142: Chapter 142 Crisis Reappears

Lu Jinghan watched the direction in which Xu Mo had disappeared, remaining silent for a long time.

He did not know why Xu Mo had sought him out for a fight. Having crossed paths with him several times in his past life, he knew this man all too well. On the surface, Xu Mo seemed crazed, but in truth, he was meticulous, and every step he took had a purpose.

Lu Jinghan took a deep breath and sheathed the Jinghan Sword.

No matter what Xu Mo's purpose was, the most important thing right now was not to guess his intentions, but to recover his depleted spiritual power.

In his battle with Xu Mo, most of his spiritual power had been depleted, and his Power of Time and Space was almost completely drained. If he did not recover in time, he would be utterly defenseless in the event of real danger.

His gaze swept over the surroundings, finally landing on a low Peak not far away.

On the southern side of that Peak lay a naturally formed stone cave, its entrance obscured by dense vines, making it highly concealed.

Sweeping his Divine Sense inside, he confirmed that there were no Yao Beasts occupying the cave and no lingering Devilish Qi, making it a good place to rest and recuperate.

Lu Jinghan took a step and flew toward the Peak, his figure quickly disappearing behind the vines.

The stone cave was not large, about three Zhang square. The cave walls were covered with thick moss, and the air was filled with the scent of damp earth.

He took out several Formation Plates from his Storage Pouch, set up a concealment Formation at the entrance, and then set up a warning Formation. After ensuring everything was secure, he sat cross-legged on a flat bluestone.

Lu Jinghan closed his eyes. The Time-Space Derivation Sutra within his body began to run slowly, absorbing the Spiritual Qi of heaven and earth to convert it into spiritual power, nourishing his exhausted Meridians.

—

Meanwhile, in a certain valley of the Southern Wasteland, a spatial rift suddenly appeared.

Xu Mo's body tumbled out of it, stumbling a few steps before barely managing to steady himself.

He knelt on one knee upon a desolate stretch of gravel. His robes were covered in dust, and a trace of wet blood still clung to the corner of his mouth, making him look extremely disheveled.

Yet, he was laughing heartily.

Xu Mo raised his head to look at the gray sky. His laughter grew louder and more cheerful, echoing through the valley for a long time.

That laughter was born of genuine pleasure, as if the battle that had almost cost him his life just now was nothing more than an exhilarating game.

"What a great sword technique! What a 'A Moment in the Floating World'!"

He wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth, his eyes sparkling with excitement as he muttered to himself.

"The Law of Time and Space indeed live up to their reputation. This fight was worth it—so worth it!"

He looked down at his palm, where there were still faint scars left by the burns of the Power of Time and Space, the flesh torn open to reveal the bright red, tender flesh beneath.

The sensation of being torn apart by time and space simultaneously still lingered at his fingertips, filling him with both lingering fear and excitement.

"If not for the unique Cultivation Technique I practice, and the fact that the perfect moment has not yet arrived, I would have definitely tested the true power of your strike."

Xu Mo stood up and patted the dust off his robes, the smile on his face not fading in the slightest.

"Lu Jinghan, you indeed did not disappoint me."

His laughter gradually subsided in the valley, and the surroundings fell back into silence.

Just then, a figure appeared silently behind him.

Xu Mo's laughter came to an abrupt halt, and his smile faded slightly.

He could feel the presence of the figure behind him—that familiar aura and the oppressive pressure that made even his Soul tremble slightly.

"My Lord," Xu Mo turned around, lowering his head slightly in a respectful posture.

The newcomer was none other than the mysterious person who had previously met with Venerable Lingyun.

His face was hidden in the shadows, making his expression unreadable, with only his eyes gleaming with a cold, eerie light in the darkness.

He glanced at Xu Mo without speaking, but the meaning contained in that gaze made Xu Mo's heart tighten.

"My Lord, I was only..." Xu Mo wanted to explain.

"I know," the mysterious person finally spoke, his voice flat and devoid of emotion. "Your hands were just itching, and you wanted to find an opponent."

Xu Mo opened his mouth but did not refute.

The mysterious person continued, "Do not act on your own again, lest you interfere with the plans ahead."

Xu Mo remained silent for a moment, then whispered, "I understand."

The mysterious person's gaze fell upon Xu Mo, those cold eyes seemingly able to see through everything. "The Cultivation of the Law of Devouring requires patience and forbearance, not seeking momentary gratification."

"The power of the Law within your body has not yet stabilized. If you were to be severely injured in a clash with Lu Jinghan, all your previous painstaking cultivation would go to waste."

Xu Mo lowered his head, not responding.

He was well aware of the power of the Law of Devouring.

That power, which devoured everything and turned it to his own use, had allowed him to walk a path in just a few short years that would normally take hundreds of years.

Yet he also knew the risks of this path. A single misstep could result in a backlash from the Law of Devouring, destroying both his body and Soul, leaving him without even a chance at Reincarnation.

"Go back," the mysterious person's voice pulled Xu Mo back from his thoughts. "Arrangements will be made for what comes next. Until then, do not cause any more trouble."

Xu Mo nodded, saying nothing more.

The mysterious person turned around and walked toward the depths of the valley, his figure quickly vanishing into the shadows.

Xu Mo stood in place, watching the figure depart. After a long silence, he sighed softly.

"Lu Jinghan, the next time we meet, I will definitely defeat you."

He muttered under his breath, then turned and sped off in another direction, quickly disappearing into the wild mountains.

—

Three days later.

Within the stone cave, Lu Jinghan slowly opened his eyes.

A silver-white light flashed across his pupils and vanished, quickly returning to normal.

After three days and nights of regulating his breathing, about seventy to eighty percent of his depleted spiritual power had recovered, and the Power of Time and Space once again filled his Dantian.

Although he had not fully returned to his Peak state, it was enough to handle ordinary battles.

The sunlight outside the stone cave filtered through the gaps in the vines, casting mottled shadows on the ground.

In the distance, the faint chirping of birds could be heard, bringing a touch of vitality to this desolate wilderness.

With a wave of Lu Jinghan's hand, the Formation Plates set up at the cave entrance flew up one after another and fell into his sleeve.

The concealment Formation and the warning Formation were deactivated simultaneously, and a fresh mountain breeze surged into the cave, carrying the fragrance of vegetation.

He stepped out of the stone cave and stood on the mountainside, his gaze sweeping over the surroundings.

Three days had passed, and the wilderness remained as desolate as before he entered the cave.

The distant mountains loomed indistinctly in the morning light, and the mountain mists surged like waves, enveloping the entire land in a hazy shroud.

Lu Jinghan took a deep breath, preparing to leave.

Suddenly, his body stiffened abruptly. An indescribable sense of crisis surged from the depths of his heart, making every hair on his body stand on end.

It was his Space-Time Dao Body warning him that an extremely dangerous presence was nearby.

Lu Jinghan instantly grew vigilant, fully unleashing his Divine Sense to spread out in all directions.

However, no matter how he searched, there was nothing unusual within a radius of dozens of miles, yet the warning of the Space-Time Dao Body could not be wrong.

He gripped the hilt of the Jinghan Sword tightly as the Power of Time and Space surfaced around him, ready for battle at any moment.