"Father, it's here."
Lin Zihan brought Lin Zhan to Ji Mo's courtyard.
Seeing the wisps of smoke rising, she felt both joy and worry.
Senior Ji was indeed not a swindler and had not fled, but her father was stubborn. What if he angered him?
"Bold of you to not flee with the treasure."
Lin Zhan strode forward, intending to break down the door.
As he reached the entrance, a surge of righteous energy suddenly struck him, powerful enough to force him back several steps.
"This is a humble abode, yet my virtue shines? You fraud, how dare you flatter yourself."
Lin Zhan was furious and ashamed, clenching his fists. To be forced back by a mere couplet made him feel utterly humiliated.
His spiritual energy surged, and the aura of a Spirit King realm expert erupted, intending to use force to flatten the place.
Just as Lin Zhan was about to act, he suddenly felt his soul tremble, his entire body turn cold, and an intense sense of crisis arose in his heart.
It felt as if any rash move would lead to utter destruction.
"This door god has a problem!"
Lin Zhan's gaze fell upon the door god painting at the entrance. His eyes stung, and an aura as vast as an ocean rushed into his mind.
"How is this possible? Just a painting, how can it possess the aura of a deity?"
Lin Zhan felt lingering fear, suspecting he must be hallucinating.
How could a deity guard a house?
"Father, don't be anxious, I'll knock."
Lin Zihan, fearing Lin Zhan would act rashly, quickly stepped forward to knock and called out to Senior Ji in a sweet voice.
She harbored no ill intentions and felt nothing amiss.
Lin Zhan seized the opportunity to withdraw his aura, and the terrifying sense of crisis subsided.
After a moment, Ji Mo, wearing an apron, opened the door and came out.
"Oh, it's Miss Lin. A rare visitor, a rare visitor. Please, come in."
Ji Mo was preparing lunch and did not expect anyone to visit. This was the first time in eight years, and it made him a little excited.
Lin Zhan narrowed his eyes, carefully observing Ji Mo.
The person before him showed no spiritual fluctuations, appearing to be a mortal, yet exuded a strange aura that he couldn't fathom.
Was it returning to simplicity, or a deliberate act of mystery?
He was unsure.
His initial contempt gradually subsided.
Upon entering the house.
Lin Zhan's expression finally changed. The spiritual energy here was indeed very dense; Lin Zihan had not lied.
"Senior Ji, this is my father, Lin Zhan. Actually, we..."
Lin Zihan didn't know how to begin. It was too embarrassing to ask for something back after giving it away.
Lin Zhan couldn't be bothered with such niceties. He got straight to the point, saying, "I've come to retrieve the Li Huo Pearl. It's a supreme treasure of my sect, of utmost importance, and cannot fall into the hands of outsiders."
He watched Ji Mo's reaction. If the other party wisely handed over the Li Huo Pearl, then so be it. If not, he wouldn't be blamed for resorting to force.
"Just a broken bead, a supreme treasure?"
Ji Mo looked genuinely surprised. Was it really worth traveling such a long distance just to retrieve a mere bead?
A broken bead?
Lin Zhan was so angry he could have jumped. How could the foundational treasure of the Brahma Sect be called trash?
"Wait a moment, I'll look for it. I don't know where I threw it."
Ji Mo bent down and began searching the floor.
He only remembered tossing it aside casually and didn't know where it had rolled.
"Hmph, acting as if it's real."
Lin Zhan sneered inwardly. Such a treasure, wouldn't it be collected properly, rather than thrown around like garbage?
In a short while, he was proven wrong on the spot.
"Miss Lin, are you looking for this golden bead, or the silver one, or perhaps this purple bead... How about, I'll give you all of them."
Ji Mo had indeed found a handful of small beads.
They were marbles he had made out of boredom, and their appearance was no less impressive than the Li Huo Pearl.
"This..."
Lin Zhan gasped, his eyes widening like saucers.
