Heavenly God Society

Gu Mo immediately said, "Let's go say hello to Old Sect Leader Qi first, and then we'll go find Wang Dongli." Gu Mo definitely wanted to investigate Wang Dongli. Not only was it said that Tie Tou's disappearance might be related to Wang Dongli, but just the fact that he might be from the Spirit Race of the Peacock Clan was enough reason for Gu Mo to investigate. The Spirit Race of the Peacock Clan was the guardian spirit race of the Seven-Colored Peacock, one of the Thirteen Taboos, similar to the relationship between the Yu family of Mobei and the Fire Kirin back then. Gu Mo's wanted list contained information on the Seven-Colored Peacock: [Wanted Target - Seven-Colored Peacock] [Mission Level - Seven Stars] [Mission Reward - All Limitless Immortal Pills] The Limitless Immortal Pill, from "Legendary Swordsman of the Divine Land," there were fourteen in total, and they were top-tier pills. Each pill could increase one's Inner Force by sixty years, break through martial arts bottlenecks, resolve conflicts between different martial arts, and also possessed miraculous effects of immunity to all poisons and healing the living and the dead. The fourteen Limitless Immortal Pills had almost no effect on Gu Mo now, but they would be of great help to Gu Chundong. The fourteen Limitless Immortal Pills could not only increase his cultivation by over eight hundred years, but more importantly, they could harmonize martial arts and break through bottlenecks to improve his realm. Gu Mo estimated that once all fourteen Limitless Immortal Pills were refined, he should be able to directly reach the Ascension Realm with his physical body. At this moment, Tianqin Mountain was in chaos, but Qi Tianchu had already left, leaving the current sect leader of the Azure Wave Sword Sect, Shang Buyu, to organize people from various sects to head to the sect's main mountain. Seeing that Qi Tianchu had left, Gu Mo and his group quickly departed and headed directly to the peak of Azure Wave Mountain on the Cloud Cliff Plank Road. As soon as they arrived, they saw two other veteran Grandmasters of the Azure Wave Sword Sect, Ye Liuyun and Chen Shu, standing in front of the thatched hut. It was obvious they were guarding Qi Tianchu. "Great Hero Gu, Heroine Gu, Miss Hongyi!" Ye Liuyun and Chen Shu stepped forward, cupping their fists in greeting. Gu Mo and his group cupped their fists in return. Gu Mo asked, "What's Old Sect Leader Qi's current condition?" Ye Liuyun and Chen Shu knew Gu Mo had a good relationship with Qi Tianchu, so they didn't hide anything. Ye Liuyun directly said, "His condition isn't very good..." Just then, the door of the thatched hut opened, and Qi Tianchu's voice came out, "You can come in!" Immediately, Gu Mo and his party entered the thatched hut and saw Qi Tianchu sitting on a large block of ice with a pale face, circulating his energy to heal. White mist filled the entire room. Gu Mo walked forward and said with a light laugh, "You were quite impressive fighting on Tianqin Mountain just now, but the price for that impressiveness was quite high!" Qi Tianchu smiled helplessly and said, "I didn't expect Wang Dongli to have such a profound Nascent Soul technique. If it weren't for that sword, I wouldn't have had to use my Born to Die sword technique. No one has ever learned my Born to Die sword technique. It's a life-risking sword technique, but so far, I've never truly risked my life with it, so I don't even know how strong it is." Gu Mo asked in surprise, "You weren't using your full strength just now?" Qi Tianchu chuckled and said, "If I had used my full strength, you wouldn't be talking to me now, but saying goodbye to my corpse. I only used thirty percent of my strength just now. The reason this sword technique is called a life-risking sword technique is that it emphasizes hurting the enemy by a thousand while damaging yourself by eight hundred. The more force you use, the greater the damage you sustain. If you use more than fifty percent of the force, you will suffer irreparable damage. For internal and external injuries below fifty percent of the force, you can basically recover after three to five months of recuperation. However, if the force exceeds fifty percent, the injuries sustained cannot be healed. And if you use full force, you will die on the spot, beyond even divine salvation." Gu