Great Yuan, Year 750, Slaying Demons Under the Moon

"My lord is no ordinary martial artist, but this concubine is no ordinary cultivator either."

Lady Liu's voice was ethereal.

As her words fell, pillars of blood-red light ignited around Chen Mo, trapping him within like a cage.

He raised a hand to touch the light, and his fingers instantly turned charred black!

The flesh corroded, revealing bone deep beneath!

"Since you insist on meddling, my lord, then leave your life behind."

The wives and concubines of the Liu Family stepped forward, taking up a seven-star formation that pinned Chen Mo between "Heaven Pivot" and "Heaven Authority."

The blood-red glow intensified, and the pillars began to tighten inward.

They intended to grind Chen Mo to death!

"This man's true essence is abundant, unlike a sixth-grade, and his blade technique is shockingly strong; we must not clash with him head-on."

"But a martial artist is a martial artist after all; his methods are singular, and he certainly cannot break my Blood Prison."

"As long as we drain him before midnight, let the monster transform, and offer it to the great array, our grand plan will succeed!"

Lady Liu muttered to herself.

Her voice shifted, sounding like a young girl one moment and a mature woman the next.

Ratty, perched on her shoulder, squeaked in excitement, unable to contain its desire to feast.

Little did it know, it was also one of the sacrifices.

Bang!

At that moment, a figure plummeted from the roof, slamming solidly into the ground.

Li Yuan stood up, leaning on her Mo Blade, hating him in her heart:

That lecherous scoundrel hit too hard; he's made it so I can't even walk properly...

"..."

Lady Liu's brows furrowed.

"Another nuisance. Kill her first!"

The wives and concubines of the Liu Family leaped forward, pouncing toward Li Yuan!

Li Yuan swept her gaze across them, instantly grasping the situation, and a flicker of excitement flashed in her eyes.

Perfect!

I've been bursting with rage and had nowhere to vent it!

She swung her Mo Blade, the strikes flowing like pouring water, enveloping all of them at once.

Chaotic Chopping Blade, a military formation-breaking technique, best suited for fighting many with few!

One against seven, and she did not fall behind!

Lady Liu's brows furrowed deeper. Her attention had been on Chen Mo, and she hadn't expected this woman to be so troublesome!

But it was not a major issue.

There was still time; as long as she stalled Li Yuan, she could slowly refine Chen Mo...

Whoosh!

A sharp whistling sound rang out.

A signal arrow streaked across the night sky and exploded with a bang!

Illuminated by the firelight, a dozen figures were sprinting toward the scene, and the fat man in the lead shouted:

"Protect the Flag Commander, follow me and kill the enemy!"

They had followed Chen Mo's instructions and gathered at the county yamen at the Hour of the Bo.

But after waiting for a long time, Constable Xing brought news that the two Flag Commanders had decided to stay at the Liu Mansion...

Qin Shou knew Chen Mo was not a man to lose his head over beauty, and realizing something was wrong, he led the men toward the Liu Mansion.

On the way, he saw blade energy soaring into the sky, and immediately after, he stumbled upon this scene.

Constable Xing followed behind, his face turning slightly pale.

He realized he had misunderstood Chen Mo.

"Lady Liu is actually the murderer!"

"My lord stayed at the Liu Mansion not out of lust... but to slay demons!"

"Insignificant pawns, daring to join the fray!"

Lady Liu spread her arms, her robes fluttering as endless black mist surged from her sleeves, drowning everyone.

They instantly lost their sense of direction; though they were within arm's reach of one another, they could see nothing, trapped in the black mist and spinning in circles.

"It is nearly midnight; we cannot delay any longer. Kill this woman first!"

Lady Liu opened her mouth to speak, yet the voice emanated simultaneously from the mouths of all seven concubines.

Demonic ghosts have their own rules: one must be killed every three days, and the deceased must be dressed in wedding robes... Since Chen Mo had been chosen, even she, a ghost cultivator, could not alter the decree.

Solve this wretched woman first, then refine Chen Mo with all her might!

"After years of planning, we are only one step away. How could we let it all go to waste?"

"Finish this quickly, lest we attract the masters from the capital!"

Lady Liu opened her petite, bird-like mouth, the corners of her lips splitting all the way to her ears. With a violent inhalation, black mist surged into her belly, and her figure expanded several times over.

Following this, she swallowed the seven concubines whole!

