The news that Lin Mo defeated Zhao Long with one punch and seized the title of the outer sect's number one expert spread through Qingyun Sect like wildfire.
Unlike the silent spread a day ago, this time, the news carried a explosive force that directly reached the inner sect and even the ears of the sect's elders.
In a quiet courtyard deep in the inner sect, an old man with white hair like snow was sitting cross-legged on a bluestone slab, his eyes slightly closed, and a wisp of green smoke curling up from the incense burner in front of him.
This was Elder Qingfeng, one of the inner sect's five great elders, who was in charge of the outer sect's assessment and resource allocation.
A young inner sect disciple bowed and reported outside the courtyard: "Elder Qingfeng, the outer sect has a new situation. Lin Mo, who was once known as a waste, defeated Zhao Long, the former outer sect number one, with a single punch last night. He also broke through to the Mortal Realm Level 7 on the spot, causing an uproar in the outer sect."
Elder Qingfeng's fingers, which were resting on his knee, moved slightly. He slowly opened his eyes, and a faint light flickered in them, like a star flickering in the night sky.
"Lin Mo?" He murmured the name, a trace of curiosity flashing in his eyes. "I remember this boy. A year ago, he came to the outer sect with spiritual roots that were almost useless. He couldn't absorb any spiritual energy for a whole year, and everyone thought he was a lost cause."
The inner sect disciple nodded quickly: "Yes, Elder. That's exactly him. No one knows what happened to him. He suddenly started cultivating a few days ago, and his progress was astonishing. He destroyed the Wang Clan in one day and defeated Zhao Long, who was at the peak of Mortal Realm Level 7. Now, all the outer sect disciples recognize him as the new outer sect master."
Elder Qingfeng stroked his white beard, his eyes deepening.
"A waste that suddenly becomes a genius... This kind of person is either a once-in-a-century talent or has some kind of chance. No matter what, it's worth paying attention to."
He stood up, his robe fluttering in the wind, and his figure, which had been old and frail, suddenly exuded a faint aura of a great master.
"Inform the outer sect that from today on, Lin Mo will be directly promoted to the inner sect. In addition, prepare a portion of intermediate resources and send them to the outer sect's residence. I want to see what kind of person this Lin Mo is."
The inner sect disciple was stunned for a moment, then his face lit up with excitement.
Promoted directly to the inner sect?
In Qingyun Sect, the gap between the outer sect and the inner sect was like a chasm. It usually took at least three to five years of hard work for an outer sect disciple to be promoted to the inner sect by passing the assessment. And Lin Mo had only been in the outer sect for more than a year, and he was directly promoted by an elder?
This was an unprecedented honor!
"Yes! This disciple will do it immediately!" The disciple bowed deeply and turned to leave, his steps brisk.
Elder Qingfeng looked in the direction of the outer sect, a faint smile on his face.
"Qingyun Sect hasn't had a truly outstanding young disciple in many years. I hope you don't let me down, Lin Mo."
At the same time, in another courtyard in the inner sect, another elder was also informed of the news.
This was Elder Liehu, the elder in charge of the inner sect's combat training. Unlike the gentle Elder Qingfeng, Elder Liehu had a fiery temper and a bold and unrestrained personality.
After hearing the report, Elder Liehu slams the table in front of him with a bang, and the teacup on the table jumps up and down.
"Defeated Zhao Long with one punch? Promoted directly to the inner sect? Interesting! Very interesting!"
He stood up, his burly body filling the entire room, and his eyes burst out with a fiery light.
"A good seedling! I want to accept him as a disciple! No one can stop me!"
Elder Liehu strode out of the courtyard, his figure like a shooting star, heading straight for the outer sect.
He had been looking for a talented disciple to pass on his life's learning for many years, but he had never found a suitable one. Now, Lin Mo's appearance was like a bolt from the blue, making his eyes shine.
On the other side, in the outer sect, the news that Lin Mo was directly promoted to the inner sect had already spread.
The outer sect disciples were in an uproar, and their eyes when they looked at Lin Mo were full of envy, jealousy, and admiration.
Some people even knelt down on one knee and shouted: "Senior Brother Lin! Please accept my worship!"
Lin Mo looked at the scene in front of him, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
Promotion to the inner sect was exactly what he wanted.
After all, the outer sect's resources were limited, and it was difficult to make further progress here. Only by entering the inner sect could he obtain more abundant resources and practice more advanced skills, which was the key to his rapid improvement.
Just as Lin Mo was thinking about how to obtain more resources, a loud voice suddenly came from the sky.
"Haha! Lin Mo boy! Wait for me!"
A burly figure descended from the sky, like a giant tower, standing on the competition arena, pressing down on the entire arena with his aura.
Everyone looked up, their faces full of shock.
This aura... was actually an inner sect elder!
Elder Liehu looked at Lin Mo with a smile on his face, his eyes full of appreciation.
"Lin Mo, I'm Liehu, an inner sect elder. I've taken a fancy to your talent. From today on, you'll be my direct disciple. How about it?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the entire outer sect was in an uproar.
Elder Liehu's direct disciple?
