God

Gu Mo hadn't expected the Heavenly Gate to slip away so decisively.

However, it was in keeping with the Heavenly Gate's nature. After all, Gu Mo had only ascended physically before, and the Heavenly Gate had hidden itself. This was enough to show that it was a very cautious entity.

"Trying to leave?"

Gu Mo snorted coldly.

Immediately, he activated the Dao Heart Seed Demon Great Technique, amplified by the God of War Catalog. His domain roared, and the majestic demonic qi was no longer formless energy but transformed into a viscous, substantial dark torrent, rolling with the will to destroy and devour. It exploded forth.

This power instantly communicated with the Demonic Blade Slaughter's demonic qi. At the same time, Gu Mo also mobilized the Demonic Stone's Origin Qi.

Hum--

A massive, pitch-black domain covering the entire sky instantly took shape, replacing the original multicolored radiance and thunderous storm.

This was precisely the ultimate domain evolved from the Dao Heart Seed Demon Great Technique combined with the Demonic Blade Slaughter's demonic qi and the Demonic Stone's Origin Qi—the Demon Immortal Barrier.

Within the barrier, demonic qi churned like billions of roaring black dragons. Space was forcibly twisted and solidified, and the flow of time became sluggish.

The multicolored radiance, upon touching this pure dark demonic domain, melted like ice and snow, emitting a "sizzling" mournful cry. The entire Tiansheng Lake area was completely engulfed in darkness, plunging into a suffocating absolute darkness and deep cold that seemed capable of freezing the soul.

Under the demonic pressure, the water vapor in the void boiled violently, yet strangely, no steam rose, as if even the water molecules were suppressed by the demonic qi and unable to escape.

"Roar--!"

The giant eye of the Heavenly Gate, forcibly intercepted by the Demon Immortal Barrier, let out a strange roar.

Behind the tightly shut Heavenly Gate, countless pale tentacles, previously seen and covered with suckers and bizarre patterns, wrapped in nauseatingly foul-smelling mucus and chaotic mental impact, shot out like wild pythons, madly stabbing at the pitch-black barrier wall.

Chichichichi--!

The tentacles struck the barrier, emitting corrosive sounds. The demonic qi and that chaotic, viscous energy fiercely confronted each other, splashing out bizarre sparks intertwined with dark red and pitch black.

The barrier vibrated violently, as if it could be torn apart at any moment!

"Slash!"

Gu Mo snorted coldly. The Gouchen Demon Blade in his hand erupted with boundless malevolence. Blazing flames surged from the blade body, changing from crimson to a deep dark gold, emitting a terrifyingly high temperature that could incinerate everything in all directions.

He took a step forward, his figure merging into the demonic domain, as if he had become darkness itself. The blade light flashed!

There was no earth-shattering roar, only a dark gold thin line, seemingly capable of cutting through chaos and ending eternity, flashing and disappearing!

Puff puff puff puff--!

Those incredibly tough tentacles, capable of withstanding the impact of a Nascent Soul, were like rotten wood before this blade light containing ultimate destruction and demonic Origin Qi, breaking apart inch by inch!

Viscous, foul-smelling dark yellow blood sprayed out like a torrential rain. It landed on the demonic qi barrier, actually emitting a "sizzling" corrosive sound, but was immediately annihilated by even more ferocious demonic qi. The severed tentacles writhed and convulsed wildly, rapidly retracting into the cracks of the Heavenly Gate, leaving behind scalp-tingling screeches.

"Break for me!"

Gu Mo's blade momentum hadn't ended, he pressed down with a backhand!

BOOM!

The entire Demon Immortal Barrier suddenly collapsed inward, intensifying.

Boundless demonic energy transformed into a substantial pressure of billions of jun, like the Primordial Demonic Mountain toppling, fiercely crushing towards the tightly shut Heavenly Gate.

Space let out groans of being unable to bear the load, and streaks of pitch-black cracks were squeezed out.

This was pure, brute force crushing, intending to pulverize this "sacred" gate, a den of iniquity, along with the monster within into powder!

"Creak... Boom--!"

Unable to withstand this terrifying demonic pressure, the tightly shut Heavenly Gate was forcefully smashed open from the inside!

This time, it wasn't the gate opening wide to welcome the ascendant, but as if it were forcibly broken open. Behind the gate, the endless, twisted, writhing dark void and the giant eye, filling the entire field of vision and covered in blood threads, were exposed under the dark Sky Curtain of the Demon Immortal Barrier without any further concealment.

