Ambush

Outside Linyang City.

Su Mo held Xi'er's delicate hand as they walked along the mountain path.

"Xi'er, once we enter the mountain range and encounter demonic beasts, you stay behind me," Su Mo instructed Xi'er.

"Mhm!" Xi'er nodded.

Not long after, the two arrived at the Youfeng Mountain Range and entered it.

"Roar!"

A Level One, Stage Two lion-like demonic beast lunged at them. Su Mo casually punched and killed it.

"Xi'er, close your eyes!" Su Mo told Xi'er.

Xi'er was stunned but didn't ask further, obediently closing her eyes.

Su Mo released his Martial Soul and immediately devoured the demonic beast's Beast Soul and all its vital blood.

The reason Su Mo asked Xi'er to close her eyes wasn't because he didn't trust her or feared she'd discover his secret.

It was because Su Mo didn't want Xi'er to develop a psychological scar. After all, seeing a demonic beast's corpse instantly desiccated was too terrifying.

"Alright, Xi'er, let's go!" Su Mo retrieved the demonic beast's Demonic Core and said.

Xi'er opened her eyes and immediately saw the emaciated demonic beast corpse, causing her to freeze in surprise.

"Brother Su Mo, why did this demonic beast turn into this?" Xi'er asked, her eyes filled with confusion.

The demonic beast, which had been imposing and powerful just moments ago, had instantly become a withered husk after its death.

She knew Su Mo was responsible.

She also knew that Su Mo had asked her to close her eyes because he didn't want her to witness it.

But she couldn't help but ask.

"I devoured all its vital blood, that's why it became like this," Su Mo told Xi'er truthfully, without any concealment.

"Devour?" Xi'er's confusion deepened. She didn't understand how vital blood could be devoured.

"Heh heh, Xi'er, if you want to know, I'll show you later," Su Mo chuckled.

Xi'er, however, shook her head and said, "Since Brother Su Mo doesn't want Xi'er to see, then Xi'er won't look."

"Let's go, Brother Su Mo!"

The outermost parts of the mountain range were populated by demonic beasts below Level One, Stage Three.

Because Su Mo was with Xi'er, they weren't moving very fast.

Along the way, Su Mo killed every demonic beast they encountered.

He devoured all their Beast Souls and vital blood.

After each kill, despite her curiosity, Xi'er would proactively close her eyes.

Even though Su Mo told her she could watch, she insisted on not looking.

In her words: "If Brother Su Mo doesn't want Xi'er to see, then Xi'er will absolutely not look."

Her resolute demeanor made Su Mo shake his head helplessly!

Boom!

After killing another Level One, Stage Three demonic beast, Su Mo was about to devour it when his expression suddenly changed, and he looked behind them.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

From the forest behind them, seven or eight black-clothed figures suddenly emerged, quickly surrounding him and Xi'er.

"What do you want?" Su Mo quickly pulled Xi'er to his side and asked them, frowning.

These individuals held steel sabers and possessed powerful auras; they were clearly experts. Surrounding them without a word indicated their ill intentions.

"Su Mo, hand over this young lady obediently, and I might consider leaving you with a whole corpse," the tall middle-aged man leading them said, his expression cold and his eyes filled with killing intent.

Su Mo's eyebrows shot up upon hearing this.

The other party was here for Xi'er, and they knew his identity. It seemed they had come prepared.

"Who exactly are you people?"

Su Mo asked sternly.

"You're a dead man. There's no need for you to know,"

the middle-aged man sneered. He waved his hand and shouted, "Kill him!"

The middle-aged man didn't want to waste time and quickly gave the order.

"Swish! Swish!"

The other men brandished their Long Sabers and immediately attacked Su Mo.

These men's auras were incredibly powerful; they were all Qi Cultivation Level Seven experts.

With their combined strength, they could contend with ordinary Qi Cultivation Level Eight experts.

Whoosh!

Su Mo, pulling Xi'er along, flickered and left behind a faint afterimage as he dodged their attacks.

"Xi'er, climb onto my back and hold on tight!"

Su Mo quickly told Xi'er to get on his back.

