Su Yue Comes to the Rescue, Confrontation Turmoil

Plant Academy.

A breeze swept through the dense tree-lined path, rustling the branches and leaves.

Zhao Lei stood in the middle of the road. Three Soul Rings—yellow, yellow, purple—appeared beneath his feet, their lights intertwining. The powerful Soul Power of a Three-Ring Soul Grandmaster surged outward freely, stirring gusts of wind pressure.

"So you're the kid called Lin Mo?"

With arrogant brows and an overbearing expression, he stared at the seemingly young boy in white before him, the malice in his eyes undisguised.

"You stole all the spotlight during the freshmen placement assessment. Pretty arrogant, aren't you?" Zhao Lei said coldly.

"You're just a One-Ring Soul Master. Do you really think no one at Plant Academy can handle you?"

Lin Mo slowly came to a stop, his expression calm and unruffled.

He did not need to think to know that Zhou Hang was behind this.

At least they had some self-awareness. They knew they could not beat him themselves, so they knew to call for backup.

Lin Mo's gaze casually swept across the dense shrubs beside the path, where he vaguely caught sight of several furtive figures.

"Quit looking around. Your punishment is here." Zhao Lei stepped forward, and the pressure of his Soul Power abruptly intensified, locking tightly onto Lin Mo.

"You've only been enrolled for a few days, yet you already dare to look down on everyone. Today, I'll teach you what rules mean at this academy—newcomers without backing had better learn to keep their tails tucked!!"

As his words fell, Zhao Lei slightly raised his wrist. His Soul Rings glimmered faintly, and behind him appeared a Pitcher Plant Martial Soul resembling a giant stomach pouch, its edges lined with saw-like teeth as it opened its maw wide.

Lin Mo looked at his bizarre Martial Soul.

This thing could cultivate too?!

Judging by that Martial Soul, Zhao Lei probably was not from the wealthy or powerful class. He looked more like a thug from a commoner background.

"Are you telling me what to do?" As Lin Mo raised his hand, dark purple lightning arcs danced across it. Dark Purple Vines, tangled around one another, grew from his palm. A yellow Soul Ring appeared beneath his feet, his Soul Power erupting as a cold glint flashed in his eyes.

The sight of that Martial Soul being summoned startled Zhao Lei so badly that he froze on the spot.

He realized that his Pitcher Plant Martial Soul was actually afraid.

How was that possible?!

He was a Three-Ring Soul Elder, yet the aura of a mere One-Ring Soul Master had intimidated him!

"Zhao Lei, stop!"

At that tense standoff, a nervous female voice suddenly rang out from the end of the forest path.

A clear wind brushed through the leaves as a slender, upright girl hurried over.

She wore a pale green academy uniform, her features delicate and fair. Three Soul Rings, their brightness shifting, likewise circled around her.

Yellow, yellow, purple.

The standard configuration of a Three-Ring Soul Elder.

Zhao Lei paused in surprise.

Su Yue?

What was she doing here?!

Su Yue quickly stepped half a pace in front of Lin Mo, shielding him behind her as she turned sideways. Her cool eyes faced Zhao Lei directly, her expression icy.

"Bullying a freshman who had just enrolled—how shameless!"

When Zhao Lei saw her, the arrogance in his eyes diminished somewhat, but he showed no intention of backing down. Instead, he raised an eyebrow and sneered.

"Su Yue, this has nothing to do with you. I advise you not to meddle."

"As for this guy, he's arrogant and domineering. He's already bullied Junior Zhou. I'm teaching him the academy's rules for the academy's sake. What, are you going to interfere with that too?!"

Su Yue's face turned frosty. "It was an assessment match. If he lost because he lacked skill, then he should accept it. Gathering people in private to provoke him and seek revenge is a far bigger problem!"

"If you dare make a move, don't blame me for showing no mercy!" Su Yue threatened coldly.

Zhao Lei's expression completely darkened.

"You're going to fight me over a freshman?" The Soul Power around him surged again, his Soul Rings blazing with a sharp, confrontational edge.