The giant eye's pupil contracted violently, reflecting Gu Mo's demon god-like figure, filled with shock and anger, and a trace of... unbelievable dread.

"Found you. Let me see what exactly you are?"

Demonic flames surged in Gu Mo's eyes, locking onto the target.

He gripped the blade with both hands, pouring Demonic Stone Origin Qi and slaughtering demonic energy into the Gouchen Demon Blade without reservation!

The blade body vibrated intensely, the dark gold blazing flames transforming into a pure, ultimate void Demonic Blade that seemed capable of devouring all light.

"Slash!"

A blade aura, indescribable in its color, detached from the blade body.

It wasn't a straight line, but twisted space like a living thing. Wherever it passed, the Demon Immortal Barrier proactively made way for it, amplifying it. The concepts of time and space blurred before this blade.

This was a strike that condensed Gu Mo's strongest power at this moment, containing the world's most powerful and perfect killing intent!

The blade aura's target was aimed directly at the center of the giant eye's massive pupil.

The giant eye felt a fatal threat. Countless shattered stars spun wildly in the depths of its pupil, attempting to condense the strongest chaotic mental barrier. Simultaneously, countless newly formed tentacles intertwined into a thick meat shield in front of it, with viscous dark yellow energy forming layer upon layer like a substantial shield.

However, before Gu Mo's all-out, world-destroying blade, all defenses appeared futile!

Screech--

The blade aura penetrated the layers of tentacle meat shields without obstruction, tore through the viscous energy shield, and finally pierced with pinpoint accuracy into the blood-thread-covered, pale giant eye!

"Screeeeech--!!!!!"

A scream, unprecedented and surpassing the limits of hearing, exploding directly on the soul level, indescribably tragic, erupted.

This scream contained endless pain, venom, and madness.

At the pupil of the giant eye that was struck, a massive rift, burning with demonic energy, suddenly split open.

No longer the dark yellow blood from the severed tentacles, but dark gold blood, viscous like magma, exuding an aura of destruction and ill omen, gushed out like a breached river!

This blood possessed terrifying corrosive properties. Dripping onto the Demon Immortal Barrier, it caused the incredibly sturdy barrier to fluctuate violently, emitting a "sizzling" mournful cry and wisps of weird black smoke.

Gu Mo didn't pause at all.

The Gouchen Demon Blade was raised again, and even more terrifying demonic might began to condense.

Strike while the iron is hot!

He intended to destroy this weird Heavenly Gate and the giant eye within with the next strike.

However, just as Gu Mo's second strike was about to fall!

An indescribable, irresistible, fatal sense of threat, surpassing all of Gu Mo's knowledge up to now, coiled around his soul's core like a cold viper!

This was not an impact of power, but an absolute suppression at the level of life itself.

At this moment, what shocked Gu Mo was, The laws of the world he perceived had become distorted.

The Law Qi was suppressed, and the Demonic Stone Origin Qi was unable to move.

Boom--!!!

Without any warning, without any energy fluctuations, the Demon Immortal Barrier, centered around the Dao Heart Seed Demon Great Technique and constructed with slaughtering demonic energy and Demonic Stone Origin Qi, was like a glass dome struck by a hammer weighing billions of pounds. It couldn't even last a moment before letting out a mournful cry of being unable to bear the burden, and it exploded!

Pfft!

The instant the domain was forcibly crushed, Gu Mo felt as if he had been hit by a heavy blow. His Physical Body, at the Ascension Realm, felt a tearing pain. The Gouchen Demon Blade in his hand, burning with world-ending flames, had its flames instantly extinguished as if by an invisible hand, dimming to nothing. Even the blade body let out a minute mournful cry.

The surging, overwhelming demonic energy around him, enough to make the Heavenly Gate's giant eye fearful, was like encountering its absolute nemesis. It was forcefully suppressed back into his body by a mysterious power, making its circulation incredibly difficult.

Gu Mo's expression became very grave.

He realized in his heart that this might be an Existence that surpassed Origin Qi.

In the sky, the heavily wounded Heavenly Gate's giant eye now emitted a strange and rapid series of weird syllables, as if calling out, yet also as if wailing.

Gu Mo was, after all, a being above the Ascension Realm. After careful identification, he clearly "heard" one word:

"God!"

Just then, a system prompt sounded in Gu Mo's mind:

[New Target Detected]

[Wanted Target--God]

[Mission Level--Nine Stars?]

