Su Mo's Strength

"Ha ha! Has Ma Lao San gone limp? He's only just gone in, and he's already finished?"

"Ha ha! This kid really is trash. Let's see if he still dares to brag in front of us later."

Hearing the cries from the grass, the mountain bandits could not help laughing and cursing.

But their expressions quickly changed.

Because after waiting a long while, the scar-faced bandit still did not emerge from the grass.

The grass was deathly silent.

"What's going on? Why hasn't Ma Lao San come out yet?"

The mountain bandits' faces were full of confusion.

"Ma Lao San..."

One of the bandits called out loudly, but there was still no response from the grass.

"You two, go take a look."

The Mountain Bandit Captain ordered the two bandits beside him.

The two exchanged glances, rose to their feet, and headed toward the grass. Soon, they entered it.

But after entering the grass, the two were like stones sinking into the sea. There was no further sound from them, exactly the same as the scar-faced bandit.

At that moment, the mountain bandits could no longer remain seated. They all stood up, their expressions grave.

"Damn it, what's going on?"

"Fuck, this is like seeing a ghost in broad daylight!"

"Hmph! I'd like to see who dares play tricks in front of our Blood Saber Stronghold!"

The Mountain Bandit Captain's face turned sinister. He shouted, "Leave two men to guard these women. The rest of you, come with me and take a look."

Clang! Clang! Clang!

The sound of weapons leaving their sheaths rang out. Every bandit drew his steel saber and advanced in a fan-shaped formation, slowly closing in on the nearby grass.

Huff! Huff!

Quite a few bandits breathed heavily, their faces filled with vigilance, ready at any moment to deal with the coming danger.

Soon, the mountain bandits stepped into the grass. Before their eyes lay three mangled corpses.

They were the scar-faced bandit and the two bandits who had come to investigate afterward.

By now, the three corpses were utterly unrecognizable. The men were skin and bones, all the blood and qi in their bodies dried up. They were practically three desiccated corpses.

If not for their clothes, the mountain bandits would never have recognized the corpses as their companions.

Hiss!

Hiss! Hiss!

Sharp breaths were drawn. Even these ruthless bandits, who killed as easily as they ate, had their expressions drastically change.

"Could it be... a blood-sucking zombie?"

One bandit could not help blurting out. But after looking around, they found no movement whatsoever.

"No, they were killed by someone. Look at their necks."

A sharp-eyed bandit noticed the faint bloodstains on all three men's necks.

One Sword Seal Throat!

All three had died the same way.

"Ah! Ah...!"

Just then, another sudden change occurred.

Two screams came from not far behind them.

They were followed by the terrified shrieks of the women.

"Not good...!"

The mountain bandits were startled and hurried back.

At once, they saw the two companions left behind to stand guard lying on the ground.

Beside them stood a handsome youth of fourteen or fifteen, holding a blood-dripping longsword as he watched them with an icy expression.

When the women saw a youth suddenly rush out and swiftly kill two men, they screamed without end in fright.

"Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you!"

The youth turned and spoke to the women.

This youth was none other than Su Mo.

Earlier, he had tracked them here. When he saw the scar-faced bandit drag that young married woman into the grass, intending to commit a beastly act, he decisively entered the grass from behind, killed the scar-faced bandit, and saved her.

Then, he killed the two bandits who came afterward as well.

After killing the three men, Su Mo devoured all the blood and qi in their bodies.

The three bandits had all been at the Qi Cultivation Third Level, and their blood and qi were extremely abundant. After Su Mo devoured them, he refined it all into his own true qi. His cultivation surged, reaching the peak of the Qi Cultivation Third Level.

Afterward, when these bandits came to investigate, he circled back and killed the two guards.

Thus, without the slightest effort, Su Mo killed five men in succession.

"Who are you? You actually dare make an enemy of our Blood Saber Stronghold?"

The Mountain Bandit Captain's gaze was icy as he carefully examined Su Mo.

"The one who will kill you. Today, not a single one of you will leave alive!"

A chilling light flashed in Su Mo's eyes, and killing intent rolled off him in waves.

