Just before this, when Zhong Wu used his "Object Manipulation" technique to block the dishes, Mu Yun had already decided to retreat and was now at the doorway. Third Brother Du, propelled by the powerful kick, happened to be hurled towards the direction of the door. Mu Yun instinctively leaped aside to avoid being hit, but this was seen by the boy surrounded by his retinues.
The boy pointed at Mu Yun, his gaze shifting to the two attendants further out: "You two, go quickly and stop him!"
"Yes!" The two men in black martial attire, upon hearing the command, lunged towards Mu Yun.
"To think such bone structure could be nurtured in the mortal realm! I didn't expect such a gain from this trip. He's perfect to be my puppet child and help me break through my bottleneck." After a thought, the boy muttered displeasedly, "Hmph, if it weren't for these unusual times, it wouldn't be good to expose my identity too early. Mere mortal martial artists are easily captured, why bother mingling with these ruffians?"
Mu Yun, of course, was unaware of this person's thoughts. Seeing disaster inexplicably befall him, he cursed inwardly, exerted force in his legs, and immediately rushed out of the room, intending to use the cover of night to hide in the forest.
"Brat, for our young master to take a liking to you is your good fortune. Surrender obediently, and let us two brothers finish our task early to enjoy fine wine and fresh meat."
"Haha..." Mu Yun's hearty laughter echoed from the forest. "This young master also fancies your delicate-skinned young master. How about he becomes my flute-playing boy? What do you two think?"
"Audacious!" The two pursuers cursed angrily. "How dare you disrespect our young master like that! Once we two brothers capture you, we will surely break your limbs and have our young master personally cut off your vile tongue to go with his wine."
"Hmph, then come and try!" Mu Yun snorted coldly, no longer wasting words, plunging headfirst into the dark forest and sprinting with all his might. After a long while, he noticed no more movement behind him, thinking he had shaken off the two, and stopped to rest.
However, not long after, he heard voices from behind: "Little thief, you run fast, but your grandpas are here now, wait patiently."
Mu Yun took a deep breath, and after a moment of thought: "I've been traversing the forest since childhood, and my footwork is a bit faster than these two ruffians. But these two ruffians seem to be in the Body Tempering realm and are familiar with some kind of tracking method; I can't shake them off. This won't do."
"Perhaps I should try changing directions multiple times first. If that doesn't work, I'll have no choice but to fight to the death."
Thinking this, he leaped down from the branch. With a few agile bounds, his figure vanished, his speed more than thirty percent faster.
For the next hour, Mu Yun changed directions multiple times based on the terrain, and created several false trails to mislead his pursuers.
At this moment, the boy was leaning against a gnarled tree root, waiting for the pursuers to arrive.
Within a few breaths, footsteps sounded from behind.
"They're here," Mu Yun thought to himself, quietly clutching the bamboo slip he used for chopping purple bamboo in his hand. The bamboo slip in his palm exuded a faint coolness, and Mu Yun remained exceptionally calm.
"Little thief, your legs are soft now, can't run anymore, eh? You're quite cunning. If it weren't for us brothers having a special tracking method, we really would have fallen for your misleading trick."
"Indeed." A sharp glint flashed in Mu Yun's eyes. Then, with half the speed he had used before, he stumbled forward, making it seem as if his strength was utterly depleted and he was very tired.
At this point, the two men in black official uniforms also stopped their pursuit. One of them whispered, "The little thief is young after all, and now he seems exhausted. Let's both rest briefly, then fight with all our might, aiming to finish him in one blow. Afterwards, we'll quickly report back. But be careful, don't kill him in one strike."
The other man nodded, looking confident of success and eager for reward.
On the other side, Mu Yun moved another dozen meters forward, then stripped off his upper garment and placed it beneath a tree root, baring his torso. At the same time, he concealed himself behind a hundred-year-old pine tree.
Subsequently, a faint white glow flashed and enveloped Mu Yun. The boy activated the bamboo slip and lay in wait.
Footsteps drew nearer. The two men in black martial attire were less than ten meters from Mu Yun. They exchanged glances, gripped their sabers, and one of them pointed towards Mu Yun's pile of clothes, making an attacking gesture.
