Yu Clan's Invitation—This Is What You Call Sincerity?!

Plant Academy.

Bishop Salas walked out of Plant Academy's gates surrounded by the crowd.

Before leaving, he did not forget to invite Lin Mo to visit the Martial Soul Sanctuary whenever he had time, saying he would always be welcome.

Lin Mo responded with polite pleasantries.

Just then, the sound of galloping horses came from the far end of the road. A carriage bearing a thunder dragon-patterned crest raced toward them.

Faced with the guard knights surrounding the Martial Soul Sanctuary delegation, the carriage could only brake and slow down in advance, coming to a stop.

"What is going on?! What the..." The middle-aged man inside the carriage lifted the curtain and shouted angrily, just about to demand an explanation.

The moment the curtain was lifted, he saw the luxurious carriage ahead bearing Spirit Hall's banner, with Temple Knights standing ready and guarding it from all sides.

What truly shook him was the gaunt old man in platinum bishop robes standing at the academy gates, surrounded by everyone like the stars around the moon.

Platinum Bishop Salas?!

The Yu Clan elder's eyes nearly popped out of his head.

At that moment,

Plant Academy's senior staff were still gathered at the entrance.

Noticing the commotion on the road, they naturally turned to look over.

Lin Mo stared at the carriage flying the dragon-patterned banner.

The crest of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan.

But they had arrived far too late.

Everything here had already been settled, and only now had they come?

Salas merely cast them a sidelong glance.

His gaze was indifferent and cold, without the slightest ripple.

There was no greeting, no pause, not even a single unnecessary word.

Surrounded by the Temple Knight Order, the Platinum Bishop boarded his carriage.

The Yu Clan elder's expression turned grave, and he immediately ordered his subordinates to make way.

Soon, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan's carriages all moved aside from the main road and pulled over by the roadside.

Even though the road was not congested at all and could easily accommodate carriages passing in both directions.

Only after the Martial Soul Sanctuary's carriage had completely disappeared into the distance did the leading Yu Clan elder slowly raise his head, his expression rather ugly.

His name was Yu Kun, a direct-line elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan with real authority. A rank seventy-eight Soul Sage, his status within the clan was not low.

They had rushed through the night from the clan headquarters. After reaching Heaven Dou City before dawn, they switched carriages and hurried toward Elemental City at top speed.

Great clans needed to maintain appearances, especially when recruiting newcomers. Naturally, they could not travel on foot, even if Soul Masters could move faster.

Yet those very appearances had delayed their "procedures."

The disadvantage of distance had caused the Yu Clan to lose the initiative.

Yu Kun suppressed the anxiety and frustration in his heart and strode toward Plant Academy's gates with his clansmen.

His eyes instantly locked onto the young man in white within the crowd.

He looked down at him with an appraising gaze, carrying the innate arrogance and authority of an old, top-tier clan.

So this was Lin Mo? He looked rather ordinary.

Yu Kun thought to himself.

In the information gathered by the clan, he had seen a portrait of "Lin Mo."

Yu Kun walked straight toward Plant Academy's group.

"I am an elder of the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan. My name is Yu Kun. Greetings to you all." His voice was cold and stiff, without the slightest hint of politeness.

"Elder Yu? I have long heard of you." Plant Academy's dean replied, "May I ask why Elder Yu has come here?"

"To find someone." Yu Kun was concise.

He then turned his gaze toward the white-clad youth beside them.

"You are Lin Mo?" Yu Kun spoke with a condescending air, looking down at the youth before him.

Lin Mo raised his eyes and met his gaze calmly.

"Yes."

"I heard that your second Soul Ring is already at the thousand-year level. Is that true? Show it to me here."

Yu Kun's tone was stiff, carrying the arrogance of a command.

As though allowing him to inspect it personally was some tremendous favor.

Lin Mo's brow rose slightly, his expression calm.

"It is not."

