**Inner Hall of Sky Sword Sect**

“Can you believe how quickly they’ve progressed in just a few months?” remarked an elder.

“All credit to the sixth elder’s efforts,” praised another.

“I’m curious about the intense training regimen the sixth elder has them on,” mused a third.

Amidst the lively chatter and laughter in the hall, the focus was on two particular newcomers: Lin Mo and Wu Di.

Joining the sect merely three months ago, they had already made a significant impression by flawlessly completing their first sect task: hunting a late-stage spiritual beast. Such a feat was no small accomplishment for newcomers, yet they had achieved it with ease.

The elders marveled at their performance, recognizing the potential within them.

In the realm of cultivation, both humans and beasts followed distinct hierarchies of power:

- Common martial artist = wild beast.

- Foundation establishment = spiritual beast.

- Core formation = King beast.

- Nascent soul, Severance, and Sage = Saint beast

- Emperor = sacred beasts.

Strength in beasts correlated with their age, with an adult Saint beast capable of contending with a Sage realm expert.

As discussions grew, a sudden interruption drew their attention.

“Elder!” a disciple burst into the hall, breathless, and bowed before them.

“What’s the matter? Why did you barge into the inner hall?” an elder reprimanded.

“It concerns the sixth elder’s disciple,” the disciple explained urgently.

The elders exchanged concerned glances.

“What happened to him?” inquired an elder, his tone edged with concern.

“He’s gravely injured,” the disciple revealed.

“What? Who would dare harm a personal disciple? Speak in detail,” demanded the elder, his demeanor turning stern.

“It happened like this...”

Meanwhile, after Lin Mo and Wu Di concluded their task at the mission hall, they parted ways.

“Can you handle an errand on your own?” Wu Di asked.

“Why?” Lin Mo replied.

“I have a meeting,” Wu Di replied, his expression serious.

“Meeting with someone… A lover?!”

“No,” Wu Di retorted firmly.

“Just kidding,” Lin Mo waved dismissively. “I’ll be off then.”

“Don’t forget to buy master’s favorite wine,” Wu Di reminded.

Descending from the peak, Lin Mo made his way toward the bustling sword city below.

Although they could have exchanged the beast core for merit points at the mission hall, which could be used to acquire martial skills, the prospect held little appeal for them. With a master personally guiding their training, they sought other rewards.

Merit points couldn’t satisfy their cravings for delicious food and fine wine. Hence, Lin Mo ventured into the city to sell the beast core instead.

Half an hour later, he arrived at the bustling city square.

As usual, the square was crowded with merchants and carriages, while pedestrians bustled about, many of them carrying swords at their sides or on their backs.

These were the ordinary martial artists who made a living by hunting beasts in the nearby forest.

Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

After strolling through the city for a while, he found himself standing before a towering red pavilion, renowned as the largest merchant establishment in the city, offering a vast array of goods and materials for sale.

Upon entering the pavilion, he saw an impressive array of treasures and rare items displayed on the shelves, with several buyers wandering about.

Among the items, Lin Mo’s gaze was drawn to a shimmering stone on one of the shelves—a mid-ranked spiritual stone, formed from condensed spirit energy. However, his awe quickly turned to disbelief as he glanced at the price tag beneath it.

[Ten thousand gold coins]

A single gold coin could feed a family of five for a month. That’s a ridiculous sum for a single spiritual stone, thought Lin Mo.

Lin Mo realized he was ten thousand gold coins richer every month. On the first of each month, their sect would hand out a single spiritual stone to all disciples.

‘I’m a cultivator now; I cannot be swayed by riches,’ murmured Lin Mo, shaking his head.

“Excuse me, sir, what are you looking for?” the shopkeeper inquired, noticing Lin Mo’s dazed state.

“I’m here to sell something,” Lin Mo replied.

“May I see the item?” the shopkeeper requested.

From his pouch, Lin Mo retrieved a gleaming orb.

