The Legend of the Seven Sages Slaying the Gods (Seeking Monthly Votes)

As the Inner Demon was extinguished, the sky-obscuring Buddha palm slowly lifted, as if it had never descended, yet it had swept away all the filth and despair that had enveloped Northern Zhou. "Hoo—" Like the collective sigh of countless wronged souls, or the draining of a murky swamp by an invisible giant hand, the terrifying demonic energy that permeated heaven and earth, thick as ink, dissolved and disintegrated at a visible rate under the cleansing power of immeasurable Buddha light. They were no longer abysses that devoured light, but transformed into wisps of faint gray smoke, silently annihilated in the golden radiance, leaving no trace of wickedness. The shattered Wutong City bathed in warm and sacred golden rain. The sky was no longer a suffocating dark red; the crystal-clear azure reappeared. Sunlight pierced through the thin clouds, falling upon the ruins, revealing a tranquility born of surviving disaster. Between the rubble and scorched earth, tender green sprouts quietly bloomed, as if the earth's wounds had been smoothed by a compassionate hand, radiating new vitality. The myriad Buddha projections hovering above the Imperial City continued to chant Sanskrit, slowly dissipating. In the distance, Venerable Monk Huineng, who sat cross-legged at the center of the ruins, had his Buddha and demonic energies completely subdued, transforming into a deep, stable, black-and-white glazed luster that intertwined. The pitch-black strange stone swallowed into his abdomen was now tightly encased in a cocoon of light formed by countless intricate golden-black runes, floating between his clasped palms, its aura completely sealed. His face was serene, as if in deep meditation, with only a faint Buddha imprint appearing between his brows. He looked up at the phantom Buddhas filling the sky, at Gu Mo, who had now transformed into a true Buddha, a smile filled with compassion gracing his face. He murmured, "Amitabha, so there truly is a Buddha in this world!" At this moment, Gu Mo hung in mid-air. A system prompt sounded in his mind: [Killed Eight-Star Wanted Criminal] [Received Eight-Star Reward—Max-Level Demonic Blade] [Claim Reward?] The Demonic Blade, a blade technique named after demons, existed with the extreme philosophy of "sacrificing oneself." Its ideology of "abandoning the divine, forsaking the Buddha, rebelling against orthodoxy" rejected worldly morals and emotional ties, prioritizing absolute power. Hailed as "the most perfect blade technique in the world," it completely liberated martial arts from the constraints of human nature. The Demonic Blade was divided into nine stances, each integrating demonic energy and killing intent, with every stance containing the true meaning of the demonic path. After Gu Mo claimed the max-level Demonic Blade, he felt a strange sense of emotion. The Palm Buddha Kingdom he had just created by merging the Tathagata Divine Palm, Great Vajra Divine Strength, and his Domain Golden Core could be considered the most sacred Buddha technique in the world. Yet, in an instant, he now possessed the most demonic martial art in the world. This was also a different form of the unity of Buddha and demon. For a moment, Gu Mo couldn't help but ponder, if his perfected Demonic Blade were to face the Inner Demon, whose demonic nature would be stronger? As Gu Mo pondered, The vast Buddha Kingdom phantom behind him and the towering Tathagata Golden Body quietly vanished. The brilliant golden light also retracted into his body like a receding tide. He was still in his green robes, his aura returning to its calm state. He quickly flew to Venerable Monk Huineng's side. "Amitabha," Venerable Monk Huineng said with a smile, "So Great Hero Gu is the Buddha." Gu Mo replied, "Venerable Monk, all beings can be Buddha." "This monk was deluded," Venerable Monk Huineng said. "With kindness in the heart and kindness in action, one is Buddha." Gu Mo examined Venerable Monk Huineng and found that his life force was completely gone, his Nascent Soul power almost exhausted. He was only persisting by the last wisp of his will. "Venerable Monk, your condition is not good," Gu Mo said. Venerable Monk Huineng chuckled, "Death is not the end, but merely a return to the Pure Land. I have cultivated my entire life, and to be able to attain enlightenment and ascend, to see the Buddha, and to fulfill my wish of suppressing the Inner Demon's true form at the last moment, this life has achieved its fruition." Gu Mo cupped his fists. "Venerable Monk, you took on the responsibility of saving all living beings, sacrificing yourself to suppress the demon. This disciple admires you. This act is no less than the Buddha sacrificing his flesh to feed the eagles and offering his body to the tigers." Venerable Monk Huineng said, "This monk still has two matters to inform Great Hero Gu of." "Please speak." Venerable Monk Huineng said, "This monk is about to enter Nirvana. I have temporarily sealed the