"I've already become a Three-Ring Soul Elder. I'm not afraid of you. If we really clash head-on, I might not lose!" Zhao Lei glared at her furiously.

Hearing that, Lin Mo could not help feeling a little embarrassed for him.

What did he mean, "might not lose"?

The moment he shouted that, he had already lost in terms of momentum.

"So we're fighting, then?" Su Yue narrowed her beautiful eyes and prepared to act.

"Who's afraid of who!" Zhao Lei's Hundred-Year Soul Ring suddenly lit up, and two vines shot out from his Pitcher Plant Martial Soul, winding toward Su Yue.

Su Yue did not indulge him either. She raised her hand, and a sharp longsword appeared in her palm, gleaming with a cold light.

A weapon Martial Soul?

Lin Mo was slightly surprised.

More precisely, it was a weapon-type Martial Soul, though plant-type Martial Souls were also classified as "weapon Martial Souls."

He had thought the entire academy consisted of plant-type Martial Souls. He had not expected Senior Su Yue to be an exception.

No wonder Zhao Lei lost half his momentum whenever he faced Senior Su Yue.

The two waves of Soul Power collided with a boom, sending fallen leaves swirling through the woods.

As the Hundred-Year Soul Ring lit up, the sword blade cut through the air and directly severed the vines.

Behind the bushes, Zhou Hang and the others looked rather grim.

Damn it, where had this troublemaker come from?

While the two clashed with Soul Power and damaged the surrounding vegetation, Lin Mo, who had been watching from the side, suddenly moved.

Like Gui Mei, he circled behind them and appeared behind the dense bushes.

Before those inside could react, Lin Mo stretched out a pair of "Ghost Hands" and reached forward—accurately grabbing the two figures at the front and yanking them backward.

"Ah—"

"Damn!"

Two cries rang out.

Zhou Hang and another boy were forcibly dragged out by Lin Mo, stumbling and crashing onto the bluestone path in a miserable state.

The remaining two turned around in terror and saw Lin Mo standing behind them with a faint smile, dark purple vines swaying at his back.

Not good!

Before they could react, the Thunder Hell Vine extended from underground and swiftly bound them.

The four people who had been following and spying on him were instantly wrapped up like dumplings, without even a chance to fight back.

The disturbance behind them made Su Yue and Zhao Lei pause their battle and turn toward the sound.

Su Yue's lips parted slightly. She was clearly shocked.

Lin Mo's indifferent gaze swept over the four bound people.

"Hiding in the shadows to stir up trouble, using others to provoke me—nice idea. Too bad you picked the wrong people."

"Let me go! If you have the guts, fight us fairly again. Sneaking up on us from behind—what kind of skill is that?" Zhou Hang shouted angrily, his face red.

That made Lin Mo laugh in anger.

Slap!

The Thunder Hell Vine lashed out. The faces of all four bound side by side snapped to one side at once, deep red marks appearing on their cheeks.

Zhou Hang was stunned, his pupils shaking.

He actually dared to hit me...

He dared to hit me...

In an instant, Zhou Hang erupted hysterically.

"I'll kill you!!!"

Lin Mo casually extended one of the hardened vine spikes to Zhou Hang's neck—Zhou Hang's pupils contracted as he fell silent, trembling.

"Go on, shout. Why did you stop?" Lin Mo looked at him provocatively.

Lin Mo then turned his gaze toward the other three.

They immediately lowered their heads and fell silent like frightened quail.

Zhao Lei and Su Yue were both dumbfounded by the scene.

What kind of move was this?

Were these really the methods of a teenager?!

Just then, hurried footsteps and an angry roar came rushing from afar.

"Everyone, stop!!"

The roar shook the forest, carrying immense pressure that made everyone present feel their hearts sink.

Lin Mo was slightly surprised.

There was another expert?

He moved the hardened vine spike away and played with it in his hand, looking toward the source of the sound.

Shen Lin, the homeroom teacher of Class A, came running over, panting heavily.

