Lin Mo raised his head slightly, looking at the burly fool in front of him. His tone was indifferent: “Evidence?”
Liu Bao sneered, “What more evidence do I need? You were the only one I had a conflict with just now! If it wasn’t you, then who else could it be?”
“So, no evidence then,” Lin Mo stated flatly, setting down his teacup and waving dismissively. “If there’s nothing else, move aside.”
Arrogant. Too arrogant.
Liu Bao couldn’t stand it. With spiritual energy surging through him, flames flared up in his palms as he prepared to strike Lin Mo.
A smirk appeared on Lin Mo’s lips. The sect did prohibit in-fighting, but since the other party was attacking first, self-defense would surely be justified, right?
Just as he was about to summon his Liuli Sword, a cold, clear female voice cut through the tension.
“Liu Bao!”
The moment Liu Bao recognized the voice, his movements froze.
A figure in white robes slowly approached.
Seeing the newcomer, Liu Bao’s aggressive demeanor vanished. Instead, he scratched the back of his head and smiled sheepishly. “Senior Sister Bai, what brings you here?”
“Just passing by.”
Her gaze landed on Lin Mo. “Junior Brother Lin, long time no see.”
Lin Mo responded indifferently, “Senior Sister Bai, indeed, it has been a while.”
The woman in front of him was Bai Ling, a disciple who had entered the sect thirty years before Lin Mo.
She was the eldest senior sister of Dashi Peak, and one of the few Golden Core cultivators among the twelve peaks.
“It seems that Junior Brother Lin’s spiritual energy is surging—you must be nearing your Core Formation breakthrough.”
“Let me congratulate you in advance.”
Liu Bao, who had been standing beside her, was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected Lin Mo to be so close to breaking through to the Golden Core stage.
Still, his own breakthrough wasn’t far off either. He wasn’t particularly worried about offending Lin Mo now.
Lin Mo replied politely, “Nothing is certain yet. I don’t know what grade of Golden Core I’ll achieve, but if I could match Senior Sister Bai, that would be ideal.”
Before Bai Ling could respond, Liu Bao scoffed, his face filled with undisguised contempt.
“What are you even dreaming about? You think you can form a sixth-grade Golden Core?”
“Even most Heaven-Spirit Root cultivators only form a sixth-grade Golden Core. Only someone as extraordinarily talented as Senior Sister Bai could achieve that result with a Dual-Spirit Root.”
“Did you really think any random nobody with a Dual-Spirit Root could reach sixth grade?”
Liu Bao’s words weren’t entirely wrong…
For most Dual-Spirit Root cultivators, forming a fourth-grade Golden Core was already considered above average.
Even Lin Mo’s system had calculated that, despite his Sword Heart Clarity physique, he still had a 55% chance of failure when attempting to form a sixth-grade core.
Whether Bai Ling had special encounters or simply superior talent, her ability to reach sixth-grade with a Dual-Spirit Root was indeed remarkable.
After all, luck is also a part of strength.
Hearing Liu Bao’s words, Bai Ling’s expression held subtle pride—she didn’t deny the compliment.
Still, she turned to Liu Bao with a rebuking tone: “Liu Bao, no matter what, Lin Mo is your senior brother. Is this how you speak to him?”
Her words were correct, but there was no true reprimand in her tone.
She then glanced at Lin Mo’s hands and smiled. “I didn’t expect Junior Brother Lin to practice swordsmanship as well.”
“Just something I dabble in during my free time,” Lin Mo replied, unbothered that his trick against Liu Bao had been exposed.
“Junior Brother Lin is also well-versed in healing and supportive techniques. Just be careful not to spread yourself too thin—if you fail to specialize, you may end up achieving nothing.”
With that, Bai Ling took Liu Bao by the arm and led him away.
She had clearly noticed Lin Mo’s trick but chose not to pursue the matter.
A little while later, as they walked away, Liu Bao turned to Bai Ling.
“Senior Sister, you saw it, didn’t you? Lin Mo attacked me just now.”
“Yes, I saw it,” Bai Ling replied calmly.
“Then why didn’t you say anything?”
Bai Ling glanced at him coldly. “Say what? That you provoked him first? That I should let you two fight it out?”
Liu Bao scratched his head and laughed awkwardly. “So you really saw everything, huh?”
“Of course I did.”
Bai Ling’s voice was indifferent. “That said, I don’t like people who bully their own junior disciples either.”