In an instant, the two suddenly accelerated. The withered leaves around them were stirred up by the rapidly advancing air current, rolling in all directions.
In a few breaths, the two had reached the spot where Mu Yun's clothes were piled. One of them did not hold back his strength at all, slashing his saber towards Mu Yun's clothes.
"Not good, the little thief is playing tricks!" The other man, who hadn't swung his saber, saw that the pile on the ground was clothes, not Mu Yun himself, and knew it was a trick. His feet did not stop for a moment, and he sprinted forward.
The man who had swung his saber, because he hadn't held back his force, had struck air, and his body paused slightly.
At this moment, Mu Yun, hidden behind the ancient pine, swung down from the tree canopy, his right fist, filled with power, striking directly. By the time the black-clad man reacted, it was clearly too late.
With a muffled bang, the black-clad man was directly struck by hundreds of jin of force. After falling, he struggled to get up, stumbled a few steps, then collapsed to the ground, motionless, his face etched with disbelief!
Mu Yun, having succeeded in one strike, didn't stop. With a few swift leaps, he picked up the saber of the fallen black-clad man and swiftly moved away.
"Zhong Neng!" The other black-clad man exclaimed, utterly shocked that Zhong Neng had died in just a few breaths.
"The little thief is definitely not as weak as he seems." Seeing Mu Yun disappear into the forest again, he did not pursue. After a brief thought, he went to his companion, confirmed his death, then drew his saber, stood alert, and looked around.
"Heh... little thief, surrender obediently. No one our young master takes a liking to has ever escaped. Even if we perish here, others will come, in endless waves!" This black-clad man assumed an attacking stance, seemingly ready to unleash a killing move at the slightest rustle.
"Judging by your cultivation, you're only in the middle stage of Body Tempering. Killing Zhong Neng with a despicable trick like a sneak attack was just luck. Why don't you come out and fight fairly! Prove your dao heart?" The black-clad man shouted, trying to provoke Mu Yun into showing himself.
For a moment, there was still no sound, and the man's expression gradually turned cold. He muttered coldly to himself, "Since that's the case, I will report back to my young master. When he sees me returning without success, he will certainly vent his anger and punish me. Hehe... Before that, I might as well slaughter a village to vent my hatred! Hehe..." As he spoke, his expression actually held a hint of excitement and madness.
With that, he actually turned and rapidly moved in another direction. About twenty
li away, there was a village.
In the darkness, Mu Yun narrowed his eyes, staring intently at the black-clad man, filled with boundless rage. "This group of people disregards human life, truly lawless to this extent."
Seeing him about to disappear into the distance, Mu Yun took a deep breath and coldly commanded:
"Stop!"
Mu Yun knew clearly that his killing of Zhong Neng was largely due to the opponent's underestimation and his own sneak attack. This black-clad man, however, was clearly experienced in combat, not comparable to Zhong Neng. But seeing this vicious individual intent on slaughtering ordinary people, Mu Yun truly could not stand by and do nothing.
His rapid movement stopped. The black-clad man heard the command, a cold smile appearing on his lips. He slowly turned towards the source of the voice.
"Little ghost, you finally dare to show yourself. I will break every inch of your bones to avenge my dead brother!" His voice was deep and hoarse, as if every word was squeezed through clenched teeth.
Ten zhang away, Mu Yun's eyes flickered between light and shadow, his expression gradually calming. "Who are you people? Why are you relentlessly pursuing me, and treating human lives like ants?"
The other man sneered, not bothering to reply, instead saying, "A remote place, mere mortals, dare to ask about lives." This man was clearly well-trained and unusually decisive. Seeing Mu Yun appear, he wasted no more words and was the first to charge towards Mu Yun. He locked onto Mu Yun's aura, thus cutting off Mu Yun's means of stealth.
Mu Yun also said nothing, rushing towards the opponent's direction, stirring up a gust of wind. In an instant, the two collided, their weapons clashing dozens of times within a few breaths. In the dark forest, continuous
thump-thump-thump sounds echoed.
The brief exchange was intensely fierce. Their figures shifted rapidly under the moonlight, sword light and saber shadows, broken wood flying. The more they fought, the more the black-clad man was startled: "This little ghost, with no fixed moves or styles, but his strength is abnormally great. His stamina seems inexhaustible. I must find a way to finish him in one blow."
