However, they were mostly discussing about the internal affairs of the Crow Horn Tribe. So, there was nothing worth listening for Shi Mu.
Shi Mu had to give-up for the time being since he couldn’t remain transformed into the beast for a long time.
He continued to spend a little time in eavesdropping to Wu Ge and the others every night for three days. But, he didn’t hear anything unusual.
In the meantime, the cavalry passed through the core region of the Wu Luo Tribe. It wasn’t too far away from the influence range of the Green Tooth Tribe.
Wu Ge and the other people were overly enthusiastic about themselves during the daytime. But, Shi Mu had a bad premonition about this.
Nine days after leaving the Holy Mountain…
It was night.
No human footprints could be seen in the area covered with sand and stones in the wasteland. Seven or eight tents had been arranged in a circle within the radius of hundred feet on the ground.
A big bonfire had been ignited on a piece of open land around the tents.
Wu Ge and other people had invited Shi Mu in a small bonfire party to celebrate some festival of the barbarian race. Everyone drank wine until the next morning. Then, everybody excused themselves.
Dozens of snore-sounds were heard. These sounds fell and rose in succession. Shi Mu lay on the ground in the center of a tent. He opened his eyes with a flash of understanding. He then turned over and got-up.
His mind was exceptionally sober at the moment even though he had drunk a lot of wine.
He quietly came out of the tent, and shot a glance at some nearby tents. Suddenly, an idea crossed his mind. He then used his totem power, and bent an ear to listen.
His complexion changed after a short while. He then became gloomy.
Inside a tent not too far away from Shi Mu…
"… General… Shi Mu had defeated Wu Li… but he has an advanced-stage Hou Tian strength at the most. Why did Priest Yi He ask Lord Zha Gu to undertake this task?" a tall and sturdy barbarian said. His face was ruddy as he had drunk a lot of wine. A black rhinoceros totem could be seen on his bare chest. His body was emitting an aura of a consummate-level Hou Tian Warrior.
"Zhuo Tu, you underestimate him too much. I was present on the scene when he defeated Wu Li in that fight. His final fist had no less than three or four-thousand kilograms of strength. It would’ve been hard for even me to deal with it," Wu Ge replied in a low voice. However, his tone was still deep and resounding.
"What?!"
Zhou Tu and the other two late-stage Hou Tian Warriors drew a mouthful of air as they heard this.
"Hehe… you don’t need to worry about our Crow Horn Tribe. We’ll have a great advantage once we draw him to the Pointed Lake," Wu Ge laughed and said.
"Hehe… that guy is still sleeping. He doesn’t know that this is going to be his last night in this world." An advanced-stage Hou Tian Totem Warrior laughed in an evil manner as he heard his words.
"Well… everyone speak in low voice. We can’t take it lightly. We’ll have to wait until tomorrow to reach the Pointed Lake. Then… " Wu Ge stretched out his hand, and stopped the three confidants while making some silent gesture.
Suddenly, a sound was heard from the leather tent behind Wu Ge. A shaft of long and black blade came whooshing from inside it. It split open one side of the tent from the middle into two, and came chopping down towards the back of his body.
The long black blade had appeared in a flash. Wu Ge’s complexion changed. He grabbed the hand of the advanced-stage Hou Tian Warrior, and pulled him towards his back in order to resist.
He then scuttled and flew forward – like a cheetah. His body transmitted a ‘kaka’ sound at the same time. Then, his body began to inflate. Moreover, a horn emerged on the top of his head; it was as dark as ink.
The totem warrior whom Wu Ge had used to protect his back didn’t know what was going on. A black blade-light came down splitting with a lightning speed.
"Ah!" a scream echoed.
Then, Real Qi was poured into the black meteoric iron blade. It split him into two halves from top-to-bottom with an irresistible force. His blood and internal organs scattered in all directions.
Then, Shi Mu entered into the tent from the slit. Raging flames were rising from the black blade in his hand. His hands and neck were covered in black scales.
"Shi Mu!"
Wu Ge took out a huge red axe. But, he was startled as he identified the other person. What shocked him more was that the aura emitting out of Shi Mu’s body was stronger than his own.
