Chapter 817: Strange Adventure Squad
As the flying sword neared the Northern Sand King's neck, Ye Mo felt an overwhelming sense of danger and instinctively moved aside, too quickly to analyze the threat. A sizzling sound followed as several shimmering beams passed through the space he'd just occupied. Simultaneously, Ye Mo's own flying sword drew blood, severing the Northern Sand King's head, which rolled to a stop.
Ye Mo collapsed to his knees; despite his quick reaction, a beam had grazed his calf. He consumed a lotus life pill, staunching the bleeding. Sitting on the ground, he sighed. Had he not killed the Northern Sand King swiftly, giving him time to utilize that railgun properly, the outcome might have been fatal. Even a slight delay on the king's part could have drastically altered the situation; a direct hit would have left him far worse off.
After regaining some strength, Ye Mo approached the Northern Sand King and picked up the weapon. He recognized it instantly—a more powerful version of the railgun he'd given Luo Ying, powered by an extreme energy stone. Examining the Northern Sand King's remains, he finally understood the king's incredible speed. His legs were pulverized, yet Ye Mo was certain he hadn't inflicted that damage. Two spent runes were affixed to them.
Carefully, Ye Mo gathered and pieced together the fragments. His expression hardened—these were god mobility runes, the kind only Golden Core cultivators could create. No wonder the Northern Sand King was so fast; these were high-quality runes. An ancient martial artist with such a rune would be virtually untraceable.
The question of the king's origin remained. Searching the body, Ye Mo discovered a smaller rune in a pocket. A teleportation rune. He could barely craft low-quality god mobility runes; even master runecrafters struggled with teleportation runes, yet these were clearly high quality. Now he understood the king's sudden disappearances. He seemed to possess multiple runes, but had only used one.
Ye Mo felt fortunate. Had the Northern Sand King utilized the second teleportation rune, capture would have been impossible. However, with his legs destroyed, tracking him down eventually became feasible. The presence of these runes confirmed the king's previous discovery of a high-level cultivation ruin.
A thorough search yielded nothing further of note. Ye Mo incinerated the body with a fireball rune and departed the valley. He had vanquished the Northern Sand King and annihilated Northern Sand, yet the king's identity, origin, and motives remained a mystery. He didn't particularly care; his priority was restoring his cultivation essence before proceeding to Nan Jiang, Wan Qu Mountain.
However, upon completing his task, he encountered five individuals carrying large backpacks—three men and two women. He sat down, unwilling to engage in conversation. Though his cultivation essence was depleted, his spirit sense, several fireball runes, and the railgun remained.
While posing no immediate threat, Ye Mo scanned them with his spirit sense. Four were Yellow Level martial artists; one, a peak Black Level martial artist, on the verge of Earth Level. Most striking was the strongest of the group, a captivating woman. Her small bag's straps accentuated her chest, a detail not lost on the two Yellow Level men, who openly gawked. The other woman, Huang Mei, a middle-aged advisor to the Hong Martial Gang, was also present. One of the men carried two rabbits.
Approaching Ye Mo, Huang Mei initially failed to recognize him.
"He's injured!" the youngest man exclaimed.
Ye Mo simply stated, "I'm an adventurer, injured. I'm resting. Carry on."
The lateness of the hour, coupled with his unrequested solitude, seemed odd to them.
"That's him!" Huang Mei gasped, recognizing Ye Mo.
"What is it, Sister Mei?" the attractive woman asked suspiciously.
Huang Mei stammered, "He's injured; it's late. He might not survive."
"Of course, Sister Mei, you're so kind," the buxom woman said, producing a healing pill. "Here."
Ye Mo accepted the pill, subtly scanning her bag with his spirit sense.
Feng Yanqi, the acting captain, said, "You're lucky, little brother. We're adventurers too. Come with us. The Duan Heng Ranges are dangerous at night. You're strong, but..." she implied their superiority. Her closeness, soft voice, and alluring scent were not lost on him.
"Brother Chen, help him," she instructed one of the men.
Ye Mo declined, rising to his feet. He noticed her bag was full of Gu insects. Near Nan Jiang, with Gu insects? The All Gu Sect.
Seeing Ye Mo reject the pill, Feng Yanqi laughed, "Don't worry, it's not an aphrodisiac! Even if it were, you'd be the one benefiting, haha!"
Ye Mo remained calm, noting the older man's composure and Huang Mei's blush; the younger men seemed less pleased.