demonic stone with the Buddha and demonic Qi from my Great Sun Demonic Art. However, the formless Buddha and demonic Qi require a medium to carry them for long-term sealing. Originally, this monk intended to transform into a Sharira upon entering Nirvana. But now, the Buddha and demonic Qi have evaporated the essence of this monk's physical body, making it impossible to transform into a Sharira. Therefore, among all the nations in the world today, only the Great Bright Light Temple possesses complete Buddha Sharira. Thus, I implore Great Hero Gu to deliver the demonic stone to the Great Bright Light Temple." Gu Mo thought for a moment, then slowly unbuckled a bag from his waist. He took out the Sharira that Master Liansheng had given him and asked, "Will this do?" Venerable Monk Huineng was slightly taken aback upon seeing it, then smiled slightly. "Indeed, everything in the world has its destiny. Fate and karma are truly wondrous." Venerable Monk Huineng held his palms up, and the pitch-black demonic stone between his palms seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, slowly floating towards the suspended Sharira. The moment the demonic stone touched the Sharira— An unforeseen change occurred! The solid form of the demonic stone suddenly dissolved, transforming into a deep, flowing pitch-black liquid. This liquid seemed to possess life, emitting a dark luster. It was formless yet contained a boundless energy beyond the mortal realm—it was Origin Qi. As soon as this demonic stone Origin Qi came into contact with the Sharira, it was like a drop of water merging into a sponge, seeping into it without any hindrance, strand by strand, instantly enveloped by the warm and sacred light. Concurrently, the flowing Buddha light and demonic energy circulating around Venerable Monk Huineng, as if substantial, were also attracted by the Sharira. These two diametrically opposed yet simultaneously originating glazed streams of Qi, like two intertwined ribbons of light, were rapidly drawn out from his body, precisely entwining the Sharira that was absorbing Origin Qi. The Buddha and demonic Qi rapidly rotated, compressed, and merged on the surface of the Sharira. As the light flowed, they became increasingly dilute, eventually transforming into a nearly transparent mist, like thin gauze in the morning light, gently covering the surface of the Sharira. Immediately, this mist also dissipated into nothingness without a sound, as if it had never existed. The light receded, and the dust settled. The Sharira quietly floated in Gu Mo's palm, as round and warm as ever, as if the thrilling fusion and purification had been nothing more than a breeze passing over a stone, leaving no trace. "Amitabha!" Venerable Monk Huineng clasped his hands together and said, "Within a hundred years, this demonic stone shall no longer have the ability to harm the human world." Gu Mo felt the Sharira in his hand. Although it appeared unchanged, he could sense that Venerable Monk Huineng's Buddha and demonic Qi had, using the Sharira as a medium, transformed into an item capable of containing Origin Qi. It was on a similar level to the small iron cage that Qi Miaoxuan had used to capture the Fire Kirin's Ancestral Fire Origin Qi when they were in Mobei. Gu Mo secretly thought, "The Great Sun Demonic Art has this effect? Doesn't that mean Ye Chen's bad luck and good luck Qi could also be transformed into such items?" In the distance, Ye Chen, who was drinking water, suddenly felt a chill down his spine. Gu Mo looked at Venerable Monk Huineng and asked, "Venerable Monk, what is the second matter you wanted to tell me?" Venerable Monk Huineng said, "Great Hero Gu, this monk is one who knows from birth. Being one who knows from birth does not mean being omniscient from the moment of birth, but rather awakening past life memories at a certain stage, understanding the cause of the past life and the effect in this life. Seventy years ago, this monk awakened his past life memories overnight, then severed all worldly ties and became a monk. This is a form of destiny. When this monk heard that you had defeated Donor Su Qianqiu to become Number One Under Heaven, I inquired about your information. If this monk's guess is correct, you are also one who knows from birth!" The awakening of past life memories was actually a secret of Gu Mo's. However, when he learned that there were seven types of sages in the world, one of which was one who knows from birth, he knew that with his meteoric rise, someone would inevitably connect him to being one who knows from birth. Coupled with his increasing martial arts prowess, he hadn't paid too much attention to it. "Yes," Gu Mo said. "According to the records, I am indeed one who knows from birth." Venerable Monk Huineng chuckled, "Perhaps this is a change in heavenly secrets. After awakening my past life memories seventy years ago, I have been consulting relevant historical records, especially after learning that the Great Sun Demonic Art was searching everywhere