Tianjin, starting with unorthodox methods to achieve immortality

Chapter 280 Robbery (No time to split into chapters tonight)

Phosphorescent flames flickered, sometimes bright and sometimes dim, deep within the mass grave.

After walking for the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, Chen Mo stopped under a crooked old locust tree.

Several startled crows took flight from the bare branches overhead, emitting a few strange cries.

The path ends here, and further ahead is a collapsed grave pit.

The bottom of the pit was filled with dark, foul-smelling sewage, probably left over from the heavy rain a couple of days ago.

Even without looking, it's obvious that this is a feng shui treasure land for burying people.

Chen Mo turned around expressionlessly and looked at the shadowy figure following him down the path.

Suddenly, the shadow beneath my feet lengthened and disappeared into the grass on either side.

Ghost Banner Taoist stood beside him, his palms wet.

Being surrounded by twenty or thirty people in a mass grave, it would be a lie to say you weren't nervous.

Behind him, a bald, burly man stood in the shadows of the path, his eyes scanning the bushes on either side several times.

The wind blew through the mass grave, rustling the withered grass, and a hint of hesitation appeared on his face.

People who have been in the underworld for a long time are not afraid of fighting tough guys, but they are afraid of stepping into traps.

The two people who dared to walk into the mass grave were either in a panic or deliberately lured us there.

But judging from the current situation, the other party is clearly the latter.

He turned around and made a gesture into the darkness behind him.

Footsteps sounded in the darkness.

After a while, several of his men emerged from the bushes and shook their heads at the bald man.

Was there no ambush?

His expression shifted a few times before a slow smile spread across his face. He walked to a spot about ten steps away from the two of them and stopped.

Their gazes first fell on Chen Mo, then turned to Gui Fan Dao Ren.

"Friends, let's be frank. We've been eyeing that piece of blood jade on you guys for the past few days."

"Leave your belongings and leave, otherwise..."

T

The people behind him had dispersed, forming a crescent shape to surround Chen Mo and the Ghost Banner Taoist.

Just as Chen Mo was about to make a move, his expression suddenly changed, and he suppressed the dozen or so shadow puppets that were about to leap out.

In the distance, a string of green lanterns could be seen rapidly floating in the darkness.

There were at least a dozen of them, and they arrived very quickly, in the blink of an eye.

The emerald green light scattered in the night fog did not illuminate the surroundings; instead, it shrouded the entire path in shadow.

The light made the entire mass grave look like a ghost town.

The bald man's smile froze on his face instantly.

Ghost Banner Taoist first breathed a sigh of relief, then seemed to remember something, and his expression became even more unpleasant than before.

"The Ding family patrol team has arrived."

As the green light drew closer, everyone finally saw the strangeness of the lanterns.

There were no levers, no ropes, and nothing could be seen pulling them.

A dozen lanterns hung suspended in mid-air, about three feet off the ground.

The lantern's outer layer is made of a nearly transparent paper, so thin that you can see that what's flickering inside isn't a candle flame, but a cluster of green phosphorescence that flashes on and off.

The inner wall is covered with countless twisted red lines, like blood vessels.

Someone behind the bald, burly man couldn't help but exclaim in shock, "A ghost candle possessing a soul!"

After a flurry of noise, the crescent-shaped encirclement that the group had set up completely collapsed.

Only the bald, burly man remained standing, his hand already on the short axe tucked at his waist, his knuckles white, and veins bulging on his forehead.

The moment the words "Ghost Candle Soul Transfer" were uttered, even the pupils of the Ghost Banner Taoist shrank sharply.

It is said that the Ding family's most core secret technique is not controlling ghosts, but rather the possession of souls by these ghost candles.

He sealed a wisp of his soul into a specially made yin candle lantern.

As long as the lantern remains lit, the spirit will not dissipate.

It can travel hundreds of miles at night, pass through walls and houses, and is neither sinking in water nor burning in fire.

What's even more bizarre is that these people possessed by spirits are neither living nor dead.

The secrets behind this are probably only known to the Ding family themselves.

