Death Game Begins

Chapter 29: Death Game Begins

The woman had just finished this series of movements when the man wielding two daggers swung at her neck. With a sharp pop, the shield she had summoned on the spot failed to stop his attack. It shattered after just one exchange and vanished without a trace.

The woman's face changed dramatically, turning deathly pale. Fortunately, the flames continually spewing from the Cyan Gourd artifact seemed quite powerful. The moment the man with the twin daggers touched the flames enveloping her, he immediately recoiled, as though wary of the pale yellow fire gushing from the gourd.

Only after the man retreated did the woman let out a breath, though her face remained somewhat pale. If she hadn't reacted quickly and brought out her Cyan Gourd artifact, she would already be lying on the ground, dead! Remembering that lightning-fast moment, she still felt a lingering fear.

After retreating, the man with the twin daggers stood three zhang away from the group, watching their every move with a cold gaze. His face was dark, his eyes icy.

That man was, of course, Luo Mu!

After hearing the commotion earlier, Luo Mu had rushed here without hesitation. He had arrived just in time to see the group preparing to attack the Plum Blossom Snakes he raised. What was more, their leader had already trapped all the snakes inside an artifact.

This infuriated Luo Mu, but he didn't rashly attack. Instead, he warily released his spiritual sense to check the cultivation levels of the group. He couldn't see through one of them, but the others' strengths and cultivation levels were all clear in his mind.

The one whose cultivation Luo Mu couldn't see through was, naturally, Le Tian. But when Luo Mu carefully sensed his strength, he found that the aura he gave off was not much stronger than his own. That put Luo Mu somewhat at ease.

As for their numerical advantage, Luo Mu didn't care about it. There weren't enough of them to feed even five White Jade Ants, let alone three Octagonal Spikes.

This time, however, Luo Mu wasn't planning to have his spirit insects fight. He had been here for a year without ever battling another cultivator. In his eyes, today was the perfect chance to measure his own strength.

His first attack had just missed, and he'd nearly been injured by the woman's Cyan Gourd artifact. He had no choice but to abandon the idea of killing her with a sneak attack.

"Who are you? Why did you ambush us? We're all students of Jinxiu Academy. If you harm us, you'll be making an enemy of the entire Jinxiu Academy! I urge you to think twice before acting!"

As Luo Mu appeared, Le Tian struggled to keep the Black Iron Chain under control and prevent the Plum Blossom Snakes from breaking free. Then he turned to Luo Mu and spoke in a low voice, his threat plain for all to hear.

"Jinxiu Academy? Isn't that the Academy in Jinxiu City that Xiao Ling'er was accepted into?" At the words "Jinxiu Academy," Luo Mu's expression shifted. He thought to himself.

Le Tian noticed the change in Luo Mu's expression and was secretly delighted, assuming that Luo Mu feared their Academy. Pride immediately showed on his face. The others wore more or less the same smug expressions.

It was no wonder. Everyone who entered Jinxiu Academy had a spiritual root and was a favored child of heaven. They were accustomed to ordinary people looking up to them, and over time, that had made them feel superior.

Seeing their smug expressions, Luo Mu had no intention of wasting words with them. A cold smile touched his lips as he used the Phantom Movement Technique again. The moment they attacked the Plum Blossom Snakes he raised, he had already sentenced them to death. He had no interest in trading barbs with the dead.

As he used the Phantom Movement Technique, Luo Mu also ordered the thirteen Plum Blossom Snakes to slow their attacks a little. He could see that Le Tian, their leader, was almost unable to hold out. Luo Mu wanted to play around and get some practice in; he didn't want the fun to end so soon.

"Wait! May I ask if the movement technique you're using is the Bai Family's Phantom Movement Technique?" Le Tian had thought Luo Mu's technique looked familiar, but in his panic he couldn't remember where he had seen it. Only when Luo Mu used the Phantom Movement Technique again did Le Tian finally recall its name—and where it came from!

"Oh? You recognize the Phantom Movement Technique I'm using?" Luo Mu's vanishing figure reappeared. He gave a surprised sound and asked with interest.

"Senior, why waste words on him? This guy clearly came here looking for trouble. He's only at the sixth Qi Refining level, yet he dares attack so many students of Jinxiu Academy. He's asking for death!" A man at the same sixth level of Qi Refining as Luo Mu glanced up at the Bronze Bell suspended in the air above them and spoke with a grim expression.

"Exactly. With all of us here, killing a sixth-level cultivator like him will be easy!" Another woman spoke, her face full of Killing Intent.

The others were also itching for a fight, convinced they had Luo Mu in the bag.