for Innate Sages, I paid even more attention to this matter. I have perused countless ancient texts and discovered a pattern: only one of each type of Innate Sage exists at a time, never two simultaneously. Yet, both you and I exist at the same time. This is a flaw in the heavenly secrets." Gu Mo asked, puzzled, "Then, what does that mean?" Venerable Monk Huineng said, "On the fourth floor of the Feilai Temple Scripture Repository, on the innermost bookshelf, there is a stone tablet that this monk accidentally acquired forty years ago. This stone tablet is likely over two thousand years old. It records a story, the story of the Seven Sages Slaying the Dragon. That story says that a very, very long time ago, a Divine Dragon appeared in the world, worshipped by humanity, named the Azure Dragon. It controlled wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and the seasons of the human world. It was the god of the world, controlling all laws. However, the Azure Dragon gradually became arrogant and willful. Day and night were reversed, seasons were chaotic, and winds and rains were capricious. The human world faced a catastrophe of world destruction. At this time, seven saviors appeared in the human world. They were Innate Sages. The seven joined forces to ascend to the Heavenly Realm, killed the Azure Dragon, and then a new god was born, and peace was restored to the human world." Gu Mo frowned and remained silent. Venerable Monk Huineng continued, "At the end of that stone tablet, it says that the operation of heaven and earth has rules and laws. Yin and Yang have mutual restraint, and all things have mutual generation. Gods govern the rules of the world, but to prevent gods from developing desires, there are rules to restrain them. The existence of the seven Innate Sages is to prevent gods from developing desires. This may just be a story, but after encountering the Great Sun Demonic Art, I began to believe it. And after consulting relevant historical records, I discovered the pattern that the same type of sage does not exist simultaneously, but now you and I coexist. If that story is true, it means that the mission of the Innate Sages has arrived. And to prevent accidents, or to fill in at any time, the world has begun to see the coexistence of the same type of sage." Gu Mo pondered, "So, Venerable Monk, you believe that a new era of god-slaying has arrived?" Venerable Monk Huineng replied, "If that story is true, after more than two thousand years, it is natural for new gods to develop desires. A new round of god-slaying is also plausible." "Let's hope it's just a story," Gu Mo murmured. "Amitabha," Venerable Monk Huineng clasped his hands together, his voice deep. "This monk also wishes it were just a story. The world can have faith, but it should not have true gods." With that, he raised his eyes and looked calmly at Gu Mo. "Great Hero Gu, this monk only wishes that you will forever remain a person of the mortal world. Amitabha!" As the last Buddha's name fell, Venerable Monk Huineng slightly lowered his head. In an instant, his life force completely vanished. His body rapidly shriveled, and then, like an ancient artifact weathered for thousands of years, it turned into dust and scattered with the wind, leaving no trace. Gu Mo watched Venerable Monk Huineng turn to dust, clasped his hands, bowed, and said, "May the changes in the human world be as you wish." Although he had only met Venerable Monk Huineng today, he could deeply feel the profound Buddhist teachings and the realm of compassion that Venerable Monk Huineng possessed. Immediately, Gu Mo turned and left. As he walked, he examined the Demonic Stone Origin Qi within the Sharira again. To his surprise, he discovered an astonishing sight: The Demonic Stone Origin Qi was continuously devouring a portion of the malevolent Qi from the Divine Monk Dabie, which was originally carried by the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror's Origin Qi hidden within the Sharira. At this moment, the Origin Qi had no consciousness, so this behavior was purely instinctual. "If it devours malevolent Qi, it will also devour other Qi. This is why these Origin Qi give rise to consciousness." Gu Mo had basically figured out why Origin Qi was initially governed by rules and natural operation, without consciousness, but later developed various taboos. It was because the instinct of Origin Qi would devour and merge with other substances according to their respective properties. In this process, consciousness would arise. For example, the instinct of the Demonic Stone Origin Qi was to devour demonic desire. Over time, a complete desire consciousness was born, becoming the Inner Demon. "White Jade Capital is similar, but its characteristics are different. It does not devour human demonic energy but absorbs Nascent Soul memories, continuously merging to create a perfect person. The Demonic Stone Origin Qi gave birth to the Inner Demon, so theoretically, White Jade Capital should give birth to a perfect god!" As