[Mission Reward--Max Level Six Annihilations No Self Sword Twenty-Three]

Gu Mo's heart trembled violently, and he immediately recalled the story of the Seven Sages Slaughtering Gods told by Master Huineng he met in Beizhou Kingdom some time ago.

There really were gods.

And the system hadn't detected them before; it only detected them now that the gods had made a move. The level of these gods was unfathomable.

For a moment, Gu Mo's whole body went numb.

Light emanated from his eyes as he mobilized the Qi of Laws to look, but he couldn't see anything.

However, he clearly sensed a terrifying power descending.

In that instant, Gu Mo clearly saw the restriction power hidden within Wang Qingping's primordial spirit in Baiyujing, as if startled, instantly cut off and vanished without a trace.

That power was like an intangible pressure, or perhaps just a gaze cast from afar. Nothing could be seen, nothing could be sensed.

Yet, it made Gu Mo feel the threat of death.

"Roar--!"

At this moment, the power of the Dragon God Technique within Gu Mo was pushed to its limit.

A dragon's roar that could pierce metal and shatter stone, shaking the nine heavens, erupted. He instantly transformed into a divine dragon a hundred zhang long, its scales shimmering with dark gold and lightning.

The divine dragon roared, piercing through space and summoning thunderclouds.

In an instant, the dark clouds above Tian Sheng Lake dispersed completely, replaced by a terrifying thunder pool covering the sky.

Dense lightning, like the whips of heavenly punishment, carrying the magnificent might of heaven that could destroy everything, madly struck towards the source of the invisible pressure. A torrential rain poured down, and the divine dragon weaved through the clouds.

However, facing this lightning storm that could destroy the heavens and earth, that invisible pressure merely... paused slightly.

Immediately after, a grander, colder power, as if representing the ultimate will of the universe, gently brushed past.

Crackling--!

The wildly dancing Purple Gold Divine Thunder, like fragile glass threads, snapped inch by inch, annihilating! Not even a ripple was stirred!

That power descended without obstruction, precisely striking the divine dragon's body!

"Roar...!"

The divine dragon let out a painful, low moan. On its massive body, dragon scales harder than divine metal cracked and fell off in large patches, dissipating into gas.

The colossal dragon body was smashed down by an irresistible force, like a burning meteor, crashing into the already turbulent Tiansheng Lake below!

Boom--

As if Heaven Collapsing and Earth Cracking.

The unimaginable impact force instantly created a massive vacuum pit in the entire Tiansheng Lake. Immediately after, the lake water, compressed to its limit, formed enormous ring-shaped waves that, with Overwhelming force, slammed into the surroundings, instantly spreading past the ice walls and dikes, surging out, galloping towards Qingyang City downstream.

Gu Mo flicked his dragon tail in the water and rushed out of the surface.

He saw the void silently split open, a black, deep chasm, as if leading to the end of the universe.

The giant eye dared not linger for a moment, its dark golden blood flowing incessantly, it fled into that chasm.

The chasm instantly closed, as if it had never appeared.

In the sky, only the pouring rain and flickering lightning remained.

"Roar..."

Accompanied by a low dragon's roar, Gu Mo slowly returned to his human form. His clothes were tattered, his hair disheveled, and his body was covered in bloodstains, looking extremely disheveled.

However, the scars on his body were recovering at a visible speed, and soon not even a trace remained.

Gu Mo reached out and retrieved the Gouchen Demon Blade that had fallen into the lake. He looked up at the sky for a long time, confirming that the Heavenly Gate had left and the divine power had also disappeared before he quickly flew behind the ice wall.

Fortunately, Red Clothes and Gu Chundong had intervened in time, intercepting most of the surging river water. Although a large amount of river water still rushed out, it was not enough to trigger a flood disaster.

"Ge, how are you? Are you alright?"

Gu Chundong quickly flew up and anxiously checked Gu Mo's body.

Only after confirming that Gu Mo was not seriously injured did she breathe a sigh of relief and ask, "Ge, what happened just now? You were clearly suppressing the Heavenly Gate at first, how did it suddenly..."

"A god!"

Gu Mo's eyes were filled with gravity. He said, "The legend Venerable Monk Huineng spoke of is true. There really are gods Above Human Realm. It's just that I can't see it. The Heavenly Gate and the Inner Demon are likely controlled by it."

Gu Chundong exclaimed, "Is it very strong?"

"Very strong," Gu Mo said. "Mortal Warrior, Domain, Ascension, Above Ascension. I always thought Origin Qi above Ascension was the end, but that god just now was definitely an existence on a higher level than Above Ascension."

