"Lady Lan Qingcheng, I advise you to stay away from this chap. Don't let him drag you down. In the entire Tianyuan Academy, everyone knows that this young master is the most incompetent in the Ji family. It may be dangerous for you and him to be in a team," said Xia Jiaojiao sarcastically.
"Yeah, people like him are only a burden. Lady Lan, you should come and join us. Don't let him impede you," Nangong Ye said.
Lan Qingcheng looked at this group of people curiously, then she turned to look at Ji Mo and immediately understood what was happening. It looked like they were his enemies. However, she did not care much and refused to join them.
Lan Qingcheng's refusal irritated Dong Hao and the others. Dong Hao stood up and walked to the front of her. "Lady Lan, you don't usually come to the academy, thus, of course, you wouldn't know about the academy's incidents and people. I'm very clear about Ji Mo's ability. Being in the same team as him will only slow you down. We have many people in our group and each of us is stronger than him. Why would you suffer with him?"
"That's right." Nangong Ye and Xia Jiaojiao walked up and nodded.
Xia Jiaojiao looked at Ji Mo disdainfully and said, "Ji Mo, I didn't think you'd be a person who only knows how to hide behind a woman. First, it was Senior Sister Huo. Now, it's Lady Lan. People like you are as timid as a mouse. Why do you even want to join the Hunting Competition? Just go home."
In the face of being ridiculed by them, Ji Mo's gaze started to turn cold, and he sneered, "Really? It looks like I'll have to compete with all of you."
Upon hearing that, Dong Hao was stunned, then he chuckled. "Compete? Do you even deserve to compete?"
Ji Mo smiled and licked his lips before replying, "It's just all talk now. Everything will be clear when we enter Mount Luofu tomorrow. My ability isn't what you think it is. Once we enter Mount Luofu, we'll let destiny decide our fate. All of you who aren't afraid to die can come along."
This was a challenge and a protest at the same time.
Ji Mo did not raise his voice when he said that, but everyone heard him clearly. They stared at him strangely. Despite Dong Hao and the others being considered outstanding at the academy, Ji Mo dared to challenge them as though he had really devoured a bear's heart and a leopard's bile.
Instantly, numerous strange gazes fell on Ji Mo, even Dong Hao, Nangong Ye, and Xia Jiaojiao looked surprised. They did not think that Ji Mo would have dared to say something like that.
"Ji Mo, you'd better think carefully. Don't think that you'll become great by increasing your strength with the spiritual medicine that Senior Sister Huo gave you. You may have defeated Ji Shan, but you're still not qualified to go against us," Dong Hao replied with a cold gaze.
"Then, it's up to you," Ji Mo said, "I have already said my piece. It's up to you if you're going to come. I'll be waiting within Mount Luofu. You'll never know what I'm capable of. Whether my strength is that of a mule or a horse, you'll find out later."
"Ji Mo, your words are too careless. Who do you think you are?! How dare you challenge us?!" a young man who was standing beside Dong Hao shouted in a deep voice. He was another outstanding disciple from the academy, Chen Ran, and he had the strength of a seventh-tier tempered body.
Both parties were against each other. Dong Hao, Nangong Ye, Xia Jiaojiao, and Chen Ran glared viciously. Although Ji Mo was facing them alone, he was fearless. He touted and provoked them, taking everyone by surprise and they thought he had gone crazy.
Each of them had true strength, and they were among the best in the academy. Going against any one of them would be difficult, let alone all of them.
Lan Qingcheng gaped at Ji Mo in shock. She could see that those people were not weak, and even she did not dare say something like that. Ji Mo merely had the cultivation base of a sixth-tier tempered body, but he was throwing challenges at the academy's distinguished disciples and not making much sense.
"Haha, Ji Mo, the fact that you're saying that surprises me!" At this instant, a peal of faint laughter came from nearby and Du Jia walked over with a few young people.
"It's Du Jia, and Tianyuan Academy's three little warlords!"
Suddenly, there was some commotion as even Dong Hao and his friends showed the newcomers respect.
Du Jia was an influential figure in Tianyuan Academy. She was not only beautiful and had amazing qualities, but she was also Nan Hao's paired cultivation partner. With Nan Hao's reputation, nobody dared look down on her.
The three young people beside Du Jia, namely Ning Xia, Fang Qinghe, Zuo Yaofei, were nicknamed the three little warlords. Although their ability could not compare to Nan Hao's, they were seniors, and all of them had an eighth-tier tempered body cultivation base. They cultivated advanced-level tempered body techniques and each of them could exert a force of 1,500 kilograms. No one dared to provoke the three of them.
With a smirk on her face, Du Jia glanced at Ji Mo. "Dong Hao, since he already said it, how could you turn down his offer? All of you are Nan Hao's followers. You can't lose at this point. He has initiated the challenge, so just accept it. Are you afraid of him?"
"Alright, Senior Sister Du Jia is right. It's not a bad thing to teach some people a lesson." Upon hearing Du Jia's words, Dong Hao took a deep breath and nodded. Then, he glanced at Ji Mo with slight disdain.
"I'll be waiting for you all," Ji Mo sneered as well. He looked around, stopping briefly at the sight of Du Jia before turning around and leaving.
Lan Qingcheng looked from left to right. After realizing it was not a good situation to be in, she left with Ji Mo.
Dong Hao snickered as he looked at Du Jia with respect and said, "Senior Sister Du, don't worry. I won't let this brat leave Mount Luofu alive."
"Yes, any of us is more than enough to deal with people like him. We don't need to send more people." Chen Ran smirked scornfully.
Du Jia looked at Ji Mo as he left without saying a word. After a moment of silence, she concluded, "Just teach him a small lesson. Let him know that not everyone can walk down the path of immortal cultivation."
"Got it!" Dong Hao and the others nodded.
…
Ji Mo stood in the silent night as though he had merged with the darkness. Lan Qingcheng walked up to him quietly and stood behind him.
"It's still not too late to regret now. You won't be able to deal with them," she said after a moment of silence.
Ji Mo turned around to look at the girl in front. "I'm sorry for getting you into this. If you're not willing to go with me, you can leave now. I won't blame you."
His eyes twinkled like stars in the dark.
His words had no other intentions and he was sincere. After all, Ji Mo had only met Lan Qingcheng for the first time and it was a coincidence that they were in the same group. It was not necessary to endanger someone else's daughter.
"It's not that I'm afraid. You only have the strength of a sixth-tier tempered body. How can you go against so many of them? Furthermore, each of them is on the seventh to the eighth tier and they cultivate advanced-level tempered body techniques. You're like an egg attacking a rock," Lan Qingcheng patiently advised him against it.
"This egg...won't be knocked over by them." Ji Mo chortled before disappearing into the darkness.
As she peered into the darkness in front of her, Lan Qingcheng frowned and pursed her red lips to mutter, "This chap is really overestimating himself."