Green Gas

"Clang!" A deep, resonant boom erupted from the Bronze Bell overhead. The moment Luo Mu vanished, the bell had sounded. The profound vibration made the blood of the students below boil.

The Bronze Bell was a mid-grade artifact. It could defend, trap enemies, and—most importantly—utilize sonic attacks. It was a rare gem among mid-grade artifacts, which was why Luo Mu had deployed it the instant he appeared; it could provide a crucial window of suppression.

Sure enough, as the bell's sonic attack rang out, the students from Jinxiu Academy visibly faltered. Although it lasted only a split second, in the heat of battle, such a brief moment was often the key to victory.

Taking advantage of that momentary pause, Luo Mu moved rapidly, circling the entire perimeter of the skirmish. By the time the group shook off the effects of the sonic attack, Luo Mu had already completed his circuit, and a faint green mist had begun to permeate the entire area.

This green mist was so subtle that it was nearly invisible to the naked eye. Aside from Luo Mu, no one present noticed anything amiss, which caused Luo Mu to lower his estimation of their strength even further.

Just as Luo Mu had anticipated, the group failed to detect the anomaly. The moment they recovered from the sonic attack, two of them, faces twisted in rage, commanded their artifacts to slam into the Bronze Bell hanging in the air.

Simultaneously, several other artifacts whistled through the air, hurtling toward Luo Mu with a momentum that suggested they would not rest until he was annihilated. These artifacts were of low quality; judging by the fluctuations of spirit power they emitted, they were all entry-level artifacts.

Even so, facing a barrage of so many entry-level artifacts at full power, Luo Mu could not help but change color. If these landed, with his sixth-layer Qi Refining strength, he would be lucky to escape with his life.

Luo Mu frowned. Though the situation was tricky, he remained perfectly composed. He twisted his body, his feet moving in a rapid, rhythmic pattern. As his speed increased, his figure became increasingly blurred.

"Boom!" With several deafening crashes, the artifacts passed harmlessly through Luo Mu's image and struck the ground, sending sand and gravel flying and leaving craters a few feet wide. Luo Mu's figure, however, had dissolved into mere afterimages and vanished without a trace, only to reappear as a dark shadow lunging toward the group!

"A shadow! Watch out for that shadow! Use your artifacts to trap him! Don't let him get close! Keep your attacks tight and force him out!" Not far away, Le Tian, seeing how troublesome the Phantom Movement Technique was, shouted a warning to the others. He could hardly believe that he and his companions had been pushed to this point by a mere sixth-layer Qi Refining cultivator. His side was entirely on the defensive, and he could only blame the opponent's bizarre and elusive movement technique.

The others were already rattled by Luo Mu's technique. Seeing the shadow strike, they panicked and, hearing Le Tian's command, acted without a second thought. They hurled all their artifacts at Luo Mu, and to their surprise, this actually forced Luo Mu's figure to manifest.

Among those present, the only one Luo Mu truly had to be wary of was Le Tian. Not only was Le Tian's cultivation a level higher than his own, but the man had also managed to hold all thirteen of his Plum Blossom Snakes at bay single-handedly. Though he looked a bit strained, his eyes remained full of confidence, forcing Luo Mu to be cautious lest he be caught off guard by some hidden trump card.

Luo Mu had intended to use his shadow form to take one or two lives by surprise, but thanks to Le Tian's warning, his plan had failed, and his position was exposed.

Luo Mu's expression turned cold. He slapped his storage bag, and a palm-sized Black Shield appeared in his hand. After he injected his spirit power, the shield instantly expanded to a size of several feet, guarding his front. The shield shimmered with a black luster, exuding a heavy, impenetrable aura. Since he was exposed, he had to ensure his defenses were absolute.

Seeing Luo Mu produce a defensive artifact—one whose aura suggested it was no less than the Bronze Bell—the Jinxiu Academy students' faces changed drastically. They were now even more certain that Luo Mu must be a scion of the Bai Family; otherwise, how could he possess so many enhanced artifacts?

Just then, two loud bangs echoed in the air. The two artifacts that had been attacking the Bronze Bell suddenly dimmed and recoiled after a brief stalemate.

They were only entry-level artifacts; it was only natural they would be no match for the mid-grade Bronze Bell and be sent reeling.

