As soon as Lin Mo finished speaking, he casually swung his sword at Mr. Wu, its fierce sword light streaking dozens of meters, slicing everything in its path in two.
At this critical juncture, Mr. Wu suddenly produced a black copper bell inscribed with various ancient spells. With a shake, it emitted a wave of grey energy that surprisingly blocked the sword light, causing both forces to nullify each other in the air.
Lin Mo was not surprised. He had never thought that a casual sword strike would kill Mr. Wu. These great forces all had centuries of heritage, scouring the world for treasures, their foundations deep.
"Intermediate-level Spiritual Artifact."
Lin Mo glanced at the copper bell in Mr. Wu's hand. It was a dark, unassuming lump of metal with an ancient simple shape but laden with layers of thick Resentment, Death Energy, and Evil Qi, no doubt forged from decades of sacrifices.
As for the grade of spiritual treasures and artifacts, the copper bell in the other's hand was indeed a rather impressive defensive Spiritual Artifact.
"Master Wei, Mr. Ning, do you really plan to wait for me to die before fighting him?" Mr. Wu frowned and shouted loudly.
The Joy Sect and the Green Dragon Gang were local forces, while the Black Witch Sect was from the Northwest Region. Wei Zeyu and Ning Teng were planning to wait for Lin Mo and Mr. Wu to fight to the death—preferably resulting in Mr. Wu's death—so that they could divide Lin Mo's treasures among themselves.
However, now both of them regarded Lin Mo with a hint of apprehension; Lin Mo's strength was too formidable. If Mr. Wu died, they would lose a significant portion of their power.
Clenching his fist, Wei Zeyu's lips curled in a sly smile and said, "Mr. Wu, we are on the same side. How could I do such a thing?"
Suddenly, Ning Teng grabbed two beautiful women beside him dressed in sheer long dresses and barefoot. A light blush spread over their fair skin as they flirted, seeming extremely comfortable, but the True Qi in their bodies flowed towards Ning Teng like water.
"The Double Rest cultivation method?" Lin Mo slightly furrowed his brow.
In Double Rest, the man absorbs the Essence from the woman, enhancing his own strength, but the woman becomes a cultivation furnace, and with increasing absorption, is led to death.
At this moment, the two previously contented women suddenly showed painful expressions.
Ning Teng did not stop; instead, he avidly drew the energy from the two women. Their bodies withered, instantly turning into mummies, leaving only skin and bones as they collapsed.
Ning Teng didn't even spare them a glance but instead wore an evilly charming smile, feeling the surge of newfound power.
"Uncle is truly cruel," Zhang Yuxuan said, her body breaking out in goosebumps, her pretty face pale with fright.
Wei Zhongkui, who had climbed to his current position through countless killings, also felt a chill running down his spine.
The Joy Sect was feared not only for their formidable power but also for these sinister cultivation techniques, which were impossible to guard against.
Many Martial Artists present displayed a hint of loathing, but none had the courage to speak up, as none dared to challenge the authority of the Joy Sect.
After absorbing the strength of the two women, Ning Teng's power received another boost.
Mr. Wu held the copper bell, Wei Zeyu radiated a piercing chilly light, and Ning Teng summoned a whip-like energy in both hands.
All three launched their attacks simultaneously, with Wei Zeyu transforming into a beam of light as he clenched his fist.
Mr. Wu shook the copper bell, and in an instant, countless resentful ghosts poured out, filling the skies, their wails and howls echoing endlessly, even dimming the sun and creating a gloomy dark space.
Ning Teng clenched a spell, two whiplike energies surging towards Lin Mo, overflowing with killing intent.
Martial Artists on the scene, as well as those watching the live stream from the underground forum, held their breath as they watched this world-shaking battle unfold.
Everyone knew Lin Mo was strong, but hearing about it thousands of times could never compare to witnessing it firsthand.
Lin Mo, with an indifferent expression, clenched his fist and threw a punch glittering like flowing gold, striking Wei Zeyu directly, the punch powerful enough to penetrate through his body, sending Wei Zeyu flying backwards.
"Eh?"
Lin Mo made a sound of doubt.
His punch could burst the organs of a Half-step Martial God, yet Wei Zeyu had endured several such hits with only minor injuries.
Upon closer inspection, Lin Mo saw that beneath Wei Zeyu's suit, he was actually wearing soft armor, which had absorbed a significant portion of the punch's force.
But Lin Mo had no time to contemplate further; Ning Teng's whipping energies had already reached his side, and countless sinister ghosts encroached all around.
"Fire Extinguishing Eight Desolates!" Lin Mo raised a hand, and eight dazzling flames burst out around him. The encroaching ghosts were blocked outside, their expressions fear-stricken as they wailed in terror.
At the same time, Lin Mo sent out a punch of radiant Punch Light, shattering Ning Teng's oncoming whips.
