Zhu Shiyao’s words nearly scared Lin Zijian out of his pants.

Compared to the geniuses from several noble families, he was merely at the sixth grade of pill formation. How could this woman be interested in a person like him? He truly couldn’t understand. Neither could the others. Lin Zijian’s cultivation and talent weren’t particularly outstanding. Why would Zhu Shiyao approach him? She even took the initiative to greet him?

“Daoist Zhu Che.”

Seeing Zhu Shiyao slowly approaching him, Lin Zijian’s speech began to falter. His legs started trembling. He had suffered at Zhu Shiyao’s hands before. He still vividly remembered the first time—it left him unable to get up. Back then, after dealing with him, Zhu Shiyao had merely patted his shoulder lightly and left him with a single remark: “You can’t even get up from this?” “There’s nothing more to say, I’m leaving.” Yet the reason he couldn’t get up was simple—his legs had been broken. Even his fingers and toes hadn’t been spared. “How was I supposed to get up?”

That had been the only time she had attacked him. Perhaps because he was too weak, Zhu Shiyao had never troubled the Lin family again. But that didn’t make it any less of a blow to him. Not provoking the Lin family meant she didn’t find them worthy. If she had continued to trouble them, it would mean she was still paying attention. He feared his legs would be broken again. Now, after so many years, the moment he saw Zhu Shiyao, the deep-seated trauma in his heart resurfaced. The mere thought that she might want to spar with him again sent a chill down his spine.

But he was overthinking it. Zhu Shiyao brushed past him without even sparing him a glance. Instead, she turned toward Lin Mo. This outcome caught everyone by surprise.

“Daoist Lin, it’s been a while. I see you’ve already formed your core!” Zhu Shiyao, now in the Core Formation stage, greeted Lin Mo with a bright smile.

“It has been quite a while.” Lin Mo smiled faintly. Times had changed. With his current strength, if they were to fight, he wouldn’t necessarily be at a disadvantage.

“Hurry, hurry! Give Little Li back to Master Shiyao!”
“Wuu wuu wuu, Master Shiyao, Little Li missed you so much!”
“Please, if you return Little Li, she’ll be eternally grateful to you!”

The Liuli Sword was visibly excited. Even Lin Mo could feel it. The sword hanging at his waist trembled like a little motor. Noticing the new sword hanging at Zhu Shiyao’s waist, Lin Mo realized it was of extraordinary quality. With a thought, he handed the Liuli Sword back to her.

“Miss Shiyao, the Liuli Sword has been missing you. Why don’t you take it back?”

He had said that on purpose. He was sure that Zhu Shiyao wouldn’t accept the Liuli Sword. But upon hearing his words, the sword itself trembled with emotion.

“You… You’re such a good person!”
“In the past, it was my mistake to leave you!”
“If there’s a next life, I would willingly…”

Facing the Liuli Sword being handed back to her, Zhu Shiyao’s eyes were filled with warmth and affection. She merely ran her hand gently over the sword’s blade, her voice soft as she said, “Little Li, be good. Young Master Lin is an exceptional person. If you follow him, you will surely become renowned across the world.”

“Wuu wuu wuu, Master Shiyao… Are you abandoning me?”

The Liuli Sword trembled at her words, letting out a sorrowful cry.

“No,” Zhu Shiyao reassured, “It’s just that Young Master Lin is a better match for you.”

After saying this, she steeled her resolve and stopped communicating with the sword, though she still felt a trace of reluctance. Lin Mo winning the Liuli Sword from her was no coincidence. After all, who could have predicted that the person she had randomly challenged back then would not only match her sword intent but also wager the Liuli Sword in their duel?

When she picked up the sword afterward, she had felt utterly dejected. She had even informed her master, expecting to be reprimanded. However, after hearing the explanation, her master wasn’t angry. Instead, he simply told her:

“Everything happens for a reason. You were once the strongest among your peers, undefeated in your realm. Yet, by chance, you encountered a young cultivator who bested you in your own area of expertise. This means the Liuli Sword is more fated to him than to you. There is no such thing as coincidence—only inevitability.”

Zhu Shiyao pondered those words for a long time. Though she hadn’t fully grasped their meaning, she had come to accept that she was not meant to wield the Liuli Sword. It should rightfully belong to Lin Mo.

She spoke slowly, “Daoist Lin, since I lost the duel back then, the Liuli Sword is naturally yours. There’s no need to return it to me.”

Her words stunned everyone present. At first, no one had imagined that Zhu Shiyao would have lost to Lin Mo. But now, hearing this fearsome woman—this legendary figure—admit defeat to an obscure cultivator like Lin Mo, how could they not be shocked?

Especially the young prodigies gathered there. They had long been accustomed to being crushed under Zhu Shiyao’s merciless blade. To them, she was a terrifying demon. How could they not know of her strength?

But the most shocked of all was Jiang Yanran. She could hardly believe that Lin Mo had ever crossed paths with Zhu Shiyao—let alone defeated her in a duel. To her, Lin Mo had always been nothing more than a dual-spirit root cultivator who practiced a healing technique. And Zhu Shiyao was an elite prodigy of a great sect, someone who specialized in swordsmanship. Even if Lin Mo had trained for fifty years, he shouldn’t have been able to win against her!

