As the Inner Demon perished, the Buddha Palm that had covered the sky and sun slowly lifted, as though it had never fallen at all, yet it took away all the filth and despair that had blanketed Northern Zhou.
"Hoo—"
It was like countless wronged souls sighing as one, like a filthy swamp being drained by an invisible giant hand. The terrifying demonic qi that had filled heaven and earth, thick as ink, dissolved and crumbled at a visible rate beneath the cleansing of boundless Buddha Light.
No longer were they abysses that devoured light. They became thin strands of pale gray smoke, silently vanishing amid the golden radiance, leaving behind not the slightest trace of evil.
The shattered Wutong City bathed in a warm, sacred rain of golden light.
The oppressive dark red sky was gone. A freshly washed blue reappeared, clear and pure, while sunlight pierced the thinning cloud layer and spilled across the broken walls and ruins, revealing an unexpected serenity after the catastrophe.
Amid the rubble and over the scorched earth, specks of vibrant green quietly blossomed, as though compassionate hands had smoothed over the earth's wounds and restored it with new life. The Buddhas filling the skies above the imperial city continued chanting Buddhist Chants as they slowly faded away.
In the distance, the Buddhist and demonic qi around Venerable Monk Huineng, who sat cross-legged at the center of the ruins, had completely fallen still, transforming into deep, stable black-and-white lapis lazuli radiance that intertwined around him.
The pitch-black strange stone he had swallowed was now tightly wrapped in a cocoon of light woven from countless delicate golden-black runes. It floated between his palms, which were pressed together, its aura utterly sealed away.
His face was peaceful, as though he were meditating. Only a faint Buddha seal flickered in and out of sight at the center of his forehead. He looked up at the Buddha Phantoms filling the sky, then at Gu Mo, who had now transformed into a true Buddha. A compassionate smile appeared on his face as he murmured, "Amitabha. So there truly is a Buddha in this world!"
At that moment, Gu Mo hovered in midair.
The system's notification sounded in his mind:
Killed Eight-Star Wanted Criminal Obtained Eight-Star Reward—Max-Level Demonic Blade Claim?
Demonic Blade was a blade technique named for demons, born from the extreme principle of "offering one's body as sacrifice." Its philosophy of "abandoning gods and Buddhas, leaving the scriptures and rebelling against the Way" cast aside worldly morality and emotional bonds, honoring absolute power alone.
Praised as "the most perfect blade technique in the world," it completely freed martial arts from the restraints of human nature. Demonic Blade was divided into nine forms, each move merging demonic qi and killing intent, every form concealing the true essence of the demonic path.
After Gu Mo claimed the max-level Demonic Blade, he could not help feeling a strange sense of emotion. The Palm Buddha Kingdom he had just formed by merging the Tathagata Divine Palm, Great Vajra Divine Strength, and Domain Golden Core was arguably the holiest Buddhist art in the world. Yet in a single thought, he had also acquired the most demonic martial art in the world.
This was another kind of union between Buddha and demon.
For a moment, Gu Mo could not help pondering: if he used his now-mastered Demonic Blade against the Inner Demon, whose demonic nature would be stronger?
As Gu Mo thought,
The vast phantom of the Buddha Kingdom behind him and the towering golden body of Tathagata quietly vanished. The brilliant golden radiance also flowed back into his body like the receding tide. He was still dressed in green, his aura returning to calmness.
He swiftly flew to Venerable Monk Huineng's side.
"Amitabha." A faint smile appeared on Venerable Monk Huineng's face. "So Great Hero Gu is the Buddha."
Gu Mo said, "Venerable Monk, everyone in this world can be a Buddha."
"It was this poor monk who had become fixated on appearances," Venerable Monk Huineng said. "If there is compassion in one's heart and compassion in one's actions, then one is a Buddha."
Gu Mo examined Venerable Monk Huineng and discovered that he had already lost all signs of life. His Nascent Soul Power was nearly exhausted as well; he was only holding on through his final shred of will.
