A cold chuckle escaped from Li Yuemei's lips.
Soon after, the group descended swiftly to the foot of the mountain.
At this moment, Li Wuya stood with his arms folded across his chest, awaiting the return of Li Yuemei and Ligu.
The head of the Li family was seated calmly at the foremost position.
"Present your results," he said unhurriedly.
Ligu stepped forward first. "I captured two Nightmare-level spirits," he announced, his face brimming with pride, as though seizing two Nightmare-level ghosts were a feat rarely achieved.
Given how elusive such spirits were, especially within a mere three hours, his pride was not entirely unwarranted.
The family head nodded with satisfaction. "Mm, not bad."
"And you, Eldest?" he asked, turning to Li Wuya. "How many did you capture?"
"I fared slightly better than Second Brother—I captured three Nightmare-level spirits."
Hearing this, Ligu's fists clenched involuntarily, and he let out a cold snort. Though unwilling to accept it, he had no choice but to concede.
Ligu then turned to Li Yuemei, his voice dripping with mockery. "Third Sister, you must have captured the fewest. One Nightmare-level ghost, or perhaps none at all?"
He wasn't disheartened in the slightest—at least he wouldn't be the one with the worst results.
Before Li Yuemei could respond, Mo Lin spoke up first. "We captured five Nightmare-level spirits," he said in a calm but steady voice, loud enough for all to hear.
The expression on Ligu's face instantly twisted into something feral.
The shred of superiority he had clung to crumbled.
"Impossible! How could a mere Fifth-level Spirit Master capture five Nightmare-level ghosts? What nonsense!" Ligu could hardly believe his ears.
He himself, assisted by a Sixth-level Spirit Master, had only managed to catch two. How could Mo Lin, so much weaker in theory, capture five?
Disbelief flooded Ligu's mind.
Even Li Wuya cast Mo Lin a glance full of doubt. Five Nightmare-level ghosts by a Fifth-level Spirit Master? It defied reason.
Seeing Ligu's frantic reaction, Mo Lin remained composed, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips.
"He's lying! Absolutely lying!" Ligu snapped, gritting his teeth. "If you really caught five Nightmare-level ghosts, bring them out for us to see!"
He was utterly unwilling to accept it, convinced Mo Lin was fabricating the story.
Without a word, Mo Lin reached into his robe and pulled out five black orbs, which he casually tossed to the ground.
With a flicker of dark energy, five Nightmare-level spirits materialized.
"Do you believe me now? How short-sighted," Mo Lin taunted, his voice lazy yet sharp.
"No! This is impossible!" Ligu shouted, desperate to refute him. "These must be ghosts you captured before—not during this mission!"
Ligu always found a reason to disparage Mo Lin, no matter the situation.
How could he accept such humiliation? A mere Fifth-level Spirit Master surpassing him?
"Enough," the family head said, his voice slicing through the rising clamor like a blade.
Ligu opened his mouth to protest but, hearing the stern command, could only fall silent.
"The five spirits Mo Lin captured were indeed taken from the mountain today. They are not ones he caught previously," the family head declared, leaving no room for doubt.
He recognized the spirits—after all, he had placed them there himself.
Ligu's face went pale, as though struck by lightning. His gaze became blank and unfocused.
The very person he had looked down upon had now utterly humiliated him.
Gritting his teeth in fury, he glared at Mo Lin with eyes so venomous they seemed as though they could kill him a dozen times over.
Li Wuya, too, was visibly shaken.
In identical circumstances, Mo Lin had managed to double their harvest.
"Infuriated? I caught more ghosts than you did," Mo Lin said, wearing a mocking smile.
Ligu, already seething, nearly exploded at those words.
"The winner of this trial is Li Yuemei," the family head announced without haste.
Although Ligu and Li Wuya were unwilling, they had no choice but to accept the result.
"Father, about the reward you promised?" Li Yuemei asked respectfully.
"I always keep my word. Come, I shall take you to see the Netherworld Ghostfire."
Mo Lin and Li Yuemei followed the family head back to the Li estate.
The Li family estate was located in the western suburbs of Beihai, sprawling over more than two thousand square meters.
Behind the estate loomed a private mountain.
The family head led Mo Lin and Li Yuemei into a cavern in the mountainside.
A bone-chilling cold engulfed them the deeper they ventured.
Finally, at the end of the cave, they saw it—the Netherworld Ghostfire.
Pitch-black flames burned at the center of a natural pit, exuding an eerie, captivating glow.
Mo Lin couldn't help but swallow hard. Compared to this Ghostfire, even his treasured Thunder Talismans seemed insignificant.
The family head approached, scooped a small amount of the fire into a vial, and handed it to Li Yuemei.
"This is your reward," he said.
Li Yuemei received the vial respectfully. "Thank you, Father."
Mo Lin stared at the Ghostfire, utterly spellbound.
Seeing it with his own eyes only strengthened his conviction: he had to obtain it.
"Stop staring," Li Yuemei said, snapping him back to reality.
"If I become the heir to the family, I'll give this Ghostfire to you—on one condition: you must help me ascend to the position of family head."
Li Yuemei was fully aware that becoming the heir would not be easy. Today's test was merely the beginning; greater challenges lay ahead—chief among them her two troublesome elder brothers.
"Don't worry. I swear I'll help you become the heir of the Li family," Mo Lin declared, thumping his chest with confidence.
After leaving the mountain, Li Yuemei handed the vial containing the Ghostfire to Mo Lin.
"For me?" Mo Lin asked, surprised.
"There are plenty of people who want you dead. Keep it—you might find it useful," she said nonchalantly.
"Thank you," Mo Lin said, accepting the gift without fuss.
Not lingering at the Li estate, he bade farewell to Li Yuemei and departed.
Even on his way back to the hotel, Mo Lin wasted no time.
He retrieved the five Nightmare-level ghosts he had captured and sealed them all into the Ghost Suppression Tome.
"Name: Zi YinghaoRank: NightmareSkill: NoneNether Currency Yield: 800 per day"
"Name: MiRank: NightmareSkill: NoneNether Currency Yield: 800 per day"
Having successfully subdued five more Nightmare-level spirits, Mo Lin's daily income in Nether Currency had doubled.
He now commanded fourteen Nightmare-level ghosts.
His daily revenue surpassed ten thousand Nether Coins.
An astronomical figure.
Ordinary factions would be fortunate to amass such wealth over an entire year—yet Mo Lin now earned it in a single day.
The mere thought was enough to send shivers down the spine.