Immortal Ascent: The Waste Lord's Rise
Chapter 2: One Punch, The Fall of a Bully
The moment Lin Mo's cold, resolute voice faded into the mountain wind, the Supreme Immortal System in his mind hummed to life, its blue panel glowing brighter than ever. He turned on his heel, his back straight and his steps steady, and walked away from the empty training ground, heading toward the tiny, dilapidated cave that had been his prison for three long years.
No one was there to see the change in him. No one could feel the faint, warm spiritual energy that now clung to his frame, a stark contrast to the lifeless aura he had carried for so long. To the entire Cloud Sect, he was still the useless trash, the fallen genius who would be expelled at the end of the month. And that, Lin Mo decided, was exactly how he wanted it—for now.
His cave was carved into the side of a remote, rocky slope, far from the main sect grounds, a far cry from the luxurious, spirit-stone-fueled cave he had once owned as the Sect Leader's direct disciple. The entrance was half-blocked by fallen stones, the interior damp and cold, with only a rough-hewn stone bed and a tattered straw mat for furniture. The air inside was stale, thick with the smell of dust and mold, but Lin Mo paid it no mind. This cave, once a symbol of his humiliation, was now the starting point of his legendary rise.
He closed the heavy stone door behind him, sealing himself inside, and sat cross-legged on the stone bed, his eyes closed in deep focus. The system's warm current surged through his body once more, guiding him as he began to cultivate.
[Ding! System cultivation guidance activated. Host may now absorb spiritual energy at 100x normal efficiency.]
A mechanical prompt echoed in his mind, and Lin Mo's heart raced with excitement. A 100x efficiency boost! That meant he could cultivate a hundred times faster than any ordinary disciple. For three years, he had been unable to absorb even a wisp of spiritual energy; now, the dense, pure energy of the Azure Cloud Mountains flooded into his body like a tidal wave, guided by the system's power.
The energy flowed through his meridians, which had been blocked and sealed for years, breaking through every obstruction with ease. It coursed through his limbs, his organs, his bones, washing away the weakness and fatigue that had plagued him for so long. He could feel his broken Heavenly Grade Spirit Root, which the system had already partially repaired, glowing with a brilliant golden light, growing stronger with every strand of energy he absorbed.
[Ding! Absorbed 10 strands of spiritual energy. Meridians unblocked by 5%.]
[Ding! Absorbed 20 strands of spiritual energy. Meridians unblocked by 10%.]
[Ding! Absorbed 50 strands of spiritual energy. Body Tempering Realm 1st Stage → 2nd Stage!]
[Ding! Absorbed 80 strands of spiritual energy. Body Tempering Realm 2nd Stage → 3rd Stage!]
[Ding! Absorbed 100 strands of spiritual energy. First system task completed!]
A surge of powerful energy exploded in Lin Mo's dantian, and a golden light erupted from his body, illuminating the entire cave. The system's voice rang out, triumphant and clear:
[Ding! Heavenly Grade Spirit Root repair 100% complete! Root quality upgraded to Supreme Heavenly Grade Spirit Root!]
[Ding! Host's cultivation base breaks through to Body Tempering Realm 5th Stage!]
[Ding! Reward issued: 1000 Immortal Points, Intermediate Body Tempering Pill x1.]
Lin Mo's eyes snapped open, his pupils glowing with a faint golden light. He could feel the power coursing through his veins, the strength that he had lost three years ago, now returned a hundredfold. His once-crippled spirit root was not just repaired—it was upgraded, more powerful than ever before. He was no longer the trash of the Cloud Sect; he was a genius reborn, with a system that could make him invincible.
He reached into his mind, and a round, glowing golden pill appeared in his palm, exuding a rich, fragrant spiritual energy. It was the Intermediate Body Tempering Pill, the system's reward. Without hesitation, Lin Mo tossed the pill into his mouth and swallowed it.
