The person appeared and disappeared unpredictably, moving with astonishing speed. In the blink of an eye, they were beside Ji Mo, unleashing a punch aimed directly at his face.
The Ginseng King couldn't even track the attacker's movements, only seeing a blur before they were suddenly in front of him.
Without a doubt, this was another Spirit Saint, possessing incredibly advanced movement techniques. The sudden assault was truly impossible to defend against.
Even Du Jiuyou showed a flicker of fear, admitting that if he were ambushed like this, he wouldn't be confident in dodging the punch.
Ji Mo remained motionless, appearing unable to react.
Just as he was about to be struck down by the blow, something bizarre happened.
The attacker suddenly convulsed, let out a scream, and was sent flying backward.
His palm was blackened and bloody, struck by a splash of electric arc.
Whether it was Ji Mo's incredible luck or the attacker's sheer misfortune, before even touching Ji Mo, he had triggered the residual lightning power on the ground, taking a lightning strike for nothing.
"Haha, you shameless scoundrel trying to sneak attack, serves you right!"
The Ginseng King burst into laughter.
This person was truly blind to dare lay hands on Mr. Ji; it was a path to their own destruction.
Clinging to Ji Mo's leg, it had the clearest view. As the attacker lunged, Ji Mo had subtly shifted half an inch.
Clearly, this mere half-inch difference was what caused the attacker to suffer such a severe blow.
The attacker's form was then revealed: clad in a black robe, wearing a red skull mask, and exuding a strong aura of bloodlust.
"The demon, Red Skull!"
From the shadows, someone recognized the attacker's identity and cried out in alarm.
Immediately, gasps of shock echoed through the crowd.
Red Skull, a notorious demon, known for his brutal nature and insatiable bloodlust.
No one had ever seen his true face, nor did anyone know his real name.
All that was known was that this demon's hands were stained with blood, countless lives lost to his blade. Where he appeared, death was sure to follow.
Now, with Red Skull's presence here, did it mean that the god of death was about to descend?
Many felt a sense of ill omen, while some of the more timid quietly slipped away, fearing they might attract his deadly attention.
"Retribution? I've killed countless people and never believed in retribution. This brat just got lucky, narrowly escaping this time. Next, I will tear him limb from limb, and then I will stew you, this ginseng, into a pill and consume it."
Red Skull's voice was sinister and terrifying, filled with killing intent.
Though his expression was hidden, it was clear that the face beneath the mask must have been contorted in fury.
It was too humiliating. His sneak attack had failed, and he'd been struck by lightning, with so many people watching. How could he possibly save face? He had to regain his honor.
Red Skull's form blurred, becoming an afterimage as he launched another assault on Ji Mo.
However, a more unfortunate event occurred.
This time, it wasn't electricity, but fire.
As Red Skull approached Ji Mo, before he could even make a move, the ground beneath his feet erupted with raging flames. The fire surged skyward, engulfing him instantly.
Red Skull was ablaze, and if not for his formidable strength, he would have been roasted alive on the spot.
By the time he extinguished the flames, his black robe was tattered and burnt, his entire being scorched and disheveled, looking utterly pathetic.
Looking at the composed Ji Mo, he finally showed a hint of apprehension.
This was too strange, far too strange.
Not just Red Skull, but everyone else felt something was amiss, believing Ji Mo to be a wolf in sheep's clothing, toying with Red Skull as he pleased.
He appeared plain and ordinary, feigning the harmlessness of a mortal, but in reality, he was cunning.
These powerful individuals immediately added Ji Mo to their list of people not to be provoked, vowing to never cross him in the future.
Du Jiuyou felt a wave of residual fear, grateful that he had restrained himself and not attacked. Otherwise, he would be the one in trouble now.
"Are you blind? There were clearly flickering lightning and surging flames on the ground, yet you foolishly stepped on them. How stupid."
Ji Mo looked at Red Skull with the gaze one reserves for an idiot.
He was unaware that he could easily see the anomalies on the ground, but others could not.
"I'm blind? Stop acting so smug. Do you think you can see them?"
Red Skull's face was ashen, and he let out a cold snort.
The lightning and flames on the ground were untraceable, undetectable even by divine sense, so how could eyes possibly perceive them?
"Of course, I can see them. Hmph, pockmarked."
Ji Mo stared meaningfully at the mask on Red Skull's face.
Pockmarked?
Red Skull felt as if struck by lightning, glaring at Ji Mo intently.
How could this person know he had a pockmarked face? Did he truly see through his mask to his true countenance?
But this mask was a legendary artifact; even the divine sense of a Spirit Emperor couldn't penetrate it!
At this moment, a sliver of fear finally began to grow in Red Skull's heart.
"Oh, so Red Skull is pockmarked!"
Discussions erupted among the onlookers, filled with excitement.
The mysterious and fearsome demon, once imagined, now seemed far less terrifying when one pictured him as pockmarked.
"No wonder he wears a mask; he must be ugly!"
The Ginseng King taunted without reservation.
These words infuriated Red Skull to the point of wanting to vomit blood. His greatest secret had been exposed. What was the origin of this Mr. Ji? He was truly terrifying.
Just then, someone shouted loudly, "Look, the mist has cleared!"
The dense fog to the south had receded, revealing what lay beyond.
The spot where the Bodhi tree had once stood was now empty, as if not even sawdust or leaves remained, everything reduced to ashes.
"The Bodhi tree was ambitious, wanting to achieve ultimate sublimation, and ended up blowing itself up?"
Du Jiuyou speculated.
He had come specifically for the Bodhi tree, only to find his efforts in vain.
"Something's not right. There seems to be a fluctuation of immortal spiritual energy there. The Bodhi tree was likely ambushed."
The Ginseng King's expression grew grave as he sensed an energy signature that did not belong to the Xuan Ling Realm.
Immortal spiritual energy!
The faces of those around them changed drastically, their hearts churning like stormy seas.
Could it be that an immortal from the upper realm had intervened?
But why would they target a Bodhi tree that posed no threat?
Furthermore, the passage between the two realms had been severed long ago. How had this immortal spiritual energy managed to reach this place?
It seemed the situation was far more complex than they had imagined!
"Mr. Ji, don't go! Beware of the killing formation!"
The Ginseng King shouted urgently.
While the others were still discussing, Ji Mo, without a word, strode toward the south, entering the area.
However, he encountered no resistance, and the legendary killing formation remained silent.
"Could it be that after the Bodhi tree disintegrated, the killing formation also vanished?"
The Ginseng King murmured to himself and immediately followed.
Indeed, it was perfectly safe, with no danger whatsoever.
Seeing this, a few individuals could no longer restrain themselves. Their figures transformed into streams of light as they attempted to follow.
However.
These individuals were intercepted by a mysterious force, exploding with a bang and turning into clouds of blood mist!