The bald, burly man stared intently at the lanterns, his lips twitching slightly. "I wonder which patriarch from the Ding family has arrived?"

The twelve lanterns moved simultaneously.

Human-shaped outlines slowly emerged from the bright green light, first as a blurry mass, then gradually solidifying into hands, feet, and torso, until even facial features became vaguely discernible.

However, its shape still had a semi-transparent texture.

They wore matching dark gray short jackets with white cloth belts around their waists and a small "丁" character embroidered on their collars.

The leader was more solid-looking than the other eleven, and could be vaguely identified as a man in his forties.

He did not answer Zhao Hu's question, but slowly glanced around at everyone present.

Wherever his gaze fell, everyone felt a chill run down their spines.

Finally, his gaze fell on the bald man. "Blood Axe, you have crossed the line of the Ding family."

"Has anyone told you that the Ghost Market is now under the protection of the Ding family?"

The bald, burly man suddenly clapped his hands together, adopting a victim's expression.

"Third Master Ding, you've come at the right time. This old Taoist priest stole my Blood Jade, and we were just about to confront him."

Upon hearing this, Ghost Banner Taoist was so angry he almost vomited blood. "You son of a bitch..."

2

"Shut up, all of you."

Master Ding raised his left hand to interrupt the two, his gaze lingering on the bald man's face for a moment before sweeping over the Ghost Banner Taoist's face.

"Tell us one by one, what exactly happened?"

The bald man spoke up quickly, "Third Master Ding, I was browsing the stalls inside tonight and discovered that the blood jade I always carry with me is missing."

"This thing is a family heirloom, and I've always kept it close to my body. I was so anxious at the time that I searched all over the city for it."

"Later, I discovered that the aura of the Blood Jade was on this old Taoist priest, so I led people to chase after him."

"Not only did he refuse to give it to me, he also turned around and accused me of running the business himself."

"Third Master Ding, you be the judge! Where would a poor, penniless old Taoist priest get the money to break the seal on the Yin Stone?"

As he finished speaking, he spat on the ground.

Ghost Banner Taoist's face turned a deep liver color, and veins bulged from the back of his hand all the way to his wrist. "Third Master Ding, don't listen to his nonsense!"

,

"I spent two hundred silver dollars to get this blood jade from the stall, and the stall owner witnessed it himself."

"This bald guy got jealous because I found something good, and he's trying to cheat me!"

Master Ding's eyes flickered a few times, but he did not immediately express his opinion.

"In that case, it's unclear whose it is right now."

One said it was sold at a stall, while the other said it was a family heirloom that had been stolen.

"The stall owner isn't here, so we can't confront him. This mass grave is dark and gloomy; we can't exactly hold a trial here."

His gaze swept back and forth between the two groups of people.

"In that case, hand over the goods to me first. Since the Ding family is in charge of the Ghost Market, they should naturally take care of this kind of thing as well."

"I will keep and inspect the items. Once the matter is clarified, they will be returned to their rightful owners."

"Can you trust me or not?"

After saying this, a half-smile appeared on Ding Sanye's face.

But there was no hint of a smile in his eyes; instead, he seemed even colder than before.

Ghost Banner Taoist's heart skipped a beat; his worst fears had come true.

He swallowed hard, trying one last time to plead: "Third Master Ding, this thing is indeed mine."

"That stall owner is the fourth stall in the third row after entering the C section. Just call him over and ask, you'll find out. There's no need to throw your things away first..."

'

"As I said, there's a dispute over the items right now, so we'll keep them for now."

Third Master Ding interrupted him impatiently, "Once the matter is investigated, it will be returned to whoever it belongs to. The Ding family has established rules in Tianjin for so many years, we wouldn't stoop to coveting a piece of your jade."

He stretched out his right hand and held it in mid-air, his five fingers slightly bent, as if urging him on.

Ghost Banner Taoist immediately felt a bone-chilling cold creep up from the soles of his feet, even more intense than before.

Although the Ding family members and the bald man weren't on the same side, they were clearly working together, singing in unison.

