“Checking IDs might stump others, but not us. It’s basically just self-introduction with extra steps.” Su Mo found the whole situation amusing.
Ye Qingyi couldn’t help laughing too. “This was supposed to be serious, so why does it keep tickling my funny bone? Hahaha!”
As they bantered back and forth, another knock came at the door.
“Who is it?”
“Housekeeping.”
The two exchanged glances. This time, Ye Qingyi went to answer.
The housekeeper was a woman who showed no unusual behavior—at least, not that Su Mo could detect even with his “accidental” peripheral observation.
Once she finished cleaning and left, Su Mo narrowed his eyes. “Something’s off. Why hasn’t the Black Dragon Gang made a move yet?”
“Maybe you acted too convincingly?”
“No matter how convincing, it’s still fake. They’d figure it out eventually. And the Hundred Immortals Sect backing them isn’t stupid—they should’ve noticed us parading around the streets by now.”
Ye Qingyi agreed but was still puzzled. “Then why did you do it? To lure them out?”
“Exactly. To catch the big fish behind the Black Dragon Gang, we need bait big enough. By now, they should’ve pinpointed our location.”
“So what’s next?”
Su Mo paused. “We wait. Sooner or later, their patience will run out.”
“Oh.” Ye Qingyi realized how nice it felt to just follow orders without overthinking.
For the next few hours, the two focused on cultivation. During this time, Ye Qingyi successfully planted her second Jade Seed, while Su Mo made little progress in that regard.
However, he did have a breakthrough with the magic staff confiscated from the white mage, Jack. After days of study, he finally uncovered its secrets.
The staff could compress spiritual energy when gathering it, allowing attacks to unleash far greater power. It also conserved energy and accelerated charging—undoubtedly a rare treasure for any mage.
Though Su Mo didn’t practice magic, he believed “all paths lead to the same destination.” With this mindset, he developed a new technique centered around his Yin Fire.
Until now, Yin Fire had played a supporting role in his techniques, never taking center stage. That changed today.
Su Mo channeled Yin Fire into the staff and released it in a 360-degree radius. Instantly, the room’s temperature plummeted below freezing—and that was with just a hint of power. Any more, and the effects would’ve been far more devastating.
Next, he tested its offensive capabilities, but the results were underwhelming. While Yin Fire’s traits—indestructibility, soul-scorching properties, and extreme corrosion—were formidable, they needed a medium to maximize their potential.
Like a tetanus-coated blade, it now required a ranged delivery system.
“What about water?” Ye Qingyi mused, staring at her glass. “Freeze it into ice and shoot it out. The damage would be insane.”
“I’ve thought of that, but I can only control fire, not water. Precise ice manipulation would require telekinesis, which I won’t have until the Haoran Realm.”
“Don’t rush. You’re already strong enough to crush anyone at your level.” She sipped her water, offering comfort.
“Yeah, no rush.” Su Mo stowed the staff—then suddenly stiffened and tackled Ye Qingyi onto the bed.
BOOM!
A bullet the length of a palm shattered through the window and embedded itself in the bathroom wall. The glass partition exploded instantly, sending shards flying in all directions—most bouncing harmlessly off their bronze armor.
Su Mo glanced back. The bullet had nearly pierced through the solid wall.
“What the hell kind of gun is this?!”
No ordinary firearm could’ve turned a bathroom into confetti with one shot.
Truth was, ever since superhumans began emerging, conventional firearms had lost their dominance. Anyone D-rank or above could shrug off most guns—with the exception of specialized sniper rifles.
And this was clearly a modified one. Su Mo doubted even C-ranks could afford to underestimate it.
Ye Qingyi armored up immediately. The two took cover in the sniper’s blind spot, peeking cautiously—only to duck again as another shot whizzed past.
“Expert marksman. Top-tier weapon.”
Ye Qingyi’s eyes gleamed. “I really want to steal that gun now.”
“Forget stealing. Let’s survive first.”
Just then, rapid footsteps echoed down the hallway, growing louder.
“They’re here!”
The door burst open, and a grenade rolled in.
At the last second, Su Mo snatched it and hurled it back—but not before a sniper round struck his left arm. The bronze armor absorbed most of the impact, but the force still left him wounded.
KABOOM!
The explosion shook the room, chunks of plaster raining from the ceiling. When the two charged out, the hallway was littered with over ten corpses—and a few wounded still lunging at them.
“You’re begging to die!” Ye Qingyi shot forward, decapitating the first attacker with a single slash.
The others faltered, fear flashing in their eyes.
“Qingyi, MOVE!” Su Mo shouted—but too late.
Another bullet struck her left shoulder.
A second sniper—a white man—stood further down the hall, calmly reloading. He didn’t even flee, as if daring them to retaliate.
“Ignore me! Go after him!” Ye Qingyi gritted her teeth, rising to carve through the remaining enemies. “One arm’s enough to handle these trash!”
None could match her in close combat. Those who approached didn’t live to regret it.
Seeing her injured ignited a fury in Su Mo—cold, controlled, but burning.
“Rage Mantra.”
Primordial aggression surged, yet his mind remained crystal clear. “You hurt Qingyi. Now you’ll pay.”
Eyes glowing crimson, he shed his bronze armor and moved.
The sniper smirked, squeezing the trigger—only for Su Mo to dodge point-blank.
“Fuck!”
He fired again. A D-rank bodyguard lunged to intercept—
—and had his head obliterated by Su Mo’s fist.
“What the—?!” The sniper’s confidence shattered. The sheer brutality of it froze him mid-motion.
His next shot went wild, easily avoided.
“I am U.S. high-rank—ACK!”
Su Mo seized his throat and slammed him into the floor, simultaneously stashing the sniper rifle into his white jade ring.
“If you can’t speak Chinese, shut the hell up—or you’ll die very painfully in my hands.”