Under the shadow of the trees, Ye Mo was walking step by step towards the group.
At some point the party could clearly see him.
"Look at his body, he must have suffered a lot."
"But why is he coming here, does he think we will protect him if he beg us?"
"No matter what, we can't take a deadweight in the team, even more if it's a stranger."
"Maybe he wants to ask if we have an extra token to give him."
Seeing his sorry figure the group members relaxed and started chatting with each other.
Only Ren Xue Tu felt something was amiss.
"Guys, let's get in formation." Ren Xue Tu commanded holding the greatsword planted on the ground next to him.
His companions had a total trust in him. They nodded and executed themselves drawing close to Ye Mo.
On the way Ren Xue Tu gave instructions to Wei Leng. "Brother Wei use your Ardent Flame Ring technique once again."
"Are you sure, i don't think he pose much of a threat." Wei Leng didn't understand why going this far for a single man.
"It's just in case, trust me." Ren Xue Tu reassured.
"Alright senior brother Ren, you never disappointed me so far" Wei Leng accepted as his hands gave off an orange fire glow.
Arriving in front of Ye Mo they immediately surrounded him while Wei Leng used his Ardent Flame Ring technique. A giant wall of flame took form on the ground expanding continuously until it encircled everyone.
Ye Mo placed in the middle was calm as his dark eyes assessed his opponents.
As the leader, Ren Xue Tu spoke first.
"I don't know what your intentions are but now you're trapped. Don't even think about escaping, these flames can even scorch a mid-tier blood beast alive. If you leave your pouch on the ground and break one of your leg we will let you go."
"So what you mean is that i'm confined together with you?" Ye Mo asked.
"That's right, no one can leave if i don't cancel my technique." Wei Leng explained with a smug smile. He was proud of this flame art he bitterly cultivated.
Ye Mo grinned, revealing an evil intent.
This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
His leg muscles contracted while he gathered all his strenght to the limit.
Whoosh!
He released it all in an instant as he jumped, causing Ye Mo to shoot out like a meteor.
The speed was so fast Ren Xue Tu's iris shrunk as he felt cold sweat gather on his back.
At the last moment his instincts kicked in, he shrieked as he blindly swung his sword in front of him with the strongest attack he could muster.
The shadow of a huge blade took form as it encompassed his sword.
But before it could fully materialize, Ren Xue Tu felt a strong force assault him while he was hit on the chest by Ye Mo's fist.
The sword shadow scattered immediately as Ren Xue Tu was sent flying, traversing the fire wall.
Wei Leng and his companions stared with wide-opened eyes as they didn't anticipate this turn of events.
In an instant, cries of pain could be heard. Wei Leng was the first to react and hurriedly stopped his flame ring technique.
The flames dissipated and on the other side, a raging ball of fire was walking step by step, as it's shouts of agony echoed in the forest.
After a breath of time, Ren Xue Tu collapsed as he was turned into ashes.
One of the girl screamed terrified by the scene jolting the others back to their senses but Ye Mo was already charging towards Wei Leng.
"Water Shield" Another girl shouted as a sphere of water enveloped Wei Leng like an armor but just when he was going to get hit Ye Mo bypassed him and rushed at the water using girl.
Ye Mo saw that she was surrounded by her friends as if they wanted to protect her so she became his second target. Rushing at Wei Leng was just a feint.
Surprised she didn't have time to dispel her water shield and call forth another one but a girl beside her shot multiple arrows at Ye Mo while a boy faced him, fur and claws growing on his hands as his arms doubled in size.
Ye Mo easily deflected the arrows with his hands and caught one that he throwed back penetrating the archer's throat, the boy tried to claw him but was kicked away landing on a rock further no longer showing any signs of life.
The others didn't have the time to mobilize themselves as Ye Mo was already in front of the young girl. He raised his fist as he bashed her skull, breaking her spine in the process.
Crack!
Blood and brain matters covered the place as her body plopped down.
One girl horrified, tried to run away but Ye Mo chased after her easily catching up.
He grabbed her leg and raised her up then smashed her body on the ground.
Once, twice, thrice!
His movements were brutal and he completely used the strenght of his fiend body.
In the end, her body turned into meat paste as only her leg remained in Ye Mo's hand.
His dark hair raised towards the heavens, his body covered in blood, he looked like a devil ascending from hell leaving mountains of corpses on his way.
Wei Leng didn't dare look at him anymore as he layed half kneeling on a patch of grass, his eyes livid.
Turning around Ye Mo saw the last boy sprinting away with great speed. He obviously had a movement-type battle skill.
Ye Mo caught Ren Xue Tu's greatsword left on the ground and exerting his muscles throwed it in the boy direction.
When he heard the wind whistle his body was already cleaved in two as each side kept moving a couple meters before falling down.
Then Ye Mo began quietly walking towards Wei Leng.
"Please, don't kill me i will do whatever you want." Wei Leng bowed down hitting his head on the ground as he begged Ye Mo to spare his life.
However Ye Mo was unmoved and kept advancing.
"Wait i have money, that's what you want right, here." Taking out 30 gold coins Wei Leng frantically tossed them towards Ye Mo but he didn't pay it any attention as he got closer.
When only three steps of distance remained, Wei Leng reluctantly used his last card. Taking out a map in one hand he gathered fire in the other, just a few inchs away from burning the piece of paper.
"Don't move, this map carry the location of an ancient cave containing pure iridescent iron. If you get any closer i will burn it to the ground, or do you think your whole body move faster than my fingers?"
"What's pure iridescent iron?" Ye Mo was perplexed. He knew very little about the world of cultivators and never heard about pure iridescent iron.
"Huh, how can you not know that?" Wei Leng was shocked but under Ye Mo's cold gaze he quickly regained his wits.
"Pure iridescent iron is one of the most durable materials used to make spiritual weapons, it's called this way because only in it's purest state does it gain it's iridescent surface. It's very expensive and got a high demand for a low supply. Even it you have the money it doesn't necessarily mean you will be able to get some."
"You say that but how can i believe this cave you talk about is true?" Ye Mo wasn't dumb, he wouldn't blindly trust him without any evidence.
"It's easy. Beside Ren Xue Tu who comes from an aristocratic family with multiple cultivators, the others had more or less of an ordinary background. But while the others could use their parents money to get some weak low level martial arts im actually the worst one, only the son of an ordinary hunter and we didn't have a single penny to spend on this."
"Even then i still acquired the mid-tier yellow class Ardent Flame Ring martial art, became the second strongest of the group and had an impact on every battle we fought. Why do you think that?"
"The pure iridescent iron." Said Ye Mo indifferently.
"Right, when i was laying rabbit traps i found this cave deep in the mountains. I discovered rocks of pure iridescent iron inside and took a bit of it, exchanging them for the Ardent Flame Ring technique. I can give you the map if you want but you must take an oath upon the heavens that you won't kill me."