Wandering Swordsman |

Looking at Yue Mojun's actions, Shen Mo thought that Yue Mojun probably didn't have much strength himself, since he could show such respect to someone of lower status than himself.

The Moon Demon Lord turned her gaze to Shen Mo, a curious smile appearing on her face. "Are these the two people you brought back from Qilin Village?" Her voice was gentle and kind, completely devoid of the cold-blooded ruthlessness of a martial arts world.

Juechenzi nodded. "Yes, Demon Lord. This young man's potential is far more astonishing than what Fusheng reported to the Flame Demon Lord in his letter."

Upon hearing Juechenzi's high praise, Moon Demon Lord turned to the twelve or thirteen-year-old girl beside him and instructed, "Linglong, go and test his strength?"

The girl named Yue Linglong waved her hand, refusing the Moon Demon Lord's arrangement, "Grandma, he is no match for me."

Hearing this girl, who was about his age, call the Moon Demon Lord "Grandma," Shen Mo realized that this seemingly ordinary woman was actually a grandmother. Could it be that her cultivation had reached the realm of returning to simplicity?

Only this makes sense! After all, everyone in the martial arts world knows that the Demonic Sect values ​​strength above all else. If Moon Demon Lord had achieved such a high position solely based on his birth, he would have died a thousand times over. Even Situ Dengfeng's martial arts skills haven't reached the level of returning to simplicity and authenticity. It seems that Juechenzi's respectful attitude wasn't without reason.

"Young brother, don't take my granddaughter's words too seriously. After all, she is a genius in this Fallen Sword Valley, so she is quite confident in her own strength." Moon Demon Lord added to Shen Mo. Although his words were tactful on the surface, Shen Mo could naturally hear the Moon Demon Lord's overflowing confidence in his granddaughter.

"Whether someone is your match or not, we'll only know after we fight." However, this only fueled Shen Mo's competitive spirit. He took a deep breath, and as he regained his composure, a determined glint flashed in his eyes.

Hearing Shen Mo's sharp retort, Linglong's lips curled into a confident smile. "Then let's go."

Then, Linglong put forward a condition: "But if you lose, you will be my follower for two years."

After a moment's thought, Shen Mo replied, "Okay! What if you lose?" His gaze was fixed on Linglong, his eyes flashing with a challenging light.

"If I lose, I'll be your little follower and do whatever dirty or tiring work you ask!" Linglong replied to Shen Mo with a hint of disdain in her eyes, as if she was very certain that she would not lose.

Thus, witnessed by the Moon Demon Lord, the two quickly walked to a corner of the hall, where Shen Mo and Yue Linglong stood face to face. The surrounding air seemed to freeze; the Moon Demon Lord, Juechenzi, and Xie Xin all held their breath, awaiting the start of this contest.

Shen Mo began with the Heavenly Gang Sword Technique, his sword tip trembling slightly, sending up streaks of cold light. However, facing Linglong's attacks, he quickly felt the pressure increase exponentially. Linglong's martial arts, combined with her agile movements, gave her a speed and power that surpassed Shen Mo's. Every move was lightning fast, and her strength was astonishing, forcing Shen Mo to grit his teeth and go all out.

Shen Mo swung his sword to block Linglong's sweeping kick, feeling a sudden numbness in his arm. He was secretly shocked: the girl before him, who was about the same age as him, was surprisingly strong! But he was not discouraged; instead, it fueled his fighting spirit. He tried to counterattack using the continuous sword moves from the "Heavenly Gang Sword Technique," attempting to find an opening in Linglong's defenses.

However, no matter how Shen Mo changed his moves, Linglong could always easily deflect them and turn the tables. Her movements were as fluid as flowing water, and every strike was incredibly precise, as if she had already seen through Shen Mo's every move.

Shen Mo gradually felt his strength waning, and fine beads of sweat appeared on his forehead. He knew that if he continued like this, he would surely be defeated. Therefore, he decided to use the "Taiji Xuantian Sword" taught by Master Zhang.

Shen Mo took a deep breath, slowly raising his left hand to assume the starting stance of Tai Chi. In an instant, a gentle yet powerful internal force flowed through his body, and a faint blue light emanated from the tip of his sword. He seemed to merge with heaven and earth, exuding an aura of transcendence.

Upon seeing this, Yue Linglong's eyes flashed with surprise, but she quickly suppressed her smile and became serious. She realized that the martial arts this young man was about to use were no ordinary martial arts, and this battle might not be as simple as she had imagined.

Shen Mo swung his sword, the sword's momentum flowing endlessly like mercury spilling onto the ground, each sword shadow containing profound internal force.

However, Linglong's unpredictable movements, combined with her mysterious and elusive palm techniques, made it difficult for Shen Mo to anticipate her actions. Whenever Shen Mo thought he had found an opening and was about to launch a fatal attack, Linglong would always manage to dodge at the last second and then counterattack with even greater speed.

As time went on, even when Shen Mo used the Taiji Xuantian Sword, he gradually fell into a passive position and suffered repeated defeats.

Sweat soaked his clothes, and his breathing became rapid. He knew that if he didn't find a way to turn the tide, he would surely be defeated.

Just then, a flash of inspiration struck Shen Mo, reminding him of one of the three demonic arts—the "Blood Shadow Technique." Although this movement technique didn't generate demonic energy before it reached its full potential, it came at the cost of burning one's own blood and qi. A slight misstep could put one in danger, but in this life-or-death situation, he couldn't care less. To keep up with Yue Linglong's speed, Shen Mo directly used the "Blood Shadow Technique."

With the activation of the Blood Shadow Technique, Shen Mo's body instantly unleashed unprecedented speed. He moved with ghostly speed, each swing of his sword accompanied by a whooshing sound. Despite this, he could still feel his internal energy rapidly depleting, as if an invisible force was quickly devouring his stamina.

Yue Linglong clearly noticed Shen Mo's change, a hint of surprise flashing in her eyes. But she did not back down; instead, she focused even more intently on dealing with Shen Mo's attacks. The two figures crisscrossed the hall, sword shadows and palm winds intertwining to create a breathtaking scene.

Shen Mo gritted his teeth and persevered, silently calculating the time in his mind. He knew that although the Blood Shadow Technique could greatly increase speed, if used for too long, it would deplete his internal energy and blood, leading to immediate death. Therefore, he had to end the battle as soon as possible, otherwise the consequences would be unimaginable.

After a fierce exchange, Shen Mo finally found a tiny opening in Linglong's defenses. Without hesitation, he seized the opportunity and thrust his sword towards her vital point. However, just as the tip of his sword was about to touch its target, Linglong suddenly dodged to the side and simultaneously struck Shen Mo's chest with her palm.

With nowhere to dodge, Shen Mo, in desperation, quickly used the Iron Shirt technique to block the palm strike. Even with the Iron Shirt technique, the enormous impact still forced him back several steps. Although the Iron Shirt technique blocked most of the force, the remaining impact struck Shen Mo's internal organs, causing him to spit out a mouthful of blood, staining the ground red.