A chilling sound came from the forest, and two figures slowly emerged.
Both were dressed in black clothing, hunched over, with a somewhat pale complexion. They would occasionally catch their breath and cough, as if their time was nearly up.
Their sickly appearances made it seem as though they could collapse with a mere breeze.
Knowing the severity of dealing with wizards and those who specialize in curses, Sun Qian and Su Ke Ci both didn't hesitate and stood up nervously, hiding behind Chen Mo's back in fear.
With a glance over his shoulder at the couple behind him, Chen Mo noticed that Zuo Quan Sheng was focusing intently on transcribing something. He realized that he had to buy some time to prevent them from disturbing Zuo Quan Sheng, or else their mission would be futile.
"Both of you are fighting with such weakened bodies, don't you fear that we might kill you?"
Chen Mo's lips twitched slightly, looking at the two weakened individuals, he couldn't help but smile faintly.
The two exchanged glances as if they had just heard a joke, bursting into loud laughter. As they laughed, both of them coughed violently, their faces turning red as if they were going to cough up their lungs.
No wonder Chen Mo thought they were no match for a battle; their performance was truly as serious as a critical illness.
"Boy, let me tell you, although we are called the Asthmatic Duo, our actual strength is far from what you think."
"Haha, what's the point of talking to him? This boy doesn't have any physical spirit fluctuations, so he's not a scholar. He must be a martial artist. Martial artists are all crippled, and my brother Jin Jian doesn't need to intervene. I alone can handle this."
"All right, these kids are no match for Brother Yin Shi. You go ahead and deal with them, I'll watch."
The guy known as Yin Shi, who was holding his chest and taking a step forward, had a cold look on his face. After coughing lightly, various worms emerged from his hands and crawled into his body from behind.
The originally emaciated and pale Yin Shi's body swelled dramatically, his flesh turning solid instantly, with the muscles becoming sinewy. He grew to an impressive height of a full ten chi, resembling an iron tower with a powerful sense of strength.
Yin Shi stepped on the ground, causing the ground to suddenly crack open, a huge gash extending all the way to Chen Mo and the others in front of him.
Chen Mo stood firm, his face remaining calm, but inside, he was shocked beyond words. He hadn't expected the sickly-looking guy to transform into such a formidable force in an instant. He had truly underestimated him.
The battle can't spill over to this side... Chen Mo glanced back at Zuo Quan Sheng, who had not yet finished transcribing, and in his heart, he made a silent decision. Clenching his fists and slightly bending his legs, he shot out like an arrow.
"Um?"
Yin Shi was taken aback, looking surprised, "This kid is not ordinary at all."
Jin Jian was behind, also saw Chen Mo's swift movement, but he didn't take it to heart, "It's just a physical martial artist; there's nothing to fear."
In this era, physical martial artists are looked down upon by society. Most people believe that the strongest physical martial artists can only reach the seventh level, and if someone reaches the eighth level, their lack of vitality makes them a weak point for all of them.
Chen Mo's behavior might have been different from others, but it still couldn't gain Jin Jian's attention.
"That's right."
Yin Shi chuckled, and when facing Chen Mo's sudden attack, he lightly raised his hand with a punch. He had only intended to easily defeat the opponent, but as soon as he punched out, his body suddenly stiffened instinctively.
All the worms in Yin Shi's body were basically beasts, and while their intelligence was not high, their survival instincts were very strong. They have a keen sense of potential danger that is beyond normal people's abilities. As Chen Mo punched out, all the worms reacted with fear.
This startled the host Yin Shi, making him realize that something was amiss. However, as the opponent's attack was already upon him and there was no retreat, he could only boldy face it and join the battle. But his counterattack was stronger; he delivered a punch with all his might.
This punch could instantly kill a sixth-level martial artist. It would be easy to deal with any physical martial artist. However, as their fists collided, a sound of bone breaking could be heard, followed by a flying arm. Blood dyed the ground red.
Yin Shi was shocked in horror, his already improved complexion suddenly turned pale. Before he could react, Chen Mo's second punch landed on his chest.
Boom!
Yin Shi's body shot out like a black thunderbolt, causing numerous trees in the forest to snap in half at the waist. Blood oozed through the breaks in each tree, spreading hundreds of meters high before he came to a stop. His chest was already gaping a huge hole, and his body was completely punctured. He could only weakly pant.
"Yin Shi..."
Jin Jian, with his weak body, let out a roar before violently coughing. His eyes were filled with blood, and he turned to stare at Chen Mo with a fierce glare, "You deserve to die."
"Do you have the ability to do that?"
Chen Mo let out a cold snort, and with a stern face, he calmly uttered a sentence.
Jin Jian gritted his teeth, and with a movement of his index finger on his left hand, a drop of blood fell to the ground as he muttered, "Everything obeys my command, kill him."
The moment the blood dropped to the ground, thorny vines, resembling venomous snakes, surged towards Chen Mo. Additionally, the green plants growing from the rubble also attacked him in the next moment.
"A bug magician and a witch, hehe, the two of you are quite a pair."
Chen Mo smiled, and facing the vines that surged towards him like a deluge of wild beasts, he swung his fist in the air. A terrifying storm erupted from the palm of his hand, and one punch opened a gap several chi wide through the dense attack.
However, the vines seemed to be indestructible. After being destroyed by Chen Mo's strike, new vines continued to sprout up from the ground and rushed towards him once again.
"Even though strength can overcome ten types of skills, my weakness lies in the lack of vitality. To capture the bandit, you must first capture the king."
Chen Mo's eyes shifted, and he looked at the already exhausted Jin Jian, taking off his legs and rushing towards him. However, as he was in the middle of his stride, he saw a black shadow blocking his path. It was Yin Shi, who had been barely alive when he punched him earlier.
Yin Shi's chest had been punched through, but now, one by one, worms were crawling on him as if they were piling up to fill the gap in his body.
With a somewhat pale complexion, Yin Shi still endured the discomfort in his body and coldly laughed, "Surprise, the tenaciousness of our bug magicians is like this. Hahaha, as long as the worms are still there, we are invincible; I admit that you are really powerful, but your vitality is insufficient to kill me. On the contrary, it is you who will die."
After finishing his sentence, Yin Shi stood with his fists joined and fiercely sent Chen Mo flying back a few steps. Yet, the towering vines that blocked the sky were already surging towards him, as if in an instant, they could completely devour him.
Chen Mo's eyes flickered, coldly looking at the Yin Shi in front of him, then turned to Jin Jian behind him. Although they were not aligned in a straight line, they were almost parallel.
"Seems like that's the only option."
