Chapter 251: Blood Stains the Long Street!

Chapter 251: Blood Stains the Long Street!

Pursued all the way here, Su Mo once again used the Purple Sun Divine Palm, carrying a sword case on his back.

Even if Night Lord wasn't exceptionally intelligent, even a dull person would have recognized Su Mo by now.

Moreover, Night Lord's plans along the river were thwarted by Su Mo.

Even matters related to The Heavenly Spring's Twelve Swords always seemed to involve Su Mo, never straightforward.

Last night, he had just received a message from The Heavenly Spring's Twelve Swords, stating that Su Mo knew nothing about it.

Thus, he had come to the Wraith Courtyard feeling at ease.

In truth, for Night Lord, whether Su Mo knew about this was hardly a concern.

After all, when would Night Lord ever care about someone like Su Mo?

The problem was, once Su Mo knew, the seven major sects would inevitably be on guard.

All his efforts could end up benefiting someone else.

This was something he could not accept.

Therefore, when he got that letter last night, Night Lord thought his plan had succeeded.

But then... Su Mo was right there, waiting for him in the Wraith Courtyard.

What's more, he hadn't expected Su Mo's martial arts to be so advanced.

Even with his mastery of the Eternal Night Demon Record, he was no match for Su Mo!

So he understood why Su Mo, knowing he was after the Wraith Courtyard, hadn't alerted the seven major sects.

With his skills, Su Mo didn't need the seven major sects' help.

By now, the chaos in the Wraith Courtyard was a total failure.

But Night Lord wasn't the type to dwell on failure.

Faced with defeat, his first thought was to save his own skin and find a way out.

So he yelled:

"Do you really not give a damn about Liuyin City?"

Since Su Mo was from the Purple Sun Sect, he couldn't just abandon his fellow sect members in Liuyin City!

Instead of words, Su Mo responded with the Flicking Finger technique.

Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!

Blades of sharp wind flew at him, forcing Night Lord to dodge quickly.

Only then did Su Mo's words reach Night Lord:

"Liuyin City's got it covered, no need for you to sweat it. Night Lord, just worry about saving your own neck."

Silence.

I swear I'll kill you!!!

While fleeing in panic, Night Lord silently swore.

In a flash, he used "Abandoning Light for Darkness" again, disappearing into the shadows.

Unlike the underground depths, the starry night here was quite bright.

Night Lord's Eternal Night Demon Record was most powerful in complete darkness.

In this environment, it might work against others, but against Su Mo, it would only buy Night Lord a few moments.

But the area was vast... a few moments were enough for Night Lord to escape.

Su Mo's Purple Sun Sect energy was powerful, but it wasn't actual sunlight.

The purple light was just his energy, not real light.

Here, it wouldn't be as effective as underground.

As he thought it over, a chill ran down his spine.

He jumped up and heard three loud bangs.

Three deep holes had already been blasted into the tree behind him.

"Was that a coincidence?"

Night Lord's heart raced, and he didn't dare stay still.

After moving several times, he saw Su Mo flicking his fingers, randomly striking and scattering leaves...

"What the...?"

Night Lord watched coldly, though he was impressed by Su Mo's energy.

His finger-flicking technique was incredible, and the energy he released was shocking.

And it kept coming, without end.

His energy was clearly immense.

But Night Lord was torn.

Should he run now, or fight Su Mo again?

Honestly, he had lost today—his skills were no match.

But Su Mo had gone too far with the insults!

Especially calling him a "dog-headed fool"—no one had ever dared insult him like that!

This was the worst humiliation he'd ever faced.

How could he just walk away?

But this Su Mo...

He was truly cunning, and his martial arts were unfathomable. How could he also have so many tricks up his sleeve? Tricky and underhanded—how could anyone call him righteous?

In his current state, how could he be sure that Su Mo wasn't just acting again?

Perhaps he had already seen through his actions and was just waiting for him to take the bait?

After much deliberation, he finally decided to leave without hesitation.

Just as he was about to move, he heard the sound of wind rushing behind him.

Su Mo, who had been randomly attacking, had already caught up to him.

Night Lord was momentarily terrified and cursed furiously:

"Su, you are utterly shameless!!!"