Little did he know that Mu Yun's body had been tempered by Elder Zhu since childhood, every step taken with extreme solidity. At this moment, although Mu Yun had acquired a few more wounds, his eyes grew even brighter, gradually familiarizing himself with his opponent's fighting style.
At this moment, Mu Yun unleashed a powerful horizontal slash, which the black-clad man blocked with his saber. But Mu Yun did not continue to attack; instead, he retreated with a few quick leaps, creating distance between them. Zhong Yu's hand, gripping the saber hilt, trembled slightly. He suppressed the shock in his heart, his gaze once again fixed on Mu Yun.
This ruffian's strength is immense, comparable to a martial cultivator of the same rank in the outer sects. Fortunately, he lacks discipline and proper technique, so his martial arts cultivation isn't high. It seems I'll have to use 'techniques' to suppress him.
"This move is 'Swift Wind Slash,' I've killed countless people with it since I learned it, and finally earned the young master's approval, fortunate enough to be directly dispatched by him..." The man muttered to himself. "Who would have thought this little ghost would be so troublesome? I must go all out to seize this chance at survival."
In an instant, the black-clad man's aura changed. Tangible airflow swirled around his body. He raised his saber in his right hand and pointed it distantly at Mu Yun, and the whistling wind grew louder.
Mu Yun raised his guard to the highest level, knowing that the opponent was serious.
"Here he comes!" Mu Yun thought to himself. In an instant, the black-clad man vanished from his spot. The dense forest was already dark, and now his figure completely disappeared, only the whistling wind could be heard.
"He's on the left!" Mu Yun, relying on his keen intuition, retreated rapidly to the right, narrowly dodging an attack. Turning back, the patch of vegetation where he had stood was cut in half.
The whistling wind continued relentlessly, pursuing Mu Yun. Where the wind passed, no grass grew!
Mu Yun staggered backward, his mind racing.
"Swift Wind Slash, as swift as the wind, increases attack speed, but reduces lethality. I absolutely cannot be flustered by this technique."
Mu Yun glanced sideways, seeing that while the surrounding vegetation was broken, the sturdier trees were mostly undamaged. He immediately understood, suddenly enlightened, and even actively met the enemy.
But in this exchange, although Mu Yun responded to every move, he still did not have a speed advantage. He narrowly avoided critical points, but gained a few more wounds on his body.
Seeing Mu Yun falter, the black-clad man sneered, "Little ghost, surrender now, and you can live a few more days. To be the young master's puppet child is a blessing from your ancestors."
At the brink of life and death, Mu Yun's expression was almost cold. He gripped the saber hilt tightly, as if in a meditative state.
At this moment, the black-clad man, transformed into a hurricane, attacked once more. But Mu Yun no longer dodged. Instead, he met the attack head-on, slashing downwards diagonally. A white light flashed in the night, followed by a loud "clanging!" sound, like a sudden thunderclap on flat ground!
"Bamboo Chopping Technique!!"
Countless chops over decades, thousands of times, condensed into a single saber strike, unleashed at this moment. This was not a technique, yet it surpassed techniques. Revy breathed slightly, then suddenly looked up, locking onto his opponent.
Under this one strike, the black-clad man felt an immense threat. In haste, he switched from offense to defense, raising his saber to block. But the immense force transmitted through the blade into his body still sent him flying.
"Pffft," The black-clad man stood up, leaning against a tree, and suddenly a mouthful of blood sprayed from his mouth. He then took out a few pills and put them in his mouth, glaring at Mu Yun like a wounded, ferocious wolf. This man was indeed well-trained and battle-hardened; these actions were completed almost in the blink of an eye.
"Boy, where are you from? Report your sect," the black-clad man spoke, with a hint of doubt. Seeing Mu Yun's young age and his ability to use such saber techniques, he thought it was a technique. He then recalled Mu Yun's previous act of concealing his aura from thin air, and assumed Mu Yun was a disciple of some immortal sect. If he was an immortal sect disciple, he wouldn't be overly reprimanded when he returned to his young master after this setback. This was what he thought.
