Slaughter Them All

Su Mo's strength left the Mountain Bandit Captain utterly shocked.

He knew his own strength extremely well. Even ordinary Qi Refining Realm Fifth Layer martial artists were no match for him.

Yet now, a Qi Refining Realm Third Layer martial artist had actually forced him back three steps with a single strike. How could he not be stunned?

Aahhh...!

While the Mountain Bandit Captain was lost in thought, two more screams rang out.

Su Mo's sword was swift as lightning, elusive as the wind. Wherever its sword qi swept through, no one could stand against it.

In the blink of an eye, three more mountain bandits were slain.

This squad of mountain bandits had originally numbered twenty. Su Mo had killed nine before, and now three more had died, leaving only eight.

"Die!"

With a loud shout, Su Mo's figure flickered like a ghost. Sword light flashed, and two more mountain bandits were cut in half at the waist, blood and entrails spilling across the ground.

"Quick! Surround him and kill him! Quick!"

The Mountain Bandit Captain bellowed, raising his massive saber as he charged at Su Mo once more.

However, Su Mo no longer clashed with him head-on. Relying on his agile movement technique, he darted through the crowd as sharp sword light flashed from time to time, and mountain bandits fell one after another.

"Bastard!"

The Mountain Bandit Captain roared in rage again and again, his saber hacking wildly, yet he could not even touch a single hair on Su Mo's head.

Su Mo had cultivated the Third Grade Low-grade Movement Technique, Phantom Steps, increasing his speed severalfold. Though he had only reached the Beginner Realm in Phantom Steps, it was still a Third Grade Cultivation Method. Even at the Beginner Realm, it was beyond anything the Mountain Bandit Captain could compare to.

Aside from the Mountain Bandit Captain, these bandits were all merely at the Qi Refining Realm Third or Fourth Layer. Very few could block even one of Su Mo's strikes.

And even if they blocked Su Mo's first sword, they could not block his second.

Sword qi crisscrossed, sword light flickered—one step, one kill.

Before long, the Mountain Bandit Captain had become a commander without troops. All his subordinates had been killed.

Even the few who tried to flee were caught in an instant before they could run more than a few steps, then slain with a single sword strike.

"Boy, you killed so many men of my Blood Saber Stronghold. My Blood Saber Stronghold will never let you go!"

After throwing out that threat, the Mountain Bandit Captain intended to leave. He had also realized that with this movement technique alone, his opponent could remain invincible.

It would be very difficult for him to kill him!

"Where do you think you're going!"

Su Mo flashed forward and blocked the Mountain Bandit Captain's path.

"Boy, don't go too far! Though I may not be able to kill you, you won't be able to kill me either."

The Mountain Bandit Captain shouted angrily.

"Is that so? I said it before—none of you will leave here alive today!"

Su Mo sneered, as though he did not regard the Mountain Bandit Captain as a threat at all, instantly sending the man into a furious rage.

"Boy, you're courting death! Today, I'll let you see what I'm capable of."

Enraged beyond measure, the Mountain Bandit Captain roared. Yellow light blazed behind him as his martial soul rose into the air.

His martial soul was a savage bear, over three meters tall and radiating ferocious might.

After activating his martial soul, the Mountain Bandit Captain's strength increased by at least several tenths. He stepped forward, swung his gleaming saber high overhead, and brought it down toward Su Mo's face amid howling gusts.

This time, Su Mo did not dodge. Instead, he stood quietly where he was.

Seeing Su Mo like this, the Mountain Bandit Captain was overjoyed. He pushed his power to its peak, determined to severely wound Su Mo in a single blow.

A cold smile curled across Su Mo's lips. Just as the Mountain Bandit Captain's saber came down, he sheathed the longsword in his hand with a clang.

The Mountain Bandit Captain froze at once.

Had this brat gone mad?

But he was even more delighted. His opponent had put away his weapon—this was his chance. This strike would kill him.

Just as the Mountain Bandit Captain's saber was about to reach Su Mo, light flashed in Su Mo's hand, and a snow-bright longsword appeared.

This sword was the Third Grade Mid-grade divine weapon, the Spirit Severing Sword.

Gripping the Spirit Severing Sword, Su Mo slashed upward against the saber rapidly enlarging before his eyes.

Clang! Splurt!

As blade and sword collided, the Mountain Bandit Captain's saber snapped in response. Then, without losing any force, the Spirit Severing Sword flashed across the Mountain Bandit Captain's neck like lightning. Blood sprayed out as a fine head flew high into the air.

Whew!

After slaughtering all the mountain bandits, Su Mo finally let out a long breath.

"Spirit Severing Sword, you truly did not disappoint me!"

