Yan Qi

Hundreds of miles outside Linyang City.

In a mountain forest, a young man in green stepped out.

The young man was Su Mo.

Glancing in the direction of Linyang City, Su Mo's expression turned cold.

"Wei family, when I return again, it will be the day the Wei family is wiped out."

Taking a deep breath, Su Mo oriented himself and strode away.

In the southern part of the Tian Yue Kingdom, there is a vast lake called Star Water Lake. Star Water Lake is enormous, spanning over three thousand miles, occupying nearly one-fifth of the Tian Yue Kingdom's territory.

Star Water Lake is extremely famous in the Tian Yue Kingdom, not only because of its vastness but also because Wind Ling Island, one of the Four Great Sects of the Tian Yue Kingdom, is located within this lake.

On the shore of Star Water Lake stands a city called Linshui City.

Linshui City is extremely prosperous, with ceaseless traffic on its streets, bustling with people.

"As expected of a major city, it's nothing Linyang City can compare to!"

Su Mo walked the streets of Linshui City like a country bumpkin entering the city, looking around left and right with curiosity.

Linyang City was merely a remote small city with a population of around 300,000, while Linshui City was a large city with a population exceeding two million. The two were worlds apart, incomparable.

At this moment, Su Mo was travel-worn, his face showing some fatigue.

After more than ten days of travel, he had finally arrived at Linshui City.

Linshui City is the closest city to Wind Ling Island. The pier outside the city has ferries that can take people directly to Wind Ling Island.

Su Mo arrived at the pier. The pier was crowded with people, with no less than several hundred gathered there.

These hundreds of people were surrounding a large wooden sign erected on the pier, watching something.

Su Mo moved closer and saw that it was a notice posted by Wind Ling Island. The notice stated that a warship from Wind Ling Island would come to pick up assessment disciples two days later in the morning.

Su Mo understood; countless people were coming to Wind Ling Island to participate in the assessment, so Wind Ling Island naturally had to make unified arrangements.

Immediately after, Su Mo found an inn and rented a superior room.

He then ordered several dishes and drinks. Su Mo sat at a table by the window in the lobby, enjoying his food and drinks while listening to the noisy discussions around him.

The inn was named 'Laibin Inn' and was very luxuriously decorated.

The inn's business was booming, with the lobby completely full. Many of the patrons were young men and women, all looking travel-worn, clearly having traveled from afar to participate in Wind Ling Island's entry assessment.

"I heard that the standard for recruiting disciples at Wind Ling Island has been raised this year?"

"Isn't that right! In previous years, the minimum requirement for Martial Soul level was Human Grade Fourth Tier, but this year it's been raised to Human Grade Fifth Tier!"

"Wind Ling Island used to recruit a thousand disciples each year, but this year they're only recruiting five hundred. They're seeking quality over quantity, so naturally, the standards have to be raised."

Listening to the discussions around him, Su Mo couldn't help but feel a bit surprised.

A Human Grade Fifth Tier Martial Soul was a rarity in Linyang City, seen only once in several decades. Among the young disciples, only Su Yu possessed a Human Grade Fifth Tier Martial Soul.

Yet this year, a Human Grade Fifth Tier Martial Soul was merely the minimum requirement for disciples recruited by Wind Ling Island.

Su Mo marveled, truly worthy of being one of the Four Great Sects of the Tian Yue Kingdom.

At the same time, Su Mo's heart stirred with excitement. Thinking about competing with countless geniuses not long from now, his blood boiled.

Just then, three young figures walked into the lobby. They were two young men and one young girl. As soon as the three entered the inn, they captured everyone's attention.

The young girl wore a long blue dress, had fair skin, and a delicate, quite pretty face. The other young man was thin, wore luxurious clothing, and his face was full of arrogance.

However, the most eye-catching person was the young man in the middle. He was around fifteen or sixteen years old, handsome, with deep-set eyes. His aura was pure and vast, completely unrestrained, revealing him to be a Spirit Martial Realm expert.

Su Mo raised his eyebrows. This person was around his age, yet his cultivation had reached the Spirit Martial Realm. Truly impressive.

