V2c16: Lin Tian, you truly deserve to die.
“How is this possible? Why is it reacting?” Chen Sheng stared at the Demon-Detecting Stone in his hand. He had clearly never cultivated demonic arts, so why was the stone reacting?
He saw the crowd’s gaze turn increasingly suspicious.
Chen Sheng frantically shouted toward Nangong Bisheng: “Patriarch Nangong, I haven’t cultivated demonic arts, I really haven’t!”
Nangong Bisheng frowned, taking a few steps back, and glared viciously at Chen Sheng: “Stay away from me! Don’t come any closer!”
“My Chen family has cultivated only righteous techniques for generations; we absolutely do not practice demonic arts.” Chen Sheng was genuinely panicking, his mind racing, utterly bewildered: “Elder Li Xiu, could there be a problem with this Demon-Detecting Stone you brought?”
Li Xiu, the Enforcement Elder of the Xuanming Hall,’s eyes were filled with hostility: “Are you questioning the integrity of my Xuanming Hall’s artifact, or are you questioning me?”
Chen Sheng looked distressed, urgently pleading: “I’m not, I truly haven’t cultivated demonic arts.”
Seeing another opportunity to stir up trouble, Lin Tian darted over and crouched beside Lin Zijian.
“Truly shameless! Still trying to argue when the Demon-Detecting Stone has reacted! If there was a problem, why hasn’t it reacted to anyone else?”
“Chen Sheng, you demonic cultivator! How dare you come to our Lin family to cry ‘thief’ while being the thief! You are utterly shameless!”
“A person like you should be executed by all of us!”
“Come on! Let’s all take up our weapons and eliminate this demon!”
As Lin Zijian was reacting, Lin Tian had already returned to the crowd with great familiarity.
“Cousin Zijian, your passionate and righteous speech profoundly moved us. We are so proud to have a cousin like you!”
For the first time, Lin Zijian couldn’t help but curse: “I’ll fcking kill you, Lin Tian!”
Lin Tian shouted in a dramatically loud, surprised voice: “What? Cousin Zijian, you’re going to kill this demon with your own hands?”
“You don’t need to ask me about such a thing; I will absolutely support you, Cousin Zijian!”
Lin Tian’s words misled many people from outside the Lin Manor.
“I never expected it! Lin Zijian, the young prodigy of the Lin family, has such a fearless and righteous heart!”
“He’s truly a prodigy! What a fine young man!”
Chen Sheng was already anxious enough, and hearing these words, his eyes turned bloodshot as he glared at Lin Zijian, filled with rage: “You are determined to kill me today!”
Caught in an impossible situation, Lin Zijian’s face turned a terrible shade of green: “It wasn’t me who said it!”
Chen Sheng’s emotions were at the breaking point, and his face was severely contorted: “Do you take me for an idiot? Even if I’m framed and die today, I will drag you down with me!”
He understood that any explanation was useless now. The Demon-Detecting Stone was the ultimate proof.
Furthermore, the person who framed him was likely from the Lin family. He knew he couldn’t defeat Lin Mo, but couldn’t he still kill this little Core Formation stage brat?
Seeing Chen Sheng charge at him in a frenzy, and with Lin Tian still cheering him on from the side, urging him to eliminate the demon, Lin Zijian was left speechless with fury. He could only brace himself and go forward to meet the challenge.
“A Core Formation stage cultivator fighting a Nascent Soul stage one? Does he think he’s Lin Mo?”
“Brat, taste my Chen family’s ultimate technique!”
Chen Sheng gathered spiritual energy in his hand, spinning it rapidly until it gradually formed a spherical shape, which he pushed toward Lin Zijian.
Lin Mo found it amusing: “Is he making a Rasengan?”
Lin Zijian naturally couldn’t handle it. However, when the other Lin family elders tried to intervene, they were blocked by the remaining Chen family members.
“Didn’t you listen to what I said earlier?”
Lin Mo gently flicked his finger. Dozens of streams of sword energy instantly pierced through everyone from the Chen family who had made a move.
Chen Sheng was also included. The ‘Rasengan’ was easily scattered by a stream of sword energy, which also cut off his right arm.
Chen Sheng held his bloody, severed right arm and glared viciously at Lin Mo: “I’ve made a note of this!”
With that, Chen Sheng chose to self-destruct.
Lin Mo clearly saw Chen Sheng’s intention. He watched as Chen Sheng’s Nascent Soul rapidly fled into the distance.
He smiled and shook his head.
Lin Mo vanished and reappeared in front of Chen Sheng’s Nascent Soul.
“You truly thought you could escape after spitting out that threat?”
