Small Town Outside the City

The small town outside the city was called Shanfo Town. It was said that an Attendant in the town enshrined a mountain Buddha.

It was the Buddha's light that held back the darkness's erosion and protected this patch of pure land—the small town.

Fang Mu carried Fang Jing on his back and sprinted the entire way, not daring to delay for even a moment.

As the sky gradually darkened, he finally carried Fang Jing into the town.

At the very moment Fang Mu entered the town, the sky darkened completely.

As night enveloped the town, waves of shrill howls and cries suddenly came from the distant darkness.

That terrifying sound was like a night owl and a Fierce Ghost.

Black shadows hiding in the darkness flashed out one after another and darted toward the town.

"Brother!" Fang Jing lay on Fang Mu's back, staring in terror at the black shadows flashing through the darkness.

Fang Mu raised his sword and retreated into the town, his face tense and grave as he stared fixedly at the black shadows sweeping toward them like ghosts.

"Ah!"

A series of ear-piercing screams rang out. Fang Mu watched in shock as a golden barrier rose around the outskirts of the town.

Golden light enveloped the town. The moment those approaching black shadows touched it, they instantly turned into black smoke and scattered.

Fang Mu's face was filled with shock as he looked at the Buddha's image that had suddenly appeared above the town. His mind nearly fell under its spell.

Fortunately, at the critical moment, the Demon Refining Mirror sent out a cool current that instantly brought him back to his senses. He did not dare look up at the Buddha's image again.

As the black shadows outside the town vanished into the darkness, the Buddha's light filling the sky faded considerably, and the Buddha's image in the void also blurred and disappeared.

Looking at the town shrouded in a faint golden light, Fang Mu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"That golden light should be the Buddha's light of the mountain Buddha enshrined by the town. Since it's still here, the reason the townspeople were harmed must lie elsewhere."

Fang Mu muttered to himself, lowered Fang Jing from his back, and slowly led him into the town.

The town was so quiet that not a sound could be heard. Faintly, Fang Mu could smell a pungent odor of blood.

When he reached a narrow path, he saw many collapsed houses.

The town seemed to have gone through a great battle. Inside some of the collapsed courtyards and houses, he saw skeletons stripped of all flesh.

"Ah!"

Fang Jing cried out and hid behind Fang Mu, not daring to look at the skeletons.

Looking at the silent town, Fang Mu released his clone and had him protect Fang Jing.

The clone, dressed entirely in black, stood beside Fang Jing like a loyal and dutiful guard.

Fang Mu examined the corpses and discovered that the little flesh still hanging from some of the skeletons bore bite marks.

If his guess was correct, the flesh on the corpses had been gnawed off by some kind of wild beast.

In other words, the culprit was most likely some powerful wild beast or demon.

Following the ruins through the town, Fang Mu searched the entire place and found many corpses.

All those bloodstained corpses bore claw marks and bite marks.

Thus, Fang Mu could almost determine that the townspeople had been attacked by wild beasts, brutally killed, and eaten.

"Bang! Boom boom!" Suddenly, the roar of battle rang out behind him.

Fang Mu turned and saw his clone fighting a black shadow nearby.

Without time to think, Fang Mu blurred into a streak of afterimage and rushed over.

"Xiaojing! Are you all right?" Fang Mu flashed to Fang Jing's side and asked worriedly.

"Brother! I-I'm fine!" Fang Jing said fearfully from where she hid in the corner of a wall.

Seeing that Fang Jing was uninjured, Fang Mu finally looked toward the black shadow fighting his clone nearby.

It was a wolf demon with a savage and ferocious gaze. Its fangs were stained with blood, and its entire body radiated a thick stench of blood.

Using his Black Pupil to examine it, Fang Mu discovered that the wolf demon's blood aura and Demonic Energy were both extremely dense. It was practically at the peak of its condition.

It had clearly eaten the townspeople and replenished a great deal of its vital energy and blood.

The clone's cultivation had already reached the realm of a Fourth Rank Martial Artist. Coupled with the Demonic Energy he cultivated, he was unaffected by the suppression from the wolf demon's aura.

Yet even with the clone unleashing his full strength, he still could not defeat the wolf demon. Instead, he had been injured by it.

Fang Mu looked at the empty surroundings and quietly instructed Fang Jing, "Xiaojing, stay here obediently. Don't run around."

