The Extraterritorial Evil Clan

Yun Mo sat cross-legged inside a cave and slowly opened his eyes.

"I knew this kind of body tempering suited me better. No self-mutilation, no pain, and it even feels good."

He rose to his feet, his bones and sinews giving off a series of crisp, almost pleasing cracks and pops.

"It's a bit of a shame, though. I thought I could use the Nocturnal Honey to push my physical body to a higher level. Who knew that after its qualitative transformation, it would lean toward cultivation and healing instead, while its body-tempering effects weakened so much? It probably has something to do with the spirit medicines those bee swarms gathered, or with my body-tempering cultivation method.

"If only I had a better body-tempering method... Forget it. I'll let nature take its course. Maybe I can find one here. Besides, even without a breakthrough, I should be able to make my way through this Wu Clan Ancestral Land now."

Yun Mo stepped out of the cave and walked toward Wen Qingxuan and Wu Ling, who were already waiting there.

"Well? How did you two do?"

"Unfortunately, we had too little time. If the Divine Contest Laws weren't suppressing this region, I reckon I would've broken through to the Divine Soul Realm already." Wu Ling gazed at the dim sky and sighed.

"That's fine. Build up your strength, and it'll burst forth when the time comes. What about you?" Yun Mo looked Wen Qingxuan over with a smile.

Wen Qingxuan shook her head. "Same as before. The improvement was limited."

"I'm in the same boat as you now!"

A cheerful voice rang out, and Wu Yingying flashed into view before the three of them.

Yun Mo looked her over and found that her blood vitality had indeed grown much stronger. The Nocturnal Honey had clearly pushed her a considerable step forward. Not only had her cultivation reached the Spirit Wheel Realm, but her physical strength had reached the same level.

"What are you staring at? Believe me, I'll send you flying with one punch! And remember, I get a share of what's in that Storage Ring."

"Hmph. Say that again when you can take a sword strike from me." Yun Mo swept her a disdainful glance. Someone who had only just reached the Spirit Wheel Realm wanted a share of his treasures?

"It's just one sword strike... Hey! What's that supposed to mean? Are you looking down on me?" Wu Yingying was about to roll up her sleeves, but recalling the strike he had unleashed against the Netherworld Beast suddenly made her hair stand on end.

She had not forgotten the Netherworld Beast's fate. In an instant, its entire body had rotted and withered, all life extinguished.

He had practically slain a rank-seven spirit beast with a single sword strike.

Now that his cultivation had recovered to the Spirit Wheel Realm, who knew how powerful that strike would become?

Yun Mo ignored her and said to Wen Qingxuan and Wu Ling, "Let's go. It's about time we took a look at the palace complex in the very center. Hopefully, we'll find some good things there."

Wu Ling rested both hands behind his head. "Ideally, we'll find a Wu Clan body-tempering method. That would really make this trip worthwhile."

"Why don't you say we'll get the Wu Clan's Supreme Dharma Body, too?"

In ancient times, the Wu Clan's Supreme Dharma Body, the "primordial heavenly demon body," had been recognized throughout the Great Thousand World as a supreme-class dharma body. It ranked eighteenth among the ninety-nine grade supreme dharma bodies and was the only supreme-class dharma body renowned solely for its physical strength.

However, once the heavenly demon body was completely lost, this supreme-class dharma body had ultimately been removed from the rankings.

Utter savagery was its hallmark. Once it closed in on a more fragile dharma body, a single punch was almost enough to blast it apart.

Back then, the Wu Clan's dozen or so mightiest experts had dominated the heavens, largely because this Supreme Dharma Body was so overwhelmingly powerful. Standing within the Great Thousand World, they seemed to become supreme demonic shadows, suppressing all things beneath the heavens.

"I think I'll pass on that one. Even dreams ought to be a little realistic." Wu Ling gave an awkward laugh and followed Yun Mo.

"If you're already dreaming, why bother unless you dream big?" Wu Yingying retorted before hurrying after them.

A long while later, the four reached the outskirts of the palace complex. They explored the area but found nothing worthwhile. Everything had been reduced to dust, and even traces of spirit medicines were pitifully scarce.

They wanted to enter the palace complex, but a stone gate barred their way. Flying in was no option either, as a field affected the surrounding area.

"This is infuriating! Why can't we get in when the Wu Clan Ancestral Land is right in front of us?"

Wu Ling tried smashing the gate with his War Staff, but even after he put all his strength into it, the stone gate remained as steady as a rock, utterly unmoved.

"Could it require some special method? But there isn't even a keyhole here."

"Given how formidable the Wu Clan was, perhaps the real reason is simply that we aren't strong enough." Yun Mo lightly stroked the stone gate. Its patterns were quite ordinary.

"Should the four of us try together?" Wen Qingxuan asked, looking at Yun Mo.

"Let's try!"

The four took their positions. Spiritual energy circulated through their meridians and gradually spread outward.

Yun Mo held his Flexible Sword, its radiant sword light whipping up streaks of sword marks all around him. His eyes grew hazy, as though they held the mysteries of time. When his gaze settled on the Flexible Sword, its edge immediately merged with time, evoking seas turning into mulberry fields.

Wen Qingxuan loosely held her spear in one delicate hand, pointing it toward the stone gate. A clear phoenix cry seemed to rise from her, ringing throughout heaven and earth and lifting her imposing aura to another level.

