In the forest.
Silver light streamed from Barnard's iron hands, weaving together into a dense silver net that dropped over Luo Hao.
Within the tenfold gravity field, Luo Hao moved as nimbly as a flying horse. His broad sword carved out strange arcs, tearing the oncoming net into shreds.
Barnard remained calm, showing no sign of panic. He kept his distance from Luo Hao, continuously weaving the silver light into one new net after another and casting them over him.
The silver net was unaffected by the tenfold gravity field, drifting gracefully through it. As the strands Luo Hao had sliced apart fluttered through the air, they reknit themselves, circling around him.
At a glance, Luo Hao seemed to be standing in the middle of a shattered spiderweb. His broad sword swept through the strands, tearing them apart, but they never disappeared.
Barnard maintained a safe distance from Luo Hao and kept throwing more nets over him, making the web around Luo Hao denser and denser.
Barnard entangled Luo Hao with ease, even letting out a mocking chuckle now and then. "Friend, why fight me so stubbornly? We only want the two women. My people have already gone after them. If nothing unexpected has happened, they should have captured the women by now. You can't escape my Silver Silk Net, either. The outcome's already decided, so stop wasting your strength."
"If anything happens to them, I swear I'll wipe out every last member of the Tusk Mercenary Group!" Amid the crisscrossing nets, Luo Hao's expression twisted viciously. He said in a low voice, "I'll spend the rest of my life hunting down your Tusk Mercenary Group, until I've killed the very last one of you!"
Barnard's heart tightened. He drew a deep breath, then nodded. "Looks like I'll have to kill you."
"Captain! Captain!" a cry came from afar. "Zhuo Ke is dead! He was only slashed on the arm, but the poison killed him!"
Barnard's expression darkened. He shouted, "Don't hold back! Kill those two, quickly! Damn it, using poison! Once they're dead, dismember them and feed them to the demon beasts. I want them torn to pieces!"
Several mercenaries shouted in reply and joined the pursuit of Zhao Xin and Hu Long through the forest.
Barnard hardened his heart and pushed the Silver Silk Net to its limits, blanketing the area around Luo Hao. He was going to fight Luo Hao to the death.
Suddenly, bolts of lightning as thick as fingers formed another enormous net and plummeted from the sky, dropping over Luo Hao's head.
Luo Hao's face changed drastically. He swung his broad sword, but he couldn't cut through the new web of lightning.
A dozen or so finger-thick bolts of lightning flashed with brilliant, strange light as they coiled toward him like spirit serpents.
Luo Hao was shocked. He frantically swung his broad sword and urged all the essence within him into action. The sword suddenly blazed with white light, forming ring after ring around his body.
Sizzle! Sizzle, sizzle!
The dozen or so finger-thick bolts wound around him and struck the white rings. Crackling flashes of electricity burst across Luo Hao's body.
The rate at which Luo Hao's essence drained suddenly multiplied several times over!
Under the terrifying force of the lightning, his strength rapidly ebbed away. His face slowly turned pale.
A sharp sword suddenly appeared above Luo Hao. Its killing intent was fierce as it slammed into the rings around his body.
Boom!
Luo Hao's body convulsed. He spat out a mouthful of blood, staggered, and reeled backward.
Barnard's Silver Silk Net seized the chance to close around him, binding him so tightly he could no longer move.
Pfft!
The sharp sword pierced Luo Hao's body. At last, the Nether Moon Envoy of Dark Nether, his face hidden behind a pale mask, appeared.
With him was Mo Chao Ge of the Mo Family. He stepped out from behind an ancient tree, lightning still flickering between his fingers.
Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!
The Nether Moon Envoy's eyes were cold and vicious. He plunged his sword into Luo Hao's body three times in succession.
The gravity field slowly faded...
"Uncle Luo!"
Zhao Xin's eyes reddened as he cried out in grief.
Arrows shot toward him from every direction. Under the dense barrage, Zhao Xin's body became a pincushion, and he fell to the ground, dying unwillingly.
Arrows flew around Hu Long, too, but they seemed to lack accuracy. They didn't kill him; instead, they blocked the Tusk Mercenary Group members pursuing him.
Hu Long seized the chance and raced desperately through the forest, his eyes bloodshot. "Uncle Luo is dead. Zhao Xin is dead. Only Miss Mu can avenge them. I have to get the news to Miss Mu..."
"After him!" the Tusk Mercenary Group members shouted, ready to give chase, only to find arrows raining down and blocking their path.
The mercenaries' expressions darkened. Realizing someone didn't want them to pursue Hu Long, they searched the forest for the archer, their eyes fierce.
Figures wearing pale masks emerged from among the trees. Mixed in with them were several Martial Artists from the Mo Family, all carrying crossbows, their expressions grim.
"Why did you two help me kill him?" Barnard frowned at the suddenly appeared Nether Star Envoy and Mo Chao Ge. "I don't believe we've met. What do you want in return for helping me kill him?"
"We weren't helping you." The Nether Star Envoy stepped forward and shot him a cold glance. "Luo Hao was already an enemy of Dark Nether. We've been hunting him for a long time. If anything, you helped us."
Mo Chao Ge stood to one side without hurrying over. He frowned and asked, "Envoy, you said this fellow was the strongest Martial Artist protecting that boy. Now that he's dead, can't we stop wasting time?"
