Advancing to Dou Master

Leader's fierce shout sent the surrounding Mercenaries charging toward Chen Mo.

"Sure enough, I can't intimidate them on my own."

Chen Mo's expression darkened slightly as his gaze swept over the Mercenaries swarming toward him. These dozen or so Mercenaries were all around the level of three- to five-star Dou Zhes.

Chen Mo had never experienced actual combat. Although he knew that in fantasy novels, a single rank's difference was like an impassable chasm, this was still the beginner stage of Dou Zhe cultivation. He had no idea whether he could defeat these people.

So, to be safe, he should run first.

All this passed through his mind in an instant.

"Run!" Chen Mo grabbed Die's hand and started running.

"Trying to run?" Leader froze for a moment. He had been so arrogant just now, yet he was already thinking of fleeing.

He left several Mercenaries behind to guard the remaining Snake-People, while the rest all gave chase.

They had not run far.

Die suddenly cried out. She was not very fast and could not keep up with Chen Mo's pace, quickly falling to the ground.

Chen Mo's expression changed, and he hurriedly stopped. "Are you okay?"

"D-Don't worry about me. Hurry and go!"

Die could not understand why this human had saved her, but seeing the Mercenaries about to catch up, she did not want to drag him down and told him to leave.

"I said I'd take you away."

Having finally bound himself to her, Chen Mo would not miss this opportunity.

But Die's snake tail was too long, making it difficult for Chen Mo to carry her on his back.

"Looks like I can only fight." Chen Mo took out the Accumulation Pill he had just received from the system and tossed it into his mouth.

At once, Chen Mo felt his strength increase considerably.

The Accumulation Pill could raise a person's strength to a certain extent.

Ding, Favorability +2. Received one Grade Two Recovery Pill.

Chen Mo's words deeply moved Die.

She realized that this human was different from the humans who had captured her.

He was a good person.

Ding, Favorability +1. Received one Favorability Coin.

"Hm?" Chen Mo was stunned. Why had Favorability increased again? Was it because of this handsome face of mine?

But what was this Favorability Coin thing?

Before Chen Mo could think any further, the Mercenaries had already surrounded the two of them.

"Attack. Kill that brat. Be careful not to hurt the Snake-Woman. She's worth more than all your lives combined."

Leader held his broadsword and made a grim gesture, shouting coldly.

"Yes!" Upon hearing Leader's command, more than a dozen Mercenaries behind him immediately sent out five men, who lunged at Chen Mo and Die with vicious expressions.

Chen Mo took a deep breath. Before transmigrating, he had been a second-year college student who had learned a few moves at the school taekwondo club. Though they were mostly for show, he did know a few techniques.

Bang!

As his gaze swept over the five charging Mercenaries, Chen Mo dodged their slashing weapons and delivered a heavy sweeping kick.

The Dou Qi flowing somewhat sluggishly inside him now surged like a tide, wildly pouring into the meridians of his leg.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!!

The full power of a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner erupted, instantly sending the five Mercenaries flying.

"Nine-Star Dou Practitioner!"

Leader's expression darkened. He had not expected this brat, who looked so young, to possess such strength.

"Don't hold back. Attack together." Leader waved his hand, ordering everyone to join in.

"Be careful!" Die cried worriedly.

Seeing Mercenaries rushing at him from every direction, Chen Mo exhaled softly, his expression turning grave.

But he moved quickly.

He crouched down, grabbed a handful of yellow sand, and threw it out. Then, at the few Mercenaries charging at him first, he raised his fists and smashed them into their faces.

Crack. One Mercenary's facial bones were smashed inward by Chen Mo's punch. His body collapsed face-down on the ground as he began wailing.

Very soon, the few Mercenaries at the front had been knocked to the ground by Chen Mo.

"Yellow-Rank Initial Stage Dou Technique, Blood-Drinking Mad Blade!"

Seizing the opportunity, Leader launched a sneak attack. His broadsword erupted with a startling blood-red glow as it slashed toward Chen Mo.

"Watch out behind you!" Die screamed.

Hearing that.

Chen Mo hurriedly turned to dodge. His pupils contracted as the blood-red blade light brushed directly past his cheek, making cold sweat break out all over his body.

Had he been any slower, that strike would have sent him to see Yama.

It was the first time in Chen Mo's life that he had felt death so close.

"Watch out!" Die screamed again.

As Chen Mo turned around to evade Leader's strike, one of the Mercenaries who had surrounded him slashed his back.

His clothes were ripped open, and the flesh-cutting pain nearly made Chen Mo collapse to the ground.

"Damn." Chen Mo felt a burning pain across his back.

"Are you okay?"

Seeing Chen Mo injured, Die immediately grew nervous. He had been hurt trying to save her. She was the one who had dragged him down.

Tears welled in Die's eyes as she shouted, "Go! Don't worry about me!"

"Haha, trying to leave? Too late! Kill him!" Leader shouted fiercely, and all the Mercenaries charged forward, including himself.

But Chen Mo froze for a moment.

Because the instant Die told him to leave, the system notification sounded.

Ding, Favorability +10. Cultivation increased by one level.

At once.

An incomparably vast energy flooded Chen Mo's body. Like a warm current flowing through him, it came without any side effects and directly raised his strength from a Nine-Star Dou Practitioner to a One-Star Dou Master.

It happened in an instant, without any visible abnormality. Leader and the others did not realize that Chen Mo had broken through.

"You bunch of trash, my turn!"

As he watched the Mercenaries surging toward him, the Dou Qi inside Chen Mo began racing rapidly under the impetus of his killing intent.

Black and white Dou Qi gradually burst from the surface of his body, finally forming a thin layer of black-and-white Dou Qi Gauze Armor around him.

Condensing Dou Qi into an energy gauze armor attached to the body was the mark of a Dou Master. This energy gauze armor could not only enhance its owner's defense, speed, and attack, but also allow them to absorb energy from the world more effectively.

By the time Leader saw Chen Mo's sudden transformation, it was already too late.

Bang! Bang! Bang!!!

In the blink of an eye, every Mercenary, including Leader, was knocked to the ground by Chen Mo.

"Y-You hid your strength?"

Leader spat out a mouthful of blood. He could never have imagined that Chen Mo had broken through to the Dou Master realm in an instant, assuming only that he had concealed his true strength.

Chen Mo did not answer Leader. Instead, he picked up a broadsword that had fallen to the ground and slowly walked toward him.

Leader's expression changed drastically. "Y-You... what are you trying to do?"

"What do you think?"

"You want to k-kill me?"

"Didn't you want to kill me just now?"

"I-I was wrong! Spare me, sir! Please let me go!" Leader hurriedly begged for mercy.

"Do you think that's possible?" Chen Mo carried the broadsword and continued approaching.

But at that moment, Die stepped in front of him and timidly said, "Can you not kill anyone?"

Chen Mo was stunned for a moment, but soon remembered that her personality in the anime had been kind. It was also because she could not bear to kill anyone that, during the clan's ritual, she had used a forbidden spatial technique and left the Snake-People Clan.

"Okay," Chen Mo said.

Ding, Favorability +1. Received one Favorability Coin.

A smile appeared on Die's face.