Slaughtering Enemies in the Dense Forest

"Get up—this kid's abandoned his bow and arrows and come running right over."

Such a commotion naturally couldn't escape the notice of the Wu Family riders. Once they made out the figure hurtling toward them, their faces lit up with delight instead.

The two in front didn't even think twice; they rolled to their feet, one gripping a spear and the other a blade, and charged forward to meet him.

The remaining three scrambled up from the ground as if their backsides were on fire, seized their weapons, and followed with twisted, savage expressions.

They'd been pinned down like rats hugging the dirt moments ago, so now that Shi Mu had ditched his bow and come to them willingly, how could they not be overjoyed?

Shi Mu had fully unleashed the speed he'd trained with during his weighted mountain runs. He moved like a sprinting leopard, closing the distance in a few blurred strides, a gale whipping around him as he lunged straight at the two men ahead.

The foremost Wu Family riders were no slouches either. Though startled by Shi Mu's shocking speed, they split apart without a word—one flicked his spear into a shower of blossoming tips, the other swept his blade into a sheet of cold light, both converging on Shi Mu with seamless coordination.

Shi Mu snorted coldly. Ignoring the spray of spear-flowers entirely, he simply swung a backhanded fist and smashed it straight into one of the illusory blossoms.

Boom!

The spearman felt a searing heat in both hands as his weapon was torn from his grip and sent spinning into the air. Driven back by the immense force, he stumbled three paces away, his face a mask of disbelief.

Forget the sheer power—how had the kid picked out the real spear-flower at a glance?

Clang! The Sun and Moon Blades at Shi Mu's waist leaped from their sheath. He stamped one foot hard against the ground and, man and blade together, hurled himself into the other man's curtain of sword-light.

Shink, shink! Six blade-shadows flashed and vanished, cleaving straight through the oncoming cold gleam. Then his weapon quivered again, another shadow flickered, and with a twist of his body, he materialized behind the sword-wielding Wu rider.

Thud.

A crimson line appeared on the rider's neck. His head tumbled to the ground, and his headless corpse swayed twice before pitching forward onto the dirt.

Having claimed that strike, Shi Mu didn't linger. He hunched his back, pushed off the ground again, and shot toward the former spearman like a stone from a sling.

"Not good!"

The spearman had only just steadied himself from Shi Mu's earlier punch. When he looked up and saw Shi Mu hurtling toward him, terror nearly made his soul flee his body.

If he couldn't withstand a single punch while armed, how could he face this opponent empty-handed? Without a second thought, he spun around to flee.

But he'd barely taken two steps when a gust of wind swept past him. A chill bit into his waist, and his body was severed clean in two. Blood sprayed as both halves crashed to the ground.

Shi Mu turned again on the spot, blade in one hand, and fixed his cold gaze on the last three Wu pursuers closing in.

The three Wu men, who had been only a dozen paces behind, saw Shi Mu dispatch their two companions in the blink of an eye. Shocked, they skidded to a halt. Exchanging glances, they each saw naked fear reflected in the other's eyes.

"We can't run! He's too fast—if we scatter, he'll pick us off one by one. Form the Three Talents Formation! If we can stall him long enough, Master Tong will get here!" a man with a scar at the corner of his eye suddenly growled.

Hearing this, the other two snapped back to their senses. They crowded close to the scarred man, and three green longswords slid from their sheaths, all pointing at Shi Mu.

"Three Talents Formation?"

Shi Mu's heart stirred slightly at the words, but he simply strode forward with the Sun and Moon Blades in hand, closing the distance.

The three Wu riders grew even more tense as Shi Mu approached. Before he could reach them, they shouted in unison, crossed positions, and whirled their swords into layered curtains of steel, shielding themselves within.

"A turtle shell, is it?" Shi Mu snorted. Without a second thought, he moved his arm, and the Sun and Moon Blades transformed into six slashing shadows that hacked down fiercely.

Clang, clang! After a flurry of blade-on-sword clashes, the sword-curtain wavered slightly. The three Wu men staggered but managed to withstand the blow.

With a low shout, they swung their swords again and re-formed their protective barrier.

"Interesting."

Shi Mu was a little surprised.

He'd just unleashed Six Slashes in One Breath, each carrying enough force that, by all logic, these three shouldn't have been able to withstand it.

But if they thought a simple formation could hold off his next assault, they were gravely mistaken.

With that thought, Shi Mu took a deep breath, then spun on his heel like a top. His blade lashed out in every direction, each swing conjuring five or six phantom shadows. In moments, he had transformed into a silver ball of light that crashed straight into the opposing sword-curtain.

The clash of steel rang out like a sudden downpour.

A scream tore from the three Wu riders. Two of them stumbled back, their swords riddled with notches, their chests crisscrossed with gaping wounds. Their bodies swayed, clearly beyond saving.

Only the scarred man retreated, his face drenched in blood. Though his chest bore no cuts, the arm that had held his sword was gone, blood spurting from his shoulder.

He was clearly a hardened sort. Without even glancing at his wound, he spun around and bolted for the rear.

Shi Mu stopped spinning. Looking up at the scene, he gave a cold snort, then reached back to his quiver and pulled out a long arrow. He gave it a rough aim and flicked his wrist.

Whoosh.

The arrow shot from Shi Mu's hand, its speed no less than if fired from an ordinary bow.

The scarred man pitched forward with a thud, the arrow piercing clean through his back.

Shi Mu strode over and, with a swing of the Sun and Moon Blades, lopped off his head.

By then, the other two Wu riders had collapsed into pools of blood, their bodies twitching faintly, barely clinging to life.

A cold glint flashed in Shi Mu's eyes. He was about to finish them off when his expression suddenly changed. He stamped one foot and dodged sideways in a blur.

The next instant, thwip—a flash of cold light streaked through where he'd stood and embedded itself in the ground nearby. It was a three-inch flying dagger.

"Master Tong, you've finally arrived. Come out."

Shi Mu spun around, his gaze locked onto a large tree nearby, his entire demeanor that of a man facing a deadly threat.