Meanwhile, at the entrance of the passage.
The personnel from the Law Enforcement Hall and the Elder Hall had surrounded the area so tightly that not even a drop of water could leak through. The atmosphere was chilling and murderous.
On the stone terrace inside and outside the entrance, dozens of family disciples lay scattered in a mess. Each of them was pale-faced, paralyzed on the ground and unable to move, yet perfectly conscious, only able to let out muffled groans of pain.
The crowd automatically parted to make a path, and First Elder Situ Hong walked out, his face as dark as deep water.
He casually helped up the nearest guard and pressed his palm against the man's back. A surge of thick, pure true qi flowed over, and the guard's deathly pale face quickly regained a bit of color.
"Where is he? Where did he go?" The First Elder's voice was suppressed with fury.
The guard panted heavily and replied in a hoarse voice, "That person... he said he couldn't be bothered to wait for us here. He told us to gather everyone and wait here for him... he will come back on his own."
Arrogant!
This was absolute contempt for the entire Situ family!
The First Elder's face was so gloomy it looked ready to drip water. He took a slow breath, but the heaving of his chest betrayed the raging storm within him.
He viciously flicked his sleeve, his voice smashing into everyone's hearts like solid ice: "Once we catch those two pieces of trash, Ding Yi and Ding Er, execute the family law immediately! The Situ family's face has been completely thrown away by such incompetents!"
He cleverly shifted his anger onto those two.
At this moment, the Second Elder stepped out from nowhere. Unlike the First Elder who wore his anger on his face, his brows were tightly knit, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
"What is his purpose? Going through so much trouble to break into our Situ family, just to injure a bunch of guards and leave behind an arrogant remark? This defies common sense."
His voice was not loud, but it calmed everyone present.
Before his voice faded, his gaze suddenly shifted to the dense crowd of the Law Enforcement Hall, a look that seemed to pierce right through their hearts.
"If Ding Yi and Ding Er were coerced into bringing him, then what is the opponent's goal? Ding Yi and Ding Er's mission was to bring that bastard back to the Situ family, therefore..."
The Second Elder abruptly raised his head.
"Everyone, hear my orders!"
"Scatter immediately and conduct a blanket search of the entire territory! Law Enforcement Hall, concentrate your manpower on the Desolate Courtyard; they might go looking for Situ Yunshu."
"If you discover any suspicious persons or any irregularities, you are strictly forbidden from engaging them on your own!"
"Send a signal!"
The older the ginger, the spicier it gets; the Second Elder instantly deduced the objective of Lin Mo and his group.
The Second Elder practically roared his last words, carrying an unquestionable authority.
"Yes, sir!"
With a unified, thunderous shout, over a hundred Law Enforcement Hall disciples immediately turned around, preparing to rush out.
Yet, just as they took a single step, everyone's movements seemed to hit a pause button, freezing eerily in place.
At the intersection ahead, a group of people was strolling over at a leisurely pace.
The young man leading them had his hands stuffed into his pockets, his posture as relaxed as if he were taking a walk in a backyard park.
In truth, Lin Mo and the others had flown far enough and simply decided to drop down.
After all, flying all the way here made it seem like they were in a rush.
That was not elegant in the slightest.
Behind him, the invisible Ning Qingcheng and Xie Yuling remained silent the entire time.
One was purely there to watch the show, while the other seized the time to silently circulate her cultivation technique, appearing entirely indifferent to everything around her.
A bizarre silence permeated the air.
Despite the Law Enforcement Hall crowd holding an absolute numerical advantage, no one dared to make the first move.
They just watched helplessly as Lin Mo, step by step, walked right into the dead center of their encirclement, as if he were the true master of this place.
Lin Mo glanced around, his eyes looking as if he were appraising a bunch of wooden stakes.
"Quite a crowd."
He spoke breezily, then abruptly changed the subject, his tone carrying a poorly concealed impatience.
"Here is the problem. Where are your First Elder and Second Elder? They can roll out to see me now."
These words were far too arrogant, instantly igniting the fury of all the Law Enforcement Hall disciples. Their glares turned into daggers, wishing they could slice him into a thousand pieces.
Subsequently, the crowd parted, and the two old men walked out.
They were none other than the First Elder and the Second Elder.
They held their heads high in arrogance, hands clasped behind their backs. Their gazes bypassed Lin Mo and landed directly on Situ Yunshu behind him, filled with scrutiny and disdain.
The First Elder struck first, his voice booming: "Situ Yunshu! How dare you collude with outsiders and severely injure disciples of our Situ family! Even if you are the daughter of the family head, today you will not escape..."
He could not finish his sentence.
No one even saw how Lin Mo moved.
"Snow leopard, shut up!"
Lin Mo faintly spat out these words.
