At this moment, outside the mountain valley, the ground was still blanketed with white snow; however, yellow-green tender shoots had begun to break through the snow, revealing just the tips of grasses.
The old trees in the mountain forest had also started to sprout new buds, bringing flecks of tender green to the scenery, as the warm sunlight shone throughout the valley.
An old woman with a hunched back, carrying a bamboo basket on her back and dressed in very simple attire, was unmistakably an elder from a nearby mountain village, normally making a living by gathering wild fruits or medicinal herbs to exchange for money at the market.
The old woman found another patch of seven-star grass, a very common medicinal herb known for its ability to clear the channels and stop leaks, and she carefully pulled it out, shook off the dirt, and placed it into the bamboo basket.
Beside the old woman was a twelve or thirteen-year-old girl, with a baby face and round, clear eyes that were like dark pools.
"Grandma, it's almost noon; let's head back early today," the little girl, who had been helping to pick some herbs, said as she wiped the fine sweat from her forehead.
"Mm, we can go back now; I have gathered enough herbs today. You can take them to Wang Mazi tomorrow when you go to school and exchange them for some money," said the old woman.
Just then, there was a sudden rush of wind in the forest, and several dark figures swept by like a gust of wind, reaching the mountain peak in an instant, their gazes overlooking the distant valley.
"Grandma, who are those people? Why do they come here every day?" the little girl asked curiously, seemingly not too surprised by their appearance.
The old woman's expression changed slightly, and, taking the girl's hand, she said in a hushed tone, "Speak softly. We can't afford to provoke these people; let's hurry back."
"Hehe, this little sister is really cute," came a sinister voice.
Two figures approached, wearing strange long robes emblazoned with various peculiar patterns; their complexions were pale, their frames skeletal; they appeared to be around twenty years old, yet also resembled old men in their sixties—giving off a very odd feeling.
"We are just here to gather herbs on the mountain," the old woman said, her expression shifting slightly as she bowed her head respectfully.
"We know, but your little granddaughter is quite cute. How about you give her to us? I guarantee your family will live good lives," one of the taller figures said, a lewd expression on his face.
The old woman's expression drastically changed, and with a thud, she knelt on the ground, both afraid and pleading, "My lords, my granddaughter is still young, I beg you to spare us."
"Hehe, I like them young," said the taller man, who reached out and grabbed the little girl, his face revealing a lascivious grin.
"People from the Joy Sect, are you really going to stoop so low as to not even spare an old woman and a little girl?" Suddenly, a loud shout rang out.
The figure that approached was nearly two meters tall, a bearded man wielding a long chopper—it was Hall Master Ge of the Green Dragon Gang.
"When have you Green Dragon Gang ever had a say in the affairs of our Joy Sect?" The man holding the girl turned his head, his gaze filled with a chilly light as he looked at Hall Master Ge.
Hall Master Ge snorted coldly, gripping his chopper, "Though I, Ge Mingtang, am not a good person, I can't stand by and watch the Joy Sect bully people like this."
"Hall Master Ge, you want to pick a fight with our Joy Sect? Let's see if you have what it takes," the shorter man shouted fiercely.
At that moment, a golden light suddenly shot across the sky like two golden arrows, piercing through the bodies of the two men from the Joy Sect!
Hall Master Ge's eyes widened as he looked towards the valley in the distance, where clouds gathered a hundred meters above the valley like a massive vortex, with lightning flashing and thunder rumbling within.
"Could it be that he is coming out?" Hall Master Ge murmured to himself.
The clouds above continued to converge over the valley, forming a vortex, with thunder leaping and the rolling thunder endless, as if a giant grinding disk rolled across the sky, filling the valley with its echoing sound.
Members of the Green Dragon Gang, Joy Sect, and Black Witch Sect's faces turned pale.
For months, they had sent people daily to observe the mountain's peak, to see if Lin Mo was alive or dead.
But Lin Mo's presence seemed to have completely disappeared.
Both parties secretly assumed Lin Mo had indeed fallen within the valley, yet they still sent subordinates to check every day, not expecting that today it seemed Lin Mo might be emerging from seclusion.
Hall Master Ge did not bother with the two bodies lying on the ground; his eyes were filled with shock as he looked up at the sky, realizing that no matter how powerful a person was, they could not withstand the force of nature. The clouds above the valley gathered like a whirlpool as if signaling the end of days—who had ever witnessed such a scene?
"Boom!"
Suddenly, a flash of lightning like a tree limb split the sky, striking into the valley.