When he saw the tense scene before him—Su Yue and Zhao Lei had left the area in complete disarray.

Zhou Hang and the other four were tied up like dumplings, with injuries on their faces.

The Martial Soul vines growing behind Lin Mo crackled with lightning arcs as he stared coldly at Shen Lin.

Shen Lin's heart skipped a beat.

He immediately turned his gaze to Zhao Lei, and vast, boundless Soul Power suddenly erupted from his body.

Yellow, yellow, purple, purple, purple!

Five Soul Rings of rich, distinct colors rose one after another, steadily circling his body.

A Five-Ring Soul King!

The terrifying pressure of his Soul Power instantly enveloped the entire forest path, directly suppressing every restless trace of Soul Power in the area.

The auras around Zhao Lei and Su Yue were immediately suppressed so thoroughly that neither could move.

Two Three-Ring Soul Elders were like ants trying to shake a tree before the absolute strength of a Five-Ring Soul King—utterly insignificant.

"Zhao Lei! You've got some nerve!"

"As an upperclassman, instead of striving to improve, you abuse your strength to bully the weak! You openly stir up trouble on campus and oppress freshmen! Do you still have any respect for academy rules, discipline, or your teachers?!"

Shen Lin glared furiously and shouted so loudly that leaves fell rustling from the trees.

Zhao Lei was completely confused.

This... was my fault?!

That guy was bullying fellow students. Couldn't you see that?

Pressed down by the Soul King's aura, his body tensed and his face turned pale. All his previous arrogance vanished as he opened his mouth, wanting to explain.

"Shut up. I don't want to hear your explanation!" Shen Lin roared.

Shen Lin's gaze shifted, and all his fury poured onto Zhou Hang and his group on the ground, his eyes sharp as blades.

"And you! You lost the assessment, yet instead of reflecting and correcting yourselves, you harbored resentment and deliberately sought revenge! Gathering people to cause trouble and sow discord among students—you're utterly reckless!"

"If you refuse discipline, then all of you can get out of Class A and go to Class B!"

The young heirs of influential families trembled all over, not daring to even breathe loudly.

Seeing this, Lin Mo considered it briefly and decided to untie them first.

The Thunder Hell Vine withdrew, dispersing into shattered purple light.

Zhou Hang and the others immediately regained their freedom.

He forcibly suppressed his panic, gritted his teeth, and raised his head.

"Teacher Shen, he was the one who hit people! He's the one bullying us!!"

"Besides, this was only a small conflict between classmates. Are you really going to hold us accountable over an ordinary freshman?" Zhou Hang said.

He was certain that his family background was enough to make the teacher wary and compromise.

In the past, whenever he invoked his family, the instructors would take circumstances into account and lessen his punishment.

But this time, he had miscalculated completely.

Hearing this, Shen Lin not only did not yield in the slightest, but instead let out a cold laugh. His tone was incomparably firm, every word ringing with force.

"At Plant Academy, academy rules are above all else! No matter who it is, anyone who violates the rules will be severely punished!"

"If you can't accept the academy's rules, can't accept the punishment, and feel wronged—"

He stared coldly at Zhou Hang and declared in a voice that struck like a hammer, "Then pack your things and withdraw from the academy right now! I, Shen Lin, will not stop you!"

Those words struck Zhou Hang's heart like thunder.

He was utterly dumbfounded.

The family background that had always worked without fail had completely failed today!

He could not imagine that an academy teacher would not care about the Zhou Family at all, his attitude firm to the extreme.

The others around him panicked completely as well.

They had only been enrolled for a few days. If they were expelled now, they would have no way to explain themselves to their families.

All of Zhou Hang's confidence collapsed in an instant. His face turned from red to pale, and in the end, he could only clench his fists tightly.

Seeing this, Shen Lin's expression eased slightly, though he remained utterly stern as he announced the punishment on the spot.

"Zhao Lei, for abusing your strength to bully the weak and stirring up trouble, you are given a major demerit, all monthly cultivation resources will be deducted, and you will be confined for reflection for three days!"