Gu Mo pondered, he played with the Sharira in his hand, feeling the demonic nature emanating from it. Unconsciously, he circulated the Dao Heart Seed Demon Great Technique, attempting to absorb the demonic energy. To his surprise, it actually worked. The purity of the demonic energy was far superior to that of the Dao Heart Seed Demon Great Technique. "No wonder Qi Miaoxuan took away the Fire Kirin's Origin Qi. As long as one finds a matching cultivation technique or method, one can utilize Origin Qi." For a moment, Gu Mo's heart grew heavy. Qi Miaoxuan himself possessed over a thousand years of cultivation, and he also harbored the power of a dragon within him, plus the Fire Kirin's Origin Qi. "This old immortal's value is still increasing!" Just as Gu Mo was sighing, Ye Chen ran over and shouted, "Big Brother, how is it? Is the Inner Demon dead?" Gu Mo nodded slightly. "It's dead." Ye Chen was overjoyed. "It's great that that bastard is dead! Oh, by the way, Big Brother, didn't you say before that the Inner Demon was blocking the Heavenly Gate for seven hundred years, preventing ascension? Now that the Inner Demon is killed, doesn't that mean that humanity has returned to the era of free ascension like in ancient times?" Gu Mo nodded slightly. "Theoretically, that's the case." Ye Chen frowned. "I'm afraid there will be major chaos." "Why do you say that?" Gu Mo asked. Ye Chen sighed. "Think about it, Big Brother. You encountered Ling Xiao, the Number One Under Heaven from two generations ago, at Dragon Tiger Mountain. You also got news of Jiang Ruoxu, the previous Number One Under Heaven, on Penglai Island. A while ago, we met the Divine Monk Dabie in Chang'an. Aren't these people all at the Half-Step Ascension Realm? They all dared not ascend because of the Inner Demon's existence. Doesn't that mean there might be other people who have also reached the Half-Step Ascension Realm and are surviving through special means? Now that there's no Inner Demon suppressing them, they will likely act without restraint, either breaking through or recovering their cultivation. If the number of people is small, it's fine, but if the number is large, it will inevitably cause great chaos. Not everyone cultivates righteous martial arts; there are many evil and demonic techniques!" "This..." Gu Mo thought about it and felt that Ye Chen's words made sense. However, he then thought, "If I can kill the Inner Demon, what waves can those people make?" Gu Mo didn't feel that any potential hidden Half-Step Ascension Realm experts would have any impact on him. In his opinion, even if there were a thousand or ten thousand Half-Step Ascension Realm experts, their combined threat would not be as great as that of a single Qi Miaoxuan. Immediately, Gu Mo put away the Sharira, picked up the Dragon Scale, and then took Ye Chen with him, flying towards Feilai Mountain. Meanwhile, in Wutong City, wails erupted everywhere. From the moment Gu Mo annihilated the Inner Demon, the vast demonic energy centered around the Imperial City began to dissipate. Those whose minds were eroded by the demonic energy and controlled by their desires gradually regained consciousness. They were not puppets, merely individuals whose desires had been amplified by the demonic energy. They were still themselves. They would not forget what they had done. It was just that now, with their desires returning to their original state, they had become lucid. Many people collapsed at this very moment. Under the infinite amplification of desire, people would lose their ethics, morals, and compassion. Some might have killed their wives, children, and elders. Some might have indulged in debauchery. Some might have been ruthless killers... However, The impact of Gu Mo killing the Inner Demon extended far beyond this. At this time, On a mountain peak three to four hundred li outside Wutong City, Qi Miaoxuan was gazing into the distance at Wutong City. He saw the city shrouded in surging demonic energy and also witnessed Gu Mo's Palm Buddha Kingdom annihilating the Inner Demon. "He's gotten stronger again..." Qi Miaoxuan muttered, his voice devoid of emotion. "Hmph, feeling pressured, you slave," the sealed Azure Dragon sneered. "Slave, this Gu Mo is a dragon, his talent is unparalleled. What does it matter if you've lived for a thousand years? In front of him, you're like a dog!" Qi Miaoxuan said calmly, "He actually possesses this Buddhist divine ability in addition to transforming into a dragon. This kid is truly good at hiding. Fortunately, it's a Buddhist divine ability. This demonic stone Origin Qi is useless to him. If it were a demonic divine ability, then I would have been aiding the enemy this time!" "You trash," the Azure Dragon taunted. "You didn't even dare to kill a mere Inner Demon and had to borrow someone else's hand." Qi Miaoxuan's expression remained unchanged. "Azure Dragon, there's no need to provoke me. It's useless. I have my own plans. Not only will I borrow others' hands to kill this Inner Demon, but