Chapter 418: Precious Elephant Mo Clan

Chen Mu's spirit trembled violently; he snapped open his eyes, gaze like lightning, shooting toward the direction of the sensation.

Northwest of Wulong Fucheng!

The distance also felt unprecedentedly close—within dozens of li outside the city!

Could the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Sword really be near Wulong Fucheng?

Uncontainable joy and excitement surged through Chen Mu.

The long-sought final piece of the Sword Gear had suddenly appeared in his sensation—in this very way!

Without hesitation, Chen Mu returned to his room, changed into agile attire, disguised himself once more as an ordinary martial artist, and swiftly exited.

He disturbed no one—not even using the city gate—but again activated Earth Submersion, slipping out of the city soundlessly, racing toward the source of the sensation.

This time, Chen Mu no longer concealed his speed; he pushed his movement to its peak, like a streak of green smoke skimming the ground, darting through the hills and forests beside the road.

As the distance narrowed, the Duan Tianhe Scripture's sensation of the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Sword grew clearer and stronger!

After flying roughly thirty li, far from Wulong Fucheng, the road passed through a relatively open hilly region, flanked by low slopes and sparse woodland.

As Chen Mu neared the area of strongest sensation, he sensed something amiss.

Up ahead on the road, came the clamor of fierce combat, the crackling of Qi explosions, and cries of shouts and agony!

The air reeked of thick blood and chaotic energy flows of multiple natures.

Moreover, waves of sinister, tyrannical, or bizarre energies surged skyward, churning the clouds.

There was battle below!

And it was no small skirmish—the participants' cultivations were all high.

Chen Mu immediately suppressed his aura, slowed his pace, and crept forward like a spirit cat, finally halting atop a higher, densely wooded slope, hiding behind a massive boulder, gazing downward.

Below, on the wide road, a brutal melee raged!

The two sides were sharply divided.

One side was a sizable caravan.

The caravan consisted of over a dozen specially crafted, thick-leather-covered, metal-plated wagons, faintly glowing with array patterns.

The beasts pulling them were no ordinary horses, but "Rhino-Horn Beasts"—robust, single-horned, ferocious in aura, each equivalent to an Innate Realm beast.

Around the caravan stood over a hundred elite guards clad in uniform dark-gold armor, wielding long halberds and heavy shields, their aura fierce; their battle formation moved with precision, blending offense and defense seamlessly—clearly well-trained.

More strikingly, among the guards stood seven or eight masters with deep, stable auras—at least Earth Altar Realm Bridge or Three Flowers Converging—who wielded exotic weapons or unleashed attacks from midair, repelling assaults from all directions.

On the guards' armor and banners was a distinct emblem.

It depicted a colossal elephant, standing on auspicious clouds, trunk curled, majestic in form!

"'Precious Elephant' Mo Clan?!"

Chen Mu's eyes narrowed.

The Mo Clan, one of the Eight Great Clans, known for their ancestral cultivation and bloodline favoring strength and defense, commonly used the "Precious Elephant" emblem and held deep roots in Xiangnan Dao.

Why were the Mo Clan here in Shannan Dao?

And why such a massive show of force?

The opposing side, besieging the Mo Clan caravan, was far more chaotic—but every aura was sinister and treacherous, unmistakably demonic.

Roughly two to three hundred strong, dressed in varied attire, their cultivations ranging from Innate to Earth Altar Realm, their assault was fierce and disordered, like a wolf pack scenting blood.

Most conspicuous were dozens of warriors clad in ink-green robes embroidered with strange vines and skulls, faces painted with oils, muttering incantations as they continuously released ink-green toxic mists or summoned thorny vines from the ground to entangle and attack.

"Even the Longevity Sect?"

Chen Mu recognized the auras of several individuals—Longevity Sect disciples.

These demonic martial artists, led by the Longevity Sect, had launched such a massive assault on the Mo Clan caravan!

Among the Longevity Sect ranks, Chen Mu spotted several figures with exceptionally powerful auras.

One, an ancient man with a withered face like tree bark, wearing a tall crown and wielding a black wooden staff, his aura unmistakably at Earth Altar Realm Seeing the Divine, Unbroken.

Three middle-aged men in more ornate ink-green robes, their facial oil patterns more intricate, their auras all above Earth Altar Realm Five Qi Converging!

In contrast, though the Mo Clan's guards were elite and their masters numerous, their top-tier strength seemed slightly lacking—only one Seeing the Divine, Unbroken elder was locked in fierce combat with the Longevity Sect's withered old man, both evenly matched, but the Mo Clan elder clearly on the defensive.

Several other Mo Clan masters were besieged by multiple Longevity Sect Five Qi Converging cultivators, their situation dire.

The battle below had reached fever pitch.

Under the Longevity Sect masters' leadership, the demonic sect members launched furious assaults on the Mo Clan's lines.

Toxic mists spread, vines grew wildly, and all manner of sinister darts, parasites, and spells rained down like hail.

Though the Mo Clan guards fought bravely and maintained tight formations, their numerical and top-tier strength disadvantage forced their lines to shrink continuously; guards fell screaming, and the Rhino-Horn Beasts let out terrified roars.

The dozen or so special wagons became prime targets; repeated attacks struck them, triggering bursts of array light.

The Heaven-Soaring Cloud Sword, sensed through the Duan Tianhe Scripture, pointed directly to the center of the Mo Clan caravan—a massive, heavily fortified black wagon pulled by four of the strongest Rhino-Horn Beasts.

No, more precisely—it pointed to an object inside that wagon!

Chen Mu's gaze pierced the chaotic battlefield, locking onto the black wagon.

He dared not probe with his spiritual sense, lest he be detected by the combatants' masters, but the Duan Tianhe Scripture's sensation never lied.

The Heaven-Soaring Cloud Sword was inside that wagon!

Transported by the Mo Clan as one of their "treasures," carried thousands of li from Xiangnan Dao to Shannan Dao, destined for the Giant Spirit Sect.

The demonic forces, led by the Longevity Sect, had dispatched such overwhelming strength to ambush them repeatedly—clearly for what was inside the wagon.

"So that's it…"

Chen Mu instantly pieced together the cause and effect.

The Mo Clan was transporting vital treasures—including the Heaven-Soaring Cloud Sword—to the Giant Spirit Sect to forge an alliance or secure support; this was not surprising amid the orthodox-demonic war.

The demonic sects, seeking to seize these treasures to strengthen themselves, had relentlessly ambushed them along the way.

Finally, on this road not far from Wulong Fucheng, the decisive battle erupted.

Thinking of this, Chen Mu's gaze sharpened.

The Sky-Piercing Cloud Sword — he was determined to obtain it!

But the current situation was chaotic, the demonic path held the upper hand, and the Mo family caravan was in grave danger.

If Chen Mu acted rashly, he might not only bring trouble upon himself and become a target both sides focused on, but could also cause the Sky-Piercing Cloud Sword to be damaged in the melee or fall into the hands of the Mo Sect.

He had to wait for the right moment, or…

Create one!