Chapter 8: Wandering Cloud Steps

The sinister-looking man had been fortunate enough to witness a Dou Wang before. He noticed that the young man's wings in the sky were clearly different from the Dou Qi Wings of a Dou Wang.

Moreover, judging by the aura that the young man emitted, he was merely at the Dou Shi level. (?

That left only one possibility—this young man possessed a rare flying Dou Technique.

A glint of greed flashed through the sinister man's eyes. If he could obtain this Dou Technique, his strength would multiply exponentially.

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

Arrows whizzed through the air, hurtling toward Chen Mo and his companion.

"Be careful!" Die exclaimed in panic.

Chen Mo had yet to fully master Kunpeng Wings, and with Die in his arms, he had no free hand to defend himself. Moreover, using Kunpeng Wings consumed a significant amount of Dou Qi.

As the arrows rained down on him, Chen Mo struggled to dodge them. Several arrows grazed past his body.

Fortunately, his Dou Qi Gauze protected him from injury.

This confirmed the sinister man's suspicion—it was indeed a flying Dou Technique.

"Hurry up! Don't stop! Keep shooting!"

"Aim properly!"

"Whoever shoots him down will be handsomely rewarded!"

Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!

The mercenaries fully drew their bows, unleashing a relentless storm of arrows toward Chen Mo.

"Damn it!"

Chen Mo's face darkened. With no other choice, he mobilized all his Dou Qi, flapping Kunpeng Wings with full force to gain altitude and escape the arrows' range.

However, the strain of this maneuver caused the wound on his back to rupture, staining the bandage—made from his short-sleeved shirt—completely red.

"You... you're hurt?" Die heard him take a sharp breath and immediately looked up, noticing his furrowed brows and the intense pain he was enduring.

"It's nothing. The wound probably reopened. Be careful."

Just as Chen Mo spoke, an arrow shot toward Die's tail.

Without hesitation, Chen Mo twisted his body, shifting downward.

"No!" Die seemed to realize what he was about to do and screamed.

The arrow struck Chen Mo's back but was deflected by his Dou Qi Gauze.

[Ding! Favorability +3. Obtained one Marrow Cleansing Pill. Triggered Intimacy Bonus—acquired Yellow Rank Advanced Dou Technique: Wandering Cloud Steps.]

"You useless trash! Give me that bow!"

Seeing that Chen Mo and Die were about to escape, the sinister man kicked over a nearby mercenary and snatched his bow.

He drew the bow to its full extent, infusing the arrow with Dou Qi before releasing it.

Boom!

The moment the arrow left the string, a powerful gust of wind erupted as it hurtled toward Chen Mo.

"You scared me!" Die was still shaken from the previous attack.

Splat!

Suddenly, another arrow shot toward Chen Mo from behind. He sensed it and attempted to dodge, but this arrow was different from the others—its speed and force were several times greater.

Chen Mo tilted his body, but it was too late—the arrow pierced through Kunpeng Wings.

He instantly lost his balance.

Desperately, he tried to descend, but before he could stabilize, Kunpeng Wings retracted into his body, sending both of them plummeting.

"Haha! Boss is amazing!"

"One shot and he's down!"

The mercenaries flattered their leader.

The sinister man smirked but barked, "Enough talk! Go after them!"

"Hold on tight."

Chen Mo tightened his grip around Die and spread his arms to increase air resistance. He forced his eyes open, searching for a suitable landing spot.

Finally, he spotted a relatively high sand dune and adjusted his trajectory toward it.

Boom!

Chen Mo landed first.

Although the golden sand below was soft, falling from nearly ten meters still left his organs trembling, his wounds worsening, and blood seeping out in large amounts.

Die, however, was completely unscathed. She immediately leaned over him in concern, her eyes brimming with tears.

"You have to run!"

Chen Mo struggled to his feet. If this were his past life, falling from such a height would have either killed him or left him gravely injured. Yet now, he found himself only slightly wounded—no broken bones, just some discomfort.

It seemed his Dou Qi Gauze was quite resilient.

"No! If we leave, we leave together!"

Seeing the blood seeping from Chen Mo's back, Die assumed he was seriously injured. Tears welled up in her eyes as she shook her head.

[Ding! Favorability +1. Obtained one Favorability Token.]

"Let's see where you'll run now!"

A cold voice filled with Dou Qi echoed across the desert, carrying the force of a lion's roar.

Before long, the mercenaries surrounded them.

"Four-Star Dou Shi."

Hearing the system's prompt, Chen Mo's expression turned grim as he looked at the sinister man.

"Boy, be smart about this. Hand over that snake girl and your flying Dou Technique, and maybe I'll spare your life."

The sinister man beckoned at Chen Mo with a sneer.

"Who... who are you? Why does everyone want to capture me? Why?"

Die stepped in front of Chen Mo, spreading her arms wide.

"Why?" The sinister man licked his lips, his eyes filled with a fiery greed. He sneered, "Because you're a snake-woman. Our human race and your kind are natural enemies."

"You're quite the rare specimen. No wonder the employer is willing to pay a fortune for you."

Die's delicate body trembled, but she did not back down. She stood firm in front of Chen Mo, her voice shaking.

"If it's me you want, let him go!"

"Oh, I'll let him go," the sinister man chuckled. "I have no grudge against him, after all. But first, he has to hand over the flying Dou Technique."

"That's right! Hand it over!" the surrounding mercenaries jeered.

"I..." Die hesitated, fidgeting with the pendant around her neck before removing it. "Can I trade this instead?"

The sinister man was stunned for a moment before bursting into laughter. He had never seen such a naive snake-woman before.

Die was bewildered, not understanding why he was laughing.

Suddenly, a warm hand grasped hers.

Chen Mo stepped beside her.

"Don't give it to him."

"But..."

"I told you, I'll protect you."

Chen Mo wiped the tears from her face.

Die's cheeks flushed, a ripple of emotion stirring in her heart. "But your wounds..."

Chen Mo pulled her behind him. "I can still fight."

[Ding! Favorability +2. Obtained two Favorability Tokens. Triggered Hand-Holding Bonus—acquired Mastery in Movement Techniques.]

Chen Mo's eyes lit up as a flood of knowledge filled his mind.

Releasing Die's hand, he turned toward the sinister man and assumed a fighting stance.

"If you want it, come and take it."

The sinister man's face darkened.

"You think you can play hero? Let's see if you have what it takes! Get him!"

At his command, the mercenaries charged at Chen Mo from all directions.

Taking a deep breath, Chen Mo accessed his system and extracted Wandering Cloud Steps.

As the memories of the technique surged into his mind, his body instinctively moved.

In an instant, he executed the technique.

****

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