Immortals and Demons Forever

Chapter 26: A Severe Test

Su Mu immediately saw a glimmer of hope. He quickly regained his composure and said, “Since you already know about my feud with the Supervision Team, let’s keep business and personal matters separate.” “Kid, I’m still going to teach you a harsh lesson—just not right now.” Zhong Da had clearly thought this through long ago. “Listen carefully: you have three days to turn in Source Stones. The daily quota is ten pieces. The Supervision Team has set a higher standard for you than for anyone else here—you have to turn in sixty pieces in three days. As for the old man who came with you, I won’t make things difficult for him—five pieces a day, fifteen pieces over three days, for a total of seventy-five. If you fail to turn them in by then, I’ll have every right to deal with you.” “How do you plan to deal with me?” Su Mu asked bluntly. “I’m still thinking about it. Since three days is a cycle, I can mix things up. Rest assured, I won’t cripple you. But I suspect you’ve already offended the Supervision Team. Knowing Song Dachui’s character, he won’t let you off the hook. Once they’ve beaten you down here, they’ll definitely transfer you out. That scheming Cao Shang will use even more vicious methods to finish you off. Once you’re covered in wounds and too weak to fight, you’ll be like meat on a cutting board—the Supervision Team can slice you however they please. I’ve seen it with my own eyes; many people have been broken this way by them, including those tougher and more capable than you—and that includes me.” “You sure are straightforward—no beating around the bush. There’s no need to go over the conflict between you and your brother here. If I can beat you, does that mean I won’t even have to work every day?” “Of course! You’d just be in charge of supervising everyone. But with your current skills, I’m afraid you’re not quite up to it yet.” “I’d really like to give it a try.” “Go ahead!” Zhong Da gave a flick of his finger. “I can spar with you right now, just to put your mind at rest!” Su Mu knew full well that a showdown between him and Zhong Da was inevitable. The people around them instinctively stepped back. As their gazes locked, the atmosphere grew tense. Su Mu moved, his punch carrying the force of an elephant’s roar—a single blow capable of shattering a thousand jin. Zhong Qiang suddenly threw a punch; their fists collided, and neither of their bodies budged an inch. “You’ve got some serious strength there. No wonder my brother got knocked out by a single punch from you.” “Same goes for you—you’re pretty strong too.” Both men exerted their full strength. Su Mu was forced back two steps, but he pushed off with both feet and leaped into the air, unleashing a flurry of “Wind Scissors” kicks as a swarm of leg shadows closed in on his opponent. “Brilliant! Then let’s see who’s better with their legs.” Zhong Da leaped up as well, shouting, “Shadowless Kick!” The two exchanged kicks mid-air while simultaneously launching attacks with their hands. Their pace grew faster and faster, leaving those around them with lower cultivation levels unable to keep up. There was a loud thud. Su Mu, whose cultivation was inferior to his opponent’s, was struck in the head by a kick. He stumbled backward, but braced his lower back with a sudden burst of strength and managed to stay on his feet. Fortunately, he had trained his head to withstand such blows; the kick’s force was immense—enough to knock anyone unconscious. A shoe print marked his face, and his ears were ringing. It was now crystal clear who was stronger and who was weaker. “You managed to stay on your feet after taking my powerful kick—that’s interesting,” Zhong Da said, waving his hand. “Let’s call it a day. In three days, I look forward to a proper showdown between us. I won’t take advantage of outnumbering you. Listen up, everyone: no one is allowed to pick a fight with him for the next few days. If anyone disobeys, don’t blame me for turning my back on you!” “Yes, sir!” the crowd chorused. “You can go now.” Zhong Da waved his hand and sat back down in his chair. Su Mu said nothing, wiped the shoe print off his face, and turned to leave. “Brother Da is awesome!” “Get lost! Come to the Heavy Industry Zone, and I’ll show you whose fists are stronger!” “Exactly. This isn’t a place where you can run wild.” Amid the chorus of mocking voices behind him, Su Mu clenched his fists and quickened his pace. In their earlier exchange, he hadn’t been outmatched in martial arts at all; he’d simply fallen slightly short in Source Power—but the gap wasn’t that wide. He hadn’t expected Zhong Qiang to have such a formidable older brother—with Soul-Unlocking-stage strength, he was just one step away from becoming a Yuan Tu. Still, in a place like this, he’d likely have little chance of making a breakthrough. By the time Su Mu returned, Lao Heitou had been waiting for quite a while. “Xiao Mu, how are you? Did you manage to resolve the issue?” Su Mu shook his head. “Oh no, oh no—what are we going to do? What are we going to do…” Su Mu briefly explained the situation to him, and Old Blackhead grimaced. “Isn’t this asking the impossible? The mining area we’ve been assigned has such a thick layer of black heavy sand—how are we supposed to dig through it? Forget sixty blocks—even six would be a struggle!” “They’re deliberately setting me up. They hold all the power—they can do whatever they want.” “Xiao Mu, why don’t you go talk to those guys you just beat up? We could move to their mining area. If we work nonstop through the night without resting, maybe we can pull it off.” “They’ve got their own quotas to meet, too—ten yuan a day. Even if I went to force them to swap areas with me, either Zhong Da would block it, or the Supervision Team would step in. They’re counting on me not being able to pull it off.” Old Blackhead was completely at a loss, pacing back and forth in frustration. Su Mu sat down and stared blankly for a moment, then fetched a long axe from the communal tool area. He swung it down at the heavy black sand; with a single powerful swing, he managed to chip away a significant amount of gravel. At this rate, it would take more than two days just to clear away the thick layer of sand. Holding the axe, he walked around surveying the area—this entire section had been assigned to the two of them. Perhaps, with a bit of luck, he could find a spot that was easier to work on. Not every spot contained Source Stones, and if there were any easy-to-mine areas, he was sure these people would have beaten them to it long ago. After walking the entire perimeter, he was quite disappointed—this place was practically an impenetrable fortress. If he couldn’t make much headway with his daily work, there was only one option left. That was to find a way to break through to the Soul-Opening Stage within three days; by then, he’d have a decent chance of defeating Zhong Da. Reaching the Soul-Opening Stage involves channeling the small amount of Source Energy condensed within one’s body into the Dantian, which results in a substantial boost in power. But in a place like this—to put it bluntly—you can’t even find the dregs of cultivation pills, let alone the pills themselves. Chen Li walked over slowly. “I see you’re at a loss. There’s a last-ditch solution—would you like to hear it? I’ll give you this advice for free.” “Why would you help me out of the blue? What’s your motive?” “You’re so suspicious. I just happen to like you—how’s that for a reason?” “That’s just a cover-up. If you’re not going to be straightforward, then stay away from me.” Chen Li shrugged. “All right, all right. You’re a straightforward person, so I won’t beat around the bush. I’ve heard about your background and connections. You’re currently at odds with the Supervision Team, and I’m betting on you. I just have a feeling that by sticking with you, I might be able to get out of the Heavy Industry Zone—I’ve been stuck here for a whole year.”