Don't mention how utterly, completely, and thoroughly defeated he was. Before the battle, Hu Xiao had never even entertained the thought that he could be defeated. He had entertained the idea that the fight might be tough. This was because he saw Zi Dao so full of confidence—apparently holding Lin Hei in high regard. However, Hu Xiao had never considered that the battle would end in such a manner.

A single slash!

Not a technique.

Because from beginning to end, Chu Mo had only delivered that one slash. No variations. Hence, it doesn't count as a technique.

This slash was so fast it surpassed Hu Xiao's perception and his ability to react. Thus, he couldn't dodge it.

This slash contained the supreme Great Dao, also surpassing Hu Xiao's own level of cultivation. Thus, he couldn't dodge it.

This slash was too powerful. Thus, he couldn't dodge it.

Is there a need for more reasons?

Hu Xiao suddenly recalled what Zi Dao had just said: Alright, Hu Xiao, don't think I'm underestimating you. Even if I were to spar with Lin Hei now, in a life-or-death battle, it's uncertain who would win or lose.

At the time, he didn't believe it, even found it somewhat contemptible. Now, he believed, and no longer dared to disdain.

Even after the cold light of the holy artifact Cold Moon Blade moved away from his forehead, Hu Xiao still couldn't snap back to reality immediately.

Zi Dao looked at him somewhat sympathetically: "Hu Xiao, you're not going to be as cowardly as Xue Wulei, right?"

Hu Xiao suddenly came to his senses, looked deeply at Zi Dao, his eyes full of gratitude. Then, he clasped his fists towards Chu Mo: "Thank you, Daoist Lin Hei, for sparing my life. I, Hu Xiao, owe you my life. If you have any need in the future, just summon me, and I'll repay you with my life."

Having said that, Hu Xiao didn't even say goodbye to Liu Yunfeng, turned around, and left.

He naturally didn't go to Zi Dao to claim the Shadow Sound Stone either. The Xue Family had led to his pitiful defeat; how could he possibly hand over the Shadow Sound Stone? It wasn't because he feared losing face. Rather, he didn't want the Xue Family to immediately become aware of Lin Hei's combat strength!

"I can't do it, so look for someone else," he said.

Hu Xiao took out a communication stone, activated a spiritual force, said a single line, and then immediately shut off the communication stone.

Then he fled far away—he needed to enter seclusion!

That single slash had caused such a great shock to him. It had already left a shadow in his heart of the Dao.

After Hu Xiao left, Zi Dao and Liu Yunfeng stood to the left and right of Chu Mo, looking at him with mischievous intentions.

Chu Mo, his forehead full of black lines, looked at the two: "Big Brother, Second Brother, what are you up to?"

"Up to what? What do you think?" Liu Yunfeng said with a face full of sorrow: "Little Third... teach me, how did you make that slash? Your progress is too speechless... Back in reincarnation river, if you had released that slash, I, your Second Brother, would have died on the spot."

Zi Dao also looked at Chu Mo with a face full of emotion: "I say, Little Third, I was just boasting a little to Hu Xiao to step up for you; who knew you would take it seriously. That slash... was simply incredible. I've never seen such an amazing use of the blade before."

"At that moment, I had a feeling, that with just you standing there, you were like a towering great tree, no matter how fierce the storm, you would not waver at all," Liu Yunfeng said.

"Indeed, I felt the same," Zi Dao gazed at Chu Mo: "I must ask, Little Third, exactly how many paths are you cultivating simultaneously?"

Chu Mo bitterly smiled: "That was the Dao of the Tree Patriarch, do you want to learn it?"

"Yes!" both nodded vigorously like pecking chickens.

Liu Yunfeng said: "Don't hold back, teach us quickly!"

Zi Dao: "The journey to the withered leaves forbidden land is still long, come on, let's board the ship..." saying this, he directly threw out a warship.

"..." Chu Mo, forehead full of black lines, boarded the warship. Then, on the warship, he began to explain the Dao of the Tree Patriarch to them.

After they both heard it, they all felt somewhat emotional. They didn't expect Chu Mo to actually have such fortune. Yes, from their perspective, this was purely good fortune and not any danger.

"No wonder that woman who has Jiang Caiyue as her master relies on you so much, it turns out she was brought up by you," Liu Yunfeng said.

Zi Dao, however, said: "Receiving a gift from Mom, truly enviable."

Liu Yunfeng became sentimental: "Yes, I don't even know who my mother is."

Chu Mo glanced at the two brothers: "My mother is still suffering right now, so you guys shouldn't envy me."

"Your mom is our mom too, don't worry brother, sooner or later we'll directly storm in there and retrieve her!" Zi Dao's eyes flashed with determination.

"We are brothers, and naturally your mother is our mother too. Let's work hard to improve our strength; we will succeed one day!" Liu Yunfeng said earnestly: "Come on, let me tell you about my Dao!"

And so, they shared the Dao—which in the eyes of all supreme beings was their greatest secret—on the way, explaining everything thoroughly.

When Zi Dao and Liu Yunfeng finished talking about their own Dao, they discovered that Chu Mo quickly had revelations and absorbed the essence of their Dao. This left both of them utterly speechless. They exclaimed that they'd encountered a freak of nature.

"We were once called prodigies, but compared to you, we're just ordinary kids," Zi Dao said with a gloomy face.

Liu Yunfeng looked at Chu Mo: "Come on, Little Third, share some more of your Dao; I want to become stronger!"