At this moment, Hongyi had successfully reinforced the ice wall and slowly floated over. He said, "Master, if that's the case, then if a god makes a move, wouldn't it be unsolvable?"

Gu Mo frowned and said, "I don't know. Even Above Ascension is just a concept I've described. I don't even know what that power just now was. I feel like it was just a gaze. It didn't truly descend. If it had truly descended, I definitely wouldn't have been able to win!"

This was the first time Gu Mo had encountered an enemy since his debut whom he clearly knew he was no match for.

Even with Qi Miaoxuan before, who suffered heavy losses in their exchange, Gu Mo had never been in a state where he clearly knew he couldn't win even if he gave his all.

Gu Chundong asked, "Then what should we do?"

Gu Mo waved his hand and said, "Considering the time difference of one day in heaven to one year on earth, even if that so-called god really wants to find trouble with me, it won't be a short-term matter. Let's deal with things here first!"

With that said, Gu Mo raised his hand and summoned Wang Qingping, who was bound by his demonic energy, from the lake.

At this time, Wang Qingping had become very calm. He spoke, "Gu Mo, I know I'm going to die now, and there's no possibility of escaping from you. However, can you let me die with understanding? I want to know, just how much of a View of the Sky from a Well have I been!"

"What do you want to ask?" Gu Mo said.

Wang Qingping asked, "Did you deliberately let me ascend today?"

Gu Mo nodded and said, "The Heavenly Gate didn't dare to see me. Since you were ascending, I could take the opportunity to see what the Heavenly Gate really is!"

"So, the ascension was fake?"

Gu Mo said, "I don't know about that, but the Heavenly Gate is definitely fake. I suspected it a long time ago, and I basically confirmed it after killing the Inner Demon."

"So you were the one who killed the Inner Demon!"

Wang Qingping's eyes widened, and then he gave a dejected laugh. "I actually... Has the world already developed to this level?"

"There has always been a group of existences in the mortal world who surpass the Ascension Realm, such as the Thirteen Taboos," Gu Mo said. "You have the Spiritual Energy of the Seven-Colored Peacock on you, so you should know that the legendary taboos are real."

Wang Qingping was silent for a moment, then slowly said, "Before I die, let me reveal something to you. Just now, when I was almost eaten by the Heavenly Gate, a restriction appeared on my body, pulling me back to the mortal world.

That restriction's power came from White Jade Capital. I don't know what White Jade Capital is doing. If I hadn't encountered that just now, I probably would never have known that White Jade Capital had placed a taboo in my Nascent Soul. You've definitely been to Penglai Island too, you... be more careful!"

Gu Mo said, "I know. Everyone who goes to Penglai Island to see White Jade Capital will have a restriction placed on them. When they die, White Jade Capital will use the taboo to seize their Nascent Soul. I didn't kill you directly just now because I wanted to follow the trail and find White Jade Capital. However, I didn't expect an accident to happen just now, and White Jade Capital was so scared that it cut off contact."

Wang Qingping fell silent and became withdrawn.

He had received a great shock.

He had always considered himself to be among the top existences in the world.

But now, he realized he had always been a frog in a well. Even if he succeeded in ascending, reaching the Ascension Realm he had desperately sought for one to two hundred years through any means necessary, he would still be a frog in a well.

"You... kill me!"

Wang Qingping closed his eyes.

Gu Mo immediately pointed a finger at Wang Qingping's forehead, instantly using the Dao Heart Seed Demon Great Technique to erase Wang Qingping's consciousness.

He did not destroy the Nascent Soul directly.

Because he wanted to keep the Nascent Soul, just as he had used Ling Xiao's Nascent Soul as the Sword Spirit for the Grand Void Flying Sword back then. He intended to fuse Wang Qingping's Nascent Soul into the Dragon Scale Blade he was preparing to forge.

Wang Qingping's Nascent Soul was a complete one, an existence at the Ascension Realm, far stronger than Ling Xiao's Half-step Ascension Realm.

The moment Wang Qingping's consciousness was erased, a System Prompt sounded in Gu Mo's mind:

[Killed Six Star Wanted Criminal]

[Received Six Star Reward - Max Level Mighty Dragon Divine Palm]

[Do you wish to receive?]

Gu Mo immediately received the Mighty Dragon Divine Palm.

Afterward, Gu Mo quickly left with Tie Tou and the others, then went to notify Du Sha to organize the government to clear the river channels and prevent a Flood Disaster.