Mo pouted, took out a silver needle, and pricked Qi Tianchu's acupoints. Then, he circulated his Inner Force to help him heal. While circulating his energy, he complained, "No wonder Su Qianqiu and Zhang Daoyi both thought your Sword Dao was going astray, yet they both praised your sword highly. However, this sword technique of yours is a bit of a chicken rib, you can't use it more than a few times in your life!" Qi Tianchu chuckled and said, "It is indeed a bit of a chicken rib, but it has great utility. I've used it five times in total. The first time was against Jiang Ruoxu, where I used forty percent of my strength. After that, it was against Zhang Daoyi and Su Qianqiu, both times using only thirty percent of my strength. Although I lost to all of them, none of these three dared to provoke me again. That's the significance. Today was the fifth time, defeating a formidable enemy, that's also significant. Due to my experiences in my youth, I've always lacked a sense of security. Later, I was picked up by my master, but not long after, I learned she was getting married. During the years I followed her, I also lacked a sense of security. It is precisely for this reason that I don't believe there will be an eternal Number One Under Heaven, so I don't compete for the Number One Under Heaven. However, I must have the ability to drag anyone in the world down with me. Thus, the Born to Die sword was born." "Impressive!" Gu Mo exclaimed. "But you said on Tianqin Mountain earlier that you had only used it four times in your life. How did it become five times, and you didn't mention when you used it the fourth time." Qi Tianchu said, "When I used it the fourth time, weren't you by my side? Don't you remember? Last year in Green Robe Village, my master's spiritual body was possessed by an evil thought. Although it was just a wisp of spiritual body, it was still Nascent Soul power. If I hadn't used this Born to Die sword, I wouldn't have been able to kill the evil thought." "So that's how it is." Gu Mo suddenly understood. Last year, the wisp of divine sense left by Yu Jinghong in Green Robe Village was replaced by an evil thought, and it ultimately died under Qi Tianchu's sword. However, at that time, Gu Mo himself had only recently reached the Nascent Soul realm and didn't understand these issues yet, so he didn't find it strange. Now that he thought about it, Qi Tianchu's feat was truly remarkable. Killing a Nascent Soul with a mortal sword was something even Su Qianqiu and Zhang Daoyi couldn't do. However, thinking about that incident, Gu Mo felt it was a pity for the extraordinary woman Yu Jinghong. She had sensed the problem with White Jade Capital decades ago and had split off a Nascent Soul in advance, waiting for her reincarnated self to recover her memories. It was a pity that White Jade Capital didn't reincarnate the Nascent Soul at all, but rather archived and controlled it, then created a fake one. If White Jade Capital had truly allowed the Nascent Soul to reincarnate, then Xiaobai from Penglai Island back then would truly have been Yu Jinghong's second life, and now she could have perfectly reached the Ascension Realm. At this moment, Qi Tianchu said again, "That Wang Dongli is truly formidable. That sword of his used Nascent Soul power. In our era, only Jiang Ruoxu alone touched upon this level of power. If it weren't for you appearing in this era, I think he might have had a chance to become the Number One Under Heaven of this era. It's a pity he was born in the wrong time. Oh, right, weren't you observing? Is that kid an Innate Sage?" Gu Mo shook his head slightly and said, "I didn't see anything. I'm here to bid you farewell. I need to go investigate this Wang Dongli." "Is there a problem?" Qi Tianchu asked, confused. Gu Mo said, "Didn't I tell you a couple of days ago? I'm here to investigate a case, but I have no clues, so I'm relying on Hongyi's divination to solve the case. Now, the divination seems to be related to Wang Dongli, so I have to go find Wang Dongli." Qi Tianchu nodded and said, "Alright, you should go quickly!" "Then let me stabilize your injuries first!" Immediately, Gu Mo quickly gave Qi Tianchu a few more acupuncture treatments, and a surge of True Qi was channeled into Qi Tianchu's body, circulating for a full cycle. Then, he withdrew his hand and said, "You don't need three