Zi Dao glanced at Liu Yunfeng: "Give it up, Second Brother, you can't bite off more than you can chew; you are not Little Third."

Liu Yunfeng looked utterly despondent: "Can't I even think about it?"

The three brothers, although they had not been together for long, hit it off immediately. Such is the bond between brothers, a single glance, a lifetime!

...…

In the Immortal Domain of Luotian, the Xue Family.

The daily affairs of the Xue Family are overseen by an elder in the Great Saint Realm.

This elder, named Xue Han, was gaunt in stature, with the air of an immortal sage, wearing an old taoist robe. He spent almost all his days in seclusion and meditation, rarely emerging to interfere in matters. Although he was the presiding elder of the family, the Xue Family, as an ancient clan, had countless people managing its affairs. Unless it was a matter of life and death for the family, ordinary issues would not reach Elder Xue Han.

However, today someone came specifically to see Elder Xue Han.

This was a cultivator in the Saint Realm, who appeared quite young; from his looks, he was not even over thirty-five years old. But a glance into his eyes revealed the vicissitudes of life he had experienced.

His name was Xue Chunqiu, and he held a high position in the Xue Family. Not just because he had become a saint at a relatively young age, but also because he had two exceptionally outstanding sons, one of whom had once been under the protection of a supreme existence of the family.

Yes, Xue Chunqiu's two sons, one named Xue Wuqing and the other Xue Wulei.

His visit today to see Elder Xue Han was for the sake of his younger son, Xue Wulei.

"Elder, I wish to make a trip to the Trial Field," Xue Chunqiu said respectfully.

"To do what?" Elder Xue Han asked indifferently.

"To kill," Xue Chunqiu replied.

"Oh?" Elder Xue Han raised an eyebrow, opened his eyes, and glanced at Xue Chunqiu. Without asking why, he just gave that look and then nodded: "Go."

"Thank you, Elder, for your permission," Xue Chunqiu said gratefully.

"In fact, facing setbacks is not necessarily a bad thing," Elder Xue Han said sparingly. These words were only for Xue Chunqiu; if it were someone else, even another Saint, he might not have said as much.

"I understand, thank you for your guidance, Elder," Xue Chunqiu said.

"Alright, you may go," Elder Xue Han said. He certainly wasn't worried about Xue Chunqiu causing trouble for the Xue Family. As a saint, if he had decided to kill someone, he would definitely have thoroughly investigated that person's identity and background beforehand. Moreover, the fact that he had to personally do the killing implied that the Xue Family had already tried using someone else but failed!

With these two points in mind, it was actually enough for Elder Xue Han to give his consent.

The untarnished reputation of the Xue Family is not something that just anyone can sully.

Xue Chunqiu quickly arrived at the Trial Field, and the astonishment that could not be concealed flashed through the eyes of the monk guarding the entrance as he entered.

It had been a long time since a saint had entered the Trial Field, especially someone from a powerful ancient clan like the Xue Family.

Chu Mo still does not know that the Trial Field actually has an entrance. Otherwise, why would there be talk of quotas?

It was he who took an unconventional route, entering the Trial Field through that sealed land. Therefore, Chu Mo still does not know that there is such a process for entering the Trial Field. Thus, he never asked about it.

Neither Zi Dao nor Liu Yunfeng had ever imagined that Chu Mo wouldn't know these things, so they never mentioned it. And Chu Mo never imagined that the process of entering the Trial Field was like this, so he never asked either.

Xue Chunqiu paid no attention to the complex gaze of the monk guarding the entrance and directly entered the Trial Field. As a Saint, his realm vastly surpassed almost all the cultivators inside. However, even in the Trial Field, there were places he could not go.

The Trial Field was so vast that to find a person, the simplest way was through the rankings of Heaven, Earth, and Man. Therefore, Xue Chunqiu's first goal was the Reincarnation River.

Xue Chunqiu quickly arrived at Reincarnation River and, with his realm, he managed to activate a challenge against Chu Mo without alarming anyone, using his spiritual power.

A Saint challenging a Heavenly Immortal... such an event might have occurred in the past of the Trial Field, but it was never made public. Because a Saint fighting a Heavenly Immortal is not a challenge, it is mere... slaughter!

After a long journey, Chu Mo and his two companions finally reached the edge of the Barren Leaf Forbidden Land.

They put away their warship and stood at the edge, looking into the Barren Leaf Forbidden Land.

Zi Dao said, "I have a holy artifact on me, a relic my mother left to me. It's an inkstone, and its greatest use is to shield against all sorts of qi attacks. There are too many poisonous creatures in the Barren Leaf Forbidden Land, so we must be cautious."

As he spoke, Zi Dao directly took out the holy artifact inkstone.

The inkstone let down a great number of dark curtains of light, enveloping all three within.

Liu Yunfeng said, "In my sect, there is a holy artifact with me that can reverse time. There are too many places in the Barren Leaf Forbidden Land that can swiftly erode someone's cultivation. With this, I think we should be safer."

Chu Mo glanced at the two and said, "I have a dharma instrument that can detect places with poisonous miasma, and places that can erode someone's cultivation."

After saying this, both Liu Yunfeng's and Zi Dao's faces were etched with an expression of utter bewilderment.

Then, Zi Dao, with a speechless face, put away the inkstone and casually mentioned, "This thing consumes energy."

Liu Yunfeng didn't bother to take out his holy artifact, saying nonchalantly, "Following the third brother for meat and soup."

Chu Mo: "..."

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