Chapter 249: Presenting the Tokens

Chapter 249: Presenting the Tokens

"The Yin-Yang Immortality Tokens?"

Su Mo looked at the two tokens in his hands and instantly thought of that mysterious martial art.

Yin and Yang are inseparable; they complement each other, creating endless vitality!

But how on earth did these tokens end up here?

He instinctively glanced at the nearby stone wall.

The True Interpretation of Qiankun!

Is this the martial art described on the Yin-Yang Immortality Tokens?

He turned the tokens over and discovered intricate characters etched on each.

But there was no time to scrutinize them now.

After all, Night Lord loomed nearby, watching intently.

Night Lord stood atop a pile of bones, hands behind his back, quietly observing Su Mo.

He was a legendary grandmaster, a formidable force in the demonic realm.

Despite the theft of the Yin-Yang Immortality Tokens, he remained eerily calm.

Instead, he studied Su Mo with a puzzled expression.

Where did this interloper spring from?

His plan was flawless; no one else should have been here.

Where had he miscalculated?

The item Su Mo had stolen was significant, but not worth fretting over.

He could reclaim it whenever he pleased.

Unhurried, he took a moment to survey his surroundings.

His brow furrowed as he muttered, "Where is he?"

"Who?" Su Mo blurted out.

"The one who dwells here," Night Lord replied cryptically.

Night Lord was no mere mortal.

Su Mo's question caught him off guard, but Night Lord's reply was smooth.

"Boring," Su Mo retorted, smirking.

Night Lord shrugged. "If you don't know the resident, their absence is none of your concern."

With that, he fixed his piercing gaze on Su Mo:

"Give it back, it's not yours."

"Interesting."

Su Mo smiled: "This object has 'life' written on one side and 'death' on the other, but I don't see your name anywhere."

"Oh? By the way, I haven't caught your name yet."

"You don't know who I am? And yet you dare to take what's mine?"

The eyes beneath Night Lord's hood narrowed slightly.

"That's not how it works. This item was here, and before it appeared, it belonged to this place.

"Once it appeared, it should go to whoever grabs it first.

"Now that it's in my hands, it's naturally mine."

"..."

Night Lord was momentarily speechless. He had wandered the Eastern Wilderness for years, his skills matching those of the seven sect leaders twice in the last two decades.

His formidable reputation was unparalleled in the martial world.

He never expected that today, someone would dare to mess with him like this.

For a moment, he wasn't sure whether to laugh or cry.

However, the next moment, his finger twitched slightly: "Since you managed to get in here, you must be someone special. Give me the item, and I might let you live..."

As he spoke, Su Mo felt a force coming from his arm.

Instinctively, he was about to reach out.

He couldn't help but think, "Nice move."

As his internal energy flowed, a buzzing sound filled the air, and something in the void seemed to break.

Night Lord's finger twitched again, but this time, it did nothing.

He suddenly looked at Su Mo and asked, "Who the hell are you?"

Though his move was simple, it was nothing special when explained.

But who was this Night Lord?

Even the smallest trick from him was more than most people could handle.

Su Mo stood still, unmoving, and his shadow play technique was cut off, showing that his opponent had incredible internal energy.

From Su Mo's looks and voice, he clearly wasn't some hidden old monster.

At his age, he must be someone famous in the martial world.

"How about this..."

Su Mo said, smiling: "I'll ask you a question, and you answer honestly. Then you ask me one, and I'll do the same. Sound good?"

Night Lord was momentarily stunned, then suddenly laughed:

"Interesting. Fine, I'll ask first."

"No."

Su Mo waved his hand: "Since I made the proposal, how can I let you ask first?"

"Hmm? What do you mean?"

Night Lord gave Su Mo a cold glance, then suddenly smiled: "Fine, go ahead and ask your question."

"What is your relationship with the people in this place?"

Su Mo's first question left Night Lord slightly stunned.

For a moment, he was silent.

Su Mo wasn't in a hurry; he simply waited quietly, observing Night Lord's breath and state.

Finally, he couldn't help but let out a sigh.

The Three Yuan Ghost Soul Startling Formation of the Youquan Cult seems to be nothing special after all.