“Is that the secret treasure of the Ci Yan Clan?”
“How does Lin Mo have the secret treasure of the Ci Yan Clan?”
“What in the world is going on?”
Chen Sheng looked at Lin Mo in horror: “How is this possible?”
“Yes, how could you have possibly escaped?”
Lin Mo’s lips curved into a smile as he pinched Chen Sheng’s Nascent Soul.
Chen Sheng finally became terrified and pleaded frantically: “Senior Lin, please spare me! Spare me!”
“If the Nascent Soul is destroyed, it means the centuries of hard work from his entire life are utterly wasted.”
“I gave you a chance to live when I let you go last time.”
“It’s too late for regret now.”
Before crushing Chen Sheng’s Nascent Soul, Lin Mo kindly informed him of the reason the Demon-Detecting Stone had reacted.
At that moment, Chen Sheng realized he had provoked someone he absolutely shouldn’t have. The instant he decided to oppose Lin Mo, he had sealed his own inevitable death.
Just then, the system sounded: Ding! Received a significant amount of regret value from the unaffiliated cultivators of the ‘Nangong Family’ and ‘Lin Family’.
Regardless of the outcome of this trip, they have now made an enemy of the Lin family.
Possessing such a young ‘Soul Transformation’ stage cultivator has already established the Lin family’s position in Realm No. 1.
Returning to the crowd, Lin Mo scanned everyone and smiled: “I’ve cleared out the demonic cultivator. I trust no one has any objections?”
Everyone nervously swallowed. Even if Chen Sheng hadn’t been a demonic cultivator, they wouldn’t dare object!
Lin Mo’s gaze fell on Nangong Bisheng: “Patriarch Nangong.”
Nangong Bisheng’s body trembled, but thinking of Li Xiu — who was also in the Soul Transformation stage — beside him, he steeled his tone. “The result of the Demon-Detecting Stone’s test was correct. But my being with Chen Sheng was merely a coincidence. Are you planning to attack me?”
Lin Mo smiled: “Patriarch Nangong, your spine seems quite stiff.”
“Ah!”
Nangong Bisheng retorted: “What the hell does that have to do with you?”
Li Xiu, the Xuanming Hall Enforcement Elder, quickly reminded him: “Patriarch Nangong, you should watch your tone—”
“—That kid… I don’t think I can beat him…”
Li Xiu had already made an estimate of Lin Mo’s strength when Lin Mo had executed the Three Thousand Sword Art.
Although he didn’t want to admit it, if a conflict truly broke out, he was absolutely no match for Lin Mo.
Nangong Bisheng was startled: “Elder Li Xiu, aren’t you also a Soul Transformation stage cultivator?”
Elder Li Xiu explained: “I specialize in talismans. That young man is a bona fide sword cultivator. I suspect that even a Soul Transformation elder from the Spirit Sword Sect might not be his match.”
Nangong Bisheng could tell Lin Mo was powerful, but he didn’t realize he was this powerful, earning such high praise from Li Xiu.
At this point, he had no choice but to swallow his pride and rephrase his words:
“I admit my tone was somewhat arrogant just now. My Nangong family was indeed in the wrong regarding today’s matter. I apologize.”
“Since the issue is resolved, we from the Nangong family will not bother you any longer. Farewell!”
“Consider yourself lucky.” Lin Mo secretly felt it was a pity. He had no reason to keep the Nangong family around. If only he could have given Nangong Bisheng a demonic bead too, he could have rightfully killed him under the pretense of eliminating demons.
Just as the Nangong family was retreating, two figures descended from the sky.
“I never expected it to be so lively here today at my Lin family’s side branch.”
Lin Nantian looked at the speaking middle-aged man with shock: “Lin Hao…”
The Xuanming Hall Enforcement Elder Li Xiu was also surprised: “I didn’t expect people from the Upper Realm Lin Family to come.”
“People from the Upper Realm Lin Family? Are they here to help Lin Nantian and his group?”
Nangong Bisheng was extremely nervous, his legs unconsciously starting to tremble. If his prediction was correct, his Nangong family was likely in for misfortune.
Lin Hao looked at Lin Nantian:
“Lin Nantian, you don’t think you’re something special just because you’re the head of a branch family now.” Lin Hao’s tone was filled with sarcasm and contempt. “Branch families are just scrap left over by our main Lin family. Ultimately, you are just a trash family head.”
Lin Nantian suppressed his anger: “So, you specifically came here just to mock me?”
Lin Hao sneered: “I don’t have that much free time. It’s just that the Patriarch heard a degenerate from the demonic path appeared in your branch family, and he sent me to clean it up.” Saying this, he scanned everyone below, “Is this degenerate Lin Mo here or not?”
