Beauties in Simulation Cross over into Reality

Chapter 82: Chapter 73: A Common Mortal With a Lifespan of No More Than a Hundred Years

These twenty-some Loose Cultivators had originally been searching for opportunities in some nearby ruins.

But just as they emerged from the caves, they sensed a pillar of demonic energy soaring into the sky.

They looked toward the thundercloud-filled area, surprised to find a member of the Snake Race was Crossing the Tribulation.

Moreover, for it to cause such a powerful celestial phenomenon just as its tribulation began meant this snake possessed extraordinary talent—it might even be showing signs of atavism.

Loose Cultivators were used to living on the edge.

Faced with this Python Crossing its Tribulation, they had to give it a shot, even if they knew it was incredibly powerful!

After all, every single part of a tribulating Python was a priceless treasure!

If they waited any longer and others noticed, this Python might not be theirs for the taking.

So, after a quick discussion, they decided to hunt the Python together. Once they killed it, they would split the spoils evenly.

However, to their surprise, an old man appeared and blocked their path before they could even reach the lake.

“Sir, can we help you?”

An Early-stage Nascent Soul Realm Loose Cultivator named Guo Xiudan stepped forward and bowed respectfully to Xiao Mo.

Guo Xiudan sized up the old man.

He couldn’t sense any flow of Spiritual Power from him. Instead, what he felt was a dense Mountain and River Fortune.

’This is an official from the Qi Kingdom, and a high-ranking one at that.’

Guo Xiudan made his assessment.

He just couldn’t figure out this Qi Kingdom official’s intentions. Why had he suddenly intercepted their group?

Xiao Mo returned the bow. “The snake traveling the river is very important to me. I wonder if you gentlemen would be so kind as to let this matter go?”

A cultivator named Chen Ji chuckled. “Sir, as a high-ranking official of the Qi Kingdom, pleading for a member of the Snake Race… doesn’t that go against your kingdom’s rules?”

Another cultivator chimed in, “If it causes a disastrous flood, won’t the people of your Qi Kingdom suffer endlessly? We’re doing you a favor.”

“She is kind-hearted and will surely keep herself under control while she travels the river,” Xiao Mo explained patiently. “Moreover, her path is lined with various water-control projects that are more than sufficient to handle it. Besides, I have already notified all the prefectures and counties to prepare in advance.”

“So this time, I won’t have to trouble you to take action.”

Guo Xiudan’s brow furrowed, and he dropped all pretense of courtesy.

“Old man, you know we Loose Cultivators are different from those in the Major Sects. Everything we have, we’ve risked our lives for. This Python crossing the river is a massive opportunity for us. How could we possibly let it go?

“I’m afraid we can’t agree to your request. Please, step aside.”

“I’m afraid I won’t.” Xiao Mo shook his head.

Guo Xiudan’s brow tightened. “And you think you can stop us?”

Xiao Mo sighed softly. “Let’s find out.”

The instant Xiao Mo’s words fell, Guo Xiudan drew his longbow, and a golden arrow materialized on the string.

Guo Xiudan released his fingers. The bowstring TWANGED, and a cold glint of light shot straight for Xiao Mo’s heart!

The entire sequence was as swift as a fleeting shadow, over in less than half a breath.

However, just as the arrowhead was an inch from Xiao Mo’s chest, it froze abruptly, as if it had struck an invisible barrier, stopping dead in the air.

With a light flick of his sleeve, Xiao Mo brushed the arrow aside. It was extinguished like a candle in the wind, instantly dissolving into motes of Spiritual Power before vanishing completely.

“Please, all of you, leave now,” Xiao Mo said slowly.

“Mere mortal!” Guo Xiudan’s contempt was now on full display.

’So what if he’s empowered by the Mountain and River Fortune?’

’In the end, he’s just a common man with a lifespan of barely a hundred years!’

Guo Xiudan drew his bow again. Behind him, concentric rings of light suddenly bloomed in the void!

Countless gleaming golden arrows emerged from the rings, their tips glinting, poised to strike.