Unfortunately, he couldn't produce any evidence to expose them on the spot.

The bald man insisted that he stole it, but the Ding family said that if there was a dispute, they should keep it safe first. This scheme was carried out flawlessly.

He took a few steps back and stood behind Chen Mo. "Mr. Chen, please say something..."

""

Master Ding's self-illumination finally shifted from Ghost Banner Taoist and landed on Chen Mo.

"This friend looks unfamiliar. Which street are you walking on?"

He slowly withdrew his hand, which was suspended in mid-air, his brows furrowed slightly, and he suddenly became alert.

Not right.

In his perception, this person had no vitality at all.

I couldn't sense breathing, heartbeat, or body temperature; it was as if I were standing in front of a ball of air that had just happened to condense into a human shape.

Master Ding had been in Tianjin for twenty years and had seen all sorts of strange and eerie things.

He even caught a glimpse of the once-sensational Xiangxi Corpse King when it was born.

But the person in front of me is completely different from those things.

This person, when he closes his eyes, is as if he doesn't exist; he has no trace of human life.

In this situation, it could be either an evil spirit or a highly skilled person...

Chen Mo leaned against the wall, half his face hidden in the shadows, looking like a bystander watching a spectacle.

Only after Ding San called out to him did he slowly raise his eyelids and glance at the other person.

"I'm practically in the same line of work as you."

He took a step forward with a cold smile. "Robbery."

The bald, burly man was taken aback for a moment, then grinned and laughed, "Hahaha, friend, are you scared out of your wits?"

"You dare to rob the Ding family? You think you're...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Chen Mo took a second step forward.

A terrifying aura suddenly erupted from him, instantly sweeping across the surrounding mass grave.

The light of the crimson moon seemed to be suppressed by this aura, turning into a dark, rusty color.

A bone-chilling cold spread rapidly from the soles of his feet in all directions.

Wherever it passed, the grass withered quickly, and the pool of water in the grave pit suddenly froze with a thin layer of ice, making a soft crackling sound.

Condensing evil into a domain.

The bald man's smile froze on his face, his lips trembled twice, but he couldn't utter a single word.

He felt as if a bull had struck his chest, let out a muffled groan, and stumbled back three steps before nearly falling backward.

His men behind him fared even worse; they collapsed to the ground under the weight of this aura, trembling like leaves.

Ding Sanye, who had been expressionless, suddenly changed his expression, and the twelve green lanterns behind him simultaneously emitted a piercing buzzing sound.

The phosphorescence inside changed from dark green to pale white, flickering violently as if it might go out at any moment.

Those red, vein-like lines continued to shrink and began to break apart inch by inch.

The numerous illusory members of the Ding family took several steps back in unison, their semi-transparent bodies swaying and blurry shadows appearing at the edges, almost losing their human form.

This is the most instinctive reaction of a cultivator when faced with absolute overwhelming power.

"Condensing...Condensing Evil?" For the first time, Master Ding's voice lost its composure, trembling.

Even the Ghost Banner Taoist behind Chen Mo was stunned in place as if struck by lightning.

Condensing Evil?

Is the master a spirit of condensation, and the disciple also a spirit of condensation?

And he's such a young Sha Jing?

A sect with two evil spirits?

What kind of lineage is this? It's terrifying!

"Ding family, leave your magical artifacts behind and get out of here."

Chen Mo looked at them coldly, his tone as if he were instructing a waiter to serve the dishes.

Upon hearing this, even Guifan Daoren gasped in shock.

He stood behind Chen Mo, his eyes practically bulging out of their sockets. "Mr. Chen, are you serious?"

Although I knew Chen Mo was not simple, I didn't expect him to be this extraordinary.

Robbing the Ding family patrol?

In Tianjin, even the most skilled unorthodox practitioners wouldn't dare utter such nonsense when they're drunk.

The Ding family has been operating in Tianjin for decades; who would dare to touch their people?

Across from him, on Third Master Ding's semi-transparent face, fear and anger flashed alternately.

