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Chapter 122: One Step, One Kill
Chapter 122: One Step, One Kill
Inside the mountain cavern, an eerie silence fell.
Those who had witnessed Zhang Heng's death, including He Guangzong and several members of the He family, stood frozen in shock, their eyes fixed on Chen Mu with a mix of astonishment and incredulity.
The black-robed guards and swordsmen, who had been admiring the Flame Jade, were oblivious to the previous scene and now looked at Zhang Heng's lifeless body and Chen Mu, who seemed to have not moved, with confusion.
Chen Mu let out a sigh.
In the blink of an eye, he had moved to He Guangzong's left side, his presence as stealthy as a ghost. He Guangzong's heart skipped a beat as he felt a chill run down his spine. Without hesitation, he swung his knife in a powerful arc, unleashing the strongest strike he had ever made in his decades of training. His muscles and skin seemed to merge into a single, formidable force.
However, Chen Mu's right hand shot out and grasped the knife from the back, his fingers sinking into the blade as if it were rotten wood. The knife, forged from fine iron, seemed to be nothing more than a fragile twig in his hand.
With a swift motion, Chen Mu's hand moved, and a streak of blood appeared on He Guangzong's forehead, stretching from his brow to his chin. His eyes, still filled with fear and disbelief, locked onto Chen Mu as his body split into two, blood splattering everywhere.
One step, one kill!
He Mingzhen's face contorted in rage and shock as he watched the scene unfold. He swiftly drew his short gun and unleashed his power, which had reached the Bone Forging Realm, causing the ground to shudder and the rock beneath him to shatter. He charged towards Chen Mu.
However, Chen Mu had already disappeared and reappeared behind one of the He family's black-robed guards. With a swift and effortless motion, he snapped the guard's neck.
The next moment, Chen Mu's hand swung sideways, striking another black-robed guard who had attempted to intervene, sending him flying with a series of sickening cracks as his bones broke.
He Mingzhen's eyes bulged with fury as he gave chase, but Chen Mu was too fast. Another person's head was crushed by Chen Mu's palm, their skull caved in.
The remaining members of the He family were paralyzed with fear, unsure of what to do. Those closest to Chen Mu tried to gather together, but as he moved past them, they were swiftly and mercilessly cut down, their bodies exploding in a flurry of blood.
"Enough!" He Mingzhen bellowed, swinging his short gun in a powerful arc, but Chen Mu dodged the attack with ease, and the gun struck a nearby rock, shattering it into pieces.
Chen Mu ignored He Mingzhen and moved towards the last remaining He family swordsman. This time, he drew his knife and, in a flash of light, struck the swordsman with a single, precise blow.
The swordsman's body froze, his knife shattered, and a trail of blood ran from his left shoulder to his right abdomen. His eyes, filled with terror, locked onto Chen Mu.
He Mingzhen slowed to a stop, his eyes fixed coldly on Chen Mu. The mountain cavern, once filled with the sound of clashing steel, was now silent, littered with the bodies of the He family members. He Guangzong, Zhang Heng, and the others lay dead, their corpses a grim testament to Chen Mu's prowess.
"Who are you?" He Mingzhen demanded, his voice low and menacing. "How dare you slaughter my family like this?"
Chen Mu turned to face He Mingzhen, his eyes devoid of any killing intent or ferocity, only a calm, collected gaze. "I've already told you," he said. "As for you, you've reached the Bone Forging Realm. Not bad. Tell me, who are you in the He family?"
He Mingzhen's face twisted in a snarl. "I am He Mingzhen."
Chen Mu nodded slightly. "I've heard of you. You're the young leader of the He family, and you've entered the Bone Forging Realm. You're not far behind Xue Lin of the Xue family."
He Mingzhen sneered. "Xue Lin may have started earlier, but that doesn't mean he's better. He hasn't even grasped the Concept yet, and I'm close to achieving it. It's still uncertain who will reach the Five Viscera Realm first."