"???"

Su Mo was baffled. From the beginning, their encounter had been a contest of martial arts and wits.

Whoever was a step slower would inevitably be hit.

Although Su Mo was cunning, was Night Lord truly so naive and easy to deceive?

What was the point of such cursing?

He laughed heartily and said:

"Thank you for the praise, Night Lord, but Su Mo is unworthy. Please stop for a moment, and let's start over, shall we?"

"If I believe another word from you, I will retire from the martial world!!"

Night Lord spoke through gritted teeth.

"This... why so extreme? Night Lord, are you really so petty that you would say such a thing? Are you no better than a childish brat on the street?"

Su Mo was momentarily speechless, but then his eyes twinkled as he said: "How about I tell you another truth?"

"...What truth?"

As they both used their lightness skills to flee, they casually exchanged words, seemingly unaffected by their situation.

Su Mo seemed to seize this opportunity to say:

"Night Lord's schemes have all been seen through by Su Mo.

"Even if Night Lord can escape today, it will be increasingly difficult for him to stir up trouble in the Eastern Wilderness!! Why not surrender now, and Su Mo will spare your life, allowing you to enjoy your remaining years in peace?"

"Nonsense!!"

Night Lord roared, "If you really knew..."

But he stopped himself.

The reasoning was simple. If Su Mo truly knew everything, why would he say such things now?

The more he spoke like this, the more it showed that his knowledge was limited.

He was trying to get the truth out of Night Lord.

Although Night Lord was currently overwhelmed with anger and on the verge of speaking without thinking, he managed to swallow his words just in time.

Su Mo just laughed out loud:

"You don’t trust what you should, and you stubbornly believe what you shouldn’t.

"Even if you manage to slip away this time, dare I ask, Sect Leader Ye... do you really think you’ll still dare to cross me in the future?"

"...Who wants to be your enemy?"

Sect Leader Ye was seething with rage.

From the very beginning, Su Mo had been the one to wreck his plans.

He had planned to use the riverside stronghold as a key part of his strategy.

But Su Mo had blown his cover.

He had intended to use the Tianqu Sword Debate as a cover to scheme against the Wraith Courtyard in the Ghostly Forest, to find the person hidden underground.

But Su Mo had outmaneuvered him, even snatching the Yin-Yang Life and Death Token that was meant for him.

None of this was any of Su Mo’s business.

Yet Su Mo had been meddling and ruining his plans, leaving him in this sorry state.

And now, Su Mo was spouting such nonsense, making him utterly detestable and infuriating.

"Sect Leader Ye, since you’re an enemy of the righteous path, that naturally makes you my enemy.

"Though I wouldn’t call myself a saint, I can’t let you and your kind get away with this.

"If Sect Leader Ye could turn his back on the darkness and step into the light, with your skills and smarts, you could easily make a name for yourself."

As Su Mo spoke, his Flicking Finger technique kept up without pause.

Even as they entered the Ghostly Forest, with Sect Leader Ye casually chatting, Su Mo kept close, never losing sight of him.

Instead, Sect Leader Ye, rattled and off his game, forgot to use the sound transmission technique to navigate the Ghostly Forest’s maze and escape.

His mind was consumed by Su Mo’s words and the stakes of the situation, leaving him trapped with no way out—no escape to the heavens or the earth.

For a moment, he was utterly vexed.

At this moment, Su Mo's voice reached his ears, and he instinctively said:

"Ridiculous! How can you even call yourself righteous?

"Compared to you, Sect Leader Youquan is like a lotus rising from the mud—his schemes are as pure as a fool’s.

"Here’s an idea—why don’t you, Chief Escort Su, ditch the light and join the dark? Come to my Evernight Valley.

"I’ll not only teach you all the secrets of Evernight Valley but also make you Deputy Valley Leader. When I’m gone, this whole legacy will be yours. What do you say?"

"Good, it's a deal. Su Mo thanks Sect Leader Ye for your generosity. Please stop, and let's discuss how to conquer the Eastern Wilderness and rule the world!"

Su Mo spoke without hesitation, as if this had been his goal all along.

"..."

Sect Leader Ye was momentarily speechless.