The eleven patrolmen behind him exchanged glances, all seeing disbelief in each other's eyes.

In Tianjin, it has always been the Ding family who robbed others. When has anyone ever dared to rob them?

But at this moment, it seemed as if Master Ding's feet were rooted to the ground, and he couldn't take a single step.

Condensation.

These two words weighed on his heart, heavier than all the graves in this mass grave combined.

The Ding family had been operating in Tianjin for three generations and were considered a powerful force in the underworld.

However, when it comes to the Condensing Fiend Realm, not a single person in the entire Ding family, spanning several generations, has even reached the threshold.

That step requires more than just hard work; it also requires talent, opportunity, and a sudden realization between life and death—you can't do without any of these.

Damn it, how come there's still an old monster at the Condensation Realm after the Red Moon?

These thoughts raced through Third Master Ding's mind, his expression shifting between light and shadow.

He had suspected that the other party was bluffing, using some secret method to simulate the aura of condensed evil to intimidate people.

But the mournful cries of the two ghostly lanterns behind him were not fake; their sheer force nearly shattered his soul, something no secret technique could achieve.

The only explanation is that the person in front of them is indeed at the Condensation Realm.

He's not just a beginner in the Condensing Qi realm; he's a formidable character who has firmly established himself in this realm.

"This senior."

Master Ding abandoned his arrogant demeanor and even changed his form of address, asking, "May I ask your honorable name?"

He had to find out who the other party was, even if he had already admitted defeat, he still needed to know who had defeated him.

Chen Mo didn't answer, but simply opened his palm, slightly bent his fingers, and made a gesture as if to take it.

This action was exactly the same as the one he made when he reached out to the Ghost Banner Taoist earlier.

Master Ding's face turned extremely ugly.

He's so powerful in Tianjin that even the Ghost Market trembles when he stomps his feet. Today, he was slapped in the face in public and had to hand over the magic weapon with a smile. If word gets out, how will he ever be able to stay in the Ding family again?

But what if I don't pay?

"senior."

Master Ding suppressed his shock and tried to make his voice sound as calm as possible. "My Ding family has seen experts in the Condensation Realm before."

"But you need to think this through. The ritual implements are a small matter; saving face is a big deal."

"You disarmed my Ding family in public today, and this feud is now established."

"Making an enemy of the Ding family in Tianjin is not a wise move."

As he spoke, the eleven lanterns behind him quietly changed their formation.

The scattered crescent shapes silently coalesced into a cone, with the tip pointing directly at Chen Mo.

This is not an attack formation, but an escape formation.

Once Chen Mo really makes a move, the twelve lanterns can instantly scatter in twelve directions, allowing as many as possible to escape.

Chen Mo merely scoffed at these little tricks.

"face?"

He took a step forward, and the black aura beneath his feet suddenly surged three feet. "Do you believe I can even find your true forms hidden in the old house?"

Chen Mo had already figured it out: the twelve people who came were all substitutes or remnants of souls, not the original bodies at all.

Killing them would at most severely damage their true strength, but it wouldn't silence them.

Ding Sanye's pupils contracted violently.

"you....

'

I'll count to three.

Chen Mo held up three fingers, looking at him coldly, "After these three strikes, I'll consider any magic weapons you haven't put down as a price to pay with your lives."

""

The eleven members of the Ding family behind him all looked at Third Master Ding, their eyes filled with terror.

They're just a patrol team, not assassins. It's not worth wasting three-tenths of their lives here for a bunch of copper bells and talismans.

Dividing one's soul into three parts is defying the heavens. For every part lost, the true body will be bedridden for at least three years, and it is certain that one's cultivation level will regress by one step.

"two.

"6

Ding Sanye's chest heaved violently.

He stared intently at Chen Mo, trying to discern even the slightest trace of bluff in those calm eyes.

But I didn't see anything.

All that remained was a heartless killing intent.

That's the look in someone's eyes who has actually killed people, and many people at that.

"three""

"put!"

Master Ding practically gritted his teeth to squeeze out that word.

He took out a palm-sized bronze mirror from his pocket and bent down to place it on the ground.

