Wandering Swordsman |

Seeing this, Shen Mo frowned slightly, thinking to himself: This Thousand-Faced Demon really does have some tricks up his sleeve.

However... He could have used his full strength to instantly kill his opponent, but considering that the bookworm was also present, he decided not to use his full power.

Shen Mo slowly drew the Tai'a sword from his waist and gently channeled his inner energy into the blade. The sword's edge gleamed with a faint golden light under the glow of the luminous stone—the signature martial art of the Sunset Swordsman, "Sunset True Qi."

With a low shout, Shen Mo launched the first attack, his figure rushing towards the Thousand-Faced Demon like lightning.

His movements were as swift as lightning; the sword flashed through the air, striking precisely at the Thousand-Faced Demon's vital points.

The Thousand-Faced Demon was greatly alarmed and quickly dodged to the side, but it was too late.

Shen Mo's sword grazed his shirt, cutting a large gash.

Fortunately, the Thousand-Faced Demon reacted quickly and escaped without sustaining any serious injury.

The two exchanged blows, their swords flashing and figures intertwining, creating a tense and fierce scene.

Although Shen Mo did not use his full strength, every move he made was full of power and skill, leaving the Thousand-Faced Demon overwhelmed.

After several dozen moves, the Thousand-Faced Demon was clearly at a disadvantage. His face was covered in sweat and exhaustion, and his eyes revealed a hint of panic.

"...How is this possible..." the Thousand-Faced Demon gasped, his voice filled with resentment and anger. His eyes were filled with disbelief at his defeat, as if he could not accept the fact that he was no match for such a young master.

At this moment, the bookworm had also regained some of his strength and immediately stepped forward to fight alongside Shen Mo.

The two worked together seamlessly, launching wave after wave of attacks that completely overwhelmed the Thousand-Faced Demon.

The bookworm's folding fan was light and agile, each wave bringing with it a cool aura, precisely striking the Thousand-Faced Demon's weaknesses; Shen Mo, on the other hand, wielded the Tai'a sword, its blade sharp and fierce, each strike containing boundless power and determination.

Finally, in a fierce combined attack, the Thousand-Faced Demon was caught off guard and failed to block the attack. Shen Mo pierced its chest with his sword and fell to the ground. Blood gushed from the wound, staining the stone floor red, and a heavy stench of blood filled the air. The Thousand-Faced Demon's eyes gradually lost their light, and finally, it closed its eyes forever.

The moment the Thousand-Faced Demon fell, a brief silence returned to the secret room.

The bookworm, slightly out of breath, turned to look at Shen Mo, a hint of gratitude flashing in his eyes: "I really underestimated the strength of these overseas evil cultivators. Brother Shen, it's fortunate that you arrived in time, otherwise I'm afraid I would have died here today."

Shen Mo smiled slightly, his tone calm yet firm: "Brother Shu, you're too kind. Now that the crisis is over, what's the next step?"

The bookworm took a deep breath and looked resolutely into the passage leading to the Thresh Gate: "The Thousand-Faced Demon came out of here. Let's go in and take a look."

......

As the two ventured deeper into the Thresh Gate, the chill in the air grew stronger, as if foreshadowing an even greater danger lurking ahead.

Finally, they arrived at the empty hall.

In the center of the hall, the God of War's Hammer was driven straight into the ground, as if waiting for the arrival of a destined person.

The hammer is entirely dark green, its surface covered with cracked, dark gold patterns, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura. Dark red silk ribbons are wrapped around the handle, as if soaked in the blood and tears of countless enemies.

Upon seeing the God of War Hammer, the two immediately realized that this divine weapon was no ordinary object.

Shen Mo looked at the Tai'a sword in his hand and couldn't help but sigh: This hammer is a level above the Tai'a sword, but it is still inferior to the Qingniu sword.

"There are such divine weapons in this passage." The Bookworm's voice broke the silence, like a gentle breeze passing through the quiet space. "Judging from the current situation, there should be five other divine weapons in the other five passages as well."

Shen Mo nodded, his gaze serious: "Brother Shu, what do you think we should do with this hammer?"

The bookworm pondered for a moment, then slowly said, "This hammer, though extraordinary, is also fraught with unknown risks. We don't yet know if it has any special mechanisms, and taking it rashly might cause unnecessary trouble. Perhaps we should leave it here and continue on our way."

Shen Mo nodded in agreement: "Brother Shu is right, let's continue forward then."

Just then, the bookworm suddenly noticed some strange symbols and patterns engraved on the ground around the hammer. "Wait a minute! Brother Shen, look at these symbols, they seem to be some kind of explanation." The bookworm squatted down to examine them carefully.

Shen Mo took a closer look and indeed found that the symbols were arranged in an orderly manner. If one did not observe carefully, one would not be able to notice them at all. However, what shocked Shen Mo even more was that these symbols were actually similar to those found in the Demon Refining Mountain. They should be the script of the era of Li Er, the owner of the Green Ox Sword.

This discovery also raised a question in Shen Mo's mind: after returning to the Central Plains from the Heavenly Demon Sect, besides finding this symbol in the Wudang Forbidden Area, he had also discovered it in the "Martial God's Tomb" at the bottom of Erhai Lake. Could it be that the Martial God's Tomb, the Wudang Forbidden Area, and the Heavenly Demon Sect are connected in some way?

Thinking of this, Shen Mo suddenly felt that it would have been better if he had brought Su Ming, who could understand these symbols, back with him when he returned to the Central Plains.

However, there was no time to think about it further. He decided to try to pull out the hammer first, so he said his opinion: "Since this weapon is here, let's take it with us. If we don't take it, this divine weapon might fall into the hands of evil cultivators overseas and cause trouble for the region."

After Shen Mo finished speaking, he was about to step forward to retrieve it when the bookworm stopped him: "Wait, Brother Shen, I'm worried there might be a trap. Let me do it. You stand aside and be prepared to deal with any unexpected situations."

Upon hearing this, Shen Mo was slightly taken aback, his heart filled with emotion.

Just as Shen Mo was about to say something, the bookworm had already walked towards the Martial God Hammer stuck in the ground.

As the bookworm looked down to carefully examine the complex runes, a sense of awe welled up in his heart.

The bookworm slowly reached out and gently touched the dark red silk ribbon wrapped around the hammer handle. A strange warmth emanated from his fingertips, as if the hammer itself possessed a life of its own. He closed his eyes, concentrated, and tried to sense whether there were any hidden mechanisms or traps in his surroundings.

"Brother Shen, get ready," the bookworm whispered, his voice tinged with tension and determination. He gripped the hammer handle with both hands, and a powerful suction suddenly surged forth, as if endless darkness was frantically devouring the true energy within his body.

The bookworm's face instantly turned ashen, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Brother Shen..." the bookworm said through gritted teeth, his voice filled with pain and struggle, "This hammer... seems to be draining my internal energy!"

Shen Mo's heart tightened, but he did not act rashly. He knew that any interference at this moment could cause the bookworm to fail. He saw the bookworm's eyes were tightly closed, his whole body muscles were tense like a bowstring, and his hands gripped the hammer handle tightly, trying his best to pull it out.

As his internal energy continued to dissipate, his body began to tremble slightly, but his eyes remained unwavering.

Time seemed to stand still, each second feeling like an endless torment.