The old woman quickly pulled her granddaughter and ran down the mountain, muttering as they went, "The Immortal is coming, the Immortal is coming!"
It wasn't just her; the faces of others from the Joy Sect, Green Dragon Gang, and Black Witch Sect were also filled with shock; even the emergence of their Gang Leader, Sect Master, or Sect Hierarch had never been accompanied by such phenomena!
The sky darkened, lightning flashed, thunder roared, and gale-force winds howled like dragons, as if signaling the end of days.
One member of the Green Dragon Gang promptly took out his phone to record a video and posted it on the underground forum.
The silence of the underground forum for a week was once again shattered.
"Man, what's happening? Could it be that an Immortal is undergoing tribulation? Fellow Daoists, hurry over and see if there's a chance for an immortal fate."
"The friend above must not know yet, this is Lin Mo coming out of seclusion."
"Lin Mo isn't dead, that's great, he's my idol, sob sob sob..."
"With such a grand display, could it be that Lin Mo has found some treasure in the valley?"
In a villa in some city, a girl dressed in silk stockings, with bare feet sitting on the bed, looked at the computer screen and suddenly shed glittering tears, smiling bitterly, "Lin Mo, I knew you weren't dead."
The entire underground forum was ignited by this video clip in an instant, even some old monsters who seldom emerged from seclusion were paying attention. The events of Falling Dragon in Yingchuan were not a secret in the Martial Arts World, but many who ventured there either died inside or barely escaped with their lives.
Only rumors existed that Old Green Dragon had once entered, but only ventured around the periphery of the valley, barely escaping with his life nine times out of ten.
Lin Mo within the valley suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze flashing with a golden light, he fiercely punched out, his powerful Fist Power like a soaring True Dragon, punching through the dozens of meters thick passageway in one go, a ray of sunlight appeared at the entrance.
"How long has it been?"
Lin Mo murmured to himself and then began to walk toward the entrance.
His expression was indifferent, and he appeared to have returned to a natural state, his strength having elevated to another level, and his Heart Realm had changed accordingly.
Stepping out of the valley, Lin Mo looked up at the sky where clouds were gathering, thunder and lightning snaked through them, and their rumblings roared forth, as the entire valley was engulfed by fierce winds.
"Eh, my seclusion actually triggered a Heavenly Tribulation? Could it be due to my Cultivation Technique?"
In fact, the stronger the Cultivation Technique, the more it contained laws about breaking free from the world's Rules and destiny, and only these laws could trigger a heavenly response.
"Sizzle!"
Another flash of golden lightning, thick as an arm, pierced the heavens, thundering loudly.
A look of indifference flashed in Lin Mo's eyes, "Just a mere Heavenly Tribulation!"
The thunderclouds in the sky seemed to sense Lin Mo's provocation, and a golden Thunder Pillar three times thicker than the previous bolts fell from the sky. The entire world seemed as if it were about to collapse, the Power of thunder and lightning so formidable that even space seemed unable to endure the strain and was on the verge of shattering.
The immense Thunder Pillar fell, bathing the whole valley in white light, leaving those standing on the mountain peaks squinting, unable to open their eyes, overwhelmed by the shock.
At that moment, a figure rushed to meet the descending Thunder Pillar.
"Is he seeking death?"
"The power of that Thunder Pillar is equivalent to a super missile, and he dares to rush into it?"
The figure that rushed in was none other than Lin Mo.
Lin Mo first emitted several Shielding Gang Qi, his entire body enveloped in multicolored Flowing Light, each layer of colored Qi Shield acting as a layer of defense.
By the time he was less than ten meters from the Thunder Pillar, all his Spell-defending Shields had dissipated, his clothes turned to dust by the force of the thunder and lightning, and strands of the Power of thunder and lightning burrowed into his body.
The force of the lightning battered his muscles, bones, vessels, and flesh. Had it been any other mighty warrior facing such Heavenly Tribulation, they probably would have felt on the verge of exploding.
"Somewhat interesting."
Lin Mo sneered, his gaze filled with unstoppable Courage, as he continued to forge ahead.
Finally, at the last moment, Lin Mo broke free from the Thunder Pillar and hovered high in the air, his body still crackling faintly with tiny sparks.
"Not bad, this Heavenly Tribulation actually allowed my physical Defense to once again be enhanced!" Lin Mo's indifferent starry eyes twinkled with a hint of excitement.
(The excitement continues tomorrow.)