The bronze mirror's surface was dull and lackluster, but the back was covered with runes, clearly indicating that it was an old object from many years ago.

The eleven people behind him were as if they had been granted a pardon, and they all took out their magical artifacts and put them on the ground.

A copper bell, a compass, talisman paper, a white porcelain bottle, copper coins strung with red string, and a few short, black sticks of indistinguishable material.

A dozen or so items were scattered haphazardly in the middle of the path, gleaming faintly in the light of the green lanterns.

Third Master Ding also took a palm-sized blue cloth money bag from his waist and placed it next to the pile of ritual implements.

The money bag landed on the muddy ground with a dull thud, and judging from the sound, it was filled with a lot of religious money.

"You're quite sensible."

Chen Mo's gaze lingered on the money pouch for a moment, a hint of ambiguous amusement in his voice.

"Could I leave my name?"

Master Ding straightened up, his face had regained its composure, but a trace of fear still lingered deep in his eyes.

"What? Trying to get revenge?"

Chen Mo glanced at him, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth revealing a smile that sent chills down one's spine.

Knowing better than to ask any more questions, Third Master Ding turned and left.

The twelve ghost candle lanterns all turned around in mid-air, their green light rapidly receding into the distant darkness.

Their initial imposing manner had vanished, replaced by the sight of a pack of stray dogs fleeing with their tails between their legs.

Ghost Banner Taoist watched the row of green lights disappear into the darkness, let out a long sigh, and took out a handkerchief to wipe the cold sweat from his forehead. "Master Chen, we've really offended the Ding family this time. Our future in Tianjin..."

""

"Don't worry about the future yet."

Chen Mo interrupted him, his gaze falling on the bald, muscular man.

Those twenty-odd people had already retreated more than ten feet away.

Some had already run dozens of steps in the dark, but the bald, burly man was still standing in the same spot.

"The Ding family is gone; now it's time to settle our scores."

The bald, burly man's face was as white as a sheet of paper. His lips trembled for a long time before he finally managed to squeeze out a few words through gritted teeth: "You said you wouldn't kill the Ding family...we..."

"9

"If the authorities try to take advantage of us, we should be prepared to risk our lives."

As soon as Chen Mo finished speaking, the shadow puppets that had been lying in ambush in the grass sprang out at the same time.

Wherever it passed, the withered grass was silently flattened, as if something was rushing across the ground at high speed.

The screams of those twenty-odd people echoed in the night sky above the mass grave for less than three breaths before falling completely silent.

The last thing the bald, burly man saw was Chen Mo's emotionless eyes.

"You collect the souls and belongings of these people, I'll go after those two."

After saying those words, Chen Mo had already darted several feet away.

Before Guifan Daoist could respond, he saw Chen Mo's figure leap and fall several times in the withered grass of the mass grave, leaving only a blurry afterimage.

He had no choice but to swallow back the words he was about to say, look down at the corpses and scattered magical artifacts on the ground, and resignedly squat down to start cleaning up.

On the other side, Chen Mo had already chased after them for half a mile.

Those two people were indeed fast runners.

Of the twenty-odd men the bald, burly man brought, only these two didn't collapse to the ground from the very beginning.

When his murderous aura erupted, the two men turned and ran without saying a word, their agility far surpassing that of the others.

At that time, Chen Mo's attention was focused on Third Master Ding and the bald man, which allowed the two guys to take the opportunity to slip away.

But no matter how fast you run, you can't outrun his pursuit.

The two people had a peculiar aura about them, like the smell of someone who had been steeped in some kind of sinister magic for a long time.

This smell is undetectable to ordinary people, but to someone in the Condensing Sha Realm, it's like two bright lights in the dark.

The mass graves ahead grew increasingly desolate, and the mounds of graves grew lower and lower.

In the end, even the grave mounds disappeared, leaving only a barren, rocky wasteland.

This is outside the outer edge of the ghost market. Further ahead is an abandoned old kiln area, with collapsed kilns and piles of broken bricks and tiles everywhere.