None of the Lin family members spoke. They also felt very unfavorably toward this person from the main family.
Lin Nantian explained: “Lin Hao, don’t go too far. The matter of my grandson cultivating demonic arts has been investigated and proven false by the Demon-Detecting Stone, as confirmed by the Xuanming Hall Enforcement Elder, Li Xiu.”
Lin Hao’s eyes fell on Li Xiu, his attitude noticeably more polite than when speaking to the Lin family: “I see Fellow Daoist Li is here. My apologies for the oversight.”
“I have seen Fellow Daoist Lin Hao!” Li Xiu scratched his head. He disliked Lin Mo, but still spoke the truth: “The Demon-Detecting Stone showed no reaction when Lin Mo channeled spiritual energy into it.”
Lin Hao said: “No reaction means no problem? Where there’s smoke, there’s fire. The matter with the Azure Spirit Sect has been widely publicized, and it’s already tarnished our main family’s reputation.”
“Even if this ‘Lin Mo’ really hasn’t cultivated demonic arts, should such a degenerate be allowed to exist in the Lin family?”
“So, is this ‘Lin Mo’ here or not?”
Nangong Bisheng’s heart blossomed with joy. He stepped forward and pointed at Lin Mo: “Senior, that young man is Lin Mo!”
Lin Hao looked in the direction Nangong Bisheng was pointing, his gaze landing on Lin Mo: “You are the degenerate who is tarnishing the Lin family’s reputation?”
“What’s wrong? Why have you been hiding and not daring to come out? Are all the branch family disciples this spineless?”
These words insulted every single person in the Lin family.
Lin Tian also looked very displeased with Lin Hao.
“Does he want to cause trouble by impersonating Lin Zijian again?”
“What are you trying to do now?”
Lin Zijian was cautious this time, moving sideways to deliberately stand side-by-side with Lin Tian, preventing him from causing him trouble again.
Lin Mo chuckled awkwardly: “I wasn’t trying to do anything. I just wanted a better look at the appearance of that woman from the Upper Realm Lin family.”
“Tsk, tsk, tsk. She really is quite pretty.”
The beautiful woman standing beside Lin Hao glared fiercely at Lin Tian: “What are you looking at? Look again, and I’ll gouge your eyes out.”
Lin Tian quietly moved behind Lin Mo and whispered: “Uncle Mo, don’t take that girl. Even though she looks decent, her mouth is too foul. She’s not as good as Miss Xia He from the Xia family.”
Lin Mo ignored Lin Tian and looked at Lin Hao: “I just wanted to see how ugly the faces of those from the Upper Realm Lin family truly are.”
From Lin Hao’s words, he understood. The people from the Upper Realm Lin family are hypocritical. When their own branch family is in trouble, they not only offer no help, but they also come to attack their own people for the sake of their reputation, as if they don’t consider them family at all.
Lin Hao’s face gradually showed a hint of anger when he heard this: “Just a piece of trash abandoned by our Lin family, daring to speak to me like that!”
“Lin Nantian, you’ve truly taught a good grandson! I’ll give you a chance now: you personally clean up this mess. Otherwise, none of you will ever be allowed to return to the main family for the rest of your lives!”
Lin Nantian roared: “Lin Hao, what right do you have to speak on behalf of the main family?”
“You old fool, you don’t know, do you?” Lin Hao sneered: “I am already a main family elder. I absolutely have the right to discuss with the main family about completely expelling you lot of trash from the Lin family.”
Lin Nantian sighed: “The fact that someone like you can become an elder of the Lin family shows that the main family is truly in decline!” He looked at the three elders next to him. The three elders nodded understandingly. “We won’t go back to the current main family anyway.”
The rest of the Lin family also voiced their support for Lin Nantian’s words. They hadn’t been born into the main family and hadn’t received its favor. For the rest of the Lin family, their current Lin family was their home.
Lin Hao saw this and coldly snorted: “Good! Good! A bunch of ungrateful trash! Once I’ve dealt with this degenerate Lin Mo, I’ll return to the main family and report your words to the Patriarch!”
The young woman beside Lin Hao spoke up: “Wait, Grandpa.” Having learned that Lin Mo was Lin Nantian’s grandson, the young woman said: “He looks about my age. Let me handle Lin Mo.”
The young woman’s name was Lin Yue. She was highly vain and had mainly followed her grandfather to the branch family just to show off her talent.
