After dealing with the first group blocking their path, Yun Mo and the others made no effort to conceal themselves and headed straight for the final Guardian Land.
But just as Wen Qingxuan had said, they encountered at least four or five more groups of attackers along the way, each numbering around ten. There were also a few cunning, treacherous lone wolves.
They had reached the point of stopping at nothing to obtain Tokens.
Traps, coaxing, posing as good Samaritans or pitiful victims, asking to join their team, trying to share a friendly drink before slipping in a knife-the tricks were endless. Without exception, all these people wanted was to plunge a blade into their chests the moment they let their guard down.
Toward the end, they even encountered a group led by someone whose body had reached Spirit Wheel Realm strength, who surrounded the four of them with the intent to kill.
Faced with an encirclement no different from the previous ones, Wu Ling swung his War Staff and curled his lip in disdain. "The Guardian Land is just up ahead. Anyone who makes it this far should have some strength, right? Are you sure you can take us?"
"You look pretty strong, but you're dragging three burdens along with you. That makes them your weakness. All I need to do is hold you off while my companions slaughter them, then surround you together. I imagine that should be enough to take down all four of you, shouldn't it?"
"Burdens? What's your name?" Wu Ling paused, then asked with a smile.
"Shi Yi. I'm being merciful and telling you only because you seem capable of posing a threat to me." Shi Yi was arrogant to the extreme, holding a War Staff just like Wu Ling's.
"Heh, Wu Ling, wait until we finish the others off. Then we'll deal with him together!"
Wu Yingying stared at Shi Yi with a faint smile. The past few days of travel had gradually built up a murderous urge within her.
Yun Mo and Wen Qingxuan remained expressionless. Their Battle Weapons simply appeared in their hands as they silently watched the people closing in.
"Looks like you're in for a beating." Hearing Wu Yingying's words, Wu Ling could almost picture the four of them ganging up on Shi Yi. He raised his War Staff and pointed it straight at him.
"Hmph, come and try!"
Shi Yi's expression darkened. He had absolute confidence in his strength on the Spirit Road as it was now. Stepping forward, he smashed his own War Staff straight at Wu Ling.
Wu Ling was equally direct, meeting it with his War Staff.
Bang! Bang!
The War Staffs collided, producing a series of muffled, oppressive thuds.
Since Wu Ling was deliberately holding back, the two appeared evenly matched. Even so, the force of their exchanges began sweeping through their surroundings.
Shi Yi's expression grew colder and colder. He discovered that no matter how much strength he used, the man before him could withstand it. Even his simple defensive moves sent shocks through Shi Yi's hands, numbing the flesh between his thumbs and forefingers.
"Hmph! Now I know why you're so confident. Your Token must be pretty impressive. But soon, all you'll be able to do is despair and obediently offer up your corpse!" Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at his companions. They had already charged at the other three.
Shi Yi swung his War Staff to its limits, whipping up an increasingly terrifying astral gale.
This time, he unleashed every ounce of his strength and struck viciously at Wu Ling.
Wu Ling raised an eyebrow. He slowly turned the War Staff in his hand and planted it upright on the ground.
Then his figure flashed as he leaped into the air, gripping the very top of the War Staff. As he descended, he swept it through a semicircle and brought it crashing down over Shi Yi's head.
Boom!
This time, Shi Yi could no longer block it so easily.
To his horror, he discovered that his own full-powered strike was worlds apart from Wu Ling's. Their strength was not even on the same level.
It was utterly unimaginable. Ever since his breakthrough some time ago, his body and strength had genuinely reached the Spirit Wheel Realm. Even if he fell short of Wu Ling, the gap should not have been so vast.
What he did not know was that after Yun Mo and the others began gradually studying the Wu Clan Body Tempering Scripture, their bodies had started transforming into heavenly demonic bodies. Combined with their already peak Spirit Wheel Realm physiques, beating him was actually simplicity itself.
To a certain extent, the Wu Clan Body Tempering Scripture developed their blood and vital energy to the utmost, while greatly reducing the amount of force that leaked away when they struck. In short, they could bring their strength into play almost perfectly.
Even a little study had produced such results from the Wu Clan Body Tempering Scripture.
If he encountered that Netherworld Beast from before again, Wu Ling was confident he could beat it to death with just a few swings.
"Pfft..."
The head-on collision ended decisively. A force that swept through him like a storm snapping rotten timber sent Shi Yi flying again, blood spraying from his mouth.
But when he struggled to his feet and tried to call his companions over to attack together, he discovered to his horror that they were already lying motionless on the ground.
"What happened?!"
Shi Yi's hair hung loose and disheveled, and he could no longer conceal the terror in his eyes.
He looked at the four people surrounding him and silently watching him, and suddenly understood. The reason these four dared to walk so openly along the main road was that they had never considered anyone blocking their path a threat.
Or perhaps they had simply been using themselves as bait to lure others into attacking them.
"You..."
"We're just burdens, after all. If you can break past any one of us and escape, we'll let you go." Holding her Longbow, Wu Yingying watched him mockingly.
Shi Yi wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. He refused to believe it. He refused to believe that every one of these four possessed such formidable strength.
He swung his War Staff again and charged at the girl in golden armor and a red dress. Of all of them, she had not even deigned to look him in the eye from the start.
Boom!
Unfortunately, to his despair, the girl in golden armor and a red dress merely flicked her golden spear and sent him hurtling back. The blow even shattered the vital vessels around his heart, making his vision darken.
Seeing this, Wu Ling and Wu Yingying shrugged, gathered all the Tokens, and walked over to Yun Mo and Wen Qingxuan.
"Shi Yi's Token is level seven. The others are still level five or six, nothing different. Even after combining them, ours have only all reached level seven. They don't seem close to breaking through," Wu Ling said.
"Let's go into the Guardian Land. I wonder what's different about it now."
Yun Mo did not mind either, and the four of them entered the Guardian Land together.
The final Guardian Land along this route was quite different from the previous ones. It was no longer empty
but had dwellings instead.
Outside the Guardian Land stood a magnificent Martial Combat Arena. Three old men with snowy hair and beards sat cross-legged there, seemingly waiting for the selection to begin.
"Elders from the Five Great Academies?"
Yun Mo turned to Wu Ling. In fact, he was the only member of their team who was not affiliated with the Five Great Academies.
"Don't look at me. I don't know them either. If they were from the Martial Spirit Academy, I might be able to put in a word, but those three old men definitely aren't."
"They should be from the Sacred Spirit Academy. They seem to be responsible for the Spirit Road this time, after all," Wen Qingxuan said calmly.
"Qingxuan, are you from the Five Great Academies too?"
"No, I just know a little about them. Come on, the selection is still three days away. Let's find somewhere to stay before our captain Yun Mo secretly spends all our spirit points."
Watching the girls walk away, Yun Mo said to Wu Ling, "Let's go. Tomorrow, we'll take a look around this Guardian Land and see how their bartering has developed. Hopefully, we'll find something good."
"You're still hoping to unearth treasures? How could so many treasures just appear right in front of us?"
Before you continue