Beating the Little Celestial Master

The Dragon Tiger Dojo naturally had its own martial arena.

And this martial arena was surprisingly large.

The bluestone-paved ground was polished to a mirror-like finish, large enough to accommodate everyone in the dojo.

Lin Mo swept his gaze over the dense crowd, estimating there were at least several hundred people.

This number could be considered quite a lot.

But not too many, considering a single high school grade would have more people than here.

Still, it was good that there weren't too many, otherwise the fights would take forever.

In the very center of the martial arena, Zhang Gonglian stood all alone, like a solitary wooden post.

All around him, the dojo disciples sat in dense, dark crowds, forming circle after circle, surrounding him so tightly that not a drop of water could leak through.

The last time he had seen such a grand formation was on the day of the Celestial Master succession ceremony.

And now, all these guys were here for him.

Lin Mo strolled unhurriedly to Zhang Gonglian's side, his leisurely posture making it seem as if he were taking a walk in his own backyard.

He looked around, watching the diverse expressions of the crowd with great interest.

The group of elders sat in the very front row. One by one, they were rolling up their sleeves and rotating their wrists. With their eager appearances, they lacked even the slightest bit of transcendent, immortal-like demeanor.

The disciples behind them mostly wore bewildered expressions, but seeing the elders acting like this, they also began to stir. The atmosphere in the arena became both bizarre and enthusiastic.

Ahem.

Lin Mo cleared his throat, a smile playing at the corners of his mouth.

Hello everyone, and welcome to the first ever Beat Up the Celestial Master competition!

I am your referee and host, Lin Mo!

He had no microphone, nor did he use any voice amplifier.

Yet his voice rang out with absolute clarity in the ears of every single person in the martial arena, as if he were speaking right next to their earlobes.

This single move instantly silenced the entire arena.

The disciples who had originally held the mentality of watching a farce had their expressions freeze. The contempt in their eyes quietly faded, replaced by a touch of solemnity.

This stranger was an expert!

But... beat up the Celestial Master?

Did they hear that right, or had the world gone mad?

The disciples looked at each other in dismay, but the highly respected elders not only did not object, they even showed expressions that said, You catch on quick, kid.

The crowd was completely dumbfounded. They couldn't figure it out, but they didn't dare to ask.

Whatever. Since the elders were participating, they would just follow along and do it.

Anyway, the Celestial Master himself was also in the center of the ring.

Taking in everyone's reactions, Lin Mo gently flipped his wrist.

In an instant, hundreds of brilliant, colorful lights burst forth from his palm. Like a magnificent meteor shower, they shot accurately toward every person present.

Watch out!

Someone roared, and the scene immediately descended into chaos.

Many disciples stood up in shock. Without a second thought, they circulated the dharma power within their bodies, instantly condensing golden rays of light into shields before them.

However, those colorful lights that seemed to come with overwhelming force bizarrely ignored all defenses.

They drifted lightly through the layers of golden shields, just like passing through a thin mist, without stirring up the slightest ripple.

The disciples watched helplessly as the colorful lights landed on their open palms, but the expected impact and pain never arrived.

As the light dissipated, a light-to-the-touch number plate lay quietly in the center of their palms, with a number carved on it.

The entire arena was dead silent.

You could hear a pin drop.

Hundreds of disciples, every single one of them, froze in place.

Everyone's gaze converged on that young man. Their eyes were a mix of horror, confusion, and an indescribable trace of respect.

Even the elders were astonished by Lin Mo's maneuver.

Just what kind of monster was this young man named Lin Mo?

Don't be nervous, it's just a number plate.

Lin Mo's voice rang out again. It was calm and breezy, yet it acted like a stone smashing into stagnant water, instantly shattering the suffocating silence.

Bro, I'm calling you bro now. Should we... maybe just stop when the point is made? Zhang Gonglian leaned in and lowered his voice, almost speaking in a whisper, afraid of disturbing something.

Relax, I know my limits.

Lin Mo patted the shoulder of Zhang Gonglian, who had already begun to doubt his life choices.

The latter's mouth twitched violently, squeezing out a smile that was uglier than crying.

This is called knowing your limits? You clearly want me to die on the spot!

Ignoring his internal wailing, Lin Mo cleared his throat and shouted loudly.

Look clearly at the number plates in your hands. Whoever is called, come up to the stage. Now, please welcome contestant number one!

As soon as he finished speaking, a figure stood up tremblingly from the elders' seating area.

I am number one!

The voice was old, but full of vigor.

Zhang Gonglian's face instantly turned pale, all color draining from it.

An old Daoist priest, who looked even older than Elder Gongyue, pushed through the crowd and walked out with steady steps.

His figure was withered and thin, and he wore a washed-out Daoist robe, but his eyes radiated a piercing light, locking dead onto Zhang Gonglian.

Junior brother, oh junior brother. I've been waiting for this opportunity for a very long time.

The old Daoist said this as he rubbed his fists and wiped his palms together, his knuckles cracking. His impatient appearance made Zhang Gonglian's legs go soft, and he decisively chickened out.

Senior... Senior Brother Gongyu! Zhang Gonglian's tongue tied up in knots. Honestly, it really wasn't me who gave your collection to Master. He dug it out himself! You have to believe me, Senior Brother!

He waved his hands repeatedly, wishing he could shrink completely behind Lin Mo. The look he shot Lin Mo contained only a few words:

Save me! Save me!

Lin Mo returned a comforting look: Relax, I've got you covered.

Immediately after, he lazily raised his eyes to look at Gongyu.

Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Lin Mo raised his right hand, pressed his index and middle fingers together, and casually drew a stroke in mid-air.

Golden radiance flowed from his fingertips, outlining a profound and complex talisman in the air. The entire process was smooth and flowing, so fast that the trajectory couldn't be seen clearly. The talisman had already taken shape, emitting a heart-palpitating pressure.

Before Gongyu could react, Lin Mo flicked his wrist.

Go.

The golden talisman turned into a streak of flowing light and instantly shot into Gongyu's body, disappearing from sight.

Gongyu's entire body trembled, not even having the time to react.

What is this?!

He immediately noticed something was wrong. The dharma power surging like a rushing river within his body felt as if a dam had instantly been built, becoming sluggish and difficult to move. His connection with the spiritual energy of heaven and earth was also forcibly weakened by seventy or eighty percent.

His strength had been suppressed!

Gongyu looked at Lin Mo in shock and anger, only to see the latter looking completely innocent.

Don't worry. Although the theme of the event is Beat Up the Celestial Master, we can't let the Celestial Master be completely defenseless. That wouldn't be any fun.

Lin Mo hadn't completely sealed away Gongyu's power; he had merely suppressed his cultivation base to a level just slightly higher than Zhang Gonglian's.

After all, Zhang Gonglian was already at the Foundation Establishment realm. His advantage, aside from the strand of spiritual energy in his body that was of a higher tier than normal dharma power, was a physique stronger than ordinary people.