Wandering Swordsman |

The Demon-Refining Beast clearly sensed the pressure from all sides. It leaped forward, its massive claws whipping up gusts of wind like sword energy. Tu Yuliang and the two men accompanied by Lü Yan were unable to dodge in time and were instantly torn to pieces. Blood splattered onto the surrounding trees, and the air was thick with the stench of blood.

Just as the Demon-Refining Beast killed the two, Shen Mo immediately seized the opportunity and launched a series of attacks in perfect coordination with Xie Xin. Shen Mo moved like lightning, his Tai'a sword transforming into streaks of light, precisely stabbing at the Demon-Refining Beast's vitals; while Xie Xin unleashed fierce palm techniques from the side, continuously weakening the Demon-Refining Beast's power.

As the battle progressed, the demon beast was gradually forced into the totem's 100-meter radius.

At this moment, Shen Mo suddenly noticed that the Demon-Refining Beast's movements had become even slower, as if it were being suppressed by some mysterious force. "Now!" Shen Mo shouted, and then launched the most ferocious attack.

Lu Yan and Tu Yuliang initially intended to stand by and do nothing, but seeing that the Demon-Refining Beast was in dire straits, they knew that if they didn't intervene, it might incur the displeasure of the Moon Demon Pavilion members. Therefore, the two quickly adjusted their stance, pretending to bravely charge forward, and delivered the finishing blow to the Demon-Refining Beast.

The sight of the demon beast being at a disadvantage drew applause and cheers from those within the totem who were not participating in the battle, who praised everyone's heroic performance.

However, just when everyone thought victory was in sight, the Demon Beast, despite its injuries, forced itself to break through the totem's 100-meter range and eventually disappeared into the jungle.

With that, the crisis was over, and everyone breathed a sigh of relief.

A relaxed and pleasant atmosphere filled the air, and sunlight filtered through the dense foliage, casting patches of light on the ground.

Everyone's mood brightened as if the rain had stopped. Although Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang had failed to eliminate Shen Mo as they had hoped, they had no choice but to temporarily set aside their plans. After all, the enemy had been defeated, and there were still many things to do.

Shen Mo gazed in the direction where the Demon-Refining Beast had disappeared, a hint of wariness flashing in his eyes. He knew this victory was only temporary; after all, no one knew exactly how many Demon-Refining Beasts were within Demon-Refining Mountain. However, he didn't say much, simply turning to Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang with a slight smile: "Today, thanks to Brother Lü and Brother Tu's concerted efforts, we were able to repel the Demon-Refining Beast. Moving forward, we must proceed with even greater caution."

Seeing Shen Mo successfully repel the demon-refining beast and avert the crisis, Yue Linglong and the other Moon Demon Pavilion members' eyes shone with admiration and respect. The other Moon Demon Pavilion disciples gathered around, expressing their sincere respect to Shen Mo.

The battle just now made many members of the Moon Demon Pavilion even more convinced of Shen Mo's strength as the Moon Demon Pavilion's captain. In that thrilling fight, Shen Mo's martial arts skills and wisdom impressed everyone. Especially impressive was his seamless teamwork with Xie Xin; it was as if the two were already in perfect harmony, every move perfectly executed.

Lu Yan and Tu Yuliang stood to the side, their expressions grim. They had originally thought they could take this opportunity to get rid of Shen Mo, but instead, two of their men died, while Shen Mo's reputation was enhanced.

Lu Yan inwardly grumbled, "I didn't expect Shen Mo to be so strong. It seems I'll have to be careful around him in the future." Tu Yuliang frowned in thought, clearly also weighing how to deal with this sudden change.

"Brother Shen, your strength is truly impressive!" Lu Yan forced a smile, trying to hide his dissatisfaction. "Thanks to you today, otherwise the consequences would have been unimaginable."

Shen Mo smiled slightly and calmly replied, "Brother Lü, you flatter me. If it weren't for the help of Brother Lü and Brother Tu, we probably wouldn't have been able to drive away the Demon Beast."

Upon hearing this, Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang naturally understood that Shen Mo's words were an implication that they hadn't put in much effort, but rather had only gone in to finish off the opponent at the very end. Lü Yan's expression turned extremely ugly.

However, he could only force a smile. Tu Yuliang also looked embarrassed, inwardly cursing Shen Mo's keen perception.

They had originally thought they could eliminate Shen Mo through this battle, but instead, Shen Mo gained even more trust and support. At this moment, the two couldn't wait to leave this place, to get away from where they had lost face so utterly.

"Now that the crisis of the demon beast has been resolved, we'll take our leave," Lu Yan said reluctantly, a hint of coldness in his eyes. "I hope that next time we meet, we can have more substantial cooperation."

Shen Mo smiled and nodded: "Of course, the Demon Refining Mountain is full of too many unknown dangers, so we must cooperate more closely."

Afterwards, Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang led their team away slowly. Before leaving, Shen Mo made an agreement with them to meet once a month and share all the information they had gathered from exploring the Demon Refining Mountain. Furthermore, for ease of management, the first Demon Totem Lü Yan discovered was named Totem No. 1, while the current Demon Totem discovered by Su Ming was named Totem No. 2, and subsequent Demon Totems would be named according to the order of discovery.

The atmosphere was particularly oppressive on the way out. Lü Yan's brows were furrowed, and his steps were hurried, as if he was eager to escape this land that he felt humiliated by. Tu Yuliang followed silently behind him, occasionally glancing back at the totem pole in the distance, a thoughtful look flashing in his eyes.

"Brother Lü," Tu Yuliang said in a low voice, "we really underestimated Shen Mo's strength this time. It seems we need to be more careful and wary of him in the future."

Lu Yan stopped and turned around, his gaze dark as he stared at Tu Yuliang: "I never imagined he would possess such strength at such a young age. Today's battle has actually boosted his reputation; how despicable!"

Tu Yuliang nodded, his tone heavy: "That's right, but we can't act rashly either. Given the strength he's shown, a hasty attack would only result in mutual destruction."

Lu Yan sneered: "Brother Tu, don't worry. After all, his existence is a hidden danger to us. We still need him at Refining Demon Mountain. Once he's no longer of any use to us, we'll plan carefully and get rid of Shen Mo completely."

As darkness fell, a thin mist rose from the dense forest, adding an eerie atmosphere to the already mysterious Demon Refining Mountain. The figures of Lü Yan and Tu Yuliang appeared and disappeared in the dim light, as if they might be swallowed by the darkness at any moment.

......

Meanwhile, in Luoyang, the courtyard of the Murong family was brightly lit.

As night fell, a tranquil and mysterious atmosphere permeated the entire Murong family compound. More than five months had passed since Murong Qing returned to the Murong family, during which time she devoted almost all her time to martial arts training.

Every night, when the moonlight shines on the training ground, you can always see a figure practicing swordsmanship under the moon.

That was Murong Qing. Her movements were as fluid as flowing water, each move containing boundless power and precise control. After months of unremitting efforts, her martial arts skills had improved significantly. Not only had her speed and strength made a qualitative leap, but she had also demonstrated extraordinary adaptability in combat.