Chapter 969: Bandits

“Brother Ye, we’ve been stopped by bandits,” Li Jingwen said, holding his universal ruler.

Ye Mo saw their boat had been intercepted by a larger, sturdier, though undeniably ugly, mid-grade flying spirit artifact. He was puzzled how it could halt their own vessel. Li Jingwen explained, “Sorry, Brother Ye, I was engrossed in studying the ruler and didn’t notice.”

Ye Mo suspected these bandits coveted his ship, regardless of Li Jingwen’s distraction. The opposing vessel held more than just common thugs; it boasted two tertiary-stage Golden Core cultivators (one level nine, the other level seven), three mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, five primary-stage Golden Core cultivators, and four Foundation Establishment cultivators. A cloaking formation obscured their numbers from Ye Mo’s spirit sense.

The lead Golden Core cultivator, his hair disheveled, sneered at Li Jingwen’s call to a level two cultivator. “Leave your ship and storage rings, and you may go.”

Several cultivators swarmed Ye Mo’s flying cloud ship. While a simultaneous attack would overwhelm him and Li Jingwen, their ship’s superior agility offered an advantage. An idea struck Ye Mo.

“Control the ship and escape south,” he quickly instructed Li Jingwen.

The order reached the bandits. The level nine cultivator barked, “Stop him! Don't let him escape!”

Several cultivators charged, aiming to slow, not necessarily stop, the ship. The four Golden Core cultivators pursued; they focused on Li Jingwen, unaware Ye Mo was creating an opening.

Ye Mo stood at the ship’s bow. Before reaching the pursuing Golden Core cultivators, he unleashed Zi Xu, facing only primary and mid-stage opponents. He unleashed the Illusion Cloud Division strike, Zi Xu activating and releasing a sword veil of countless rays.

Two level-one Golden Core cultivators were instantly swept away; two mid-stage cultivators barely shielded themselves. A pursuing cultivator abruptly halted, but Ye Mo pressed his advantage with a second strike. Finding his spirit sense and cultivation essence superior to ordinary mid-stage Golden Core cultivators, he forwent Illusion Cloud, opting for a direct strike. A level-four Golden Core cultivator, barely reacting, was cleaved by Zi Xu.

In two moves, Ye Mo had killed three of the four pursuing cultivators. The remaining mid-stage cultivator could not stop their ship. Just as they neared freedom, Ye Mo commanded, “Go east!”

Li Jingwen grasped Ye Mo’s strategy: not escape, but to eliminate weaker cultivators before confronting the level-nine cultivator. Witnessing Ye Mo’s swift efficiency, Li Jingwen felt his own blood stir. A mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, two primary-stage Golden Core cultivators, and three Foundation Establishment cultivators remained – enough to briefly impede the pursuers.

Ye Mo unleashed Zi Xu again, employing the Illusion Cloud Division strike alongside the Purple Eye Soul Sever to pierce the spirit stones of the mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, testing its potency.

A purple ray swept through the ranks; the Foundation Establishment cultivators were helpless. One primary-stage Golden Core cultivator fled, his arm severed. The mid-stage Golden Core cultivator, disoriented by the Purple Eye Soul Sever, was instantly killed by Ye Mo’s purple sword rays.

The level-nine Golden Core cultivator finally realized his enemies never intended to flee. He'd believed his men could restrain them long enough for a counterattack, but this proved impossible.

As Ye Mo's kill count rose, the bearded cultivator’s fury mounted. He recognized Ye Mo’s caliber; only a cultivator of similar strength could so easily dispatch primary-stage Golden Core cultivators.

Ye Mo’s advance was halted by the level seven and nine Golden Core cultivators. He was unfazed, utilizing his lightning battle technique to decimate more Golden Core cultivators, leaving only a mid-stage, two primary-stage (one heavily injured), and several Foundation Establishment cultivators. He ignored the latter.

He was confident in handling the remaining tertiary-stage Golden Core cultivators, leaving Li Jingwen to finish off the rest.

The level-nine Golden Core cultivator, enraged by the decimation of his decades-long team—built through years of robbing and rapidly growing wealth, resulting in ten Golden Core cultivators from only two initially—was determined to kill Ye Mo. Their usual careful target selection, focusing on Li Jingwen and the flying cloud boat, now proved tragically misplaced. The goat had become a tiger.

The level-nine cultivator unleashed four level-five runes and seven flying swords. The runes, merely a distraction, were designed to create an opening for the sword attack. Ye Mo immediately recognized the seven flying swords formed a formidable sword formation. While effective, the runes indicated the cultivator's imperfect mastery, a weakness Ye Mo noted.

The sword formation enveloped Ye Mo, restricting his movement. “Such a powerful sword formation,” he mused, resorting to his Illusion Cloud Exert Will Sword, the only technique he believed could break through. He knew he could dissect the formation, but lacked the time; hesitation would be fatal.