"This aura..."
Su Tian's eyes narrowed, his expression grave as he murmured to himself.
Feeling the heart-shaking, powerful aura hurtling toward them from afar, Su Tian pressed his lips together, a profound sense of his own weakness rising within him.
"As expected of Mo Bass, one of the strongest commanders in the Snake-People Tribe!"
That aura alone was enough to make Su Tian feel the strength and imposing presence Mo Bass possessed as a commander.
Moreover, even with a rough assessment, Su Tian could clearly tell that the power Mo Bass was unleashing was far greater than Qing Mu's aura.
That meant Mo Bass stood far above Qing Mu in terms of sheer strength.
Upon realizing this, Su Tian's unease deepened considerably. I was careless. I never imagined that fellow would have a communication tool like that. This is looking rather troublesome.
If Mo Bass insisted on attacking after he arrived, Qing Mu's strength probably would not be enough to keep Su Tian safe.
After all, although Qing Mu was a Dou Wang expert, his greater value lay in his alchemy.
In terms of strength, Qing Mu was certainly no match for Mo Bass, who had weathered countless battles of life and death.
Even Su Tian understood that perfectly well.
"Su Tian, if things take a turn for the worse, flee immediately. I'll do everything I can to buy you some time!"
Just then, Qing Mu suddenly appeared beside Su Tian. Raising his head to sense the powerful aura rapidly approaching from afar, he spoke in a low voice, his face grave.
Su Tian merely nodded silently without saying anything more.
He knew that even Qing Mu had little chance of winning against Mo Bass. Buying Su Tian a little time was already the most he could do.
After all, given Qing Mu's standing within the Snake-People Tribe, even Mo Bass would not make things too difficult for him.
If Mo Bass wanted any pills in the future, he would still need to seek Qing Mu's help. That was why Qing Mu could make such a promise to Su Tian.
Even so, since Su Tian had dared to cripple Hei Meng today, Mo Bass would surely not let him off easily.
Mo Bass might not give Qing Mu too much trouble, but his attitude toward Su Tian would be entirely different.
"I'm sorry for causing you trouble, Senior Qing Mu. Thank you for coming to my aid!"
After a long silence, Su Tian drew a deep breath and stopped dwelling on it. Turning toward Qing Mu beside him, he cupped his fists and bowed his head in respectful thanks.
Qing Mu merely waved a hand, saying nothing more.
He, too, knew perfectly well that defeating Mo Bass with his strength would be exceedingly difficult.
I never thought this would draw in that foul-tempered fellow Mo Bass. This is troublesome. If possible, I should do my best to preserve this little fellow's life. After all, his role in that future plan is far too crucial...
Qing Mu raised his head and gazed toward the powerful aura hurtling toward them from afar. A strange gleam flickered faintly in his eyes as he murmured inwardly.
Naturally, Su Tian knew nothing of this.
At that moment, thoughts churned endlessly through Su Tian's mind, as though he was struggling over a particular decision.
Boom!
Just then, the powerful aura finally arrived. A figure brimming with explosive power shot down from the sky like lightning and landed in Su Tian's courtyard. His snake tail lashed against the ground, raising a deafening crash and leaving a deep furrow.
Behind that powerful figure was a pair of ink-black wings formed from Dou Qi. Each slow beat stirred fierce gusts of wind.
Looking at the unfamiliar figure before him, Su Tian narrowed his eyes, his face solemn. He remained intensely vigilant and instinctively retreated several steps.
So he is... Mo Bass, the Snake-People commander?
To Su Tian, Mo Bass looked somewhat burly, though his physique was not even as visually imposing as Hei Meng's. Yet the thin garment draped casually over him did nothing to conceal the explosive power within his body.
Su Tian's gaze traveled onward. Strange black tattoos covered Mo Bass's arms, ending in two savage black snake heads at his hands. Their heads were raised slightly, as though they might burst out of his flesh at any moment, faintly exuding a vicious air.
"Master Qing Mu, it has been a long time."
His snake tail swaying slightly, Mo Bass turned toward Qing Mu nearby. His expression was dark, and an icy smile curled his lips as he spoke indifferently.
Seeing that Mo Bass had finally arrived, Qing Mu could not help drawing a deep breath.
Then a calm smile appeared on his aged face, and he nodded lightly. Though he seemed composed, inwardly he had already heightened his vigilance.
