Wandering Swordsman |

Although his strength had surpassed Li Yonghuan's after activating the third transformation, Shen Mo felt a sense of powerlessness approaching. Time was running out after activating the third transformation. He knew he had to seize the time to defeat Li Yonghuan. Therefore, he held nothing back, unleashing the full power of his body in every move, as if releasing all the demonic energy within him.

At the same time, Fu Sheng, Situ Dengfeng, and the middle-aged scholar who had already taken their seats all sensed the demonic energy erupting from behind Qilin Village almost simultaneously. However, the surrounding guests continued to enjoy their fine food and wine amidst laughter and chatter, completely unaware of the powerful demonic energy that Shen Mo had released at the back gate of Qilin Village.

Noticing his master Situ Dengfeng's slightly furrowed brow, Situ Changkong immediately asked with concern, "Master, what's wrong?" Although Situ Dengfeng was worried about the demonic energy, he quickly adjusted his expression to avoid worrying his disciple, revealing a relaxed smile. "Nothing, I just remembered something." His voice was light and natural, as if he had truly just been lost in thought for a moment. Seeing this, Situ Changkong, though still having doubts, had no choice but to temporarily set aside his questions and continue focusing on the wedding banquet before him.

Just then, Fu Sheng suddenly stood up and said loudly, "You have all come from afar to attend my son's wedding, which is truly an honor for Qilin Village. Please take your seats first, and I will excuse myself for a moment."

Having said that, as he left the wedding banquet, he gave a wink to the high-ranking members of Qilin Village, signaling that they must ensure all guests remained in the banquet hall and that no one was allowed to approach the direction he had left in. Seeing their leader's serious expression and knowing look, the Qilin Village leaders nodded, understanding their responsibility—to maintain order at the wedding banquet and prevent anyone from leaving. Then, Fu Sheng hurried towards the back door at breakneck speed.

At the same time, Situ Dengfeng also realized the reason for Fu Sheng's departure and pondered to himself: "Judging from Fu Sheng's reaction, that demonic energy just now seemed to have nothing to do with Qilin Village. Could it be that someone deliberately chose this time to cause trouble?" Thinking of this, his gaze became even more solemn. He knew that if it really was caused by demonic energy, then the situation was probably more complicated than he had imagined.

Seeing Fu Sheng leave, Situ Dengfeng secretly wondered whether he should follow him to find out what was going on. With his profound internal strength and superb lightness skills, he could easily disappear from the wedding banquet without anyone noticing.

However, when he thought about leaving Situ Changkong alone there if he left, he hesitated. He knew that although Situ Changkong was highly skilled in martial arts, he was currently in Qilin Village, and if anything unexpected happened, he wouldn't be able to get there in time to rescue him, with unimaginable consequences. Therefore, Situ Dengfeng rejected the idea and decided to stay where he was for the time being.

At this moment, the banquet hall was bustling with activity, and the guests were laughing and chatting, as if Fu Sheng's temporary departure had no impact on the marriage.

Just as Situ Dengfeng was deep in thought, a subtle fluctuation of internal energy suddenly emanated from the group of people who had taken their seats. This fluctuation was extremely weak, and it would be impossible for anyone other than someone with profound skill like Situ Dengfeng to detect it.

Situ Dengfeng's gaze quickly swept towards the direction from which the internal energy fluctuations originated, only to find an empty chair. Situ Dengfeng frowned, a hint of doubt rising in his mind: 'No one here! Is it just my imagination?' But he didn't know that the moment his gaze fell upon that chair, the mysterious middle-aged scholar was sitting there. However, the middle-aged scholar had already used his lightness skill to quietly follow Fu Sheng to investigate the demonic energy eruption at the back gate of Qilin Village.

Situ Dengfeng frowned, a vague unease creeping into his heart. He knew that if what he had just sensed wasn't his imagination, then there was a master in this marriage whose martial arts were even more powerful than his own!

"Chang Kong," Situ Dengfeng called in a low voice, "I suspect there might be some unforeseen events at Qilin Village. You should prepare to leave by force."

Upon hearing this, Situ Changkong's expression turned serious. "Master, I sensed it too. Especially the way Chief Fusheng left in such a hurry just now, it seemed like something urgent had happened."

On his way to the back gate, Fu Sheng saw many fallen guards of Qilin Village. These guards were either lying or leaning against the wall, clearly having suffered heavy blows. Fu Sheng was startled, realizing the urgency of the situation. He quickened his pace, his figure flashing like the wind across the corridor and courtyard, heading straight for the back gate.

At the same time, the scene switches to the back gate of Qilin Village.

A thick demonic aura surrounded Shen Mo, as if he were no longer a young man just entering the martial world, but a demon descended to earth. His eyes gleamed with an unusual light, a sign of having activated the third stage of the "Nine Revolutions of Yin and Yang." At this moment, Shen Mo exuded a chilling aura.

Ten moves! In just ten moves, Shen Mo, relying on the immense power and incredible speed gained from his third transformation, broke through Li Yonghuan's final defensive line. At that moment, Shen Mo, with a palm strike imbued with all his strength, pierced through Li Yonghuan's chest. In that instant, time seemed to freeze, and only the sounds of their breathing and heartbeats filled the air.

Li Yonghuan stared wide-eyed at the arm piercing his chest in disbelief. He couldn't believe he had been defeated by a mere youth. His eyes were filled with shock and resentment. Blood slowly seeped from the wound, staining his clothes and signaling the end of the battle.

A flicker of pity crossed Shen Mo's eyes as he looked at Li Yonghuan, but he knew that in this world where it was a matter of life or death, all of this was necessary. After killing Li Yonghuan, Shen Mo finally breathed a sigh of relief. Unable to hold on any longer, he immediately deactivated the "Nine Revolutions of Yin and Yang".

As his internal energy receded, the demonic aura enveloping Shen Mo also dissipated. The chilling aura he exuded gradually weakened until it vanished completely, as if the demon had retreated, leaving only an exhausted young man. However, the moment the power of the Yin-Yang Nine Revolutions withdrew from his body, the side effects described in the manual—severed wounds, severed pain, severed flesh, severed intestines, etc.—immediately surged towards Shen Mo like a raging tide.

First came the excruciating pain, like a thousand arrows piercing his heart. Every muscle and bone seemed to scream in agony, as if countless tiny needles were mercilessly stabbing into his body. Shen Mo's face instantly turned ashen, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead, soaking his clothes. His breathing was rapid and heavy, each inhale accompanied by a tearing pain, as if the organs inside his chest were being squeezed and deformed by an invisible force.