My mom is waiting for treatment, and you're summoning me to be a hero?

Lin Mo's voice echoed under the ancient tree, and all the demigods clenched their fists.

They are not afraid of battle; every demigod has experienced countless battles.

But that doesn't mean they're willing to fight Lin Mo, after all, the scene of that attack that shattered the moon was too shocking.

Suddenly a sharp sound rang out.

"We goblins are willing to make the offer!"

The goblin badge, Goldtooth Gru's voice was so sharp it cracked.

Like a rooster being choked, but every word was clearly heard by everyone present.

He took two steps forward and spoke to Lin Mo.

"Isn't this protection money? How much do you want? Name your price! The Goblin Merchant Guild's treasury has gold coins, crystals, magical equipment, rare materials... Just tell us the amount, and we won't haggle! Installment payments are also possible, interest-free! If all else fails... we can even offer a mortgage."

Before he could finish speaking, the eyes of the demigods around him were already shining.

Yes, protection money!

The story of Lin Mo demanding protection money from various ethnic groups in Shenglin Village had already spread throughout the continent.

The elves surrendered the Water of Life, the Codex of Life, and the right to access the three artifacts.

The dwarves handed over twenty top-notch craftsmen.

All ethnic groups have paid a price, to varying degrees.

In other words, although Lin Mo is fierce, he follows the rules... he won't kill if you pay.

"I possess three beast cores from demigod-level magical beasts!"

Suddenly, a demigod from some minor race spoke up.

The others also began to offer their bids.

"I am willing to offer up a family heirloom, a semi-divine artifact!"

"I may not be as capable as them, but I'm willing to serve as His Majesty the Demon King's henchman for three years!"

"Herbal medicines! We are willing to hand over all the herbs of our tribe."

……

The area under the ancient tree was bustling with activity, like an auction was taking place.

More than a dozen demigods rushed to offer their bids, fearing that if they were too slow, offered too little, or were not sincere enough, Lin Mo would be the first to target them.

Lin Mo watched this scene with a calm expression.

His gaze swept over the eager faces, but he didn't say anything, simply waiting quietly for them to finish giving their quotes.

The demigods' voices gradually faded away.

It wasn't that they had finished reporting; it was that Lin Mo hadn't said a word.

Silence in Lin Mo never signifies hesitation, a fact that has been repeatedly proven in Shenglin Village, in Dragon City, and under the ancient tree just now.

The silent Lin Mo is more frightening than the Lin Mo who speaks.

After the final bid was announced, Lin Mo finally spoke.

"I used to collect protection money because that was all they could afford."

The demigods' smiles froze on their faces.

Lin Mo's voice wasn't loud, but every word was like an icicle, piercing their spines.

"But you are different."

He slowly took a step forward, his aura even more terrifying than the twenty-odd demigods opposite him.

"Your experience points are what I need most."

The air freezes.

Goldtooth Gru's abacus slipped from his hands, the beads scattering across the ground, bouncing and making a crisp sound on the grass.

Lin Mo doesn't want money.

He's going to die.

The silence under the ancient tree lasted for a full three seconds.

In those three seconds, the demigods were doing the same calculation: if they turned and ran now, could they escape?

The answer is no.

Even the moon can't escape, so why should they?

Just then, a deep and aged voice broke the silence.

"That last move of his must have taken a lot of toll!"

It was Hong Yuan who spoke.

The old man with the golden dragon stepped out from the crowd, his golden vertical pupils sweeping over the demigods around him.

"An attack that pierces the moon, no matter how many layers of laws are superimposed, always comes at the cost of consuming one's own power. The fact that he's standing still and not making a move isn't out of respect for us; it's because he can't unleash a second attack!"

"Hong Yuan is right. Power doesn't come from nothing. The stronger the attack, the greater the consumption. An attack that pierced the moon, released by someone who is not even a demigod, should have drained his mental energy."

After these words were spoken, everyone remained silent for a long while.

Then they started discussing it.

"Yes, his mental energy is almost depleted!"

"Without mental energy, he cannot unleash skills; he currently only has basic attribute values."

"I almost got fooled—this kid only managed that because of the Bloodlust buff and the stacking of those skills. The buff must be worn off by now!"

……

The demigods discussed amongst themselves, their tone shifting from fear to excitement, and then from excitement to gnashing teeth.

Seeing that the time was right, Hong Yuan took a step back, no longer suppressing the dragon's might within him, and released it completely.