"Brother Yan Qi, it seems there are no more seats!"

The blue-clothed girl scanned the lobby and found it full. She said this to the handsome young man in the middle.

"That's easy. We'll sit over there."

The thin young man saw Su Mo sitting alone and walked towards him.

The other two followed behind him.

"We're taking this spot. You can go squeeze in with someone else!"

The thin young man approached Su Mo and said in a commanding tone.

Su Mo looked up, glanced at the other person, and ignored him, continuing to drink.

The thin young man frowned and shouted, "Kid, didn't you hear me talking to you?"

Su Mo's lips curled into a smile, and he said, "Oh, is there something?"

"I said, move aside. We're taking this spot."

The thin young man's face darkened, his demeanor extremely overbearing.

"I'm sorry, you'd better go squeeze in with someone else!"

Su Mo shook his head and said indifferently.

"As expected, there are idiots everywhere. They want to take someone else's seat right off the bat. How arrogant."

"You...!"

The thin young man was stunned, then said coldly, "Kid, you have a lot of nerve. Do you know who we are?"

"Does it matter to me who you are?"

Su Mo looked up and sneered.

"I think you don't want to live anymore!"

The thin young man was furious, then pointed to the handsome young man who had just walked up beside him and said, "We are from the Yan family of Purple Mountain City. This is our Yan family's Young Master, Yan Qi."

As soon as the young man finished speaking, a commotion arose in the hall.

"It's actually Yan Qi, the Young Master of the Yan family."

"The Yan family is the overlord of Purple Mountain City. This Young Master Yan Qi is said to be a super genius with a Human Grade Eighth Tier Martial Soul. He's only fifteen years old and has already cultivated to the Spirit Martial Realm First Layer."

Hearing the surprised voices around him, the thin young man slightly raised his head, his face full of pride, as if he were the one being praised.

The handsome young man, Yan Qi, and the blue-clothed girl both had a smile on their lips.

"Human Grade Eighth Tier Martial Soul?"

Su Mo's eyes narrowed, and he was surprised. He couldn't help but glance at the handsome young man.

"Now that you know our identity, why aren't you getting lost?"

Seeing the surprise in Su Mo's eyes, the thin young man's expression became arrogant, and he shouted.

"What Yan family? What Yan Qi? I've never heard of them. I only hear a dog barking at me."

Su Mo sneered dismissively.

Since the other party didn't respect him, he didn't need to be polite.

"You're courting death!"

The thin young man and the blue-clothed girl were furious and about to make a move, but the handsome young man, Yan Qi, stopped them.

Yan Qi's eyes flashed with sharp light, and he said coldly, "May I ask who you are, sir? To not even put my Yan family in your eyes!"

Yan Qi was not an idiot. Seeing Su Mo's fearlessness, he secretly guessed Su Mo's identity. If Su Mo didn't even put his Yan family in his eyes, he might have a significant background.

Although his Yan family was strong, it was merely the overlord of Purple Mountain City. There were several families in Linshui City whose strength was not inferior to the Yan family.

However, after carefully observing, he found Su Mo to be extremely ordinary, with no extraordinary features. He was likely the disciple of some minor family.

"To gain respect from others, you must first learn to respect them."

Su Mo glanced at Yan Qi and said indifferently, not answering his question.

"Respect?"

A trace of mockery appeared in Yan Qi's eyes, and he sneered, "Respect is built on strength. What right do you have to make us respect you?"

Su Mo's eyes narrowed. Although Yan Qi's words were harsh, they reflected the reality of this world.

Only the strong were revered, while the weak were bullied.

"Brother Yan Qi, this person has insulted my Yan family. He absolutely cannot be forgiven."

The blue-clothed girl's voice was sweet, but her words were filled with killing intent.

"That's right. This person is arrogant and presumptuous, and doesn't put my Yan family in his eyes. His crime is unforgivable."

The thin young man's face was sinister. Su Mo calling him a dog had enraged him.

"Yan Xing, cripple his cultivation and let him go!"

Yan Qi nodded and said calmly, as if crippling Su Mo's cultivation was already an act of extraordinary leniency.