The Bronze Bell remained unscathed, firmly under Luo Mu's control. He let out a cold snort and flicked a finger toward Le Tian. The bell above seemed to receive a command; it spun rapidly, moved over Le Tian's head, and descended with overwhelming force.

It all happened in the blink of an eye. By the time Le Tian realized something was wrong, it was too late. Before he could even react, he was encased within the Bronze Bell.

"Boom!" The bell hit the ground, causing a slight tremor and a dull thud. Le Tian, who had just been restraining the Plum Blossom Snakes, was now the one trapped by Luo Mu's artifact.

"Clang! Clang!" Sounds erupted from inside the bell; clearly, Le Tian was attacking it, desperate to break out. However, Luo Mu was confident that the man lacked the strength to destroy a mid-grade artifact.

With their master trapped, the Black Iron Chain, lacking his spirit power, began to dim and shake violently, as if the Plum Blossom Snakes inside were about to break free.

Yet, every time the cage formed by the Black Iron Chain was on the verge of collapse, the Plum Blossom Snakes inside would immediately weaken their attacks, preventing the cage from shattering.

"Oh no! Senior Brother Le Tian has been trapped by this brat!" Seeing their leader captured, a woman's face turned pale as she cried out in alarm.

"His movement technique is too bizarre and elusive, and he has too many powerful artifacts. If we keep fighting him, we're bound to suffer a heavy loss. I think we should stop tangling with him!" Another man suggested retreating. With Le Tian trapped, his fighting spirit had vanished. The Luo Mu before him radiated a constant, dangerous aura that grated on his nerves.

Once the man voiced his desire to flee, the others frowned, their expressions grim, but no one spoke in opposition. It seemed he wasn't the only one thinking of escape.

Seeing this, the man sneered inwardly. Without another word, he pulled out a Flying Artifact in front of everyone.

"I've said my piece. I won't be throwing my life away here, Senior Brother," the man said to the others. He poured his spirit power into the Flying Artifact, which grew from palm-sized to several feet in an instant. Without hesitation, he bent his knees and leaped onto it.

This man was the other sixth-layer Qi Refining cultivator in the group. With Le Tian trapped, he was the strongest one left, yet to everyone's shock, he had been planning to run all along. From the moment Le Tian was trapped, he had no intention of staying.

Watching the man leap onto the Flying Artifact, the others were stunned, standing frozen in disbelief. The Senior Brother who usually loved to intervene in injustices and uphold righteousness had, today, acted like a cowardly turtle—a turtle who cared only for his own escape.

Luo Mu spat a mouthful of essence onto the shield before him. The black light radiating from it grew even more dazzling, and its aura climbed another level. The other artifacts still pressing against it were instantly repelled by the black radiance.

The others were inferior to Luo Mu in strength, and their artifacts were not in the same league. Even with their numbers, they were no match for him. Relying on the magic of the Phantom Movement Technique and the tyranny of his Poison Spirit Power, Luo Mu was fully confident he could keep them all here.

If not for the fact that the Phantom Movement Technique consumed a terrifying amount of spirit power, and that Luo Mu wanted to have a little fun, there was no way these people would have lasted this long.

Watching the man leap onto the Flying Artifact, Luo Mu felt neither haste nor anger. He had no intention of stopping him; instead, a cold, sinister smile spread across his face.

The man was decisive. Once standing on the Flying Artifact, he didn't spare his companions a second glance. Desperate to leave, he frantically channeled the remaining spirit power in his dantian, preparing to pour it into the artifact and make a clean getaway.

But the moment he mobilized his spirit power, he realized something was wrong. Within his dantian, a small amount of green gas had appeared. It was so faint it was hard to detect, but as he circulated his spirit power, the gas traveled with it into his meridians.

As the green gas mingled with his spirit power, the man felt an unbearable agony throughout his body. Even breathing became difficult, and as he gasped for air, blood began to spill from his nose and mouth. The blood was not bright red, but a dark, purplish black. Before he could even check what was happening to him, he tumbled from the Flying Artifact and collapsed onto the ground, unconscious.

At the same time, the others suffered the exact same fate. Their spirit power was not as deep as the man's, and they hadn't even sensed the discomfort before their bodies stiffened like logs and they collapsed, dark, purplish blood streaming from their noses and mouths.