This move was astonishingly powerful, its sword energy slashing across more than ten meters. Even a small mountain would likely be cleaved in two by a single strike.
If his head had been struck, there would have been no chance of survival, resulting in immediate death.
The sword was as fast as lightning and came from a surprise attack from behind, giving Ji Mo no warning.
The attack arrived in an instant!
At the brink of life and death, Ji Mo suddenly bent down.
It turned out a small pebble had gotten into his shoe, and he was bending to remove it.
This action, by sheer coincidence, allowed him to evade the fatal blow.
Ma Peng was stunned, unable to believe Ji Mo had such incredible luck.
He continued his assault, unleashing a full-power strike towards Ji Mo's back, intending to cleave him in two at the waist.
He refused to believe this fellow could dodge again.
As expected, this strike directly hit Ji Mo, but it caused him no harm whatsoever.
It was just that coincidental; the deerskin of the Night Demon Mink Ji Mo had previously peeled off was slung across his back, blocking the sword.
Feeling the force of the attack from behind, Ji Mo finally realized something was amiss and turned to look.
Immediately, he saw a youth with a ferocious expression, raising his long sword and savagely thrusting it forward.
Ma Peng, having failed twice, was filled with surprise.
But now, he had successfully closed the distance to Ji Mo, and he was confident this fellow absolutely could not dodge this time.
"Die!"
Ma Peng sneered, swinging his sword directly at Ji Mo's waist.
"Croak..."
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad awoke from its intense pain. The moment it opened its eyes, it saw someone wielding a sword and viciously stabbing its noble, white-spotted belly.
Ma Peng was so unlucky that this sword still didn't hit Ji Mo but instead pierced the body of the Ancient Soul Devouring Toad.
Feeling the resistance from the sword tip, Ma Peng let out a roar and stabbed several more times.
"Croak, croak..."
The belly was the Ancient Soul Devouring Toad's most vulnerable spot. It let out a pained cry and retaliated in fury.
A vast will surged into Ma Peng's body through the sword tip.
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad was utterly enraged, having nearly been disemboweled. It could not tolerate such humiliation and intended to devour Ma Peng's soul, scattering it to the winds.
"You brat, how dare you stab my toad!"
Ji Mo glared at Ma Peng with a face full of anger, not understanding why this youth was picking on a toad and stabbing it with all his might.
This old toad was meant for Ah Li's treatment and couldn't be killed.
Without a word, he threw a punch at Ma Peng's nose.
*Crack!*
Ma Peng's nasal bone snapped, and blood gushed out.
He tried to resist but found his body difficult to move, feeling a powerful, unparalleled force eroding his body and soul.
"Ancestor, save me."
Ma Peng's face paled with extreme fear. Feeling his life threatened, he urgently cried out to the Nine Nether Ancestor for help.
"Hmph, you dare call for help? Let me beat you up first."
Ji Mo landed another punch on the man's eye socket, knocking him to the ground. His fists rained down like a storm.
"Holy crap, who is that young man? He's actually dominating a Spirit Saint."
"Not only did he effortlessly block the Spirit Saint's attack, but he also beat him without any chance to retaliate!"
"Most terrifyingly, throughout the entire engagement, he didn't use a single bit of spiritual energy. He's truly incredibly formidable."
"This person is highly likely a rare body cultivator, one in a million, who has achieved sainthood through his physical body. His combat power is invincible among peers, which is why he's so powerful."
The cultivators at the foot of the mountain watched this scene, their faces filled with shock.
Those who had planned to seize the jade flute immediately lost their resolve, truly intimidated by Ji Mo.
Had they not seen how miserable that fellow looked, his face beaten into a pig's head.
Ma Peng's face was bruised and swollen, and he wailed incessantly.
He was not only enduring physical pain but also suffering spiritual torment.
This was because two terrifying mental forces were clashing within his mind.
"Nine Nether Ancestor, so it was you, old scoundrel, plotting to harm me."
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad sensed the presence of its old friend and became furious.
Both the Nine Nether Ancestor and it could strengthen themselves by absorbing the essence blood and souls of living beings. Thus, it suspected the Nine Nether Ancestor wanted to take advantage of its weakened state and target it.
They had sworn to be allied brothers, and now this fellow was stabbing its white-spotted belly.
This betrayal further enraged the Ancient Soul Devouring Toad.
The moment the Nine Nether Ancestor's will descended, it was met by the Ancient Soul Devouring Toad's encirclement, and it too became enraged.
"Ancient Soul Devouring Toad, you're not dead yet? Get out of my Seven Deadly Sins body immediately, or I won't be polite with you."
The Nine Nether Ancestor had invested countless efforts in Ma Peng, grooming him as a vessel for possession. Once the time was ripe, he would take over.
But now, the Ancient Soul Devouring Toad seemed to be snatching his prize midway, and he could not accept that.
The Nine Nether Ancestor, unaware of the full situation, had a misunderstanding and only thought of protecting Ma Peng, retaliating without hesitation.
Seven Deadly Sins!
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad's eyes lit up.
Evil souls were precisely its favorite nourishment. Once it devoured Ma Peng, it could surely recover some of its peak strength and perhaps escape from Ji Mo.
Thus, it stopped holding back and attacked with full force.
Instantly, the two wills collided head-on, intertwining.
Ten thousand years ago, they had sworn a blood oath, representing the Ghost and Demon races respectively, and joined forces against Emperor Bai. Who would have thought they would inexplicably turn against each other today?
Truly fair-weather brothers!
Ma Peng's head was splitting, blood flowed from his seven orifices, and his soul felt like it was being torn to shreds.
Tears of regret welled up in his eyes, not only from the pain inflicted by Ji Mo's beating but, more importantly, from the realization that he was merely a fat pig being raised by the Nine Nether Ancestor, destined to be devoured by him sooner or later.
At this moment, he finally recalled the words Tian Xiong had spoken before his death.
"Hmph, you actually believed that old ghost's lies. Making deals with devils never ends well. Listen to me, stay away from the Nine Nether Ancestor, and you might have a chance to live."
Ma Peng had always scoffed at these words, but now he understood how profound they were.
It turned out that from beginning to end, he had been nothing more than a pawn manipulated by the Nine Nether Ancestor.
The struggle between the Nine Nether Ancestor and the Ancient Soul Devouring Toad ultimately resulted in the former's victory, driving the latter out of Ma Peng's body.
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad was left with only a wisp of its remnant soul, while the Nine Nether Ancestor, having recovered some strength, was naturally no match.
Of course, the Nine Nether Ancestor also paid a great price and dared not linger, controlling Ma Peng as he fled in haste.
Ji Mo did not stop him, believing that Ma Peng merely stabbing his toad was not a capital offense and that a lesson was sufficient.
He continued his ascent and soon reached the summit, arriving before the jade flute.
The Ancient Soul Devouring Toad, severely injured and half-dead, showed a flicker of ecstasy in its eyes. Once the jade flute was taken, it could use the power left by its main body and perhaps seize the opportunity to eliminate this detestable human.
"Not bad, it's indeed jade. It should be worth quite a bit of silver."
Ji Mo was satisfied and reached out to grasp the jade flute.
"Stop! Don't touch that flute!"
An extremely anxious voice rang out, stopping Ji Mo's movement.