A look of surprise crossed the White Ape Master's face.

However, he soon figured out what was happening. That brutish man must be playing tricks, he thought. He must have secretly spoken with these cultivators, then used a strange Soul General to injure this person and frame me. However, given my temperament, I can't be bothered to explain much to Qi Gathering Realm juniors.

Just as the rogue cultivator surnamed Wang stepped onto his magic artifact, preparing to make his Flying Escape, the White Ape Master slapped him down.

"When did I say you could leave?"

I don't know how that brute who killed my beloved disciple Liu Yu managed to conceal his aura, the White Ape Master fumed internally. But until that man is caught, no cultivator is leaving Sishui City!

BOOM!

The spirit light flashed explosively.

All the defensive measures deployed by the rogue cultivator surnamed Wang shattered.

He crashed headlong into the Liu Family's Apothecary, demolishing numerous buildings. He's no Shen Mo; how could he possibly withstand a casual blow from a Spirit Sea Realm powerhouse?

His eyes rolled back, and he fainted amidst the rubble!

Shen Mo witnessed this clearly with his Flawless Dharma Eye. His face twitched slightly. My apologies, Fellow Daoist Wang, he thought.

Then, he began using his Divine Sense to broadcast the news to all Qi Gathering Realm cultivators in the city: "Fellow Daoist Wang has been killed by the White Ape Master! It happened at the Liu Family's Apothecary; I saw it with my own eyes. I told you all he was up to no good! Fellow Daoist Wang merely wanted to leave, yet he struck so ruthlessly! It seems Dasheng Mountain has long coveted Sishui City's assets... With such a prime opportunity, how could the White Ape Master possibly restrain himself?"

Many cultivators from smaller families and rogue cultivators in the city had been keeping a close watch on the White Ape Master's movements. After all, he was an outsider, a Spirit Sea Realm powerhouse. Whatever his motives for coming to Sishui City, the local cultivators had to be wary. This was especially true now that the two major families in the city had been annihilated, leaving many properties and interests up for grabs, and the situation was in flux. If they still took the White Ape Master and "Zhang Tieshan" lightly, these cultivators from smaller families and rogue cultivators probably wouldn't have survived in the city for so many years!

Shen Mo's provocation wasn't particularly subtle. Everyone knew he was trying to stir the waters, hoping to create an opportunity to escape from the White Ape Master. But the White Ape Master's domineering actions were hard to ignore; he had suddenly attacked Fellow Daoist Wang without any reason! Combined with Shen Mo's earlier instigation, it was impossible for them not to have suspicions at this moment.

Divine Senses and talisman messages began to exchange rapidly.

"Fellow Daoist Lin, what's your take?"

"How else should I see it? I saw it with my own eyes! Fellow Daoist Wang is lying there in the ruins. Who can guarantee the White Ape Master won't attack us next?"

"Exactly! Avenging his disciple is a sham; his real intention is to seize the city's properties!"

"But that Zhang Tieshan doesn't seem like a good person either. It looks like he intends to use us as cover to escape Sishui City."

"Fellow Daoist Zhang didn't attack our families or us rogue cultivators. He only exterminated the Liu and Wu Families! He even left the vacated properties in the city for us. He's somewhat more benevolent than the White Ape Master, who was in cahoots with the Liu Family!"

"That's reasonable. In any case, I trust neither Dasheng Mountain nor the White Ape Master..."

"I'm leaving first. I'll return to Sishui City in a few days!"

Barely three breaths had passed since the rogue cultivator surnamed Wang was knocked unconscious when the Qi Gathering Realm cultivators in the city made their choice. One after another, figures transformed into streaks of light, scattering and fleeing out of the city.

Rather than stay and face a domineering Spirit Sea Realm powerhouse with unclear intentions, it was better to temporarily relinquish the soon-to-be-acquired properties, leave Sishui City, and wait for the dust to settle. If the White Ape Master had no interest in the city's assets, they could return later and fight for their share. If he truly harbored ill intentions, they would at least avoid the danger!

