At the other end of the battlefield.
The three Liu brothers pressed their assault fiercely. Flame arrows, sword light, and the ghostly face beneath the umbrella worked in perfect concert, keeping the native chief and several intermediate warriors pinned down as their spectral projections flickered.
Ying Le, Zhu Ming, and the others each faced their own opponents, holding a firm upper hand thanks to their spells and talismans.
The Totem Warriors had brute strength to spare, but could not get close. Often, before they even reached their opponents, a barrage of ranged attacks shattered their projections, leaving them dead or wounded.
The battle was almost a one-sided slaughter.
Against the endless spells, talismans, and Dharmic Instruments of cultivators at the same level, their totem projections were as flimsy as paper.
People fell screaming at intervals, and the tribe's resistance rapidly crumbled.
Chu Mo had just trapped a fleeing native with Green Vine Bind and was about to finish him off when, out of the corner of his eye, he caught a flash of resolve in the struggling chief's gaze.
The chief abruptly struck his own chest and spat out a mouthful of crimson blood essence, spraying it all over the Giant Boar projection before him.
"ROAR!"
The projection instantly solidified as though it were alive, radiating a terrifying, berserk aura. Even its body swelled a full size larger!
"Not good! He's staking his life on this!" Zhu Ming cried in alarm.
Yet the chief's goal was not to strike back.
With the last of his strength, he made the solidified Giant Boar projection unleash an earthshaking roar and launch a desperate charge toward what seemed to be the weakest point!
At the same time, he bellowed at his surviving tribespeople, "Go! Hurry! Get to the Forbidden Land!"
He wanted to tear open a path to survival for his people!
"Trying to run?" Liu Hu sneered from the hillside, instantly drawing his spirit bow to full tension.
The scarlet arrow did not target the charging chief. Instead, it aimed precisely at the backs of several panicked tribespeople trying to follow him through the breach!
Squelch! The arrow pierced flesh, and a fleeing tribesperson fell.
At the sight, the chief's eyes nearly split with fury, but caught between Liu Bao and Liu Lang, he was completely engulfed by sword light and umbrella shadows.
"Spirit of the Rock... protect the tribe..." Bloody tears streamed from his eyes as he stared fixedly at Liu Hu on the high slope. "Invader... hell... awaits... you."
"Heh, you really don't know how high heaven is or how deep the earth runs!" Liu Hu sneered disdainfully. "The totem you worship is already done for. Protect you, my ass."
As the last native fell, the valley instantly sank into deathly silence, leaving only smoke and the stench of blood.
Liu Hu put away his longbow and walked down the slope, plastering a seemingly hearty smile across his face.
"Fine work, junior brothers! Excellent teamwork!"
He laughed heartily, his gaze casually sweeping over their attire. "We've hauled in quite a bit this time. I'd say it's worth fifty merit points. As agreed, we..."
[Level 3 · Duo'e Sect Reserve Grunt (Red Name)] ×3
"Do it!"
Liu Hu barked, revealing his vicious nature as he nocked an arrow and drew his bow without warning! Its scarlet glow pointed straight at Chu Mo!
But before his arrow left the string, he discovered to his astonishment that his target had already vanished from the spot and reappeared several yards away.
Almost simultaneously, a streak of golden light struck his protective spiritual glow with brutal force. The barrier shuddered violently, instantly losing nearly half its brightness.
On the other side, Liu Lang's sword became a streak of cold light, driving straight at Su Yao and Zhang Meng! Liu Bao's spirit umbrella spun, sending shrieking ghostly shadows down upon Zhu Ming and Ying Le!
Thanks to Chu Mo's whispered warning, everyone reacted swiftly and dodged the incoming attacks.
"Despicable!" Ying Le unleashed an ice sword and could not help cursing. "You actually dare to slaughter your fellow disciples!"
"What's so surprising about that?" Liu Bao swallowed the Qi-Restoring Pill beneath his tongue and mocked, "Isn't it as common as an everyday meal in the sect?"
The sinister wind from his black umbrella surged, intent on preventing his opponents from recovering.