Zhao Lei's face twitched.

This...

His gaze flicked toward Zhou Hang and the others.

He would have to make them compensate him for this loss!

"Zhou Hang, you and the others deliberately caused trouble and sowed discord. You will all receive demerits, copy the academy rules one hundred times, and clean the academy training ground for one month! Every one of you must submit a written self-criticism and publicly apologize!"

"Wait, what about him?!" Zhou Hang pointed at Lin Mo.

"He hit people too. How should he be dealt with?!"

The atmosphere instantly turned cold and silent.

Lin Mo stood there, expression indifferent, without saying a word.

Shen Lin glanced at him before fixing his gaze on Zhou Hang.

"I'll say it again: if you refuse discipline, you can get out of Class A!"

At those words, no matter how furious Zhou Hang was, he could only suppress it for now.

He glared venomously at Lin Mo.

"Still want to try again?" Lin Mo sneered.

"Lin Mo, this was their fault. When the time comes, I'll make them submit written self-criticisms." Shen Lin's attitude softened somewhat.

His meaning was obvious.

Could everyone just calm down for now?

Seeing this, Lin Mo said nothing more.

The disturbance came to an end. Shen Lin took Zhao Lei, Zhou Hang, and the others away, strictly forbidding them from causing trouble for Lin Mo again.

At the same time, Shen Lin looked at Su Yue and asked her to help escort Lin Mo back to his dormitory.

Lin Mo: ???

Escort me?

The woods returned to peace, leaving only Lin Mo and Su Yue behind.

Su Yue turned to look at the calm-faced young man beside her, her expression softening.

"It's all right now. I'll take you back to Quiet West Garden."

Lin Mo nodded slightly and did not refuse.

The two walked side by side along the shaded path, neither saying a word.

The gentle breeze dispersed the tense hostility from earlier.

Lin Mo arrived at the entrance to his residence in Quiet West Garden.

Su Yue stopped and softly reminded him.

"They probably won't dare trouble you again. Just focus on cultivating. If anyone provokes you again, you can come find me anytime."

"Thank you, Senior Su," Lin Mo said politely.

Watching Su Yue's departing figure, Lin Mo stood in the courtyard for a moment before returning to his detached residence.

Early the next morning.

Zhao Lei, Zhou Hang, and the others, having been severely punished, completely restrained their hostility.

After a night to calm down, coupled with the harsh punishment under the school rules, they fully recognized reality and no longer dared entertain the slightest thought of revenge.

Zhou Hang brought yesterday's group of followers to the entrance of Quiet West Garden. They obediently sought out Lin Mo, lowered their heads, and sincerely apologized in quiet voices. Their manner was respectful, devoid of their former arrogance and tyranny.

Lin Mo had never taken the farce of these clowns to heart. With a casual wave of his hand, he let the matter pass.

From then on, no one in Plant Academy dared casually provoke this seemingly ordinary young man.

Over the following days, Lin Mo completely settled down. He traveled around, familiarizing himself with every layout, cultivation ground, and resource area in Plant Academy, thoroughly understanding the academy's environment and rules and fully adapting to campus life.

During the day, he attended classes as usual, cultivated steadily, kept a low profile, and avoided trouble, perfectly embodying the true essence of lying low.

As night completely enveloped the academy, a crescent moon vanished behind dense clouds, and the darkness became as black as ink.

All was silent. Every student had fallen asleep, and the entire Plant Academy was quiet.

Lin Mo quietly left Quiet West Garden. His figure slipped lightly through the night, avoiding all patrolling instructors and students as he made his way to the most remote, uninhabited valley in the academy's Back Mountain.

Surrounded by mountains and filled with towering trees, the place was rarely visited by anyone. It was the perfect secluded cultivation ground.

After confirming that no one was watching and that there was no surveillance nearby, Lin Mo stopped, his eyes narrowing slightly.

He opened the system interface, his gaze settling on the special skills section.

[Weather Manipulation]

Come on, show me!