“Whether the rumors about Lin Mo are true or not, he’s still the eldest senior brother of Qingzhu Peak. And even if his techniques focus more on healing and support, if a real fight broke out… you wouldn’t necessarily have the upper hand.”
Liu Bao snorted, unconvinced. “Come on, Senior Sister! I’ve trained my ‘Blazing Cloud Palm’ to the sixth layer. There’s no way I’d lose to him!”
Bai Ling didn’t argue.
Lin Mo’s sword energy—both in precision and speed—wasn’t something casually trained.
In her opinion, Lin Mo was far more formidable than he appeared.
And with Liu Bao’s one-track mind, if he actually fought Lin Mo…
He would probably end up being played like a fool.
Lin Mo remained in the sect’s main plaza, waiting for the new disciples to report in.
According to the sect’s records, he was assigned to lead four disciples this time.
Three women and one man.
And all of them were from prestigious cultivation families—true second-generation immortals.
Before long, four elegant figures approached him.
“You’re Lin Mo?”
The one speaking was a young woman with a delicate oval-shaped face, dressed in a light green elegant gown. The sleeves were embroidered with pale blue peonies, and silver thread traced patterns of floating clouds. A wide sash of soft yellow silk wrapped around her chest, accentuating her graceful figure.
Lin Mo couldn’t help but admire—this woman was undoubtedly a rare beauty.
But she wasn’t alone.
There were three more beside her, each with different styles and temperaments, yet all undeniably attractive.
“Hey! I asked you a question! Are you Lin Mo or not?” The young woman furrowed her brows when she saw Lin Mo remain silent.
Lin Mo finally turned his gaze toward the haughty young woman in front of him and casually pointed to the blue ribbon tied around his forehead. His voice was calm.
“You’ve been in the sect for a year, and you still haven’t memorized the rules?”
The ribbons worn by disciples signified their status—
Inner disciples wore blue ribbons.
Outer disciples wore gray ribbons.
“Can you address your senior brother properly?”
The moment Lin Mo’s presence pressed down upon her, the young woman in the green dress gritted her teeth and reluctantly said:
“Senior Brother…”
Only then did Lin Mo withdraw his spiritual pressure.
He asked, “I’m Lin Mo. You’re the disciples assigned to follow me on this training expedition?”
He already knew the answer.
“That’s right. My name is Xia He.”
Lin Mo shifted his gaze.
The second girl quickly introduced herself. “Qu Ruoyan.”
“Xie Zhi’an.”
“Xie Zhiqu.”
Before Lin Mo could look further, the two nearly identical-looking girls at the end of the group spoke in unison.
Lin Mo nodded. The names all matched the sect records.
“Since you’re all here, I need to make my position clear.”
“I am Lin Mo of Qingzhu Peak, and I am your lead senior brother for this expedition.”
The moment he finished speaking, Xia He muttered under her breath:
“As if we didn’t already know about your infamous reputation.”
Lin Mo heard it loud and clear.
His cold gaze landed on Xia He.
“It seems this junior sister knows quite a lot about me.”
“Then you should also know that I am not someone to be trifled with.”
A wave of Foundation Establishment late-stage pressure descended once again.
This time, it wasn’t just Xia He who felt its weight—her three companions were also affected.
Xia He clenched her jaw and stubbornly pointed at Lin Mo. “You can push me around for now, but once my cultivation surpasses yours, we’ll see who has the last laugh!”
Her confidence wasn’t baseless.
Not only did she come from a cultivation aristocracy, but she also possessed a single-attribute ‘Metal’ spirit root.
Lin Mo, of course, already knew this.
He chuckled. “That’s a matter for the future. Right now, as your lead senior brother, you are all required to follow my orders during this training expedition.”
“My rules are simple—don’t ask too many questions.”
Qu Ruoyan tilted her head. “Why?”
Lin Mo shot her a sharp look.
Startled, Qu Ruoyan quickly covered her mouth with both hands.
Lin Mo’s voice turned even colder. “I’ll only say this once—there are things that, even if I explain them, you wouldn’t understand. So don’t ask. Just do as I say.”
He added, his tone heavy with warning: “I despise unnecessary trouble.”
The four junior sisters quickly shut their mouths.
With everything settled, Lin Mo suddenly realized that something felt very off.
His eyes scanned over the four of them again.
Yes—four stunningly beautiful individuals.
But… weren’t there supposed to be three women and one man?
Wait a minute—
Did one of them… have a hidden surprise?!
