"Boom!"

He saw.

Hong Man stood up with the battle rod already in his hand, leaving an afterimage as it swung directly toward Wu Mo's Qi force.

A violent explosion ensued.

That mighty Qi force was actually knocked back by Hong Man with a single swing. The redirected force, even more fierce and turbulent than before, surged directly toward Wu Mo like a tidal wave.

Wu Mo's expression changed drastically.

He hadn't anticipated this, and he swung his arms, attempting to disperse the force. But the power had been amplified by the combined strength of both men, now several times stronger than before.

"Bang!"

A muffled sound rang out.

The force struck Wu Mo squarely in the chest, causing his body to tremble and retreat dozens of steps, his feet scraping along the ground.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss!"

The previously mocking onlookers suddenly froze in expression.

Even the five who had been defeated earlier wore complex looks.

They had thought Ye Qingchen's group were meek sheep, easily bullied, only to find they were wolves in sheep's clothing! Suddenly, the crowd's gaze grew far more respectful.

"Is there anyone else who wants to test our strength?"

Hong Man held the battle rod, looking around disdainfully.

Though not as powerful as Ye Qingchen, his strength had soared under Old Man Qin's training, and dealing with someone like Wu Mo was no issue.

For a moment.

The crowd's expressions varied.

"Bastard!"

From a distance.

Covered in dust, Wu Mo's face twisted. He had intended to eliminate others, but now Hong Man had publicly struck him down, a humiliation he couldn't swallow.

"I'll kill you!"

Shua!

Amidst the roar.

Wu Mo grabbed his unsheathed great blade with his right hand. Slashing through the air, 'shua shua shua,' thirty-six blade auras, each half a foot long, descended from the sky, enveloping the three.

Clearly, Wu Mo was truly enraged and sought to kill.

"Hmph!"

Hong Man was not without temper.

Since they entered, Wu Mo had been provoking them at every turn. Now that Wu Mo attacked viciously, how could he hold back?

The battle rod swept like a soldier clearing the path.

Even the air felt torn apart by the swing, causing a piercing whistle to resonate.

The looming blade shadows melted away like snow under the sun with that single swing.

Before Wu Mo could react, Hong Man's battle rod was already before him.

"Boom!"

A sudden, dull sound echoed.

In the crowd's astonishing gaze, Wu Mo spat out a mist of blood, his body losing balance on the spot, like an arrow loosed from a bowstring. He crashed through a large tree and a wall in the courtyard, flying outside and completely passing out.

This swing was unparalleled in its dominance.

Hong Man knocked Wu Mo away, then looked at the crowd once more.

Only then did the crowd come to their senses.

"Though he's only at the first level of the Spiritual Sea Realm, to send Wu Mo flying with a single blow—a rare young genius!"

"Yes, your strength has been recognized!"

"Indeed, with such strength, you can definitely join us on our journey to Blood Dark Mountain!"

This is the stark reality of the Martial Arts World!

Everything speaks through strength!

If Hong Man had been defeated by Wu Mo with a single move like those five cultivators, these people would never have respected him and might even have stepped over him.

The initially indifferent Luo Huan suddenly seemed interested, looking somewhat surprised.

Though Hong Man took action, with three traveling together, their strengths must be similar.

After this minor incident.

The original group of more than ten guards quickly reduced by half.

As Luo Huan was in haste to reach Blood Dark Mountain, and everyone wanted to complete their task quickly, they didn't delay, making preparations and setting off swiftly.

Blood Dark Mountain is a ridge within the Ten Thousand Beasts Mountain Range.

However, it is located deeper within.

It is naturally more perilous than the last sect selection tournament.

The group traveled by day and rested by night.

Within three days, they arrived at Blood Dark Mountain.

The mountain, true to its name, was a dark red color, resembling fresh blood. Even the vegetation bore this hue.

Legend has it that two supreme masters battled here, their blood spilling and seeping into the mountains, dyeing it red. But when the legend was mentioned, everyone wore a disdainful expression.

"How could such a thing be possible? What kind of mighty figure could bleed enough to stain thousands of miles of mountains and rivers?"

"Yes, such tales only trick the greenhorns!"

Listening to their chatter, Hong Man softly asked Ye Qingchen beside him, "Do you think it's true?"

Ye Qingchen suddenly thought of the Nine Heavens Palace within him and the former master's description, his eyes lit up, "It could be true... Because this world is far beyond our imagination!"

As night fell, concerned they might face an ambush upon entering Blood Dark Mountain hastily, everyone decided to rest at the mountain's foot and set off again with the break of dawn.

In the deep of night.

After patrol, Ye Qingchen was ready to rest.

"Ah!"

A scream pierced the silence, shattering the nocturnal tranquility.

Without a second thought, Ye Qingchen stepped forward, speeding toward the source like a gust of wind.

There he saw.

The middle-aged man who had screamed was already down.

After days together, everyone was acquainted. This man was Lin Feng, whose prowess surpassed even the scarred Wu Mo.

At this moment, Lin Feng lay on the ground, his face an eggplant purple, utterly helpless.

"What's going on?"

Ye Qingchen's eyes narrowed.

There were no signs of a struggle here.

What kind of entity could render Lin Feng defenseless and collapse instantly?

Swish!

Suddenly, a cold flash darted fiercely at Ye Qingchen.

"Clang!"

The sword twirled, revealing the cold light.

Instantly, the cold flash was cut in two.

Focusing, Ye Qingchen saw a bizarre scorpion, its tail resembling a venomous snake. Even with its body bisected, the snake head continued to hiss menacingly.

"This is the Crimson Venom Scorpion!"

By then, others were alerted and rushed over.

Seeing the dead scorpion by Ye Qingchen's hand, they couldn't help but exclaim.

"What a potent venom!"

Ye Qingchen squinted his eyes.

He saw the area splashed with the scorpion's blood was so corrosive it even wilted the surrounding ground and vegetation. One could only imagine the outcome of being bitten by it.

"Let me take a look!"

At this moment, Luo Huan pushed through.

She checked Lin Feng's injuries, then promptly produced a jade bottle, extracting a pill to feed him.

As the pill entered his mouth.

Lin Feng's eggplant-like visage visibly faded in moments, returning to normal in no time.

"This pill..."

Witnessing this, Ye Qingchen was stirred.

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