Chapter 12: Found Money! I Can Help You Chop Firewood!

【Magic Skills】account for nearly one-third of the total score in the Immortal Examination.

If you wish to take the Immortal Examination, magic skills are an unavoidable part for every candidate.

Although the Grade 1 Low-Class Stance Skill is somewhat weak, it is the only body cultivation technique Lin Mo can still call decent.

As for other magic skills, they are even worse.

Lin Mo carefully walked the stance steps twenty full rounds in an open area of the park.

By the time he finished and stopped, his clean short-sleeve T-shirt was soaked through with sweat.

“Phew~!”

He exhaled deeply, wiped his face with his hand, and found it covered in sweat.

At the same time, a system notification sounded in his ear:

【Walked the stance twenty times, proficiency +0.2】

Hmph, still so little… Lin Mo wasn’t surprised.

Factors affecting stance skill progress, besides practice time, include 【Wisdom】 and 【Physique】.

As he wiped his sweat, Lin Mo opened his magic skills panel to check:

【Magic Skills】:

1. Basic Sword Art (Low-Class): 112/1000

2. Fire Control Spell (Low-Class): 110/1000

3. Rain Summoning Spell (Low-Class): 109/1000

4. Kui Xing Stance (Low-Class): 320/1000

……

All were Grade 1 Low-Class.

【Basic Sword Art】 and 【Kui Xing Stance】 were taught uniformly by the school, while 【Fire Control Spell】 and 【Rain Summoning Spell】 were obtained by Lin Mo through daily quests.

Compared to other ordinary students, his magic skills panel was far richer—but utterly useless.

【Physique】 determines the speed of cultivating “skills,” while 【Wisdom】 determines the speed of cultivating “magic.”

Unfortunately, both attributes were average.

Thus, even his highest skill, 【Kui Xing Stance】, had only 320 proficiency points—barely reaching the threshold of Minor Mastery.

This was thanks to his consistent morning drills during the first two years of high school.

As for the other three magic skills, he also practiced them diligently during meditation breaks before his final year.

But no miracle occurred; each skill’s progress slowed drastically once it reached 100 proficiency points.

Especially 【Fire Control Spell】 and 【Rain Summoning Spell】—they would need at least another year to reach Minor Mastery, let alone Major Mastery or Peak Mastery.

That was why he had temporarily abandoned them and focused solely on stance training.

Lin Mo sighed regretfully: “Why can’t 【Wisdom】 and 【Physique】 be upgraded like spiritual roots?”

After all, 【Magic Skills】 account for nearly one-third of the Immortal Examination score.

Merit can boost spiritual roots, cultivation base—yet magic skills…

Wait!

Suddenly, a flash of insight struck Lin Mo’s mind—he quickly opened his merit panel and dragged a chunk of merit toward his magic skills panel.

As expected, a crisp notification chimed in his ear:

【You invested 10 merit points into “Kui Xing Stance,” gaining 1.5 skill experience (10 × 15%)】

It actually works!

A hint of joy appeared on Lin Mo’s face.

If this works, why bother training so hard?

I don’t even need to stand the stance anymore!

He felt elated—the Immortal Examination had three required subjects.

Spiritual roots, cultivation base, magic skills—all could be boosted with merit points.

He could only sigh: This cheat was ridiculously comprehensive.

Lin Mo tore his gaze from the panel, stretched slightly in place, and glanced around.

The red-clad figure near the pavilion had vanished.

Moreover, the elderly men and women nearby had mostly dispersed; only a few old men remained, stretching like him.

By the time he finished his cooldown, it was past one in the morning.

I have to say, walking the stance really helps fight sleepiness.

After twenty rounds of Kui Xing Stance, Lin Mo’s drowsiness was completely gone.

At that moment, his sense of smell sharpened—grilled meat aroma drifted steadily into his nostrils.

“Gurgle~!”

His stomach responded with a loud growl.

“Still have barbecue stalls at this hour?”

Lin Mo patted his pants pocket—of course, not a single coin.

He’d left home with only two yuan, all given to Old Man Qin.

“Forget it, I’ll go home and boil instant noodles.”

He shook his head, about to detour around the barbecue stall and take another path back to the compound, when a bright red spot suddenly appeared on the ground nearby.

He moved swiftly, stepped on it, glanced left and right, then bent down as if tying his shoelaces—his fingers quickly snatched it up.

Unfolding his palm, he saw it: a genuine, unmistakable hundred-yuan note.

“Haha! I found money!”

Lin Mo’s eyes lit up—he was even happier than when he discovered merit could boost magic proficiency.

Since childhood, the largest amount he’d ever found was five yuan.

His record had just been multiplied twentyfold—how could he not be thrilled?

“Could this also be due to luck value?”

A flicker of doubt crossed his mind.

Two unusual events had occurred today—both after his merit condensed into luck value.

“Luck value is this powerful? No wonder Ye Chen could reverse his fate so quickly.”

He recalled Ye Chen’s smug face, then chuckled softly:

“Let’s go show off with barbecue!”

Fate cannot be defied—he was definitely treating himself tonight!

Lin Mo turned and headed toward the barbecue stall at the park entrance.

Before he fully exited the park, a loud, booming voice reached him:

“No money? Then what are you eating barbecue for?”

Lin Mo turned toward the voice and saw the middle-aged stall owner, grilling meat, scowling at the person in front of him.

His voice was loud enough to draw attention from the few nearby passersby.

The person standing across the charcoal grill was someone Lin Mo recognized—Chu Wange, the school’s top beauty, who had just been practicing Kui Xing Stance near the pavilion.

Chu Wange did not blush or become flustered under the owner’s loud rebuke.

Instead, she remained calm, glanced at the owner as he added charcoal, and said something astonishing:

“I’m good with sword techniques. I can chop firewood for you.”

The owner’s tongs paused mid-motion. He sized her up, then replied with a strange expression:

“Why would I need firewood?”

Chu Wange pointed at his grill: “To burn.”

“This is charcoal, not firewood!”

“Firewood burns too.”

The owner sighed helplessly: “Firewood can burn, but the city bans burning it.”

Chu Wange didn’t give up: “I can chop firewood for you. You take it home and burn it.”

So you’re stuck on the firewood thing, huh!

The owner finally snapped. He stood up, flung his tongs into the grill, and snapped at Chu Wange:

“I’ll say it one more time—I don’t need firewood, and my house doesn’t burn it either. Who still uses firewood these days? We all have natural gas!”

“Also, you’re just a girl. If you have no money, don’t eat barbecue—and you ordered so much! I can tell you’re from Nanshan No. 4 High. How did they raise someone like you…”

Hey hey hey—if you’re going to mention Nanshan, I can’t let that slide!

Lin Mo, who had only been watching, frowned and stepped forward quickly, cutting the owner off:

“How much? I’ll pay!”

The owner fell silent, glanced at him, and said: “One hundred and eight. Cash or Immortal Pay?”

Lin Mo’s hand paused as he reached for money. He hesitated, then looked at the owner and asked: “Could you… round down the total?”

The owner: “...”