The cold wind still swept across the training ground, but the atmosphere around Lin Mo had completely transformed.

He stood there calmly, his tattered gray robes fluttering slightly. The bruises and bloodstains on his body no longer looked like marks of weakness, but rather like medals of suffering that had forged an unprecedented monster.

The disciples who had beaten him earlier had not gone far. They were gathered not far away, leaning against a stone wall, laughing and joking, their voices loud and arrogant.

“Did you see the look on that trash Lin Mo’s face just now? I thought he was going to die on the spot!”

“Haha, a useless mortal without a spirit root dares to linger in our Azure Cloud Sect. He should be grateful we didn’t kill him.”

“Next time we see him, we’ll break his legs. Maybe then he’ll finally know his place.”

Their words drifted over without the slightest concealment, filled with contempt and cruelty.

In the past, Lin Mo would have lowered his head, gritted his teeth, and endured in silence. He would have hidden in a corner, afraid to even breathe loudly.

But today was different.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes.

Three years of insults.

Three years of beatings.

Three years of swallowing his pride.

He had had enough.

Lin Mo lifted his foot and walked toward them step by step.

His steps were steady, and with each step, a faint, invisible pressure spread outward. The gravel on the ground trembled slightly, and the air seemed to grow heavier.

The group of disciples noticed him approaching and immediately stopped laughing. They looked at him in surprise, as if they had seen a ghost.

One of the taller youths, named Wang Hu, the leader of the group, frowned and shouted harshly.

“Trash Lin Mo? You’re not dead yet? What are you doing over here? Begging for mercy?”

The others burst into laughter.

“Look at him, he still dares to come over. Does he think we’ll give him some food?”

“Maybe he’s been beaten stupid and wants more pain.”

Lin Mo stopped a few steps away from them. His gaze swept over each of their faces, cold and emotionless.

“I’m here,” he said in a low, calm voice, “for an apology.”

The words hung in the air.

For a moment, the entire area fell silent.

Then, louder, more mocking laughter erupted.

“Apology? Did I hear that right?” Wang Hu pointed at Lin Mo and laughed until his stomach hurt. “You piece of trash wants us to apologize to you?”

“You must have lost your mind from the beating!”

Lin Mo’s expression did not change. “One last time. Apologize.”

Wang Hu’s smile faded. He felt that Lin Mo was being unusually bold today, which made him angry and annoyed.

“Fine, since you’re asking for it, I’ll help you.”

He stepped forward abruptly, raising his fist high. His fist carried a faint trace of spiritual energy—Wang Hu had a low-grade fire spirit root and had cultivated for two years, reaching the first level of the Qi Refining realm. To him, dealing with a mortal like Lin Mo was as easy as crushing an ant.

“Die!”

His heavy fist shot toward Lin Mo’s face.

The other disciples watched with grins, waiting to see Lin Mo get knocked to the ground again.

But something shocking happened.

Just as the fist was about to hit him, Lin Mo moved.

He did not dodge in a panic. He simply raised his hand casually and grabbed Wang Hu’s wrist.

It looked effortless, like picking up a leaf.

But Wang Hu’s expression changed drastically.

He felt as if his fist had been locked by an iron clamp. He could not move an inch. The spiritual energy in his body was instantly suppressed, unable to circulate at all.

“What… what is this?!”

Wang Hu struggled wildly, his face turning red. But no matter how hard he tried, he could not break free from Lin Mo’s grip.

Lin Mo looked at him, his eyes cold.

“You were the one who kicked me in the chest the hardest.”

Crack—

A faint sound of bones twisting echoed.

“AHHH—!”

Wang Hu let out a shrill scream. His wrist had been twisted at a strange angle, clearly broken.

The laughter of the other disciples froze on their faces. They stared at the scene in front of them, completely dumbfounded.

That useless trash Lin Mo… had broken Wang Hu’s wrist with one hand?

Impossible!

“You… how dare you hurt him?!”

One of Wang Hu’s followers shouted in shock and anger. He pulled out a short wooden sword from his waist and stabbed toward Lin Mo.

Lin Mo did not even look at him.

He kicked out casually.

Bang!

The disciple was sent flying like a sandbag, crashing heavily into the stone wall. He slid down, curled up on the ground, and fainted directly from the pain.

The remaining few felt a chill run down their spines. Fear finally appeared in their eyes.

This was not the Lin Mo they knew.

This was a monster.

“Stay away from us!”

“Monster! You’re a monster!”

They stepped back in panic, their legs trembling.

Lin Mo took a step forward.

The Six Paths