The mist of the Forbidden Mountains grew denser as Lin Mo ventured deeper, wrapping around ancient trees and blurring the line between sky and earth. The air hummed with richer spiritual energy, yet the danger level rose sharply—roars of powerful spirit beasts echoed from distant valleys, a clear warning that this region was home to creatures far stronger than Black Wind Wolves.
Lin Mo moved forward with steady steps, his senses fully alert. Having just repaired his Broken Pseudo-Spiritual Root into a Low-Grade True Spiritual Root, he could feel the surrounding spiritual energy flowing into his body like a gentle stream, automatically nourishing his meridians and strengthening his dantian. The system's new Steady Auto-Cultivation function ran silently in the background, boosting his progress every second without any extra effort from him.
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Host: Lin Mo
Cultivation Base: 5th Level of Qi Refining (180/1200)
Spiritual Root: Low-Grade True Spiritual Root
Steady Points: 20
Skills: Basic Body-Tempering Technique (Mastery), Advanced Body-Tempering Technique (60%), Steady Strike (Level 1), Cloud Step (35%)
System Function: Steady Auto-Cultivation (Unlocked)
System Store: Unlocked
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His cultivation speed had tripled. In the past, he would have needed days of bitter meditation to gain even a tiny bit of progress, but now, even walking through the mountains allowed him to grow stronger. This was the gap between a broken root and a true spiritual root—the foundation of a real cultivator.
After walking for roughly an hour, Lin Mo's ears twitched. A sharp, fishy scent drifted through the air, mixed with the sound of clashing spiritual energy and panicked shouts.
"Senior Brother, we can't hold on! This Scarlet Flame Tiger is too strong!"
"Retreat! We can't defeat a beast equivalent to the 6th Level of Qi Refining!"
Lin Mo's eyes narrowed. He followed the sound quietly and hid behind a massive tree trunk, peering into a small clearing ahead.
Three inner sect disciples were struggling to fend off a two-meter-tall scarlet tiger. Its fur burned like flickering fire, and its fangs dripped with venomous saliva. Every swing of its claws sent waves of scorching heat sweeping through the air. The disciples were all at the 5th Level of Qi Refining, yet they were being pushed back steadily, their robes torn and their faces pale with fear.
One of them was Chen Feng, a direct subordinate of Li Chen and ranked 5th on the inner sect leaderboard. He was known for his cruelty and had participated in bullying outer sect disciples more than once.
Lin Mo watched coldly, with no intention of helping. In the Forbidden Mountains, survival of the fittest was the only rule. He had no reason to risk his life for someone who had once looked down on him.
But fate had other plans.
Chen Feng's eyes suddenly locked onto Lin Mo's hiding spot. Desperation flashed across his face, and he shouted at the top of his lungs, "Lin Mo! Over here! Help us, and I'll promise you a generous reward when we return to the sect!"
The other two disciples also spotted Lin Mo. Their eyes lit up with hope, even though they had mocked him not long ago.
"He's only at the 4th Level… wait, no! His aura is stronger! He's at the 5th Level of Qi Refining now?!"
"He defeated Han Feng with one strike! Maybe he can help us turn the tide!"
The Scarlet Flame Tiger also noticed Lin Mo. It let out a deafening roar, abandoned the three disciples, and charged straight toward Lin Mo, its massive paws slamming against the ground and shaking the dirt.
Chen Feng and the others immediately retreated to the side, their faces showing schadenfreude. They planned to let Lin Mo distract the tiger and escape while they were at it.
"Trash, you can be our bait!" Chen Feng sneered.
Lin Mo's expression turned cold. He had wanted to stay out of trouble, but these people insisted on dragging him into it.
He gripped his iron sword tightly and stepped out of the shadows. The tiger pounced in an instant, its mouth wide open, ready to bite him in half.
"Cloud Step!"
Lin Mo's body blurred, dodging the fatal attack with ease. His movement was swifter and more stable than before, thanks to his True Spiritual Root and upgraded cultivation. The tiger crashed into the tree behind him, snapping the thick trunk in half.
Before the tiger could turn around, Lin Mo appeared above it, leaping high with the help of Cloud Step.
"Steady Strike!"
A bright white light wrapped around his sword. This strike carried the power of his 5th Level Qi Refining base and the enhanced control from his True Spiritual Root. It was heavier, sharper, and more unstoppable than ever.
The sword slashed down fiercely, cutting deep into the tiger's back.
Pfft!
Blood spurted out like a fountain. The Scarlet Flame Tiger let out a miserable wail, its body collapsing to the ground, twitching violently before going still.
In just one move, Lin Mo had killed a 6th Level equivalent spirit beast.
Chen Feng and the other two disciples stood frozen, their mouths hanging open in shock. They couldn't believe their eyes—the outer sect trash they had mocked had become so strong that he could slay a Scarlet Flame Tiger with a single strike.
[Ding! Host has killed Scarlet Flame Tiger. Steady Points +280.]
[Ding! Obtained Scarlet Flame Tiger Crystal (High-Grade).]
[Ding! Advanced Body-Tempering Technique progress increased to 75%.]
[Ding! Cloud Step progress increased to 50%.]
Lin Mo sheathed his sword and ignored the three stunned disciples. He walked over to the tiger's body, pulled out the glowing high-grade crystal, and stored it away.
Chen Feng quickly recovered from his shock, and greed appeared in his eyes. The Scarlet Flame Tiger crystal was extremely valuable, enough to exchange for top-tier resources in the training camp.
"Lin Mo, hand over the crystal," Chen Feng said in a deep voice, stepping forward with his companions. "We lured the tiger here, so that crystal belongs to us."
Lin Mo lifted his head, his eyes cold and sharp. "I killed it. It's mine. If you're not satisfied, you can try to take it."
His aura surged outward, steady and oppressive, pressing down on the three disciples. They felt as if they were facing a towering mountain, not a fellow inner sect disciple.
Chen Feng's face twisted with anger, but he didn't dare to attack. He had just witnessed Lin Mo's terrifying strength, and he knew he was no match.
"Very well," Chen Feng gritted his teeth. "You wait. When I meet Senior Brother Li Chen, I'll tell him everything. You'll regret offending us!"
He turned and fled with the other two disciples, not daring to stay any longer.
Lin Mo watched them leave, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. Li Chen's subordinates were becoming more and more arrogant. Sooner or later, he would have to settle the score with Li Chen himself.
He glanced at his system panel—Steady Points had returned to 300, enough to unlock a new skill soon.
The mist swirled around him, and the distant mountains loomed quietly. Lin Mo took a deep breath and continued walking deeper into the Forbidden Mountains.
More dangers, more opportunities, and the final showdown with Li Chen were all waiting for him ahead.
The Steady Immortal's path would only grow wider and more unstoppable.