Wandering Swordsman |

Everyone's hearts raced, and the tension reached its peak. They knew that the duel between Shen Mo and the Demon Beast had far exceeded the scope of ordinary martial artists. The speed and power of each exchange had reached an unbelievable level, like two shooting stars colliding fiercely in the air, sparks flying everywhere.

Xie Xin and the other disciples of the Moon Demon Pavilion gripped their weapons tightly, their eyes fixed on the duel between Shen Mo and the demon-refining beast.

Their hearts were filled with worry, yet they also prayed for Shen Mo's victory. After all, Shen Mo was not only their captain, but also the hope of everyone present.

"Shen Mo, keep going!" Xie Xin murmured softly, her eyes shining with determination. She knew all too well that Shen Mo was under immense pressure at that moment.

The Demon-Refining Beast roared and swung its massive tail, unleashing a gust of wind that swept towards Shen Mo. Shen Mo hurriedly dodged to the side, but the force still forced him back several steps. Then, the Demon-Refining Beast opened its blood-red maw, spewing out a scorching aura that hurtled straight towards Shen Mo.

Shen Mo quickly swung his sword to defend, and the flames collided with the blade, producing dazzling sparks that flew everywhere.

The battle reached a fever pitch, with Shen Mo relying on the enhancements brought by his fifth-stage advancement to fight the demon-refining beast to a standstill. In each exchange, he was able to dodge the demon-refining beast's fatal attacks with lightning-fast reflexes and find opportunities to counterattack.

However, as the battle continued, Shen Mo's strength, like a parabola, peaked and then slowly declined over time.

As everyone watched Shen Mo fall further and further behind, seemingly about to lose, their hearts were in their throats.

Finally, during a fierce battle, the enhancement Shen Mo received from his fifth rank had diminished to the point where he could no longer withstand the attacks of the Demon-Refining Beast. The Demon-Refining Beast's claws were as hard as steel, striking Shen Mo heavily and sending him flying.

Shen Mo crashed heavily in front of Xie Xin like a kite with a broken string, spitting out blood and his face as pale as snow.

Xie Xin's heart tightened at the sight, a flicker of fear and worry crossing her eyes. She quickly knelt down and helped Shen Mo up. The other members of the Moon Demon Pavilion immediately surrounded him, blocking Shen Mo's path, their hands trembling as they drew their swords, pointing them directly at the enormous demon-refining beast before them.

"Shen Mo, how are you?" Her voice trembled slightly, her eyes filled with concern and anxiety.

Shen Mo tried to force a smile to comfort her: "I'm fine, I can fight again. If I lose later, you should all turn back. I believe that with all your strength, even if there are three demon-refining beasts blocking the way back, someone will eventually escape."

However, at this moment, the Demon-Refining Beast roared again and slowly walked over, seemingly enjoying its victory with ease. Its huge figure loomed in and out of the thick fog, shrouding everyone in front of it and bringing a suffocating pressure.

Xie Xin knew that if things continued like this, everyone would die. She took a deep breath and looked at Shen Mo with unwavering determination. "Shen Mo, use your heaven-defying divine skill to absorb my power. Defeating this demon-refining beast is the only way to survive right now!"

Shen Mo was stunned; he hadn't expected Xie Xin to make such a suggestion.

Although the Heaven-Defying Divine Skill can absorb the power of others, the absorbed power will never be restored. Furthermore, if the user of the Heaven-Defying Divine Skill is not careful with the force of absorption, they can easily drain a person's power, causing them to die. "No, this is too dangerous!" Thinking of this, Shen Mo firmly refused.

Xie Xin's voice became even more resolute, "If I don't do this now, everyone might die here. I made this decision because I believe you can lead us out of this predicament." Her eyes shone with courage and determination, as if she had already prepared for the worst.

Just as the two were arguing, other Moon Demon Pavilion disciples gathered around. One of them shouted, "Captain Shen, we're all willing to let you absorb our power, as long as we can defeat this Demon-Refining Beast!" Another disciple nodded in agreement, "Yes, we believe you!"

Faced with everyone's trust and support, Shen Mo felt a surge of warmth in his heart.

He knew that in this desperate situation, only by uniting as one could they have a chance to survive.

He slowly nodded, gesturing for Xie Xin and the other disciples to approach. Without hesitation, Xie Xin stood before Shen Mo, grasped his hands, closed her eyes, and began circulating her inner energy. In an instant, a powerful force surged from her body, flowing through her hands to Shen Mo.

The surrounding air seemed to become heavy, and a mysterious atmosphere permeated the air.

Shen Mo felt that warm power surge into his body, quickly replenishing his depleted true energy.

As Xie Xin infused his power, Shen Mo's body gradually regained its vitality, and his previously pale face began to regain its rosy hue. He felt that warm power flowing through his body, as if a dried-up river had been nourished.

Following suit, the other disciples stepped forward one by one, selflessly offering their skills. Each of them had a resolute expression, their eyes shining with a desire for victory and trust in Shen Mo.

"Captain, keep it up!" a disciple said through gritted teeth, placing his hands on Shen Mo's back and continuously channeling his inner energy into him.

"Captain, we believe you can win!" Another disciple followed closely behind, his eyes shining with determination.

A warm feeling welled up in Shen Mo's heart; he knew this trust was incredibly precious. Throughout this process, Shen Mo was extremely cautious in controlling the power of his extraordinary skill, fearing that even the slightest exertion would drain the others' energy and endanger their lives.

Lu Yan and Tu Yuliang stood not far away, witnessing all of this. Their hearts were filled with mixed emotions. Seeing the Moon Demon Pavilion members so united and willing to sacrifice themselves for victory, they couldn't help but feel a surge of admiration. Although they had previously harbored resentment towards Shen Mo, at this moment, they had to admit that such cohesion was unmatched by any other force.

Just then, the Demon Beast seemed to sense Shen Mo's change. It let out a deafening roar and prepared to launch its final attack.

Its enormous body suddenly leaped up, its claws, sharp as whirlwinds, lunging towards Shen Mo.

Although Shen Mo had recovered considerably, he was still far from being able to defeat the Demon-Refining Beast. In order to prevent this fatal blow from affecting others, Shen Mo had no choice but to bite the bullet and face the challenge head-on.

During the battle, Shen Mo was still being pushed back step by step. Each exchange was incredibly strenuous for him, and blood kept gushing from his wounds, staining his clothes red. The air around them was thick with tension, as if time itself had frozen at that moment.