The instant the bowstring shuddered, hundreds of brilliant golden rainbows tore through the air, bombarding Xiao Mo like a meteor shower.

At the same time, the surrounding Loose Cultivators exploded into action.

In an instant, roaring tides of flame, sharp blades of ice, poisonous miasmas, and sinister lightning…

All manner of spiritual lights, each carrying an aura of destruction, rained down and blotted out the sky.

There were no probing attacks, no holding back.

This was how Loose Cultivators fought.

Even if they looked down on their opponent, they would attack with their full strength—just as a lion uses its full power to hunt a rabbit.

“Why must it come to this?”

Xiao Mo sighed softly and took a single step forward.

Instantly, an inky-black Mountain and River Fortune billowed out from the soles of his feet, spreading like ripples before frantically converging, like a hundred rivers returning to the sea!

In the blink of an eye, a long, ink-black dragon condensed from pure Mountain and River Fortune coiled around his body, its scales and claws menacing and lifelike.

The moment it formed, the ink dragon raised its head, glared at the oncoming attackers, and unleashed a sky-rending roar that shook the very clouds!

「Half a cup of tea later.」

Of the twenty-some Loose Cultivators, only Guo Xiudan remained.

He was grievously wounded, his tattered clothes soaked in blood.

At that moment, Guo Xiudan was suspended in midair, a claw of the ink-black dragon piercing through his chest.

“How is this possible…”

Guo Xiudan looked down at the hole in his chest, his eyes filled with utter disbelief.

He never could have imagined that this old man’s Mountain and River Fortune was so dense, or that it was even empowered by the veneration of the Human Race.

But it was too late for regrets.

Xiao Mo reached out and tapped a finger between his eyebrows.

The Nascent Soul Realm cultivator instantly exploded into a mist of blood.

“COUGH, COUGH, COUGH…”

After dealing with the twenty Loose Cultivators, Xiao Mo coughed violently. A trickle of blood escaped the corner of his mouth, and his face seemed to have aged several years in an instant.

The Mountain and River Fortune he had just expended to cast the Magic had returned to the world, and it could not be replenished quickly.

Such was the nature of Official Skill.

An official could exhaust their accumulated Mountain and River Fortune in a single day.

But to recover it completely could take months, or even years.

’The remaining Mountain and River Fortune… should be enough…’

Xiao Mo wiped the blood from his lips and took a deep breath.

BOOM!

WHOOSH!

The thunder in the sky grew louder, and the rain intensified into a torrential downpour.

Xiao Mo looked toward Ganyue Port.

Ruxue had already swum out of Ganyue Port and was heading downstream, following a small creek toward Siming Lake.

As Bai Ruxue left Ganyue Port, she felt her body growing thicker and longer. Her Spiritual Power was even more immense, and she could feel her scales beginning to transform.

But Bai Ruxue paid no mind to any of this.

She only wanted to swim forward with all her might, to hurry into the North Sea, to pass her tribulation and obtain the Dragon Thunder Liquid.

’As long as I get the Dragon Thunder Liquid, Xiao Mo won’t leave me.’

As Bai Ruxue swam into the latter half of the creek, she saw an arched bridge.

Hanging beneath the bridge was a long, bronze-colored sword.

Bai Ruxue focused her mind.

’Xiao Mo told me about this. It’s the Dragon-slaying Sword!’

The closer Bai Ruxue got, the more violently the Dragon-slaying Sword trembled, as if it would break free from its hemp rope at any moment and lunge at her.

From the sword, Bai Ruxue could sense the blood of her own kind.

It was as if the Residual Souls of her kin were relentlessly warning her not to approach.

That feeling of innate suppression made Bai Ruxue want to retreat, and her body couldn’t help but tremble.

In the past, this woman who was afraid of mere thunder might very well have backed down.

But an image of a man surfaced in her mind.

“Xiao Mo…”

Bai Ruxue steadied her resolve and charged toward the arched bridge.

SHING!

As if awakened, the Dragon-slaying Sword broke free from its rope and slashed toward the White Python.