However, what was most peculiar was that after a few exchanges with Wu Tao, the three Sha brothers' faces suddenly changed drastically. They shouted that their opponent was difficult to deal with, and without a second thought, they turned and fled at great speed into the distance.
In the blink of an eye, the three Sha brothers had vanished. Their departure was clean and swift.
Only the pitiful, blue-dressed, weak woman remained, still trembling and curled up beneath a hundred-meter-tall tree.
The scene was enough to evoke pity, involuntarily stirring thoughts of helping her, protecting her, caring for her, and treating her well.
...
Wu Tao did not act rashly. First, he cast a glance at the blue-dressed woman, then frowned slightly. He then carefully surveyed his surroundings, his frown deepening.
Only then did Wu Tao slowly approach the woman, step by step.
Wu Tao was already less than a hundred meters away from the blue-dressed woman. In a moment, he had approached her.
Upon reaching the blue-dressed woman, Wu Tao did not hesitate. He raised his hands and reached out towards her, intending to pull her up from the ground.
Just as the blue-dressed woman was about to stand up with a smile, ready to say something.
*Bang!!*
Amidst the explosive roar of air, a sharp leg swept past in an instant.
Wu Tao's right leg violently swept out. With lightning speed, he pierced straight through the blue-dressed woman's chest with a single kick.
The next second, crimson blood splattered everywhere, and the blue-dressed woman's heart exploded into pieces.
...
The kick was delivered so suddenly that it caught everyone completely off guard. It was unimaginable that Wu Tao would harbor killing intent towards the pitifully beautiful blue-dressed woman before him and act instantly, killing her on the spot.
"You... why did you kill me..."
The blue-dressed woman's outstretched hands, which had been full of joy, now hung limply downwards. Her eyes, filled with disbelief, looked at Wu Tao as she involuntarily coughed up large mouthfuls of blood.
A deep, bloody cavity had appeared on her chest. Her eyes fixed on Wu Tao, she uttered her final question.
"Hmph!!"
Upon hearing this, a bone-chilling coldness flashed in Wu Tao's eyes. He looked at the blue-dressed woman with a hint of mockery, a cold smile on his face, and replied, "Do you really think I, Wu Tao, am just a young man venturing out for the first time? That this isn't a trap that was meticulously planned?"
"Traps like this, designed specifically for naive youngsters who have just left home. Although the setup is crude and has many flaws, it targets the human heart. It might succeed against others, but to deal with me, such a plan is simply too simplistic."
He paused, and Wu Tao continued, a hint of disdain appearing on his face.
"Impossible!!"
The blue-dressed woman shook her head in disbelief, looking as though she couldn't rest in peace.
"Since you won't die with doubt, let me explain. Your plan's first step was to use cries for help to attract the attention of people nearby, and it was a woman's cry for help at that. For male cultivators, such a delicate cry for help would indeed stir their blood and draw them in."
"The next step, when a man is drawn in by the sound, and sees you, a frail woman, being threatened by three burly male cultivators, your tragic and weak appearance would indeed stir a man's heroic spirit, prompting them to step forward for you."
"Under such circumstances, two situations would arise. The first is that the opponent is not difficult to deal with, and your three companions can easily resolve them without you needing to intervene. The second is that the opponent is difficult to deal with, and your three companions cannot take them down immediately. At this point, you would need to launch a surprise attack from behind, delivering a fatal blow. Am I correct?"
Wu Tao spoke word by word, his eyes constantly scanning his surroundings.
Seeing that there was still no change around him, Wu Tao did not let down his guard. He said coldly, "If I'm not mistaken, you should have a dagger-like magical artifact hidden in your sleeve."
*Clink!!*
As Wu Tao's words fell, a dagger, a mid-grade magical artifact flashing with cold white light and coated in poison, dropped from the blue-dressed woman's sleeve.
The poisoned mid-grade magical artifact dagger landed on the ground, easily blackening the soil. It was evident that the dagger was poisoned. This poison was so potent that anyone afflicted by it was guaranteed to die.
"What a ruthless man, what a cold man, and such a clever one." The blue-dressed woman's body temperature slowly turned icy. Her eyes revealed a hint of despair and regret.
She had miscalculated this man before her. She had never imagined he would be so intelligent, so decisive and ruthless.
When faced with her, a woman of unparalleled charm and delicate beauty, he could still act without hesitation and deliver a killing blow.
This cold-bloodedness and cunning did not seem like that of an ordinary youth, but rather like an old demon who had been slaughtering and wreaking havoc in the demonic path for many years.
...
"What a clever person, and so ruthless and heartless. After seeing through this trap, you could even strike down a beauty like Fourth Sister without hesitation."
"Your heart is so cold, so cruel, so absolute. However, even so, you will still die."