"Venerable Monk, your condition is not good," Gu Mo said.
Venerable Monk Huineng chuckled softly. "Death is not the end. It is merely a return to the Land of Ultimate Bliss. This poor monk cultivated for a lifetime, and in his final moments, he was able to attain the Way and ascend, behold the Buddha, and fulfill his wish of suppressing the Heart Demon Main Body. This life has borne its rightful fruit."
Gu Mo clasped his hands. "Venerable Monk took saving the common people as his duty and used his own body to suppress the demon. I deeply admire you. This deed is no less than Buddha cutting flesh to feed the eagle and offering his body to feed the tiger."
"There are still two matters this poor monk must tell Great Hero Gu," Venerable Monk Huineng said.
"Please speak."
Venerable Monk Huineng said, "This poor monk is about to pass into nirvana. I have temporarily sealed the Demonic Stone with the Buddhist-demonic qi of my Great Sun Demonic Art, but Buddhist-demonic qi is formless and incorporeal. It requires a medium to bear it if the Demonic Stone is to remain sealed for long.
"Originally, this poor monk planned to transform into a sarira upon entering nirvana. But the Buddhist-demonic qi has already evaporated and drained the essence of this poor monk's physical body, so I can no longer become a sarira. Among all the nations under heaven, only Great Bright Light Temple possesses an intact Buddha Sharira. Therefore, I ask Great Hero Gu to deliver the Demonic Stone to Great Bright Light Temple."
Gu Mo considered it, then slowly untied a pouch from his waist and took out the sarira Dharma Master Liansheng had once given him. He asked, "Will this do?"
Venerable Monk Huineng was slightly startled upon seeing it, then smiled. "As expected, everything in this world has its destined course in the unseen. Fate and karmic cause and effect truly are wondrous beyond compare."
Venerable Monk Huineng held his palms upward. The pitch-black Demonic Stone between them seemed to be drawn by an invisible force and slowly floated toward the suspended sarira.
The instant the Demonic Stone touched the sarira—
A sudden change erupted!
The hard form of the Demonic Stone abruptly melted away, transforming into a pool of deep, flowing black liquid.
The liquid seemed alive. It shimmered with a dim luster, formless and incorporeal, yet it contained vast energy beyond the mortal world. It was Origin Qi.
As soon as the Origin Qi from the Demonic Stone touched the sarira, it was like a drop of water sinking into a sponge. Without the slightest obstruction, it seeped into it in thin strands, instantly embraced by the warm, sacred glow.
At the same time, the Buddha Light and demonic qi flowing endlessly around Venerable Monk Huineng's body, nearly tangible in substance, also seemed drawn to the sarira.
The two entirely opposite yet same-origin streams of lapis lazuli qi, like two intertwined bands of light, rapidly pulled free from his body and precisely wrapped around the sarira that was absorbing the Origin Qi.
The Buddhist-demonic qi spun, compressed, and fused rapidly over the sarira's surface.
As the light flowed, they became thinner and thinner, eventually turning into an almost transparent mist, like gauze at dawn, gently covering the sarira's surface.
Then, that mist silently dispersed into nothingness as though it had never existed.
The radiance withdrew. The dust settled.
The sarira quietly floated above Gu Mo's palm, still perfectly round and smooth, as warm as before. The breathtaking fusion and purification from moments earlier seemed no more than a clear breeze over stone, leaving not a trace behind.
"Amitabha!"
Venerable Monk Huineng pressed his palms together. "For the next hundred years, this Demonic Stone shall no longer have the power to endanger the mortal world."
Gu Mo sensed the sarira in his hand. Though it appeared unchanged, he could tell that Venerable Monk Huineng's Buddhist-demonic qi had used the sarira as a medium to become an item capable of imprisoning Origin Qi.
It was on the same level as the little iron cage Qi Miaoxuan had once used in Mobei to capture the Fire Kirin's Ancestral Fire Origin Qi.