The dazzling treasure light almost blinded him. These were all extraordinary Five Elements Spirit Pearls, their contained power far exceeding that of the Li Huo Pearl.
"No, it was a red bead."
Lin Zihan, seeing Ji Mo stuffing a handful of spirit pearls into her embrace, quickly declined.
Lin Zhan's mouth gaped, wishing he could stop her. This foolish daughter was being extravagant, pushing away treasures that were already in hand.
Then, his body trembled, filled with regret.
He now believed that Ji Mo was truly a reclusive master.
And he had mistaken the master for a swindler, shamelessly asking for back something he had gifted.
Lin Zhan's face was filled with bitterness, his intestines twisting with regret. He gazed out the window, feeling his heart bleed.
Suddenly, his pupils dilated.
What was that?
A pond, with dragon energy surging, and countless dragon fish leaping.
In the vegetable garden, demonic energy billowed, and a strange bird with sparse feathers was strolling...
No, those sharp eyes, that heart-palpitating pressure.
It was the Heavenly Peng, the overlord of the Tongtian Mountain Range.
"Ah..."
Lin Zhan cried out, then quickly silenced himself. If he disturbed the Heavenly Peng, his life would surely be forfeit.
"What, you want chicken? I'll go slaughter it. This black chicken doesn't catch insects and doesn't lay eggs, so it's useless to keep."
Ji Mo misunderstood, grabbing an axe and looking at the Heavenly Peng.
The Heavenly Peng clearly heard him, trembling uncontrollably, almost falling to the ground.
"Injustice! Insects are the nine-transformation Heavenly Silkworm, how dare I catch them? And I am male, where would eggs come from?"
The Heavenly Peng wailed internally, almost begging for mercy.
"No, absolutely not."
Lin Zhan, terrified, shook his head repeatedly.
"How about fish?" Ji Mo asked again.
"No... I'm a vegetarian."
Lin Zhan hastily refused. Who would dare eat dragon fish?
The Dragon Clan was the most protective of its own. If this matter were exposed, who could bear the wrath of the Dragon Clan?
Lin Zihan looked at her father in confusion. The man who loved to eat meat and drink heartily, when did he become a vegetarian?
Lin Zhan had to remind her in a low voice, immediately causing Lin Zihan's eyes to widen, and she covered her mouth, unable to speak.
What kind of existence was this, keeping dragon fish and a demon emperor, it was simply unimaginable.
Lin Zhan swallowed hard, his gaze towards Ji Mo completely changed.
"A master, an absolutely peerless reclusive master!"
If the Brahma Sect had the protection of a powerful being like Ji Mo, why would they fear mere Xuan Shui Pavilion and Heavenly Wolf Gang?
But he had offended the master. How could he mend the relationship and latch onto this powerful figure?
Lin Zhan fell into deep thought.
"Since you don't like meat, I'll stir-fry some vegetables for you. We can find the beads slowly after eating."
Ji Mo was very hospitable and began to prepare.
"Hmm, Senior is keeping us for a meal, does that mean you don't mind my rudeness?"
Hearing this, Lin Zhan was inexplicably excited, moved to the point of tears.
He looked at Ji Mo with shame, about to apologize, but then froze.
He saw Ji Mo cutting vegetables, exuding an aura of heaven and man as one.
With every movement, there were faint traces of the Great Dao. The axe danced, chopping and slicing with supreme knife skills, each move exuding profound Daoist charm.
"Dao follows nature!"
Lin Zhan and Lin Zihan were stunned.
If they could comprehend even a little, it would benefit them endlessly.
Lin Zihan glanced at it twice and felt her head spin. Frightened, she quickly closed her eyes, daring not to look again.
Lin Zhan, with his profound cultivation, seemed to gain some insight, grasping a sliver of spiritual light. His cultivation soared, and his realm even showed signs of breaking through.
Just then.
The sound transmission jade pendant in his embrace vibrated, and a panicked voice came through: "Sect Master, a great enemy has invaded, return quickly..."