Elder Liehu was one of the five great elders of the inner sect, and his combat skills were unparalleled in the sect. How many outer sect disciples dreamed of becoming his disciple, but he had never accepted a disciple for many years. Now, he actually took a fancy to Lin Mo and accepted him as a direct disciple on the spot?
Lin Mo's eyes lit up.
Being accepted as a direct disciple by an inner sect elder was equivalent to having a backer in the sect. Not only could he obtain more resources, but he would also be protected from unnecessary troubles. This was a great thing for him who was bent on making money and improving his cultivation.
He bowed slightly and said with a smile: "Disciple Lin Mo, pays homage to Master."
Elder Liehu was overjoyed, and he laughed loudly: "Good! Good! Good! From now on, you'll be my most proud disciple!"
Just as Elder Liehu was about to take Lin Mo to the inner sect, another figure descended from the sky.
It was Elder Qingfeng.
He looked at Elder Liehu with a faint smile and said: "Elder Liehu, you're being rude. Lin Mo was first noticed by this old man. He should be my disciple."
Elder Liehu's face turned cold, and he looked at Elder Qingfeng unhappily: "Elder Qingfeng, you old fox! You want to steal my disciple?"
Elder Qingfeng stroked his beard and said with a smile: "Nonsense. Lin Mo's talent is rare. It's only right that the one who appreciates him the most should accept him as a disciple. I've already reported to the suzerain that Lin Mo will be my direct disciple."
Elder Liehu was furious: "You...!"
The two elders started to argue, and their auras collided with each other, making the outer sect disciples tremble with fear.
Lin Mo looked at the two elders who were arguing, and a faint smile appeared on his face.
He didn't care who his master was. As long as he could get enough resources and make money, it didn't matter.
At this moment, a clear voice suddenly came from the crowd: "Both elders, please stop arguing."
Everyone looked towards the source of the voice, and saw a young man in a white inner sect robe walking out of the crowd.
It was Mu Chen, the number one disciple of the inner sect, who was at the peak of Mortal Realm Level 9.
Mu Chen cupped his hands at the two elders and said: "Master Qingfeng, Master Liehu, Lin Mo is a rare talent in the sect. It's a good thing that both elders want to accept him as a disciple. But if you argue like this, it will damage the harmony of the sect."
Elder Qingfeng and Elder Liehu both stopped arguing, and looked at Mu Chen with slightly relaxed faces.
Mu Chen was the most outstanding disciple of the inner sect, and he was highly valued by the suzerain and the elders. His words were very useful.
Mu Chen continued: "How about this? Let's set a test for Lin Mo. The one who wins the test can accept Lin Mo as a disciple. What do you think?"
Elder Qingfeng and Elder Liehu looked at each other, then nodded in agreement.
"Good! That's a good idea!"
"What test? Let's hear it."
Mu Chen said: "The inner sect will hold a resource competition in three days. All the inner sect disciples will participate. The top three disciples will get rich resources. Let Lin Mo participate in this competition. If he can get a good ranking, it will prove his strength. Then, it's up to the suzerain to decide who will be his master."
Elder Qingfeng and Elder Liehu nodded again.
"This is fair. That's it!"
Elder Qingfeng looked at Lin Mo and said: "Lin Mo, you have three days to prepare. In three days, you will participate in the inner sect resource competition. If you can perform well, you will have a chance to choose your master."
Elder Liehu also said: "Boy, don't let me down! With my guidance, you will definitely become a top expert in the sect!"
Lin Mo bowed and said: "Disciple understands. I will do my best."
The two elders were satisfied, and they left one after another, leaving behind a group of shocked outer sect disciples.
After the elders left, the outer sect disciples surrounded Lin Mo one after another, congratulating him non-stop.
"Senior Brother Lin! You're amazing! You're going to be an inner sect disciple soon!"
"Senior Brother Lin, I'll follow you from now on! Please take care of me!"
Lin Mo smiled and waved his hands: "Everyone, don't be like this. We're all brothers in the same sect. We should help each other."
After sending away the enthusiastic outer sect disciples, Lin Mo returned to his stone room.
But this time, his stone room was no longer as shabby as before.
Two inner sect disciples had already moved a lot of resources into his stone room according to Elder Qingfeng's order.
There were spiritual stones, spiritual herbs, low-grade weapons, and even a few intermediate cultivation pills.
Looking at the pile of resources in front of him, Lin Mo's eyes lit up like stars.
"These are all money! A lot of money!"
Lin Mo couldn't help but lick his lips. He was a man who loved money, and these resources were equivalent to a huge sum of money in his eyes.
He quickly counted the resources.
There were 10,000 low-grade spiritual stones, 50 intermediate spiritual herbs, 10 low-grade weapons, and 10 intermediate cultivation pills.
The total value of these resources was at least tens of thousands of taels of silver!
Lin Mo's heart was beating fast. He had never owned so much money in his life.
But he knew that this was just the beginning.
In three days, the inner sect resource competition would begin. If he could get a good ranking, he would get more resources. And if he became an inner sect elder's direct disciple, he would have access to endless resources in the future.
With these resources, his cultivation would improve by leaps and bounds, and he would be able to make more money in the future.
