Back at the slightly run-down apartment building, Lin Mo felt surprisingly light-hearted.
He pushed open the front door to find his mother Su Wan pacing anxiously in the living room.
The moment she saw him, she rushed over, worry written all over her face. "Mo Mo, how did it go? The assessment results... are they okay?"
She'd caught bits and pieces about the aptitude assessment from the neighbors' chatter, but the details were fuzzy, leaving her stomach in knots.
Lin Mo looked at his mother's bloodshot eyes and felt a warmth spread through his chest. A brilliant smile broke across his face. "Mom, I did it!"
"You did it?" A flash of delight crossed Su Wan's eyes, but then she asked cautiously, "Is it... is it D-rank? Mo Mo, even if it's just D-rank, I'm so proud of you!"
In her mind, if her son could reach D-rank and shake off that "waste" label, it would already be an incredible achievement.
Lin Mo shook his head.
Su Wan's heart plummeted, her smile freezing. "Don't tell me... you didn't even reach D-rank?"
Seeing his mother's eyes dim instantly, Lin Mo felt a pang of guilt and quickly said, "Mom, it's not D-rank. It's... B-rank!"
"B... B-rank?!" Su Wan's eyes went wide as saucers, as if she'd heard something impossible. Her voice trembled. "Mo Mo, you... you're not lying to me, are you?"
B-rank aptitude! That was the kind of genius Jiang City might not see for years! Her son had actually...
"Of course I'm not lying." Lin Mo pulled out a freshly printed certificate from his pocket, complete with the official seal of Jiang City First Martial Arts High School, and handed it to his mother.
Su Wan's hands shook as she took the certificate. When she saw the clear words "Lin Mo, Martial Arts Aptitude Level: B-rank," tears burst from her eyes.
"Good... so good! My Mo Mo... has made something of himself!" Su Wan sobbed with joy, pulling Lin Mo into a tight embrace, too overwhelmed to speak.
All these years, she'd endured so much pressure and humiliation for her son's martial arts journey. Finally, all that sacrifice had paid off!
Lin Mo gently patted his mother's back, letting her release all her joy and excitement.
In that moment, he felt everything he'd done was worth it.
After a long while, Su Wan's emotions gradually settled.
She wiped her tears, her face showing an unprecedented ease and happiness. "Mo Mo, you must be hungry. I'll make your favorite braised pork right now!"
"Mom, no rush." Lin Mo stopped his mother and pulled out a bank card from his pocket. "There's some money in here. Take it and pay back what we owe Aunt Zhang and the others first. Use the rest to buy yourself some good food and take care of your health."
The card contained one million Federation coins he'd just withdrawn from his system account. As for the remaining hundred million, he wasn't planning to touch it yet—no need to cause unnecessary trouble.
"Money? Where did you get so much money?" Su Wan looked puzzled.
"It's a scholarship from school, plus some corporate sponsorships." Lin Mo made up an excuse on the spot.
Though Su Wan had her doubts, seeing the confidence in her son's eyes, she didn't press further. She just said with relief, "Alright, I'll listen to you. But I'm keeping this money safe for you—for when you go to college or need to buy cultivation resources."
Lin Mo knew his mother's temperament and didn't insist.
After lunch, Su Wan cheerfully went out to pay back their debts and share the good news with the neighbors who'd helped them over the years.
Lin Mo returned to his small room and began carefully planning his cultivation path ahead.
B-rank aptitude was just the starting point.
If he wanted to go further on the martial arts path, he'd need to put in much more effort.
"The Innate Qi Cultivation Method is just a fragment. I need to find the complete technique somehow."
"I should also start practicing the mental technique 'Nine Refinements of Focus' as soon as possible. Improving mental strength is crucial for both martial arts comprehension and combat."
"And there's that Boss Qian from the black market, plus that mysterious copper piece—they seem to hide some secrets too..."
One thought after another flashed through Lin Mo's mind.
He knew the road ahead would still be full of challenges.
But right now, he was brimming with confidence!
Just as he was deep in thought, his communicator suddenly rang.
It was an unknown number.
Lin Mo hesitated briefly, then answered.
"Hello, is this Lin Mo?" A gentle, slightly magnetic female voice came through the speaker.
"Who is this?" Lin Mo asked.
"I'm Qin Yajing from the Jiang City Martial Artists Association, and also the vice-director of 'Prodigy Martial Hall.'" The voice smiled warmly. "Lin Mo, are you free tonight? Our hall master would like to meet you and discuss martial arts cultivation."
Prodigy Martial Hall? The hall master?
Lin Mo's heart stirred. He'd heard of Prodigy Martial Hall—one of Jiang City's most elite martial halls, and its hall master was reportedly an unfathomable reclusive expert who rarely appeared in public.
Why would this hall master want to see him?