Arrival at Stoneclothes Village

Shi Xuan was taken aback when he heard Lin Mo's words.

Lin Mo stopped looking at him and turned her gaze to the approaching cavalry a hundred meters away.

A cold light shone through the gaps in the other's armor as he held his lance horizontally.

The cavalry captain shouted, "Stone Tiger Mercenary Group! Lay down your weapons! Hand over your commander! Atone for your crimes with meritorious service!"

The mercenaries were not swayed by his words; instead, they all drew their weapons and prepared for battle.

Lin Mo's figure passed through the crowd.

"Brother, you..."

The mercenary group instinctively tried to stop him, but were intimidated by the sudden aura emanating from Lin Mo.

Lin Mo continued walking forward at a casual pace until he reached the front of the group.

The cavalry captain, seeing him emerge alone, flashed contempt in his eyes and shouted, "Kill!"

Twelve warhorses charged forward at full speed, their iron hooves thundering and dust billowing.

The mercenaries turned pale, and Shi Xuan's eyes were bloodshot.

Just then—

Lin Mo swayed slightly, and two clones shrouded in black mist suddenly appeared on his sides!

[Mirror Image]!

The three "Lin Mo"s drew their swords simultaneously, facing the cavalry onslaught.

The cavalry captain's pupils contracted, but he still shouted sharply as he charged forward: "Run them over!"

The distance is rapidly closing.

Just as the lance was about to pierce the clone, three Lin Mos, like black lightning, slashed into the flank of the cavalry formation!

The black sword flashed.

The two outermost cavalrymen heard a "whoosh" sound.

Looking down, a deep gash appeared in the armor on his chest, with bloodstains visible.

They were relieved; without their armor, a direct hit would have had unimaginable consequences.

The thought had barely formed when an invisible slash appeared from the wound.

This time, the man and his armor were cleaved in two!

Double blow!

The cavalryman behind the two hadn't even reacted yet.

Before he knew it, Lin Mo's true form had flashed and appeared behind him.

At the same time, a line of blood spread down the belly of the warhorse beneath him.

The cavalryman and his horse were cleaved in two.

In a single encounter, three people were killed!

Without pausing for a moment, the three Lin Mo continued their charge towards the remaining cavalry.

With an agility attribute of nearly three thousand, the cavalry simply couldn't catch him.

A cavalryman roared and swung his sword at one of the "Lin Mo" figures.

The sword blade only struck air.

The next moment, a cold sensation pierced my back and went straight to my heart.

Another cavalryman attempted to ram the shield.

But the shield, along with his arm holding it, was severed.

Immediately afterwards, a second invisible force slammed heavily onto his helmet.

The helmet, along with the head inside, was smashed and deformed.

Shi Xuan and all the mercenaries froze on the spot, their mouths agape and their eyes wide open.

Their facial expressions froze.

"Holy crap...is this a human or a ghost?"

"Slice a person in two, armor and all, with a single sword strike? Only a level 30 peak player could do that!"

"Look! The one on the right! He dodged it again! He was clearly on the left, how come..."

"No...they're all elite knights at the peak of level 20!"

……

The roar of the cavalry.

The neighing of warhorses.

The armor shattered and the body fell to the ground with a dull thud.

These sounds continuously assaulted their eardrums and perception.

Shi Xuan was speechless, staring intently at the three dark figures.

He was level 32, considered a skilled mercenary, but all he saw was slaughter.

I even wanted to cover his tracks before? Now I just find it laughable.

"A monster...a monster! He's not human!"

The cavalry captain, who was barely holding onto his warhorse, screamed.

His face was no longer filled with arrogance, only fear remained.

He pulled hard on the reins and turned the horse around without a second thought.

That scream was like the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The remaining three cavalrymen also collapsed and fled.

"Run! Run!"

"Return to the city! Report to the city lord!"

"Dead horse! Run!"

……

Watching their hurried escape.

Lin Mo simply turned his head slightly.

He didn't give chase, but simply waved his black sword lightly in the direction of the deserter.

Waaah—!

A cold wind suddenly rose, and sand and dust filled the air with the stench of blood.

Shi Xuan and the mercenaries felt the temperature around them plummet.

A chilling aura emanated from the black sword in Lin Mo's hand.

Then, they witnessed a scene that terrified them even more than the carnage they had just witnessed.

The space around the black sword seemed to distort slightly.

Semi-transparent shadows, emitting a faint blue hue, seemed to break free from their restraints and "flowed" from the sword.

It quickly condenses and takes shape in the air!