So the Great Sun Demonic Art has this effect? Does that mean Ye Chen's bad luck and lucky qi can also be turned into objects like this?
In the distance, Ye Chen, who was drinking water, suddenly felt a chill run down his spine.
Gu Mo looked toward Venerable Monk Huineng and asked, "Venerable Monk, what is the second matter you wished to mention?"
Venerable Monk Huineng said, "Great Hero Gu, this poor monk is One Who Knows From Birth. So-called One Who Knows From Birth does not mean one knows everything from the moment one is born. It means that at a certain stage, one suddenly awakens Awakened Past Life Memories and understands the causes of a former life and the consequences of the present one.
"This poor monk awakened Awakened Past Life Memories overnight seventy years ago. I then severed my ties with the worldly realm and became a monk. This is a destined fate. When I heard that you had defeated Benefactor Su Qianqiu to become Number One Under Heaven, this poor monk investigated your background. If I am not mistaken, you are also One Who Knows From Birth, are you not?"
Awakening Awakened Past Life Memories was, in truth, one of Gu Mo's secrets.
However, once he learned that there were Seven Sages in this world, and that one kind was One Who Knows From Birth, he knew that given his sudden rise to prominence, someone would inevitably connect him to being One Who Knows From Birth.
Moreover, his martial arts had grown increasingly powerful, so he no longer cared too much about it.
"Yes," Gu Mo said. "According to the records in the texts, I do indeed belong to the One Who Knows From Birth."
Venerable Monk Huineng chuckled. "Perhaps this means the heavenly secrets have changed.
"Over the seventy years since awakening my Awakened Past Life Memories, this poor monk has continuously consulted relevant case files and ancient texts. Especially after learning that the Great Sun Demonic Art was searching everywhere for Innate Sages, I paid even closer attention to this matter.
"I read countless records and discovered a pattern: only one person of any given type of Innate Sage can exist. Two can never exist at the same time. Yet you and I have appeared together. This is a flaw in the heavenly secrets."
Gu Mo asked in confusion, "Then what does that mean?"
Venerable Monk Huineng said, "On the innermost bookshelf of the fourth floor in Feilai Temple's Scripture Repository, there is a stone tablet that this poor monk came across by chance forty years ago. The tablet must be over two thousand years old. It records a story—the story of Seven Sages Slay the Dragon.
"The story says that, in an age long, long ago, a divine dragon appeared in the world. Humanity worshiped it and called it Azure Dragon. It controlled wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and the seasons of the mortal world. It was the God of the world, controlling all laws.
"But Azure Dragon gradually became increasingly wanton. Night and day reversed, the seasons fell into chaos, and wind and rain came as it pleased. The mortal world faced a world-ending catastrophe. At that time, seven saviors appeared among mankind. They were Innate Sages. The seven joined forces and ascended to the heavenly realm, where they slew Azure Dragon. Then a new God was born, and peace returned to the mortal world."
Gu Mo furrowed his brow slightly but said nothing.
Venerable Monk Huineng continued, "At the end of that stone tablet, it said this: heaven and earth operate according to rules and laws; yin and yang counter one another; all things give rise to one another. Gods govern the rules of the world, but in order to prevent gods from developing desires, there exist laws that restrain gods. The existence of the Seven Sages is meant to guard against gods developing desires.
"Perhaps that is only a story. Yet after this poor monk encountered the Great Sun Demonic Art, I began to believe it somewhat. Then, after examining the related case files and texts, I found the pattern that Sages of the same type could not coexist. But now, you and I coexist.
"If that story is true, then it means the mission of the Innate Sages has arrived. To guard against unforeseen events—or to ensure replacements can be made at any time—the world has begun to see Innate Sages of the same type coexist."
Gu Mo pondered. "So, Venerable Monk believes that a new age of god-slaying has arrived?"
Venerable Monk Huineng replied, "If the story is true, then after more than two thousand years, it would be perfectly natural for the new God to develop desires. A new time for slaying gods would not be impossible."