Seeing this, Shen Mo stepped onto his Thunderstroke Sword, joining a dozen or so streaks of light fleeing towards the city outskirts.

"A bunch of scoundrels!"

The White Ape Master's expression grew increasingly savage. WHOOSH! He soared into the sky.

In the blink of an eye, he appeared before a cultivator from a small family. Before the cultivator could react, he unleashed a palm shadow, swatting the cultivator back down into Sishui City.

Then, with a flash of spirit light, the White Ape Master shot towards the next fleeing Qi Gathering Realm cultivator! I must stop them all before they scatter too far, he thought. Otherwise, once they increase the distance, even with my vast Divine Sense range and rapid Flying Escape speed, I won't be able to intercept them all one by one.

The White Ape Master's actions further solidified their suspicions that he harbored malicious intent!

The fleeing cultivators, who had initially been using standard artifact controlling methods for their Flying Escape, now wore expressions of alarm and began to use their trump cards. Some used talismans to increase their escape speed, some consumed Elixirs to boost their Mana, while others executed swift movement magic or cultivation methods.

In the blink of an eye, half of the escaping lights burst out of Sishui City, speeding into the distance.

Shen Mo was naturally among them. However, I won't use the Violent Speed method from the Sword Control Spirit Technique yet, Shen Mo decided. My current sword speed is already extremely fast. If I accelerate further with this method, I'll likely attract the White Ape Master's attention within a few breaths.

The few slower cultivators were soon overtaken by the White Ape Master and knocked out of the sky one by one.

However, as more and more streaks of light receded into the distance, even the White Ape Master could not intercept everyone. He could only hover in mid-air, letting out an enraged howl like a furious White Ape!

Amidst the piercing screeches of the ape, Fellow Daoist Wang, who had fainted earlier, suddenly jolted. He shook off the broken bricks and tiles covering him, then, after a quick look around, flew towards his residence within the city, his heart still pounding with fear.

The White Ape Master saw all of this. His eyes still blazed with savagery. After consuming an Ethereal Void Pill, he finally managed to suppress his murderous intent. The Treasure Beast Santra he cultivated involved embodying a savage White Ape. While this granted him considerable combat prowess, it also made his temperament ape-like—irascible and filled with aggression. If not for the Fire Sparrow Master keeping him in check within Dasheng Mountain, and the deterrent presence of the Five Great Sects and the Defense Division externally, he might have already fallen onto an evil demonic path!

Damn you, brats! You'd better pray you never appear before me again!

「...」

Shen Mo maintained the escape speed of an ordinary middle-stage Qi Gathering cultivator, unhurriedly flying for over a hundred li. The Flawless Dharma Eye, high in the sky above him, did not detect the White Ape Master giving chase.

This distance should be enough to escape the Divine Sense coverage of a Spirit Sea Realm Layer II expert!

Thinking this, he increased the Mana channeled into his Thunderstroke Sword and silently activated the Violent Speed method of the Sword Control Spirit Technique.

WHOOSH!

His sword-riding speed suddenly more than doubled. Under the optical illusion created by the sudden shift from slow to fast, his escaping light left a long afterimage before vanishing into the distance.

「Several Shichen later.」

He arrived outside the Riverside Sect's mountain gate.

Shen Mo's figure flickered. Activating the Three-Heads Six-Arms True Immortal Technique, his appearance and soul reverted to their original state in the blink of an eye.

"Greetings, Senior Brother Shen!"

Upon seeing Shen Mo, the disciple guarding the mountain gate promptly saluted him.

It's nothing much, Shen Mo thought to himself. However, in the eyes of the outer disciples guarding the mountain gate, he was already a significant figure within the sect. It was just like when he and Cao Ren had guarded the mountain gate back then, looking at the Inner Door elite disciples with faces full of envy!

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