“A beast core?” the shopkeeper observed.

Lin Mo affirmed, “Yes. How much can I get for it?”

“I can offer you fifty thousand gold coins for this core,” the shopkeeper proposed.

Lin Mo was taken aback by the sum, far exceeding his expectations.

Sensing his hesitation, the shopkeeper quickly raised the offer, “I won’t go any higher than sixty thousand.”

Ultimately, Lin Mo sold the beast core for sixty thousand gold coins, unaware of its true value and thus refraining from bargaining.

As he exited the pavilion, he couldn’t shake the feeling of being taken advantage of, noticing the gleam of excitement on the shopkeeper’s face. Somehow, Lin Mo felt swindled.

On his way back, Lin Mo stopped by a wine shop and purchased two large pots of wine, his master’s favorite.

Aware that storing the wine alongside other items in his spatial pouch would compromise its flavor, he carried them by hand as he made his way home.

As he leisurely strolled along, suddenly, someone collided with him, causing one of the wine pots to slip from its holder and shatter on the ground.

Despite his quick reflexes, he could only save one pot.

“Oops, didn’t see you there,” a somewhat mocking voice remarked.

“It’s alright,” Lin Mo replied, lifting himself.

The person before him wore white attire adorned with a sect badge: Sun Sword Sect, one of the prominent sects in the region. With a resigned sigh, Lin Mo turned to leave but was interrupted by yet another collision, resulting in the second wine pot meeting the same fate.

“Oops, my apologies,” another voice jeered, accompanied by laughter.

He saw this person also wore white attire like the previous person, with a similar badge hanging on the waist.

Observing the intentional nature of the collisions, Lin Mo remained composed. While his apprentice brother might resort to fists before words, Lin Mo preferred a more restrained approach, though not without limits.

Addressing the culprits, Lin Mo calmly stated, “You owe me a hundred gold coins for the damages.”

“Accidents happen, little brother, and I doubt that wine cost a hundred gold coins,” one of the disciples retorted.

“Considering it was an accident, I’m only asking for compensation,” Lin Mo countered.

“And if we refuse?” another disciple challenged. “What will you do?”

Lin Mo replied with a wry smile, “You might ‘accidentally’ break your bones bumping into someone,”

Understanding the veiled threat, one of the disciples grabbed Lin Mo’s collar, initiating a confrontation.

Despite being outnumbered five to one, Lin Mo held his ground, effortlessly overpowering them.

With each punch, the disciples fell to the ground, rolling in pain.

“Now will you pay up?” asked Lin Mo.

Looking at his surroundings, there was a huge crowd gathered, watching the show.

Amidst the chaos, Lin Mo noticed a group of white-clad figures approaching—a clear indication of trouble.

“Why is the whole pack here?” Lin Mo cursed under his breath.

Those were people from the Sun Sword Sect.

“Are you the one who did this?” asked a middle-aged man in white attire.

“I suppose I am the one—”

Before he could finish a sentence, a strong spiritual pressure descended on his body, making it even harder to move and breathe.

“Punish him, Elder,” a beaten-up disciple said. “He bullied us for no reason.”

“You!” There was no point in Lin Mo explaining to these people. They would believe their disciples anyway.

“I am an elder, So, I won’t intervene in junior’s matter,” that elder declared before instructing a senior disciple to handle the situation.

The senior disciple dashed towards Lin Mo and landed a heavy blow.

Despite the elder’s claim of non-interference, Lin Mo felt the weight of spiritual pressure bearing down on him, impeding his movements.

With relentless blows raining down upon him, Lin Mo could only defend himself passively, his body soon adorned with cuts and bruises.

A while later, noticing the commotion, the city guards arrived.

Their arrival brought an end to the skirmish. Unconscious and battered, Lin Mo was taken into custody, while the guards questioned witnesses and notified the Sky Sword Sect of the incident.

Later, Lin Mo was returned to the sect.