Looking at the longsword in his hand, Su Mo smiled. A Level Four Mid-grade weapon was indeed extraordinary.

There was a considerable gap between every grade of weapon, not to mention that the Mountain Bandit Captain's saber was merely an ordinary First Grade mortal weapon.

The two were not even on the same level. Cutting through the other's saber with a single strike was only natural.

When facing scum like this, Su Mo would not be foolish enough to fight fairly.

Only after killing all the bandits did Su Mo turn to look at the group of abducted women. Their eyes were dull, and they were still trapped in shock.

"Alright, all the mountain bandits have been put to death. You're free now!"

Su Mo stepped forward and roused the women.

"Thank you, benefactor!"

All the women fell to their knees and kowtowed to Su Mo in gratitude.

"Get up, all of you! This place isn't safe. Return to your village first!"

Su Mo waved his hand, signaling for them to rise. Though their village had already been reduced to ruins, he could only have them return for now.

Fortunately, there were quite a few bandit warhorses. Riding them, the women would be able to return quickly.

"Benefactor, Xi'er will never forget your great kindness today. Please tell Xi'er your name, so Xi'er may remember it always."

At that moment, a young girl in green timidly walked up to Su Mo. Her red lips pressed together slightly as she spoke softly.

This girl in green was the very girl the scar-faced bandit had lusted after, the one whom the Mountain Bandit Captain had planned to present to the Blood Saber Stronghold Master after returning.

Her skin was fairer than snow, her beauty elegant and unworldly. Her eyes resembled clear spring pools, carrying an airy spirit. Though she wore coarse hemp clothes, they could not conceal her pure and refined bearing.

Like a fairy fallen into the mortal world, her beauty could topple cities. Those who looked upon her could not help but be captivated, feel ashamed of themselves, and not dare profane her.

Only then did Su Mo notice that among these women was such a peerless beauty.

He could not help sighing that even a tiny village could nurture such an unmatched beauty!

In terms of looks alone, she even surpassed Luo Huan, the Pavilion Master of the Purple Gold Pavilion. Yet compared to Luo Huan's peerless grace, the girl was still somewhat immature.

"My name is Su Mo. Go back first! I'll head to your village shortly as well and help bury your clansmen."

Su Mo smiled faintly, then led a warhorse over for the girl.

"Mhm!" The girl nodded lightly.

After everyone had left, Su Mo looked at the corpses scattered across the ground, a sharp gleam flashing in his eyes.

With so much vital blood, breaking through in cultivation shouldn't be a problem, right?

Su Mo did not dare delay. He hurried over, sat cross-legged, and released his Devouring Martial Soul.

The longer he delayed, the more of these people's blood and qi would dissipate. Moreover, after enough time had passed, their martial souls would vanish as well. If that happened, it would be a huge loss!

Su Mo fully activated the Devouring Martial Soul. Immediately, martial souls of every kind, mixed with the bandits' blood and qi, converged upon Su Mo.

Most of these bandits possessed Human Grade Second Tier or Third Tier martial souls. After Su Mo devoured them, his own martial soul showed no reaction whatsoever.

However, after the massive amounts of blood and qi were devoured, they transformed into a surge of pure energy that merged into Su Mo's body.

The aura around Su Mo's body surged madly!

Boom!

In only a short moment, Su Mo broke through the bottleneck of the Qi Refining Realm Third Layer and entered the Qi Cultivation Fourth Level.

Yet the blood and qi were extraordinarily abundant. Even after his breakthrough, Su Mo's cultivation continued to rise steadily.

Early Qi Cultivation Fourth Level!

Middle Qi Cultivation Fourth Level!

Late Qi Cultivation Fourth Level!

Peak Qi Cultivation Fourth Level!

Finally, after Su Mo had devoured everyone's blood and qi, his cultivation stopped at the peak of the Qi Cultivation Fourth Level, only a step away from entering the Qi Refining Realm Fifth Layer.

He was not disappointed by this. Being able to raise his cultivation by an entire level had already satisfied him greatly.

If I keep slaughtering like this in the future, plundering the blood and qi and martial souls of others, won't my cultivation soar like a rocket?

Su Mo's heart burned as he thought to himself.

But then he shook his head. If he continued like this, though his strength could grow at the fastest rate, he might also lose his true nature and become a bloodthirsty demon.

Su Mo had always been someone who clearly distinguished gratitude from grudges. He would never show mercy toward enemies or wicked people.

But if he slaughtered innocent people at will, how would he be any different from these mountain bandits?

Su Mo then took a deep breath, rose to his feet, gathered the valuables from all the "dried corpses," and strode away.