Chapter 344

"Yes!"

……

The card is in hand.

Chen Mu gazed calmly at Tong Tong Shoutian's ashen face and spoke lightly.

"Young Master Tong, has the play reached this point, and you're no longer pretending?"

"……"

Tong Tong Shoutian's earlier humility and composure vanished, replaced by cold slaughter and unmasked cruelty, his eyes brimming with tangible killing intent.

He uttered not a single word, and sharply waved his hand.

"Kill him!"

"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"

Except for the older giant who still stood motionless, the rest of the Tong family guards roared as one and lunged at Chen Mu.

Blades and sword qi wove into a net of death, sealing off every escape route for Chen Mu!

Chen Mu's expression remained calm; he stood in place, his right hand's fingers slightly spread, pressing forward lightly.

Hum~

Pale golden true qi surged from his body, instantly transforming into countless fine sword qi, dense as solid matter, their edges flickering with crimson flames.

These sword qi scattered like a celestial maiden showering blossoms, shooting out in all directions.

Chit! Chit! Chit! Chit—

The air rang with a dense, hissing sound, like a hot knife slicing through butter.

The Tong family guards, whether their blade-infused energy or sword qi, or their own defensive true qi, were as fragile as paper before these flame sword qi infused with Earth Altar Realm true qi and the fire realm's essence.

As the sword qi passed, blood sprayed!

Heads rose into the air nearly simultaneously.

Headless torsos maintained their forward charge for a few staggering steps before crashing to the ground, blood staining the edges of the pit.

The entire process was too swift for anyone to react!

【Corpse detected. Collect?】

"Yes!"

……

"How is this possible?!"

Tong Tong Shoutian's cruelty instantly turned to utter shock; his pupils shrank like he'd seen a ghost, fixed on Chen Mu as he cried out in disbelief.

"You… who the hell are you?!"

This seemingly ordinary Innate Realm cultivator had, in a single motion, effortlessly slaughtered over a dozen mid- to late-stage Innate Realm experts.

This was impossible for an Innate Realm cultivator to accomplish!

"He's an Earth Altar Realm cultivator."

At that moment, the silent, subtly concealed older giant finally stepped forward slowly.

He stood before Tong Tong Shoutian, his gaze like a hawk locking onto Chen Mu, a cold smile forming on his face.

"I never expected that among this hastily recruited 'path-clearing pebbles,' there'd be a crossing dragon—an Earth Altar Realm expert. I misjudged you."

"Wh…what? Earth Altar Realm?!"

Hearing this, Tong Tong Shoutian involuntarily stepped back several paces, retreating to the rocky corner of the pit's edge, his eyes filled with panic and pleading as he looked at the giant, "Fifth… Fifth Uncle! This man… you must deal with him!"

"Rest easy."

Tong Zhenjiang sneered coldly, his tone brimming with confidence and killing intent, "Just an Earth Altar Bridge cultivator. I've killed more than one Bridge cultivator."

As his words ended, the previously restrained aura around him erupted violently.

A force far stronger, denser, and more oppressive than any before surged skyward.

Earth Altar Realm!

And not merely a beginner at the Bridge stage—he was a fully perfected Earth Altar Realm Bridge cultivator.

"Die!"

Tong Zhenjiang growled, his body moving like a phantom, piercing the air with a shrill whistle as he lunged straight at Chen Mu!

On his arms, dense, solid yellowish-earth true qi surged wildly, radiating the weight and solidity of mountains; he unleashed a blunt, yet immensely powerful "Mountain-Shattering Palm" straight at Chen Mu's face!

Where the palm wind passed, air was shoved aside, forming visible white shockwaves.

Chit-chit—

The gale was fierce, terrifying in its might.

Yet Chen Mu remained standing in place, not even lifting his eyelids.

Facing this ferocious palm, he raised his right arm, fingers slightly curled.

The Crimson Water Dragon Slaying Dao—

Fiery Dragon Claw!

"Aoo~"

A beast-like low growl echoed as a vivid, lifelike, crimson-gold dragon claw, entirely formed from highly compressed blazing true qi, its scales and claws menacing, suddenly shot forth from Chen Mu's palm!

The moment the dragon claw appeared, the surrounding temperature spiked sharply as it seized directly onto Tong Zhenjiang's incoming "Mountain-Shattering Palm!"

Puff!

Puff~

Two dull explosions.

The seemingly indestructible yellowish-earth palm-infused energy vanished instantly upon contact with the crimson-gold dragon claw, lasting less than half a breath before dissolving into nothing.

"What?!"

Tong Zhenjiang's pupils contracted sharply.

Without a shred of reluctance to fight, his figure borrowed the force of the rebound to flicker toward the rear-side, a fierce glint flashing in his eyes, light faintly gathering at his brow.

"Hmph!"

Within Tong Zhenjiang's eyes, a strange Jin Guang suddenly blazed to life.

In the next instant, an invisible, formless, yet viciously venomous spiritual spike stabbed straight toward Chen Mu's brow and Sea of Consciousness!

This was one of his trump cards; he had once used this very move to grievously wound — and even ambush and annihilate — opponents of the same rank!

However—

Hum!

On the surface of the "Three-Laughter Buddha Beads," a ring of soft, pale-golden halo flickered faintly, and Tong Zhenjiang's attack was dissolved.

Before he could react…

"Whoosh!"

Chen Mu's figure flashed like lightning; the still-undispersed "Blazing Dragon Claw," carrying an even more searingly domineering aura of destruction, savagely clawed down toward the crown of Tong Zhenjiang's skull!

"No! ——"

Tong Zhenjiang's soul nearly fled his body. He madly drove all the remaining true essence within him, attempting to condense the strongest protective qi shield atop his head, while at the same time crossing both arms upward to block, wanting to unleash his life-preserving ultimate technique.

But, it was already too late!

Chen Mu's speed and strength utterly crushed him.

Squelch—

A hair-raising, alien sound rang out — like a blade slicing through thick leather!

The crimson-golden Blazing Dragon Claw, from top to bottom, tore through the protective qi shield Tong Zhenjiang had hastily condensed without the slightest obstruction, then — like a hot knife through butter — easily cracked open his hard skull and ripped apart his tough body.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

The mangled remains collapsed to the ground, split into three twisted long segments; fresh blood mingled with the stench of scorched innards and spread through the air.

Tong Zhenjiang, whose Earth Altar Realm Divine Bridge was complete — this hidden expert of the Tong family — had been utterly torn apart by Chen Mu in a single exchange, in a posture of absolute crushing dominance!

【Corpse discovered. Pick up?】

"Yes!"

The card was in hand.

Chen Mu checked it quickly — Soul-Boosting Card!

Not bad…

Without sparing the corpse on the ground a second glance, Chen Mu slowly drew back his hand, his gaze calmly turning toward Tong Tong Shoutian, who stood dumb as a wooden chicken, slumped against the rocky wall in the corner.

At this moment, Tong Tong Shoutian's face had long since lost its earlier viciousness and scheming, leaving only boundless terror and despair.

Staring at Chen Mu as though looking at a demon god that had walked out of hell, his whole body trembled uncontrollably, sweat pouring down like rain.

"You… don't come over… don't come over!"

Tong Tong Shoutian's voice quivered in a shriek.

"…"

Chen Mu, as if he had heard nothing, stepped forward slowly, each footfall seeming to land on the very tip of Tong Tong Shoutian's heart.

"Young Master Tong, your Fifth Uncle has already gone on ahead."

"Now, what other tricks or trump cards do you have?"