Chapter 55

The night wind brushed past, swaying her skirt and revealing a slender, fair leg.

Moonlight slipped through gaps in the clouds, draping her in silver radiance, like a jade lotus blooming in the deep night.

"Still can't take you down?"

Gu Manzhi's gaze was dewy, her lips slightly upturned.

To handle a man like Chen Mo, who'd been wounded by love, beauty alone isn't enough—you must prove your "sincerity" through action.

Through paper dolls, she had gathered intelligence and long ago hidden herself nearby.

Adding flowers to brocade is never as valuable as delivering charcoal in snow; only by acting at the critical moment can you prove your worth.

Then, express concern just enough, and tell him: "I care about you."

Night, moonlight, a beauty—perfectly crafted "atmosphere"—who could possibly resist?

"Yu Imperial Consort, what do you have to compete with me?"

Gu Manzhi felt triumphant; her plan to turn Chen Mo had taken another major step forward.

She decided to press her advantage, frowning gently, speaking softly: "Why did Yu Imperial Consort send you on such a dangerous mission? That demon clan is powerful—you can't handle them. If anything happens to you, I..."

Her voice trailed off; all was left unsaid.

Wake up, Chen Mo—Yu Imperial Consort is only using you!

"You think I'm afraid I'll die and you won't get the Azure Void Seal?" Chen Mo shook his head. "Don't worry—I'm tough as nails. With the Essence granted by Her Majesty, I can't die even if I try."

With the Vital Essence and a powerful soul guarding him, he was practically a youth version of immortality.

But that demoness said she'd chain him to bed and drain him day and night—then wouldn't life become worse than death...?

Imagining that scene, Chen Mo's expression grew colder; he stepped toward the center of the battlefield.

"Stay right there. I'm going to cut down that bitch."

"..."

Watching his furious back disappear, Gu Manzhi stomped her foot, her eyes filled with wounded resentment.

"This wooden block!"

Boom!

Silver light and black mist clashed and shattered, the bursting energy snapping surrounding trees.

Shen Shuqiu stood firm with his spear, gazing at the figure wrapped in gray mist, his expression Solemn.

Within a hundred zhang, the entire area was blanketed in demonic qi; he used true qi to shield himself, temporarily resisting corruption—but with combat ongoing, his true qi drained at double speed.

At this rate, he could hold out at most another half-hour.

Could he kill this demoness within half an hour?

Shen Shuqiu had no confidence.

"This place is too far from Ducheng—beyond the range of the communication jade token. Even if the city notices something's wrong, they won't arrive in time."

"Better to let one escape—get the message back first..."

Spotting Chen Mo approaching, Shen Shuqiu tossed a token toward him and shouted: "Leave now. Go to the Qilin Pavilion and find Elder Yun—surround the Zhou family first, before the criminal escapes!"

Zhou Li's heart jolted.

He turned—and saw Chu Zhu had already vanished, leaving only a smeared, unrecognizable puddle of flesh on the ground.

Dead?

How could this be?!

Chu Zhu was a solid Veteran Rank 5—slain by a six-rank warrior barely past adolescence... and Chen Mo looked perfectly rested, as if he still had energy to spare!

This utterly exceeded Zhou Li's comprehension.

Puff!

The black-gold staff pierced straight through him, punching a hole through his left ribs.

Lin Jingzhu's eyes darkened. "Spacing out again? You think I'm weak?"

His black staff trembled, sparks erupting, blasting a massive wound into Zhou Li's body—exposing charred flesh and gleaming white bone shards!

Zhou Li cried out in pain, forcing himself to focus, swinging his blade forward.

Though both were Rank 5, his strength was slightly superior to Chu Zhu's—but trapped in the formation, his full power couldn't manifest.

Lin Jingzhu darted and twisted, occasionally jabbing him with his staff.

That black staff—what kind of treasure was it? It shifted endlessly, sparking with lightning—keep this up, and he'd be worn down to death!

"A six-rank kills a five-rank, and he masters formation arts? What kind of monster is Chen Mo?"

"But thank heavens, there's still Jue Mi..."

"If she can get me out, trigger the explosive talisman to bury the mine—then everything dies with no witnesses!"

Zhou Li gritted his teeth, clinging to that sliver of hope.

Suddenly, a chill surged through his heart.

Having trained with the blade for over thirty years, he sensed it instantly.