to five months. You'll be able to recover in half a month at most." Qi Tianchu felt his physical condition and was astonished, "Your medical skill is quite impressive! I didn't expect that not only is your martial arts so high, but your medical skill is also unparalleled in the world!" "It's alright. If you encounter any difficult and complicated diseases in the future, you can also find me. Don't worry, I'll give you a friendly price!" Gu Mo smiled, tidied up the silver needles, and reminded him, "However, I still need to remind you that your body is not what it used to be. You might have been able to use fifty percent of your strength before, but now, even forty percent might cause irreparable damage. Moreover, I sensed two very strange energies within you... Well, try not to use your Born to Die sword as much as possible. You should understand. I'm leaving!" With that, Gu Mo put away the silver needles, waved his hand, and left with Gu Chundong and Hongyi. Shen Bai quickly escorted them away. In the thatched hut, Qi Tianchu, Ye Liuyun, and Chen Shu, the three senior brothers, remained. Only after Gu Mo and his party had completely disappeared into the wind and snow did Ye Liuyun turn to look at Qi Tianchu and ask doubtfully, "Senior Brother, did Great Hero Gu see something? His last words seemed to have a hidden meaning!" Qi Tianchu chuckled and said, "He just said he sensed two energies within me and told me not to use the Born to Die sword. He must have realized that those two energies came from the Born to Die sword. As for the last sentence with a hidden meaning, it's possible it was just a simple reminder that the Born to Die sword has drawbacks. However, it's also possible that he knows I'm cultivating the Great Sun Demonic Art, but he chose not to expose it. After all, he is the Number One Under Heaven, capable of defeating the Great Island Master and the Second Island Master on Penglai Island. He stands at a very high level and has access to deep information. Perhaps many things that we consider extraordinary are just ordinary to him." On the other side, Shen Bai escorted Gu Mo and his group down the mountain. Shen Bai was somewhat reluctant and chatted with Gu Mo for a long time before letting him go. "I'll come again next time!" Gu Mo waved his hand, then mounted his horse and left. Hongyi and Gu Chundong followed Gu Mo on his left and right. Hongyi suddenly said, "Master, I just remembered something. Qi Tianchu is a bit off." Gu Mo asked, "What's off?" Hongyi said, "The Born to Die sword is not recorded in White Jade Capital's archives. Qi Tianchu visited White Jade Capital twice. Theoretically, White Jade Capital would definitely investigate his strongest martial arts and deduce them. I could check them before, but Qi Tianchu's deductions for both visits to White Jade Capital were his Azure Wave Heavenly Sword. This means that White Jade Capital's investigation was obstructed or deceived. Theoretically, Qi Tianchu shouldn't have this ability." Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, "I understood it when I was treating Old Sect Leader Qi's injuries just now. His Born to Die sword has formed two energies, one of death and one of life, one hidden and one apparent, coexisting and complementing each other." Gu Chundong asked doubtfully, "Isn't that like Ye Chen's bad luck and good luck?" Gu Mo chuckled and said, "Exactly. Then, when I was giving him acupuncture, I discovered that his ribs were actually connected into a single piece. Ordinary people have 12 pairs of independent bones, arranged symmetrically on both sides. Each rib is separated by an intercostal space, forming a movable thoracic structure. But Qi Tianchu's is a single piece." Gu Chundong asked, "Brother, what does this mean?" Gu Mo said, "This is the legendary Fused Ribs." "Innate Sage?" Gu Chundong exclaimed in surprise. Gu Mo nodded and said, "That's right. The shape of Old Sect Leader Qi's ribs perfectly matches the description of Fused Ribs in the legends of Innate Sages. Combined with his coexisting life and death energies, it can basically be confirmed that he is cultivating the Great Sun Demonic Art. Venerable Monk Huineng mentioned before that the book spirit of the Great Sun Demonic Art has always been searching for Innate Sages everywhere. Old Sect Leader Qi is a Fused Ribs Sage, so it's reasonable for him to