Lin Tian thought to himself: Uncle Mo’s wife — why does she always look different every time she comes?
Last time she’d shown up as a gentle, well-behaved neighbor girl; this time, she’d appeared as a cold, aloof beauty. Uncle Mo’s life really is full of variety, he mused with a grin.

But once everyone clearly heard Lin Tian’s words, their expressions changed to alarm.
After all, even facing a single member of the Lin family was already more than they could handle — and now there was an added wife whose cultivation was unfathomably deep.

Especially Lin Hao. He felt that going out today, he either hadn’t checked an auspicious date or he’d come to discipline a few collateral juniors, only to end up being thoroughly humiliated again and again. His face was about to be lost entirely.

Lin Mo, expression calm, looked at Gu Qingxue and said simply, “Long time no see.”

He was a little surprised himself — even now, having reached the Divine Transformation stage, he still couldn’t see through Gu Qingxue’s strength.

When she first appeared, she had introduced herself as Jiang Shuran’s senior sister, a disciple of Ice Palace. But could someone so powerful truly be just a disciple?
If someone said Gu Qingxue was actually the Palace Master of Ice Palace, Lin Mo would have believed it.

“Mm. It has been a long time,” Gu Qingxue replied softly.

Nearly two years had passed, and the memories left behind by that external incarnation had long become a knot in her heart.
She had tried to forget Lin Mo — but no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t.
Even when meditating, his figure would always surface in her mind.

In secret, she had searched for Lin Mo for a long time.

The truth was, the Lin family’s current predicament had started because, for the past two years, rumors had spread that Lin Mo had fallen into demonic cultivation. Worried for the Lin clan’s safety, Gu Qingxue had long ago marked them with her spiritual-sense seal — a safeguard that would alert her if they were ever in danger.

She hadn’t expected Lin Mo to appear at the Lin residence today of all days. Upon sensing the disturbance, she rushed over from Ice Palace, never once stopping to consider how awkward the meeting might be.

“I think whatever needs to be said can wait until we’re back,” Lin Mo said, gesturing toward the onlookers nearby.

“Right now,” Gu Qingxue replied coolly, her gaze sweeping over the crowd, “I still need to deal with this group first.”
Her eyes flicked toward two cultivators within the assembly — both at the Divine Transformation stage.

Just as Gu Qingxue was about to strike, she suddenly realized that Lin Mo’s cultivation had already reached the Divine Transformation realm.
The discovery left her utterly astonished.
Two years — in only two short years he had advanced from Golden Core all the way to Divine Transformation?
How could that even be possible?
What in the world had Lin Mo gone through during that time?

Seeing Gu Qingxue step aside, Lin Mo’s gaze returned to Lin Hao.
“I’ll give you two choices,” he said coldly.
“First — be beaten to death by me, your very soul annihilated.”
“Second — take your granddaughter, go to the Upper Realm, and tell the main household and those old men everything that happened here.”

Lin Mo was determined to cut all ties with the Lin family of the Upper Realm.
After seeing their hypocritical faces, he felt nothing but disgust.

But thinking it over, Lin Hao realized that pushing things further would only harm the Upper Realm Lin family. There was no need to make the relationship completely hostile—for now.
He glanced at Lin Mo, then at the white-robed girl beside him whose power seemed unfathomable.

Lin Mo was so young, yet already at the Divine Transformation realm—surely the main household would summon him back.
Having lived for centuries, Lin Hao understood that continuing to make a scene here would only bring ruin.
It would be wiser to find a way to mend ties with Lin Mo instead.

He took the initiative to bow slightly and said, “What happened today was my own foolishness…”
Lin Mo wasn’t surprised by his change in tone. He waved a hand dismissively. “Get lost.”

Even being scolded, Lin Hao didn’t dare show anger.
With his granddaughter Lin Yue’er, her face swollen and miserable like a pig’s head, he slunk away in humiliation.

---

Seeing that, Nangong Bisheng, who had been planning to keep watching the spectacle, coughed awkwardly and swallowed hard.
He wanted to leave too, but his legs trembled so badly they refused to obey.

Just then, several figures flew in from the distance.
Someone in the crowd recognized them and exclaimed,
“Isn’t that Master Feng Qing of the Qingling Sect?”

“No way—could Master Feng Qing of the Qingling Sect also be here to make trouble for the Lin family?”
“What’s going on today? Everyone seems to be rushing to the Lin residence—there’s so much happening at once!”

“Still, even if all ten Peak Masters of the Qingling Sect showed up together, they wouldn’t be Lin Mo’s match now!”

But before anyone could finish speaking, something happened that left the entire crowd dumbfounded.

Just then, Master Feng Qing of the Qingling Sect stepped forward.
The first thing he did was bow deeply toward Lin Mo.
“Lin… Senior.”

To tell the truth, it was a little awkward for him to say it.
Lin Mo was no longer a disciple of the Qingling Sect, yet his cultivation now far surpassed Feng Qing’s own.
In the cultivation world, strength alone commands respect—so before someone who stood beyond his reach, Feng Qing had no choice but to address Lin Mo as “senior.”

The bystanders were stunned.
“Am I seeing things? Weren’t the Qingling Sect and Lin Mo mortal enemies? Why is Master Feng being so respectful?”
“Did we miss some huge piece of gossip?”

Equally puzzled, Nangong Bisheng couldn’t help blurting out,
“Fellow Daoist Feng Qing, what’s the meaning of this?”