Night Lord broke through the formation all the way here without sustaining a single injury.

I really don't know what those two banner commanders are up to?

Inside the Jade Willow Villa, there was still the technique of surging black blood and the convergence of myriad transformations, but why wouldn't they even use that move in this ghostly forest?

If the banner commanders of the Youquan Cult heard Su Mo's thoughts, they would be livid.

The disciples of the Youquan Cult within the Three Yuan Ghost Soul Startling Formation are all elites selected through rigorous screening.

Having them practice the formation day and night, familiarizing themselves with every aspect of it, already requires a significant amount of time and effort.

How could they just casually use the surging black blood and the convergence of myriad transformations?

Moreover, everyone has their limits. If they could gather thousands of people to execute this move, even Night Lord, with all his power, would find it hard to withstand.

But... if it really came to that, the most likely outcome would be that they themselves would be blown to pieces by the energy condensed from this move.

It would save Night Lord a great deal of trouble.

Su Mo having such thoughts is just him talking without understanding the pain.

Just as he was thinking this, he heard Night Lord speak softly:

"This person and I are both teacher and friend to each other."

Su Mo's eyebrows lifted slightly: "Oh?"

Both teacher and friend... This term is quite intriguing.

This person probably isn't Night Lord's mentor; otherwise, how could they be called a friend?

But they have taught Night Lord something.

However, what did Night Lord learn from this man?

And how did they become allies?

As these thoughts arose in his mind, he heard Night Lord ask coldly:

"My turn now, who are you?"

This question had been bothering him, and he couldn't hold it back any longer.

Even though he knew this little game they were playing didn't mean much.

In the end, it would inevitably come down to a physical confrontation to determine the winner.

But Night Lord was fearless; even if he suffered a slight setback in this game, once he captured this man and subjected him to harsh interrogation, he could easily get any information he wanted.

So, now he just wanted to know the answer.

Su Mo didn't hesitate and laughed out loud:

"I am who I am, the deputy hall master of the Tenth Hall of Wusheng Hall... Ren Xiongfei!"

"Bullshit!"

Night Lord exploded: "Kid, how dare you trick me?"

"Oh?"

Su Mo raised an eyebrow: "This statement leaves me a bit confused. How can Night Lord be so sure that I am not Ren Xiongfei?"

"...The deputy hall master of the Tenth Hall of Wusheng Hall, even I have heard of him.

"You're just a kid in your twenties, while Ren Xiongfei is at least in his forties. How could you be the same guy?"

Night Lord said coldly: "You're full of tricks, totally untrustworthy."

Su Mo laughed heartily:

"Night Lord lives east of the Eastern Wilderness, with Tianqu City as a natural barrier. Yet you know so much about a deputy hall master of one of Wusheng Hall's twelve halls. Truly, Night Lord doesn't need to leave his home to know what's going on in the world."

"Enough chatter."

With that, Night Lord suddenly curled his five fingers.

Five shadows shot up, one flying into the air and slashing down from above.

Two shadows aimed for the vital points on the chest and abdomen, while the last two wrapped around Su Mo's feet, pinning him to the Bone Mountain.

"Capture this kid, and then we'll get to the bottom of this."

He had been playing this game with Su Mo just for fun.

Since Su Mo wasn't following the rules of the game he had set, treating Night Lord as someone easy to push around, naturally, there was no point in further talk.

It was time to act!

Night Lord's shadow magic, performed by himself, was naturally extraordinary.

Not only was it done silently, but every move was as fast as the wind, making it tough to counter.

But standing against him was none other than Su Mo!

A sudden surge of internal energy erupted, resonating with a muffled roar of a dragon and the tolling of a great bell, bursting forth from within.

The surrounding shadows were instantly scattered like dry leaves caught in a fierce gale.

The internal energy imbued in the shadow puppets paled in comparison to Su Mo's immense power.

The shadows were flung aside by the energy, and for a moment, even the Night Lord lost control, his heart jolted with surprise.

As he glanced up, the Purple Sun Divine Palm was already hurtling toward him.