After consuming the seven, her aura climbed steadily, the black mist permeating her body growing thicker than the night itself!

BOOM!

Two red lanterns ignited within the black fog, and a monster over ten meters tall stepped out!

Its eyes were scarlet like lamps, seven pairs of arms sprouted from its sides, and its flesh churned, occasionally revealing several human faces—a truly hideous and terrifying sight!

Facing such a monster, even one with the temperament of Li Yuan could not help but feel her hair stand on end!

"DIE!"

Eight voices blended into one as massive palms descended like a collapsing sky!

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

The street caved in and houses collapsed, as if the earth were splitting and the heavens falling!

Li Yuan darted and weaved, parrying with her Mo Blade while dodging the onslaught.

Yet, no sooner had she severed one of the monster's toes than black mist surged forth, restoring it instantly! She could not inflict any substantial damage!

If this continues, I will be worn down to death sooner or later!

I have no choice but to gamble it all!

Li Yuan's eyes were resolute.

She halted her movement and drove her long blade into the ground.

With her hands gripping the hilt and her feet pressing against the blade, the nearly two-meter-long Mo Blade bent like a crescent moon!

The moment the seven pairs of palms slammed down, the blade snapped straight. She launched herself into the air, tucking her shoulders and pulling in her limbs, narrowly slipping through the gaps between the fingers to arrive before the monster's massive head!

Under the vast night sky, with the full moon at her back, she looked like a tiger leaping under the moonlight!

Li Yuan gripped the blade with both hands, her peerless, tyrannical blade intent slashing toward the monster's neck!

Chaotic Chopping Blade: Ten Thousand Army Decapitation!

This was her only chance!

However, a flicker of cunning flashed in the monster's scarlet eyes. Its chest split open, and yet another pair of giant hands reached out!

"Damn it!"

Suspended in mid-air with no leverage, Li Yuan was caught dead to rights!

"Kill you first, then deal with him..."

The monster held her in its hands, its mouth like a giant abyss, preparing to swallow her in one gulp!

Smelling that foul, fishy stench and watching the darkness in her vision expand, Li Yuan's face turned pale as despair surged within her—

Is this the end?

She had walked the edge of life and death countless times, yet she had always managed to survive until the end.

But this time, it seemed she was truly going to die.

How unwilling she was.

She had not yet fulfilled her father's dying wish, had not reached the pinnacle of the blade path, had not experienced a single romance, and had not defeated that bastard Chen Mo...

Is it... ending?

Suddenly, the monster froze.

Seeming to sense something, it slowly turned around.

Li Yuan followed its gaze and was instantly stunned.

She saw Chen Mo, trapped within the Blood Prison, gripping the red pillars of light with his hands. Wisps of blue smoke rose, accompanied by the scent of charred flesh.

"Don't underestimate me. You think this trash... can trap me?!"

His palms were corroded down to the bone, yet he still struggled to force the pillars apart.

The red light in the monster's eyes flared, and the Blood Prison tightened rapidly, almost completely engulfing him!

Yet, Chen Mo continued to walk forward, slow and steady.

Under the erosion of the blood light, his flesh fell away bit by bit, revealing white bone, even exposing the heart beating within his chest!

"Is this guy trying to get himself killed?"

The monster stared at him, bewildered.

Chen Mo took the final step, finally walking out of the Blood Prison.

At this moment, his face, with only half its skin remaining, curled into an incredibly gratified smile.

"Son of a bitch, that really hurt!"

He sheathed his Horizontal Blade, his aura retracting.

A nameless dread gripped the monster's heart, as if it were being watched by some far greater existence.

In the blink of an eye, a blade light of extreme brilliance descended like an inverted galaxy!

Boundless life essence poured into it, and a giant cyan dragon faintly took shape, wreathed in lightning, rapidly expanding within the monster's scarlet pupils!

"ROAR!"

The Hibernating Dragon awakened, the first spring thunder pealing!

The moment it made contact with the monster, the cyan essence annihilated the death energy entirely!

The massive body crumbled to pieces, the black mist utterly extinguished by the surge of vitality!

The world seemed to fall silent.

The moon was white and the breeze clear, when suddenly, a fine, misty rain began to fall.

Li Yuan landed on the ground, and through the dense curtain of rain, she gazed at the man covered in wounds...

She found herself momentarily entranced.