Lin Mo sat cross-legged on the bed, put a intermediate cultivation pill into his mouth, and began to refine it.
The medicinal power of the intermediate cultivation pill was much stronger than that of the low-grade one. As the medicinal power spread in his body, his spiritual energy grew rapidly.
[Ding!]
[Host has taken Intermediate Cultivation Pill.]
[Spiritual energy +50.]
[Cultivation progress: 10%]
Lin Mo's eyes lit up.
He didn't stop, and continued to take out the intermediate cultivation pills and swallow them one by one.
One, two, three...
In just half an hour, he had swallowed all 10 intermediate cultivation pills.
[Ding!]
[Host has taken 10 Intermediate Cultivation Pills.]
[Spiritual energy +500.]
[Cultivation has broken through to Mortal Realm Level 7 middle stage!]
A strong aura erupted from Lin Mo's body.
He had broken through to the middle stage of Mortal Realm Level 7 in just one night!
This speed of cultivation was simply shocking.
Lin Mo opened his eyes, and a faint light flickered in them.
He could clearly feel that his spiritual energy had become more abundant, and his combat power had also increased a lot.
"Three days later, the inner sect resource competition. I must get the first place!"
Lin Mo clenched his fists, and a firm light flashed in his eyes.
He didn't want to be inferior to others, and he didn't want to be looked down upon by others. What's more, the first place in the resource competition had the richest resources, which was exactly what he needed.
Just as Lin Mo was immersed in cultivation, a light knock on the door sounded.
"Senior Brother Lin, are you there?"
It was Su Lingyao's voice.
Lin Mo opened his eyes and said: "Come in."
Su Lingyao pushed the door open and walked in. When she saw the pile of resources in the stone room, her eyes were full of surprise.
"Senior Brother Lin, these are all the resources sent by the inner sect elders?"
Lin Mo nodded with a smile: "Yes. I'm going to participate in the inner sect resource competition in three days."
Su Lingyao's face was full of joy: "That's great! Senior Brother Lin, you will definitely win the first place!"
Looking at the excited girl, Lin Mo's eyes softened.
He reached out and patted her head: "Thank you, Lingyao. I will."
Su Lingyao's face turned red, and she lowered her head and said: "Senior Brother Lin, I have prepared some spiritual herbs for you. They can help you recover your spiritual energy quickly. You must take them."
She handed a small cloth bag to Lin Mo.
Lin Mo took the cloth bag, and a faint fragrance came out of it. Inside were some high-grade spiritual herbs that could quickly recover spiritual energy.
"Lingyao, you're so kind."
Su Lingyao's face turned even redder, and she said: "It's nothing. Senior Brother Lin, you have to work hard. I'll wait for you to come back from the inner sect."
After saying that, she turned around and ran out of the stone room, her steps brisk.
Lin Mo looked at her back, a faint smile on his face.
This girl was really cute.
He put away the spiritual herbs, and then his eyes fell on the resources in the stone room again.
"Resources, money, more resources and money."
Lin Mo muttered, and then continued to immerse himself in cultivation.
Time passed quickly, and three days passed in the blink of an eye.
On the day of the inner sect resource competition, the inner sect square was packed with people.
All the inner sect disciples were present, and the five great elders of the inner sect were also sitting on the high platform, watching the competition.
The suzerain of Qingyun Sect, an old man with a long beard, was also present.
Lin Mo walked into the square, and his figure immediately attracted everyone's attention.
Many inner sect disciples looked at him with disdain and jealousy.
"A waste from the outer sect, actually qualified to participate in the resource competition?"
"That's right. He must have relied on the elders' favor to get this opportunity. He can't win at all."
"Look at his cultivation, it's only Level 7 middle stage. How can he compare with us?"
Lin Mo ignored the comments of the inner sect disciples and walked towards the competition area calmly.
At this time, a young man in a black inner sect robe walked up to him, with a playful smile on his face.
"Lin Mo, right? I'm Li Hao, the fifth disciple of the inner sect, at the peak of Mortal Realm Level 8. I advise you to admit defeat early, don't make a fool of yourself in front of everyone."
Lin Mo looked at Li Hao indifferently: "Get out of the way."
Li Hao's face turned cold: "You dare to talk to me like that? Just wait, I'll let you know what despair is later."
With that, he stepped aside and blocked Lin Mo's way.
Lin Mo frowned slightly, and was about to speak when a loud voice suddenly came from the high platform.
"Everyone, be quiet! The inner sect resource competition is about to begin!"
It was the suzerain's voice.
The entire square fell silent in an instant.
The suzerain looked at the crowd and said in a loud voice: "The rules of this resource competition are very simple. All the disciples will be divided into groups by drawing lots. The winner of each group will advance to the next round. The final top three will get rich resources. The first place will get 100,000 low-grade spiritual stones, 500 intermediate spiritual herbs, and a intermediate spirit weapon. The second place will get 80,000 low-grade spiritual stones, 300 intermediate spiritual herbs, and a low-grade spirit weapon. The third place will get 50,000 low-grade spiritual stones, 100 intermediate spiritual herbs, and a set of intermediate cultivation clothes."
As soon as the suzer