Going to a higher ancient battleground was very important, but it couldn’t happen overnight, needing time and good old fashion elbow grease. Once Du Fei and the others reached the 9th stage in yellow ancient battleground, Li Mo had them enter a month long seclusion, yet none managed to break through still.
Haste made waste. Li Mo knew that, so he gave them some time off.
Feng City, Li Mo’s residence.
The Yang girl was in a rocking chair and a book in her hands. She was very quiet, doing not much else, ever.
The Snow siblings were diligent in keeping the house spotless, knowing no rest until every surface was buffed to a shine, every grime purged with meticulous scrubbing. Once that was taken care of, the two would run outside, in the garden, cultivating the art Li Mo gave them.
Before Li Mo took them in, they trained as well. But so many years went by without an ounce of progress, despite the arduous effort put into cultivating for decades.
An Yuxin dropped by and the Snow siblings welcomed her, “Miss An, welcome.”
“You don’t need to be so formal every time.”
“Habit.” Mite Snow rubbed his hands. His eyes lowered to look at An Yuxin’s shoes.
“I’ve already polished them. Is Li Mo in? No? I won’t keep you. I only came to take some things and I’ll be leaving.”
An Yuxin went inside.
She came by every week, but recently she hardly ever saw Li Mo around.
The Yang girl nodded to her in greeting and An Yuxin smiled as she entered Li Mo’s study.
The study was a mess. He gave the Snow siblings explicit warning to never clean, stating he’d always get interrupted when drawing talismans and everything had to stay as he left them to resume work when he got back.
“Do we truly belong in different worlds?”
An Yuxin traced the amulet on her chest, the one Li Mo gave her as a protection charm.
An Yuxin thought it to be a small gift, until yesterday, when an out-of-control car came straight at her and the amulet shined a shield around her.
She was trapped beneath the truck, but the amulet kept her safe and sound.
Li Mo was by no means normal. An Yuxin sensed it for a while now.
“I am not bad to look at, but I don’t hold a candle to that fairy, or Millie Snow. And she is just a maid.” An Yuxin sobbed.
She left ten minutes later.
Li Mo returned after two days and saw the key on his desk.
It was the key to the mansion he gave to An Yuxin.
Li Mo frowned.
“I still can’t remember my name, but after reading this last book I thought of a perfect name.”
The Yang girl smiled at Li Mo.
“What name?”
“Yang Jinlian.(T/N: lit. golden lotus. It is also the name of the girl in the book with the same name, the same one having many many affairs.) What do you think?”
“… As long as you’re happy.”
“Oh? Well, I think it’s fabulous.” The Yang girl smiled.
“How long will you be staying this time?”
“I’ll leave right away.”
She nodded and returned to reading.
Li Mo then vanished from the parlor.
“What skill is that? It feels so familiar.” She stared off into space, but still couldn’t make sense of it and kept on reading.
Li Mo went to the capital, attending the Experts Alliance headquarters’ meeting.
With Elder Rosa missing, and after many different ways of tracking him proven fruitless, Yao Changsheng decided to have inspection team leader Li Mo take Rosa’s place as an elder. At least until Rosa’s return.
Rosa was dead, no doubt about it. But that was something only Li Mo and Zheng Wufang knew.
Zheng Wufang was gone, and because he was the most average Joe there ever was in the Experts Alliance, no one felt his absence.
Not even a year in the Experts Alliance yet Li Mo became an elder. Such swift advancement left everyone mind boggled, especially Lin Yourong.
How many years had it been since Chief Yao Changsheng gave orders?
“Elder Lin and Lin Qingrou, stay. I want to have a word with you.”
Experts Alliance’s meeting drew to a close and Li Mo asked the aunt and niece to stay behind.
“Elder Li, you are now a much respected elder. Please overlook any wrong I may have done to you in the past.”
Lin Qingrou spoke, thinking Li Mo was still brooding over their past dealings.
Li Mo said, “I do not care about you, but there is something you must do for me. Bring out the Void Walker.”
“Elder Li, what do you mean by Void Walker? I do not understand.” Lin Yourong smiled.
“Void Walker is the Void Beast’s descendant, and Lin clan’s strongest trump card. But she is no saint and must die!” Li Mo’s face hardened with killing intent.
Void Walker Ao Feili was a descendant of the Void Beast, one of the ten ancient sacred beasts. Because of her unique trait, she came to Earth without the use of Gates.
For her own selfish benefit, Ao Feili sold out her own flesh and blood, her parents. Three thousand years ago, Void Walker Ao Feili was taken in by a kind race from an ancient planet when she was but an egg. But when she came to age, for a mere sixth level God Fruit, she betrayed her caretaker and his race, turning their ancient planet desolate.
Void Walker Ao Feili went by another name. Planet Hunter. With her unique trait, she could find a way to any ancient habitable planet.
Even with the eleven fierce races’ Gates ruined, Li Mo could never rest easy, not when Void Walker Ao was running free.
He was suspecting the past invasion of the universe’s races coming so fast was largely due to Void Walker Ao Feili’s meddling in the shadows.
Li Mo remembered the alien invasion as if yesterday, but there was no Nine-headed race among them.
Lin Yourong’s face changed, “We do not know anyone who goes by that title.”
Lin Qingrou agreed.
“You have one day to decide. If your answer won’t change, your clan will be forfeit.”
Bang!
Lin Yourong slapped the table, “Li Mo, now that you’re an elder, you think you can do what you want?
“You think with the Li and Mo clan behind you can push the Lin clan around? Don’t be naïve! Our Lin clan’s power runs deep!”
“Am I to take that as you having made your choice?”
“There’s no choice to make. You just try it and you’ll regret it!”
“Let’s go!” Lin Yourong pulled Lin Qingrou as she stormed out.
