Chapter 114: Don’t Come Any Closer

Chen Mo admitted that he indeed possessed a rather dark sense of humor. However, in order to obtain the Xing Tian Axe, he was willing to play the villain for once.

His original plan was to drop his pants and urinate on Tian Xing’s head to insult and humiliate him, hoping to push him to the brink where he would be forced to activate "Killing Mode" in retaliation, thereby allowing Chen Mo to kill him and claim his Zhizi. Yet, just as he was halfway through unbuckling his belt, Liu Zijun walked over, startling Chen Mo into quickly pulling his pants back up.

Liu Zijun stared at Chen Mo’s vampire mask, her eyes locked onto his. Her heart hammered against her ribs; she was no longer the death-defying female warrior from moments ago, but rather looked like a shy, pigtail-wearing girl next door. To prevent Tian Xing from overhearing their conversation, Chen Mo channeled black flames into Tian Xing’s ears. The man was instantly plunged into unbearable agony, his ears ringing so violently that he was completely deaf to the world outside.

Liu Zijun was sharp; she understood that this was to ensure their privacy. Her voice shifted from cold to gentle: "Thank you for saving me again."

Eh?! Chen Mo was stunned. She had actually recognized him! Although both times he had worn a vampire mask, one couldn't simply assume it was the same person based on a mask alone—there were far too many people wearing vampire sets in this world. However, Chen Mo didn't intend to hide it, as getting close to Liu Zijun had been part of his plan all along.

Acting cool, Chen Mo replied coldly, "I told you I would appear again."

Liu Zijun suddenly remembered something, reverting from the girl-next-door persona back to a guild protector. She said seriously, "I have checked every member of our guild, and there is no one like you. I am now certain you are not part of our Nirvana Phoenix. Why are you helping me like this?"

Chen Mo maintained his mysterious air. "You don't need to know why I’m helping you. You only need to understand that I need you to be strong, and I need your guild to be strong. When you and your guild are powerful enough to stand against the Shadow Legion, I will appear before you without secrets and tell you everything."

A flurry of thoughts flashed through Liu Zijun’s mind. She speculated that he might be a high-ranking figure in the Shadow Legion, "farming" them like livestock to be slaughtered for military merit once they grew strong enough. Yet, he had killed over twenty Shadow soldiers last time; if he were truly after merits, that would be terrifying. She also wondered if he belonged to another Zhizi legion guild, hoping to nurture allies to form a coalition, though forced to operate in the shadows to avoid the eyes of the Shadow Legion.

Seeing her suspicious gaze, Chen Mo added, "Do not be skeptical. Whether I am friend or foe, this is currently all benefit and no harm to you. Isn't Nirvana Phoenix facing life-or-death peril, both internal and external? What you should be doing now is winning hearts and strengthening your own faction. There are hundreds of pieces of equipment on the ground—take them all. Use them to arm your members. With these, your strength will surely surpass the opposing side!"

The better-quality items had already been tucked into Chen Mo’s storage space; what remained were mostly garbage without special attributes. Of course, no matter how "trashy" they were, to Liu Zijun, they were precious. If a soldier-rank member possessed a full set of D-rank gear, they could contend with an early-stage general-rank enemy. The importance of equipment was immeasurable.

Liu Zijun was hesitant. "I... can I really take them? I just don't understand what you're after!"

Chen Mo smiled faintly. "Intelligence! The state of the world! I need your guild to help me collect all information regarding the Zhizi legions and other guilds within the China Region. I need to understand the big picture, and in the future, I may need your guild to answer my call."

To put her at ease, Chen Mo fabricated a motive. While he was interested in the global situation, it wasn't his primary focus. His true goal was simple: to create a powerful guild near Star City capable of resisting the Shadow Legion, providing him with opportunities for combat and harvesting Zhizi. Ultimately, it all came down to one thing: becoming stronger.

Hearing this, Liu Zijun seemed to lock in her own theory about his identity: he must be from a major guild, looking to recruit promising factions to gain an advantage when the inevitable guild wars broke out. Every guild knew that while they currently operated under the banner of the Zhizi legions, once they established themselves, the fight for territory and limited resources would lead to internal bloodshed.

Liu Zijun nodded. "Alright! I understand! How should we pass this intelligence to you?"

Chen Mo acted mysterious. "Don't worry, I have my own ways of finding you."

Though she was filled with infinite curiosity, Liu Zijun knew she wouldn't get more out of him. She pointed to the writhing, flame-engulfed Tian Xing. "And what do you intend to do with him?"

Chen Mo went straight to the point. "The reason I’m torturing him is to force him into Killing Mode. By the way, lend me your people."

After the bloody battle, only nine members of Nirvana Phoenix remained. Liu Zijun called them over, and they all expressed their gratitude for Chen Mo’s rescue.

Chen Mo waved it off. "No need for thanks. I need you all to do one thing for me."

"No problem!" the members chimed in. "We’d go through hell for you!"

Chen Mo pointed at Tian Xing. "Use every method you can think of to humiliate him! Force him to activate Killing Mode!"

"Easy! I have a thousand ways to torture him!"

"My brother, Zhang Yang, was killed by this beast. Even if you hadn't asked, I would have sought revenge!"

The energy of the Wicked Fire Binding Chain exhausted, and Tian Xing was released from the flames. He was on the verge of death, unable to even stand, let alone fight back. He tried to commit suicide, only to find that he couldn't. A realization struck him: "No wonder you are so strong—you have activated Killing Mode! But why aren't you marked in red? Why!"

Chen Mo sneered. "That's right, I have. You spineless coward—you made your members activate Killing Mode while you were too afraid to do the same. If you had done it earlier, I wouldn't have been a match for you. Coward! Weakling! Scum! Everyone, show him your best tricks! Treat him well!"

The nine members of Nirvana Phoenix unleashed everything they had: ancestral curses, insults, spitting, and kicking Tian Xing’s groin. It was a symphony of misery. Tian Xing had never suffered such humiliation in his life. Many times, he felt the urge to activate Killing Mode and slaughter them all, but his survival had always been predicated on his cowardice. If they were so desperate to force his hand, it meant they were confident in their ability to kill him. Why throw his life away?

He knew the location of Nirvana Phoenix’s base. He would endure this, and pay them back tenfold.

"Hahaha! You want to force me into Killing Mode? I won't give you the satisfaction! Nirvana Phoenix, mark my words: I will destroy you with my own hands!"

*BOOM!*

Tian Xing’s body suddenly detonated!

Chen Mo’s expression shifted. *What is this? They said if you were locked on by a 'Killer,' you couldn't commit suicide!*