Apart from the phrase "Please stop, Lord Ye," not a single word of this could be trusted.

At this moment, Lord Ye suddenly felt a clarity before his eyes.

He had actually managed to pass through the Forest of Illusions.

Realizing this, he was suddenly filled with rage:

"Su Mo... you, you are as cunning and deceitful as a ghost!!"

Throughout their conversation, Su Mo had been relentlessly pursuing him, precisely to keep him too occupied to think of using the Forest of Illusions' terrain to escape.

He had also been engaging him in nonsensical talk, infuriating him to the point of boiling over.

Only now, after exiting the Forest of Illusions, did he realize this.

Looking back, he saw that there was no longer any chance.

How could Su Mo allow him to return to the Forest of Illusions?

"Why does Lord Ye keep praising me?

"As a junior, I am young and inexperienced, truly unworthy of such praise."

Despite the long journey, both still spoke strongly, their qi undiminished.

This actually made Su Mo secretly alarmed.

Lord Ye's martial arts were truly formidable.

So far, they had exchanged two palm strikes.

During the first strike, Lord Ye used the principle of shifting between reality and illusion, making contact and then immediately pulling back, then using a shadow technique to escape, hiding in the shadows to launch a sneak attack.

The second strike was when Su Mo feigned exhaustion to lure Lord Ye into a trap.

But ultimately, even though he closed in on Lord Ye, he was still outmaneuvered by the shadow technique.

However... Su Mo knew that the second strike had indeed affected Lord Ye.

Unfortunately, this impact was clearly insufficient to seriously wound or halt him.

Now, having chased this far, there might still be a chance for a third direct clash...

He had to seize this chance to capture or kill Lord Ye on the spot.

Otherwise, after their prolonged clash, they had grown familiar with each other's tactics and strategies. If he couldn't capture him this time, Lord Ye might truly escape.

With this in mind, his qi suddenly shifted, and his speed increased dramatically.

He had been tailing Lord Ye closely, keeping a precise distance, aiming to deceive Lord Ye into thinking his light-footed technique was insufficient to catch up, so he had to use words to disturb his mind.

Although there was still the intention of keeping Lord Ye too occupied to think of other things, the main reason was that he didn't want to fight within the Forest of Illusions.

There were too many uncertainties, as it might allow Lord Ye to realize the advantage the Forest of Illusions gave him.

Now, hiding was no longer necessary. He immediately exerted his full qi, and with a flash of his divine agility, he dramatically closed the gap in an instant.

Without looking back, Lord Ye sensed Su Mo closing in, and his heart clenched as he also summoned his full strength.

Who would dare to slack off when life and death are on the line?

The Phantom Forest is just a few dozen miles from Liuyin City.

In no time, the two had dashed into Liuyin City.

At that moment, Liuyin City was alive with the relentless sounds of battle cries and clashing steel.

Disciples from the Seven Great Sects, spearheaded by the Purple Sun Sect and the Cold Moon Palace, had encircled a group of black-clad figures, engaging them in fierce combat.

Adding to the chaos, a band of monks from unknown origins plunged into the battle.

Though not masters of martial arts, their unconventional tactics and unique skills were giving the black-clad fighters a hard time.

From afar, Night Lord's eyes burned with fury.

The ones being slaughtered were his own shadow envoys, hundreds he had once commanded.

After seizing the Wraith Courtyard and clearing the Phantom Forest, it was inevitable they'd set their sights on Liuyin City.

They had secured a decree from Lu Yuan, believing him to be firmly under their thumb.

With inside help, capturing Liuyin City seemed like a done deal.

These shadow envoys had left Liuyin City, cleared the Phantom Forest, then disguised themselves as commoners to sneak back in.

Their plan was to strike suddenly once inside the city walls.

But they hadn't counted on the gate guards betraying them with a fake decree.

They assumed the Seven Ghost Shadows' leader, controlling Lu Yuan, had another trick up his sleeve...

Little did they know, they were walking straight into a trap.

In a flash, their advantage was gone.

Even with the Seven Ghost Shadows' martial arts, breaking free was tough with Liuyin City's own masters in the mix.

