Inside the mansion, Tian Hong clutched the Clan Leader's cherished sword, his expression unsightly. The Tian Clan was a vast Immortal family with extensive enterprises; contributing over three thousand low-grade Spirit Stones to the Defense Division annually was trivial. However, these contributions had accumulated over twenty years, reaching a staggering sum of over seventy thousand. Converted to middle-grade Spirit Stones, this amounted to more than seven hundred!

Yet, the Tian Family had indeed made these payments. They had simply bypassed the Defense Division, paying the cultivators they had wooed and recruited directly! If one were to meticulously calculate, the Tian Family's expenditures in this regard over the years might far exceed seventy thousand low-grade Spirit Stones. Of course, these investments had also yielded even greater returns. However, expecting Tian Hong to willingly settle this supposed debt was utterly impossible.

"Lad, don't spout such nonsense," Tian Hong retorted. "What my Tian Family has invested to maintain the peace and tranquility of Hongye City far exceeds these seventy-two thousand Spirit Stones! Your Defense Division was incapable of fulfilling its duties, so we stepped in to assist. How can there be any logic in us both exerting effort and incurring financial loss? Your actions... how are they any different from those cultivators you dismissed, who only drew salaries without performing any actual duties?"

Tian Hong, befitting his status as the head of a major Immortal Clan, quickly found an excuse. He used Shen Mo's previous actions to condemn his current ones! It was a classic case of turning his own tactics against him.

"Oh?" Shen Mo responded lightly, nodding with a calm expression. "According to Patriarch Tian, these cultivation resources were all used by you to maintain peace within the city, correct?"

The moment Shen Mo spoke, a sense of foreboding struck Tian Hong. As expected, in the next instant, Shen Mo continued, "If that's the case, then I must discuss with Patriarch Tian the responsibility for the Heavenly Demon's infiltration of the city today! Did you spend these over seventy thousand Spirit Stones on stray dogs? No, that's not right. If you had, you should have at least been able to nurture a Class II Dog Demon... It would have at least been able to bark at the demon head a couple of times! Yet, precisely during my absence, a mutated Heavenly Demon entered the city and even devoured several fellow daoists and six members of the Chi Family! When the Five Great Sects and the Defense Division headquarters assign blame, I will naturally face punishment. However, before that... your Tian Family must give me an explanation!"

Having said this, Shen Mo had no patience for further words with Tian Hong and waved his right hand.

BUZZ!

BUZZ! BUZZ!

The seven inch-long Dao swords coiled around his wrist shot out with a whistle. "The Big Dipper Array, Conversion!" Shen Mo chanted the incantation, his fingers forming a sword technique, pointing towards the Tian' mansion.

Instantly, a majestic Sword Array materialized. Amidst rumbling sounds, it enveloped the entirety of the sprawling Tian' mansion.

At this moment, among the seven Big Dipper Swords, Tianshu, Tianji, and Yaoguang had all reached the high-grade Profound Level. The remaining four were also exceedingly close to the high-grade. Not long ago, Shen Mo had experienced Godlike Swordplay, and his mastery of this Sword Array had improved, its power increasing accordingly! Combined with the passive enhancement from the [Sword Body] Skill, the Big Dipper Array's power had now reached a level that even Shen Mo found difficult to grasp.

I wonder if this Sword Array can contend with a Spirit Sea Realm Layer I expert!

Dazzling sword light permeated in all directions. Under the terrifying pressure of the Sword Qi, not even an insect from the Tian Family could hope to escape easily.

This action also enraged Patriarch Tian, Tian Hong.

"Lad, how dare you be so arrogant!" A furious roar erupted from within the Tian' mansion.

At the same time, an immense sense of crisis welled up in Shen Mo's heart. This was no illusion! He had equipped the [Danger Perception] Destiny long ago, and at this moment, this Special Destiny was warning him incessantly. If he stood there motionless, doing nothing, a fatal danger would befall him! However, Shen Mo's five senses detected no hint of danger, so there were no intuitive warnings. Nevertheless, compared to his easily deceived and misled senses, Shen Mo trusted the [Danger Perception] Destiny more!

The next moment, his thoughts raced, and Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand overflowed from his Chakra. He did not shape it into a Crystal Sand Energy shield but instead coated his skin with it, as if plating it with a bronze-iron crystalline film. This magic artifact had three uses. One method was to store it in the Chakra to enhance his vitality. Even if residual force penetrated his body, this layer could nullify seventy to eighty percent of it, minimizing damage to his physical form. Another was to project an energy shield capable of blocking most attacks. The final method was to have it float on the body's surface; essentially a personal shield offering the strongest defense.

But merely the Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand was not enough! Two more arms suddenly sprouted from Shen Mo's ribs, extending from beneath his inner armor and the front of his magic robe, rapidly forming various seals. He was also silently chanting incantations. The final hand seal he formed was the Wall Palm of the Seven Constellations of the Northern Black Tortoise! A Pig Badger phantom emerged from between his second pair of palms. It was like a copper wall and an iron bastion, incredibly solid, protecting Shen Mo completely.

Furthermore, his original arms had not ceased moving. Facing the direction of the Tian' mansion, he unleashed a Universe sword style! Although he didn't know what the danger was, it clearly originated from the Tian' mansion. Either the Tian Family still had a hidden Spirit Sea Realm expert, or Tian Hong had deployed the clan's foundational reserves...

Though many actions seemed to occur, only a breath and a half had passed.

SWOOSH!

The River Opening Sword Qi Shen Mo unleashed, with an intent like a landslide damming a river, took the form of countless separate yet interconnected massive stones. It converged into a single sword Qi, tearing open the void before him! Then, the sword Qi shattered.

As it dispersed into a sky full of fragmented light, Shen Mo also saw the source of the danger. It was a Flying Sword! Or rather, it was a Spirit Sword that had reached the Spiritual Artifact level, having birthed a Sword Spirit!

This Spirit Sword, its formidable power aside, astonishingly ignored the blockade of The Big Dipper Array and stabbed directly at him. After shattering the River Opening Sword Qi, it vanished once more. But at this moment, not only his [Danger Perception] Destiny but also Shen Mo's five senses were frantically warning him. This elusive Spirit Sword had not been stopped by the River Opening Sword Qi; it was still streaking towards him for the kill.

PCHT!

In the next instant, the Spirit Sword reached Shen Mo. It collided violently with the Constellations Palm, and then the Pig Badger phantom dissipated! Fortunately, although the River Opening Sword Qi and the Palm hadn't stopped the Spirit Sword, they had diminished its power by seventy to eighty percent. When the Spirit Sword finally struck Shen Mo, the Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand further ground away thirty percent of its ferocious might.

PCHT!

The Spirit Sword pierced his body, embedding itself in his left shoulder blade. It was originally aimed at his heart, but the instant the Nine-Extreme Crystal Sand intercepted its tip, Shen Mo shifted his position using Lightness magic. Truthfully, even if his heart were pierced now, Shen Mo would not be afraid. He would only need to activate the Three-Heads Six-Arms True Immortal Technique and use his blood essence primality to mend the heart injury. However, he had his reasons for making this choice.

Having cultivated two powerful external magics and invested countless resources, his physical vitality was already comparable to that of a peak Class II demonic beast. The Spirit Sword's power was already greatly diminished; after striking his shoulder blade, it couldn't pierce through immediately. Moreover, the sword's blade was now tightly gripped within the wound by Shen Mo's bones and flesh. Trembling incessantly, it could neither advance nor retreat!

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