"I hope it is only a story," Gu Mo murmured.
"Amitabha." Venerable Monk Huineng pressed his palms together, his voice low. "This poor monk hopes so as well. The world may have faith, but it should not have a true God."
Having said that, he raised his eyes and looked calmly at Gu Mo. "Great Hero Gu, this poor monk only wishes for you to remain forever a person of the mortal world. Amitabha!"
As the final buddhist chant fell, Venerable Monk Huineng lowered his head slightly. In an instant, all life left him. His body rapidly withered, then, like an ancient relic weathered for a thousand years, turned to flying ash and scattered with the wind, leaving no trace behind.
Gu Mo watched Venerable Monk Huineng turn to ash. He pressed his palms together and bowed. "May the changes in the mortal world unfold as you wished."
Though he had only met Venerable Monk Huineng today, Gu Mo could deeply sense the profound nature of his Buddhist teachings and the realm of compassion he embodied.
Then,
Gu Mo turned and left. As he walked, he examined the Demonic Stone Origin Qi inside the sarira once more.
Immediately, he discovered something astonishing.
The Demonic Stone Origin Qi was continuously devouring part of the violent aura originally belonging to Great Compassion Divine Monk, which had been wrapped within the strand of Origin Qi from the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror stored in the sarira.
At present, the Origin Qi possessed no consciousness, so this behavior was merely instinct.
It devours violent aura, so it will also devour other qi. That is why these Origin Qis eventually develop Divine Sense.
Gu Mo basically understood why Origin Qi began as law and natural operation, without consciousness, only to later breed all kinds of taboos. It was because Origin Qi instinctively devoured and fused with other substances according to its own attributes, and in that process, Divine Sense emerged.
For example, the Demonic Stone Origin Qi instinctively devoured demonic qi and desire. Over time, it had generated a complete consciousness of desire and become the Inner Demon.
"White Jade Capital works on the same principle. It is simply different in nature. It does not devour the demonic qi of the mortal world; instead, it absorbs Nascent Soul memories and constantly fuses them into a flawless person. The Demonic Stone Origin Qi gave birth to the Inner Demon. Then theoretically, White Jade Capital would give birth to a perfect God!"
While pondering, Gu Mo toyed with the sarira in his hand. Feeling the demonic nature emanating from within, he unconsciously circulated the Dao Heart Seed Demon Great Technique and attempted to absorb its demonic power.
To his surprise, it actually worked.
The purity of each strand of demonic power far surpassed the demonic power of the Dao Heart Seed Demon Great Technique.
"No wonder Qi Miaoxuan took the Fire Kirin's Origin Qi away. As long as one finds a matching cultivation technique or method, Origin Qi can be used."
For a moment,
Gu Mo's heart grew somewhat heavy.
Qi Miaoxuan himself possessed over a thousand years of cultivation, while the power of a dragon was hidden in his body. Now he had added the Fire Kirin's Origin Qi as well.
The value of this old immortal just keeps rising!
Just as Gu Mo was sighing over it,
Ye Chen ran over and shouted, "Big Brother, how did it go? Is the Inner Demon dead?"
Gu Mo nodded slightly. "Dead."
Ye Chen was overjoyed. "It's great that that bastard is dead! Oh, right, Big Brother, didn't you say the Inner Demon had been blocking the Heavenly Gate and intercepting ascenders for seven hundred years? Now that it has been killed, does that mean the mortal world will return to the ancient era, when people could ascend freely?"
Gu Mo nodded slightly. "In theory, yes."
Yet Ye Chen frowned. "I'm afraid a huge mess is about to break out."
"Why do you say that?" Gu Mo asked.
Ye Chen sighed. "Think about it, Big Brother. You encountered Ling Xiao, the Previous Generation Number One Under Heaven, at Dragon Tiger Mountain. Then you learned about Jiang Ruoxu, the previous generation's Number One Under Heaven, on Penglai Island. Not long ago, we encountered Great Compassion Divine Monk in Chang'an City. Weren't all those people in the Half-step Ascension Realm?