Like the silence before a mountain collapses or the sea surges—a terrifyingly powerful sword intent was brewing!

【Triggered Special Event: Demon Extermination!】

Gazing at the concise prompt before him, Chen Mo's gaze turned deep.

Not far away, silver light and gray mist tangled together, turning a hundred-zhang radius into a vacuum zone.

Snatching the kill requires strategy.

First, the enemy must be low on health.

Next, pay attention to the timing of entry.

Most importantly, the skill must carry a decapitation effect!

Chen Mo curled his fingers, and the shattered jade knife at his waist rang and trembled.

The true qi within his dantian boiled like water, racing swiftly through the meridians; his exhaled breath became scorching and searing!

Compress it, compress it again!

The "Startling Dragon Slash," just now comprehended, had evolved from the fusion of the "Blazing Eight Slashes" with the Dao resonance of the Azure Dragon.

It retained the characteristic of stacking blade momentum—growing stronger with each strike—and could also conceal the blade within the body, unleashing a single slash that startled the dragon!

The longer the charge, the greater the power, with no upper limit.

Theoretically, as long as the true qi is sufficient, even the gods and buddhas of the heavens could be cut down with one slash!

But in actual combat, there is rarely time to charge for long.

Chen Mo locked his gaze on the gray mist, squeezing every last drop of true qi from his dantian, compressing it entirely within his meridians.

The volume of true qi was simply too immense; the meridians could not bear the strain. Had it not been for the constant repair by the essence of vitality, he would have exploded long ago!

"Enough. Prepare to face my strongest slash!"

……

"Not bad. Your strength far surpasses Zhou Li's. You must be at the peak of Fifth Rank, right?"

"With such talent, you're worthy to be one of my concubines."

"I've decided to have you and that handsome fellow from earlier serve me—front and back. The taste should be quite delightful~"

Jue Mi's seductive voice echoed through the air.

Though she appeared reckless and unrestrained, her gaze was filled with caution.

Shen Shuqiu's strength was but a step away from Fourth Rank—he was hard to defeat. The best strategy was to stall, using demonic qi to slowly erode his true qi until he was worn down to death…

Hum—

At that moment, a ringing sound came from beside her ear.

She turned her head—and her pupils shrank to needle points!

Amidst the thick, ink-like expanse of demonic qi, a white line suddenly appeared out of thin air.

Instantly, blinding radiance filled her entire field of vision; the night blazed as bright as day!

Heaven and earth seemed split in two, as a reversed Milky Way, brimming with boundless killing intent, surged toward her!

"Die, old man!"

Chen Mo's voice was like the bitter cold of deepest winter!

A powerful sense of danger surged into her heart.

Jue Mi did not hesitate—her body instantly vanished into the void!

This slash could not be blocked head-on!

Run!

Yet Shen Shuqiu reacted faster than she did, raising his silver spear with his right hand, his posture stretching like a fully drawn bow.

His eyes glowed crimson as he spat out a deafening thunderclap:

"Chi!"

Soul-Stilling Spear!

The silver spear shot forth, swift as thunder!

As if piercing through space, it stabbed straight through Jue Mi's chest, pinning her to the cliff wall!

Jue Mi tried to repeat her old trick—turning into gray mist to escape—but found her body utterly immobilized.

This silver spear had pinned not only her body but also her soul!

Shhh—

A slash descended from beyond the heavens!

The world fell utterly silent. Jue Mi's expression froze; her body cracked like shattered porcelain, with spiderweb fissures spreading rapidly, each seam spewing streams of emerald light!

Her Zhu Chun trembled, as if she still wished to speak.

A night breeze swept past, and her body turned to dust, scattering into the wind.

Only then did the hundred-zhang-high cliff behind her collapse with a thunderous roar, its cut surface as smooth as a mirror!

Amidst the swirling dust, a transparent wraith, its expression terrified, fled into the distance under cover of night.

"He's been hiding his strength—he's definitely not a Sixth Rank martialist!"

"Run!"

Suddenly, a powerful suction pulled the wraith backward uncontrollably, and Chen Mo clamped it firmly in his palm.

The night drew to an end; dawn's first light appeared.

A sliver of the rising eastern sun illuminated his pale face.

"You bitch, weren't you always fond of talking big?"

"Speak!"

Jue Mi: "..."