"How kind of Commander Mo Bass to keep this old man in mind."
"You jest, Master Qing Mu. I'm sure I'll still need your help in the future. As for certain matters, I would advise you not to involve yourself."
The icy smile remained on Mo Bass's face as he answered Qing Mu. His seemingly polite words carried a chill he could scarcely conceal.
Those words made Mo Bass's intentions clear.
Is he threatening me not to stand up for Su Tian?
Qing Mu's eyes narrowed slightly, an inscrutable glint flashing through them as he spoke inwardly.
Clearly, even Mo Bass maintained a basic measure of respect toward Qing Mu and refrained from making his words too offensive.
After all, as Mo Bass had said, he would need Qing Mu's help if he wanted pills.
Naturally, Mo Bass did not want their relationship to become too strained. That would do him no good either.
"Su Tian is my medicine boy. Someone came to his door today to bully him. Tell me, Commander Mo Bass, could I simply stand aside and watch?"
"Is this him?"
At Qing Mu's challenge, Mo Bass's cold eyes flashed, and he looked toward Su Tian beside Qing Mu.
Mo Bass had already sensed Su Tian's aura the moment he arrived.
However, given his status, he naturally paid no heed to a mere One-Star Great Dou Master like Su Tian. His attention had remained on Qing Mu all along.
Only now did Mo Bass turn his gaze toward Su Tian for the first time.
"Su Tian pays his respects to Commander Mo Bass!"
As Mo Bass's gaze fell on him, Su Tian felt an icy aura envelop his body. He hurriedly cupped his fists, his expression respectful.
There was not the slightest ripple in Mo Bass's gaze as he looked at Su Tian. To him, Su Tian seemed no more than an ant, unworthy of even a proper glance.
"You have some courage. However, Master Qing Mu, even if matters are truly as you say, the fact remains that he crippled Hei Meng."
Mo Bass looked back at Qing Mu, the chill on his fierce face growing more pronounced.
"That being the case, he must pay a price."
"Commander Mo Bass, this matter..."
Qing Mu's eyes flickered with anxiety. He was about to speak when Mo Bass interrupted him with a wave.
"This concerns the dignity of our Snake-People Tribe. There is no room for discussion. Master Qing Mu, I address you as a master out of respect. I hope you won't make things difficult for me."
"It seems that no matter what I say, Commander Mo Bass will not agree to spare Su Tian."
Qing Mu drew a deep breath. The smile gradually faded from his face, and he fixed his gaze on Mo Bass as he spoke in a low voice.
"Correct."
Boom!
The moment Mo Bass finished speaking, a powerful aura erupted from Qing Mu's body.
It was unmistakably the aura of a Dou Wang expert!
"Since matters have come to this, Commander Mo Bass, forgive this old man for his stubbornness!"
Qing Mu threw back his head and laughed, letting out a loud cry. His entire body was poised warily, and his aura climbed to its peak as he unleashed all his strength.
Yet Mo Bass remained calm as he felt the powerful aura erupting from Qing Mu. Not even the slightest flicker crossed his expression.
It was as though everything Qing Mu did had fallen within Mo Bass's expectations. There was no trace of surprise in his eyes.
"Just as I expected."
Mo Bass spoke slowly, his fierce face still cold as his lips curled into a dangerous smile.
"Master Qing Mu, forgive my offense!"
Boom!
As soon as he finished speaking, Mo Bass vanished from where he stood, as though he had never been there.
At the sight, Qing Mu's heart jolted. Unease surged within him, and he hurriedly cried inwardly, Not good!
"Green Flame Treading Lotus Steps!"
Qing Mu let out a low shout. His feet suddenly traced a series of mysterious steps, and his figure darted and shifted, seeming to leave overlapping images behind.
At that very moment, Mo Bass appeared like a phantom at the spot Qing Mu had just occupied.
"I've long heard of your exquisite movement technique, Master Qing Mu. Seeing it today, it truly is extraordinary!"
Watching Qing Mu vanish strangely and reappear nearby, Mo Bass showed no surprise. He merely offered a casual word of praise.
Despite Mo Bass's praise, Qing Mu's aged face remained grave. As he shifted about, he dared not let down his guard in the slightest.
After all, however exquisite his movement technique might be, Qing Mu did not dare underestimate Mo Bass in the face of overwhelming strength.
"But that is all!"
