"..."
The single sentence rendered Hong Mo momentarily stunned. The opponent, though unaware of the existence of Quasi-Heavenly realm powerhouses, had inadvertently cultivated to that level, which was truly envy-inducing.
He pondered for a moment, then slowly spoke, "From the peak of Earthly realm to Heavenly realm, there are nine heavens. Those who traverse these nine heavens are the true Heavenly realm experts, while those currently within these nine heavens are considered Quasi-Heavenly realm!"
Hong Mo ultimately provided the answer, partly because it was not a secret, and partly because the opponent was from the Dark Association and possessed a cultivation base comparable to his own, thus deserving some respect.
Nine Heavens?
Listening to Hong Mo's explanation, Ye Cangtian's mind began to churn.
He immediately recalled the layers of barriers he had broken after absorbing the Enlightenment Pill. Each broken barrier had significantly boosted his strength, which bore a striking resemblance to the concept of the Nine Heavens.
If these were indeed the Nine Heavens, then he had already broken through six layers, and should now be at the sixth heaven of the Quasi-Heavenly realm.
Judging by Hong Mo's current aura, his strength seemed to have just broken through the first heaven.
With this thought, Ye Cangtian cupped his fists towards Hong Mo and said, "Thank you for the explanation, but today's duel cannot be avoided!"
"Hmph! What are you thinking!"
"Me telling you this does not mean I will let you off today!"
Hong Mo snorted upon hearing this.
"Heh heh, that's excellent."
Ye Cangtian smiled slightly and then made a gesture of invitation.
Seeing this, Hong Mo's face immediately turned red. Whoever made the first move implied seizing the initiative and gaining an advantage.
The opponent's action clearly showed disdain for him.
However, after a moment of thought, he ultimately made the first move.
The reason was simple: in previous duels with Po Xiao, Po Xiao always attacked first, which repeatedly put him in awkward situations.
Now that Po Xiao's strength was comparable to his own, if he allowed the opponent to attack first again, he feared falling into a disadvantage.
Therefore, this time he decided to strike first, unleashing a barrage of attacks to quickly subdue Po Xiao.
Meanwhile, watching Hong Mo's furious onslaught of punches, Ye Cangtian had no intention of dodging.
He resolutely met the attacks head-on, choosing to trade blows with his opponent, fist for fist.
Boom, boom, boom...
As fists collided, spiritual energy exploded in fierce clashes, emitting roaring sounds.
The intensity of these head-on collisions caused the expressions of Lan Yue and Zi Long to change.
Although neither side had used weapons, they felt they could not withstand the power of these iron fists.
In contrast, Po Xiao and Hong Mo's pupils glowed with increasing battle intent, even exuding a hint of excitement, as if thoroughly enjoying the exhilarating exchange of blows.
"Po Xiao, you are very good!"
"Since I became an Earthly realm attendant, in the early stages, only Teacher Cheng Hai could slightly suppress me. In the mid to late stages, no one could block me! Today, you have done it!"
"However, don't celebrate too early. This is just a warm-up!"
As he spoke, the spiritual energy on Hong Mo's fist instantly concentrated and compressed, transforming into the shape of a shield in an instant.
Hmm?
Seeing the spiritual energy shield on Hong Mo's fist, Ye Cangtian's brow furrowed. He realized now that spiritual energy could be used in such a way!
And thinking about it now was clearly too late.
The next moment, Ye Cangtian's fist turned into a hand-blade, smashing fiercely towards Hong Mo's spiritual energy shield!
Boom!
Another head-on clash. When the hand-blade landed on the spiritual energy shield, the spiritual energy token remained completely undisturbed.
However, in the next instant.
As the hand-blade descended once more, the entire spiritual energy shield shattered with a roar. The immense force directly pushed Hong Mo back several steps before he finally stopped.
That's right, this time he used his hand-blade as a sword, executing the Yin-Yang Strike from the Yin-Yang Sky-Shattering Saber technique.
"You lost!"
Ye Cangtian gazed at Hong Mo's bloody fist and said calmly.
Although he hadn't heavily injured his opponent, merely gaining a slight advantage, it was precisely enough, and there was no need to continue.
In this critical period, he could not possibly kill Hong Mo. Otherwise, Xing Yuan would not spare him, and the Light Hall would benefit from their conflict.
Therefore, stopping in time was a necessary choice.
"Hmph!"
"In a contest of strength, you have indeed gained a slight advantage!"