"Top-grade magical artifact, Spirit-Draining Death Net, descend! Descend! Descend!"
Angry roars erupted from all around, and then, a large green net descended from the sky, covering Wu Tao from head to toe.
At the same time, the three Sha brothers leaped down from three large trees, each holding a corner of the top-grade magical artifact, the Spirit-Draining Death Net.
The three Sha brothers intended to trap Wu Tao alive.
The Spirit-Draining Death Net was entirely green. Before it moved, it was almost invisible to the naked eye, possessing the characteristic of self-concealment.
Even Wu Tao, who had been cautious, did not detect it.
At this moment, Wu Tao's expression changed drastically.
Seeing the green net enclosing him, Wu Tao did not hesitate. He raised both arms, his muscles bulging as he unleashed terrifying strength.
With the roar of exploding air and vibrating atmosphere, Wu Tao forcibly tried to tear open the green net above his head.
However, the Spirit-Draining Death Net was woven from the silk spun by the Green Emperor Ice Silkworm King and was extremely resilient. No matter how much strength Wu Tao exerted, he could not budge the top-grade magical artifact.
*Swish!*
As the three Sha brothers stood on the ground, their figures began to shift rapidly.
The three Sha brothers formed a simplified Three Talent Array, circling Wu Tao rapidly several times.
As the three Sha brothers continued to rotate, the top-grade magical artifact, the Spirit-Draining Death Net,
clung to him like a shadow, tightening its grip.
Wu Tao was bound and restrained within the green net, the tough threads tormenting him severely.
"Hahaha!!!"
"This top-grade magical artifact, the Spirit-Draining Death Net, is truly powerful. It was worth our brothers spending half our fortune to purchase it. We have trapped over ten people with this artifact, and not a single incident has occurred."
Seeing that Wu Tao could not tear through the Spirit-Draining Death Net no matter how he struggled, the faces of the three Sha brothers were filled with triumphant expressions.
"Hmph, let alone anything else. This brat killed Fourth Sister. We will carve him into a thousand pieces, extract his soul, and refine his spirit, tormenting him thoroughly. Only then can we vent our hatred!"
As the three Sha brothers spoke, they simultaneously raised their sabers. All three sabers were of superior grade. The chilling aura of their weapons made Wu Tao's heart turn cold.
The hilts were black, the scabbards were black, and the blades were snow-white. The saber techniques of the three Sha brothers were simple, the simplest of techniques, yet they were the most deadly killing methods.
Three sabers, three men, each independent, yet complementing each other. In an instant, the three Sha brothers unleashed hundreds of blows.
"You are seeking death!!"
Wu Tao, already bound by the Spirit-Draining Death Net, was furious. His hands and feet could not move freely, and he could only move them slightly.
However, this did not mean he was reduced to a state of helplessness.
After being continuously struck hundreds of times, Wu Tao's body, which had been trained for years like steel, was covered in countless wounds. Blood slowly trickled out, gradually turning him into a bloody mess.
Staggering and on the verge of collapsing, a fierce glint flashed in Wu Tao's eyes. Gritting his teeth, he took out over a hundred Five Elements Talismans he had accumulated over the years from his storage bag, such as the Great Stone Technique, Grass and Wood Transformation into Sword Technique, Fire Snake Technique, Earth Thorn Technique, Wood Vine Technique, Gold Suppression and Knife Transformation Technique, and so on...
Although they were all low-level spells, they stirred up an invisible storm of spiritual energy, which violently swept out in all directions centered on Wu Tao.
"What?"
"Not good?"
"Damn it?"
The power unleashed by over a hundred Five Elements Talismans directly burst open the top-grade magical artifact, the Spirit-Draining Death Net, causing the three Sha brothers to bleed from all seven orifices and fly in all directions.
...
Wu Tao gained a precious few minutes of buffer time.
Wu Tao made a decisive move, charging towards the injured Sha brothers. His muscles contracted rapidly, unleashing immense power and speed. He successfully reached them before the Sha brothers could react.
The next second, Wu Tao condensed his qi with a punch, moving with a speed that could tear the air. He ruthlessly struck the eldest Sha brother.
With a "bang," the eldest Sha brother's body was sent flying by Wu Tao, crashing heavily onto the cold ground. The middle section of his body was directly pierced, and blood slowly stained the ground red.
After Wu Tao killed the eldest Sha brother with one blow, the second and third Sha brothers reacted. Roaring, they charged towards Wu Tao with their sabers.
However, Wu Tao's fighting spirit grew stronger. His aura flared, and his formidable strength was unleashed without reservation. Fist after fist, landing with solid impact, he beat the second and third Sha brothers to death.
Crimson blood flowed all over the ground. The three Sha brothers lay on the ground, now three cold corpses.