Chapter 155: The Hunt (Part One)

“Wait, Ji Mo—no, Martial Aunt Ji. Since you’ve discovered traces of demons, we’ll go with you!” Lan Mo hurriedly said. For the past few years, she had spent little time in the mortal world because she had been guiding the Qiu siblings in their cultivation. Thus, she had already heard about the demons’ movements.

“That works. Let’s go!”

Even as they spoke, two more screams rang out. Ji Mo had not originally intended to take them along, but she was worried that the demons who had suddenly appeared might be formidable and that Mo Lan and Little Gold would be unable to protect themselves. It seemed safer to bring them with her. The moment she finished speaking, she swept out her broad sleeve and carried everyone toward the source of the cries.

The incident had taken place at the easternmost end of the town, right beside the Blackcloud Mountains, some seventeen or eighteen miles from where Ji Mo had been. To her, such a distance took no more than a breath or two. Upon arriving, she found more than a dozen bodies lying on the ground, their blood and flesh completely drained. Apart from them, there were three demons clad in black armor, as well as a shadow darting into another alley.

“Little Gold, stop that one!”

Ji Mo watched the shadow vanish at the head of the alley, a cold glint flashing in her eyes as she called out to Little Gold. The small creature somersaulted excitedly and shot out of Qiu Li’s arms. A fight! There was nothing Little Gold loved more. Yet after following Ji Mo for so many years, it had never had the chance to enjoy a truly satisfying battle.

The three demons had been preparing to seek out more human prey, never expecting three people to deliver themselves to their door. This town lay within the territory of the cultivation world of the Windmist Empire, one of the four great empires of the Eastern Nether Continent. Even the ordinary villagers were often low-level cultivators, yet there were few cultivators in the town with realms comparable to those of Ji Mo and Lan Mo.

Although Ji Mo had lived in the mortal world for six years, she had long since accumulated sufficient spiritual power and true essence within her body. Once her state of mind caught up, advancement would come naturally. Thus, in those mere six years, she had risen another level, reaching the middle stage of Core Formation, while her body refinement had reached the seventh level of True Condensation.

Lan Mo, meanwhile, was also a seventh-level True Condensation body cultivator. Those who specialized in body cultivation generally possessed astonishing combat strength.

In the Windmist Empire, where experts were as numerous as clouds, the two of them could not be considered truly powerful, but neither could they be called weak. The three demons before them, however, did not take them seriously. All three were middle-stage Nascent Soul cultivators, and their body refinement had reached the ninth level of True Condensation. Naturally, they had no reason to regard Ji Mo and Lan Mo as threats.

The three demons looked Ji Mo, Lan Mo, and Qiu Li over several times before one of them spoke with a hideous laugh.

“Heh heh. Who would have thought that people would come offering themselves to us? Your blood smells far sweeter than that of the others—especially you. Come here!”

As he spoke, the demon in the middle spread his fingers and attempted to pull Ji Mo toward him.

Nor was it strange that they were so arrogant. Under ordinary circumstances, demons of the same realm possessed considerably greater combat strength than human cultivators. What was more, the three of them were each an entire major realm above Ji Mo and Lan Mo. When the demon opened his palm, Ji Mo was indeed dragged toward him.

Seeing that their companion had chosen Ji Mo, whose flavor seemed the most exquisite, the other two felt a pang of resentment. Yet they were unwilling to let him claim both Lan Mo and Qiu Li as well. Their figures shifted as they lunged toward the pair.

“Where do you think you’re going?”

The instant they moved, a soft shout reached their ears. A streak of white light lashed across them like lightning. The two demons cried out and were sent flying.

As for the one who had tried to seize Ji Mo, his head was shattered by a single punch from her. Even his soul failed to escape. He died completely and utterly.

Lan Mo, who had been watching from the side, stared with eyes blazing like fire. In six years, this was only the second time she had seen Ji Mo fight. The first had been when Ji Mo battled the Fairy Green Jade, but that fairy had been far too weak to reveal Ji Mo’s true strength.

The three demons before them could not be called peerless experts, but neither were they weak. Yet in Ji Mo’s hands, the three of them had not lasted even two moves.

What kind of monstrous existence was this woman?

Ji Mo’s second move had relied on a spiritual weapon. Perhaps the weapon in her hand was some extraordinary treasure, but her first move had been delivered with her bare fist. With one light punch, she had completely annihilated a middle-stage Nascent Soul demon.

How mighty. How domineering.

Lan Mo herself was exceptionally skilled in combat. Though she was deeply passionate about cooking, she was equally fond of exhilarating battles. Among cultivators of the same realm, few could rival her. Although she was only at the seventh level of True Condensation, she believed that if she faced the demons before her, she could not defeat all three at once. Against one, however, she would have little trouble killing it.

Yet having the confidence to kill an opponent was one thing; dispatching one as effortlessly as chopping vegetables was another entirely.

How could she possibly be content without fighting an opponent like Ji Mo?

Lan Mo felt even her soul trembling with excitement. Had the opportunity presented itself, she would have rushed forward immediately to battle Ji Mo properly. Even if Ji Mo had beaten her until she was utterly battered, she would have considered it worthwhile.

Ji Mo’s divine sense was fully extended, so she naturally sensed Lan Mo’s excitement. She had no idea where it came from, however, and had no time to concern herself with it. At present, all her attention was focused on the two demons she had sent flying.

“You… who are you?”

The two demons lay on the ground, staring at Ji Mo as she approached step by step. Shock and fear filled their hearts.

“Who I am is none of your concern. Tell me—how many of you came to the town this time, and what is your purpose? If you answer, I may consider sparing your lives.”

Ji Mo’s tone was indifferent.

“Hmph! Kill us if you wish. Don’t expect to learn anything useful from us. No son of the demon race is afraid of death!”

The two demons exchanged a glance and spoke with fearless determination.

“Very well. I’ll grant your wish.”

Ji Mo had no desire to waste another word. She raised the silver whip in her hand, and before the two demons could even groan, it claimed their lives.

As a member of the human race, Ji Mo had never previously crossed paths with the demons. That did not lessen her disgust toward creatures that sustained themselves by feeding on human blood and flesh.

“Master, you’re incredible!”

Qiu Li, who had been watching the battle under Lan Mo’s protection, finally could not restrain herself from cheering. Her beautiful eyes shone as brightly as the stars in the heavens while she gazed at Ji Mo.

“Little girl, if you want to possess your master’s abilities, you must never slacken in your cultivation,” Lan Mo took the opportunity to teach her.

Over the years, Qiu Li had followed her constantly. Without realizing it, Lan Mo had come to regard herself as both the girl’s stern teacher and her overprotective mother.

“Mm. Your senior sister is right,” Ji Mo added. “You must not neglect your cultivation for even a single day. I have a feeling that great disorder is about to descend upon this continent. The higher your cultivation, the greater your chances of staying alive when that time comes. Lan Mo, time is pressing, and we cannot afford to delay. Otherwise, I would certainly leave one of them for you to practice on. Come—we’ll go help Little Gold.”