The first thing to appear was the phantom of a giant wolf, larger than an ordinary wind wolf, with cold soul fire burning in its eyes.

The soul of the Wind Wolf King!

It silently looked up at the sky as if roaring, then slightly bent its limbs and transformed into a blue shadow.

He lunged out at incredible speed!

Immediately afterwards, several demonic souls of different shapes and equally translucent appeared.

They were all beast kings that Lin Mo killed outside Ancient Wood City.

After breaking through the level 20 bottleneck, Lin Mo's summoned soul count also increased to 50!

They all rushed or rather drifted away in the direction of the deserter.

What sent chills down Shi Xuan and the others' spines was the last figure that materialized.

Those were the souls of three humans, their faces twisted and blurred, but their eyes burned with a ghostly green flame filled with resentment and coldness.

Most importantly, the luxurious light armor they wore was exactly the same as that worn by the brave warriors who entered the city last night!

These were the three brave warriors who had only arrived in Mingbei City last night, yet whose deaths had spread throughout the city this morning!

His soul seemed to retain some of his fighting instincts from his previous life.

Each of them conjured their own weapon.

Along with the other dead, it drifted silently and swiftly toward the deserter.

The strength of these undead was also enhanced after Lin Mo's strength improved, far exceeding what they were in life.

The three cavalrymen who were desperately fleeing felt a chill run down their spines.

They turned around hastily, only to see not Lin Mo chasing after them, but a group of ghostly spirits exuding an aura of death!

"A ghost—!!"

"Help--!"

The shrill voice, which had been so intense it changed tone, abruptly stopped.

As the wave of ghosts engulfed them, their life force ended within a dozen seconds.

Having completed their mission, the ghosts, like weary birds returning to their nests, transformed into streaks of light and vanished without a trace.

The chilly atmosphere dissipated as well.

The wasteland returned to silence, even more deathly still than before.

The twelve elite cavalrymen, all at level 25 or above, were wiped out.

The three figures of Lin Mo slowly overlapped, until only the original body remained.

He pointed his black sword diagonally, and a few drops of blood slid down.

Just as the summoned ghosts were sinking back into the sword.

Lin Mo also felt a subtle sense of satisfaction emanating from the black sword in his hand.

The black sword skillfully absorbed the vibrant souls of the cavalrymen on the battlefield.

[All attributes +120]

This boost surprised Lin Mo; each cavalryman had actually gained 10 points to all his attributes.

Is it because they are of a high enough level?

Or is it an extra reward for killing enemies above your level?

Most importantly, Lin Mo felt that his skin seemed to have become firmer.

He understood that this was due to the effect of the Sword Steel skill.

Each time a kill is made, the body's base defense will also increase.

He stood still, feeling the power growing within him, and the chilling killing intent gradually subsided.

A short while later, he turned around and looked at Shi Xuan and the others.

Almost instinctively, everyone in the mercenary group, including Shi Xuan, took a half-step back.

The look in his eyes as he looked at Lin Mo was filled with awe.

Lin Mo didn't care about this.

First, he sheathed his sword and walked to a stray warhorse.

I did a quick check of the saddle and baggage.

Then he mounted his horse.

"Bring up the horses that are still usable, pack up the useful things, and hurry up."

Lin Mo's voice came through, as calm as if he had just taken a walk.

Shi Xuan snapped back to his senses, suppressing the turmoil in his heart.

He swallowed hard, then hissed at his still-stunned subordinates, "Stop standing there! Do as Mr. Lin... says! Now!"

The mercenaries snapped out of their daze and began to act in a flurry of activity.

Gather the spoils of war and lead the frightened warhorses.

Their movements were cautious, and their gazes toward Lin Mo were filled with indescribable complex emotions.

No one spoke; there was only heavy breathing and the soft clattering of objects.

Soon, the team resumed their journey.

With horses this time, their speed of travel increased significantly.

Shi Xuan rode his horse behind Lin Mo, no longer displaying his previous carefree attitude.

He now fully understood that this young man he had met along the way was someone he could not fathom.

It can be almost certain that he is the one who killed Zhou Buyan and the other two heroes last night.

But what use would such a powerful being have for 'Stone-Clad Herbs'?

……

They traveled in silence, with only the sound of horses' hooves striking the deepening twilight.

Two hours later, the outline of the valley appeared in the twilight.

At the mouth of the valley stood charred wooden stakes, the remains of the village gate.

The air was filled with the smell of ashes and decay.

Shi Xuan reined in his horse, looking at the desolate village entrance, his face pale.

We've arrived at Shiyi Village.