At that moment, Nangong Xu chuckled and said, “Perhaps the duel wasn’t about combat but something else?” He had seen Lin Mo’s talent at Jiang Yue Tower. Compared to the idea that Lin Mo had won through sheer strength, he found it far more believable that he had bested Zhu Shiyao in a contest of intellect or wit.

His words eased the tension among the onlookers. Indeed, Zhu Shiyao had only said she lost a duel, but she hadn’t specified what kind of duel. That explanation was far more palatable.

Among the crowd, however, one person remained skeptical—Gu Qianxue. She had a feeling that the so-called duel was actually a test of swordsmanship. The younger cultivators present might not have noticed the faint traces of sword intent lingering in Lin Mo’s presence, but she did.

To be honest, she had once envied how the powerful master of the Xuan Sect had taken Zhu Shiyao as a disciple. But now, she was even more curious about Lin Mo’s secrets. His sudden rise, his unparalleled display at the Lin family gathering, and now Zhu Shiyao openly acknowledging her defeat…

Could he have received the inheritance of some ancient sword immortal? Or perhaps the Lin family had been deliberately hiding his talent all this time?

Between the two possibilities, she was more inclined to believe the first. There was no reason for the Lin family to suppress his abilities. In this world, the more talent one displayed, the easier it was to gain entry into a prestigious sect and acquire better resources. Hiding one’s strength was completely unnecessary.

But if Lin Mo had truly inherited the legacy of a sword immortal, then… His future would be limitless.

“Daoist Lin, I never expected you to be from the Lin family. Why is it that when I visited before, I never saw you?” Zhu Shiyao asked in confusion.

Years ago, she had often sought out strong opponents among her peers to spar with. She had visited the Lin family several times but had never once seen Lin Mo, nor had she even heard of his name.

“I joined Qingling Sect when I was twelve.” Lin Mo replied casually while storing the Liuli Sword back into his spatial ring.

Ever since Zhu Shiyao handed it over to him, the sword had been softly weeping. It was getting rather irritating. He knew Zhu Shiyao’s actions had deeply affected the sword spirit, but if he tried to console it now, it would likely have the opposite effect. The best approach was to let the Liuli Sword process it on its own and calm down over time.

“So that’s how it is?” Zhu Shiyao nodded, though she still didn’t understand why someone with such sword talent hadn’t chosen Lingjian Sect instead. But that was his personal matter, and she had no reason to pry further.

What she truly wanted right now—was to have a proper battle with him. A real duel between swordmasters.

Lin Mo noticed the excitement in Zhu Shiyao’s eyes and immediately understood her thoughts. With a sigh, he said, “Let’s put that off until after the secret realm is over.”

If he really had to fight this girl, especially in swordsmanship, it wouldn’t be an easy victory. She was relentless in battle, and such a duel would drain a significant amount of his energy.

Zhu Shiyao understood his meaning and smiled. “Perhaps we’ll find an opportunity inside the secret realm?”

Lin Mo thought for a moment and admitted she had a point. After all, they were entering a dangerous secret realm. Beyond the fortuitous encounters awaiting them, there would be no shortage of wealth and resources scattered within. And in this world, wealth belonged to the strongest. If someone coveted another’s treasure, they would fight for it. That was simply the law of survival.

If Zhu Shiyao wanted something he obtained, or vice versa, they would naturally have to settle it in combat. However, Lin Mo was a bit wary of Zhu Shiyao’s enthusiasm for battle. She was a true battle maniac. The possibility that she might challenge him for fun—even when there was no treasure at stake—was not small at all. This girl was, without a doubt, a combat addict.

With that thought, Lin Mo resolved to keep his distance from her inside the secret realm.

Just then, as noon arrived—the secret realm opened. A brilliant light flashed across the sky. Five entrances to the secret realm slowly emerged in the distance, glowing under the midday sun.

The crowd erupted into excitement. Every major family’s team leader wasted no time rushing toward the entrances. Before stepping inside, Nangong Xu cast another deep glance at Lin Mo. Lin Mo met his gaze coldly. He knew exactly what Nangong Xu was thinking.

In this secret realm, strength determined everything. If someone was beaten half to death inside, they had only themselves to blame for being weak. And if one intended to eliminate a rival, it had to be done thoroughly—without leaving a trace. This way, it wouldn’t escalate into a war between noble families.

After reminding his Lin family companions to retrieve Qu Ruyan safely, Lin Mo followed his team into the secret realm. As soon as he stepped inside, a small, furry figure darted in just before the entrance sealed shut.

“Huh? Where did that girl go?”

Someone from the Lin family turned around, only to realize Qu Ruyan was nowhere to be seen. They quickly scanned the surroundings—only to spot a piece of her clothing fluttering near the entrance of the secret realm.

“Wait… isn’t that her robe?”

Only her clothes remained—her figure was nowhere to be seen. This left the Lin family members completely dumbfounded.