Chapter Seventeen: A Relentless Pursuit Across a Thousand Miles!

At the mouth of the Hundred Break River.

Xu Qing tugged at the iron ring on her body, gazing expectantly at the ceaselessly rushing river before her.

Her silky hair fluttered gently in the breeze.

In her bright eyes, a spark of curiosity emerged.

“The wonders of heaven and earth are truly boundless! This river’s water carries immense power—no wonder no one has dared to sail upstream all these years.”

Jiang Hongluan rubbed her forehead, glancing helplessly at Xu Qing.

“Why are you so excited? Don’t forget, we’re the ones who have to go against the current!”

“This rapid water means danger at every turn!”

Hearing this, Tie Yan scratched his head and chuckled.

“I trust the captain! If he chose this path, he must have a way to deal with it!”

Beside him, Guan Qing and Yue Peng rubbed their noses and nodded in agreement.

“Yan’s right!”

All five of them focused their attention on Su Mu ahead.

Even Su Yi, dressed plainly and holding a long knife, watched him with curiosity.

“The force of this river is indeed beyond human strength, but from what I know, the stone cliffs on both sides of the river offer a shortcut.”

“Remember the climbing claws I prepared for you? This is their purpose!”

“With the rock-breaking chisels, you’ll be able to traverse these stone walls.”

Su Mu’s words stunned them.

So that was the plan?

However, looking at the endless expanse of stone cliffs, even the endurance-strong Tie Yan inhaled sharply.

If they were to climb over these cliffs, it would surely drain their strength utterly.

“Captain… isn’t this too difficult? What if we collapse midway and fall into the river, shattered to pieces?”

Xu Qing covered her face, trembling slightly.

Su Mu glanced back at them.

“Nothing ventured, nothing gained! To quell this blood-soaked chaos without fighting a single battle is no easy task.”

“So if you have time to complain, better test your limits now!”

His words fell into silence.

Facing the stone cliffs ahead, each clenched their fists.

They were determined.

Watching them begin to climb the cliff one by one, a faint smile crossed Su Mu’s face.

The Extreme Individual Challenge was officially underway!

The goal was to repeatedly push them beyond their limits by leveraging the terrain.

Only by doing so could they advance fearlessly.

In no time, Su Mu and the others had been climbing the cliff for a whole day!

Yet, none showed signs of fatigue; instead, excitement shone in their eyes.

This climb had unexpectedly revealed the fruits of their training.

Everyone’s endurance and strength had improved significantly.

Previously, only Tie Yan could barely complete such a climb.

Now, almost all of them could endure this trial.

Furthermore, behind Su Mu, they focused intently on every move he made.

From how he exerted force to how he minimized effort with every swing.

This seemingly impossible cliff was now theirs to conquer.

When they finally descended and set foot on solid ground, a hint of regret flickered in their eyes.

Who would have thought?

The cliff was actually so short!

Among the trees, Su Mu unfolded a map, pointing to their location and nodding.

“Now, having bypassed this natural barrier, we’ve officially entered the territory of the barbarians.”

Everyone gathered around, studying the map.

Guan Qing frowned slightly.

“But captain, judging by this distance, to reach the barbarians’ main camp, we must infiltrate alone for thousands of miles!”

“At our speed, even without rest, it would take five days. By then, Qinghe Town may have already fallen.”

The others nodded, their gazes turning to Su Mu.

This was their shared concern.

Su Mu chuckled lightly.

“Under normal circumstances, it would indeed take five days.”

“But this is barbarian land, and barbarians are abundant here.”

“Find a small squad, seize their warhorses, don their clothes, and rush a thousand miles overnight!”

“That way, we can truly catch them off guard.”

Jiang Hongluan looked at Su Mu in admiration.

“Captain! As expected of you!”

Just then, the sound of galloping hooves came from afar.

They exchanged a glance.

Perfect timing!

Su Mu nodded, and the group quickly concealed themselves among the trees.

Under their watchful eyes, a ten-man barbarian squad appeared, advancing from a distance.

Each carried abundant provisions.

Behind several barbarian warhorses dragged a pile of corpses, blood staining the earth crimson.

Their faces instantly paled.

They stared fixedly at the barbarian squad.

Clearly, these barbarians had massacred a village.

They had even treated some of the villagers’ bodies as their spoils.

Such cruelty was beyond measure.

Su Mu’s gaze turned cold as he nodded at the group.

At his signal, they held their breath.

As the barbarians approached, Jiang Hongluan’s spear shot forward first, piercing one’s throat.

She hefted him and slammed the body heavily to the ground.

The others sprang into action.

After a mere glance, the barbarian squad was reduced to just four men.

The sudden attack left the remaining four stunned.

Just as they prepared to sound a whistle, Su Mu nocked three arrows at once, piercing the throats of three.

The last man was beheaded from behind by Su Yi.

The entire encounter lasted only moments, ending with the total annihilation of the barbarian squad.

Witnessing this, the group’s hearts jolted.

At that moment, they felt their own transformation.

Their spear thrusts and knife strikes were steady and powerful.

Their speed and reflexes had improved noticeably.

It was as if they had become one with their weapons.

A metamorphosis.

Jiang Hongluan looked toward Su Mu, about to salute in respect, when he suddenly kicked her.

The next second, she crashed heavily to the ground.

The others were stunned.

Only Su Yi’s eyes flickered as she glanced at the fallen barbarian body beneath Jiang Hongluan, seeming to understand something.

Su Mu stared coldly at them.

“This is the barbarians’ stronghold! Every strike we make must be like thunder—fast, precise, ruthless, and above all, conceal our presence!”

“You clearly could have pierced his throat with one spear, then withdrawn and swiftly killed the second person!”

“But instead, you acted rashly and made noise!”

“If there’s another barbarian squad nearby, because of your action, all of us would die!”

Jiang Hongluan’s face turned pale.

Only now did she realize how foolish her behavior had been.

Her inner fury had blinded her to this crucial point.

Fear crept steadily in her heart.

“And you all! This is the first and last time I tolerate such mistakes. Understood?”

The five clenched their fists, bowed deeply, and suppressed their earlier pride.

“Understood, captain!”

Su Mu exhaled softly, his eyes deepening as he looked ahead.

“This thousand-mile raid is your path to transformation! Let’s move out!”