UGH!

Shen Mo yanked out the Spirit Sword lodged in his shoulder. Immediately, a large gush of fresh blood spurted out, pouring profusely!

The Red Carp inner armor and the Blue Soul magic robe were pierced through at the shoulder blade by the Spirit Sword, resulting in damage. The Blue Soul magic robe possessed a Self-healing effect, so there was no need to repair it; he could simply let it mend on its own. As for the Red Carp inner armor, it did require some mending. However, the original grade of this inner armor was rather low, and the base forging of the Artifact Embryo wasn't particularly exceptional. Shen Mo had already reforged and upgraded its quality. Right now, spending precious spirit gold to reforge it again would hardly bring about a substantial improvement. Compared to his formidable vitality, its limited defensive capabilities were of little help. Shen Mo was already considering replacing it.

"Still struggling?"

Shen Mo gripped the hilt of the Spirit Sword, feeling the Sword Spirit within struggling incessantly. Then, his finger, imbued with Purple Knack mana, flicked the sword body hard.

CLANG!

The Spirit Sword let out a mournful cry. Ultimately, it understood the principle of "being the fish on the chopping block" and ceased its intense resistance. Shen Mo's sense also probed into the sword's body. The Sword Spirit still tried to resist, but after being taught another lesson, it could only curl up and whimper incessantly.

Before long, Shen Mo had a general understanding of this sword's characteristics. Information such as its forging materials, structural design, and inscribed runes became clear to him.

[You have probed the secrets of the spiritual-level, low-grade Flowing Shadow Sword. You have gained insight, your understanding of the Forging Path has deepened, Forging Experience +80.]

[You have probed the secrets of the spiritual-level, low-grade Flowing Shadow Sword... Forging Experience +30.]

No wonder it could ignore my Sword Array's confinement; it inherently possessed characteristics of shifting, illusory sword intent.

Unfortunately, that old scoundrel Tian Hong's cultivation is inadequate, and he couldn't unleash this sword's true power!

Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to capture him.

After pondering for a moment, Shen Mo imprisoned the Spirit Sword using a Ghost Palm. He then affixed a Prohibition Talisman to it before storing it in his Universe Bag.

He had no intention of claiming this spiritual-level magic sword for himself, though. Because there was a spirit within the sword, Shen Mo could use "Insight into All Beings" on it. Through this special Destiny ability, Shen Mo learned that this sword was the personal sword passed down among the successive Clan Leaders of the Tian Family. If he were to appropriate the Flowing Shadow Sword, it would undoubtedly provide the Spirit Sea Realm experts of the Tian Family with an open excuse to act against him.

Additionally, with his current cultivation, he couldn't forcefully sever the connection between the Sword Spirit and Tian Hong.

Unless he cast the Soul-binding Spell to forcibly extract the Sword Spirit...

Or used the Soul-annihilation Spell to destroy it!

But in that case, the Flowing Shadow Sword he obtained would be merely a flying sword slightly superior in quality to a profound-level, top-grade one, which held little significance.

It was far better to keep it as leverage against the Tian Family.

The injury on his shoulder, under the effects of the *Three-Heads Six-Arms True Immortal Technique*, which stimulated his blood essence primality to regenerate flesh and bone, had mostly healed.

With a thought, he increased the power of the Sword Array.

He said lightly, "Patriarch Tian, we will settle the matter of you injuring me with your Spirit Sword later!"

"Let's resolve the prior dispute first."

"Will your Tian Family pay the overdue sum of over seventy thousand Spirit Stones, or will you accept responsibility for letting the Heavenly Demon into the city?"

Shen Mo's meaning was clear: either pay the Spirit Stones, and the responsibility for the Heavenly Demon entering the city and harming the creatures within would have nothing to do with the Tian Family, or, if they didn't want to pay the Spirit Stones, then they had to obediently admit their guilt and accept punishment.

Choose one of the two!

...

「Inside the Tian Family mansion.」

Tian Hong's face was ashen. Being confronted at his doorstep by a debt collector was one thing, but even his Clan Leader's personal sword had been confiscated. This made him lose considerable face!