Two dark figures were running desperately ahead.

Chen Mo then got a clear look at them.

One was tall and thin, the other short and stocky; both were dressed in long black robes, and their running posture was particularly eerie.

With each step, a faint wisp of black mist supported the ground beneath one's feet, making the landing silent.

This was clearly some kind of unorthodox movement technique that could shrink distances to an inch, and if mastered, it could allow one to travel a thousand miles a day. However, these two people had obviously not mastered it yet, and they started panting after running only a few miles.

"Still running?"

Chen Mo snorted coldly, and the murderous aura within his body began to surge.

Black energy surged from his dantian, spreading rapidly along his meridians to his limbs and bones, leaving a dark, murky sheen wherever it passed.

The person was enveloped by an increasingly thick black mist, which first blurred their outline, and then even their physical form began to dissipate.

From the outside, all that can be seen is a billowing cloud of black smoke, still vaguely resembling a human figure.

This technique was learned from Master Baidu.

When the opponent used this move in front of him, he turned into a wisp of black smoke and instantly disappeared dozens of feet away, at an unbelievable speed.

Afterwards, Chen Mo pondered for a long time before finally understanding the ins and outs.

This is not just a simple movement technique, but rather the simultaneous activation of the unified magical power and malevolent energy within the body after the condensation of evil energy.

Using evil as its form and law as its driving force, it allows people to temporarily escape the constraints of the physical body and transform into a being that is half evil and half smoke.

It's not complicated to put it simply, but to do it, magical power and malevolent energy must be integrated to a certain degree.

The control over malevolent energy must be precise down to every single strand.

When Chen Mo first entered the Qi Condensation stage, he tried several times. Each time, the Qi would start to get out of control as soon as it enveloped his body, almost bursting his meridians.

It wasn't until a few days ago, after I gave my boss a good beating, that the level of my inner energy was sufficient to meet the requirements for this move.

The next second, black smoke shot out close to the ground, leaving a straight black line in the air.

The jumbled rocks and withered trees on both sides were blown about by the strong wind as it swept past, rolling away with a clatter into the gravel.

Looking down from above, it looks like a black lightning bolt skimming across the ground, flattening all the vegetation in its path.

The tall, thin man ran in front, glanced back briefly, and his face instantly turned pale.

"He's here!"

Ai Dun turned around and saw the plume of black smoke approaching at an incredible speed from dozens of feet away.

The biting cold air hit you even before the black smoke itself.

"It's the Demon-Transforming Escape Technique! Damn it, a Demon-Transforming Escape Technique at the Condensing Demon Realm!"

He cursed, and the black aura beneath his feet surged by three points, instantly increasing his speed by another level.

Unfortunately, it didn't work.

The black smoke was moving much faster than them.

The distance of several dozen feet was compressed to a dozen feet in a few breaths, and then compressed to a few feet in the blink of an eye.

"Run separately!"

The tall, thin man screamed, suddenly turned a corner, and darted off to the left.

The other person turned sharply to the right at almost the same time.

The two players' teamwork was clearly not something that could be achieved in just a day or two.

The black smoke suddenly stopped at the point where the two men parted ways.

Chen Mo's figure re-condensed from the black smoke, and his feet kicked up a cloud of fine sand as he landed.

His face was a little pale, and his breathing was a bit more rapid than usual.

Although the method of dispelling evil spirits is fast, it also consumes a lot of energy. In just a short while, nearly 20% of the evil spirits in my body have been depleted.

Chen Mo looked at the figures running wildly in two directions and sneered.

"Break up? Dream on."

The shadow puppets silently emerged from the shadows beneath their feet, splitting into two groups to chase after the tall, thin man on the left.

He himself transformed back into black smoke and chased after the low mound on the right.

The short, stocky guy was so tired he felt like his lungs were about to explode, and he cursed the tall, thin guy's ancestors for eighteen generations in his mind.

If that bastard hadn't shouted for us to split up and run, he might have lived a few more breaths.

Now that the two streams of energy have separated, they've come after me without a second thought.

