Chapter 78: The Immortal Palace Potential Sword!

Dozens of figures swiftly approached the Nine-Layer Awakening Platform, the team leaders of the Nine Dao Academies arriving in haste, just as they had for the past dozen days.

“It’s Chu Wange!”

They immediately recognized who had triggered the celestial phenomenon.

“Everyone, vacate the Awakening Platform!”

At the leader’s shout, the newly arrived students—who had already awakened—quickly broke their meditative states and stepped off the platform.

Several team leaders joined forces to form a formation, shielding the two new students who had entered enlightenment later from Chu Wange’s influence.

Of course, their intervention was primarily to protect Chu Wange herself.

“Tsk tsk, this aura is incredible!”

Li Feng of the Ghost Sect murmured in awe: “Could Qingshan Sect be producing another sword with Immortal Palace potential?”

At these words, another team leader immediately replied.

“Given this aura, it’s not impossible.”

“The top hundred of every generation lives up to its name!”

“Qingshan Sect has hit the jackpot this time—previous Immortal List Top Graduates might not even have nurtured a personal sword with Immortal Palace potential.”

“Not even the Top Graduates of the Immortal List—over a thousand years in Qinzhou, swords with Immortal Palace potential are few and far between. If they don’t perish prematurely, they’ll surely rank among the top on the Potential Dragon List.”

“...”

Hearing the team leaders’ murmurs, Lin Mo finally realized how extraordinary the transparent lotus hovering above Chu Wange truly was.

Especially after seeing He Fei’s expression—first shock, then silence.

Clearly, Chu Wange’s talent had surpassed even this fellow sword cultivator’s expectations.

If the team leaders were this astonished, the new students on the platform were even more stunned.

“What’s a sword with Immortal Palace potential?”

“Who cares—it’s just badass.”

“I know this one! A personal sword can only be born from a Sword Spirit Root—that’s the prerequisite for becoming a sword cultivator.”

“But what exactly does ‘Immortal Palace potential’ mean?”

“It’s just badass.”

“I don’t know, but since it has ‘Immortal’ in the name, it’s probably something like Immortal-grade Dao arts.”

“It’s just badass.”

“Who keeps saying ‘badass’?”

Someone turned irritably—and saw Long A stepping back one pace behind Lin Mo.

Not that it mattered—his 1.5-meter frame was mostly hidden by Lin Mo’s 1.8-meter height, though his biceps peeking out from the sides were noticeably prominent.

Fortunately, the guy only muttered a couple of complaints and didn’t press further.

Long A stepped forward again, saw Lin Mo’s gaze, and chuckled:

“Lin… Brother, I’m not scared of trouble—I just don’t want to cause it, or I’d distract your wife’s enlightenment.”

Wife?

Lin Mo blinked, then realized after a moment that he meant Chu Wange.

“You’re mistaken—”

“Pfft!”

He was about to explain when a cold laugh came from beside him—he turned and saw a familiar face.

“Ye Chen?”

Lin Mo frowned slightly, wondering why the man was here.

Ye Chen tilted his head slightly, looking down at him:

“How come I didn’t know Chu Wange’s Dao partner was you?”

These words drew the attention of the new students and team leaders who had been discussing Chu Wange.

They all turned curiously toward this side.

As for Lin Mo and Chu Wange’s relationship, everyone had heard rumors over the past days.

Besides, the trending topic “Southern Mountain Dao Partners, Journeying Together to Immortality” had already exploded across Qinzhou’s internet—how could they not have seen it?

But for this Ye Chen to suddenly appear and claim Lin Mo and Chu Wange weren’t a pair…

The situation suddenly grew interesting.

Everyone wore an expectant, gossiping expression, ears perked up, even their murmurs quieting.

But Lin Mo didn’t play along—he looked at Ye Chen and said:

“If I recall correctly, your seat should’ve been on the Seventh Level?”

Before Ye Chen could answer, He Fei spoke first:

“I invited Ye Chen up—just to ask about Foundation Establishment Dao techniques. No rules broken.”

Ye Chen lifted his chin slightly, looking down at Lin Mo with disdain:

“I didn’t take your meditation cushion—why the panic? Unless…

“You’re afraid?”

Divine Gold… Lin Mo now understood. Ye Chen, just like he’d once targeted Zhu Hongyuan, the Immortal Second Generation, was now targeting him.

Lin Mo chuckled: “Bro, go see a doctor. Your middle-school delusion may be advanced, but it still needs treatment.”

Pfft~!

Beside him, Long A couldn’t hold back and burst out laughing.

Many around them also laughed at his words.

Only He Fei frowned slightly, then, as if recalling something, muttered sharply:

“Lin Mo, be silent.”

Lin Mo: “???”

He Fei looked at him, voice grave:

“It’s good that Ye Chen has ambition—cultivators should be like this.”

“Conversely, if you spend your days chasing fringe arts, what good is an early lead? You’ll eventually be overtaken and surpassed by those who walk the true path step by step.”

Hearing this, the new students around them wore strange expressions.

It felt like you were implying something… Lin Mo frowned slightly—he had no idea how Ye Chen had manipulated He Fei, but the latter clearly held a poor opinion of him now.

Lin Mo wasn’t angry—he simply said:

“He Fei is right—‘fringe arts’ are unacceptable.”

As he spoke, he deliberately stressed those four words, then deliberately glanced at Ye Chen and raised an eyebrow:

“Ye Chen, if you want my meditation cushion, fine—but…

“Are you worthy?”

Facing such blatant provocation, Ye Chen’s brow twitched with anger: “You—”

Lin Mo laughed lightly: “You what? I’m just speaking your language—what, annoyed?”

Hearing this, He Fei’s brow tightened—he hadn’t expected Lin Mo to confront him head-on.

Ye Chen’s expression darkened instantly.

Beside him, Long A silently gave Lin Mo a thumbs-up—damn, Brother Lin!

Lin Mo hadn’t just insulted Ye Chen—he’d directly challenged He Fei’s veiled implication.

This was likely the first time he’d released such a strong signal of defiance.

In all prior interactions, whether with Long A or others, Lin Mo had seemed utterly ordinary.

If not for his devastatingly handsome face and his outrageous antics in the Immortal Exam’s secret realm, he’d have been the most invisible figure on the Nine-Layer Awakening Platform.

Now it seemed he wasn’t as mild-mannered as he appeared.

Obviously!

Lin Mo took in the expressions of the crowd—someone had already come to shit on his head—could he still tolerate it?

He wasn’t a turtle!

Ye Chen glared at him darkly: “Lin Mo, you—”

“Chu Wange’s awake!”

A cry shattered the tension.

Everyone turned sharply, following the direction.

There, the translucent white-glowing lotus floating in midair slowly became even more transparent, then gradually faded into the air.

All fell silent, eyes locked on Chu Wange ahead.

After a moment of stillness, Chu Wange—who had sat motionless in the front row—slowly rose from her cushion, stretched lazily, rubbed her sleepy eyes, and turned around.

Her gaze passed through the crowd and landed on Lin Mo standing on the mountain path. She patted her rumbling stomach and spoke in a languid tone:

“Lin Mo, I’m hungry.”