There was a fierce expression on Wu Ge’s face. He waved the huge red axe towards Shi Mu.
A ten feet long red axe-awn was shot from the edge of the axe; it issued a sharp crying sound. It came chopping towards Shi Mu.
The complexions of Zhou Tu and the other Hou Tian Warrior grew pale as they saw Shi Mu’s status. After that, a black light flashed from the totems on their chests. Suddenly, both of their arms became thick. Then, curved black horns grew on the top of their heads.
The two men grabbed an iron hammer and an iron mace-like weapon. It emitted shadows in layers that went smashing towards Shi Mu.
Cold colors flashed in Shi Mu’s eyes. Huge flame awns were emitted from the black blade in his hand. They then forged ahead towards the awns of red axe.
‘Bang!’ a bursting sound echoed. Then, bursts of ‘dang! dang!’ sounds were heard.
A red light shone as the blade and the axe came in contact with each other; the raging flames and the awns cancelled each other out.
Wu Ge took seven or eight steps backwards under the gigantic strength. His complexion looked flushed.
Meanwhile, Shi Mu’s figure rushed towards Zhou Tu with an unimaginable speed; it seemed as if Shi Mu had transformed into a black phantom.
‘Bang! Bang! Bang!’ A series of metal striking sound were transmitted.
Zhou Tu wielded the hammer in his hand. Then, a dozen or more shadows went smashing towards Shi Mu’s body. It swirled his clothes in the air, and exposed the black scales on his body. However, the hammer-shadows couldn’t do any damage to Shi Mu; except for leaving behind a white scar on his scales.
Zhuo Tu exposed colors of shock on his face as he saw this.
He didn’t get any time to react as Shi Mu’s figure got transformed into several shadows in a flash. He then swept past his body while leaving a chill in his chest.
Zhuo Tu lowered his head, and saw a fist-sized blood hole in his chest. The wound was curled up in black cold Qi, and didn’t leave behind a single drop of blood.
The black cold Qi was also curled-up on Shi Mu’s left hand; his hand was covered in black scales. Shi Mu held Zhou Tu’s heart in his hand at the moment; it was still throbbing with a ‘plop’ sound.
‘Chi! Chi!’ A lousy sound erupted in the space behind Shi Mu.
Another Hou Tian advanced-stage Warrior waved the iron mace in his hand. It transformed into more than ten densely-packed hammer-shadows. They then went smashing towards Shi Mu’s head.
Shi Mu tossed away Zhuo Tu’s heart, and it landed right beside its master’s feet. But, he didn’t move back. Instead, he went forward in a deceiving manner, and stretched out his left hand – like a snake.
‘Bang!’ A loud sound was heard.
A dozen or more dancing shadows disappeared in a flash; they didn’t leave any a trace behind. Then, Shi Mu’s left hand grasped the iron mace in a firm hold, and smashed it.
The other person had terrified expressions in his eyes. The blade-awns rose-up from the black blade as Shi Mu waved his right hand. Then, the blade cut towards the Hou Tian late-stage totem warrior.
The totem warrior issued a loud scream. The blade-awn chopped him into two halves.
Zhuo Tu looked at the throbbing heart that lay beside his leg. He wanted to stoop and pick it up. But, his figure stumbled after a few steps, and he fell down on the ground with a ‘bang’ sound. Then, his body became motionless after it had twitched for a few times.
Shi Mu had already killed three Hou Tian Totem Warriors. But, all of it had happened in two or three breaths’ time.
Wu Ge’s figure remained steady. His face was filled with frightened and angry colors.
But, Shi Mu didn’t stop even for a moment. He threw himself towards Wu Ge with a strong force.
"Young boy, this is going too far…"
Wu Ge’s arms got covered with muscles as he saw this. The huge red axe in his hand rushed towards Shi Mu in order to behead him.
Red moon-shaped arcs appeared, and formed the shape of blade-awns. They then went rolling towards Shi Mu – like lightning.
Shi Mu’s eyes flashed with a cold light in midair; he held his blade in both his hands. The charm characters on the surface of the blade got transformed into thirteen blazing blade-lights in order to protect his body.
