Chen Sheng stared at the demon-detection stone in his hand in disbelief. How is this possible… why is this happening? He had never practiced demonic cultivation—so why was the stone reacting? Under everyone’s watchful gaze, his expression grew more and more uneasy.

Panicking, he shouted toward Nangong Bisheng, “Master Nangong, I really haven’t practiced demonic cultivation, I swear!”
But Nangong Bisheng only frowned, stepping back a few paces as he glared at Chen Sheng. “Stay away from me. Don’t come any closer.”
“My Chen family has practiced righteous cultivation for generations—there has never been any demonic cultivation!” Chen Sheng grew increasingly desperate. In a last attempt, he turned to the law-enforcing elder of Xuanming Hall. “Elder Li Xiu, could there be some problem with the demon-detection stone you brought?”
Li Xiu’s eyes held nothing but hostility. “You—what are you talking about?”

“I didn’t—I really haven’t practiced demonic cultivation!” Chen Sheng insisted, his voice cracking.

Seeing the scene stir up, Lin Tian darted forward and crouched behind Lin Zijian in a flash. “Chen Sheng, you demonic cultivator—daring to come to our Lin family and cry ‘catch the thief’? Truly shameless! People like you ought to be treated like thieves. Come on, everyone, Raise your weapons — but leave the demon head to me.” Then, with practiced ease, Lin Tian slipped back into the crowd.

“Brother Zijian, your righteous speech has deeply moved us. We’re proud to have you as our cousin!” someone cheered.

Lin Zijian froze, his face twitching. For the first time, he couldn’t help cursing, “To hell with you, Lin Tian!”
But Lin Tian raised his voice, feigning admiration: “Ah, Cousin Zijian, you’re still going to personally kill this demon? Matters like this don’t need to be asked—I will certainly support you!”

Those outside the Lin manor were taken aback. So the Lin family’s young prodigy carried such a fearless, righteous heart? Truly admirable.

Already on the brink, Chen Sheng’s eyes filled with killing intent. “You beast! Today I’ll personally kill you!” His face twisted with rage as he lunged.

He knew no explanation would work now; the demon-detection stone was ironclad evidence. The people who framed him were likely from the Lin family—and though he could never defeat Lin Mo, surely he could kill this Golden Core-stage brat.

“Do you think I’m stupid?” he roared. “Even if I’m framed and sentenced to death today, I’ll drag you down with me! Golden Core against Nascent Soul—do you take me for nothing? Little brat, taste the Chen family’s signature technique!”

Chen Sheng gathered spirit qi in his hand and spun it at high speed. To everyone’s surprise, it slowly took the form of a spiraling sphere that rolled toward Lin Zijian.

Lin Mo only laughed. “Trying to make a spiraling orb?”

Lin Zijian, of course, couldn’t block such a move. The Lin family elders made to intervene, but they were immediately checked by members of the Chen family.

“I told you before — you never listen.”

Lin Mo flicked his finger, and dozens of sword qi shot out at once, piercing every Chen clansman who had stepped forward. Chen Sheng’s spiraling orb shattered, and in the same instant his right hand was severed.

Clutching his bleeding stump, Chen Sheng glared at Lin Mo with venom. “I’ll remember this grudge!” Then, in desperation, he chose to self-detonate.

But as long as a Nascent Soul-stage cultivator’s Nascent Soul survived, rebirth was possible. Lin Mo clearly saw Chen Sheng’s intention. When Chen Sheng’s Nascent Soul darted into the distance, Lin Mo only shook his head with a smile. “You really think throwing threats will let you escape?”

The Meiyan clan’s secret treasure suddenly activated. Lin Mo vanished from where he stood and appeared directly in front of the fleeing Nascent Soul. Gu Ning’s eyes widened in shock. “That’s the Meiyan clan’s treasure! How could my Mo’er possibly have such a relic?”

Chen Sheng froze in horror. “How is this possible…”

“Exactly — how could you possibly escape?” Lin Mo’s lips curved into a smile as he reached out and pinched Chen Sheng’s Nascent Soul in one hand.