Although these men were at Qi Cultivation Level Seven, it was impossible for them to kill him.

What made Su Mo slightly wary was the leader, the middle-aged man, who was a Qi Cultivation Level Eight Peak expert. He was incredibly powerful, far beyond these men.

If he were fighting alone, Su Mo wouldn't fear even a Qi Cultivation Level Eight Peak expert. Even if he couldn't win, he could easily escape.

However, his priority now was to protect Xi'er's safety.

Xi'er also knew the extreme danger they were in. Hearing Su Mo's words, she quickly climbed onto his back.

With the warmth and softness of her body against his back, Su Mo had no time to savor it as the Long Sabers from the front attacked again.

Swish!

Su Mo used his movement technique, swiftly flashing to the side of a black-clothed man.

Clang!

His Long Sword was drawn, Sword Light flashed, and a spray of blood shot out.

One Sword Seal Throat!

After killing one person with a single strike, Su Mo immediately retreated.

"What?"

The black-clothed men were shocked. They hadn't expected to lose one of their own in the blink of an eye.

"Such fast swordsmanship!"

The leading black-clothed middle-aged man was astonished.

A month ago, Su Mo's strength was only comparable to Qi Cultivation Level Seven. Now, he could instantly kill a Qi Cultivation Level Seven Martial Artist.

"However, you will still die today!"

The black-clothed middle-aged man shouted coldly, drew his Long Saber, and slashed fiercely at Su Mo.

Swish! Swish! Swish!

The middle-aged man unleashed three consecutive saber strikes. Three sharp Saber Qi streams, arranged in a 'pin' formation, slashed towards Su Mo.

The Saber Qi directly sealed off Su Mo's escape routes, leaving him no choice but to block the attack head-on.

"Gale Edge!"

Su Mo swung his sword, and wind and clouds surged. Sword Light exploded, slashing towards the Saber Qi.

Boom!

The Saber Qi shattered, turning into a gust of wind that swept in all directions.

Ugh!

Just then, a muffled groan came from Xi'er on his back.

Su Mo turned his head and saw Xi'er's face as pale as paper. Her lips were tightly pressed together, enduring the pain and desperately trying not to make a sound.

She remained silent, fearing she would distract Su Mo.

Su Mo was immediately startled and cursed himself for being foolish.

Xi'er's strength was too low; she couldn't withstand the impact of the residual energy from the attack.

However, there was no time to think. Just as Su Mo blocked that move, the attacks from the other six or seven black-clothed men arrived.

Saber light flashed like streaks of lightning, all aimed at Su Mo's vital points.

Wind Sweeps Clouds!

With a single sword strike, a fierce wind raged, pushing the several people back. Su Mo retreated again.

It wasn't that he was no match for these black-clothed men, but rather to prevent the residual force of their attacks from affecting Xi'er.

As soon as Su Mo retreated, before he could even steady himself, a gleaming saber light swept towards him, aiming for his abdomen.

The middle-aged man in black had attacked again.

The group's attacks were like a storm, giving Su Mo no time to catch his breath.

The middle-aged man in black was adept at seizing opportunities. This was precisely the moment when Su Mo's old strength had faded and new strength had yet to emerge.

With Xi'er on his back, Su Mo was restricted, unable to unleash his full strength to avoid harming her.

In this critical moment, Su Mo had no time to gather strength to block and could only do his best to evade with his movement techniques.

Ching!

A spray of blood flew out. Although Su Mo dodged the saber strike, his side was wounded by the saber qi, leaving a gash about a finger's length long.

Blood flowed from the wound.

"Brother Su Mo!"

Xi'er cried out in alarm, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Brother Su Mo, put me down! Don't worry about me anymore, just escape on your own!"

Xi'er said, weeping.

"Xi'er, what nonsense are you talking about? If I wanted to leave, they couldn't stop me!"

Su Mo said with a smile, then turned and darted into the depths of the forest.

In the blink of an eye, he had fled dozens of meters.

"Chase him! We absolutely cannot let him escape!"

The middle-aged man in black urgently ordered and took the lead in the pursuit.