Meanwhile, watching Chu Mo's retreating figure disappear into the dense woods, Liu Hu cursed under his breath:
"Fuck, he's quick to react! Second Brother, Third Brother, don't let these fat sheep escape! They're bound to have plenty of good stuff on them."
With that, he darted off in pursuit of Chu Mo. That sneak attack had nearly cost him his life. He would never quell the hatred in his heart without killing the brat.
Feeling his empty dantian, Ying Le's expression darkened. "Split up and run!"
He unleashed a Spirit Talisman and, as Liu Bao twisted aside to dodge, decisively abandoned the others and sprinted in another direction. Seeing this, Zhu Ming immediately followed him.
Zhang Meng and Su Yao stared, dumbfounded, at the three who had fled one after another.
Within the dense woods, two figures raced between the trees, one behind the other.
Whoosh!
Another searing arrow tore through the air and struck the scarlet barrier around Chu Mo, setting off ripples across its surface.
"Heh, a protective Spirit Talisman? Let's see how long you can hold out!"
Liu Hu, still in hot pursuit, sneered as the greed in his eyes grew stronger.
The Spirit Rings and talismans Ying Le and the others had displayed during the battle had already tempted him. Now, Chu Mo's performance only strengthened his resolve to kill them and seize their treasures.
Chu Mo remained expressionless, weaving and changing direction through the woods like a phantom with the Dust-Treading Art, while giving a slight mental command.
[Use item: Qi-Restoring Powder]
A warm current flowed into every limb and bone, replenishing his expended true qi. He glanced at his status bar: [Mana 100%].
Good. He was in perfect condition, and they were far enough away now.
"Heh." Chu Mo abruptly stopped and turned. As Liu Hu looked on in mild astonishment, a speck of golden light flashed into being and shot straight at his face!
Though startled, Liu Hu did not panic. The protective spiritual glow he had maintained instantly flared.
Bang!
The Golden Cone struck the barrier with a dull thud. The spiritual glow shook violently; although it did not break, it grew dimmer still.
"You're courting death!" Liu Hu flew into a rage, never expecting his opponent to dare fight back.
He swiftly drew his bow, forming a crimson arrow to shoot clean through Chu Mo, only to notice a mocking smile curl at the corners of his opponent's mouth.
Before he could release the string, a black shadow lunged out of the dense woods behind him and to the side like a phantom.
"What the hell is that?!" Liu Hu's face drained of color. In his haste, he could only wrench himself around and barely redirect the Flame Arrow toward the black shadow behind him.
The flaming arrow passed through its chest without inflicting any damage-the black shadow already had a huge hole there!
The black shadow slammed a fist into his protective spiritual glow. With a crisp crack, the glow shattered. Terror flashed in Liu Hu's eyes, and without a second thought, he tried to activate another protective Spirit Talisman.
But it was already too late.
A tiny yet incomparably sharp scarlet gleam slipped silently into Liu Hu's blind spot like a venomous snake in the night, stabbing straight into the back of his head!
[Scarlet Sun Needle]
Squelch! A faint sound of pierced flesh rang out.
[You have killed a Level 3 · Duo'e Sect Reserve Grunt (Red Name)]
Liu Hu's soul burst out. Just before the Cave-Visions Banner pulled him away, Chu Mo treated him to a [Mind-Cleansing Mantra] and [Soul-Severing Sand], sending him off dazed and vacant.
"Thanks for your hard work, Master Liu." Smiling, he patted the black shadow. It was the Corpse Puppet refined from Liu Xian's body.
He had not fled out of fear of battle, but to lure the "big fish" somewhere deserted, where he could use the trump cards he could not reveal to others.
Liu Hu had set his sights on his Storage Bag, but had he not also set his sights on Liu Hu's Dharmic Instrument?
Chu Mo bent down and picked up the scarlet longbow. Its body felt warm and smooth, with spiritual light contained within-clearly, it was of excellent quality. He brushed a fingertip lightly across its string and nodded in satisfaction.
"This treasure was fated to be mine."