"Hmph! Just you? You're only at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Third Level, yet you want to kill us?"

Sensing Su Mo's cultivation aura, the Mountain Bandit Captain sneered disdainfully and signaled his subordinates. At once, the bandits surrounded the youth.

The Mountain Bandit Captain was at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Level, with formidable strength. Moreover, three or four members of his group were at the Qi Cultivation Fourth Level, while all the others were at the Qi Cultivation Third Level.

With such strength, naturally he did not fear a brat at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Third Level.

Still, despite his words, the Mountain Bandit Captain did not lower his guard. After all, the deaths of his three subordinates had been extremely strange; they had practically all become dried-up corpses.

Furthermore, the youth had silently killed several men. His strength could not be underestimated.

"Whether I can kill you or not, you'll find out soon enough."

A bloodthirsty smile curled across Su Mo's lips. The benefits brought by devouring blood and qi had made the blood throughout his body faintly begin to boil.

"Kill him!"

The Mountain Bandit Captain did not rashly attack. With a wave of his hand, he gave the order.

Kill!

Kill! Kill!

At once, four bandits roared and charged at Su Mo. Their gleaming steel sabers flashed like bolts of lightning as they hacked viciously at him.

The Mountain Bandit Captain watched from the side with a cold smile. In his view, the youth before him was bound to die from this attack.

The four attackers were all capable fighters at the Qi Cultivation Third Level. Joining forces, even an ordinary Qi Cultivation Fourth Level martial artist would have to retreat three paces.

Faced with the four men's attack, Su Mo laughed instead of growing angry. He shouted, "You're courting death!"

Whoosh!

Su Mo moved his feet, unleashing Phantom Steps. In a flash, he dodged their attacks.

Swish!

Dazzling sword light flashed, sword qi sweeping in every direction.

"Ah! Ah...!"

A string of screams rang out as the four attacking bandits were instantly slain.

One sword, four kills!

"What..."

The remaining bandits' eyes widened as they stared in disbelief at the scene before them.

They could not understand it. They were all at the Qi Cultivation Third Level, so why was this youth so powerful?

"Kill! Everyone attack together! I refuse to believe that with his mere Qi Cultivation Third Level cultivation, he can defy the heavens!"

The Mountain Bandit Captain's face turned ashen. With a roar, he charged forward first.

Wielding a massive chopping saber, the Mountain Bandit Captain reached within ten paces of Su Mo and viciously cleaved down.

This massive chopping saber weighed no less than two hundred catties. Combined with the Mountain Bandit Captain's Qi Cultivation Fifth Level strength, a single strike could split even an iron man in two.

Swish!

But Su Mo neither dodged nor evaded. Raising his sword, he met the blow head-on and slashed horizontally.

Gale Edge!

For this strike, Su Mo pushed his true qi to its peak, combining it with the strength of his physical body and unleashing the first form of Divine Wind Swordplay, Gale Edge.

Clang!

The saber edge and sword edge collided fiercely, producing a deafening boom.

Su Mo's entire body trembled as he retreated three steps, while the Mountain Bandit Captain also retreated three steps.

The two were evenly matched in this exchange!

Though the Mountain Bandit Captain was at the Qi Cultivation Fifth Level, two full levels above Su Mo, the Cultivation Methods and Martial Skills he practiced were only Grade 1 Mid-Rank.

Su Mo, on the other hand, was only at the Qi Cultivation Third Level, but his Primordial Unity True Qi was incomparably powerful, giving him strength no weaker than a Qi Cultivation Fourth Level martial artist.

Combined with his physical strength, it could be said that he had few rivals within the Qi Cultivation Fourth Level.

Furthermore, he had cultivated the Grade 3 Low-Rank Martial Skill, Divine Wind Swordplay.

Had he not practiced Divine Wind Swordplay for too short a time and only just reached the Beginner Realm, that last strike would have been enough to defeat the Mountain Bandit Captain.

"How is that possible?"

The Mountain Bandit Captain was utterly shocked. He roared in disbelief, "You're only at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Third Level. How can you be so powerful?"