"It must be because the top-grade spirit stone that Young Master Ye gave me contained a lot of fire element. So, during the breakthrough, the excess fire element spiritual energy was absorbed by my pupils, and I successfully broke through to Purple Eyes," Lin Mo thought to himself.
Yang Chuxue knew that Lin Mo was going to leave Star Sect again, and she still felt some reluctance and worry.
"Xiao Mo, when you go out, remember to be careful and don't make your mother worry," Yang Chuxue said.
"Mom, don't worry, I will come back safe and sound."
Lin Mo nodded.
The old saying goes, when a son travels far, a mother worries.
Even though Lin Mo was now a martial arts expert, in his mother's eyes, he was still her child.
"Yingzi, take good care of Xiao Mo when you go out," Yang Chuxue instructed.
"Auntie, I will take good care of the master," Yingzi obediently nodded.
Originally, Lin Mo intended to go out just with Ye Beichen, but Yang Chuxue insisted Yingzi accompany him before she felt at ease, so Lin Mo had no choice but to agree.
"This time, I will definitely bring Meng Die back safe and sound," Lin Mo clenched his fist.
He then left Star Sect with Ye Beichen and Yingzi.
As for Sikong Lianyan, Lin Mo asked Lu Xing to take good care of her. Once he found Meng Die, he planned to use Hongmen as a breakthrough point to search for more spirit veins.
However, ever since Qing Xuan escaped last time, there had been no news.
"Where could Qing Xuan be hiding? Where do we start looking for him now?" Ye Beichen frowned and asked.
"Let's go visit an old friend first," Lin Mo said indifferently.
...
"Xiao Mo, how long has it been since you last came to see this old man?" Sima Hong was startled to see Lin Mo, then immediately his face glowed red.
Lin Mo said with a smile, "This year has been too busy, so I didn't have time to visit you, Grandpa."
"You are now the number one martial arts expert in the Huaxia Martial Arts World, to still remember this old man is my good fortune," Sima Hong said as he ordered people to serve fragrant tea.
With a tone that seemed somewhat discontent, Lin Mo listened to Sima Hong's words.
With an awkward smile, Lin Mo sensed that Sima Hong was being defensive over his granddaughter Sima Zining.
"It's okay, matters of fate can't be clearly explained. I hope Zi Ning will come to understand it," Sima Hong muttered to himself a little helplessly. When Lin Mo first visited the Sima Family, Sima Zining was very hostile towards him, but who knew that now, Sima Zining's feelings towards Lin Mo...
"All right, let's not talk about this. You are now the top martial artist, and no one makes an unwarranted visit to the temple without a reason. What is it that you are here for suddenly?" Sima Hong asked.
Lin Mo got straight to the point, "I want to know where Qing Xuan is?"
Sima Hong was from the military, and given Lin Mo's current special identity, it wasn't convenient for him to directly approach Minister Shangguan. Since there was an easier channel, he went straight to Sima Hong to gather information.
With the appearance of Heavenly Sect, the military certainly wouldn't be inactive.
At the very least, they should be monitoring the movements of the people coming out of the Heavenly Sect.
"Qing Xuan? I don't know where he is," Sima Hong frowned and shook his head.
"Could it be that Qing Xuan has returned to the Heavenly Sect?" Lin Mo furrowed his brows slightly.
Ye Beichen said, "Qing Xuan probably wouldn't go back to the Heavenly Sect. After the humiliation you gave him, with his personality, he definitely won't return to the Heavenly Sect until he has killed you."
Upon hearing Ye Beichen's words, Lin Mo's tightly knitted brows slowly relaxed.
As long as Qing Xuan hadn't returned to Heavenly Sect, he wouldn't need to worry.
Sima Hong put down the teacup in his hand and slowly said, "Although I don't know where Qing Xuan is, recently, people from Heavenly Sect seem to be gathering near Puchang, as if they are waiting for something. I think that Qing Xuan might be there, too."
"Puchang?"
