Chapter 9: Life and Death

Black and white Dou Qi swiftly enveloped his body, forming wisps of smoke that gradually took shape around his feet.

With a sudden stomp on the ground, Chen Mo's figure shot forward, charging straight into the mercenary group that was closing in on him.

These men were merely at the seven- or eight-star Dou Zhe level—Chen Mo didn't even consider them a threat.

Clenching his five fingers into a fist, black and white energy surged rapidly before he swung his punch heavily toward the chest of the mercenary at the forefront.

"Bang!"

With the strength of a two-star Dou Shi, he sent the mercenary flying, knocking down several others behind him in the process.

Chen Mo then launched himself forward again. With just a few more punches, the mercenaries at the front were sent flying, coughing up blood.

Not a single one of them could even touch Chen Mo's body.

In just a few exchanges, only three mercenaries were still standing.

"Be careful!" Die suddenly cried out.

At that moment, a faint sound of wind slicing through the air came from behind, making Chen Mo turn his head sharply. When he saw who it was, his heart clenched.

It was the sinister-looking man.

Activating Cloud Wanderer Steps, he pushed off the ground with the tip of his foot, his speed soaring as he quickly widened the distance between them.

"What incredible speed..." The sinister man's expression changed as he watched Chen Mo accelerate. He found it unbelievable.

As a four-star Dou Shi with a wind attribute, he had launched a surprise attack after activating a movement-type Dou Technique. Yet, even with the explosive power of a two-star Dou Shi, Chen Mo had managed to widen the gap between them.

This meant that Chen Mo's movement technique was also of a high grade.

"You've got some good stuff on you..."

A murderous glint flashed across the sinister man's face. "You're dead today!"

"You talk too much."

Chen Mo threw the first punch.

The reason he dared to fight this sinister man was because of the Supreme Primordial Art. With a god-tier cultivation technique, crossing two minor realms shouldn't be too unreasonable, right?

"Hmph!"*

Seeing Chen Mo attack first, the sinister man snorted coldly and retaliated with a punch of his own.

A fierce gust of wind instantly formed before him, then surged forward and clashed directly with Chen Mo's fist.

"Boom!"

The violent impact sent sand flying in all directions.

Chen Mo remained motionless. Meanwhile, the sinister man staggered back two or three steps.

"Impossible?!"

It was his first exchange with Chen Mo, and the sinister man's expression shifted. Shock flickered in his eyes. Though he hadn't used his full strength, how could a mere two-star Dou Shi push him back?

Chen Mo was also a little surprised—he had actually managed to fight above his level.

"Kid, I don't know how you're doing this, but it ends here!"

A faint green wind blade flickered around the sinister man's fist as he stepped forward, launching himself toward Chen Mo with a sinister grin.

"Like hell it does!"

Chen Mo cursed as he activated Cloud Wanderer Steps to evade, stalling for time while retrieving Mystic Thunder Palm and Epiphany Incense from his system inventory.

As a surge of knowledge flooded his mind, Chen Mo suddenly gained a profound understanding of the technique.

"Kid, stop running if you dare!" The sinister man's face darkened in anger.

Chen Mo ignored him.

Instead, he focused his consciousness, mentally rehearsing the sequences of Mystic Thunder Palm as tiny figures demonstrated the technique within his mind.

Before long, however, the three remaining mercenaries blocked his escape route.

"Let's see you run now, brat. Hand over what you've got, and we'll let you die quickly."

The sinister man cut off the other side of his retreat.

"Come and take it if you can."

Chen Mo waved at him, a faint smile appearing on his handsome face.

Seeing how calm the young man had suddenly become, the sinister man frowned before sneering. "Hmph, playing tricks again?"

With a stomp on the ground, he charged forward, his Dou Qi surging within his body before condensing into his fist.

He aimed a punch at Chen Mo's face. "Huang-rank, Intermediate Dou Technique—Falling Wind Fist!"

"A Dou Technique? I have one too."*

Chen Mo raised his palm. Faint arcs of lightning flickered to life, growing stronger until his entire hand took on a silvery-white hue.

"Mystic Thunder Palm!" Chen Mo shouted, meeting the attack head-on.

"What?! Thunder-type technique?!"

Shock filled the sinister man's heart as the two attacks collided, unleashing a thunderous explosion that echoed across the battlefield.

"No!"

Seeing this, Die's eyes filled with tears.

"Boom!"

With the sound of thunder, a silver bolt of lightning exploded on the sinister man's body.

Sand burst into the sky as a figure was violently thrown backward, skidding across the ground. His feet dug deep into the sand, only stopping after retreating more than ten meters.

The mercenaries stared in disbelief.

The figure that had been blasted away… was their leader!

The remaining mercenaries swallowed hard before rushing over to help him up.

A mere two-star Dou Shi had actually forced a four-star Dou Shi—who had used an Intermediate Huang-rank Dou Technique—into such a miserable state.

As the swirling sand settled, Chen Mo's figure slowly emerged.

His face was pale, and he leaned on one hand for support. His body was weak—using a Dou Technique in such an impromptu manner had drained most of his Dou Qi.

After coughing violently a few times, Chen Mo swept a cold gaze over the surrounding mercenaries. The intimidation from earlier was still fresh in their minds, and when their eyes met his, they instinctively looked away in fear.

Taking advantage of their hesitation, Chen Mo quietly activated the Supreme Primordial Art to replenish his Dou Qi.

"Kill him! Do it now!"

The sinister man violently shoved away the mercenaries supporting him. His knuckles were split open, and blood had soaked through his sleeves. His expression was one of near-maniacal rage.

Such a young opponent possessed not only overwhelming strength but also an exceptionally rare flying Dou Technique. His background was surely formidable. He absolutely could not be allowed to leave alive.

"Kill him! He's almost out of strength!"

Seeing his subordinates still hesitate, the sinister man roared furiously.

The three remaining mercenaries had no choice but to charge at Chen Mo.

"Watch out!" Die shouted in alarm.

Chen Mo's expression darkened as he mustered the last remnants of his Dou Qi to defend himself.

Even in a weakened state, a high-tier fighter wasn't something mere Dou Zhe could handle.

The sinister man clearly knew this as well. Just as Chen Mo engaged the mercenaries, the man suddenly retrieved a crossbow from his storage ring, loaded a poison-tipped bolt, and fired it.

However, due to his injured hands, the shot veered off course—toward Die.

"Look out!"

Chen Mo's expression changed. With a desperate burst of energy, he sent the three mercenaries flying before diving toward Die.

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