“Senior Lin, spare me!” Chen Sheng cried, terror overwhelming him. “Please, spare me! If my Nascent Soul is destroyed, then the hundreds of years of my bitter cultivation will be gone forever.”

“Last time I let you go, I already gave you a chance to live. Now it’s too late for regrets.”

Before crushing him, Lin Mo even explained why the demon-detection stone had reacted. Only then did Chen Sheng understand: from the very moment he chose to oppose Lin Mo, he had already sealed his fate.

The system chimed in Lin Mo’s mind, registering wave after wave of regret points. The wandering cultivators who had sided with Nangong and the Chen family were all struck with remorse. By following along this far, they had only succeeded in making enemies of the Lin clan.

And now, with a cultivator so young already at the Divine Transformation stage, the Lin family’s position as number one in the Middle Realm was beyond doubt.

Returning to the crowd, Lin Mo swept his gaze over the onlookers and smiled lightly. “I’ve cleansed far too many demonic-path scum today — any objections?”

There was only silence. Even if Chen Sheng had not truly been a demonic cultivator, no one dared voice a word of protest.

Lin Mo’s eyes finally came to rest on Nangong Bisheng. The man stood stiffly, only regaining his senses after a long, painful pause, stammering as he tried to speak.

Li Xiu, the law-enforcing elder of Xuanming Hall, spoke up from the side. “Master Nangong, you’d better watch your tone — I don’t think I can beat that kid.”

When Lin Mo had unleashed the Three-Thousand Sword Technique, Li Xiu had already weighed their strengths. Though he loathed to admit it, if it really came to a clash, he would be no match for Lin Mo.

Nangong Bisheng froze. Someone whispered, “But Elder Li Xiu, aren’t you also at the Divine Transformation stage?”

Li Xiu sighed. “My specialty lies in talismans and incantations. That boy is a genuine sword cultivator. Even if an elder of the Divine Transformation stage from the Ling Sword Sect came, they might not necessarily defeat him.”

Nangong Bisheng hadn’t expected Lin Mo to be this formidable. Receiving such praise from Li Xiu left him shaken to the core.

At last he could only swallow his pride. “I admit I was arrogant just now. As for what happened earlier, my actions together with the Chen family were wrong, and I apologize. Since the matter has been resolved, our Nangong clan will not trouble you further. Farewell!”

“You’re lucky.” Lin Mo shrugged. He had no reason to keep the Nangong clan around any longer. If there had been more than one demon pearl, perhaps they would have used the excuse of purging demons and defending the Dao to justify killing Nangong Bisheng.

Just as the Nangong party began to withdraw, two figures suddenly descended from the sky.

“I didn’t expect our Lin family’s collateral branch to be so lively today.”

Lin Nantian stared in disbelief at the middle-aged man who had spoken. “Lin Hao….”

Even Elder Li Xiu was stunned. “I thought all the members of the Upper-Realm Lin family had already arrived.”

“Could these Upper-Realm Lin clansmen have come to support Lin Nantian and his group?” Nangong Bisheng muttered nervously. His calves trembled uncontrollably. If it was true, then the Nangong clan was in grave danger.

Lin Hao glanced at Lin Nantian and chuckled. “So this is Lin Nantian? Has he gotten that old already? You were only eighty when you formed your Core, and three hundred years have passed since then. Of course you’d look this worn.”

Lin Mo narrowed his eyes. Is this really the bearing of the Upper-Realm Lin family? He raised an eyebrow at the middle-aged man.

The newcomer carried himself with a lofty air, as though everyone present were beneath him. The display left Lin Mo in a foul mood.

Lin Nantian’s expression darkened. “What do you mean by ‘I’m so old’? It’s none of your business. Lin Hao, if you’re not staying properly in the main household, what business do you have coming to our branch?”

Lin Hao sneered coldly. “So you’ve broken into the Soul Splitting stage? No wonder your tone has grown so bold. But don’t think that just because you’re head of a branch household you’re anything special. Branches are nothing but the trash our main family filtered out. At the end of the day, you’re just a trash family head.”

Lin Nantian’s face flushed, but he forced his anger down. “So you came here just to deliberately mock me?”