“A fifth-grade Golden Core… not bad.”

Lin Nantian actually felt a little regretful.

From the looks of Lin Mo’s Golden Core, its form was nearly perfect. He had never seen a better one.

However, the spiritual energy inside was not fully saturated. It was likely that the Core had been formed too hastily.

Lin Nantian’s mind automatically filled in the gaps.

In past years, this grandson of his always returned home wearing simple white robes.

He probably hadn’t been living well in the sect.

Perhaps he had suffered oppression from his fellow disciples.

Perhaps he lacked cultivation resources.

But with the intense competition in the sect, he had no choice but to train harder, which led to his rapid cultivation progress. Faced with pressure, and without sufficient resources, he had likely been forced to form his Golden Core prematurely.

It was only after reaching the Golden Core stage that life finally got better for him, which was why he could now afford to dress decently.

If he had paid more attention to this grandson in the past, given him more resources, or simply never sent him to Qingling Sect in the first place—

Perhaps his grandson’s achievements would not have been any lower than Lin Zhan’s back then.

Lin Mo suddenly received a substantial amount of “Regret Points” from the system, leaving him confused.

Looking at Lin Nantian’s expression, which was now full of guilt, Lin Mo was even more baffled.

What was going on?

He hadn’t even done anything yet, so what had his grandfather imagined this time?

Seeing his father frantically winking at him, Lin Mo took out a pill from his storage ring and handed it to Lin Nantian.

“Grandfather, this is my birthday gift to you.”

Lin Nantian’s hands trembled slightly as he accepted the pill.

As an alchemist himself, he only needed a brief examination to recognize its high quality.

The other Lin family members couldn’t clearly see what kind of pill Lin Mo had taken out, but from Lin Nantian’s reaction, they could tell it was something extraordinary.

After careful inspection, Lin Nantian confirmed its grade and asked in a trembling voice, “Mo’er, where did this fifth-grade Longevity Pill come from?”

Lin Mo had originally planned to admit that he had refined it himself, but when he saw his father continuing to send him signals, he understood.

It was clear that the Lin family was not as harmonious as it seemed.

Among Lin Zhan’s generation, many were coveting the position of family head, waiting for Lin Nantian to pass away.

Now that Lin Zhan had regained his ability to cultivate, he was bound to gain more influence in the family, which would inevitably threaten the interests of others.

If Lin Mo’s status as a sixth-grade alchemist were exposed, those people would feel even more threatened, and they might plot against him or his family.

After all, Lin Mo spent most of his time in Qingling Sect, so he was relatively safe—

But his parents still lived in the Lin family estate.

Especially his mother, Gu Ningxin, who was just a mortal.

“During an expedition a few years ago, I stumbled upon an ancient senior’s tomb and obtained it there.”

Lin Mo made up an explanation. In the cultivation world, finding inheritances in ruins, falling off cliffs into hidden legacies, and meeting mysterious old grandmasters were all common occurrences.

Lin Nantian once again filled in the blanks with his own imagination.

He understood the value of a fifth-grade Longevity Pill.

It could have been sold for an astronomical price, allowing Lin Mo to acquire immense cultivation resources—

Yet, instead of keeping it for himself, his grandson had chosen to present it to him as a birthday gift.

At this thought, he truly felt that he had wronged this grandson of his. He even cursed himself for it.

“Good! My grandson is truly blessed by fortune—this is a great blessing for our Lin family!”

He immediately ordered someone to bring over an extra chair and placed it next to his own seat.

“Mo’er, sit beside me.”

Lin Mo didn’t hesitate and took his seat.

From his position, he could clearly see the expressions of the other Lin family members.

Some were envious.

Some were jealous.

And in some, he caught a brief but unmistakable flicker of killing intent.

Just as expected.

Lin Nantian seemed to have thought of something and slowly addressed the gathered Lin family members, “Since Lin Mo has returned, let him lead the team for the upcoming exploration of the Demon Clan Secret Realm in a few days.”

Leading the team again?

Lin Mo was about to refuse when a middle-aged man abruptly stood up, his voice tense. “Patriarch, the team members for the secret realm have already been decided yesterday. It wouldn’t be appropriate to change the arrangements now, would it?”

The one speaking was Third Elder Lin Xiao, Lin Zhan’s fifth-generation distant cousin from a collateral branch.

His agitation stemmed from the fact that his eldest grandson, Lin Zijian, had been confirmed as the team leader the day before.

Among the younger generation of the Lin family, Lin Zijian was the first to break through to the Golden Core stage, making him the best candidate to lead the expedition.

Leading the team into the secret realm meant a greater chance of securing rare resources or even an inheritance, increasing his power and influence in the family.

Now that Lin Zhan had recovered, and with his son Lin Mo being given the position of team leader, it would only make Lin Zhan a more significant contender for the family head position in the future.

Lin Nantian stroked his beard and pondered for a moment. “Lin Mo has lived in Qingling Sect since childhood. Compared to Lin Zijian, he has spent far more time experiencing real-life training outside the sect. If he leads the team, the younger generation will be much safer in the secret realm.”

Lin Mo hadn’t expected his grandfather to be so insightful.

As the Senior Brother of Qingling Sect’s Qingzhu Peak, the original Lin Mo had often been tasked with leading new disciples on their first real-life training missions.

Moreover, the original Lin Mo was naturally diligent and knowledgeable, giving him far greater experience than his peers.

Over the years, he had come across several secret realms, big and small, making him an ideal choice for a guide.

Lin Zijian, on the other hand, narrowed his eyes in displeasure as he gazed up at Lin Mo.

Lin Tian, standing among the younger generation, had a keen sense of reading the room. More importantly, he had a personal grudge against Lin Mo.

Although he was terrified after learning that Lin Mo had reached the Golden Core stage, he still saw this as an opportunity to at least annoy him a little.

So, stepping forward, he loudly voiced his opinion:

“Patriarch, we’ve trained under Zijian for many years, and he’s led several expeditions in the past. We trust in his strength! Compared to this newly returned Lin Mo… uh, uncle, I feel much safer under Zijian’s leadership.”

Lin Tian’s words quickly resonated with many of the younger Lin family members.

Though some disliked Lin Tian, when it came to choosing a leader for a life-and-death situation, they naturally preferred someone familiar over someone they had never interacted with before.

Lin Zijian’s face revealed a smug smile.

At this moment, Second Elder Lin Hai also stepped forward and said, “Since the younger generation has chosen their leader, we should respect their decision and not interfere. After all, this is their opportunity.”

Lin Nantian hesitated.

Lin Mo was his direct grandson. Now that he had learned about his grandson’s incredible potential and received such a grand gift on his 500th birthday, he was already determined to make up for his past neglect.

Allowing Lin Mo to lead this mission was a great opportunity to grant him influence and status within the family.

Before Lin Nantian could speak, however, Lin Mo smiled faintly and said,

“Then let Zijian lead the team.”

Lin Mo’s smile instantly irritated Lin Zijian.

What do you mean ‘let’?!

How arrogant.

They were both Golden Core cultivators. Even without leadership skills, Lin Zijian practiced an Earth-grade cultivation method, whereas Qingling Sect’s core disciples only had access to Xuan-grade techniques at most.

If they really fought, he was confident he could cripple Lin Mo on the spot.

Just then, a steward hurried into the hall, bowing respectfully before announcing,

“Patriarch, the Jiang and Nangong families have arrived.”