Duan Song, Lu Yuan, Wei Ziyi, Fu Hanyuan, Master Red Cloud, and others.

Hu Sandao, with his three-move style, could only hold his own briefly before retreating to safety.

The others stood little chance unless the Seven Ghost Shadows stayed hidden.

But with the Seven Ghost Shadows exposed, despite their prowess, a fair fight was now possible.

And the Purple Sun Sect hadn't just sent Duan Song; reinforcements were plentiful.

It wasn't an all-out call, but nearly every available fighter had answered.

Liuyin City was in turmoil. The Evernight Valley's shadow envoys, skilled as they were, were overwhelmed by sheer numbers.

Soon, they were either fallen or wounded, and as defeat loomed, their eyes caught sight of Night Lord.

A spark of hope ignited within them, and they cried out:

"My lord!!!"

"The Night Lord!?"

Hearing this, the disciples from the righteous sects present gasped in shock.

The Night Lord himself had arrived... Even with the current favorable situation, how could they possibly stand against him?

In the next moment, they heard the Night Lord's voice echoing through the air:

"Fall back, retreat at once!!

"Head back to Evernight Valley immediately, do not delay for even a moment!!!"

"Why not stay a little longer!!"

Su Mo's voice had already appeared behind the Night Lord. After chasing him all the way here, he finally caught up.

This was only because the Night Lord was slightly delayed by events in Liuyin City; otherwise, who knows how long the chase would have been?

Su Mo instantly swung his palm, landing a solid blow to the Night Lord's back.

The palm strike forced the Night Lord to spit out blood, shocking everyone present from both factions and making Su Mo sense something was wrong.

In that brief moment of confusion, they saw the Night Lord's fingers flicker rapidly, and with a sudden twist, dozens of righteous disciples surrounding the Evernight Valley disciples were suddenly hurled into the air.

The tight encirclement was ripped apart in an instant.

Right after, the Night Lord, blood still in his mouth, bellowed:

"By my order, the Seven Ghost Shadows will cover our retreat.

"Leave no shadow envoy behind, no matter what, do not turn back!!!"

As he uttered these words, he plummeted from mid-air to the ground.

Su Mo's palm strike was devastating.

Though the strike was meant to counter his shadow tricks and wasn't at full power, it still left the Night Lord's insides burning.

The impact even smashed the ground into a large crater.

By the time he rose from the crater, Su Mo had already descended from the sky.

A dragon's roar suddenly thundered through the night sky, and the Twelve Gates Golden Bell Shield boomed with a thunderous resonance. As Su Mo glanced up, a barrage of fists rained down from the heavens.

Seven Injuries Fist Technique!

Su Mo had been saving the Seven Injuries Fist for this exact moment.

When their abilities were still unclear, using this technique recklessly might not have killed the Night Lord but could have warned him of its power, letting him prepare.

Now, with a decisive strike, Su Mo unleashed everything.

Fists poured down like rain, blanketing the entire area.

The air was filled with the crisscrossing of powerful energy.

For a moment, all anyone could see were countless fist shadows descending from the sky, and the ground below erupted in a continuous series of explosions, unrelenting and overwhelming.

Dust and debris swirled, and smoke choked the air!

What kind of martial arts move is this?

What style of martial arts is this?

Is the one getting pummeled the Night Lord?

And who’s the one dishing out the punishment?

Both the righteous sects and the demons of Evernight Valley were frozen in shock.

Only Duan Song and Wei Ziyi recognized Su Mo, but even they stared in disbelief.

Lu Yuan’s eyes widened in shock: "Where did this monster come from?"

The sheer force seemed capable of leveling all of Liuyin City!

Suddenly, the countless fists in the sky vanished, condensing into a single point. Su Mo descended, swinging his iron fist with unstoppable force.

With one punch, the Night Lord’s body was engulfed in a flurry of flickering shadows.

Boom!!!! The sound echoed like thunder.

The punch shattered the Night Lord’s defenses, slamming into his chest.

In an instant, the Night Lord was hurled through the air like a ragdoll, his body torn apart, blood raining down on the street!!

"My lord!!!!" they wailed in despair.

The disciples of Evernight Valley let out a collective cry of anguish, their voices trembling with grief.