Wu Ling, meanwhile, displayed overwhelming might. It was difficult to imagine such explosive spiritual energy dwelling within someone with such refined features. Staff shadows emerged from his War Staff and transformed into a long black dragon, while a giant ape appeared behind him, shaking heaven and earth.

Wu Yingying was somewhat weaker than the other three, but she had her own distinctive strengths. Her essence, energy, and spirit reached their peak and gathered within the arrow on her Longbow, making the bowstring tremble as though it could pierce the stone gate the moment Yun Mo gave the order.

Yet just as they were poised to strike, Yun Mo's expression froze, and his brows drew tightly together.

He shouted, "Stop! Fall back and hide, now! Hurry!"

"Cough, cough..."

Wu Ling nearly suffocated on the breath trapped in his chest. His power had reached its peak at that very moment, and now he had to stop?

Even Wen Qingxuan's and Wu Yingying's auras faltered. Their spiritual energy nearly recoiled and injured them.

"What are you doing?" Wu Yingying was just about to question Yun Mo when she saw him dart away.

Yun Mo pushed his movement technique to its limit. As he flashed past, he kicked Wu Ling in the backside, sending him flying into a dark spot and making him cover himself with the Black Cloth. He himself pulled Wen Qingxuan and Wu Yingying into a corner near the stone gate, formed a hand seal, and concealed them within space.

The two young women were bewildered by his sudden actions, but sensing Yun Mo's tension, they held their breath and focused.

Only a few breaths after the four of them left.

Black mist suddenly shrouded the area before the stone gate, and all four sensed an utterly evil presence.

When the black mist dispersed, nine figures appeared, each wearing black robes with eerie markings on their face.

"Young clan master, this should be the stone gate to the Wu Clan Ancestral Hall," one of them said respectfully to the figure at the center of the nine.

"Yuan Bian, how many times have I told you? Someone else is the young clan master. For now, my name is Yuan Huai." Yuan Huai smiled eerily and patted the man's shoulder, making him lower his head still further in deference.

"I wouldn't dare."

"Enough. Next, we deal with this stone gate. Only by breaking it and undoing the seal inside can our clan's Demon Emperor return. Only then can I truly take the position of young clan master with everything going my way."

Yuan Huai's smile vanished, and he raised a hand and waved.

Seeing his gesture, the other eight exchanged glances and nodded.

They spread out in eight directions, then produced pitch-black banners and hurled them into the air.

The banners stood suspended in the air and immediately released beams of black light. The beams grew larger and finally condensed together, forming a demonic pillar.

Yuan Huai grinned, leaped into the air, and gripped the demonic pillar tightly with both hands.

At that instant, a black shadow seemed to appear behind him. Its imposing aura blotted out the sky and sun, sending ripples through space itself.

"Break!"

He roared in midair. Evil energy erupted as he smashed the demonic pillar into the stone gate.

The demonic pillar collided violently with the stone gate, producing a deafening explosion.

Yet even under such a terrifying attack, the stone gate only trembled slightly.

"Let's see how many blows you can take!" Bloodthirsty red light appeared in Yuan Huai's eyes. With a roar, his might swelled once more.

The other eight appeared behind him at that moment as well. They waved their hands, releasing streams of black energy from their bodies that enveloped Yuan Huai, making him seem as though he had broken through the limits of this region. He was terrifying beyond measure.

"Break for me!"

Another blow crashed into the stone gate. This time, it shook more violently, scattering dust in every direction.

Boom! Boom!

The third blow, the fourth... At last, a faint crack appeared in the stone gate.

Yun Mo watched with an exceedingly grave expression. Beside him, Wen Qingxuan's and Wu Yingying's eyes filled with shock.

"Who are they?"

Even though Wen Qingxuan already had a guess, it was so horrifying that she began to doubt her own judgment.

Yun Mo whispered, "Just as you can see. The Extraterritorial Evil Clan. One of the Thirty-Two Great Clans-the Yuan Demon Clan."

His words shattered their illusions. Their pupils contracted, and they clenched their delicate fists, not even noticing their nails digging into their palms.

Wu Yingying's pretty face went pale. In a dry voice, she asked, "Why is the Extraterritorial Evil Clan here?"

Yun Mo did not answer. He continued watching the stone gate.

Rumble!

Under Yuan Huai's ninth strike, the stone gate finally broke apart and exploded completely.

"Ha... Hahahaha!" Yuan Huai shattered the already cracked demonic pillar in his hands with a palm strike and roared as though venting his fury. "Follow your clan master inside and welcome back our clan's Demon Emperor! I'll make sure there's no longer any doubt over who will become our clan master!"

"As the clan master commands!"

The eight shouted at the top of their lungs. As Yuan Huai's Personal Guards, their status would naturally rise like boats on a rising tide once he became the young clan master. With hope right before them, how could they not be stirred?

Only after the nine had been inside for some time did Yun Mo emerge again with the two young women. Seeing them, Wu Ling also came over.

The four looked at the shattered entrance to the hall in silence.

Yun Mo looked at the other three, a faint smile still on his face. "Let's go. Whatever they're planning, we can't let them succeed. Besides, they're only the Extraterritorial Evil Clan."

Nothing but a pack of dogs that had lost their home.