102: Chapter 102 An Irresistible Temptation, SSS-Rank Battle Blade

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe smiled.

"Direct, I like it!"

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe took something out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

It was a palm-sized medallion, pitch-black all over, with the character 'War' engraved on the front.

"The War God Temple medallion is also the identification for our War God Temple members!"

"The holder of this token can freely enter and exit all major branches of the War God Temple and can mobilize military units at or below the battalion level to cooperate in operations."

Lin Mo's eyes flickered slightly; being able to mobilize battalion-level combat units was already an extremely high level of authority.

But Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe wasn't finished.

He took out another box and opened it.

Inside was a set of silver-white battle armor and a pitch-black war blade.

"SS-class battle armor, exclusive to the energy system. Once worn, attacks from beasts below the fifth rank won't be able to harm you in the slightest!"

"SSS-class war blade, Dragon Abyss. It took the master smiths of the War God Temple three years to forge, using the spine of a ninth-rank beast."

Next, he pushed a box toward Lin Mo.

"And this."

He took out another metal tube.

dragon blood iii.

Lin Mo had seen this item before.

In the military merit exchange system, it was priced at five hundred thousand military merits.

"dragon blood iii, you should know what it is."

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe looked at him.

"Aside from the War God Temple medallion, these three items are yours for free as a thank-you gift for saving the four million citizens of Jiang City, whether you choose to join the War God Temple or not."

Lin Mo fell silent.

The value of these items was immeasurable.

But he knew the real conditions hadn't been spoken yet.

"What if I join the War God Temple?"

Lin Mo asked.

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe laughed.

"Smart."

Lowering his voice, he said:

"These things are indeed just a meeting gift. The true conditions cannot be told to you yet. Only after you officially join the War God Temple will you be qualified to know them, and only then will you be qualified to touch the real secrets of this world!"

He paused.

"However—"

He looked Lin Mo in the eyes.

"One thing I can guarantee is that the War God Temple will put all its resources into cultivating you, allowing you to break through to the fifth rank within three years."

Three years, fifth rank.

Lin Mo's pupils contracted slightly.

For a normal Awakener to go from the third to the fifth rank, it would take at least ten years, and many are stuck at a certain bottleneck for decades without being able to break through.

For the War God Temple to dare say they could make him reach the fifth rank in three years meant they had absolute confidence.

"How about it?"

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe asked.

"I need time to consider," Lin Mo replied directly, following the strategy he had previously discussed with Li Chengxi.

The War God Temple's sincerity was indeed substantial; Lin Mo was even tempted to agree on the spot.

But in the end, he held back.

The messengers from other major powers hadn't arrived yet; there was no need to rush.

Hearing this, Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe wasn't angry either. He smiled and said:

"Fine."

"I will be staying in Jiang City for three days. During these three days, you can come find me at any time."

Lin Mo pondered for a moment, then one by one, he put the items on the table into his spatial ring.

The SS-class lightning battle armor.

The SSS-class war blade, Dragon Abyss.

dragon blood iii.

His movements were composed and unhurried, with no hint of greed on his face.

Watching his movements, a flash of admiration passed through Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's eyes.

This kid, to be able to maintain such calm in the face of such precious treasures, his mental fortitude was not simple.

Lin Mo stood up and said respectfully, "I will give you an answer within three days."

Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe nodded.

"Good, I hope your answer won't disappoint me!"

Lin Mo turned and walked out.

Li Chengxi quickly followed.

...

Stepping out of the command room door, Li Chengxi let out a long sigh of relief.

"Whew—"

He patted his chest, looking like he had just been fished out of the water.

"My god, I didn't even dare to breathe in there just now. General Vice Hall Master Zhao Shanhe's aura was too strong; I felt like my breathing was going to stop."

Lin Mo glanced at him.

"Is it really that exaggerated?"

Li Chengxi glared at him.

"Exaggerated? Did you not see yourself? You sat there like nothing was happening, while my legs went weak!"

Lin Mo didn't speak, just continued walking forward.

Li Chengxi followed, his gaze falling on the spatial ring on Lin Mo's hand, his eyes full of envy.

"An SSS-class war blade... this is the first time in my life I've ever seen one..."

Li Chengxi was filled with emotion.

"Back in Yanjing, those cousins of mine were all so arrogant. Forget about an SSS-class war blade, even an SS-class one, none of them had even touched one."

He paused, his tone carrying a hint of self-deprecation.

"They didn't even acknowledge me back then, thinking I was an outsider and didn't deserve to be on equal footing with them."

"And now?"

He smiled.

"Those cousins of mine are still fighting over an S-class war blade, while I, someone they looked down upon, personally watched a friend take away an SSS-class one."

Lin Mo raised an eyebrow and looked at Li Chengxi with a strange expression, because he realized this seemed to be the first time Li Chengxi had spoken to him about the Zheng family's past.

He knew this guy loved his pride more than anything; getting him to voluntarily mention these less-than-glamorous past events was not easy.

Li Chengxi waved his hand.

"Don't misunderstand, I'm not jealous of you. I just think it's quite interesting."

He suddenly remembered something and said seriously:

"By the way, the Zheng family also contacted me. This morning, a clan elder gave me a greeting, wanting me to be a middleman to help recruit you."

Lin Mo looked at him.

"What did you say?"

Li Chengxi smiled.

"I said I'm only responsible for passing on the message; how you choose is your business."

He looked at Lin Mo with a serious gaze.

"But... Lin Mo, let me tell you in advance, I only have that bit of blood relation with the Zheng family. After all, my surname is Li, not Zheng."

"Moreover, the cold treatment I received in the Zheng family all those years isn't something they can wipe away just by acting humble for a few days now."

"So you do whatever you need to do, don't worry about my pride!"

Lin Mo nodded.

"Understood."

Li Chengxi grinned and patted Lin Mo's shoulder, feeling extremely refreshed, as if a great grudge had been avenged.

"Let's go, go back and rest. You're a big shot now, you need to recharge and wait for those big shots to come knocking on your door."

The sunlight shone on the two of them. As Li Chengxi walked behind Lin Mo, he suddenly felt as if his own back had straightened a bit more.

The two walked one after the other to the corner of the corridor, where they were met by several Awakeners in military uniforms.

Judging by their shoulder straps, they were all officers at the rank of lieutenant or higher.

When they saw Lin Mo, they stopped in unison.

Then, with crisp and orderly movements, they raised their hands, stood at attention, and saluted.

Lin Mo was stunned for a moment, then immediately returned a somewhat non-standard military salute.

The officers stood in place, watching Lin Mo until he walked far away.

Only when Lin Mo's figure disappeared at the end of the corridor did they turn and leave.

Li Chengxi followed behind Lin Mo and saw everything.

A massive wave of shock rose in his heart.

He recognized those officers; they were all well-known 'hard bones' under Chu Tianye. Usually, they were very arrogant, treating everyone with an 'I'm second only to God' attitude.

But now, seeing Lin Mo, they were as respectful as if they had seen Chu Tianye, perhaps even more so than when facing Chu Tianye.

Walking behind Lin Mo and looking at his back, Li Chengxi couldn't help but marvel inwardly.

Could this be the legendary 'personal charisma'?

...