Chapter 25

Chapter Twenty-Six: Night Battle Against a Strong Enemy

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"Uncle Li, do you think there's something suspicious about this fire beast attack?" Chen Mo, dressed in a green robe, stood in the spirit field, frowning and pondering. "Do you have any evidence?"

"We usually set up traps for beast monsters around the outer fields. But I found that many of these traps had been deliberately destroyed," Li Qian said with a serious and worried expression. "Also, I found these by the collapsed city wall."

Chen Mo took a look and saw several crystal-clear, plump grains of spirit rice.

"I suspect someone is using spirit rice as bait to continuously lure the fire beasts. The purpose is to destroy our spirit fields and reduce our spirit rice production," Li Qian said in a low, angry voice. "The spirit fields will mature in about ten days. If they are severely damaged at this time, the yield will definitely decrease, and we might not even be able to pay the clan's public grain. Someone is definitely trying to force us to sell our last estate at a low price with this ruthless tactic."

Chen Mo closed his eyes and thought for a moment, then nodded. "Uncle Li, I understand. These days, I and Wu'er will stay in the estate to guard the spirit fields. You take the tenants and set up more traps to prevent sabotage and beast attacks. Go ahead and get busy, I'll stay here for a while."

Every time the spirit fields mature, they emit a unique fragrance. If there are beast monsters nearby, they will be attracted. The most difficult to deal with are not the ground-dwelling fire beasts.

The flying beast birds are the most unpredictable.

Beast monsters and beast birds are naturally interested in things that contain spirit energy. Spirit rice is not only effective for cultivators but also has significant effects on those beasts. Their instinctive desire for strength is no less than that of humans.

In the natural world, the law of the jungle prevails.

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For several days, everything was calm.

This night, Chen Mo had just finished his qi cultivation. He planned to patrol the spirit fields first and then continue his practice.

The stars were twinkling, the breeze was gentle, and the spirit fields emitted their unique fragrance, making one feel refreshed and comfortable.

Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the spirit fields.

Chen Mo looked closely and saw a sneaky black shadow darting past, scattering some unknown objects from a bag as it went. When he saw the dense objects clearly, he immediately realized something was wrong. Someone was trying to sabotage the spirit fields by spreading beast insects.

These insect-sized, winged, and terrifying beast insects, once they landed on the spirit grains, used their needle-like mouths to pierce into the grains and suck out the unformed rice milk. These terrifying and fierce little creatures were sheath-winged beast insects, pests that harm spirit fields.

"Scoundrel, stop!" Chen Mo, enraged, flashed over.

"Tsk tsk, you've been discovered. Little scoundrel, you can play with the beast insects. I won't keep you company." The black shadow, whose identity was revealed, was not afraid but instead mocked and then used his body technique to flee towards the outskirts of the estate.

He moved lightly and gracefully, like a willow catkin floating in the wind. Though it seemed slow, it was actually incredibly fast. In just a few breaths, he had gone over ten zhang.

How could Chen Mo let him escape? He immediately let out a fierce cry, alarming the people in the estate, and then pursued him like a rabbit chasing a hawk.

But Chen Mo, who had not cultivated a body technique, only knew how to infuse his feet with mystic qi to achieve lightness and speed. Compared to the other person, he was somewhat clumsy in agility and speed.

The two chased and ran for half an hour, and they were already several miles away.

The masked man darted into a small forest.

Chen Mo hesitated not a moment and followed. First, he had recently made significant progress in the Vajra Fist, feeling his strength had greatly increased, reaching the peak of the initial stage. Second, he observed that the other person was at most a high-stage Spirit Disciple.

"Tsk tsk, little scoundrel, don't you know the rule of not chasing into a forest?" The masked man's mocking voice seemed to come from all directions. Like a ghost, he appeared behind Chen Mo and lightly slapped his back.

It was a perfect ambush.

Chen Mo had already sensed it, but he couldn't dodge in time. A soft and vicious palm struck his left shoulder, causing intense pain. His entire left arm went numb and painful, as if pierced by ten thousand needles.

"Tsk, little scoundrel, if you seek death, don't blame me." The black-clothed man looked at Chen Mo with disdain. Having reached the high-stage Spirit Disciple, just one step away from becoming a Spirit Master, he found this mere mid-stage Spirit Disciple presumptuous and unworthy of his attention. Since he had chased so far, he would play with him.

"You destroyed my spirit fields, do you think you can leave alive?" Chen Mo, though in intense pain in his left arm, gritted his teeth and immediately directed a portion of the Bright Mystic Qi and green aura to flow into his injured left arm like a gentle stream. The slightly cool and life-giving aura alleviated the pain and nourished the injured flesh and meridians.

The black-clothed man saw the other person close his eyes to rest, sweating profusely, but his face gradually turned rosy, as if a withered flower had been refreshed by a gentle rain. He decided to take advantage of the moment to deliver a fatal blow, a method he often used.

He held his breath, used the Willow Catkin Body Technique, and moved like a swift, agile swallow. A vicious and deadly palm was brewing in his hand, ready to strike the other person's vital points, ensuring the arrogant young man would die on the spot.