Lin Mo suddenly widened his eyes. Puchang was the city closest to Lobu Lake.
The sudden emergence of people from Heavenly Sect and their gathering there clearly indicated that their target was Lobu Lake.
"Could it be that Immortal City is about to appear?" A glint of light flashed in Ye Beichen's eyes.
"This time the people from Heavenly Sect have come out in search of treasures in Immortal City," Ye Beichen suddenly said. "However, this is just a 'secret' passed around within Heavenly Sect, so I never told you."
Lin Mo replied, "I'm afraid that this secret is probably known to everyone in Heavenly Sect, isn't it?"
Ye Beichen nodded, "But it is just a legend after all. There are rumors that a thousand years ago, there was an Immortal City in Lobu Lake, filled with various Divine Beasts, inexhaustible Spirit Stones, and all sorts of vanished Divine Medicine. Five hundred years ago, a Great Power from Heavenly Sect went to Lobu Lake to search for Immortal City, but they never returned. It's unknown whether they died there or found some legacy treasure and moved on to another world."
Sima Hong, upon hearing Ye Beichen's words, was incredibly surprised.
Although he also learned about Heavenly Sect through military channels, it was only bits and pieces of information. Now, hearing these words coming from the mouth of Ye Beichen, the sect leader of the Beiyao faction within Heavenly Sect, the situation was different.
Divine Beasts? Legacy? Another world? For ordinary people, this represented the true cultivators!
"The legend says Immortal City opens once every five hundred years, and this year is exactly the time when Immortal City opens again. That's why so many people have emerged from Heavenly Sect wishing to find treasures within Immortal City and seeking breakthroughs. Moreover, the situation within Heavenly Sect is not very optimistic now, otherwise, with the danger of Immortal City, definitely not so many people would be willing to go in," Ye Beichen said slowly.
Heavenly Sect's spiritual energy was depleting, and the people of Heavenly Sect were appearing in the mundane world, searching for new breakthroughs. Hence, with the impending opening of Immortal City, a large number of Heavenly Gate cultivators had been drawn to the place.
Lin Mo furrowed his brows in silence.
"In that case, let's set out for Lobu Lake. Qing Xuan and Meng Die might be there," Lin Mo said indifferently.
Puchang was the city closest to Lobu Lake.
Due to geographical climate reasons, the population was sparse and its development relatively 'backward'.
It was merely comparable to a small fourth-tier county, but within this small county, numerous 'strange individuals' from all over the world had gathered.
Among them were professors from famous universities, members of research institutes, and even agents from some countries all cloaked as ordinary people, hidden in this tiny city.
Lin Mo, Yingzi, and Ye Beichen arrived at this small city and first found a hotel.
After all, Immortal City had not yet opened, and appearing rashly at Lobu Lake would certainly draw the attention of the people from Heavenly Sect. Lin Mo was afraid that Qing Xuan would run away again, so they planned to first settle into the hotel and gather some information.
"Brother Lin, you and Sister Yingzi go to the hotel first. I'm going to meet a few old friends and find out about Qing Xuan's news," Ye Beichen said.
"Mhm."
Lin Mo nodded offhandedly. Apart from Qing Xuan, who was of the 'Righteous Sect,' those of factions like the Beiyao Sect, which included members of the Demon Clan, were also likely near Lobu Lake, and naturally, Ye Beichen had ways to contact them.
Lin Mo and Yingzi had just walked into the hotel and opened up a bright room.
Behind them, a woman and a man approached. The woman was notably tall, dressed in tight-fitting clothes that outlined her sizzling figure, with well-defined features and a pair of azure blue eyes, surely a mixed-race beauty.
The man beside her was bulky, sporting golden hair, a foreigner.
Lin Mo noticed them, and they took notice of him and his companions as well.
However, their gaze merely swept over Lin Mo briefly, lingering a bit longer on Yingzi before they entered the elevator.
As the elevator doors closed slowly, the sharp glare in the eyes of the mixed-race beauty gradually faded.