"Unexpectedly, the creature I tortured to death back then is still alive today."
After a brief silence, Xiao Tianyi, standing at the mouth of the cave, spoke slowly with a contemptuous look, just as he had three hundred years ago, giving no consideration to Chen Mo.
Chen Mo's expression froze, his eyebrows raised slightly as he carefully inspected the Xiao Tianyi in front of him, who seemed somewhat different from before, especially more so than during their previous two encounters.
Xiao Tianyi, born with extraordinary talent, has had a smooth and uninterrupted journey since his birth. He is a proud man, but due to the influence of his surroundings, his pride carries a hint of caution. His words are never said without consideration; on the contrary, Ye Liangchen grew up in an environment of survival of the fittest. He is born rebellious and his style of doing things tends to be ruthless. He kills indiscriminately, uproots all grass, and cuts off roots. His words are bound to offend people at every turn.
And most importantly, there is the difference in their eyes. Xiao Tianyi is mostly focused, while Ye Liangchen is haughty and indifferent to others. The person in front of him may look like the former, but in terms of character, he leans more towards the latter.
"Disgusting, you dare to humiliate our young master like this. You're asking for death."
Master Fu, who has been pampered and indulged for many years, and also because of his strength, he has cultivated a brash temper that cannot tolerate anything. As soon as he heard Xiao Tianyi's words, his face immediately turned black, his fists clenched tightly from under his sleeves, gritted teeth and raised his fist, ready to strike.
Chen Mo gently held him back from behind, then shook his head to indicate that he should not act impulsively, and turned to look at Xiao Tianyi and said, "Are you Ye Liangchen?"
Xiao Tianyi's expression clearly shocked for a moment, his eyes fixed on Chen Mo, with a complex and mysterious look. "What kind of identity are you, and yet you know all this? It seems that you are more mysterious than I imagined. I was curious back then, why you seemed to predict everything, waiting for me to kill you. It turns out that all things were in your plan."
"Are you Ye Liangchen?"
Before Xiao Tianyi could finish speaking, Chen Mo cut him off.
Xiao Tianyi's expression changed slightly, and then he quietly exhaled a sentence, "Does it matter who I am? Is it because of who I am that you will not kill me? Or is it because of who I am that you will not kill me?"
"I just wanted to make sure who I'm killing right now."
Chen Mo let out a light laugh and casually looked at him with a calm expression.
During their eye contact, Xiao Tianyi's face changed color several times, remaining silent for a moment, and suddenly, an extra three-foot long sword appeared in his hand. Without hesitation, he took a step forward.
In the sunlight, the blade reflected a white light, casting it upon Chen Mo's cheek.
"It seems that what I guessed was right."
Chen Mo smiled slightly and said.
Xiao Dou Ding and Master Fu stepped forward together, blocking Chen Mo's path. Upon hearing that the person in front of them was Ye Liangchen, they immediately thought of the guy from three hundred years ago.
Although the two of them had never seen the person's appearance, they had heard of his deeds. It was Ye Liangchen who had pierced five swords into Chen Mo, severely injuring him, before delivering a decisive blow with another sword...
That painful memory tormented them for three hundred years, and today, under no circumstances can such an incident happen again.
"I'm curious, you seem to know everything, to know everything. So, do you know that today, you will die just like three hundred years ago... But unlike three hundred years ago, I won't give you any chance to survive. This time, I will grind your bones to powder and scatter your soul."
Xiao Tianyi lightly raised his sword and contemptuously stroked the blade with his fingers.
"I also have this in mind."
Chen Mo spoke calmly.
Xiao Tianyi's face turned cold, and his fingers suddenly paused as they stroked the sword. His eyes suddenly raised, and his gaze fell on Chen Mo. The three-foot-long sword was like lightning, striking out. A sword energy shot up from the ground, breaking through the void like a dragon surfacing from the sea.
Xiao Dou Ding took small steps forward, shielding Chen Mo with her body. Her crimson palace dress fluttered around her, and her slender frame stood firm like a mountain. She was clearly saying 'If you want to kill Brother, you have to step over my body first.'
Master Fu's eyes narrowed, and the old man's gaze was tinged with a hint of ferocity. Just as the sword energy surged towards Chen Mo, he forcefully stepped forward with both feet, standing in front of the latter. He swept his arms together abruptly, and two palm prints erupted into the void like mountains collapsing and oceans surging.
The collision between the sword energy and the two palm prints sent the surrounding mountains and valleys into chaos, with an ear-piercing explosion echoing through the land. In an instant, the entire Tiansong Mountain was divided in half by a sword mark that resembled a chasm. The two places where the palm prints landed were shattered.
Master Fu took a few steps back, his expression filled with caution. The sudden gust of wind that swept through the mountainside also tousled the few wisps of gray hair that had fallen around his face.
"Second-grade."
Master Fu stood firm, and casually spoke a sentence.
Chen Mo's expression tightened slightly, and he said in a casual tone, "Indeed."
"Brother, he's stronger than I expected."
Xiao Dou Ding still stood in front of Chen Mo, her pretty face filled with concern. The sword energy displayed by Xiao Tianyi was extremely domineering, and its power among the second-grade was rare.
Chen Mo nodded slightly and explained, "Three hundred years ago, Ye Liangchen's swordsmanship was divine, and in the nine states, he was a rare existence. He was only slightly inferior to the ancient sword deity Li Zhengyi from a thousand years ago. No one among the second-grade could match him, and if he reached the first-grade, he would have no rivals in the entire nine states of the land."
Upon hearing this, Master Fu drew a sharp breath and his eyes flickered with surprise. He glanced back at Chen Mo and said, "Young master, with him now..."
"At this moment, he has recovered some of his previous memories and has regained quite a bit of strength. Although he has not reached his peak, he is not something you can deal with. Little Dou Ding, go help Master Fu."
Chen Mo's mind had no room for any thoughts of fighting a strong man with smaller numbers, nor was he inclined to follow the principle of "righteousness". As long as he could win and defeat Xiao Tianyi, regardless of how vile his methods might be, that was considered a good tactic.
Xiao Dou Ding nodded slightly, her small hand opening the small bag hanging at her waist. A black mist surged out from around her, and a pair of crimson eyes flashed continuously, then hid in all directions.
At the same time, a number of parasitic bugs crawled out from the dark shadows within the cave, responding to her.
Xiao Tianyi coldly scanned the surroundings with a hint of disdain in his eyes, "Bug master? Humph, petty skills... Just a guy who plays with bugs, unworthy to be placed in high society"
Divination and bug arts have always been despised by others, and bug masters are even worse. In the face of Xiao Tianyi's ruthless ridicule, Xiao Dou Ding did not get angry but instead snorted coldly and said, "I don't care about what you call high society. As long as it can kill people, divination and bug arts are not necessarily inferior to your swordsmanship"
"Sharp-tongued."
Xiao Tianyi coldly spoke a sentence, his three-foot-long sword ready to strike out. Xiao Dou Ding's slender fingers flicked, and at the same time, the extreme black parasites in the dark cave leaped forward, landing perfectly on his shadow.
Xiao Tianyi's body froze as he realized he was unable to move.