"They did not dare ascend because of the Inner Demon. Doesn't that mean there may be others who also reached the Half-step Ascension Realm and used special methods to cling to life? Now that the Inner Demon is no longer suppressing them, I'm afraid they will act without restraint. They may either break through or recover their cultivation. If there are only a few, it is fine, but if there are many, chaos will surely follow. Not everyone cultivates righteous and honorable martial arts. There are plenty of evil arts and demonic arts!"
"This..."
Gu Mo thought about it and felt that Ye Chen's words made sense. But upon further reflection, he said, "I can kill even the Inner Demon. What waves could those people possibly stir up?"
Gu Mo did not think the potentially hidden Half-step Ascension Realm experts would have much impact. In his view, even a thousand or ten thousand Half-step Ascension Realm experts combined posed less threat than one Qi Miaoxuan.
Then,
Gu Mo put away the sarira, picked up the Dragon Scale, and left with Ye Chen, flying toward Feilai Mountain.
At that moment, mournful cries rose throughout Wutong City.
From the moment Gu Mo destroyed the Inner Demon, the boundless demonic qi centered around the imperial city began to dissipate. Those whose minds had been eroded and controlled by their desires under the influence of demonic qi gradually regained consciousness.
They were not puppets. Their desires had merely been magnified by demonic qi. They were still themselves. They would not forget what they had done. It was simply that their desires had now returned to their original state, and they had become clear-minded again.
At that moment, many people broke down.
When desire was magnified without limit, people lost all ethics, morality, and kindness. Some may have killed their wife, children, old and young. Some may have abandoned themselves to debauchery. Some may have killed as casually as cutting hemp...
However,
The consequences of Gu Mo killing the Inner Demon went far beyond this.
At that moment,
On a mountain peak three or four hundred li outside Wutong City, Qi Miaoxuan stood gazing into the distance at Wutong City. He had witnessed the city overflowing with surging demonic qi, and he had also watched Gu Mo's Palm Buddha Kingdom destroy the Inner Demon.
"He has grown stronger again..." Qi Miaoxuan muttered, his voice betraying no emotion.
"Hmph, feeling the pressure now, are you, lowly slave?" Azure Dragon sneered from within its seal. "Lowly slave, this Gu Mo is a dragon. His talent is unmatched under heaven. So what if you have lived for a thousand years? Before him, you are nothing more than a dog!"
Qi Miaoxuan said evenly, "Aside from transforming into a dragon, he actually hid another Buddhist divine art. That brat has concealed himself deeply indeed. Fortunately, it is a Buddhist divine art. The Demonic Stone Origin Qi is useless in his hands. If he had demonic path divine arts, then this time I truly would have been supplying the enemy."
"You trash," Azure Dragon mocked. "You did not even dare kill a mere Inner Demon and had to borrow someone else's hand."
Qi Miaoxuan remained expressionless. "Azure Dragon, there is no need to provoke me. It is useless. I have my own plans. Not only will I borrow another's hand to kill this Inner Demon, I will also borrow another's hand to deal with the Heavenly Gate in the sky.
"I helped that boy called Jiang Ruoxu see the truth of the Heavenly Gate, and I even gave him a strand of Origin Qi. With that boy's pride, he will certainly use Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate. Now that Gu Mo has killed the Inner Demon, his opportunity has arrived as well."
"Heh, trash!" Azure Dragon said darkly. "An old fossil who has lived for over a thousand years, beaten until he was crawling around looking for teeth by a twenty-something youngster like Gu Mo, yet you do not dare go back and fight him. Trash!"
Qi Miaoxuan curled his lip. "Azure Dragon, are you stupid? I deliberately guided Gu Mo to kill the Inner Demon and Jiang Ruoxu to use Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate because I want them to destroy the Eyes of the Beyond the Heavens and draw the attention of Beyond the Heavens for me. Yet you think you can anger me into killing Gu Mo now? Do you think that is possible?"
