After resting and regrouping, Chu Mo and his companions continued toward the tribal traces Zhu Ming had mentioned.
The farther southeast they went, the stranger their surroundings became. Towering ancient trees gradually gave way to grotesquely twisted plants, and traces of large objects being dragged appeared here and there on the ground.
"Wait." Chu Mo stopped the others, then bent down and brushed aside the fallen leaves, revealing a clear footprint.
"Signs of human activity." Ying Le grew excited. "Those natives probably aren't far away."
Zhu Ming instinctively tightened his grip on his Wind Shield Talisman and warned, "Everyone, be careful."
Although he claimed not to take the natives seriously, he was still somewhat uneasy without having actually seen what they could do.
The group raised their guard. After another half hour of walking, a crude camp appeared at the edge of their vision.
"Those are our people!" Su Yao cried, pointing toward the center of the camp.
Three Duwe disciples' corpses hung forlornly from spears. The camp was deserted, with not a soul in sight.
Ying Le carefully surveyed their surroundings. Once he confirmed there was no ambush, he sighed. "We're a step too late. The natives here have already fled." We've failed to catch anyone again. What am I going to do about my spiritual debt?
Zhu Ming stepped forward to examine the bodies and said in surprise, "Two of them actually practiced the Myriad Forms Treasure Body Art. It looks like these natives have at least one intermediate warrior among them."
As he spoke, he began taking the corpses down.
"Brother Zhu, what are you doing?" Ying Le was puzzled. Since when had Zhu Ming had the leisure to collect other people's bodies?
"I don't have deep pockets like you, Junior Brother Ying. Their souls have already entered the Cave-Visions Banner anyway, so I might as well use these husks to help make ends meet."
Zhang Meng's eyes widened at those words. Watching Zhu Ming deftly stuff the corpses into his Storage Bag, he shuddered.
"We're all fellow disciples. What's wrong with helping me out just once? Our Duwe Immortal Sect has always encouraged disciples to work with one heart and traverse the Great Dao together," Zhu Ming argued with complete conviction.
"Look here." Chu Mo interrupted them, pointing at a patch of trampled grass and broken pottery shards. "These traces are fresh. They haven't gone far."
Ying Le's expression turned serious, and he hurriedly said, "Let's chase them. We might still catch up."
The group exchanged glances and nodded, then raced off in the direction the trail led.
Deep in the valley, some twenty or thirty Totem Warriors were migrating southeast. They wore crude animal hides and looked wary.
Their leader kept scanning their surroundings, urging everyone to hurry from time to time. Although they had already covered a fair distance, the unease in his heart only grew.
"Faster! Pick up the pace! We'll be fine once we're through this valley!" the leader urged again despite himself.
Just then, something changed abruptly.
Whoosh!
A streak of crimson light hurtled toward his eyes with a piercing whistle. The leader's pupils contracted sharply. With a furious roar, he instantly shrouded his body in the phantom of a savage-looking rock Giant Boar.
Clang!
The crimson light struck the phantom with a deafening crash. Only then did he see its true form-a feathered arrow wreathed in flames.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Before he could catch his breath, two more searing crimson streaks tore through the air, targeting his vital spots from vicious angles!
Shocked and enraged, the leader bellowed. The Giant Boar phantom around him blazed brightly as he forcibly weathered the successive attacks. The violent explosions sent his blood and qi churning, and even the phantom dimmed somewhat.
"Enemy attack! Prepare for battle!" he shouted harshly. The tribal warriors immediately tightened their formation, staring tensely toward the source of the arrows.
Three figures had appeared at some point on a high slope diagonally ahead.
The man in front held a crimson longbow. Clearly, the surprise arrows had come from him. Of the other two, one held an open umbrella and the other a sword; their auras were no weaker.
It was only then that Chu Mo, Zhu Ming, and the other three hurried in from the opposite side of the valley, just in time to take in the scene.
"It's the Liu brothers." Zhu Ming recognized the three men on the slope at once. His expression shifted slightly, and he immediately warned his companions in a low voice,
"The one with the bow is Liu Hu, the one with the umbrella is Liu Bao, and the swordsman is Liu Lang. They're blood brothers, all three of them. They're ruthless and don't have a very good reputation among the Servant Disciples."
Up on the slope, Liu Hu also noticed Chu Mo's group.
Surprise flickered in his eyes before he broke into a broad grin and called out, "Oh, another team of junior brothers? Perfect!
"We brothers have just caught these natives off guard. Let's join forces and take them down first, then split the contribution points according to how much each of us does. How does that sound?"
The totem leader's heart sank completely. With wolves in front and tigers behind, he had been driven into a hopeless corner.
[Level 3 · Duo'e Sect Reserve Grunt (yellow name)] ×3
Chu Mo looked away from the labels above Liu Hu and his brothers' heads and quickly exchanged glances with Ying Le and Zhu Ming.
The three Liu brothers were clearly strong, and their Dharmic Instruments were excellent, especially that Spirit Bow, which had an extremely long range.
"You're right, Senior Brother Liu. We should deal with these native remnants first!" Zhu Ming put on a broad smile and called back in agreement. At the same time, he secretly gave Chu Mo and the others a meaningful glance, signaling them to act as circumstances dictated.
Battle erupted in an instant! Liu Hu's trio unleashed their full firepower. The Blazing Fire Bow fired repeatedly, Liu Lang's sword light cut fiercely, and sinister winds wailed beneath Liu Bao's umbrella.
Chu Mo swept his gaze across the battlefield and immediately locked onto two natives charging toward him with roars.
[Level 2 · Rock Tribe Remnant Soldier (red name)] [Level 3 · Rock Tribe Remnant Soldier (red name)]
They roared, and the Giant Boar phantoms around them grew more solid. Lowering their heads, they launched a ferocious charge with enough crushing force to shatter stone steles and split rocks.
Yet to Chu Mo, such straightforward attacks were riddled with openings.
Using the Dust-Treading Art, he shifted sideways like the wind, easily avoiding their charge while forming a hand seal.
Several Spiritual Vines burst from the earth and instantly coiled around both men's legs, bringing their charge to an abrupt halt and sending them sprawling.
Immediately afterward, dark light flashed inside his sleeve, and [Soul-Severing Sand] turned into a gust of sinister wind that swept over one of them.
The black sand struck the Giant Boar phantom with a sizzling hiss, instantly shattering it. The warrior gave a muffled groan as agonizing pain tore through his soul, and his eyes lost focus in an instant.
[You killed a Level 2 · Rock Tribe Remnant Soldier (red name)]
Without pausing, Chu Mo fired a Condensed Golden Ray like a bolt of lightning, precisely piercing the other man's skull. His opponent crashed to the ground without even a scream, his health bar emptying instantly.
[You killed a Level 3 · Rock Tribe Remnant Soldier (red name)]
In the flash of a spark, two Totem Warriors were dead. The entire process was effortless, bringing back the feeling of clearing ordinary mobs in a game-as easy as chopping vegetables and slicing melons.
Senior Brother Luo Shan really wasn't lying. These two spells are truly useful, Chu Mo praised inwardly, glancing toward the rest of the battlefield.