At this moment, as it approached nine o'clock, the churning sea of clouds slowly dispersed, allowing a beam of sunlight to fall upon Lin Mo's body.
"Has the Secret Treasure opened?" everyone exclaimed in unison.
After the misty clouds parted and dissipated, the appearance of the valley below was revealed, as if the veil on the face of a goddess had been blown away by the wind.
Surrounded by mountain ranges, the valley below still had some lingering clouds, but with the excellent eyesight of the Martial Artists, it was possible to see the valley blooming with countless flowers, resembling springtime. This contrasted sharply with the surrounding peaks and trees blanketed in white snow, forming an exquisite and vibrant tapestry.
Ning Teng, Wei Zeyu, Mr. Wu, and others fixed their gaze in that direction.
"Kill Lin Mo, then we'll divide the items from the Secret Treasure amongst ourselves," said Ning Teng, casting several spells from his hands.
Mr. Wu's bell shook even more violently, emitting waves of sound. Upon hearing this, the ghost spirits covering the sky became restless and even more fierce, continuously pouncing towards Lin Mo undeterred by the flames around him.
Although the ghost spirits were very afraid of the flames, they feared Mr. Wu's bell even more, charging forward as if they were desperate. Many Evil Ghosts turned to ashes the instant they came into contact with the intense flames, but more ghosts followed relentlessly.
Lin Mo waved his hand, and the underground flames immediately converged into a dragon of fire, surging toward Mr. Wu. It incinerated all the ghost spirits in its path, forcibly carving out a pathway through the sea of ghosts.
Wei Zeyu and Ning Teng launched their killing moves simultaneously. Wei Zeyu charged forward at a speed that instantly seemed to break the sound barrier, producing a series of explosive sounds, rendering him imperceptible to the human eye.
A flesh body breaking the sound barrier was simply unheard of, causing the other Martial Artists to reveal looks of shock.
This must be Wei Zeyu's trump card.
Ning Teng, on the other hand, manipulated his spells, pulling out a golden talisman emitting a bright golden radiance, floating before him.
"Activate the Twelve Heavenly Swords!"
As Ning Teng's words fell, the talisman transformed into a Golden Sword. It bloomed like a flower, generating eleven Golden Light Swords to its left and right sides, all buzzing with energy and seemingly beyond Ning Teng's control.
This talisman was a Sword Talisman, higher in rank than the previously seen Blood Sword Talisman. Coupled with Ning Teng's enhanced strength, the might of these twelve Golden Swords was nearly triple that of the Blood Swords.
Lin Mo ignored Wei Zeyu and Ning Teng entirely and drew his sword to advance, leaving behind a long trail of Ice Trace.
Mr. Wu's eyes showed a look of panic as he couldn't help but curse loudly, "Damn it, why are you always targeting me instead of those two?"
While speaking, the copper bell shook, and countless ghost spirits converged before Mr. Wu as a shield.
"Break!"
Lin Mo shouted coldly, his voice imbued with Spiritual Energy that shattered the ghost spirits. He leaped forward, and a silver streak cut through the air, bringing an immensely powerful force with it.
At the same time, Ning Teng extended both hands, his eyes flashing with a cold light as he commanded, "Ascend, Twelve Heavenly Swords!"
Whoosh whoosh whoosh!!
The Golden Light Swords streaked through the air, each leaving a golden tail behind. The interwoven tails of the twelve swords formed a deadly Killing Array, shooting towards Lin Mo.
Wei Zeyu's fist, like an Azure Dragon emerging, came with an overwhelming momentum.
Lin Mo disregarded the attacks from these two and slashed directly at Mr. Wu.
"You dare!" Mr. Wu didn't finish his sentence before Lin Mo's sword light, carrying the prestige of heaven and earth, came slashing down. A silver light swept across the copper bell, continuing down Mr. Wu's forehead.
The copper bell was cleaved into two, and a thin line of blood slowly emerged on Mr. Wu's forehead. That single sword strike shattered even his soul.
Although there was a Divine Thought within the bell, it was extinguished by Lin Mo before it could awaken. At the same time, somewhere deep in the mountains of the Northwest Region, a Big Shot opened their eyes, sighed, and then closed them once again.
Simultaneously, the Twelve Light Swords had reached Lin Mo's rear, and Wei Zeyu's Punch Light came surging too.
In an instant, the world thundered with a massive roar, and the tremendous forces shook the heavens and the earth.
By the time the explosion's radiance dispersed, Lin Mo's figure had vanished.
Mr. Wu was dead!
Could it be that Lin Mo fell down the cliff?
The Martial Artists standing halfway up the mountain were dumbfounded. Had Lin Mo, having killed Mr. Wu, now fallen to his death off the cliff after fighting against three top geniuses from major powers?
"Is he dead?" Zhang Yuxuan clenched her fair little hands nervously, her beautiful eyes filled with worry as she looked on.