“Yue’er, leave that degenerate alive. We still need to bring him back to the main family to report,” Lin Hao didn’t believe his granddaughter would lose. In the Upper Realm Lin Family, his granddaughter was considered a pride of the younger generation. At only twenty-five, she was already at the early Nascent Soul stage of cultivation. Apart from Zhu Shiyao of the Spirit Sword Sect, very few young people could match his granddaughter. He had always been proud of her.
“Understood, Grandpa!” Lin Yue replied.
Lin Hao fixed his gaze on Lin Nantian, warning: “If any of you dare to step in and protect this degenerate, don’t blame me if my sword is merciless.”
Lin Nantian and the others looked at Lin Hao as if he were a clown. They had just witnessed Lin Mo’s strength. Lin Hao himself might not even be Lin Mo’s match.
“This is going to be a show.”
Lin Tian looked utterly impatient: “I really want to see the face of this Upper Realm Lin family member when Uncle Mo humiliates her! That will be truly spectacular!”
“The thought of it is so satisfying!”
At this moment, the other younger Lin family members also strongly agreed with Lin Tian’s words. They couldn’t stand Lin Hao’s arrogance either.
Meanwhile, the outsiders watching were still considering whether to warn Lin Hao.
They saw Nangong Bisheng step forward and say: “Senior, you shouldn’t let your granddaughter go up. Lin Mo’s strength…”
Before he could finish, Lin Hao slapped him, sending him flying far away: “Are you permitted to speak again?”
Nangong Bisheng covered his face and quickly got up: “No, Senior, Lin Mo is already in the Soul Trans—”
“Did you not hear me tell you to shut up?”
“How annoying!”
Lin Hao slightly raised his hand, and a burst of spiritual energy directly shattered Nangong Bisheng’s mouth.
Nangong Bisheng was furious, and for a moment, he had an impulse to let Lin Mo beat Lin Hao to death.
Seeing this scene, everyone gave up the idea of warning Lin Hao. Li Xiu also found Lin Hao to be too arrogant and wanted to see what he’d look like when he was humiliated.
With no further interference, Lin Yue looked at Lin Mo with contempt: “I’ve heard of you. Aren’t you that trash former fiancé of Jiang Yanran?”
Lin Tian said excitedly: “Seriously? She just had to bring up a sore point! This girl is amazing; she goes right for Uncle Mo’s weakness as soon as she starts!”
Lin Mo narrowed his eyes: “I’ve never heard of you. What are you, and why are you barking?”
“Rotten mouth. I’ll deal with you later!”
Humiliated in front of everyone, Lin Yue summoned her Natal Spirit Sword and thrust it toward Lin Mo.
For a Nascent Soul stage brat, Lin Mo couldn’t even be bothered to pull out the Lapis Lazuli Sword.
The instant Lin Yue’s Spirit Sword thrust toward him, he gently pinched the blade between two fingers.
“How is this possible?”
Lin Yue had a look on her face as if she’d seen a ghost. She refused to accept it and channeled all her spiritual power, pushing forward.
The sword in her hand did not move an inch.
“Is this all you’ve got, and you still dare to bark?”
Lin Mo slightly moved his fingers. Lin Yue felt a sharp pain in her wrist and was forced to let go of her Spirit Sword.
Before Lin Yue could make her next move, Lin Mo’s palm had already slapped her across the mouth.
“That’s for your foul mouth!”
Lin Hao finally sensed that something was wrong. Lin Mo’s cultivation must be above the Spirit Severing stage.
“You little beast! You’re courting death!”
Lin Hao urgently sent a palm strike toward Lin Mo. He himself was a Soul Transformation stage cultivator. Even if Lin Mo had the strength of the Spirit Severing stage, he should still be killed by this palm strike.
The facts proved he was overthinking.
His palm strike was easily blocked by the sword energy from Lin Mo’s Lapis Lazuli Sword. Instead, he himself was shaken and thrown backward.
Lin Mo seized the opportunity to repeatedly slap Lin Yue across the mouth dozens of times. Lin Yue’s face instantly swelled up like a pig’s head.
Lin Tian saw Lin Mo had struck Lin Yue near him. Thinking he had Lin Mo’s protection, he shamelessly rolled up his sleeves and gave Lin Yue several more slaps: “Satisfying!”
Lin Yue mumbled indistinctly: “Grandpa, help…”
Lin Hao, who had managed to stabilize himself, looked at Lin Mo with horror: “How can you possibly have a Soul Transformation stage cultivation?”
As Lin Hao was horrified, a figure with an extremely terrifying aura, dressed in brilliant white, descended from the sky and stopped in front of Lin Mo.
Seeing the person who had arrived, Lin Mo was also very surprised: “Gu Qingxue!”