have obtained the Great Sun Demonic Art, and it's also reasonable for him to be able to kill a Nascent Soul with a mortal sword." "Is that so," Gu Chundong said, "Then, Brother, aren't you also an Innate Sage? Has the Great Sun Demonic Art come looking for you?" Gu Mo shook his head slightly and said, "Not yet." Speaking of this, Gu Mo had some doubts. Although his situation perfectly matched the description of the "born knowing" among Innate Sages in this world, and he had indeed awakened his past life memories, he was really unsure if he was a true Innate Sage. The hustle and bustle of the Azure Wave Mountain Range was left behind. Wang Dongli, supported by his disciples, silently traversed the vast mountain ranges. The May sun was already scorching, penetrating the dense forest canopy and casting mottled light spots on the ground, steaming up the dry air of the soil and vegetation. His face was as pale as paper, and the front of his robe was soaked with dark red scabs. Every step he took pulled at the terrifying internal injuries left by Qi Tianchu's "Born to Die" sword energy. These were not just physical wounds, but also carried a sword intent that destroyed vitality, ravaging his meridians and internal organs like maggots clinging to bone. Reaching a desolate mountain hollow, an old and dilapidated Mountain God Temple was half-hidden amidst overgrown wild grass and vines. The walls were broken, and cobwebs covered everything. Only a broken statue remained silent in the shadows. The disciples quickly cleared a flat area and laid down dry grass. "Master, please rest." The disciple looked at Wang Dongli's shaky figure with concern. Wang Dongli nodded, sat down cross-legged, closed his eyes, and whispered to his disciple, "Guard the entrance. Do not let anyone disturb me." The disciple responded and nervously guarded the dilapidated temple entrance. Wang Dongli took a deep breath and began to circulate his energy to heal. The injuries within his body were far more serious than they appeared on the surface. Qi Tianchu's destructive sword intent from "Born to Die" had not only severely damaged his meridians but also injured his origin. However, as Wang Dongli circulated his energy, the blood seeping from his wounds solidified into tiny ice crystals the moment it came into contact with the air. Immediately, with a "chi" sound, those ice crystals ignited clusters of almost transparent white flames! The ice flames burned silently, lacking the heat of ordinary flames, but instead emitting a bone-chilling cold. They attached themselves to the wounds, leaping and licking as if alive. A strange scene unfolded: the gruesome sword wounds, where the ice flames covered them, the muscles, blood vessels, and even the broken bone fragments, grew and healed at a speed visible to the naked eye. Where the ice flames burned, the charred dead skin peeled off, revealing tender new flesh underneath, and even the destructive sword intent was devoured and neutralized bit by bit by these ice flames. The entire process was bizarre and silent, with only the faint "sizzling" sound of the ice flames burning being exceptionally clear in the silence of the ruined temple. In just the time it took for an incense stick to burn, Wang Dongli's fatal chest wound had healed by more than half, leaving only a faint red mark. Although his face was still pale, his breathing had stabilized considerably, and the sluggishness caused by the destructive sword intent had also receded by seven to eight parts. He slowly opened his eyes, and a flash of icy blue light flickered in his pupils before returning to its usual gentle and restrained demeanor. Just then, Wang Dongli suddenly let out a cold snort, "Who's there, hiding like a coward!" Then, he picked up a tile from the ground and threw it. The tile broke through the air with immense force, directly piercing a large tree outside the ruined temple. At this moment, a hearty voice came from behind the tree, "Sect Leader Wang, please don't misunderstand. I have no ill intentions." Then, a middle-aged man in scholarly robes walked out from behind the large tree. He looked quite refined, smiled slightly, revealing his white teeth, and cupped his fists, saying, "I am Ji Wujiu, the Yellow Guard of the Heavenly God Society. I saw you were injured and prepared to bring you some miraculous healing medicine. Let's