Choice

The martial arts tournament was over.

Xi'er had left as well.

Su Mo stood on the arena platform in the training grounds, silent for a long time.

"I don't need to understand. I only want to be with Brother Su Mo."

"Brother Su Mo, I like you!"

Even after a long while, Xi'er's words still echoed in Su Mo's ears.

A trace of bitterness filled Su Mo's heart. Without strength, he could not even protect the woman he loved.

"Mo'er, let's go home!"

Su Hong stepped forward and patted Su Mo on the shoulder. "Father believes that one day, you will see Xi'er again."

Hearing his father's words, Su Mo came back to himself. He took a deep breath and said firmly, "Five years from now, I will not only bring Xi'er back, but I will also stomp Shangguan Hao's pride viciously beneath my feet."

"Father believes in you!" Su Hong nodded heavily, comforting Su Mo.

Soon after, Su Mo left the City Lord's Mansion with Su Hong and the others and returned to the Su family.

As the crowd dispersed, everything that had happened during this Linyang City Martial Arts Tournament spread through all of Linyang City with rocket-like speed.

Su Mo had mounted a desperate comeback, defeated Wei Rufeng of the Wei family, and claimed first place in this Linyang City Martial Arts Tournament.

Just after the tournament ended, two mysterious and powerful figures descended upon the City Lord's Mansion and took away the peerless beauty by Su Mo's side.

Su Mo had made a five-year pact with one of the youths and would challenge him five years later.

In short, after this battle, Su Mo had thoroughly become Linyang City's man of the hour—the number one genius of Linyang City, with no one able to rival his splendor for a time.

No matter how stormy the outside world became.

Inside his room, Su Mo sat cross-legged and swallowed the Essence Replenishing Pill he had received as a tournament reward.

The Essence Replenishing Pill truly deserved to be called a Grade One High-Quality Pill. The medicinal power contained within it was enormous beyond compare.

The moment the pill entered his stomach, it transformed into pure spiritual power and swept through Su Mo's entire body.

Su Mo circulated his cultivation technique. Spiritual power rushed through his meridians with a roaring flow before finally returning to his Dantian sea of qi.

As the medicinal power was refined, the true qi within Su Mo's body rapidly surged. Half an hour later, he successfully broke through his cultivation barrier.

He advanced to Qi Cultivation Level Eight.

Afterward, Su Mo also consumed the Hundred-Year Blood Ginseng he had received as a reward.

The Hundred-Year Blood Ginseng was likewise a Grade One High-Quality Spirit Medicine. Though it was inferior to the Essence Replenishing Pill, its medicinal power was still extremely potent. Not only could it increase cultivation, it could also replenish one's qi and blood.

The Blood Ginseng's medicinal power pushed Su Mo's cultivation a step further, reaching the middle stage of Qi Cultivation Level Eight.

In the days that followed, Su Mo immersed himself in cultivation every day.

His cultivation rose steadily. His swordsmanship and movement technique improved each day, and he also cultivated the Nine Heavens Sea Wave Fist to the Great Accomplishment Realm.

Su Mo had been holding back a breath of anger. Within five years, he had to travel to Central Continent and find Xi'er.

Though he did not know where Central Continent was or how far away it lay, no one could stop his advancing footsteps.

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, half a month had passed. The Year-End Festival had arrived.

Within the family head's courtyard, Su Mo sat with his father. The table was covered with all kinds of delicacies as they ate their reunion dinner.

Though it was called a reunion dinner, there were only the father and son.

Su Mo's mother had died young, and Su Hong had no siblings. Every year, their reunion dinner consisted of only the two of them.

"Mo'er, what are your plans after the new year?"

Su Hong asked.

"Father, after the new year, I plan to go out and gain experience!"

Su Mo replied. With his current strength, he was already invincible among Linyang City's younger generation.

Moreover, as his cultivation increased, his cultivation speed grew slower and slower. It was time for him to leave Linyang City.

"One month from now, the Four Great Sects of Tian Yue Kingdom will open their gates wide and recruit disciples. You can give it a try."

