Wandering Swordsman |

Xie Xin felt a pang of envy at Yue Linglong's bold move. She looked at Yue Linglong with a complex mix of emotions in her eyes, including admiration for Yue Linglong's frank expression of love and unease about her own feelings.

However, Shen Mo's face instantly flushed red, and the image of Murong Qing involuntarily surfaced in his mind. He realized that he couldn't let Yue Linglong's actions disrupt his composure, so he gently pushed her away.

Seeing Shen Mo's reaction, Yue Linglong was slightly taken aback, then revealed a mischievous smile, "Shen Mo, I'm so happy that you're alright, I got so excited that I couldn't control myself." Although her expression was relaxed, a trace of disappointment flashed in her eyes.

At this moment, Xie Xin stepped forward, trying to ease the tension and also to express her gratitude to Shen Mo: "Shen Mo, thank you for drawing away the demon beast. Without you, the consequences would have been unimaginable."

However, Shen Mo said seriously, "Now is not the time to talk about those things. I've found a totem, and I'll take you there. It can serve as our base."

......

Thus, led by Shen Mo, the team of more than sixty people quickly headed toward the valley totem.

However, moving more than sixty people at the same time naturally caused quite a stir, but fortunately, they did not encounter any demon-refining beasts along the way. Everyone held their breath and, under Shen Mo's guidance, took every step cautiously, as if the slightest carelessness would invite a deadly threat.

Sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, adding a touch of mystery to the tranquil forest. The occasional bird calls broke the silence, sending a chill down one's spine.

As they focused intently on moving forward, no one noticed that in a nearby thicket, pairs of eyes were quietly watching their every move.

This was a ten-person team from the Blood Demon Pavilion. They were originally searching this area for possible totem locations when they inadvertently discovered this large group. The leader of the ten men's eyes flickered as he quickly calculated his next move.

"Judging from their attire, they seem to be from the Moon Demon Pavilion. Should we follow them and take a look?" one of them asked in a low voice, his voice tinged with tension and curiosity.

After listening, the leader pondered for a moment and finally made a decision: "Follow them, but keep your distance and don't get spotted. We need to know where they're going."

And so, the ten-person team from the Blood Demon Pavilion began to cautiously follow Shen Mo and his group.

Whenever the group paused for a moment, they would immediately hide in the nearby bushes and continue tracking only after confirming it was safe.

Despite their large numbers, Shen Mo's team was clearly experienced and moved at a fast pace, forcing the Blood Demon Pavilion disciples following behind to be extra careful to avoid revealing their whereabouts.

After a difficult journey, Shen Mo and his group finally arrived at the totem location in the valley.

When they saw the ancient totem pole emitting a faint glow, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. Su Ming had been waiting there for a long time, and when he saw Shen Mo return safely, a hint of joy flashed in his eyes. "Brother Shen, you're finally back. I was worried something might have happened."

However, unbeknownst to anyone, their movements had already been discovered by a group from the Blood Demon Pavilion, who had been following them all the way here. At this moment, the Blood Demon Pavilion group, seeing the new totem in the distance and that Su Ming was with the Moon Demon Pavilion members, were greatly alarmed and prepared to quickly turn back to report this crucial information to Tu Yuliang.

"Hurry! We must tell Senior Brother Tu Yuliang about this discovery as soon as possible!" the leader urged anxiously, his face filled with urgency.

Meanwhile, Shen Mo and his group, back in the valley, remained vigilant. He knew that in this unknown Demon Refining Mountain, any negligence could lead to disastrous consequences. "Now is not the time to relax," he said to those around him. "We need to divide the work, let everyone do their best to build this base and find the other scattered Moon Demon Pavilion members."

Just then, a member of the Moon Demon Pavilion suddenly ran over to report: "Captain Shen, we have just discovered some suspicious signs. It seems that someone has been following us."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo's expression instantly turned serious. "What? Are you sure?"

"Yes, I found some footprints at the edge of the woods, and they were pointing right this way."

Shen Mo took a deep breath, then turned to face everyone, "Everyone, immediately go on high alert and be ready to fight at any time."

Just as Shen Mo was setting up defensive measures, the ten-person team from the Blood Demon Pavilion had returned to the joint stronghold of the Blood Demon Pavilion and the Flame Demon Pavilion, found Tu Yuliang, and reported to him in detail what they had discovered in the valley.

Upon hearing this, Tu Yuliang frowned, quickly weighing the pros and cons in his mind. He then said to Lü Yan beside him, "Brother Lü, the Moon Demon Pavilion has found a totem. We must react as soon as possible and not let them gain the upper hand."

After hearing this, Lü Yan also pondered. The previous groups had brought back Shen Mo's message: "Only by uniting can everyone in Refining Demon Mountain survive." This made Lü Yan hesitate. He knew the power of the Refining Demon Beasts. If he could temporarily cooperate with the Moon Demon Pavilion, he might be able to reduce some unnecessary losses.

After a moment of silence, Lü Yan slowly spoke, "Brother Tu, let's take some men over tomorrow and talk to them first."

A hint of disdain flashed in Tu Yuliang's eyes, as if he looked down on Lü Yan's indecisiveness. "Brother Lü, are you really that concerned about the messages brought back by those few groups of good-for-nothings?" His tone was clearly contemptuous.

Lu Yan wasn't angry. Instead, he calmly explained, "Brother Tu, you know how powerful the Demon-Refining Beast is. If we can temporarily cooperate with the Moon Demon Pavilion, we won't be attacked from both sides. We don't have to worry about the Demon-Refining Beast and the people of the Moon Demon Pavilion. Our strength is still manageable, but what about the other disciples of the Flame Demon Pavilion and the Blood Demon Pavilion? This will only reduce their chances of survival on Demon-Refining Mountain."

Tu Yuliang frowned in thought, seemingly weighing Lü Yan's words. A glint of ruthlessness flashed in Lü Yan's eyes as he continued, "Besides, once the people of the Moon Demon Pavilion have achieved their cultivation, we can use the Heaven-Defying Divine Art to absorb their power. Wouldn't our cultivation progress by leaps and bounds then?"

These words made Tu Yuliang smile slightly. "Brother Lü, what you said does make some sense." Tu Yuliang nodded slowly, his tone softening. "But are you sure they will be willing to cooperate with us? After all, everyone knows what happened before."

Lu Yan smiled slightly and said confidently, "We can test their attitude first. If they are willing to cooperate, that would be the best outcome; if not, we are fully prepared and can take action at any time."

Tu Yuliang pondered for a moment, then finally nodded. "Alright, let's do it your way. We'll take some people over tomorrow and see how they react."