"However, if this were a battle for survival, it's hard to say who would be the last one standing!"
Hong Mo stared intensely at Po Xiao and said fiercely.
He then paid them no further attention and turned to walk towards Zi Long.
Zi Long was at a loss for words. He hadn't expected Hong Mo to lose in a direct confrontation, and to lose to someone he had promoted.
Now that the other party was approaching, he was genuinely nervous, wondering if Hong Mo would blame him and seek retribution.
"I've heard about your matters. I advise you to step aside when it's time."
Hong Mo glanced at Zi Long and asked mockingly.
By saying this, he first affirmed Po Xiao's capabilities and, second, was doing Zi Long a favor.
Although Hong Mo had not interacted with Po Xiao for long, and most of their encounters were unpleasant, he did pay considerable attention to Po Xiao.
Through his actions, Po Xiao had consistently completed tasks outstandingly, which was enough to demonstrate his abilities.
Moreover, in his current confrontation with Po Xiao, he had gained no advantage, further proving Po Xiao's strength.
Facing such a Po Xiao, Zi Long had no chance of winning, and continuing to contend would lead to a grim outcome for Zi Long.
Hong Mo did not wish for anything untoward to happen to Zi Long, hence his timely reminder.
"Alright, I'll listen to you."
Zi Long's expression suddenly changed.
Although he felt reluctant, since even Hong Mo had said so, and he truly felt powerless against Po Xiao, he could only grudgingly accept this reality.
With that thought, he changed the subject and said, "Brother Hong Mo, why are you in Reception City?"
Putting his own matters aside for the moment, Zi Long was more concerned about Hong Mo's presence there.
"I heard that some Cardinal Bishops had forcefully entered here again, so Lord Xing Yuan dispatched me to clear them out..."
Hong Mo stated that he had just eliminated two Cardinal Bishops here.
He had been investigating the whereabouts of the remaining remnants for the past few days, and thus had temporarily stayed in Reception City.
He also planned to guard the area for a few more days, perhaps waiting for other members of the Light Hall to attempt another intrusion.
"Forcefully entered again?"
Zi Long seized on this point and asked Hong Mo doubtfully, "Brother, how many Cardinal Bishops did the Light Hall send this time!"
Upon hearing this, Hong Mo said grimly, "Excluding those killed, it is conservatively estimated that there are at least 20 Cardinal Bishops remaining in the ruins..."
What!
At these words, not only Zi Long, but also Ye Cangtian and Lan Yue widened their eyes.
None of them had expected the Light Hall's operation this time to be so audacious.
After a moment, Zi Long said fiercely, "Are they trying to annihilate the Dark Association?"
"Hmph! To annihilate the Dark Association, these Cardinal Bishops are not enough!"
Hong Mo snorted coldly, then added with a hint of helplessness, "However, their true objective remains unclear to us..."
Those Cardinal Bishops were extremely loyal to the Light Hall.
He had also attempted to capture some alive to extract information, but in the end, all the Cardinal Bishops chose to commit suicide to protect their secrets.
Hearing this, Ye Cangtian's brow furrowed.
It seemed that the majority of individuals promoted by the Light Hall this time were their fanatical devotees, otherwise, they wouldn't be so resolute.
With this in mind, Ye Cangtian became even more curious about the Light Hall's objective.
"Alright, enough idle talk. Since you are back, you should hurry on your way."
"First, rush back to Ghost City. Lord Xing Yuan is waiting for you!"
Seeing the shifting expressions on everyone's faces, Hong Mo wasted no further words and urged them on.
In his heart, all matters must prioritize the Dark Association; other grievances could be set aside.
Upon hearing this, Zi Long quickly asked, "Brother, aren't you returning with us?"
Hong Mo nodded and said, "In this critical period, I must continue to track down the whereabouts of the Light Hall remnants, so I will not be returning with you."
Hearing this, Zi Long nodded helplessly.
He had originally hoped for Hong Mo to return with them, so that if Po Xiao were to do anything to him, Hong Mo could intervene on his behalf at a crucial moment.
But now that Hong Mo had important matters to attend to, he could not say more.
Thus, they changed into a carriage and galloped towards Ghost City.
Watching the departing carriage, Hong Mo's gaze flickered.
Although he deeply disliked Po Xiao, he still recognized the achievements Po Xiao had attained today.
Now that the other party had returned, he had to admit that the burden on his shoulders had lightened considerably.
...