The moment the pill dissolved on his tongue, a massive wave of condensed, pure spiritual energy exploded in his dantian, flooding his entire body. His cultivation rose at an explosive rate, breaking through barriers that would take ordinary disciples months or even years to overcome.
[Ding! Body Tempering Realm 5th Stage → 6th Stage!]
[Ding! Body Tempering Realm 6th Stage → 7th Stage!]
[Ding! Body Tempering Realm 7th Stage → 8th Stage!]
[Ding! Body Tempering Realm 8th Stage → 9th Stage!]
By the time the energy settled, Lin Mo was sitting cross-legged on the stone bed, his aura so powerful that the cave walls trembled slightly. He had reached the 9th Stage of the Body Tempering Realm—the exact same realm as Zhao Hai, the bully who had humiliated him for three years. And this was just the beginning.
In a single night, he had gone from a crippled, powerless waste to a 9th-stage Body Tempering cultivator, a feat that defied every law of cultivation. No one in the Cloud Sect would ever believe it. No one would see it coming.
Lin Mo stood up, stretching his limbs, and felt the power in his body. He punched the air, and a sonic boom echoed through the cave, the force of his fist sending a gust of wind that blew the dust off the stone floor. He could feel every muscle, every bone, every meridian in his body, strong and perfect, filled with endless spiritual energy.
He smiled, a cold, sharp smile. Tomorrow, he would return to the training ground. Tomorrow, he would make Zhao Hai pay for every insult, every blow, every moment of humiliation he had suffered.
The next morning, the sun rose over the Azure Cloud Mountains, casting a warm golden glow over the Cloud Sect's training grounds. The outer sect disciples began to gather early, as they did every day, chatting and laughing as they prepared for their morning cultivation drills.
And as always, their conversation turned to the same topic: Lin Mo, the useless trash.
"Did you hear? The end of the month is only a week away! That loser Lin Mo is finally getting expelled!"
"Haha, good riddance! He's been a stain on our sect for three years!"
"I heard Zhao Hai is going to make him beg for mercy before he leaves! That's gonna be hilarious!"
Zhao Hai was already there, standing in the center of a group of his followers, preening and showing off his 9th-stage Body Tempering aura. He was in an especially good mood, knowing that Lin Mo's expulsion was just around the corner, and he was already planning the most humiliating way to kick the former genius out of the sect.
"Just you wait," Zhao Hai sneered, cracking his knuckles. "When that loser shows up today, I'm gonna break his legs and drag him to the Sect Leader myself, to make sure he's expelled permanently. No one gets to humiliate me like he did three years ago and get away with it."
His followers cheered, laughing and agreeing, their eyes filled with anticipation. They all wanted to see the final humiliation of the once-great Lin Mo.
And then, Lin Mo walked into the training ground.
He was still wearing his tattered gray robe, his hair still unkempt, but everything else was different. His posture was straight, his head held high, his eyes sharp and bright, filled with a cold, powerful aura that made everyone fall silent the moment they saw him.
The laughter died in their throats. The chatter stopped. Every disciple in the training ground turned to stare at Lin Mo, their mouths hanging open in shock.
He looked… different. Stronger. Like a completely different person.
Zhao Hai frowned, stepping forward, his voice filled with disdain. "What are you looking at, trash? Did you come to beg me for mercy before you're expelled? Too bad. I'm not in a merciful mood today."
Lin Mo stopped in the center of the training ground, his gaze fixed on Zhao Hai. His voice was cold, clear, and loud enough for everyone to hear:
"Zhao Hai. I challenge you to a duel. Right here. Right now."
The entire training ground erupted into chaos.
"Did I hear that right? The trash is challenging Zhao Hai?"
"Is he crazy? Zhao Hai is at the 9th stage of Body Tempering! He'll kill him!"
"Haha, this is the funniest thing I've ever seen! The loser wants to die!"