Seeing Luo Mu acknowledge that he was using the Phantom Movement Technique, Le Tian breathed a sigh of relief, thinking there was still room to resolve the matter. He was also secretly grateful that he hadn't started a serious fight with the young man. Even with his standing in his Household, things would have been difficult to settle.

But just as Le Tian had let out a breath, several of the students with him began shouting. His heart, which had just settled, shot back up into his throat.

"Hmph!" Luo Mu had stopped only because he was curious about how the other man recognized his movement technique. But their continued taunts gradually wore away his curiosity. With a cold snort, he prepared to strike.

"Shut up!" Le Tian snapped at the students from Jinxiu City. Then he turned to Luo Mu and hurriedly explained, "Brother, you can use the Bai Family's Phantom Movement Technique, so you must be a core member of the Bai Family in Jinxiu City. I'm from the Le Family of Jinxiu City, and our families have been on friendly terms for years. Brother, may I ask why you're attacking us? Please explain, so we don't end up fighting without even knowing why!"

From Le Tian's tone, Luo Mu could clearly sense how wary he was of the Bai Family he'd mentioned. Even the other students from Jinxiu Academy changed expressions several times. They seemed to know something about the Bai Family Le Tian had brought up.

Rebuked by Le Tian's cold glare, the proud students felt angry, but they didn't dare show it because of his strength. They were thoroughly displeased, but could only keep it to themselves.

However, when they heard Le Tian mention the Bai Family and realized that the man who had suddenly appeared might be a core member of the family, they were shaken. Their hearts lurched, and they even felt secretly grateful to Le Tian. If he hadn't stopped them, they might have brought disaster down upon themselves!

The Bai Family of Jinxiu City was a genuine cultivation clan of great renown. Its power and strength were beyond what their Households could afford to provoke. If they offended the Bai Family, their own Households might well be wiped out.

Moreover, the Bai Family was famous for protecting its own. That was why the students were so shocked when they heard that Luo Mu might be a core member of the family.

As for how Le Tian recognized the Phantom Movement Technique, he had once seen a core member of the Bai Family use it. That was how he had known its name.

"So, little brother really is from the Bai Family of Jinxiu City? Heh, well, we're terribly sorry. We really were blind!" The student who had shouted the loudest shifted expressions several times before finally managing an awkward smile. Then he spoke to Luo Mu, his flattery so obvious it seemed insincere even to Luo Mu.

"The Bai Family? Heh!" Luo Mu gave a cold laugh. He didn't answer, only lowering his head to toy with the Poison Fang in his hand. The other side had satisfied his curiosity, and he had learned what he wanted to know. There was no point continuing to engage with his enemies.

His gaze turned cold. He stopped playing with the Poison Fang and used the Phantom Movement Technique again!

Seeing his movements, the others immediately realized Luo Mu had no intention of negotiating. They didn't know why he was doing this, but they weren't fools who would stand around waiting to be attacked without fighting back.

"This brat must be pretending to be a member of the Bai Family. There's no need to hold back anymore. Kill him!" Just as Luo Mu vanished again, Le Tian's face turned frighteningly dark. Killing intent burst from his eyes, and he coldly ordered the other students.

The others understood what Le Tian meant. Whether or not Luo Mu was truly from the Bai Family, the man before them had already made his intention to kill them unmistakable. If they wanted to survive, they had to kill the detestable man first.

But wary of the Bai Family's influence, they had to play dumb and go along with Le Tian. Only by killing Luo Mu this way could they make excuses if the Bai Family investigated later.

Besides, none of those present was a fool. If Luo Mu really was from the Bai Family, who would be stupid enough to admit they had killed him? As long as they all kept quiet, who would ever find out?

At that thought, intense killing intent erupted from all their faces. Even the female student looked resolute, her expression frosty.

They released their spiritual senses without hesitation, warily watching for any movement around them. Yet the Phantom Movement Technique was so uncanny that the students of Jinxiu Academy couldn't catch sight of Luo Mu at all.

Unable to attack, they all took out defensive artifacts to protect themselves, preventing a repeat of what had just happened to the woman. Meanwhile, Le Tian, not far away, looked utterly confused.

The Plum Blossom Snakes trapped in the Black Iron Chain had been resisting fiercely. Several times, Le Tian had nearly been unable to suppress them. But now he could clearly feel the attacks of the thirteen Plum Blossom Snakes weakening, their rhythm slowing as well.

What Le Tian didn't know was that the thirteen Plum Blossom Snakes' behavior was the prelude to Luo Mu starting the "Death Game"—and the nightmare of the Jinxiu Academy students!