The Pastoral Life of a Cultivation Master

Chapter 3228 Admonition
"Crack!"

The sound of bones shattering was clearly audible, echoing through the silent valley. The shadowy figure's head was tilted to one side at an eerie angle, and the light in its scarlet eyes dimmed rapidly, like a candle flickering in the wind, before finally going out completely.

The body, which had been bulging slightly, deflated instantly, shrinking rapidly like a punctured balloon.

When the shadowy figure couldn't win, it would explode its body—its most bizarre and insidious tactic. But this time, before it could unleash this final killing move, it was swiftly and decisively killed by Chen Mo, completely eliminating any possibility of a counterattack.

Ouyang Nan stopped her attack and stood up, slightly out of breath. This battle seemed easy, but it was actually the result of her and Chen Mo's perfect teamwork. The slightest mistake could have allowed the black shadow to escape or left her seriously injured. The monster's speed and strangeness far exceeded that of ordinary opponents. Even for a martial artist at the tenth level of the Acquired Realm like herself, she would have no chance of winning alone.

Fortunately, Chen Mo was very helpful. He not only perfectly protected her, but also accurately predicted the shadowy figure's retreat route, blocking all escape angles with an invisible force. This allowed Ouyang Nan to focus wholeheartedly on unleashing her full power, attacking the shadowy figure without regard for anything else, and bringing the Ouyang family's swordsmanship to its fullest potential.

Qian Ying, standing to the side, took in everything. Her eyes lit up slightly, but she also felt secretly relieved.

If their strength doesn't surpass his own, then everything is fine. This assessment put his mind at ease, eliminating the sense of threat while retaining his sense of superiority as a master of innate strength.

Putting everything else aside, this young man's strength is truly impressive. Qian Ying reassessed Chen Mo's level in her mind. This young man was only half a step into the Innate Realm, stronger than the tenth level of the Acquired Realm, but not yet at the first level of the Innate Realm.

That control over power, that composure in battle, is perfectly positioned at this level, neither appearing too weak nor crossing the chasm between acquired and innate abilities.

No wonder Qian Wantong couldn't beat this young man; now I understand.

Qian Ying felt a mixture of relief and disappointment. She was relieved because Chen Mo's strength hadn't surpassed her own and was still within her control; as a master of innate cultivation, she could still outmaneuver him. However, she was disappointed because her plan to use someone else to kill him had failed. The young man was still alive and kicking, standing right in front of her, and had even killed a shadowy figure in front of everyone, earning their admiration and gratitude.

Qian Ying sighed deeply, his expression shifting. Then he said to Zhou Zixing, "Elder Zhou, I suspect that the shadowy figure we just saw might not be the same one that was killed over there. So you keep an eye on things here, I'll go check on the one that was killed over there."

He wanted to see what the shadowy figure was, why it was so eerie, and why it preferred to hide in the darkness. The shadowy figure was beyond his comprehension; he didn't know if it was a mutant or some kind of wild beast, especially since it was so fast, strong, and had incredible defense—it seemed born for assassination.

If we can figure out their weaknesses, we might be able to find a way to deal with them and have a better chance of survival in this strange valley.

Zhou Zixing looked at Qian Ying with a complicated expression: "Elder Qian, don't have any conflict with that young man after you go over. After all, we need manpower now. Losing two acquired martial artists would be a huge loss to the strength of our entire team."

If they were to attack Chen Mo, Ouyang Nan would naturally be implicated as well, meaning there would be two martial artists at the tenth level of the Acquired Realm. What had just happened made Zhou Zixing clearly aware that Qian Ying's intent to kill Chen Mo was very strong. The disappointment of failing to use someone else, the anger of being seen through and manipulated, were all written on her face, and couldn't be hidden from Zhou Zixing's old eyes.

However, he couldn't reveal the fact that Chen Mo's strength surpassed all of theirs; he absolutely couldn't say it himself. If he displeased Chen Mo, he would be doomed. He had personally witnessed that young man's methods—unpredictable and terrifying.

Moreover, he believed that what the young man had left behind was enough to make him vulnerable to being killed by Chen Mo simply by mentioning his name. That kind of insidious restriction, like a leech, made him constantly feel like he was walking on thin ice, daring not to overstep its bounds in the slightest.

Therefore, he must never tell anyone the fact that Chen Mo is incredibly powerful. This secret must remain buried until he leaves this damned valley.

Although he had reached the end of his life and might not have many years left, he still wanted to live, to live a few more years. He had no choice; even ants cling to life, let alone a master of innate cultivation like himself. The world was so wonderful; he couldn't bear to give up power, wealth, and status—he truly didn't want to leave.

However, if Qian Ying provokes Chen Mo too many times and angers him, then this old guy might end up like her, controlled by the younger man, or even killed. Once the line is crossed, there will be no mercy.

However, he and the Zhou family's martial artists still needed Qian Ying to lead them out of this valley. Therefore, he really didn't want Qian Ying to be resented by Chen Mo and ultimately be dealt with by him.

Therefore, when Qian Ying was about to leave, he specifically gave her a heads-up, hoping that the old fox would restrain himself and not seek his own death.

Qian Ying frowned upon hearing Zhou Zixing's words. What exactly did Elder Zhou mean? Why was he so protective of that young man? The earnest tone and the veiled warning made Qian Ying feel a strange sense of unease.

He had already suspected a connection between Zhou Zixing and the young man, wondering if they might be secretly linked. However, after observing them for a while, he couldn't discern any connection. This made Qian Ying even more puzzled. Why was Zhou Zixing so protective of Chen Mo, when there seemed to be no obvious relationship between them?

“Elder Qian, I really hope you can listen to my advice. After all, we must support each other in this valley to leave alive. Not only the two of us, but also our future generations. So sometimes, please don’t act impulsively, Elder Qian.” Zhou Zixing said sincerely, looking directly at Qian Ying without flinching.

Qian Ying gave Zhou Zixing a deep look, trying to find some clue on his old face. But Zhou Zixing's expression was calm, his eyes clear, showing only genuine concern and worry. Qian Ying understood something from his words, and although she didn't quite grasp the deeper meaning, she believed that what Zhou Zixing said was true and that he wouldn't harm her.

Perhaps that young man really did possess some special abilities that made Zhou Zixing so wary? A flicker of doubt crossed Qian Ying's mind, but she quickly suppressed it. In any case, checking the shadowy figure's corpse and figuring out the monster's background was the most urgent task.

Finally, Qian Ying nodded, agreeing to Zhou Zixing's suggestion, and then quickly walked towards Chen Mo. His steps appeared calm, but he was actually on guard, his innate true energy slowly circulating in his meridians, ready to deal with any unexpected situation.