Chapter 88: Who Did I Offend With This Move?

Leaving Inner Peak Square, on the way back, that little chubby Qian Wenyi was over‑excitedly telling Li Mu everything that happened to him during the assessment.

And Liu Guanyu and the other Xuan Yue Feng disciples looked both terrified and scared, as if they wanted to flee in panic.

When it got to the exciting part, he even burst into a belly laugh!

But Qian Wenyi managed to laugh.

But Li Mu now truly can't laugh at all!

Thinking that today he only came to take the Named Disciple assessment.

Originally Li Mu only planned to use a little force, just to make a token effort.

Then, symbolically slay a demon beast, and that would mark the end of this matter.

As for my side,

I can start preparing to breakthrough the Concentration Realm, and then claim the ten‑thousandfold Heavenly Dao Blessing stored in the system.

Then, just grind a bit more.

When my strength is about right, I can let the Dragon King emerge and, in three or five swift moves, wipe out Lin Zecheng and Qin Siwu.

But I never expected.

I had just set foot in the Named Disciple exam hall, and someone behind me wanted to kill me!

And that's not all!

Later, still bewildered, I was inexplicably pulled by Wu Zhengyong into that Outer Disciple assessment!

Li Mu thought that this day's experiences were already enough of a mess!

But I didn't expect!

Even messier things were still ahead!

The Song Haolin who was in charge of leading the assessment this time, damn, happened to be a person who was single‑mindedly trying to kill me!

Li Mu: "……"

Honestly.

Thinking back to my previous life when I was on Earth reading novels and messing things up.

Whenever I read novels, there are always some villains who act for some inexplicable reasons.

Or simply because they're full and bored, they trot over to provoke the male lead.

Then they get brutally slapped in the face by the male lead!

The point is, each of those villains enjoys it endlessly.

They even voluntarily bring their faces close so the protagonist can beat them!

Such plotlines make Li Mu frown!

I once thought this was just the author having nothing better to do and forcing it!

If I were to transmigrate and become a regular mortal protagonist,

I would just do nothing and simply grind.

As long as I stay kind‑hearted, there shouldn't be anyone who, being full and idle, would come looking for trouble with me, right?

Probably not!

But...

I don't know if that damn heavens eavesdropped on my thoughts, but when I blinked, I really got sucked into this other world!

Moreover, at the start I only had a bowl and a seat.

I wasn't excavated for a supreme bone, nor did a fiancée come to break off the engagement.

There wasn't even a sister poisoned with cold venom, dying soon.

Crucially, I started as an orphan without even a blacksmith father.

One could say that if Li Mu's start were placed in a previous‑life novel,

It would be the ultimate plain‑vanilla mortal, the most grassroots, blank‑slate character.

I have nothing at all, and my family ties are cut, leaving me an orphan.

Surely no one would be so desperate as to come looking for trouble with me?

But...

Li Mu realized through his own experience that it's not the novel being exaggerated; it's simply reality being too cruel!

Just like when I joined the Ziyang Sect with a pure heart, never provoking anything.

But after being here less than a month and a half, the people who want to kill me have almost filled the Heavenly Dao Scroll page.

You tell me...

Who did I offend to get this?

I just came to take the exam today, and damn, someone wants to kill me?

I damn...

My mindset collapsed!

…

"Boss?"

"Boss!"

Just as Li Mu was feeling emo..., a voice from Qian Wenyi suddenly came to his ears.

"What's wrong?"

Li Mu stared blankly at Qian Wenyi, somewhat puzzled.

"Hehe..."

"Boss, you still haven't come down the mountain."

"What?"

"Can't hold it together already?"

"Can't hold it together?"

"What do you mean 'can't hold it together'!"

Li Mu gave a panda‑like question‑face and looked at Qian Wenyi.

"I have no idea what this junior is up to again."

"Pretend!"

"Boss, right now it's just the two of us here."

"We're comrades; let's stop pretending!"

Saying that, Qian Wenyi gave Li Mu's shoulder a proper elbow bump.

He lowered his voice, using a tone only the two of them could hear, and whispered.

"Boss, you also came up from the Mortal Realm."

"How people from the Mortal Realm view us cultivators—if others don't know, can you claim you don't either?"

"In the eyes of those mortal folk, our status is quite high."

"Especially the mortal women, they greatly admire and yearn for us cultivators."

"Especially you, big brother, with that looks and temperament, flashing your Inner Peak disciple status of the Ziyang Sect."

"I believe that just a glance from you, big brother, would—"

"—make these mortal women volunteer to be your pillow, throwing themselves at you."

"In short…"

"Boss, you get what I mean, right?"

"Oh, I see…"

Hearing that, Li Mu showed no inner ripple, even felt like laughing.

"I tell you, Qian Wenyi, I'm now intoxicated with the Cultivation Path!"

"I have no mind to think about these romantic affairs!"

"Hehe…"

"Boss, that statement is off!"

"The five iron rules of cultivation in our Cultivation World are Law, Wealth, Partner, Ground, and Vessel."

"Among those five, the most important is certainly Partner."

"If one can find a Dao partner for dual cultivation, the practice becomes twice as effective!"

