Chapter 78: Little Gu Flying Knife

Mo Qingxian's long blade, infused with chilling cold, struck directly at Gu Mo's vital spot on his back. Like a black lightning bolt, it moved with uncatchable speed, the blade hissing through the air as if a venomous snake was flicking its tongue.

Almost at the same instant, Zhuo Qingfeng also found himself in peril.

Mo Qingxian's taciturn servant, as if by prior arrangement, darted out like a phantom. The short blade in his hand gleamed with a cold light. He crouched low, holding the blade close to the ground, and swept it swiftly towards Zhuo Qingfeng's legs from an extremely tricky angle. This strike was faster than imaginable, leaving only a silver-white blur. Were it not for the sharp surge of energy in the air, one would barely have noticed the attack.

This sudden sneak attack, like a thunderclap in the dark, shattered the tense standoff.

However,

In that split second,

Zhuo Qingfeng's body, light as willow catkins, barely touched the ground with his toes before he ascended more than three feet into the air. The long sword in his hand danced like a nimble snake, its movements ever-changing, making it impossible for the naked eye to discern when it had appeared behind him.

Holding his sword behind his back, he flicked his wrist, and the long sword bloomed into a dazzling "sword-flower." It was like fireworks erupting in the night sky—captivating, yet concealing a deadly strike. This seemingly casual sword strike precisely aimed at the servant's wrist.

Alarmed, the servant was stunned that his sneak attack had been so easily nullified. He instinctively tried to withdraw his short blade to dodge, but Zhuo Qingfeng's sword, like a phantom, followed him relentlessly. The sword blade struck the short blade with a crisp "clink," like the clear chime of a bell. The impact vibrated through the servant's hand, numbing the web between his thumb and forefinger, and his short blade nearly slipped from his grasp.

Zhuo Qingfeng then backhanded a flick, directly slicing across the servant's chest. The servant's body twisted as he fell to the ground, a long bloody gash marring his chest.

Simultaneously,

Gu Mo, too, stomped his toes sharply on the ground, his body launching forward half a zhang like an arrow. Simultaneously, his waist twisted with an incredible arc, like a nimble dragon coiling in mid-air. His right palm, imbued with overwhelming internal energy, shot backward like a black lightning bolt, accompanied by a whistling wind. This strike, infused with his perfected Nine Yang Internal Energy, distorted and warped the air wherever the palm wind passed, emitting a sizzling sound.

This was "Divine Dragon Swings Tail" from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, specifically designed to counter attacks from behind.

In that split second, offense and defense inverted. Mo Qingxian had no time to dodge, so he swung his blade to block, holding it protectively in front of his chest.

“Boom!”

A dull, heavy boom resonated, like a massive bell tolling, as Gu Mo's dragon-shaped internal energy slammed heavily onto Mo Qingxian's blade. Immediately, a visible wave of energy expanded outwards from their collision, sending nearby sand and stones flying.

Mo Qingxian felt an irresistible, immense force strike him, as if a majestic mountain had crashed down. His arm instantly flared with intense pain, as though his bones had been pulverized by the palm strike. Immediately after, his entire body, like a kite with its string cut, flew uncontrollably several zhang backward.

“Aargh!”

Mid-air, Mo Qingxian couldn't help but cough up a mouthful of fresh blood, the crimson mist scattering in a strange arc under the moonlight. He crashed heavily to the ground, raising a cloud of dust.

In that very instant, as Gu Mo landed, his right palm, swift as lightning, darted into his embrace. His index and middle fingers, held together, firmly gripped a throwing knife as thin as a cicada's wing. The blade was narrow, its edge gleaming with a chilling, cold light. Under the tranquil moonlight, it seemed an envoy from the depths of hell, emanating a distinctive aura.

“Swoosh!”

A sharp whizzing sound suddenly pierced the air as Gu Mo put sudden force into a swift flick of his wrist, nimble as a swimming snake. In an instant, the throwing knife shot from his fingers, like a silver lightning bolt tearing through the darkness. The air was instantly sliced by the throwing knife, emitting a sharp, piercing whistle, as if thousands of vengeful spirits were wailing.

The throwing knife streaked across the night sky like a burning meteor, trailing a brilliant silver light. With unimaginable speed, it shot directly towards the black-clad man who carried the large bell on his shoulder.

In that moment, the black-clad man felt as though he had plunged into an abyss. He perceived the fatal threat, his pupils instantly shrinking to pinpricks, his eyes filled with terror and despair. On the brink of life and death, he exerted all his strength, swaying like a withered leaf in the wind, desperately attempting to evade the deadly strike.

However, Gu Mo's throwing knife was a maxed-level "Little Gu's Throwing Knife" technique. The knife moved with his intent, clinging to the mysterious man like a maggot to bone. No matter how the black-clad man tried to twist or dodge, the throwing knife remained a relentless shadow, closing in with an unstoppable momentum. It left the black-clad man with only one choice: to raise his hand and block. Yet, the throwing knife's speed had already surpassed the limits of his reaction.

A muffled "thwock" sound was heard, like a heavy object sinking into mud, as the sharp throwing knife precisely and accurately pierced his throat. The throwing knife buried itself hilt-deep. The mysterious man's eyes were wide, filled with disbelief. Gurgling sounds escaped his throat, as if he were making a final, futile struggle.

He instinctively clutched his throat with both hands as crimson blood gushed out from between his fingers, glaringly bright under the moonlight like blooming Lycoris radiata. His body swayed, and the large bell in his hand clanged to the ground, the dull sound echoing in the silent night. Immediately after, he toppled straight backward, crashing heavily to the ground and raising a cloud of dust.

The surroundings instantly fell into a deathly silence, broken only by the faint rustle of Gu Mo's clothes as a gentle breeze stirred them.

In that very instant,

Gu Mo's mind suddenly registered a system notification:

Wanted Target — Cat Demon (1/2)

“Father!”

The other black-clad man let out a mournful cry. Simultaneously, another throwing knife appeared in Gu Mo's hand. However, he did not immediately throw it, as he couldn't yet lock onto the remaining black-clad man—more precisely, he hadn't yet discovered his weakness.

At the same moment,

Mo Qingxian, who had just been injured by Gu Mo's "Divine Dragon Swings Tail," spoke up: “Great Hero Gu, I never imagined that besides your rumored incredibly powerful palm techniques, you also possess such an utterly irresistible throwing knife!”

Gu Mo calmly replied, “Master Mo, I still have another knife in my hand. Would you like to try it?”

Mo Qingxian chuckled softly, “Eventually, I'll have to try it. Commander Zhuo's sword, however, needs no testing. Even with my current injury, my blade is still faster than his sword.”

Zhuo Qingfeng did not retort. Mo Qingxian was a top master, and the blade in his hand was indeed incredibly fast. Zhuo Qingfeng was no match for him.

On the other side, the remaining black-clad man, at some unknown moment, had produced a soft sword that shimmered like waves in the moonlight. He also refrained from attacking, his gaze fixed intently on Gu Mo, searching for a weakness.

Mo Qingxian spat out a mouthful of clotted blood and asked, “Where did I reveal a flaw? It seems both of you were already prepared for my sneak attack.”