"Mm." The Nether Star Envoy nodded. "Don't rush. I left Dark Moon Incense on Hu Long. I deliberately had my people let him go so he could lead us there. We'll follow the scent of the Dark Moon Incense, and we're sure to find the people we need."
"All right." Mo Chao Ge smiled. "We're not far from our Merchant Alliance. Once we've taken care of business, would you be interested in visiting the Mo Family, Envoy? We can discuss the details of our cooperation."
"No problem." The Nether Moon Envoy nodded.
In just a few short days, the Nether Moon Envoy of Dark Nether and Mo Chao Ge had already joined forces and secretly reached an agreement.
"Why did you kill that man?" Barnard beckoned, and the Tusk Mercenary Group members gathered around him.
"For a girl and a very thin boy." Mo Chao Ge smiled. "I've long admired the Tusk Mercenary Group. Having finally seen you in person, I can say you live up to your reputation. I'm Mo Chao Ge of the Merchant Alliance's Mo Family. Would you be interested in making a deal with our family, Captain?"
"What kind of deal?" Barnard frowned.
"A profitable one, of course! Heh, if you're interested, we can discuss it in detail. I guarantee you'll be satisfied." Mo Chao Ge laughed heartily.
"Let's leave that for later." Barnard considered it for a moment, then said, "If nothing went wrong, my people should have already captured the ones you're after. You want the girl and the boy, but we can't have worked for nothing. How about the hot-bodied female mercenary goes to the Tusk Mercenary Group?"
Barnard could see that neither of the other parties was harmless. Dark Nether and the Mo Family of the Merchant Alliance were both major forces.
The Nether Moon Envoy and Mo Chao Ge, who were leading their respective groups this time, were both in the Hundred Tribulations Realm, their cultivation no weaker than his. They had also reached an understanding in private. After weighing the situation, Barnard knew his own strength couldn't stand against their combined forces, so he could only compromise.
Mo Chao Ge didn't answer. Instead, he looked toward the Nether Moon Envoy of Dark Nether.
The Nether Moon Envoy's cold eyes flickered. He slowly nodded. "No problem."
"Good. Let's go collect them." Seeing that he had agreed, Barnard let out a sigh of relief. He had just witnessed how vicious the two men were and didn't want to risk his life fighting them.
Mu Yu Die crouched down and carefully bandaged Shi Yan's wound.
With a stern expression, Shi Yan sat on the ground without a word, carefully sensing the changes in the wound on his shoulder and the purification of Tu Mu's essence within the acupoints in his body. His mind was entirely focused, and he didn't spare Mu Yu Die a glance.
Sometimes this guy is lecherous to the extreme, and other times he's more upright than a true gentleman. What a strange person...
Mu Yu Die secretly found it odd. Usually, when Shi Yan looked at her, his gaze was brazen and completely unrestrained.
Now she was so close to him that they could smell each other, yet Shi Yan kept his eyes straight ahead and didn't show even the slightest impropriety. It left her baffled.
Mu Yu Die was puzzled and couldn't quite figure out what kind of person Shi Yan really was.
Shi Yan's eyes narrowed slightly as his mind sank into his body.
The cells around his shoulder wound were extremely active. Even without doing anything, he could feel the wound slowly healing under the effect of the Undying Martial Soul.
The essence from Tu Mu was being purified inside the acupoints in his body, while strange negative emotions quietly took root...
After using "Berserk," his arms and legs were weak, and he was aching terribly. It seemed he wouldn't be able to regain his strength for a while. The familiar aftereffects made him uncomfortable, but there was nothing he could do about them.
Not far away, after resting for a while, Di Ya Lan recovered and began searching Tu Mu's body.
A minute later, Di Ya Lan walked over to Mu Yu Die and Shi Yan with a small pouch. "This guy had some food, materials from some demon beasts, and three Star Thunders. We can't use the demon beast materials, but these Star Thunders are vicious."
"Star Thunder?" Shi Yan's eyes suddenly lit up. He stared with interest at the fist-sized lump of green metal. "What does it do?"
"As soon as this thing shakes, it explodes, sending tiny blade fragments flying out like countless stars in every direction. The fragments are incredibly sharp and hit with tremendous force. They can even pierce the essence shields summoned by Martial Artists in the Human Realm. It's an extremely vicious Secret Treasure. These things are worth a fortune. Just these three are worth at least four or five thousand Black Crystal Coins," Di Ya Lan explained.
"Now that's vicious! Give them to me." Shi Yan reached out to Di Ya Lan, asking for them as naturally as could be.
Thud! Thud-thud! Heavy footsteps suddenly rang out.
Di Ya Lan's expression changed. She held her short sword at the ready, her face tense with vigilance.
Shi Yan shoved Mu Yu Die aside rather roughly and snorted. He sprang to his feet, dagger in hand, his expression cold as he stared toward the approaching figure.
Hu Long, his chest smeared with blood and his eyes red, staggered toward them.
When he saw Di Ya Lan, Hu Long's eyes suddenly filled with tears. Choking with grief, he said, "Uncle Luo and Zhao Xin are dead, Miss Mu. They died so horribly! You have to avenge them!"
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