The snowy night was vast, with wisps of fine snow drifting through the second-floor window, mingling indistinctly with the steam rising from the hot pot.
A young man sat before the bubbling pot, a table laden with plates of lamb laid out before him, casually dipping the meat into the broth.
The moment the disciples of the Summoning Demons Sect stepped onto the second floor, they recognized him—this was the "Immortal" who had been waiting for them.
Some people are like that.
Even if they appear to be nothing more than ordinary mortals without cultivation, their mere presence makes them stand out like a firefly in the darkness—unmistakable and extraordinary.
"Guests from afar, the meat is just right. Sit, please."
His voice carried through the steam of the hot pot.
The Summoning Demons Holy Son narrowed his eyes, while the other sect members exchanged uneasy glances.
Tsk...
This was supposed to be their reserved spot.
Yet, he had arrived first, even ordering dishes in advance. This damned feeling of being outmaneuvered was downright eerie.
"Immortal, it’s been too long since we last met," Luo Yexian chuckled.
Li Mo smiled faintly.
"Quite the coincidence, really. I was passing by this hot pot place, drawn in by the aroma, and thought I’d stop for dinner. Who knew you’d arranged to meet here?"
"That just means fate binds us to the Black Soil Immortal," Luo Yexian replied, though he didn’t believe a single word of it.
If he was alone, why order enough lamb to feed an army?
"Make yourselves at home," Li Mo gestured for the sect members to take their seats.
Meanwhile, a faint ripple of spiritual sense reached him from the Moon Above, carrying the crisp voice of the "Ice Block":
"The Summoning Demons Holy Son is probing your cultivation level."
"Not far from him, there are two other auras—likely two of the sect’s experts."
Hearing this, Li Mo glanced at the sickly-looking young nobleman.
Luo Yexian, ever observant, quickly introduced him. "This is our esteemed Holy Son... Lord Tan Zhuyin."
"Tan Zhuyin, at your service," the Holy Son said as he took his seat.
Yet inwardly, he was deeply unsettled. His earlier probing had revealed nothing—just an ordinary mortal.
But how could a mere mortal have tracked their movements?
As Tan Zhuyin scrutinized Li Mo, Li Mo was doing the same, his Heavenly Fate Divine Eye already active.
[Name: Tan Zhuyin]
[Age: 28]
[Bone Structure: Ten Thousand Forms Sinful Dragon Body (Incomplete)]
[Realm: Observing Divinity, Nine Apertures]
[Fate: Gold]
[Evaluation: Born with a dragon’s form, a once-in-an-era genius suited for the Ten Thousand Forms Dragon Transformation Scripture. Formerly ranked first on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, just half a step from perfecting his dragon body before being shattered by the Great Yu Crown Prince, Jiang Yu.]
[Recent Events: Investigating the truth behind the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect. Coinciding with the revival of the Summoning Demons Sect’s Three Ancestral Gods—specifically, the Dream God—he seeks its inheritance to exact revenge on Jiang Yu and reclaim his place atop the Hidden Dragon Ranking.]
Dream God?
Li Mo recalled the black Nian beast that had invaded the Ice Block’s dreams three days ago—now dead.
"Observing Divinity Realm?"
Tan Zhuyin had just received confirmation from the sect’s Dharma King.
The man before him was indeed at the Observing Divinity Realm.
A Dharma Body Realm expert could discern the strength of another at the same level, so he must be using some rare treasure to conceal himself.
But...
Why did this Observing Divinity cultivator give off the eerie impression that if one closed their eyes, he might simply vanish?
Was this real or an illusion?
"A pity, Holy Son," Li Mo’s voice was calm, his smile suddenly taking on the Ice Block’s frigid tone.
"Had your dragon form been perfected before advancing to the Inner Landscape Realm, you might have been worthy of learning a few techniques from the Immortal Sect."
"Your words are rather presumptuous," Tan Zhuyin replied flatly, though inwardly, he was shaken.
This man had seen through him at a glance!
And to say such a thing now...
"Why not have the two behind you probe me again?"
Li Mo took a bite of lamb, his demeanor aloof and untroubled.
He subtly activated the Mirage Spirit Pearl.
The two behind him?
He had detected the presence of the two Dharma Kings?!
The two hidden experts in the Dharma Body Realm were equally stunned—but what shocked them more wasn’t that their concealment had been breached.
When they probed again, the young man’s cultivation had shifted—from Observing Divinity to Inner Landscape Realm!
Then... back to a mortal!
"What?!"
Tan Zhuyin’s pupils constricted, his body leaning back slightly.
First a mortal, then Observing Divinity, then Inner Landscape, and finally—a return to the ordinary!
His opponent’s cultivation was as unpredictable as the weather!
This was a blatant declaration: I know exactly what you’re doing.
"Immortal, forgive us. You understand our sect’s precarious position under Great Yu’s persecution. Caution is necessary. And my nephew here... well, he suffered an injury in his youth. Sometimes his mind isn’t... quite right," Luo Yexian interjected, sensing the Black Soil Immortal’s displeasure.
"Nephew, I told you the Immortal isn’t someone to be carelessly probed! This makes our local sect seem utterly uncultured!"
"My apologies," Tan Zhuyin forced out, suppressing the storm in his heart. Even his usual arrogance was momentarily cowed.
One thing was certain now.
Whether this man was truly an "Immortal" or not, he was undeniably unfathomable.
And that so-called Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect...
Seeing their expressions, the Black Soil Immortal—Li Mo—let out a quiet sigh of relief.
The first hurdle was cleared.
Now, time for the main topic.
"No matter. The Summoning Demons Sect inherited only fragments of the Immortal Sect’s teachings, never receiving its true guidance. Lingering in the mortal world has dulled your edge."
"But your connection to the sect remains. Return to its embrace, and what need is there to skulk in the shadows?"
"Then, what is the Great Yu Dynasty? What is the Hidden Dragon Ranking?"
Li Mo dipped a slice of lamb into the broth, perfectly tender, and swallowed it in one bite.
"The Hidden Dragon Ranking?"
A glint flashed in Tan Zhuyin’s eyes.
His greatest desire was to restore his dragon form and take revenge on Jiang Yu!
"The Dream God," Li Mo said coolly, chewing on a mushroom.
"Isn’t that why you’re here?"
"!!!"
Not just Tan Zhuyin—every disciple present, even the two hidden Dharma Kings—inhaled sharply, the hot pot’s steam chilling in their throats.
This was a top-secret matter within the sect!
What didn’t this man know?!
Doubt crept into their minds. Could it be that their Three Ancestral Gods were truly linked to the Myriad Phenomena Immortal Sect?
Perhaps... even former elders of the sect?
No wonder he claimed their sect had only grasped "scattered fragments" of the Immortal Sect’s legacy!
"Will you... accompany us to the Dream God’s inheritance site?" Tan Zhuyin’s breathing grew ragged.
The Black Soil Immortal fell into thought.
In truth, Li Mo was conferring with the Ice Block.
Was the black Nian beast connected to this "Dream God"?
Otherwise, why would the Dream God stir just as the beast died?
Perhaps the beast had targeted the Ying family—targeted Ying Bing—on the Dream God’s orders?
Could it be that the one with ulterior motives toward Ying Bing... was the Dream God itself?
This concerned the Ice Block.
Perhaps venturing alongside the Demon Summoning Sect would not be a smooth journey, but it was still a necessary path to take.
After weighing the options, Li Mo finally nodded and said:
"That’s exactly what I had in mind."