Su Hong sighed, then continued, "However, the Four Great Sects have very high requirements for Martial Soul grades when recruiting disciples. At minimum, one needs a Human Grade Fourth Tier Martial Soul to pass the assessment. Though your talent is high, your Martial Soul grade is too low, so there is little hope. Still, there is ultimately a sliver of a chance."

Su Hong greatly hoped that his son could enter one of the Four Great Sects, but he was also somewhat helpless. After all, Su Mo's Martial Soul was a fatal weakness.

"Father, actually, my Martial Soul isn't Human Grade First Tier!"

After a brief hesitation, Su Mo decided to tell his father some of the truth.

"What? Not Human Grade First Tier?"

Su Hong froze, his face full of confusion. Although he had not been present when Su Mo awakened his Martial Soul, many members of the Su family had witnessed it with their own eyes. Could there have been a mistake?

"That's right, Father. Look!"

Su Mo smiled faintly and suddenly released his Martial Soul.

The pitch-black Devouring Martial Soul floated in the air, flashing with six yellow halos.

A Human Grade Sixth Tier Martial Soul!

"What? Six halos?"

Su Hong's eyes bulged at once, his face filled with shock.

Su Mo withdrew his Martial Soul. It took Su Hong a long while to recover.

"Mo'er, you're actually a Human Grade Sixth Tier Martial Soul! No wonder your cultivation speed is so fast!"

Su Hong was overjoyed and incomparably excited. What did a Human Grade Sixth Tier Martial Soul signify? It was something Linyang City might not see even once in several decades.

Though he did not know how Su Mo's Martial Soul had changed from Human Grade First Tier to Human Grade Sixth Tier, that was no longer important.

"Hehe! Father, with my talent, entering any one of the Four Great Sects shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Su Mo smiled confidently.

"Haha, of course. With a Human Grade Sixth Tier Martial Soul, entering the Four Great Sects poses no problem whatsoever."

Su Hong laughed heartily, then asked, "So, Mo'er, which sect do you plan to join?"

"Father, what are the differences between these Four Great Sects?"

Su Mo asked.

Hearing this, Su Hong pondered briefly before saying, "The Four Great Sects are the Heavenly Sword Sect, Blazing Sun Sect, Wind Ling Island, and Heavenly Origin Sect. Among them, the Heavenly Sword Sect is the strongest, while the other three are roughly equal in strength. If you decide to join a sect, then join the Heavenly Sword Sect."

"The Heavenly Sword Sect?"

Su Mo fell into thought.

"That's right. The Heavenly Sword Sect is a sect of the sword path. More than ninety percent of its disciples are Sword Cultivators, and since you use a sword as well, the Heavenly Sword Sect should be your first choice."

Su Hong analyzed it thus.

"Mm!"

Su Mo nodded. For the moment, the Heavenly Sword Sect truly suited him best.

Time passed, and several more days went by in the blink of an eye.

On this day, Su Mo was cultivating in his room when a series of knocks sounded outside his door.

Su Mo rose and opened the courtyard gate. A servant stood outside, beside whom was a beautiful woman.

Su Mo had seen this beautiful woman before. She was clearly a maid from the Purple Gold Pavilion.

"Young Master Mo, this is Miss Yue of the Purple Gold Pavilion. Miss Yue wishes to see you regarding a matter."

When the servant saw Su Mo, a trace of admiration appeared in his eyes as he spoke respectfully.

Su Mo frowned slightly, not knowing why a maid from the Purple Gold Pavilion had come looking for him. He then asked, "May I ask what business you have with me, Miss?"

"Young Master Su, my Pavilion Master invites you to the pavilion for a talk."

The beautiful woman looked at him with shining eyes and spoke with a gentle smile.

Her gaze held unease, admiration, and shyness. She was filled with curiosity toward Linyang City's number one genius.

"Your Pavilion Master wishes to see me?"

Su Mo was somewhat surprised. He had no dealings with Luo Huan, the Pavilion Master of the Purple Gold Pavilion. He had merely bought beast souls from her twice. Why did she wish to see him?

"Very well! Lead the way!"

After pondering briefly, Su Mo decided to meet her and see what exactly she wanted.

Soon after, Su Mo followed the maid toward the Purple Gold Pavilion.