"Fellow Daoist, do you not know who we are? How dare you attack us?" Ouyang Xinghe gritted his teeth in anger, staring intently at Lin Mo. That space ring contained three top-grade spirit stones and a fire spirit fruit; even as the successor of the True Fire Sect, these items were extremely precious to him.
Yao Lei and Wu Yue glared angrily as well. In their space rings were spirit stones and various types of spiritual medicine. They had just arrived in the mortal world and had already been robbed, and not by someone from the Heavenly Gate, but by a mere mortal martial artist and magic user.
"I'm not interested in knowing who you are, but the items in this space ring are quite good, enough for me to spare your lives," Lin Mo indifferently remarked as he secured the ring.
Ouyang Xinghe stifled his rage, well aware that the three of them combined were no match for the man before them. Even if they were lucky enough to win, they would likely be severely injured, which would be detrimental as they had more pressing matters to attend to in their journey into the mortal world, especially if discovered by the followers of the Evil Demonic Dao.
"I am a closed-door disciple of the Supreme Elder from True Fire Sect. This man is Yao Lei, son of the Sect Master of the Wind Thunder Sect, and the other is a fairy from the Red Moon Sect. You steal from us, do you not fear making enemies of our sects? If you return our belongings, who knows, we might even become friends."
Ouyang Xinghe folded up his fan and spoke with a bow.
Lin Mo's silence could have been mistaken for contemplation upon hearing Ouyang Xinghe's words, which carried both a threat and enticement. The Red Moon Sect, Wind Thunder Sect, and True Fire Sect mentioned were presumably prestigious among the cultivation sects of the Heavenly Gate. Offending three Sects at once could be daunting, but returning their possessions might foster alliances with these powerful groups, seemingly with no downsides.
Anyone else might have believed Ouyang Xinghe's words and willingly handed over the ring, but Lin Mo was no ordinary person.
Just as Ouyang Xinghe's expression turned complacent and confident, Lin Mo, who had been far stronger than anticipated, would surely not dare confront three major sects of the Heavenly Gate, thought Yao Lei and Wu Yue, who appeared a bit relaxed now.
"Enough noise!"
At that moment, Lin Mo coldly snorted, vanished from his spot, and reappeared before Ouyang Xinghe in the next breath, his right leg slashing down like a whip.
Ouyang Xinghe's pupils dilated, and he hurriedly raised his arms to block, but he felt a tremendous pressure, his legs sinking into the snow up to his knees, his arms trembling with pain almost as if in a training session.
"What I hate most is being threatened. Now that I have taken these items, I'll spare your lives today."
Lin Mo coldly finished speaking and continued moving deeper into the snow-covered mountains with Lu Xing and Yingzi, disappearing from the trio's view.
"Xinghe, how are you?" Wu Yue sighed, helping Ouyang Xinghe up.
"That damned guy, next time I encounter him, I must wash away today's humiliation!" Ouyang Xinghe said through clenched teeth, squeezing his fists tightly.
"I'm with you; next time, he won't get away like this." Yao Lei's fist crackled with golden thunder, a fierce look in his eyes.
Though they spoke bravely, deep down, they knew well that they were no match for Lin Mo, even if they fought together; their chances of winning were extremely slim.
Wu Yue sighed, her long eyebrows drawing together, her clear eyes looking into the distance, "We've just entered the mortal world and immediately encountered such a formidable person. It appears we've underestimated the strength of martial artists and magic users in the mortal world. We'll need to be more cautious in the future."
Hearing Wu Yue's words, Ouyang Xinghe, and Yao Lei's expressions subtly changed. In their eyes, people from the mortal world were mere mortals, and though some martial artists and magic users were just a bit stronger than ordinary people, they hadn't expected to be robbed by a mere mortal upon their arrival, which undoubtedly dampened their spirits and shifted their views on the mortal world.
"We should find a place to settle first and study the situation. After all, we're not the only ones who have ventured out; other sects are also eager to act," Ouyang Xinghe said through gritted teeth, his voice grave.
After saying that, the three quickly vanished into the wind and snow.
"Master, were those three from the Heavenly Gate?" Yingzi asked, her clear eyes wide.
Lin Mo nodded.
"You stole their belongings; they might seek revenge," Yingzi said with a frown, concern evident in her voice.
After all, Lin Mo was once counted among the top martial artists not only in Huaxia but also across the entire world, yet people from the Heavenly Gate still seemed more formidable to her.
But Lin Mo had just robbed three space rings containing not only spirit stones but also various types of spiritual medicine, which would probably cause a frenzy in the mortal world.
However, in Ouyang Xinghe's space ring were only three top-grade spirit stones, Wu Yue's had two, and Yao Lei's also merely two, indicating that such top-grade spirit stones were extremely rare even in the Heavenly Gate, while there were much more numerous low-grade ones.
Other materials and medicines were plenty but were all considered trash in Lin Mo's eyes, though useless to him personally, they could be used to craft magic artifacts for those around him, and the surplus could be given to the Star Sect. Given the current unclear situation, Lin Mo was not afraid of retaliation from the Heavenly Gate people, but it was imperative to ensure the safety of his close ones, and Star Sect was undoubtedly the best choice.
Lin Mo tossed the seven top-grade spirit stones and several hundred low-grade ones into his own space ring, including a True Fire Fruit that was imbued with essence of the fire attribute, which could be used to enhance his fire attribute powers.
As for the rest, Lin Mo erased the traces from the three rings, and handed over all the materials and medicines to Lu Xing and Yingzi.
"These spirit stones are formed from the essence of Heaven and Earth, just as ordinary people eat meals, but they can also be used to replenish one's primordial energy in a pinch," Lin Mo continued, explaining some basic cultivation knowledge to them, as he might one day leave Earth, it was essential to leave a legacy to protect his loved ones.
"In battle, if your primordial energy is exhausted, you can use these spirit stones to quickly replenish it."