Only then did Li Yi pick a few decent-quality Spine Bones and some materials from the spoils and bring them over to Chu Mo.
"Junior Brother, this is your share."
"Heh, thanks for the trouble." Chu Mo accepted the items and gave Ying Le and Li Yi a polite, perfunctory smile.
I killed the enemies those Spine Bones came from myself. If I'd refused to join just now, would they have used their numbers to swallow my share whole?
His gaze swept over the still-smiling Ying Le, and he mentally marked the man as someone who warranted extra vigilance.
It made sense. The cultivation method this fellow had chosen was the Black Serpent Molting True Heart Scripture. Without a human cauldron to assist him, his progress could hardly have been so rapid.
Judging others by himself, Chu Mo refused to believe Ying Le had broken through to the qi refining third layer in just three months without something going on behind the scenes.
Still, none of that concerned him for now. Joining the group did benefit him at the moment.
As long as the man's name did not turn red, he could count as an "ally" for the time being. If his name turned red one day... Chu Mo lowered his eyelids slightly. Then he could hardly blame Chu Mo for showing no mercy.
Unaware of Chu Mo's thoughts, Ying Le continued enthusiastically ushering him along and introducing the group's core members.
"This is Senior Brother Yi, a master of talismans. This is Senior Brother Xu, whose swordsmanship is outstanding. And this is..."
Chu Mo listened quietly. Most were about as strong as he was, with only an ordinary Dharmic Instrument to their names and nothing particularly remarkable about them.
Only a female cultivator named Qi Luoshuang caught his attention.
Her eyes were clear as water, her face lovely as a lotus. A plain dark-indigo brocade robe traced her graceful curves, lending her an exquisite elegance.
But it was not her looks that drew Chu Mo's attention. It was what she wore.
The plain boots on her feet, the jade pendant at her waist, the purple bracelet on her wrist, and the golden hairpin in her hair all shimmered with spiritual light. Every one was a fine-quality Dharmic Instrument.
Chu Mo sucked in a sharp breath. Where did this woman come from? That outfit makes her a walking treasury. If I remember correctly, she casually scattered a handful of high-grade Spirit Talismans during the melee, too.
He had thought owning two high-grade Dharmic Instruments made him wealthy. Apparently, there was always someone a cut above.
Ying Le nudged Chu Mo with his shoulder and waggled his eyebrows. "Brother Chu, you've been staring for quite a while. Could you have feelings for Fairy Qi?"
Chu Mo came back to himself and shifted his gaze away from the golden-hairpin Dharmic Instrument. "You're joking, Brother Ying."
"Heh heh, I understand. A graceful lady is a gentleman's fair pursuit." Ying Le gave him a knowing look, then lowered his voice to offer a mysterious warning.
"But Fairy Qi has powerful backing. She's not someone either of us can afford to provoke."
You don't understand a damn thing. Chu Mo silently grumbled. Not bothering to argue, he found a clean patch of ground and sat down to meditate and regulate his breathing. Finding no fun in teasing him, Ying Le turned to discuss their next move with Li Yi.
After resting for roughly an hour, the group set off again. The native tribes they encountered along the way collapsed at the first clash, their defeated survivors fleeing into the thick mist.
Victory after victory sent everyone's morale soaring as they pressed fervently toward the center of Hidden Mist Valley. Even Chu Mo could not help being swept up in the atmosphere, his attacks growing ever fiercer.
Scattered disciples kept joining them along the way, and the group's size swelled like a rolling snowball. By the time they reached their destination three days later, they numbered more than fifty.
Boom!
A scorching fireball exploded, blasting apart the final obstacle along with the thin mist.
A towering Sacrificial Altar suddenly stood revealed in its entirety before them!
Carved against a steep cliff, the Sacrificial Altar loomed at the very heart of the valley. Strange blood-red patterns covered its surface, radiating an ominous presence that made their hearts tremble.
"What is that?!" someone in the group cried.
Bodies of Duo'e Sect disciples hung above the altar's lofty platform. Their chests had been torn open, and dark-red blood slowly seeped along the eerie patterns.
Before anyone could recover from the horrifying sight, the surrounding mist began churning violently.
"Roar-!" "For the tribe! Vengeance!"
Earth-shaking roars and battle cries came from every direction.
Led by their respective chiefs, masses of Totem Warriors emerged from all across the valley. Packed shoulder to shoulder, they surrounded the several dozen cultivators in moments, leaving not a single gap.
Then a terrifying pressure far beyond that of a high-ranking warrior descended without warning, making everyone's breath catch.
An old man draped in feathers slowly rose into the air from behind the altar, a bone staff in his hand and a savage grin mingling delight and cruelty on his face.
"Cultivators! You trampled the Royal Court's sacred ground, plundered our tribes' totems, and left my people wandering homeless like dogs driven from their homes!" A tribal chief brandished his battle-axe and roared hoarsely.
"Today, your flesh and blood will become offerings to the great Blood Ancestor, restoring our Royal Court's supreme glory! My people, kill!"
"Kill! Kill! Kill!"
Amid thunderous roars, countless Totem Warriors launched a death-defying charge from every direction.
The battle erupted in an instant!
The feather-clad elder hovering in midair struck the ground with his bone staff, muttering an incantation.
Blood-red light abruptly blazed from the altar. Thick, clinging crimson mist spread as though alive, swiftly engulfing the entire battlefield.
At the same time, a new notification abruptly appeared on the panel at the edge of Chu Mo's vision.
[Area event triggered: Blood Ancestor's Awakening Ritual]
Chu Mo's heart tightened. Without time to examine it, he hurriedly swallowed a Detoxification Pill and flicked a swath of dark light from his sleeve. Soul-Severing Sand whistled out, driving back a Totem Warrior who had already charged within striking distance.
The cultivators were completely overwhelmed. Senior Brother Yi, the talisman master, and Senior Brother Xu, the outstanding swordsman, died on the spot at the front of the group without stirring so much as a ripple.
"This won't work! There are too many! These natives have gone mad! And there's something wrong with this blood mist!" a disciple cursed.
The blood mist not only severely disrupted the cultivators' senses and vision, but also corroded and weakened them. Their protective spiritual light rapidly dimmed within it, and even the circulation of their true qi became far more sluggish.
The native warriors, by contrast, seemed pumped full of chicken blood in the mist. Their eyes turned crimson, their strength and speed surged, and their attacks grew ever more frenzied, utterly heedless of death.
"Call the Foundation Establishment High Persons for help! Staying alive comes first!" Another disciple made the decision immediately and activated his Identity Token without hesitation. Once someone took the lead, several faint lights promptly flashed in succession.
They had already amassed plenty of spoils, after all. Even if they failed the assessment, they could sell them for a sizable sum of Spell Coins and temporarily ease the pressure of their spiritual debts. Why stay here and keep risking their lives?
Chu Mo wielded his Blazing Fire Bow, bursting the head of an approaching Totem Warrior with an arrow, then looked up at the feather-clad elder who had yet to attack.
[Level 15 · Blood Ancestor Sacrificial Bone Vulture (red name)]
"Fuck, a Foundation Establishment-level powerhouse..." he cursed under his breath. How the hell were they supposed to fight this?
If I remember correctly, this map's recommended entry level is 1-15. Did I just run into a boss?
His thoughts racing, Chu Mo searched for a way to escape while quietly releasing his Corpse Puppet and disguising it as one of the bodies on the ground.