I will also borrow others' hands to deal with the Heavenly Gate above. I helped that kid Jiang Ruoxu see the truth of the Heavenly Gate back then and even gave him a strand of Origin Qi. With that kid's arrogance, he will definitely attempt to Sword Open the Heavenly Gate. Now that Gu Mo has killed the Inner Demon, his opportunity has arrived." "Heh, trash!" the Azure Dragon said sternly. "An old man who has lived for over a thousand years, beaten to a pulp by a young man in his twenties like Gu Mo, and you don't dare to retaliate. You trash!" Qi Miaoxuan curled his lips. "Azure Dragon, are you stupid? I deliberately guided Gu Mo to kill the Inner Demon, and Jiang Ruoxu to Sword Open the Heavenly Gate, all to have them destroy the Eyes of the Beyond the Heavens and attract the attention of the Beyond the Heavens for me. You actually expect to provoke me into killing Gu Mo now? Do you think that's possible?" "Trash!" the Azure Dragon said. "Gu Mo is a dragon, his talent is unparalleled. I'm telling you, if you don't kill him now, when his dragon body matures, you will definitely be killed by him!" Qi Miaoxuan chuckled lightly. "Last time I fought Gu Mo while killing the Fire Kirin, I personally saw him transform into a dragon. He is not a true dragon like you. He has cultivated some kind of martial art, and he is still human, Azure Dragon. You will be disappointed; he is not your kind! Compared to his method of transforming into a dragon, I am more concerned that he is an Innate Sage who knows from birth. But even as an Innate Sage, even as one who knows from birth, why is this Monk Huineng so far behind Gu Mo?" The Azure Dragon suddenly asked, "You say Gu Mo is one who knows from birth, and there are two other ones who know from birth?" "That's right," Qi Miaoxuan said. "The monk who just died is also an Innate Sage, one who knows from birth!" The Azure Dragon's tone suddenly became urgent. "Qi Miaoxuan, how many Innate Sages are there in this era?" "Why do you care about that?" Qi Miaoxuan asked curiously. "Did your death back then have something to do with Innate Sages?" The Azure Dragon suddenly fell silent. "Hahahaha..." Qi Miaoxuan suddenly burst into laughter. "I knew it, hahahaha! Azure Dragon, I've tricked you into revealing information. Your death back then was indeed not that simple, and it was indeed related to Innate Sages. You're quite good at hiding, but you were still tricked by me, you foolish dragon!" "You slave!" "Foolish dragon!" In a deep canyon, miasma permeated the air, filled with discarded swords, rusty swords, and piles of white bones. This was clearly an abandoned ancient battlefield where a large-scale war had once taken place. At this moment, In the ancient battlefield, a heavy rusty sword suddenly emitted a luster, and a figure suddenly appeared – it was Jiang Ruoxu, who had transformed into a Sword Spirit. He suddenly looked up, his eyes filled with confusion and surprise. "The Inner Demon has actually disappeared? What's going on?" He looked up and pondered for a long time, muttering, "It doesn't matter anymore. Since the Inner Demon is gone, I, Jiang Ruoxu, will Sword Open the Heavenly Gate, return a clear sky to the human world, and find the true Path to Immortality!" Immediately, Jiang Ruoxu's figure turned into a wisp of smoke and instantly entered the heavy rusty sword. "Clang—!" A clear sword cry echoed through the abyss. The rusty sword suddenly erupted with dazzling light, transforming into a rainbow that tore through the miasma and shot straight towards the sky. Its speed was as fast as lightning, covering a thousand li in an instant. In the blink of an eye, it crossed mountains and rivers, heading directly towards the Imperial City of the Chu Kingdom. The rainbow circled the majestic Imperial City in the sky, carrying an unparalleled sharpness. It ignored all palace restrictions and accurately hovered before Emperor Xiao Zhaolin of Chu, who was reading memorials. The sword body trembled slightly, covered in rust, yet it exuded a chilling ancient sword intent. This sudden appearance would have frightened an ordinary person. However, Xiao Zhaolin, seated on the Dragon Throne, slowly raised his head, his expressionless. In the depths of his profound eyes, two beams of cold, tangible golden light flashed, piercing through the sword body and directly staring at the Nascent Soul within the sword. "What wandering soul dares to be presumptuous before朕?" Xiao Zhaolin's voice was deep and majestic, carrying the unyielding sternness of an emperor. With a flash of light, Jiang Ruoxu's phantom emerged from the sword body, solidifying before the imperial desk. He looked directly at the emperor on the Dragon Throne, his voice carrying unquestionable decisiveness. "Xiao Zhaolin, I am Jiang Ruoxu. Today, I have a deal to make with you. The Inner Demon is dead, and the lurking Ascension Realm old monsters will surely emerge one after another. Cooperate with me, and I can guarantee the stability and safety of your Great Chu Dynasty...!"