Return of the Dragon God

Chapter 24: Opportunity for Assassination

In a secluded room within the Li Residence, Mo Manor:

Lin Mo sat cross-legged on the bed, holding a glowing white spiritual herb in his hand.

"Whether I can break through depends on you," Lin Mo murmured, then opened his mouth and consumed the spiritual herb.

Moments later, a powerful medicinal energy surged within him. He immediately activated his Dragon Soul Martial Spirit to refine the herb. After several minutes, an invisible mental power flowed through his meridians and into his mind.

With this newfound mental power, Lin Mo felt incredibly clear-headed and energized. He realized that by using his mental power, he could "see" everything within an eighty-meter radius. In combat, he could easily perceive his opponent's movements and even predict their next attack based on their movements. Having mental power significantly improved a warrior's combat capabilities.

"Let's see if I can condense the Holy Tower," Lin Mo said to himself. According to the introduction to this mental technique, a warrior's initial mental power was scattered in their mind. When their mental power reached a certain level, they could condense a golden Holy Tower within their mind. This Holy Tower served to gather and enhance their mental power, a symbol of becoming a Spirit Tamer.

Lin Mo adjusted his state and began controlling his scattered mental power, gradually bringing it together. After a few breaths, he managed to gather his mental power into one place.

"Now, condense," he commanded himself. Following the technique's instructions, he shaped his mental power into a nine-story tower.

A buzzing sound echoed in his mind as his mental power condensed into a tower-like form. However, it appeared incomplete at this stage.

Lin Mo needed to control his mental power to infuse it into the nascent tower to make it more solid. After several hours of intense effort, sweat dripped from his forehead, and his body trembled. Eventually, he sighed, feeling that the tower was not yet fully formed.

"It seems my mental power isn't sufficient to condense the Holy Tower," Lin Mo said disappointedly. However, he realized that as a first-stage Spirit Tamer, his mental power was already comparable to a Martial Artist at the Third Level of the Elemental Wheel Realm. If it were easy to become a Spirit Tamer, it would be strange.

The next day, Lin Mo was surprised to find that the entire Tianlan City was discussing the treasure map. He had been questioned several times by Li Changkong about it. Lin Mo knew that only he knew the truth and that the woman had falsely accused him. It was likely a trap.

However, Lin Mo had no time to dwell on this matter. He wanted to increase his mental power as quickly as possible to become a Spirit Tamer and stop the wedding in nine days.

In the afternoon, he roamed the streets again and visited the markets of the Fang and Chen families in search of spiritual herbs similar to the one he had used. However, he found nothing valuable. First-stage spiritual herbs were rare in Tianlan City, especially those related to mental power.

As he turned a corner in the street, he came face to face with a woman in purple attire.

"Is it you?" Lin Mo exclaimed in surprise.

"Hello, I'm Fang Qin. I used you without your consent yesterday, and that was wrong of us," Fang Qin spoke, "Today, I've come to apologize to you."

Lin Mo was taken aback. "Apologize?"

"Yes, is there anything you want?" Fang Qin asked.

"Anything?" Lin Mo raised an eyebrow. "Of course, it depends on whether you can afford it."

Fang Qin glanced at him. "Well, it's not like we owe you much."

"Then how about this: give me something to enhance my mental power," Lin Mo replied.

Fang Qin's eyes widened in surprise. "Are you a Spirit Tamer?"

Lin Mo nodded. "I'm on the path to becoming one, but not quite there yet."

"We don't have any mental power-enhancing items, but I know where to find them," Fang Qin said. "How about we bring them to you when we return?"

Lin Mo asked, "How long will it take?"

"Not long. We'll set off tomorrow and should be back in about two days," Fang Qin replied. She noticed Lin Mo's urgency and asked, "Is it urgent for you?"

"Three days is acceptable. By the way, can I ask you a question?" Lin Mo inquired.

"Go ahead," Fang Qin agreed.

"Regarding the treasure map, is it meant to target the warriors of Tianlan City?" Lin Mo asked because he was worried that strong members of the Li family might be involved.

Fang Qin hesitated before replying, "Well, not exactly to target them, but we do need their assistance. It might benefit them as well."

"Hope what you say is true," Lin Mo said.

"In three days, come to the Suofeng Tower to find us," Fang Qin suggested. "You can also meet my young lady, who might take an interest in you as a potential Spirit Tamer."

With that, she walked away, leaving Lin Mo to ponder the situation.

---

Lin Mo returned to the Li Residence and continued his mental power cultivation. With little time left, he knew he had to focus on improving his mental power, as there was little room for his martial cultivation to progress in such a short time.

As night fell, he received information from his spy that the city's major factions had intercepted the treasure map. It was also mentioned that Wang Li would be accompanying the city's lord's party.

"This is a golden opportunity," Lin Mo thought to himself. If he could assassinate Wang Li, it would be a significant blow to the city's power structure.

Lin Mo selected a sturdy steel bow and dozens of steel arrows from the family's armory, equipping himself for the task.

The next day, the city's lord's party set out for the North You Mountains, an area near the city surrounded by a defensive wall. It would take them a day and a half to reach their destination.

That night, Lin Mo quietly followed behind them, maintaining his vigilance. He knew that if Wang Li separated from the group, he needed to strike quickly.

While following the group, Lin Mo noticed a mysterious woman in a blue mask traveling ahead of him. This woman was the mastermind behind the treasure map scheme, Ye Lingyu, while her alluring accomplice, Fang Qin, was with the city's lord's party.

"This woman's presence is strange. She doesn't seem to be from Tianlan City," Lin Mo muttered to himself. He continued to follow without raising suspicion.

After a while, he was surprised to find that the woman's destination was also with the city's lord's group, and she had stopped her progress.

"Are you following me?" Ye Lingyu suddenly turned and spoke, her voice reaching Lin Mo clearly despite the distance.

Lin Mo was taken aback but denied it, shouting back, "You've misunderstood. I'm not following you."

Ye Lingyu didn't respond and continued walking. However, Lin Mo noticed that she had enhanced her voice with her mental power, allowing her to communicate over such a distance—a skill typically possessed by Spirit Tamers.

Lin Mo followed at a safe distance, still maintaining his vigilance. Eventually, the group established their camp for the night in an open area.