As soon as he finished speaking, Fang Mu raised his sword and attacked the wolf demon, joining forces with his clone to surround it.

Amid a string of thunderous explosions and miserable cries, Fang Mu unleashed his full strength. He threw away his sword and smashed at it directly with his fists.

The wolf demon let out continuous shrieks as Fang Mu's fists pounded into flesh, sending it flying about like a sandbag.

Fang Mu had not fought with his full strength in a long time. His cultivation was still only at the Martial Artist Seventh Rank.

But his physical body had consumed far too many pills. It had long since become impervious to ordinary blades and swords, and even he did not know exactly how strong it was.

Now that he could beat the wolf demon flying about like a sandbag, Fang Mu gained a better understanding of his own strength.

"Roar!"

An enraged roar rang out. The wolf demon, sent flying by Fang Mu's punch, suddenly took the opportunity to pounce toward Fang Jing beneath the ruined courtyard wall.

"Ah!"

"Xiaojing!!"

Seeing the wolf demon bite Fang Jing's arm and flee toward the outskirts of the town, Fang Mu cried out and transformed into a streak of afterimage in pursuit.

After charging out of the town and reaching the edge of the Buddha's light, the wolf demon released Fang Jing.

It cast a sidelong glance at Fang Mu, who had already caught up, then sent Fang Jing flying with a single swipe of its claw.

"Xiaojing!"

Fang Mu's eyes nearly split with rage as he watched Fang Jing fly beyond the area covered by the Buddha's light.

Without a moment's hesitation, he activated Extreme Wind Speed and shot out of the town in a streak of afterimage.

Fang Mu soared through the air and caught Fang Jing, whose face was filled with terror.

Having left the protection of the Buddha's light, he landed in the darkness outside the town with Fang Jing in his arms.

"Brother, I'm sorry. I dragged you into this!" Fang Jing hugged Fang Mu and sobbed.

"Silly girl! If I didn't have you, how lonely would I be in this world?"

Fang Mu stroked the hair atop Fang Jing's head. As he watched the darkness spread upward from his feet and his body gradually turn black, he felt death for the first time.

But he did not regret his choice. Even if his life and soul were to vanish, he would still protect the person he wanted to protect.

If a person did not even have faith, then what difference was there between living and dying?

As the darkness gradually spread upward, Fang Jing, her face streaked with tears, held Fang Mu tightly.

Her heart was filled with unwillingness. She did not want to drag Fang Mu to his death, nor did she want to be swallowed by the darkness and die just like this.

"No!"

Fang Jing's cry of unwillingness rang out, and the darkness that was about to devour them both suddenly stopped.

Countless black shadows surged through the darkness. Just as they were about to engulf Fang Mu and Fang Jing—

A light suddenly shone from Fang Jing's body. It was a holy and gentle radiance, sacred and bright.

White light enveloped Fang Mu and Fang Jing, scattering the darkness and purifying the black shadows that had rushed at them.

Fang Mu, who had been waiting for death to arrive, was filled with shock.

He watched as the darkness receded and his body returned to normal.

Looking at Fang Jing's pale face beneath the holy light, he was filled with disbelief.

At that moment, Fang Jing suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood, staining Fang Mu's clothes red.

"Xiaojing!"

Fang Mu came back to his senses in shock and hurriedly carried her into the town.

The moment they entered the town, the sacred light around Fang Jing gradually faded, and she fell unconscious.

Looking at Fang Jing's pale-as-paper face, Fang Mu felt both heartache and fury.

After feeding Fang Jing some pills, Fang Mu recalled his clone, who was furiously attacking the wolf demon.

When the clone flashed back, Fang Mu's eyes blazed with fury as he walked step by step toward the wolf demon.

The wolf demon was terrified. Feeling the undisguised killing intent radiating from Fang Mu, it immediately admitted defeat, crouched down on its knees, and indicated that it was willing to submit.

Outside the town lay endless darkness. Even if the wolf demon had a hundred times the courage, it would not dare set foot in that darkness. Thus, it could only beg for mercy.

"Awooo!"

Amid waves of shrill cries, the wolf demon died horribly. Fang Mu's fists pounded into flesh, smashing and pulverizing it outright.

Not to mention that the wolf demon had eaten the townspeople—it had nearly killed Fang Jing and him.

There was no way Fang Mu could let it go. If begging for mercy worked, then why would anyone fight to the death?