Wandering Swordsman |

Just then, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, as if telling the secrets hidden in this land. Lü Yan took a deep breath, trying to calm himself down. "In any case, we must now find out the exact location of these totems. They can help us avoid the threat of the demon beasts in Demon Refining Mountain and survive."

Tu Yuliang nodded in agreement, "That's right. Since these totems can stop the attacks of the demon-refining beasts, then they are the best sanctuary for us."

On the unknown and dangerous land of Lianmo Mountain, Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang decided to temporarily put aside their questions and first gather their scattered companions to share their important discoveries about the totem in order to reduce further casualties.

Lu Yan pulled a signal flare from his pocket and fired it into the sky. The flare drew a bright trail across the dark sky, instantly attracting everyone's attention. In the distance, the disciples who had been scattered immediately converged on the direction from which the signal came upon seeing the flare.

Shen Mo, Yue Linglong, Xie Xin, and the others also saw the signal flare and were filled with doubt, so they decided to go closer to see who had sent the signal.

"It seems someone has discovered something important," Shen Mo said in a low voice, his eyes flashing with vigilance and curiosity.

"Should we go take a look too?" Xie Xin asked, her tone tinged with unease.

Shen Mo nodded. "Yes, let's go take a look. That way we can prepare for any unforeseen circumstances."

......

Shen Mo and his companions moved cautiously through the woods, using the surrounding environment to conceal themselves and try to make no sound. The demonic energy within the Demon Refining Mountain was dense, and a sense of oppression permeated the surroundings, as if some danger might pounce from the shadows at any moment.

They hadn't walked far when they suddenly bumped into someone hurrying to the meeting point at a corner.

The man clearly hadn't expected to encounter anyone here. After a brief moment of surprise, he immediately reacted and prepared to run. However, Shen Mo was faster. He instantly grabbed the man's shoulder, while Xie Xin immediately blocked his escape route.

The disciple initially tried to break free from Shen Mo's control, but quickly found his struggles futile. Shen Mo's hands gripped his shoulders like iron clamps, rendering him immobile. Realizing he couldn't escape easily, a hint of wariness flashed in the man's eyes.

"What signal is that?"

The man sneered, his attitude firm, "I won't tell you anything."

Shen Mo frowned slightly, knowing that directly interrogating him under these circumstances would likely yield no results. So he tightened his grip, his tone becoming even colder: "You'd better think carefully about whether your life is more important, or that information."

The man gasped in pain, but gritted his teeth and refused to speak. Seeing this, Shen Mo decisively took further action. He pushed the man against the stone wall and, with a slight twist of his wrist, pinned the man's arm behind his back. Then, he drew his Tai'a sword, the blade pressed against the man's neck, the icy touch sending a chill down his spine.

"Last chance," Shen Mo's voice was low and threatening, "What kind of signal is that?"

Feeling his life was threatened, the disciple finally broke down, his voice trembling as he said, "I'll talk! I'll talk!"

After catching his breath, the man continued, "When Captain Lü led us to explore the Demon Refining Mountain, we encountered a powerful demonic beast, and the team was forced to split up. This signal is what we use to regroup now, nothing more."

Shen Mo breathed a slight sigh of relief, but he didn't completely let his guard down and continued to press, "What kind of demonic beast?"

Recalling the monster, the man shook his head in terror, his eyes filled with profound fear. "I saw that monster kill many of my companions, so I ran for my life and didn't get a good look..." His voice trembled with fear, and his body even shook uncontrollably as he recalled the monster's attack. "That monster... it was enormous, covered in scales, and every movement was accompanied by a deafening roar. Its mere presence was enough to suffocate us..."

Seeing that he couldn't extract any more useful information, Shen Mo frowned. He then quickly made a decision, his gaze turning cold and ruthless. Shen Mo took a deep breath, concentrated, and slowly raised his hands, beginning to unleash his extraordinary skill. A faint light emanated from his palms, enveloping the disciple.

As the power of the heaven-defying divine skill gradually increased, the disciple's face turned deathly pale, his eyes filled with despair and fear. A few seconds later, he collapsed helplessly to the ground, lifeless. Shen Mo stood up, his eyes devoid of any emotion, as if everything that had just happened was merely the completion of a necessary task.

Yue Linglong and Xie Xin witnessed everything and were shocked. Shen Mo was so ruthless! They exchanged a glance, both seeing shock and confusion in each other's eyes.

Shen Mo took a deep breath, seemingly noticing the surprised looks on their faces, and explained in a low voice, "In this place, any oversight could be detrimental to us. If we release him and Lu Yan and the others find out where we are, do you think Lu Yan will let us go?"

Upon hearing this, the two replied in unison, "Of course not."

Seeing that the two had understood his actions, Shen Mo continued, "Information about the demonic beasts is crucial for our survival in the Demon Refining Mountain. I'm going to disguise myself as the person whose power I drained and who died, and go find out what's going on. You two find a place to hide and wait for me to return."

Disguise? The two were filled with doubt, after all, Shen Mo led the way into the Demon Refining Mountain at the entrance, so most people knew that Shen Mo was a subordinate of the Moon Demon Lord.

This time, however, Shen Mo didn't explain. Instead, he began using his disguise technique right in front of the two of them. He took out some small tools from his pocket, skillfully removed some distinctive marks from the corpse, and then carefully adjusted his facial features to resemble the deceased. The entire process was smooth and seamless, demonstrating his mastery of the technique.

Yue Linglong and Xie Xin watched this scene in astonishment, clearly not expecting that Shen Mo not only possessed superb martial arts skills but also had mastered such exquisite disguise techniques. "Shen Mo, what kind of martial art is this? It's so amazing!" Yue Linglong couldn't help but ask, her tone filled with undisguised surprise.

Shen Mo had already disguised his face to resemble the deceased. Because he needed to control the shape of his face, he had no extra expression. "Now is not the time to discuss this. Time is of the essence. You all need to find a place to hide quickly."