"Especially you, boss!"

"I admit your talent and comprehension in the Cultivation Path are this level, but when it comes to dual cultivation—"

"Compared to me, you're far behind!"

"Having never tasted it, I don't know its subtle charms…"

Qian Wenyi shook his head and swayed as he spoke.

Seeing that, Li Mu couldn't help but burst into a dumbfounded laugh: "Got it!"

"Looks like I still underestimated you!"

"Never thought you, little fatty, were still a rookie in the world of romance."

"Hahaha…"

"Um…"

"That's not it!"

"Boss, let me tell you!"

"My fiancée is truly a peerless beauty, a nation‑toppling marvel!"

"Those wandering women you mentioned can't compare to even a single strand of my fiancée's hair."

As he spoke, Qian Wenyi's eyes revealed deep longing, his gaze distant and profound, clearly pondering something.

"Boss!"

"When I, too, have a firm foothold in the Inner Peak like you, I'll descend and take you to the Qian family in Qingzhou for a tour."

"When that time comes, if you see my fiancée, you'll know I wasn't just bragging today…"

"Oh…"

"I didn't realize you, little fatty, are about to get married."

"Alright!"

"Tell me when you go down, and I'll have the contribution money ready in advance."

Li Mu smiled, patting his shoulder, as a pre‑emptive blessing for his junior.

"Oh, by the way!"

"Boss!"

"I've heard these past two days that Pan Wenbo is currently recuperating."

"But even while recuperating, he's not idle!"

"He says once healed he'll come to settle the arrow‑of‑revenge from the auction."

"This matter has already spread among the Inner Peak disciples."

"Many are waiting to see you, big brother, get your comeuppance!"

After all…

Speaking of that, Qian Wenyi's voice also became much softer.

After all, boss, this time you have offended a First-level Alchemist.

No problem!

Li Mu didn't take Qian Wenyi's words to heart at all, casually shaking his hand as he said.

If I'm scared of a half‑baked Alchemist like Pan Wenbo, then why even be in the cultivation world?

Better to go down the mountain and return to the secular world to farm!

Li Mu was not at all surprised about Pan Wenbo's intention to settle a score with him later.

Therefore, to avoid some unnecessary trouble later.

Back then Li Mu simply gave Pan Wenbo and his lackeys a strong beating; he couldn't kill them at the auction, but he beat each of them to near death!

He broke their tendons and fractured their bones, leaving them unable to trouble him again.

If Li Mu hadn't taken harsh action against Pan Wenbo and his group at the auction back then.

Then, given Pan Wenbo's vengeful nature, I would not only have to consider how to guard against Song Haolin's covert covetousness, but also deal with the trouble of Pan Wenbo and a group of peak disciples whose strength lies within the Concentration Realm.

Just thinking about that, Li Mu found it extremely troublesome!

Fortunately, the trouble from Pan Wenbo's side was temporarily resolved.

The pressing priority now is to figure out how to deal with Song Haolin.

After a casual chat with Qian Wenyi, Li Mu headed straight down the mountain and arrived beneath the great waterfall where he previously broke through the Forbidden Realm: the Ninth Forbidden.

Let's break through the Concentration Realm tonight!

Li Mu exhaled deeply, took the Jade Bottle containing the Gathering Spirit Pill from his chest, opened the stopper, placed the pill in his mouth, and began to meditate, entering a cultivation state.

Buzz…

The place where the Ziyang Sect stands is a feng shui treasure land where dragon veins converge.

Otherwise.

If that weren't the case, the Ziyang Immortal who founded the Ziyang Sect wouldn't have chosen this spot to establish a sect and recruit many disciples.

The Outer Peak where Li Mu was before was, at best, just a peripheral spot of the Ziyang Sect, and its sensations weren't that evident.

But after arriving at the Inner Peak, he could clearly feel the surrounding heavenly and earthly spiritual qi was much richer than at the Outer Peak.

Just then.

Li Mu had just held the Gathering Spirit Pill in his mouth, but only for a moment.

Just then.

The heavenly and earthly spiritual qi swirling around him, as if summoned by some unseen force, began to surge wildly toward Li Mu like a massive tide.

Feeling the convergence of surrounding spiritual qi, Li Mu knew this was the crucial moment to break through the Concentration Realm.

He guarded his dantian, gathered his mind, and began to slowly circulate the Eight‑Nine Profound Technique.

The night was cool as water.

All that surrounded was the rumbling of the waterfall striking the water surface, and the desolate mountain wind whistling past his ears.

Yet atop this waterfall mountain, a very strange and massive vortex had formed.

Looking from high to low, one could see.

At this moment, an eye of wind had formed at the summit of the Ziyang Sect, though it was unclear when.

Layer upon layer, the vast heavenly and earthly spiritual qi, like countless rivers merging into the sea, began to surge wave after wave like tides.

One day and one night passed like a white horse darting through a crack.

Three days and three nights, like a snap of the fingers.

Hoo…

At the mountain peak, amid thick mist, a faint sigh echoed.

It's coming!

Li Mu shut his eyes tightly, his body clearly feeling an invisible pressure surging toward him!

This is the omen that he is about to break through the Concentration Realm!