Zhao Hai stared at Lin Mo for a moment, then burst into loud, mocking laughter, doubling over as he laughed until his sides hurt. "You? Challenge me? Lin Mo, you must have lost your mind! You're still stuck at the 1st stage, you useless waste! You think you can beat me?"
"I don't think," Lin Mo said, his voice calm and unyielding. "I know."
He took a step forward, and a faint, powerful spiritual aura erupted from his body, sharp and cold, sending a chill through everyone present. The disciples around him gasped, their eyes widening in shock.
That aura… It was the aura of a 9th-stage Body Tempering cultivator!
Zhao Hai's laughter stopped abruptly. His face turned pale, and he took a step back, staring at Lin Mo in disbelief. "Impossible… How? How can you have cultivation? Your spirit root was shattered! You're a cripple!"
"Three years ago, you thought I was a waste," Lin Mo said, his voice rising, filled with the anger and vengeance he had held in for three years. "You mocked me, you bullied me, you humiliated me in front of the entire sect. Today, I'm going to make you pay for every single thing you've done. Now. Fight me."
Zhao Hai's face turned red with rage and embarrassment. He couldn't let this stand. He couldn't let the trash of the sect challenge him and get away with it, not in front of all the other disciples.
"Fine!" Zhao Hai roared, his own 9th-stage aura exploding from his body, clashing with Lin Mo's. "You want to die so badly? I'll grant your wish! I'll break every bone in your body and throw you out of this sect myself!"
An outer sect elder, who had been watching the commotion, stepped forward, frowning. "Lin Mo, you know the sect rules. Duels are only allowed with permission. If you continue this—"
"Elder, let him fight," Zhao Hai sneered, cutting the elder off. "This trash wants to humiliate himself in public. Let him. I'll make it quick."
The elder hesitated, then nodded. "Very well. But this is a life-and-death duel? Or a spar?"
"A spar," Lin Mo said, his eyes never leaving Zhao Hai. "But I won't hold back."
"Good!" Zhao Hai roared. "Begin!"
The moment the elder's voice fell, Zhao Hai charged forward, his fist wrapped in powerful spiritual energy, aiming straight for Lin Mo's chest. He was fast, powerful, a 9th-stage Body Tempering cultivator at the peak of his strength, and he intended to end this fight in one punch, to humiliate Lin Mo in front of everyone.
But Lin Mo didn't move. He stood there, calm and steady, his eyes fixed on Zhao Hai's fist.
At the last possible moment, when Zhao Hai's fist was only inches from his chest, Lin Mo moved.
He dodged to the side, his speed so fast it left a afterimage, completely avoiding Zhao Hai's punch. Before Zhao Hai could react, Lin Mo's own fist shot forward, wrapped in a golden, condensed spiritual energy, and slammed directly into Zhao Hai's abdomen.
Boom!
A deafening explosion echoed across the training ground.
Zhao Hai's eyes bulged. His body curled up like a shrimp, and he let out a bloodcurdling scream, the sound echoing through the mountains. The powerful force of Lin Mo's punch sent him flying backward, his body crashing into the stone wall of the training ground with a sickening thud.
He slid down the wall, crumpling to the ground, spitting out mouthful after mouthful of blood. His cultivation aura shattered, his body broken, his eyes filled with utter shock and terror.
He couldn't believe it. He, a 9th-stage Body Tempering cultivator, had been defeated by Lin Mo, the trash, with a single punch.
The entire training ground fell dead silent.
Every disciple, every elder, stared at Lin Mo, their mouths wide open, their minds completely blank. They couldn't process what they had just seen. The useless waste, the fallen genius, had defeated Zhao Hai, the top outer sect disciple, with one punch.
Lin Mo stood there, in the center of the training ground, his fist still clenched, his aura powerful and imposing. He looked down at Zhao Hai, who was lying on the ground, whimpering in pain, and his voice was cold and clear:
"Never. Call me. Trash. Again."
The words echoed across the training ground, and no one dared to say a word.
The genius who had fallen from the heavens was back. And this was only the beginning.