Isn't this just picking on the weak?

He cursed inwardly, but dared not slow down even a fraction of an inch.

He pushed his shrinking-the-ground-to-an-inch movement technique to its limit, and the black mist under his feet had thinned to just a layer of hazy gray fog.

Even so, the chilling aura behind them did not recede but instead drew ever closer.

The black smoke hadn't even arrived yet, but the malevolent aura had already set in.

He felt as if a block of ice, thousands of years old, was pressed against his back, and a chill ran down his spine from the base of his tail to the back of his head. Even his teeth began to chatter uncontrollably.

How could I feel cold in my current half-corpse state?

There's no escape now?

The moment this thought popped into his head, the fear in the short, stout man's heart suddenly exploded.

Is he afraid of death?

Of course afraid.

For so many years, living a life that is neither human nor ghost, relying on medicinal soup every day to barely maintain this half-human, half-corpse body, what was the point?

Isn't it all about saving your life?

But now things are really messed up; the old monster who's been chasing us isn't giving us a way out.

The short, stout man suddenly stopped, turned around, and the two phosphorescent lights in his eye sockets flickered violently.

"Does Your Excellency truly intend to exterminate them all?!"

His voice carried the madness of someone on the verge of death, "Even a rabbit will bite when cornered! We brothers may be lowly, but we're still disciples of the Xuan Yin Sect!"

"Aren't you afraid of bringing trouble upon yourself by doing this?"

The black smoke suddenly stopped about five or six zhang away from him.

Chen Mo's figure reformed, his face was even paler than before, and his breathing was somewhat unsteady, but his eyes remained cold and emotionless.

"Bring trouble upon yourself? You'd better be able to find me first," he said calmly, his tone revealing neither joy nor anger.

Seeing that the other party was willing to communicate, the short man thought there was a chance for a breakthrough and quickly took another half step forward.

"Sir, let's talk this out, let's talk this out."

"Look, I'm just a nobody. Killing me won't do you any good."

"But it's different in our sect. When a Foundation Establishment cultivator is enraged, it's no joke."

"Although you are a master of the Qi Condensation Realm, there are different levels within the Qi Condensation Realm. What is a Qi Condensation Realm cultivator compared to a Foundation Establishment True Person? Why risk your life for a moment of anger?"

As he spoke, the two green flames in his eye sockets flickered on and off, giving off an indescribable eeriness.

His expression was both laughing and crying.

Unfortunately, Chen Mo remained unmoved, and his murderous aura even intensified.

"Sir, could you please be lenient?"

"We were both outer disciples. There are as many outer disciples as ants in the Xuan Yin Sect. If we die, no one will even give us a second glance."

"Actually, our soul lamps are white, the same rank as those of menial servants. No one will come to check if the lamp goes out."

"A Foundation Establishment cultivator like him wouldn't even remember all our names, let alone stand up for us."

"I was wrong to intimidate you by bringing up my name earlier, and I apologize! Just ignore me and let us go, okay?"

When people are in extreme fear, they may become incoherent.

That's how the short, stocky guy was right now, with a lot to say just popping out.

Regardless of logic, the only goal is to persuade the other party.

In the end, he even knelt down with a thud, his knees hitting the gravel with a dull thud.

But he seemed completely oblivious to the pain, simply tilting his head back and staring intently at Chen Mo with his eyes that glowed only with phosphorescence and had no pupils.

A short, sharp scream suddenly came from the darkness in the distance.

The short, stocky man's body stiffened abruptly.

He recognized the voice; it was the voice of his fellow disciple.

The scream lasted only half a breath before it stopped, and the other side of the rocky beach fell silent, with only the sound of the wind remaining.

Two humanoid black shadows silently swept back from a distance, skimming the ground like two black snakes returning to their nest, and quietly disappeared into the shadows beneath Chen Mo's feet.

The short, stout man knelt on the ground, the phosphorescent light in his eye sockets ceasing to flicker.

"He's dead, does that mean I'm going to die too...?"

"6

His voice suddenly became very calm, devoid of the previous madness.