He swiftly channeled his energy into his palms, raising them to block the strike as their hands clashed.

But Su Mo sensed that the Purple Sun Divine Palm strike was both tangible and deceptive.

The real strike grazed and vanished instantly, while the illusion was weightless, a mere shadow puppet.

In the blink of an eye, a silent palm strike was already at Su Mo's back.

"What a move, the Purple Sun Divine Palm. This lord is pleasantly surprised."

The palm strike aimed at Su Mo's back, its force not yet fully unleashed, but the Five Demons Heavenly Demon Qi had already seeped out, poised to infiltrate his body.

But just then, a thunderous bell toll erupted from within Su Mo.

A golden bell materialized, encasing Su Mo completely.

The Night Lord's palm froze, the golden bell unyielding as a mountain. No matter his strength, it stood unmoved.

The malevolent energy of the Five Demons Heavenly Demon Qi disintegrated on impact, utterly vanquished.

Worse yet, the bell's vibrations rebounded with a powerful counterforce.

His heart clenched as he was hurled backward, vanishing into the shadows mid-flight.

Su Mo turned, scanning the void around him, his brow creased in frustration.

"The great Night Lord, I never took you for a coward who hides in the shadows.

"You're a martial world elder, a sect leader. Fighting a junior like me is one thing, but now you're resorting to hide-and-seek?

"Let's be clear—I'm no child. Night Lord, show some dignity and stop acting like a fool."

While speaking nonchalantly, his eyes darted around, searching.

Desperately seeking the Night Lord's silhouette in the shadows.

Simultaneously, he couldn't help but marvel at the techniques of the Eternal Night Demon Scripture.

Back in the Dragon Society, Li Siyun had revealed that the Night Lord mastered Evernight Valley's ultimate secret art.

The Eternal Night Demon Scripture was initially crafted with just seven levels.

Yet, later disciples, despite lifetimes of training, seldom surpassed the third level.

Only under the Night Lord did the seventh level's secrets resurface.

Not stopping there, he sought to innovate, adding three new levels to elevate the scripture to an unprecedented ten-level zenith.

Although these words may sound somewhat exaggerated, the Night Lord has earned a reputation of being invincible at sunset with this martial art, known as the Purple Sun Divine Palm.

This suggests that the skill must be particularly effective in the dark.

Compared to that, stuff like skinning to make clothes or shadow tricks are just small-time tricks.

At this moment, hidden in the darkness, even with Su Mo straining his hearing and vision, he finds it difficult to locate the Night Lord's traces.

Fortunately, there is still a lingering energy signature that lets Su Mo know the Night Lord is still lingering around.

Upon hearing Su Mo's words, the Night Lord's voice comes from all directions:

"Impressive... the Purple Sun Divine Palm...

"You with the Purple Sun Sect?

"No... the Purple Sun Sect definitely doesn't have a master like you in their ranks.

"The power behind that palm strike is something even I wouldn't want to face directly.

"Ah... it's you!!"

The Night Lord's voice grows louder, echoing through every corner of the area.

As his voice fades, Su Mo sees shadowy figures beginning to appear around the Bone Mountain.

Shadow play?

Su Mo's mind races as one of the shadows appears right in front of him.

Clad in black with a hood, the shadow's finger strike arrives in an instant.

The finger strike is razor-sharp, but it feels like an endless night swallowing the sky.

Su Mo's eyes flicker, and with a swift motion, he tears through the darkness, grabbing the finger.

With a casual pull and throw, a tearing sound echoes.

Fragments of the shadow's human skin scatter in the air.

This human skin, tough enough to resist blades and axes, shatters under Su Mo's internal force.

But that's not all; the surrounding figures charge, attacking from all sides, each with their own unique skills!

For a moment, fists, palms, and legs fly, and some even wield sword energy... Su Mo recognizes it as the Heavenly Spring Heart-Cleansing Sword!

Su Mo counters every move, but the techniques are pulled back the moment they touch him, too afraid to fully engage.

He quickly figures out what the Night Lord is up to.

This is just a test.

The Night Lord doesn't know how strong Su Mo really is.