"Trash!" Azure Dragon said. "Gu Mo is a dragon. His talent is unmatched under heaven. I am telling you, if you do not kill him now, once his dragon body matures, he will definitely kill you!"
Qi Miaoxuan chuckled. "When I killed the Fire Kirin last time, I fought Gu Mo and saw his dragon transformation with my own eyes. He is not a true dragon like you. He cultivated some kind of martial art. 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 care more that he is an Innate Sage, One Who Knows From Birth. But since they are both Innate Sages, even both One Who Knows From Birth, why was that monk Huineng so much weaker than Gu Mo?"
Azure Dragon suddenly asked, "You said Gu Mo is One Who Knows From Birth. There are two One Who Knows From Birth?"
"Correct," Qi Miaoxuan said. "That monk who just died was also an Innate Sage, One Who Knows From Birth!"
Azure Dragon's tone suddenly became somewhat urgent. "Qi Miaoxuan, how many Innate Sages are there in this age?"
"Why do you care about that?" Qi Miaoxuan asked suspiciously. "Was your death back then related to Innate Sages?"
Azure Dragon suddenly fell silent.
"Ha ha ha ha..." Qi Miaoxuan suddenly burst into laughter. "I knew it! Hahaha, Azure Dragon, you let something slip. Your death back then truly was not so simple. It really was related to Innate Sages. You hid it well, but I still tricked it out of you, you stupid dragon!"
"Lowly slave!"
"Stupid dragon!"
In an abyssal gorge, miasma filled the air. Broken and rusted swords lay everywhere amid heaps of white bones. This was clearly an abandoned Ancient Battlefield where a massive war had once taken place.
At that moment,
Within the Ancient Battlefield, a heavy rusted sword suddenly began to glow, and a figure abruptly appeared. It was Jiang Ruoxu, who had already become a Sword Spirit.
He suddenly raised his head, his eyes full of confusion. "The Inner Demon has disappeared? What happened?"
He looked upward and pondered for a long while before muttering, "It does not matter. Good. Since the Inner Demon is gone, I, Jiang Ruoxu, shall use Sword Opens the Heavenly Gate, restore a bright and clear world to mankind, and find the true Path to Immortality!"
At once, Jiang Ruoxu's figure transformed into a wisp of green smoke and instantly entered the heavy rusted sword.
"Clang—!"
A clear sword cry resounded through the abyss. The rusted sword suddenly erupted with blinding radiance, becoming a heaven-piercing rainbow that tore through the miasma and shot straight toward the skies.
It was swift as lightning, crossing a thousand li in an instant. In the span of a breath, it crossed mountains and rivers before descending directly toward the imperial city of Chu Kingdom.
The rainbow circled once above the majestic imperial city. Carrying unmatched sharpness, it ignored every palace restriction and halted with perfect precision before Xiao Zhaolin, Emperor of Chu, who was reviewing memorials.
The Sword Body trembled faintly, covered in rust, yet it emitted an ancient sword intent that caused palpitations.
An ordinary person would surely have been frightened by this sudden scene.
Yet Xiao Zhaolin, seated upon the throne, only slowly raised his head, his face expressionless. Deep within his profound eyes, two icy golden gleams flashed like solid substance, instantly piercing through the Sword Body and looking directly at the Nascent Soul within.
"What lonesome ghost dares behave so brazenly before me?" Xiao Zhaolin's voice was low and imposing, carrying the chilling majesty of an emperor who could not be offended.
With a flicker of light and shadow, Jiang Ruoxu's phantom emerged from the Sword Body and solidified before the imperial desk. He looked straight at the emperor seated on the Dragon Throne, his voice carrying an unquestionable resolve. "Xiao Zhaolin, I am Jiang Ruoxu. Today, I propose a transaction. The Inner Demon is dead, and the hibernating Ascension Realm old monsters will surely emerge one after another. Cooperate with me, and I can ensure that your Great Chu Dynasty... remains safe and secure!"
Before you continue