The cold, damp air of the ancient ruin froze the moment the two inner sect disciples locked their gazes on Lin Mo. Greed and cruelty burned in their eyes, as if they already saw him as a dead man walking. They were both at the 5th Level of Qi Refining, a full level higher than Lin Mo, and they had fought side by side for years. In their minds, defeating a newcomer who had just climbed up from the outer sect was as easy as crushing an ant.
"Kid, you really have some nerve, standing there like that," the taller disciple, Zhang Wei, sneered. He cracked his knuckles, and spiritual energy surged around his fists, forming a faint golden glow. "Hand over all the spirit beast crystals you collected, and tell us what treasure you found in this ruin. Maybe I'll leave you with a whole corpse."
His companion, a short, shifty-eyed man named Liu He, laughed harshly. "Don't waste time talking to him, Senior Brother Zhang. He's just a lucky dog who stumbled into a breakthrough. Let's beat him half to death first, then take everything. If he resists, we'll just throw his body to the Black Wind Wolves outside. No one will ever know."
Lin Mo stood silently in front of the broken stone tablet, his iron sword hanging loosely at his side. His expression was calm, without a trace of fear or panic. The system panel quietly appeared in his mind, displaying his current stats clearly.
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Host: Lin Mo
Cultivation Base: 4th Level of Qi Refining (720/1000)
Spiritual Root: Broken Pseudo-Spiritual Root
Steady Points: 800
Skills: Basic Body-Tempering Technique (Mastery), Advanced Body-Tempering Technique (48%), Steady Strike (Level 1), Cloud Step (20%)
System Store: Unlocked
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Eight hundred Steady Points. He was only two hundred points away from repairing his broken spiritual root. These two men were not just enemies—they were walking resources for his growth.
"You've talked too much," Lin Mo said softly. His voice was quiet, but it carried an invisible pressure that made the two disciples pause for a moment.
Zhang Wei's face twisted with rage. "Insolent fool! I'll tear your mouth off!"
He charged forward without hesitation, his golden-gloved fists slamming toward Lin Mo's chest. The speed of his attack was far faster than Han Feng's, and the spiritual energy contained in it was more violent. The wind from his fists howled, shaking the dust on the ground.
Liu He did not hold back either. He pulled out a short dagger from his waist, its blade glowing with a faint green poison, and circled to Lin Mo's side, ready to strike at any moment.
Lin Mo's eyes remained sharp. He did not move until Zhang Wei's fist was almost touching his robe.
"Cloud Step!"
In an instant, his body turned into a faint blur, dodging the fatal punch with an elegant, steady movement. Zhang Wei's fist crashed into the stone wall behind him, smashing a large hole in the rock. Before he could pull his hand back, Lin Mo was already behind him.
"Steady Strike!"
A steady, white light wrapped around Lin Mo's sword. The blade cut through the air with a heavy, unshakable momentum, slashing toward Zhang Wei's back. The power of this strike was far stronger than the one he had used against Han Feng, tempered by his recent battles and cultivation.
Zhang Wei screamed in terror. He tried to twist his body to dodge, but it was too late. The sword sliced through his spiritual armor effortlessly, leaving a deep, bleeding wound on his back. He stumbled forward, blood spurting onto the ground.
Liu He's eyes widened in shock. He had never imagined that a 4th Level cultivator could fight so fiercely. He hesitated for a split second, then gritted his teeth and stabbed his poisoned dagger toward Lin Mo's waist, trying to turn the tide with a dirty trick.
But Lin Mo had already anticipated his move.
He stepped lightly to the side, grabbed Liu He's wrist with one hand, and twisted it hard. A crisp crack echoed through the ruin. Liu He's wrist broke instantly, and the poisoned dagger clattered to the ground. Before he could scream, Lin Mo's sword pressed against his throat.
"Who sent you?" Lin Mo asked coldly. His gaze was like a blade, piercing into Liu He's soul.
Liu He trembled violently, his face as pale as paper. "I-it's Li Chen! Senior Brother Li Chen told us to follow you and take any opportunities you find! He said… he said if we kill you, we'll be promoted to core disciples directly!"
As expected. Lin Mo's eyes turned colder. Li Chen was already so eager to get rid of him that he would send people to kill him in the Forbidden Mountains.
"I've answered your question… let me go…" Liu He begged, tears and snot running down his face.
Lin Mo did not hesitate. He pressed the sword forward slightly, ending Liu He's life with a clean strike. Then he turned to Zhang Wei, who was trying to crawl toward the exit.
"Mercy… please…" Zhang Wei whimpered.
Lin Mo did not say a word. He raised his sword and ended his suffering.
Two enemies, dead in an instant.
The system's prompt sounded immediately.
[Ding! Host has killed two 5th Level Qi Refining enemies. Steady Points +220.]
[Ding! Obtained two mid-grade spirit stones and five spirit beast crystals.]
[Ding! Advanced Body-Tempering Technique progress increased to 60%.]
[Ding! Cloud Step progress increased to 35%.]
Lin Mo's Steady Points jumped to 1,020—enough to repair his broken pseudo-spiritual root!
He took a deep breath and focused his mind on the system store. Without any hesitation, he chose the option to repair his spiritual root.
[Ding! Host has spent 1,000 Steady Points to repair the Broken Pseudo-Spiritual Root.]
[Ding! Spiritual Root has been upgraded to: Low-Grade True Spiritual Root!]
[Ding! Host's spiritual energy absorption speed increased by 200%!]
[Ding! System has been upgraded to Level 2! Unlocking new function: Steady Auto-Cultivation!]
A warm, powerful current surged through Lin Mo's entire body, rushing into his dantian and repairing the broken, withered spiritual root. The feeling of blockage and weakness that had haunted him for three years vanished completely. He could feel the spiritual energy in the air rushing toward him like a flood, filling his meridians and making his cultivation base boil.
His cultivation progress soared rapidly, breaking through the 1,000 mark in the blink of an eye.
[Ding! Host has broken through to the 5th Level of Qi Refining!]
Lin Mo opened his eyes, and a faint, clear light flashed in them. His aura had become deeper, steadier, and more powerful. The broken trash was gone forever—he now possessed a true spiritual root, and his path of cultivation was finally wide open.
He quickly searched the bodies of the two dead disciples and collected all their resources. Then he erased all traces of the battle and left the ancient ruin.
The mist in the Forbidden Mountains was still thick, but Lin Mo's heart was clearer than ever.
Li Chen wanted him dead. The other inner sect disciples saw him as a threat. But now, with his upgraded system and true spiritual root, Lin Mo was no longer the weak boy who could be bullied at will.
He looked into the deeper parts of the mountains, where stronger spirit beasts and greater opportunities awaited. His lips curled into a faint, calm smile.
The training camp was just beginning. And the Steady Immortal was about to rise even higher