Mo Bass chuckled lightly and rolled his neck. The moment he finished speaking, his figure vanished once again.
At that sight, Qing Mu suddenly felt an icy aura spread behind him, and his heart began pounding wildly.
"Yin-Devouring Rakshasa Palm!"
Just as Qing Mu prepared to turn and counterattack, a cold shout erupted behind him. An aura as chilling as hell itself enveloped him completely.
An ink-black palm struck Qing Mu's back in an instant.
"Green Flame Shield!"
Boom!
With a tremendous crash, the shield of green flames behind Qing Mu was shattered by Mo Bass's palm.
Pfft!
The instant they made contact, a terrifying, icy force surged from Mo Bass's palm into Qing Mu's body. His defense failed to hold it back for even a moment, and a mouthful of blood immediately gushed out.
Such tremendous power! His strength...
Mo Bass, by contrast, remained calm. Even his breathing was unhurried, and his attack carried an air of casual ease. It seemed that even Qing Mu posed no threat to him.
Whoosh...
Qing Mu's body was sent flying like a cannonball. The rampaging force wantonly ravaged his flesh from within, forcing him to devote all his concentration to suppressing it.
Otherwise, if it inflicted severe internal injuries, he would probably be unable to return to his peak condition anytime soon.
"Su Tian, run!"
At the same time, Qing Mu's lips moved slightly, and his voice reached Su Tian's ears nearby.
Clearly, even Qing Mu had not expected Mo Bass's strength to have advanced yet again. Before, he had been confident he could exchange several rounds with Mo Bass.
Now, however, he could not withstand even a single palm strike.
Precisely because of this, a terrible suspicion arose in Qing Mu's heart, and he urged Su Tian to flee at once.
Reality, however, was always cruel.
Just as Su Tian received the transmitted message and prepared to turn and flee without hesitation, Mo Bass's icy voice drifted over.
"You will stay as well."
Bang!
The moment Mo Bass's voice rang out, Su Tian's scalp prickled, and intense unease flooded his heart. Without the slightest hesitation, he stamped his foot and made to rush out of the courtyard.
Although Su Tian reacted extremely quickly, he still seemed somewhat slow before Mo Bass.
"Get back!"
The instant Su Tian reached the courtyard gate, his vision blurred, and Mo Bass suddenly appeared before him. A cold shout exploded beside his ears like thunder.
Boom!
Mo Bass casually swept his right hand. As though Su Tian had run straight into the blow himself, he was sent flying and then slammed heavily into the courtyard.
Su Tian felt as though his entire body had been broken. Agony spread through every part of him, his face flushed, and a mouthful of golden blood spurted out.
Pfft!
Watching Su Tian lie helpless on the ground, Mo Bass regarded him as though he were already dying. He slowly advanced. "Once you have done certain things, you must pay the price."
"And that price is your life."
Mo Bass's voice was icy, as though he had already pronounced Su Tian's fate. Raising his right hand, he abruptly condensed a mass of ink-black energy that radiated a bone-gnawing chill.
Then he hurled that mass of ink-black energy toward Su Tian.
Am I really going to die here this time?
At that moment, despair filled Su Tian's eyes. Even Qing Mu could not withstand a single exchange with Mo Bass, let alone him. Su Tian wanted to do something, but agony wracked his body, leaving him unable to move at all.
Feeling death rapidly approach, Su Tian's heart filled with unwillingness.
No!!!
Su Tian let out a desperate scream in his heart. The Dou Qi within him erupted as he tried to resist Mo Bass's attack.
Yet to Mo Bass, this was no different from a mantis raising its forelegs against a charging cart.
What neither Mo Bass nor Su Tian noticed, however, was that as Su Tian faced the threat of death and strained with all his might, unleashing every scrap of his potential, a faint, strange marking seemed to emerge on his forehead.
But in a fleeting instant, the marking vanished, as though it had never appeared.
As the ink-black attack drew near, Su Tian remained powerless to resist. Just when his death seemed inevitable, a graceful figure unexpectedly shot toward them from the distant sky.
Boom!
With a sudden motion of her delicate hand, an attack no weaker than Mo Bass's instantly formed. A moment later, it utterly destroyed his attack.
As dust and smoke billowed, the graceful figure slowly descended from the sky. When Su Tian saw her face clearly, his expression froze, and he blurted out in disbelief.
"Hua... Hua She'er?!"
Before you continue