"What sect are you from, and why are you so lawless, presuming to kill people wantonly?" Mu Yun mimicked him, pretending to be a disciple of some sect in the world.
"Yinsu Sect, Zhong Yu!" After a brief thought, the black-clad man spoke grimly.
Upon hearing Zhong Yu's self-introduction, Mu Yun's expression relaxed, indicating an "Aha!" moment.
"Genesis Sect, Mu Yun!" For some reason, Mu Yun blurted out the name of the "Genesis" spacecraft, which did not belong to his memories.
"Genesis Sect..." Zhong Yu pondered for a moment, seemingly unable to find any related memories in his mind. But the world was vast; it wasn't surprising that there were sects he didn't know about.
"So we are fellow Daoists after all. My apologies," Zhong Yu changed his usual demeanor and tried to get closer. It wasn't that Zhong Yu was accustomed to this approach, but he felt a sense of danger from Mu Yun, and his chances of winning against him were uncertain.
However, his next sentence pushed himself into eternal damnation.
"Daoist Mu, our previous pursuit of you was our mistake. Who would have thought we'd meet a fellow cultivator in this remote mortal land? We thought you were just a common martial artist."
Mu Yun carefully weighed these words. Although his heart churned with shock, his expression remained unchanged.
"Oh? So, Daoist, you can casually capture and kill these mortals?"
Zhong Yu was stunned. Ever since he became associated with the Yinsu Sect, local powers would give way somewhat. Occasionally, when killing mortals in other factions' jurisdictions, as long as it wasn't excessive, no one would question it. This had worked for many years.
"Although the various sects in the cultivation world have an agreement not to casually interfere with the mortal world, in this remote place, killing mere mortals is like stepping on an ant; who would pay attention? Daoist, you won't feel sorry for them, right? Haha."
Mu Yun understood inwardly, but his eyes grew colder.
"Daoist?" Mu Yun said expressionlessly, "Your Excellency wantonly kills for pleasure. How can you speak of being a fellow Daoist? Moreover, Your Excellency also appears to be of Body Tempering cultivation. Do you truly believe you have leaped over the dragon gate and become a phoenix on a branch?"
Zhong Yu was stunned, never expecting Mu Yun's retort. He sneered, "Even if we are outer disciples of the Yinsu Sect, we have still embarked on the path of cultivation. How can ordinary mortals understand its profound mysteries?"
Having said that, he changed his tone and said coldly, "Daoist, with your Body Tempering cultivation, since you have learned such a technique, you must have encountered some fortunate opportunity. Do you truly want to fight to the death? Although I am also a Body Tempering martial cultivator, I am ultimately a member of the Yinsu Sect!"
"Our paths differ; we cannot conspire together!"
Mu Yun sneered, no longer speaking, merely shaking his head. Then he raised his saber, pointing it at Zhong Yu.
Zhong Yu saw that negotiations were fruitless and immediately changed his aura.
"Little ghost, even if we are fellow cultivators, killing someone in the wilderness is just killing. Do you really think I'm afraid of you?" This Zhong Yu was indeed cunning. While talking to Mu Yun, he used medicine to recover eighty to ninety percent from the injuries inflicted by Mu Yun's previous attack.
"Since you don't know what's good for you, then die!" Zhong Yu was the first to transform into a hurricane and charged forward.
Mu Yun adopted a horse stance, gripped his saber with both hands, his eyes bright and fixed ahead. Suddenly, he raised his saber from bottom to top, then swung it down from top to bottom, as if chopping purple bamboo for years, retracting and releasing force! In an instant, a pure white light, accompanied by fierce winds, surged with his swing.
This time, both sides were fighting desperately. Zhong Yu wanted to seize the initiative with speed, while Mu Yun sought to break all techniques with brute force.
When the fierce winds dissipated, a radius of several zhang was barren. Mu Yun sheathed his saber, put on his clothes, and then hurried towards the inn. For many years, when Elder Zhu and Mu Yun traveled to Qingchuan City, they would always stop at the inn to buy tea. Over time, they had become somewhat familiar with the innkeeper and others. Upon learning of the Yinsu Sect's behavior, Mu Yun naturally felt deeply worried.