Yu Kun's face immediately darkened at those words.

For Bishop Salas to visit personally, the rumors were true nine times out of ten.

"Young man, I know you have some talent, but that is not capital for you to show off."

"Douluo Continent has always respected the strong. As for geniuses who have yet to mature, hehe..." Yu Kun sneered, the implication obvious.

"I will not beat around the bush with you. Your martial soul possesses lightning attributes, and the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan is undoubtedly the sect best suited to your cultivation."

"The Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan will make an exception and accept you as an outer disciple. From now on, you need only do your duties obediently and earn merit for the clan. Then you may use the clan's Mimic Training Ground, and in the future, the clan will also provide you with suitable Soul Ring Resources." Yu Kun laid out the clan's sincerity.

The moment he said this, the expressions of Plant Academy's senior staff turned strange.

An outer disciple, obedient service, using merit to exchange for the right to train at the Mimic Training Ground, and a promise of Soul Rings without any clear guarantee.

These were the conditions offered by the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan? They were far too dismissive.

They thought this was still the past, relying on the illustrious reputation of the Upper Three Sects and believing that once they spoke, every genius in the world would bow and join them?

Sorry, but times had changed.

After hearing him out, Lin Mo felt nothing but indifference.

He gently shook his head, his tone steady yet incomparably firm.

"No need."

"Rather than joining a sect and being controlled by others, I prefer the freedom offered by a Soul Master Academy," Lin Mo said.

Clean and decisive, he rejected them outright without leaving the slightest room for negotiation.

The moment those words fell, Yu Kun's face completely turned cold!

Gloomy, impatient, furious.

In his eyes, Lin Mo was merely a commoner with no sect or clan. To be noticed by a top-tier sect like the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan was already an enormous stroke of fortune.

Not only did he fail to cherish it, he even dared to speak so arrogantly.

What did he mean, being controlled by others? Was he taking a jab at me?!

Or was it—

Had he already agreed to Spirit Hall's terms?

Thinking of the look Salas had given him before leaving, Yu Kun became increasingly certain that this was the truth!

No wonder this brat was so confident and indifferent. Spirit Hall must have just bought him off with lavish promises!

To pledge allegiance to Spirit Hall was simply foolish! He did not know the immensity of heaven and earth!

At that thought, Yu Kun's expression became cold and sinister.

His second Soul Ring could already bear a Thousand-Year Soul Ring. If he joined Spirit Hall's ranks, then in ten years, he would surely become a grave threat!

This boy could not be allowed to live!

A flash of icy killing intent passed through Yu Kun's eyes.

He forcibly suppressed the killing intent in his heart and did not say another word. He merely glanced at Lin Mo, his gaze as piercing and bone-chilling as a cold blade, carrying an unmistakable warning.

You chose this path yourself!

We will let this go for today.

But someday, I will eliminate this future threat!

"Let's go."

Yu Kun shouted coldly, then turned and left with four clansmen.

Before the academy gates, Shen Lin, who had witnessed everything from start to finish, watched their departing backs with a slight furrow in his brow.

He walked to Lin Mo's side and lowered his voice in warning.

"Today, you rejected the Yu Clan's recruitment, and they also happened to encounter Spirit Hall's higher-ups. Even if you agreed to nothing, they will likely consider you part of Spirit Hall's faction."

"Spirit Hall and the Upper Three Sects may still appear cordial on the surface, but there is probably no shortage of conflict in the shadows. You are most likely standing at the center of the storm now."

"After what happened today, the Blue Lightning Tyrant Dragon Clan may not let this matter rest. Whenever you go out to cultivate in the future, you must be extremely cautious. Do not be careless."

Shen Lin warned him earnestly.

Lin Mo nodded slightly, his expression calm and unruffled.

He understood better than anyone.

From the moment he absorbed his Thousand-Year Second Soul Ring and revealed his heaven-defying talent, trouble had been destined to cling to him.