Wandering Swordsman |

Shen Mo took a deep breath, slowly closed his eyes, and began to act according to Li Er's instructions. His consciousness gradually extended outward, connecting with Li Er's soul. In that instant, a powerful and ancient force surged into his body, as if to completely devour him.

"Hold on!" Li Er's voice echoed in Shen Mo's mind.

Shen Mo gritted his teeth, struggling to resist the powerful impact. He felt his consciousness expanding, as if trying to absorb more power. Gradually, the power began to soften, merging with his consciousness.

"It's a success!" Li Er's voice was filled with relief. "Thank you, Shen Mo. Now, my soul is finally at peace."

After speaking, Li Er's voice vanished completely, and he never spoke again. A few breaths later, the aged, hoarse voice rang out again, but this time the tone seemed filled with despair: "Ah! No! I haven't attained the supreme Dao yet, I can't just disappear like this..."

Upon hearing the voice, Shen Mo immediately recognized it as the voice of the black-flame figure. At the same time, Shen Mo felt two new powers appear within his body.

One was the power of the white-flamed figure. This power was somewhat like internal energy, not domineering, but rather as friendly as an old friend, as if it were silently protecting him.

The other was the power of the black flame figure. This power was somewhat like demonic energy, filled with a violent and murderous intent, like a ferocious beast that could destroy everything around it at any time.

At this moment, the Azure Ox Sword surged out of Shen Mo's body again, transforming into an azure ox in this inner world. It said to Shen Mo before it, "Shen Mo, my former master's affairs are settled. From now on, you are my new master. Go out quickly; your companions are still waiting for you."

After Qingniu finished speaking, Shen Mo realized that his inner world was slowly collapsing, and after a hazy drowsiness came over him, his consciousness quickly returned to reality.

......

Within the vast space, Shen Mo, having regained consciousness, found himself standing motionless. Lü Yan and Yue Linglong stared intently at him, while Tu Yuliang and the others in the distance were also on guard. Everyone's heart was in their throat; the tense atmosphere was almost suffocating.

The air inside the cave seemed to freeze, with only the seven luminous pearls emitting a soft glow, illuminating this mysterious space.

Suddenly, Shen Mo moved. In that instant, everyone was startled, as if time had stopped for a moment.

"Lü Yan, Yue Linglong, it's me." As Shen Mo said this, Lü Yan and Yue Linglong breathed a sigh of relief and immediately lowered their defensive postures. Their eyes were filled with concern and relief, clearly showing their genuine joy at Shen Mo's recovery.

However, Tu Yuliang and his six companions' hearts leaped into their throats upon hearing this. It was actually Shen Mo? Where had the demonic energy gone? Would Shen Mo settle accounts for their betrayal?

......

At this moment, whether the oppressive power of the demonic energy weakened or Hua Tianyou's injuries were not serious to begin with, he slowly moved his fingers and then struggled to his feet from the bluestone slab. This immediately attracted the attention of everyone in the space.

The atmosphere inside the cave was unusually oppressive; the air seemed to have frozen, with only faint whispers of breathing audible. Hua Tianyou staggered to his feet, a hint of confusion and wariness in everyone's eyes.

He looked around, his gaze finally settling on Shen Mo.

Shen Mo's jet-black eyes, however, no longer held the familiar aura of black flames. Instead, they were clear and black like a normal person's, causing Hua Tianyou's heart to sink and his face to turn deathly pale. His hands trembled slightly, and his voice carried an undisguised panic: "Impossible... How could this be? Where is the true form of the Heavenly Demon Qi?" He muttered to himself, a flicker of panic in his eyes.

The powerful demonic energy was the key to Hua Tianyou's appearance at the Demon Refining Mountain, and also the key to fulfilling his wish. Without it, all efforts would be in vain.

Thinking this, Hua Tianyou's eyes suddenly turned fierce. He gritted his teeth and stared at Shen Mo, deciding to take a desperate gamble. He swiftly drew his sword, a powerful force gathering on its blade, and then slashed at Shen Mo, roaring, "Speak! Where is the true form of the Heavenly Demon Qi?!"

However, just as Hua Tian made his move, Lü Yan and Yue Linglong simultaneously intervened to stop him. Lü Yan drew his long sword from his waist, the tip pointing directly at Hua Tianyou, his eyes filled with determination; while Yue Linglong clasped her hands together, a soft light flowing through her palms.

However, Hua Tianyou's strength was undeniable. With a flash, he easily dodged Lü Yan's attack, and then swiftly neutralized Yue Linglong's attack.

However, Shen Mo suddenly appeared before Hua Tianyou like a ghost. At this moment, Shen Mo exuded a chilling aura, as if the surrounding space was distorted by his presence. He gently raised his right hand, his fingertips flashing with a faint yet exceptionally concentrated light, and then performed a seemingly casual flick of his finger at Hua Tianyou.

This seemingly simple gesture actually contained the true form of the Heavenly Demon Qi within Shen Mo's body, which had completely merged with his own.

With a crisp sound, Hua Tianyou was sent flying like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily into a distant bluestone wall with a dull thud. Immediately afterward, the entire cave fell into a deathly silence.

Witnessing all this, Tu Yuliang and the others felt their hearts sink. They had originally thought Hua Tianyou was exceptionally strong, but they never expected him to be so easily defeated by Shen Mo. Tu Yuliang's face was extremely grim, and cold sweat kept sliding down his forehead. "How could Shen Mo be so strong... How is this possible?" His voice was filled with disbelief and fear, and his eyes were full of incomprehension.

Lu Yan and Yue Linglong were equally shocked. They exchanged glances, both seeing the same question in each other's eyes: Is this Shen Mo still the Shen Mo we know? He seemed to have surpassed the limits of humanity, reaching an inhuman level.

Shen Mo stood rooted to the spot, coldly watching Hua Tianyou lying on the ground, his eyes devoid of any emotion. Though his outward appearance was calm, his heart was in turmoil. He knew his martial arts had reached an unprecedented level, so much so that his seemingly effortless finger strike had actually used less than one percent of his power. Yet, even such a tiny fraction of force was enough to send Hua Tianyou flying, a fact that greatly shocked Shen Mo.

As the dust settled, Hua Tianyou slowly rose from the ground, spitting out blood, yet he stubbornly stood up. His eyes were filled with resentment and anger, as if he wanted to tear everything in front of him to shreds. However, facing Shen Mo's deep and calm gaze, a sense of fear rose in his heart.

Shen Mo slowly walked towards Hua Tianyou, each step steady and powerful, as if the entire cave was making way for him. When he reached Hua Tianyou, he stopped and looked down at him. The air around them seemed to freeze, only the tension between the two men steadily rising.

"Hua Tianyou," Shen Mo's voice was deep and powerful, carrying an undeniable authority, "I'll give you a chance."