The golden robe exploded into pieces on him, and his body rapidly expanded in the fading moonlight.

The limbs transformed into thick dragon claws, a row of sharp bone spurs rose up on the back, the neck extended forward, and the head transformed into a huge dragon head.

In the blink of an eye, a golden dragon with a wingspan of over a hundred meters appeared beneath the ancient tree.

The wind pressure generated when his wings spread out pressed the surrounding grass into a wave-like pattern, and his tail swung behind him, each swing producing a loud crack in the air.

The golden vertical pupils looked down at Lin Mo from the top of the dragon's head, with blazing golden flames burning within them.

"Now is the time when Lin Mo is weak! Let's attack together and take him down!"

Hongyuan's dragon roar exploded beneath the ancient tree, causing the leaves of the ancient tree of life overhead to rustle.

His wings flapped violently, and his enormous dragon body swooped down towards Lin Mo like a flying golden mountain.

He was already planning the next part of the script in his mind.

He is an old dragon who has lived for over a thousand years, and his longevity has never been solely due to his fighting prowess.

It's true that Lin Mo's mental energy is at its limit, but even if it is, no one knows if he has any other trump cards up his sleeve.

Rather than going it alone, I'd rather drag everyone down with me.

Once a fight breaks out and the scene becomes chaotic, he can easily find an opportunity to escape the battlefield using his dragon clan's secret techniques for survival.

Whether it's hiding back in the Dragon Realm and completely submitting to that bastard golden dragon A Jin, it's better than being used as experience points by Lin Mo here.

As for the demigods behind him, let them die if they want.

The more people died, the longer Lin Mo had to process it, and the farther he could run.

Thinking this, he subconsciously glanced behind him out of the corner of his eye.

That one glance almost made him vomit blood on the spot.

There was no one behind me!

Those demigods who were just moments ago rubbing their hands together, filled with righteous indignation, and clamoring to capture Lin Mo, are now all fleeing in the opposite direction.

"Holy shit! You bunch of animals!"

Hong Yuan's roar exploded under the ancient tree, his voice a mixture of anger, disbelief, and a hint of fear that even he himself was unwilling to admit.

He abruptly folded his wings, trying to brake, but the inertia of a hundred-meter-long dragon body couldn't be stopped so easily. His entire dragon body plowed a deep furrow in the grass.

Dracula's leisurely voice drifted from afar behind them.

"Brother Hongyuan, if you want to die, go by yourself. Don't drag us down with you."

Saga's voice followed behind, still in that hoarse and solemn tone.

"Exactly, they're treating us like idiots."

The discussions among the rogue demigods were even more unrestrained.

"Hong Yuan has completely disgraced the Dragon Clan."

"Pah! I've lived for eight hundred years, and I was almost used as a tool by an old golden dragon."

"Do you really think we're idiots? If you want to die, go ahead and do it yourself."

……

Hong Yuan was so angry he wanted to grind his teeth.

Then Dracula's voice came again.

"Demon King Lin Mo! If you need experience points, we can join forces to attack the Holy Tower Kingdom!"

Other voices echoed this sentiment.

"The Holy Tower Kingdom possesses divine crystals; we are willing to provide our full assistance. Let's return now to reorganize our troops!"

These words were like a spark thrown into a powder keg.

"That's right! I know the weaknesses of the Northern Border Guardian of the Holy Tower Kingdom! I can draw a detailed defense map!"

"I have studied methods to break the Holy Light Array, and I am willing to be a pioneer!"

"I'll go back and reorganize the tribe right away!"

"Your Majesty, we await your command at the border of the Holy Tower Kingdom, and we will never break our promise!"

……

The voices of the various demigods echoed, all conveying the same message: "Go back and prepare."

More often, there were the sounds of a group of demigods using various methods to rush out of the Elf Forest.

In just a few breaths, the ancient tree, which was just filled with demigods, was now only occupied by Hong Yuan and the other elders of the Dragon Clan.

Hong Yuan nearly fainted from anger.

He wanted to turn around and curse those beasts and their ancestors, but now he had a small problem to deal with.

Lin Mo had already landed on his back.

"Um... can we discuss this?"

What do you think?

Without wasting words, Lin Mo grabbed Hong Lü's dragon scales on his back with both hands.

Ten fingers dug in hard.

That look clearly indicated that he wanted to tear Hong Yuan in two!