"The weather forecast said there'd be a storm tonight," Tong Zhen looked at the distant sky, his eyebrows slightly furrowing, "why are there still so many people out there?" Dark clouds converged in the sky, occasionally punctuated by the flicker of lightning.
Inside himself, Tong Zhen felt a strange premonition, yet he shook his head, closing the window before returning to the sofa to continue watching television.
Upon the vast sea, howling winds gathered the dark clouds, between which lightning forked like branches, followed by the rumbling sound of thunder.
Lightning, sharp as swords, was grabbed by the sea into its bottomless abyss, turning into a fire snake that sinuously moved and then vanished without a trace or shadow.
Lin Mo stood proudly on the surface of the sea, hands behind his back, his gaze condensed. His fine, dark hair danced with the sea breeze at a distance of fifty meters, another young man stood proudly on the surface, his eyes, dark as the night, contained a hint of sharpness.
"Crack!"
A bolt of lightning, as thick as an arm, suddenly descended from the 'green' clouds, connecting heaven and earth, casting a bright light that made everything in the vicinity clearly visible. The lightning dove into the sea, turning into a fire snake, and then disappearing quickly. Just as darkness threatened to engulf the world again, Qing Xuan clenched his fist and vanished on the spot. As he disappeared, the mirror-like sea surface suddenly dipped, revealing only a blurry afterimage. He had already reached Lin Mo's side, his speed unbelievably fast.
Ye Beichen's gaze was solemn as he murmured to himself, "I wonder if Brother Lin can defeat him?"
"With the Qingxuan Master taking action, this guy is now like a tiny insect in our hands, easily crushed," Ouyang Xinghe said as he opened his folded fan, looking confident.
"I'm just not content that I didn't get to teach him a lesson myself," Yao Lei said through clenched teeth, his fists tight.
Wu Yue smiled, "The Qingxuan Master's strength seems to have improved a lot, truly worthy of being a genius in the Heavenly Ranking."
The Martial Artists by the coast and the members of the Heavenly Sect watched the battle on the sea surface unblinkingly. Seeing Qing Xuan disappear on the spot, turning into a streak of clear light, his speed frighteningly fast, everyone revealed a shocked expression.
Lin Mo's pupils emitted a faint golden light, his fists tightly clenched as he, too, vanished from the spot simultaneously with Qing Xuan. The mirror-like sea surface depressed into a hollow imprint.
A golden light and a blue light collided abruptly, the huge energy fluctuation expanding in concentric waves. Luckily they were above the sea; on land, it would have caused unimaginable destruction.
The spreading energy whipped up waves after waves, which crashed against the cliffs like jade, shattering into dust and mist.
The two separated upon contact, with Lin Mo trailing a white wake behind him, standing his ground with an indifferent expression.
Qingxuan also stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed unyieldingly on Lin Mo. A subtle trembling sensation enveloped his entire body, and within those sharp eyes, there was also a hint of astonishment.
The force from Lin Mo's previous attack had even made him feel an intrinsic threat deep inside. He had tried to overestimate Lin Mo's strength—after all, Lin Mo was able to snatch away the cultivation resources of Wu Yue, Yao Lei, and Ouyang Xinghe. Although he resented Lin Mo, he had not underestimated him.
But after just one exchange, he realized that Lin Mo's strength seemed to be much higher than he had anticipated.
Though the Qingxuan Sect was a Cultivation Sect that cultivated both the internal and external, and had the enhancement of spells, their power, speed, and explosive force all surpassed those of a Grandmaster in the Martial Arts. Especially since the Qingxuan Sect was a major Sect within the Heavenly Sect, Qingxuan had access to richer cultivation resources from a young age than others. Without the use of spells, in close combat, even a Martial Artist from the Emperor Realm of the mundane world would not be able to handle him.
A smile crept onto Lin Mo's indifferent face. With Qingxuan's strength, even if he were to encounter the Second Generation Sword Saint of Han Country, he could slay him, being significantly stronger than the opponent. Despite the Qingxuan Sect's abundant cultivation resources and their system of cultivation, his reaching such a level of cultivation at his age clearly marked him as a genius among geniuses.
"You are a genius, but a genius who has fallen by my hand," Lin Mo said lightly, and as the last words fell, he had already disappeared from his original spot, transforming again into a streak of golden light, "are countless."
"Damn it, today I must personally slaughter you," cursed Qingxuan, stirring the spiritual energy within his body, wrapping his entire being in a pale cyan glow. To the onlookers on the shore, in the boundless dark ocean, only a gold and a cyan light could be seen continually colliding, separating, and then colliding again. The entire ocean surface was churned as if boiling water, with waves surging violently. The superfluous energy seeped into the seawater, making it as heavy as lead.
Every drop of seawater was like molten iron, and the fish and sharks swimming in the deep sea were pressed into bloody froth by the spilling energy. The entire sea turned a dark red, with a pungent odor wafting through the air.
"Bang!"
After separating once more, Qingxuan's face bore several punches, bruised in patches of green and purple. His chest heaved violently, and he breathed heavily, evidently struggling to bear the intense combat he had just experienced.
Qingxuan clenched his fists tightly, his eyes radiating hatred as he stared intently at Lin Mo, standing a hundred meters away. He had never experienced such humiliation in his life, especially before his friends and fiancée.
The more he thought about it, the more killing intent filled Qingxuan's resentful gaze.
In contrast, Lin Mo's expression remained calm, unchanging, but sensing the murderous intent emanating from Qingxuan, he could not help but feel a desire to kill as well.
Ye Beichen stood on the ocean's surface, witnessing the state of the two combatants, his surprise turning into a smile, "Haha, my eye for talent, Ye Beichen, is indeed not wrong. Brother Lin truly is a hidden master. It seems he doesn't need my help. Qingxuan is going to suffer a setback this time."
As for Wu Yue, Yao Lei, and Ouyang Xinghe, their expressions turned somewhat ugly—could even Qingxuan not secure victory?
"Lin Mo, you... have completely enraged me. If you cripple your own martial arts right now, kneel down and beg for mercy, I might still spare your dog life!" Qingxuan spat through gritted teeth, his voice as if shooting through the gaps in his teeth.
Lin Mo, with furrowed brows, said, "If you can say such things, it shows you were born into privilege and haven't suffered much hardship or failure. But you should know that the path of cultivation is not about being a spoiled second-generation, but about honing the Dao Heart through your own relentless effort. With your attitude, even if your talent is great and you're given abundant resources, your future cultivation will hit a bottleneck, forever missing the chance to reach the peak and vie for the pinnacle."