Chapter 35: The Road Not Taken
[Can I keep these?] Xu Mo wrote on the new page of the notebook.
"Yes," the Ancestor said as he walked around the Sect Master's Hall.
Elder Long signaled the Sect Master to speak up, and the Sect Master understood. Xu Mo had a feeling that these guys were, once again, planning to throw him under the bus.
"Xu Mo, listen first, then speak," the Sect Master began, pausing briefly to see Xu Mo nod before continuing. "If I am not mistaken, you've reached the second level of Qi Condensation. With your talent and the resources available to you, you could increase your level by six more levels in the coming months. I mention this because our sect holds a tournament at the end of every year. The best performers get promoted, and the top rankers get to choose inner elders as their masters."
The moment Xu Mo heard the word "tournament," he remembered the trial. In that trial, he had participated in the tournament and managed to defeat everyone, even Long Chen, who had been defeated for the first time. However, Xu Mo did not believe that Long Chen would become a threat to him. But he was terribly wrong. Long Chen slowly built connections with the Saintess, and through the resources he provided or showered upon her, Long Chen indirectly received benefits that helped him achieve a meteoric rise, coupled with his already monstrous talent.
[I don't want to rush my cultivation realm. As for the resources, gifts, or even accepting inner elders as masters, I already have you all. What more could I ask for? I just want to cultivate in silence without others knowing I am working hard. I hope there comes a time when I can repay the favors you have showered upon me.]
Xu Mo wrote a long paragraph in the notebook. The Ancestor leaned down to read it, while the Sect Master and Long Bai used their divine sense to do the same. They nodded, agreeing that they had been hasty when they heard that Xu Mo had managed to reach the second level in a single day. They had ignored the fact that even for that minuscule amount of strength, Xu Mo had trained for almost more than five months.
"Phuu... Does that mean you will not be participating in the tournament?" the Sect Master asked.
Xu Mo nodded. He knew that what he was doing was not repaying the favor. The moment to repay the favor had arrived, and he had the opportunity to make his Sect Master, Ancestor, and Elder Long proud of their choice. But he had to stay alive to repay all the favors that were stacking up one by one.
Xu Mo had already planned to develop himself in the outer sect. Meanwhile, in the inner sect, Long Chen and the Saintess, Jin Meiyu, would slowly grow closer. For that to happen, Xu Mo had to distance himself. In the trial, Xu Mo had showered Jin Meiyu with resources and become overly possessive, which made her dislike him. Unintentionally or intentionally, she began comparing Long Chen and Xu Mo.
If Xu Mo had been in Jin Meiyu's place, he, too, would have been on guard and tried to distance himself from such people. It was a different story if the love or attraction was mutual, but if one side started advancing without respecting the boundaries set by the other, it created problems.
Xu Mo decided to remain neutral, mind his own business, and slowly increase his strength. Though many had advanced to higher stages much earlier than him, he believed he would catch up with time.
Xu Mo had no prior experience, but through observing the world and the people around him, he noted down the mistakes that many others made and resolved not to repeat them if he wanted a different result. Jin Meiyu should have obviously left this region after Xu Mo's death in the trial. He did not know what happened after his departure.
[As the Ancestor said, Jin Meiyu and I are from two different worlds. If I stay in the True Successors' quarters, which are in the inner sect where the Saintess is also situated, and because we have almost the same status in the sect, I am afraid that my heart might unintentionally soften toward the Saintess, leading to feelings growing inside me.]
Xu Mo continued with a new paragraph in the notebook.
"I only said it because I care for you. But if you can make her fall for you and become strong enough to make even the Jin Family feel insignificant in front of you, you and our sect will both have a bright future," the Ancestor said, not minding if others heard him. Xu Mo had a composed smirk on his face, and seeing it, the Ancestor knew that his words had fallen on deaf ears.
[Why walk on a path when you know that you would be unable to control yourself?]
"You should have become a scholar. It is still not too late," Elder Long interrupted from behind him.
The Ancestor raised his hand to silence Elder Long. He gazed straight into Xu Mo's eyes, trying to see through any signs of facades or hidden motives. Xu Mo did not dodge this gaze; he gazed back, still with a smile on his youthful face.
"I see. Then it's up to you," the Ancestor said, leaving these parting words before disappearing from his position. Xu Mo's heart sank, feeling that his cautious nature had disappointed the Ancestor.
"Long Bai, take Xu Mo back to the outer sect, but upgrade his residence to private lodgings. Also, get a formation master to install a formation around his residence that stops entry from unauthorized individuals. What happened before should not repeat," the Sect Master instructed, pausing as Xu Mo stood up to follow Long Bai. "Attend the tournament as an audience member. It would help you gain more insights."
Xu Mo looked back and nodded toward the Sect Master—Bai Xu. Long Bai also lowered his head slightly, a symbol of respect toward the Sect Master.
Long Bai and Xu Mo stood on an odd-looking long sword that could easily carry three people. Long Bai had used a unique technique to hide Xu Mo from being recognized. He didn't need to, as Xu Mo's Dao of Silence already hid his aura, but if someone were actively searching for him, they might still spot him.
Along the way, Xu Mo's mood was a little down. Long Bai saw through him and gently patted him on the shoulder to attract his attention. "The Ancestor is not upset with you. Don't worry. That's just how he talks. The things he sees from his age and experience combined are thousands of times more advanced than what we see."
"Hmm," Xu Mo nodded, but Long Bai's words did little to comfort him.
Long Bai threw something toward Xu Mo while flying at full speed downward. Xu Mo almost lost his balance and fell to his death far before his approaching time because of the locket. "I picked it up on my way back when I last visited you in the cell."
Stop—
"I will drop you off here. The room assigned to you was previously used by an outer disciple who moved into the inner sect five years ago."
Xu Mo had the urge to ask why it had been left vacant for a whole five years, but he held back. Nor did Long Bai take the time to explain.
A/N: Patreon Members Only :: Update schedule on Patreon is Monday to Friday. Which is why no chapter today was uploaded. Yesterday the chapter uploaded was of friday that for some reason I was unable to upload on time. www.patreon.com/yezar