Below him stood more than a dozen members of the Tian Clan who were in the Qi Gathering Realm. Like the Liu and Wu families in Sishui City, most of the exceptionally talented members of the Tian Clan were cultivating in the Riverside Sect. Most of those who remained were of Ordinary Face; even if they entered the Riverside Sect, they wouldn't make much of a name for themselves. It was better for them to stay in the Tian Family's ancestral land and practice the family's inherited cultivation methods. With five hundred years of accumulated heritage, the Tian Clan's inherited cultivation methods, manuals, resources, and so on, while not comparable to those of the Riverside Sect's Inner Door, were by no means inferior to those of ordinary small immortal sects.

However, at this moment, none of these ten-odd Qi Gathering Realm members of the Tian Family dared to go out and fight Shen Mo. After all, they weren't fools. The Sword Array hanging over their heads could easily slaughter them. Furthermore, the Clan Leader had used the family's Spirit Sword to no avail, and it had even been seized by that fiend outside. Under these circumstances, wouldn't going out be simply asking for trouble?

"Clan Leader, why not just pay the overdue Spirit Stones and clear our name of the demon scourge? After we send that brat away, we can find a way to deal with him later!" a member of the Tian Clan advised.

Tian Hong glared at him and retorted irritably, "Over seventy thousand Spirit Stones? If you're willing to foot the bill, you can go out and negotiate with that boy yourself."

The Tian Clan member who had spoken immediately shut his mouth. What a joke! Even if he sold all his worldly possessions, he couldn't possibly scrape together such a sum.

"Then let's ask Clan Brother Zhiyu to return. He's a core disciple of the Riverside Sect; surely he can suppress this Shen Mo!"

The "Clan Brother Zhiyu" he mentioned was Tian Zhiyu, one of the Nine Core Disciples of the Riverside Sect. He cultivated on Rising Sun Peak, and his cultivation had reached the Spirit Sea Realm.

However, Tian Hong shook his head and said, "It's... inconvenient for Zhiyu to intervene in this matter!"

"In the future, he will have to compete with the other eight core disciples for the positions of Law Master and the three Peak Masters."

"If his reputation is tainted by a scandal of disregarding sect interests for the sake of his family, he will likely be attacked for it when the time comes!"

After thinking for a long moment, Tian Hong's expression turned solemn, as if he had made a decision.

"The Clan Leader's personal sword must not be lost!"

"As for the Spirit Stones, forget seventy thousand—that young whelp shouldn't dream of taking even one from my Tian Family."

"Third Uncle is still in Tianshan City, Zhong State. He should be back in Qing State in two days."

"Setting aside his position as an Elder of Bright Moon Peak, his Spirit Sea Realm cultivation alone is more than enough to deal with that young whelp!"

The Tian Clan had three Spirit Sea Realm experts. The one with the highest cultivation was naturally Tian Zhaoquan, the Hall Master of the Affairs Hall. However, he was extremely busy with his duties and, being in such a high position, was constantly watched by many. It was impossible for him to personally come to Hongye City to help the family resolve this crisis. And Tian Zhiyu, the core disciple of the Riverside Sect, also had too many inconveniences. Only Tian Qisheng, the Elder of Bright Moon Peak, whose prospects were more ordinary, had fewer scruples!

"Third Grand-uncle is an expert at the Second Layer of the Spirit Sea Realm. Dealing with a mere Qi Gathering Realm cultivator will be child's play for him."

"Exactly! That young whelp is so arrogant. Does he really think there's no one capable in our Tian Family?"

"Clan Leader, please send a message to Third Master quickly..."

Tian Hong delayed no further. He took out a Sound Transmission Talisman and reported the situation to Tian Qisheng, who was far away in Tianshan City, Zhong State.

Before long, Tian Qisheng's reply came via talisman: "Don't be stingy with the Spirit Stones. Activate the clan's defensive formation to its maximum power. I will be back tomorrow!"

With the escape speed of a Spirit Sea Realm cultivator, traveling from the Riverside Sect to Hongye City wouldn't take much time. However, flying directly from Zhong State would take at least three to four days. Therefore, Tian Qisheng needed to use a Teleportation Array to return to the Riverside Sect first, which meant he'd have to wait for the Teleportation Array heading back to the sect to open.

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