‘Boom! Boom!’ A burst of rumbling sounds echoed.
Raging flames rolled-up as the massive blazing blade went over. These raging flames quickly extinguished the axe’s shadows.
Wu Ge looked shocked. Shi Mu’s figure was now within an arm’s reach. Then, the blazing huge blade came right into his face to chop it down.
Wu Ge wanted to dodge the attack, but couldn’t avoid it. He then placed the huge red axe in front of his chest to resist the blade.
‘Clang!’
An incomprehensible amount of power rushed wildly, and invaded his body. His arms felt numb, and Qi and blood churned in his body. The red axe went out flying from his hand.
Then, a sparkling and translucent jade-like clenched fist came and smashed into his chest before he could make another move.
Wu Ge bellowed and lowered his head. Then, the black horns on his head forged ahead – like gigantic black blades.
‘Bang!’ A loud sound was heard.
The sparkling and translucent fist and the bent horns came in contact, and cancelled each other out. But then, a black light flashed on the surface of Shi Mu’s fist. A fist-sized black Qi came out of it, and quietly fell on his chest.
The sound of shattering of bones was heard.
A black cavity was formed in Wu Ge’s chest as the black Qi diffused and opened a wound. Then, his figure trembled and became rigid; as if he was surrounded by ice and snow.
The black blade-flames in Shi Mu’s hand ignited, and went chopping horizontally.
A ‘pop’ sound echoed.
Wu Ge’s body responded sluggishly; it couldn’t defend itself anymore. Suddenly, the black blade chopped him by the waist into two halves. A stream of thin blood got sprinkled everywhere. A fishy smell rose-up as his organs slipped out from his body.
The other totem warriors of the Crow Horn Tribe had also woken-up by this time. They rushed towards the tent. They were dumbstruck at what they saw. Then, Shi Mu appeared in front of them – like a monster.
He waved the black blade in his hand, and beheaded another man. Then, his figure flashed again, and a totem warrior was sent out flying. The barbarian warrior’s figure then froze in midair. That body was then suddenly thrown downwards by a force. And, the body turned into pulp as it hit the ground…
After a short while…
Shi Mu stood by the pile of bodies beside the bonfire. His chest was moving up and down. The flames of the bonfire that shone on his firm face seemed rather gloomy.
There wasn’t even a single survivor among the ten or so barbarian men of the Crow Horn Tribe. The air was filled with smell of reeking blood; so much so that a person would want to vomit after smelling it.
Shi Mu sighed once the expression of indetermination disappeared from his face.
He believed that not everyone among the ordinary totem warriors of the Crow Horn Tribe knew how Wu Ge had betrayed him. But, he had to kill them all in order to protect the secret that he had successfully sealed the soul of the three-headed python with the totem technique; it was one of his biggest secrets right now. A lot of trouble would be created if it was to leak out.
Moreover, Zha Gu had the strength of an Earth Ranked warrior. And, Zha Gu could follow the footprints, and may try to find Shi Mu. So, his situation would become bad if someone leaked his situation and whereabouts.
Shi Mu took some rest at first. After that, he gathered the corpses of the barbarian men. Some of them were likely to carry gold foliage and animal-skinned magic charms. So, he checked them. He also found a beast soul bag from Wu Ge’s dead body.
Shi Mu wrapped all these things in a cowhide. Bursts of cold awn flickered in his eyes as he looked at the bonfire in front of him. After that, his figure moved towards the camp and disappeared.
Shi Mu appeared with a ten feet long block after a while. The block had a large surface area. He brought the blade near the bonfire, and inserted it into the ground.
‘Boom!’ The entire camp shook with a loud sound.
The huge rock stood-up – like a stele on the round. Its bottom sank several feet deep into the ground.
Shi Mu turned over his hand, and pulled out his black blade. He then shook his wrist, and started to carve characters in bold and cursive calligraphy on the surface of the huge rock.
A sharp font appeared on the surface of the huge rock after a while, "A ‘Shi’ awaits Your Excellency in the Black Demon Sect!"