"Vajra Path!" Chen Mo's eyes snapped open, like a sleeping beast suddenly awakened. He instantly channeled all his mystic qi into his right fist, which became as hard as a rock. In a solid stance, he swung his right fist from right to left, passing by his chest with a gust of wind. Though the time was short, the Vajra Fist, swift as a dragon emerging from the sea and heavy as a mountain, burst out with great power.

"Bang~" The muffled sound of the fist and palm meeting startled the once quiet forest. Birds were startled and flew away in all directions.

The black-clothed man, who thought he had a sure victory, was completely unprepared for the Vajra Path. The iron-hard fist struck his palm, and he grunted, feeling his entire arm as if it had shattered, losing all sensation. He staggered back a few steps, holding his right arm with his left hand, staring at Chen Mo with shock, his previous disdain now replaced by surprise.

"Good Vajra Path, it seems you are almost at the 'slightly accomplished' stage. But even if you reach that stage, you will still die at my hands." The black-clothed man, regaining feeling in his right arm, sneered.

Having been ambushed once, Chen Mo had a better understanding of the other person's fighting style. He deliberately closed his eyes, feigning a weakness. While healing, he focused all his attention on his ears, listening carefully to the changes in the surroundings. Though the black-clothed man had perfected his ambush technique, Chen Mo still detected it.

Chen Mo's caution and meticulousness perfectly showcased the power of the Vajra Fist.

"Destroying my spirit fields, do you think you can leave alive today?" After the healing, Chen Mo had largely recovered. He stood straight, pointing at the black-clothed man's face with a determined and cold look.

Though the black-clothed man was at a disadvantage, it was due to his earlier carelessness. If they fought a proper battle, with his high-stage Spirit Disciple level, he was confident he could defeat Chen Mo easily.

"Hmph, a mere youth, still wet behind the ears, daring to speak such arrogance. Watch me flay you and tear out your tendons tonight." The black-clothed man's eyes twitched as the intense pain in his right arm gradually subsided.

The black-clothed man resumed the Willow Catkin Body Technique, circling around Chen Mo. Under the starlight, he moved like a beast bird in the night, floating and darting, ready to strike at any moment.

Chen Mo, of course, did not dare to relax. He fixed his eyes on the black-clothed man, knowing that his earlier success was partly due to luck. Given the other person's high-stage Spirit Disciple level, a close combat might not be advantageous.

"Roar~" The black-clothed man roared, like riding an invisible dragon, charging at Chen Mo. Mystic qi gathered in his left palm, and the wind and clouds stirred in the forest, leaves flying.

"Wind Shatters Ten Thousand Trees."

Wind Shatters Ten Thousand Trees, a middle-grade mystic technique. If practiced to perfection, it could indeed destroy ten thousand trees. The black-clothed man had only reached the peak of the initial stage, but its power was still enough to shatter a hundred-year-old pine tree, let alone a mere human body, which would suffer bone fractures and tendon tears.

Chen Mo felt a strong wind rushing towards him, like an invisible tidal wave engulfing him. The intense air pressure made breathing difficult. He knew the other person had used his ultimate move. If he could withstand this round, he would have a chance to counterattack.

"Ten Thousand Years Green!"

At the same time, Chen Mo clenched his teeth, firmly planted his stance, and held his fists at his chest, like a towering tree with roots deeply embedded in the earth. His legs were as stable as roots, seemingly merging with the earth, forming an unbreakable, integrated defense. A green barrier with a hint of white light enveloped his body.

"Roar~" The black-clothed man's left palm, carrying a fierce wind, struck Chen Mo's back with a powerful palm.

Though Chen Mo had used Ten Thousand Years Green to its limit, the power disparity was significant. The protective mystic qi barrier shattered like a water tank under extreme pressure. The massive impact struck his body, forcing him to stagger back several steps. A wave of blood rushed to his throat, and he spat out a mouthful of blood.

"Phew~" Chen Mo bent over, panting heavily. The blow not only damaged his body but also consumed a lot of mystic qi. If he took another few palms, he would either die or suffer severe internal injuries.

"Hmph." The black-clothed man chuckled, knowing that despite Chen Mo's intelligence, the power gap was too great. The blow had indeed produced the result he wanted.

"Though you have some talent, you are still inexperienced. Dying here is truly a pity, as you had a bright future." The black-clothed man's eyes were filled with mockery, feeling very pleased with himself.

One more palm, and he would be obliterated.

"Wind Shatters Ten Thousand Trees!" The black-clothed man used the Willow Catkin Body Technique to leap high, striking down with a palm towards Chen Mo's crown. The dust, stones, and leaves within a few meters of Chen Mo were blown away by the powerful wind. He felt his knees about to buckle.

"Vajra Supports the Pagoda!"

Chen Mo immediately sank his qi into his dantian, his body's strength bursting forth. He concentrated his palms, which were neither fully open nor fully closed, and planted his stance, lifting his hands from below, like a Vajra Arhat, as powerful as a king lifting a tripod, supporting the black-clothed man's arm.

This move, "Vajra Supports the Pagoda," was executed at this moment, like a stroke of genius, incomparably brilliant.

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