be friends!" Ji Wujiu took out a jade bottle and said, "This is the Evergreen Pill, personally refined by the Divine Doctor Wei Wuwei. It can bring the dead back to life and regenerate flesh and bone. It's a treasure that is priceless. Please accept it, Sect Leader Wang!" Wang Dongli's eyes were calm and waveless, merely glancing at him indifferently, "I accept no favors without merit. I have no connection with your Heavenly God Society, so I dare not accept such a heavy gift!" "We had no connection before, but if we become friends now, won't we have one?" Ji Wujiu chuckled lowly, his voice like sandpaper rubbing, "Sect Leader Wang, our Heavenly God Society sincerely wants to be friends with you. Please accept this Evergreen Pill..." "No need," Wang Dongli waved his hand directly, "Although your Heavenly God Society has only been established for a little over a year, I have heard of your methods. We are not the same kind of people. You may leave." Ji Wujiu chuckled and said, "Alright, then I won't talk about making friends. How about cooperating?" "I have nothing to cooperate on with you," Wang Dongli said. Ji Wujiu said, "Then, are you not interested in joining forces to deal with the Azure Wave Sword Sect? Although you lost narrowly in your battle with Qi Tianchu today, you did make him suffer quite a bit. This is the perfect opportunity for us to join forces and uproot them! The Heavenly God Society is willing to lend a hand to Sect Leader Wang to reclaim Azure Wave Mountain and restore the glory of the Misty Sword Sect!" Wang Dongli stood up and brushed the dust off his robes with a calm demeanor. His gaze fell on Ji Wujiu's face, as placid as a still lake, "The Wang family has no enmity with the Azure Wave Sword Sect. Since you witnessed my battle with Old Sect Leader Qi today, you should have also heard what I said to Old Sect Leader Qi before the battle. My grandfather lost to Old Sect Leader Qi back then due to inferior skill, and losing Azure Wave Mountain was also due to a mutually agreed-upon bet. Old Sect Leader Qi also wagered his martial arts manuals and peerless divine weapons back then. As for my grandfather's eventual death from melancholy, that was a personal issue, and there was no enmity to speak of." Ji Wujiu laughed heartily, "Sect Leader Wang, there's no one else here. You don't need to hide anything. Your Wang family's Misty Sword Sect had such prestige back then, only for Qi Tianchu to reduce it to ashes. How could there be no enmity? Those words of yours are enough to gain a good reputation in the martial world. You can't possibly believe them yourself after saying them so many times, can you?" Wang Dongli snorted coldly, "A petty person judges others by their own standards... We are not on the same path, so we cannot plan together. Please return." Wang Dongli refused so decisively that he left no room for negotiation. Ji Wujiu's smile gradually froze, and his tone became a bit colder, "Sect Leader Wang, are you determined not to make friends and not to discuss cooperation?" Wang Dongli said sternly, "I told you, we are not on the same path, so we cannot plan together. Your society's style of instigating conflicts everywhere in the martial world does not align with me." Ji Wujiu chuckled, "Since Sect Leader Wang knows our Heavenly God Society's style, you should also know that those who are unwilling to be friends with our Heavenly God Society can only become tools for our Heavenly God Society to sow discord. Sect Leader Wang, you are timid as a mouse, scared witless by Qi Tianchu and not even daring to seek revenge. But that doesn't mean your entire Dongli Sect is full of such cowards. As long as you die here today, then the Dongli Sect will naturally seek revenge from the Azure Wave Sword Sect for both old and new grudges." Saying that, Ji Wujiu beckoned. Immediately, more than a dozen masked men, also dressed in black and exuding a sinister aura, appeared silently from the forest, surrounding the small ruined temple so tightly that not a drop of water could get through. Their gazes were all locked onto Wang Dongli. "Form the array!" Ji Wujiu shouted. The dozen Heavenly God Society disciples roared in unison, forming strange hand seals. Instantly, a vast and evil suction force was generated out of thin air. It was as if an invisible giant vortex had appeared in the air, spinning