These twenty-plus rogue cultivators had originally been searching for opportunities in a nearby ruin but when they had just emerged from the cave, they felt that surge of towering demonic energy.

They looked toward the place where thunder clouds were densely gathered, not expecting that there would actually be a snake clan undergoing tribulation.

Moreover, the opponent had just begun tribulation and already caused such celestial phenomena, which indicated that this snake had exceptional talent and even showed signs of ancestral regression.

Rogue cultivators were already accustomed to living on the edge of a blade.

Facing this tribulation-undergoing python, even though they knew the opponent's strength was formidable, they still had to try!

After all, every part of a tribulation-undergoing python's body was treasure!

If they waited any longer and were noticed by others, this python might not necessarily belong to them.

So they discussed and decided to simply go together to hunt this python, kill it, and then divide it equally among themselves.

However, contrary to their expectations, before they had even reached that lake, an old man blocked their path.

"Does this old gentleman have business with us?"

A Nascent Soul early-stage rogue cultivator named Guo Xiudan stepped forward and respectfully bowed to Xiao Mo.

Guo Xiudan examined this old man.

He didn't sense any spiritual power flowing within the other party. In comparison, what he sensed was dense mountain and river fortune.

"This is an official of the Qi Kingdom, and his rank is not low."

Guo Xiudan made this judgment.

He just wasn't clear about what this Qi Kingdom official meant.

Why had he suddenly targeted their group?

Xiao Mo bowed to them in return, "The snake walking the river is someone important to this old man. I wonder if you gentlemen could show mercy?"

A cultivator named Chen Ji chuckled, "Old gentleman, as a high official of the Qi Kingdom, you're pleading for a snake clan. This doesn't conform to your Qi Kingdom's rules, does it?"

Another cultivator said, "When it causes floods and disasters, won't your Qi Kingdom's people cry out in suffering? We're helping your Qi Kingdom."

"She is kind-hearted and will surely control herself when walking the river. Moreover, her river-walking route has various water conservancy works sufficient to cope. Furthermore, this old man has already notified all prefectures and counties to prepare in advance."

Xiao Mo explained patiently.

"So this time, there's no need to trouble you all to take action."

Guo Xiudan frowned and stopped being polite with this old fellow,

"Old gentleman, you also know that we rogue cultivators are different from those cultivators of great sects. Everything we have is won with our lives. This python crossing the river is a great opportunity for us. How can we let it pass?

I'm afraid we cannot agree with you, old gentleman. Please make way."

"I'm afraid this old man cannot yield." Xiao Mo shook his head.

Guo Xiudan frowned, "Does the old gentleman think he can block all of us?"

Xiao Mo sighed softly, "Let's try."

The moment Xiao Mo's words fell, Guo Xiudan drew his long bow, and a golden arrow feather condensed on the bowstring.

Guo Xiudan's fingers released, the bowstring twanged, and a cold light shot straight toward Xiao Mo's heart!

The entire movement was swift as a startled swan, taking less than half a breath.

However, just when the arrow tip was only an inch away from Xiao Mo's chest, it suddenly froze, as if it had hit an invisible barrier, suspended in midair.

Xiao Mo lightly brushed his sleeve, and that arrow was swept away like a candle in the wind, instantly transforming into specks of spiritual light and dissipating without a trace.

"Please leave, everyone." Xiao Mo said slowly.

"Mere mortal!" Guo Xiudan completely revealed his contemptuous side toward mortals.

So what if the opponent had mountain and river fortune protection?

In the end, he was just a common mortal with a lifespan of less than a hundred years!

Guo Xiudan drew his bow again, and layers of light rings suddenly bloomed in the void behind him!

Countless golden arrows emerged from the light rings, their tips gleaming, ready to strike.

The moment the bowstring vibrated, over a hundred brilliant golden rainbows tore through the air, bombarding Xiao Mo like a meteor shower.

At the same time, the surrounding rogue cultivators also erupted into action.

In an instant, raging flames, ice shards, poisonous miasma, dark thunder...

Various spiritual lights carrying destructive auras crashed down like an overwhelming tide.

No probing, no mercy left.

Rogue cultivators always acted like this.

Even if they looked down on their opponent in their hearts, they would still use their full strength, like a lion hunting a rabbit.

"Why must it be like this?"

Xiao Mo sighed softly and stepped forward with his toe.

In an instant, ink-colored mountain and river fortune swirled out from beneath his shoe, spreading like ripples, then surging together like hundreds of rivers returning to the sea!

In the blink of an eye, an ink-colored long dragon condensed from pure mountain and river fortune had coiled around his body, its scales and claws fierce and lifelike.

The moment the ink dragon took shape, it raised its head and glared furiously at the attacking crowd, releasing a sky-shaking roar that split the air!

Half a tea time later, of the twenty-plus rogue cultivators, only Guo Xiudan remained.

He was severely injured all over, his tattered clothes covered in bloodstains.

At this moment, Guo Xiudan was pierced through the chest by the ink dragon's claw, suspended in midair.

"How is this possible..."

Guo Xiudan looked down at his pierced chest, his eyes full of disbelief.

He never would have thought that this old fellow's mountain and river fortune was so dense, even with the blessing of human incense offerings but it was too late for regret.

As Xiao Mo reached out and pointed at his forehead, a Nascent Soul realm cultivator instantly exploded into a blood mist.

"Cough, cough, cough..."

After dealing with twenty rogue cultivators, Xiao Mo coughed a few times, blood trickling from the corner of his mouth, and his complexion looked even more aged.

The mountain and river fortune he had just consumed in casting spells returned to heaven and earth and couldn't be replenished in a short time.

Official arts were like this.

An official could exhaust all accumulated mountain and river fortune in a single day but to fully recover would require several months or even years.

"The remaining mountain and river fortune should be enough..."

Xiao Mo wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and took a deep breath.

"Rumble!"

"Splash splash splash!"

The thunder in the sky grew more intense, and the rain became heavier, like a downpour.

Xiao Mo looked toward the direction of Ganyue Lake.

Ruxue had already swum out of Ganyue Lake and was flowing downstream along a small stream toward Siming Lake.

When Bai Ruxue left Ganyue Lake, she felt as though she had become thicker and longer, her spiritual power even more vast, and the scales on her body seemed to be transforming but Bai Ruxue didn't care about these things.

She only wanted to swim forward with all her might, quickly swim into the North Sea, and obtain the Dragon Thunder Liquid through tribulation.

As long as she obtained the Dragon Thunder Liquid, Xiao Mo wouldn't leave her.

When Bai Ruxue swam to the latter half of this stream, she saw an arched bridge.

Beneath the arched bridge hung an ancient bronze-colored long sword.

Bai Ruxue focused her mind.

Xiao Mo had mentioned this, it was the Dragon-Slaying Sword!

The closer Bai Ruxue got, the more violently the Dragon-Slaying Sword trembled, as if it might break free from its rope at any moment and stab toward Bai Ruxue.

On this Dragon-Slaying Sword, Bai Ruxue sensed the blood of her kin.

It was as if the remnant souls of her kin were constantly warning her not to approach.

That natural sense of restraint made Bai Ruxue want to retreat, her body couldn't help but tremble.

In the past, this woman who was even afraid of thunder would probably have retreated but in her mind, the phantom of a man appeared.

"Xiao Mo..."

Bai Ruxue steadied her mind and charged toward the arched bridge.

"Clang!"

The Dragon-Slaying Sword awakened, broke free from its rope, and slashed toward the white python.