The underground forums were already ablaze with excitement, as Lin Mo challenged the Green Dragon Gang, Joy Sect, and the Black Witch Sect by the banks of Daming Lake, creating a sensation in the Northeast Martial Arts World akin to dropping an atom bomb.
Be it the Green Dragon Gang, Joy Sect, or the Black Witch Sect, each was a top Sect force in Huaxia, with top Martial Arts Masters and Magic Masters at the helm, not to be taken lightly.
Yet Lin Mo had directly offended these three Sects, challenging the power of all three Sects by himself.
Such news in the Northeast Martial Arts World was enough to set off a public opinion storm, and some even within the Martial Arts World started betting pools, with the stakes breaking a hundred billion within three days, a shocking amount.
Whether in Cultivation or Martial Arts, one cannot do without money or resources. Families and Sects within the Martial Arts World control various mundane groups and companies; otherwise, where would the money for Cultivation come from?
"What a pity, it's too far from where I am, I can't make it to witness this earth-shattering fight."
"I'm still abroad, is there a fellow Taoist who can help livestream it?"
"Same here."
Many friends on the forums started to communicate, expressing regret at not being able to attend the site to watch this fight, lamenting the missed opportunity to witness such an incredible battle.
"I'm going to watch the fight with my elders tomorrow, and I'll help livestream it for everyone," one person commented.
"Thanks, Taoist friend."
"Mate, you're solid."
Lin Mo had cut down Godslayer Temple and Soul Destruction, two large assassin organizations, and had audaciously killed three noblemen, making his name notorious.
But the Green Dragon Gang, Joy Sect, and the Black Witch Sect were well-established organizations, with profound heritage and power that could not be underestimated, especially when the three were to strike simultaneously.
Therefore, the betting odds became 3:1, with a Lin Mo win tripling the bet, while a win from the Green Dragon Gang, Joy Sect, or the Black Witch Sect only doubling it.
Clearly, everyone, despite cheering for Lin Mo as a new generation powerhouse, was more wary of well-established forces like the Green Dragon Gang, Joy Sect, and the Black Witch Sect. Moreover, it was rumored that the Old Green Dragon from the Green Dragon Gang had once again made a breakthrough, having not appeared in decades.
The Jizhou Su Family's opulent estate was located along the stretch of Daming Lake.
The Su estate followed the typical Jiangnan manor layout, with half on land and the other half built over the shallow lake, covering more than three thousand square meters, in a grand display of opulence, akin to an Emperor's palace, worthy of being the head amongst the Four Great Families of Northeast.
The lake bank was shaded by dense willows, the branches swaying with the wind, presenting beautiful and elegant scenery.
On Daming Lake dotted with colorful pavilions, platforms, towers, and buildings, many Martial Artists dressed in strange or modern attire gathered, all there to witness the upcoming fight, including Martial Artists or family helms from prominent clans.
With the local influence of the Su Family and the Green Dragon Gang, the entire Daming Lake had already been sealed off days before, no tourists allowed entry.
"I've long heard how picturesque Great Ming Lake is. Although it is now devoid of the warm breezes of spring or the charming lotus waves of summer, the soaring waterfowl and the frosty landscape are particularly enchanting," Xia Mengdie said, gazing at the scenery before her as a radiant smile bloomed on her pretty face.
Yingzi replied with a smile, "Sister Mengdie, you really have a way with words. All I can remember is a text from school about the Baotu Spring."
"The Baotu Spring is nearby. After I finish up here, I'll take you to the hot springs," Lin Mo said, standing between the two women with his hands clasped behind his back, his eyes shining with clarity.
The three of them were standing in a pavilion by the lake, enjoying the view. Behind them, about ten meters away, stood a group of people—men and women, old and young. Leading the group was an old man with silver hair and a ruddy complexion, Su Gongyang, the helmsman of the Su Family Sect.
Although Lin Mo didn't like Su Yongchun and others, Su Gongyang was still the head of the Zong Family, and he was not in the same league as Su Yongchun.
"Little Miss, is that the master you mentioned? He looks even younger than you do," a young girl with pigtails said, her little face reddened by the wind, tugging on Su Xiaoxiao's hand.
Su Xiaoxiao's eyes lingered on Lin Mo's retreating figure as scenes of his ferocious battles replayed in her mind. A favored son of heaven, with such strength at a mere teenager, daring to challenge the Green Dragon Gang—who else in Huaxia could match this?
"The sea cannot be measured, nor can a person be judged by their appearance—haven't I taught you that?" Su Xiaoxiao bent down and glanced at the little girl beside her, saying helplessly.
"If it weren't for Xia Mengdie and Lin Mo, would the Green Dragon Gang have come to trouble our Su Family? Our family's foundation has almost been depleted these past three months," a handsome young man remarked coldly at that moment.
The Green Dragon Gang and the Joy Sect were opposing the Su Family, and every favor the Su Family used was one less in their arsenal. Were it not for the continued existence of the old Mr. Su, with his connections to the Sealing Border Officials and the military region, the Su Family would probably have been trampled by the Green Dragon Gang and the Joy Sect.
The speaker, Su Beiwang, was the pride of the Su Family Sect; young yet surpassing the second generation of the Su Family. Now commanding over several of the Su Family's publicly traded companies, he had even had the honor of attending a banquet hosted by Ma Fuhao and was one of the most outstanding youths in the entire Northeast.
Su Xiaoxiao frowned slightly, her lovely face turning somber as she said, "Brother Su, you shouldn't speak that way, in case he overhears."
"So what if he's skilled in martial arts and knows a few minor spells? This is the age of technology. Can the strongest martial artist or magician withstand modern weapons?" Su Beiwang said disdainfully, "If they disrupt the normal social order, Huaxia will deal with them sooner or later."
Hearing his words, Su Xiaoxiao frowned; her brother had been making rapid progress in recent years, and it seemed his ego had inflated somewhat.
"A collective acts in the interest of gains. If one person's interests outweigh everything else, then the nation will also make its choices accordingly," Su Xiaoxiao thought to herself, shaking her head.
On the scales of interest, the nation too would side with the party that offered the greatest benefit. If Lin Mo truly possessed enough strength, then his interest would outweigh the rest, and the choices would be clear.
"Master Mo, who do you think has the greater chance of winning this battle?" Su Gongyang asked, furrowing his brow.
Standing to the side, Master Mo, dressed in a black robe and exuding the air of a daoist immortal, said, "Mr. Su, if I may speak frankly, I'm afraid Mr. Lin is in danger this time. After all, the Green Dragon Gang, the Joy Sect, and the Black Witch Sect are all established forces. No one knows how strong they truly are, not to mention a combined attack from all three..."
Su Gongyang sighed, but now that he was in the same boat with Lin Mo, it was too late to get off.
To the south of Great Ming Lake was Qianfo Mountain. The cliffside was carved with many Buddha statues, and a twenty-meter-tall golden Buddha loomed atop the mountain. At that moment, the Buddha statue shimmered with dazzling golden light, radiating hundreds of meters as chants echoed mysteriously.
Just then, two figures leapt down from Qianfo Mountain, gliding through the air for a kilometer, and landing on the mirror-like lake surface, skimming across the water.
(The excitement continues tomorrow. Also, I should mention that I've written fifteen million words in novels, so many that I've lost track of how many books I've written. Thus, if you find the plot familiar, you may have come across my earlier works on other sites. If you recognize similar plotlines, feel free to skip them or stop reading.)