The righteously ranting First Elder's voice came to an abrupt halt. His feet suddenly left the ground as his entire body was hoisted into mid-air by an invisible force.
His neck was tightly gripped by an unseen giant hand. His face swelled to a purplish-red hue at a visible rate, and a wheezing, gasping sound leaked from his throat.
No matter how he tried to mobilize the true qi within his body, it was like a clay ox entering the sea—completely ineffective.
He had absolutely no ability to resist and could only be at the mercy of others.
This scene plunged the entire area into an instant, deathly silence.
"I am the kind of person who hates it most when people yap endlessly in front of me." Lin Mo raised his head, watching the struggling First Elder in mid-air, his tone as flat as if he were stating a trivial matter.
Just as he was about to tighten that giant hand of spiritual energy, a furious shout suddenly erupted from the crowd.
"How dare you, brat!"
A gray figure shot into the sky, so fast it left only a blur.
A glint of cold light arrived first, followed by a fierce spear thrust!
A pitch-black long spear, wrapped in a sharp whistle that tore through the air, stabbed straight at Lin Mo's heart.
It was the Third Elder, along with his Shadow Burning Spear.
Lin Mo's gaze lingered on the spear tip for a moment, detecting a faint fluctuation of spirituality.
This was the precursor to a magical artifact transforming into a spiritual artifact after years of use.
What a pity, it was still far from enough.
Facing this thunderous strike, Lin Mo did not even shift his feet; he merely raised his hand casually.
Smack!
A crisp sound rang out.
That unstoppable spear tip was firmly caught in the palm of his hand.
The forward momentum of the long spear came to an abrupt halt, and the shaft vibrated and hummed violently.
The Third Elder's eyes widened perfectly round, a wave of horror rising from the bottom of his heart.
How could this be possible?
Even experts from other families would have to temporarily avoid the edge of his spear strike. Yet this person had caught it barehanded?
With no time to overthink, the true qi within his body erupted frantically without reservation.
"Shatter for me!"
Anyone who dared to grab his spear barehanded had to be prepared for their arm to be pulverized by his true qi!
The berserk true qi surged violently along the spear shaft, but just like a clay ox entering the sea, it failed to shake Lin Mo's palm in the slightest.
Anyone who dared to grab his spear shaft would be ruthlessly...
"True qi?"
A mocking smirk tugged at the corner of Lin Mo's mouth. "Ignorant fool!"
He snorted coldly, and the wrist gripping the spear shaft gave a violent shake and flick!
An irresistible, terrifying surge of massive force rolled back along the spear shaft.
The Third Elder only felt a hurricane strike him. His entire body, along with his Shadow Burning Spear, instantly lost control. He took off right from where he stood, turning into a small black dot on the horizon before vanishing without a trace.
As for which mountain peak he was thrown to, it could only be at the very edge of this blessed grotto-heaven.
The entire venue fell dead silent.
uld barely embark on the path to immortality. Just as he was on the verge of death, his golden finger awakened. No matter whether it was poison, drained blood and vital energy, diminished lifespan, or any other physical debuff caused by paying a price—once midnight passed, everything would be refreshed. From then on, whenever someone asked what kind of person Chu Ran was, the answer was simple: Forbidden arts that other cultivators dared not learn? Chu Ran would learn them. Prices that even demonic cultivators dared not pay? Chu Ran would pay them. Lifespan that even righteous cultivators dared not burn? Chu Ran would burn it. All the blood essence in his body? Take it. Want both his hands and feet? He would cut them off and send them to you. You say he’s finished? He wasn’t built to sit idle. You think he’s gone mad? No—he was simply waiting for midnight. From that day onward, Chu Ran would respect neither Heaven nor Earth, bow to neither gods nor ghosts. He had only one wish: For midnight to arrive a little sooner.
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
Cheng's father told him he was getting remarried—to a wealthy woman. Cao Cheng realized his time had finally come: he was about to become a second-generation rich kid. Sure, it might be a watered-down version, but hey, at least he'd have status now, right? The wealthy woman also had four daughters!! Which meant, starting today, Cao Cheng gained four stunning older sisters?? But that wasn't even the whole story... "My name is Cao Cheng—'Cheng' as in 'honest, smooth-talking gentleman'!"
ions, keeping it grounded and realistic】 After quitting his job, office worker Su Yang accidentally binds with the "Enjoy Life System." As the name suggests, simply by indulging in life's pleasures, he can earn random rewards from the system—no need to spend money on beautiful women or grovel before anyone. Just enjoy, and the money follows, making it all about effortless fun. The system comes with a scanning feature, allowing him to establish a favorability bond with women rated 85 points or above. Every 20-point increase in favorability unlocks additional rewards. After suffering through over twenty years of hardship, Su Yang trembles with excitement, his dull eyes suddenly gleaming with newfound hope. "Enjoy life? How hard could that be?"