Even if he has tricks up his sleeve, he can't predict the outcome.

So, he uses the shadow tricks from the Eternal Night Demon Record, sending out his human skin shadows to test Su Mo... looking for weaknesses in Su Mo's moves to strike decisively.

As for the true ultimate techniques within the Eternal Night Demon Record, they probably haven't been revealed yet, right?

As this thought crossed his mind, he suddenly pressed down with both hands, exerting force.

Pure Yang internal energy surged forth in an instant.

A burst of purple radiance instantly illuminated the surroundings, and under this light, the pursuing human skin shadows revealed their true forms.

There were no black hoods or robes to be seen.

They were merely dark, lifeless human skins.

As his internal energy surged, a dragon's roar echoed around Su Mo, accompanied by the continuous hum of a great bell.

Su Mo's pressing palms suddenly crossed, purple energy swirling intensely between them.

This was the same Purple Sun Divine Palm that Su Mo had used to kill Sect Leader Youquan.

However, influenced by the Yixuan Divine Art, Su Mo's martial arts had merged, blending his internal energy seamlessly.

The internal energy from the Dragon Elephant Prajna Technique now included the power of the Twelve Gates Golden Bell Shield.

These two forces intertwined, merging with the ultimate techniques of the Purple Sun Sect.

Though not a perfect fusion, it had converted all of Su Mo's internal energy into pure Yang!

Channeling this internal energy into the Purple Sun Divine Palm showcased Su Mo's recent advancements in martial arts.

At that instant, even before the palm wind manifested, a fierce gale had already begun to swirl!

Blazing fiercely, as if the sun itself had descended to tread the earth.

The surrounding skeletons rattled, Su Mo's long hair whipped about, and with a swift motion of his hands, he thrust forward.

As the palm force surged through the air, the human skin shadows, unable to retreat in time, were utterly incinerated by the blazing, sun-like energy, reduced to ashes!

The palm force surged forward, striking the wall inscribed with "The True Interpretation of Qiankun" with fierce intensity.

Shattering the wall into a storm of flying debris!

This act was deliberate on Su Mo's part.

Though he still didn't know the identity of the person concealed here.

The words left behind, the chessboard, and the earlier remarks of the Night Lord all led Su Mo to believe...

That this so-called True Interpretation of Qiankun might conceal deeper secrets!

Furthermore, this item might have been left here specifically for the Night Lord.

Having already committed its contents to memory, why not destroy it?

The sheer power of this palm strike was horrifying, shaking the entire underground space as though it might collapse from Su Mo's single blow.

Even the Night Lord, hidden in the shadows, couldn't help but feel a wave of helplessness at the sight.

But upon glancing at Su Mo again, he noticed his pale face and labored breathing.

Only then did he ease up, giving a slight shake of his head as he pondered:

"In the end, he's still too young..."

But then Su Mo suddenly spoke up:

"Night Lord, come out... if you dare, face me, and let's settle this once and for all!

"Hiding and skulking around—what kind of skill is that?

"The great Night Lord... is this truly your limit?

"To be frank, on this journey, my great master entrusted me with something to deliver to you personally, Night Lord...

"I implore you... show yourself!"

As he spoke these words, Night Lord's palm had already reached behind Su Mo.

This palm was thick with black energy, yet eerily silent—a technique from the Eternal Night Demon Record called "Dark Night Assassination Palm."

As the palm wind struck, even Su Mo, with all his skill, found it hard to resist at this moment—his old strength spent, his new strength not yet replenished.

Only then did Night Lord speak coldly: "What is this?"

"A palm strike!" Su Mo's voice suddenly rang out, making Night Lord's heart skip a beat.

A purple shadow flashed by, and the palm wind missed its mark.

Looking up, he saw Su Mo whirl around and raise his hand to strike.

With a resounding clash, their palms met, and a fierce wind erupted.

"My great master was struck by your Five Demons Heavenly Demon Qi. As the saying goes, it's only polite to return the favor..."

Su Mo looked up and smiled: "Thus, I return the favor with a palm strike, lest I fail to honor the sentiment of your Five Demons Heavenly Demon Qi!!"