"You're quite formidable yourself."
Chen Mu expressed a hint of admiration, "Entering the Bone Forging Realm and nearing the Concept Realm, you certainly live up to the He family's reputation."
As he spoke, Chen Mu strode forward.
He Mingzhen, seeing Chen Mu approach, didn't show any fear. A cold glint flashed in his eyes, and he raised his gun, determined not to flee without a fight. Despite Chen Mu's terrifying strength, as a proud member of the younger generation of the He family, he had to test Chen Mu's abilities.
Clang!
Chen Mu drew his blade and swung it downward.
He Mingzhen raised his gun to block, and then the entire mountain cavern fell silent.
He slowly lowered his head, looking at his gun. A straight crack appeared from the tip of the Hundred Reforged Steel Gun, and half of the gun barrel silently fell off.
As the gun barrel slowly descended, a sense of life rapidly faded from his chest and abdomen, and a look of unwillingness flashed in his eyes.
"You..."
He Mingzhen stared at Chen Mu in disbelief, slowly falling to the ground.
He was He Mingzhen, and he still had to comprehend the Concept and enter the Organ Realms. He had to revive the He family and surpass the Xue family to become the top clan in Yu City. How could he die here...
Clang.
Chen Mu gently sheathed his blade.
He examined He Mingzhen's body, confirming his death before bending down to search. Finding nothing, he shook his head, turned, and walked away, sighing softly.
"I actually don't like killing."
He didn't enjoy taking lives and couldn't derive any pleasure from slaughter. He was just an ordinary person, but the He family had repeatedly tried to take his life, forcing him to retaliate. Over time, he had killed countless people, his hands stained with blood.
Especially during the Demon Disturbance, martial artists were the only defense for the common folk. But in times of danger, he had to prioritize his own safety and couldn't consider others.
In this chaotic world, not killing meant being killed.
Chen Mu cleared the corpses from the mountain cavern but found nothing of value. Apparently, hunters didn't carry anything of worth during the Demon Disturbance.
He then slowly approached the large, high-quality Flame Jade embedded in the Rock Jade. If a craftsman wanted to extract it intact without damage, they would have to carefully chisel around the edges. But Chen Mu didn't need to bother with that. The blade light in his hand flashed, and with two sweeps, he neatly cut out the entire Flame Jade.
"It's indeed not easy to carry. I'll have to take it away for now."
Chen Mu touched the Flame Jade, feeling its warmth. If crafted into a Flame Jade Bed, it would be far more useful during winter than any heated bed. Such a large Flame Jade might even contain a Flame Jade Core, aiding those cultivating the Fire Hexagram Concept.
However, he was currently cultivating the Wind and Thunder Concept and hadn't yet touched upon the Fire Hexagram. So, it wasn't of much use to him.
After some thought, Chen Mu lifted the massive Flame Jade with one hand, exerting force to hoist it onto his shoulder. It was much heavier than the demons he had previously hunted, and despite his strength, it wasn't easy.
Carrying the huge Flame Jade, he made his way outside, gazing up at the collapsed mountain. After a brief moment of contemplation, he didn't go inside to spread the rosemary but instead headed to a weak spot in the collapsed rocks and kicked vigorously several times.
The already unstable mountain couldn't withstand Chen Mu's powerful kicks, and the weak spot finally gave way, causing a large section of the rock layer above to emit unstable sounds.
Chen Mu quickly hoisted the Flame Jade and headed away.
After he had walked about a hundred meters, cracks reappeared on the mountain behind him, spreading upward. Finally, with a deafening roar, the mountain collapsed again, burying the entire cavern.
Chen Mu turned to look at the fallen mountain, shook his head, and walked away, disappearing into the mountain range.
This chapter is a bit shorter, but the previous chapters were longer, totaling nearly 13,000 words for the four chapters.
(End of Chapter)
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