widened their eyes in surprise and awe. The average monthly earning of a first-level seal master was only about 30 Nia stones, usually after hunting or multiple clan tasks. One thought echoed in their minds: "The clan is really generous."
But no one dared whisper any amazement during class; the teacher was no decoration and tolerated no mistakes, not even the smallest.
Meanwhile, Mo Bai, sitting in one of the front seats in the middle row, rested his chin on his left hand, analyzing.
'As my father taught me, the clan always tries to cultivate loyalty through seemingly generous rewards. But in reality, most will return to the elders' children and those with high status—because they're the truly talented ones. Heh, what a tactic to show care and increase loyalty. Simple, but effective.'
At that moment, the teacher stepped back a little, pointing with a thin stick at the board.
"Let's quickly summarize what was learned this week. Seal masters are divided into six levels, from the lowest first level to the highest, legendary sixth level. What are the subdivisions of these levels?" he pointed at a random student, who stood and replied easily.
"Each of these six levels is divided into four sub-stages: initial, intermediate, advanced, and peak."
"Correct. So, how can a seal master obtain additional seals?" The teacher asked again, this time pointing at Mo Bai.
Mo Bai stood calmly, his voice neutral, matching the calmness on his face.
"A seal master can get additional seals by killing. When one seal master kills another, they can condense the other's seal into a seal crystal and absorb it to gain an extra seal."
"Right. One last question before we finish. How many seals can a master absorb at each level?" the teacher asked, pointing to another random student.
The student rose and answered without hesitation.
"Usually, a seal master at each level can absorb one additional seal no higher than their own level, but some talents can absorb two seals per level instead of one."
"That's correct. With that, we conclude the class. Hurry up and start training—the rewards are only for the top ten," the teacher encouraged as the students rose and began exiting the hall in pairs or trios.
"Mo Bai, I heard the rewards. You need to be in the top ten—better than some Yi Haha kids," Mo Fan said with a wide grin, lightly placing his hand on Mo Bai's shoulder.
"Heh, don't worry about me. Just make sure Yi Kang doesn't surpass you, or you'll disgrace our faction and make your grandfather beat you in front of everyone," Mo Bai replied with a light smile and a teasing tone.
"Damn you. How can you compare me to that bastard Yi Kang? Of course I'll surpass him. Hey, will my grandfather really beat me in front of everyone if I lose? Actually… yeah, he will. Damn, I need to start training fast. Goodbye, Mo Bai," Mo Fan spoke hastily, answering his own question before sprinting away to bid farewell.
Once Mo Fan left, Mo Bai's expression returned to its usual coldness, but a slight curl in the corner of his lips escaped his control as he thought, 'Step one accomplished successfully. Getting close to Mo Fan went better than expected. Heh, that fool is easier to get close to than I thought.'