madly around Wang Dongli and his disciple. The debris, dead leaves, and even the light on the ground were being pulled and distorted. "Taotie Divine Skill!" Wang Dongli's pupils contracted. He pulled his disciple back and said coldly, "No wonder the Heavenly God Society destroys the corpses after killing people, leaving only the heads. It's to destroy the evidence and cover their tracks!" At this moment, Wang Dongli's disciple's face turned pale. He felt his blood and qi surging uncontrollably, and his Inner Force was leaking out uncontrollably, as if being drained by the vortex. He looked at his master in terror and said with difficulty, "Master, save me... I..." Wang Dongli stood firm like a reef, extended his hand, and channeled a stream of True Qi, which seemed to turn into eternal profound ice, sealing his disciple's True Qi. The terrifying suction force of the Taotie Great Formation fell upon them, but instead of draining their essence, blood, and Inner Force, it was repelled by an extreme coldness! "Hmm?" The disciples forming the array grunted in unison, their faces flushing unnaturally, then turning purple. They felt their Inner Force hitting a moving iceberg. Not only could they not drain it, but the piercing coldness surged back into their meridians, causing their blood and qi to freeze instantly. "What... what martial art is this? When did your Dongli Sect have such a martial art?" Ji Wujiu's face was filled with horror. "I didn't want to be enemies with you, but you insist on seeking death!" Wang Dongli's voice was as cold as ice. A cold glint flashed in his eyes. With a flick of his wrist, his long sword was already unsheathed. The sword edge trembled slightly, seemingly without any trace of worldly fire, and with a casual sweep, it moved towards the center of the vortex where the invisible suction force converged! "Ch-!" A light sound, like tearing silk, or like ice melting in the early spring. The Taotie suction force, capable of devouring essence, was forcibly severed by this seemingly casual sword strike. The qi and energy traction suddenly collapsed. The residual vortex in the air let out an unwilling whimper before dissipating. Wang Dongli's toes tapped the ground, and his figure darted forward like a ghost, skimming close to the ground, leaving a trail of afterimages. The long sword broke through the air. The clear dragon's roar had not yet faded when an anomaly occurred. Several extremely condensed sword energies appeared out of thin air. They were as thin as cicada wings, almost transparent, but their edges flowed with a terrifying cold white light. They were silent, yet as fast as lightning, as if cutting through the air itself, emitting faint and sharp "hissing" sounds as they broke through the air! "Pfft! Pfft! Pfft! Pfft..." The dull thud of blades cutting into flesh was exceptionally clear and piercing in the dead silence. The dozen Heavenly God Society disciples surrounding them froze abruptly. On their necks, a thin crimson line quietly appeared, then rapidly expanded and spread, and finally— "Plop! Plop!" Heads, with expressions of frozen astonishment, rolled to the ground. Hot blood, like a suppressed crimson fountain, suddenly shot out from the severed necks, reaching several feet high. The intense, nauseating smell of blood instantly exploded and permeated the hot air, forming a desolate mist of blood. Ji Wujiu touched the stinging bloodstain on his neck, his soul filled with terror. If he had been even slightly slower in dodging, he would have lost his head by now. He couldn't understand how Wang Dongli, severely injured, could still possess such terrifying combat power. That strange icy cold force completely countered the Taotie Divine Skill. At that moment, he didn't dare to linger any longer. With a strange cry, he unleashed his Inner Force and turned into a blur of black shadow, fleeing desperately towards the dense forest outside the temple! His movement technique was excellent, weaving through the forest like a startled night owl, but Wang Dongli's movement technique was not inferior, and he pursued relentlessly. Ji Wujiu was in a panic. Just then, on the forest path ahead, three people were walking leisurely towards him. One man and two women. The man was dressed in a loose blue robe, with a handsome face and deep, calm eyes, as if he were out for a stroll. A large