Wandering Swordsman |

Seeing this scene, everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

This invisible pressure is more unbearable than a direct attack.

Nearly a hundred people were crammed around the totem, unable to move freely or escape. Time seemed to drag on endlessly, each second feeling like an eternity.

Just then, Shen Mo broke the silence again, "Brother Lü, Brother Tu, it's impossible for us to hand over Su Ming. But the cooperation proposal we just made is still valid, and I hope you can reconsider."

His tone was firm and resolute, his eyes revealing an unwavering determination. Shen Mo's gaze swept over Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang, as if warning them: if they did not agree to cooperate, then swords would be drawn immediately.

Lu Yan felt a chill run down his spine. Since he didn't know Shen Mo's true strength, he didn't dare to gamble. Moreover, Shen Mo's warning expression didn't seem like he was joking.

In this situation, if Shen Mo led the Moon Demon Pavilion to start a fight, his and Tu Yuliang's situation would become extremely dangerous, which was the last thing he wanted to see.

Thinking of this, Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang exchanged a glance, and after a moment of silence, Tu Yuliang finally nodded.

"Brother Shen is right," Lü Yan said slowly, his voice low but clear. "What we need now is unity, not infighting. In that case, let's do as you say and establish cooperation, helping each other within the Demon Refining Mountain."

Tu Yuliang nodded in agreement, "Alright, our cooperative relationship will continue until we leave the Demon Refining Mountain."

Shen Mo smiled slightly, seemingly satisfied with their response. "Don't worry, as long as we work together, we can not only resist the threat of the Demon-Refining Beasts, but also find more totem poles to increase our chances of survival in Demon-Refining Mountain."

......

Another hour passed after the cooperation was confirmed.

However, the demon-refining beast still hadn't left; it was resting not far away, its eyes flashing with a bloodthirsty red light, seemingly ready to pounce on anyone who left the totem's hundred-meter radius at any moment. At this moment, a suffocating atmosphere permeated the surroundings, making time seem to stretch on endlessly.

Standing in the crowd, Lü Yan's patience was wearing thin after an hour of waiting. He said to Shen Mo, "Brother Shen, we can't just sit here and wait to die."

Shen Mo did not answer, but looked at Lü Yan with a curious gaze, signaling Lü Yan to continue.

Lu Yan continued, "I have a plan."

Upon hearing this, everyone else turned their attention to Lü Yan.

"Why don't we send someone to lure away the demon beast? That way, we can all take the opportunity to escape. What do you think, Brother Shen?" After saying that, Lü Yan turned the conversation to Shen Mo.

These words immediately sparked a murmur among the surroundings. Some hesitated, worried that they would be asked to lure away the demon-refining beast, while others were adamant that it was impossible for them to be the ones to go out and distract it.

However, Shen Mo did not respond to Lü Yan's words. Instead, he calmly said, "In my opinion, we should not sacrifice anyone. We should unite and fight against the Demon-Refining Beast together to drive it away."

Tu Yuliang sneered, his face showing obvious disdain. "Brother Shen, do you not know the strength of this demon-refining beast? If we act rashly, we may cause more people to lose their lives."

"How do we know it won't work if we don't try?" Shen Mo's voice remained firm. He looked around and found many people nodding in agreement with his point of view. "If everyone only thinks about self-preservation, then we will be defeated one by one by these demon-refining beasts sooner or later."

Lu Yan was stunned for a moment after hearing this, then secretly delighted. 'Why not take this opportunity to get rid of Shen Mo?' This thought popped into Lu Yan's mind.

So, Lü Yan stood in the crowd, pretended to think for a moment, and then said, "In that case, let's do as Brother Shen says. However, to ensure everything goes smoothly, we need to select some highly skilled individuals to form a temporary team to defeat the Demon-Refining Beast."

"Okay!" Shen Mo agreed without hesitation. "Xie Xin and I will represent the Moon Demon Pavilion in the battle."

Seeing this, Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang exchanged a knowing glance. They knew the power of the Demon-Refining Beast; if they could feign agreement and trick Shen Mo into death, then the remaining people would be no threat at all. Especially since Yue Linglong had not yet recovered, for Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang, as long as Shen Mo was eliminated, the others would no longer pose a threat.

While agreeing to bring one person into the battle as well, Lü Yan secretly calculated, 'From Shen Mo's suggestion to repel the Demon-Refining Beast, it's clear that Shen Mo doesn't know how powerful it is. Therefore, when facing the Demon-Refining Beast later, he will definitely be overwhelmed. At that time, I only need to pretend to provide support, but in reality, I won't go all out, and I can reap the benefits.'

Tu Yuliang shared the same thought and agreed to lead one person into battle.

At this moment, the two pretended to be very supportive, which made Shen Mo feel quite gratified.

After the six people were ready, they left the 100-meter radius of the totem and walked towards the demon-refining beast.

At this moment, a faint stench of decay filled the air, causing a sense of unease. The demon-refining beast lay there resting quietly, seemingly oblivious to the impending battle.

As the six approached within a certain distance, the Demon-Refining Beast suddenly opened its eyes, which flashed with a bloodthirsty red light, as if it had instantly entered battle mode. It abruptly stood up and let out a deafening roar, as if the surrounding air itself trembled.

Shen Mo was the first to draw his sword and charge forward, the Tai'a sword gleaming coldly in the sunlight. He roared, the blade pointing directly at the eyes of the demon-refining beast.

Xie Xin followed closely behind, gathering a powerful surge of internal energy in her hands and striking out fiercely, attempting to disrupt the demon-refining beast's movements. Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang, along with their respective groups, followed behind, seemingly ready to provide support at any moment, but in reality, they remained completely silent.

The demon beast roared and swung its huge claws out, trying to smash Shen Mo and Xie Xin into mincemeat.

Shen Mo dodged the attack with a swift movement, while Xie Xin quickly moved to the side and launched another palm strike at the demon-refining beast's flank. Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang watched from the sidelines, a smug smile flashing in their eyes, thinking, "Let them wear each other down for now."

However, as time went on, although Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang did not actually lend a hand, Shen Mo and Xie Xin still managed to withstand the attacks of the demonic beast with ease, thanks to their superb martial arts skills and close cooperation.

Before long, Shen Mo keenly realized that Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang had not actually participated in the battle.

"They're trying to harm me!" Shen Mo thought to himself.

"Aren't you going to make a move?" With this thought in mind, Shen Mo shouted loudly while attacking. Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang exchanged a glance, then pretended to swing their weapons and charged towards the demon beast in an offensive stance, but in reality, they did not exert any real force.