Gu Mo's matters seemed to be over.

But in reality, it had caused a great upheaval in some unknown corners of the human world.

The extreme north, the permafrost plains.

Deep within an ice mountain that had been dormant for countless millennia, a faint "crack" sound suddenly occurred. The thick Ice Snow and ten-thousand-year profound ice covering it were as if being pushed apart from the inside by an Invisible Force. Spider Web-like cracks instantly spread. Immediately after, with a muffled sound, a massive Ice Crystal exploded, scattering ice shards everywhere.

At the core of the Ice Crystal was not some Rare Treasures, but a giant peacock with a graceful form, though its feathers were dull and lusterless. A thin layer of frost covered its body, as if it had just awakened from a long slumber.

The peacock slowly opened its eyes. Within its pupils, a seven-colored rosy glow flashed and disappeared. It slightly raised its head, seemingly sensing the earth-shattering event in the distant south through the endless Ice Layer and space.

After a moment of silence, it actually spoke Human Tongue: "The first eye only disappeared not long ago, and this second eye... something happened again? Is the opportunity truly here... or... is it another carefully laid bait and trap by Him?"

Just then, a giant woman with white hair and white clothes walked out of a snow cave and said plainly, "Peacock, it's only been two thousand years since the lesson of the Azure Dragon, and the Gods are already thinking of you appearing. Five hundred years ago, you were lucky to survive, don't cause any more trouble?"

The Seven-Colored Peacock looked up at the sky and slowly condensed back into an ice sculpture.

At the same time, In a vast and boundless abyss of the extreme sea.

Beneath the ten-thousand-zhang trench where sunlight could not reach, in eternal darkness and pressure. A "reef" so huge it was unimaginable, shaped like an island, moved slightly.

The thick mud and deep-sea sediment covering it slid off with a rustling sound, revealing the outline of a dark, profound iron-like carapace covered with the marks of time.

Two huge eyes, like small searchlights, slowly opened in the darkness, emitting a faint green glow.

A deep, thick voice, like the friction of underwater mountains, with a power that could make the seawater vibrate and resonate, slowly spread through the silent abyss, scattering the glowing strange fish swimming around:

"Wooo... the Heavenly Gate is gone too,"

The huge head lifted slightly, looking towards the direction of the sea surface that couldn't be seen at all, as if penetrating through ten thousand fathoms of seawater and endless space.

The Giant Turtle's voice carried a vicissitude that saw through eternity: "Inner Demons have dissipated... the Heavenly Gate is damaged... finally, someone can't hold back... and is going to intervene?"

It paused, as if savoring the distant, oppressive afterglow that made its Depths of the Soul tremble.

"It seems... the new era of 'God Slaying'... is about to begin again..."

The huge eyes slowly closed, and the surrounding seawater fell into deathly stillness again, leaving only the mountain-like, huge outline, faintly visible in the abyss.

Chu Kingdom, Great Bright Light Temple, deep within the Scripture Repository.

Sandalwood incense curled, and Buddhist Chants echoed softly.

Dharma Master Liansheng was sitting cross-legged on a prayer mat, holding a string of ancient bodhi prayer beads, softly reciting scriptures. His face was as calm as a still pond, as if he had merged with the silent meditation room.

Suddenly, his fingers, which were turning the prayer beads, paused for an extremely slight moment.

That imperceptible pause seemed to break a certain constant rhythm.

Beneath his lowered eyelids, in his eyes, as calm as a deep pool, a flash of extremely complex light instantly swept across. His fingers, turning the prayer beads, seemed to move even slower than before.

A very light sigh, faint and almost imperceptible, blended into the low chanting:

"Amitabha..."

Immediately after, a sentence like a Zen koan flowed silently in his heart:

"The struggle of the Heavenly Dao... is, after all... unavoidable."

The Scripture Repository was filled with the same Buddhist Chants and sandalwood incense. Only the prayer beads being twirled emitted a more stagnant, minute friction sound in the Silence, as if bearing some unspeakable weight.

Chang'an City, On the second floor of a noisy Tavern, at a window seat. Qi Miaoxuan leaned against the railing, idly playing with an exquisite white jade Wine Cup in his hand, watching the bustling crowd below with great Interest.

A faint, almost imperceptible smile played on his lips, as if he were admiring a vivid painting of the Marketplace. The clear wine in the cup reflected the newly lit lamps outside the window.

Just then, The lazy smile on Qi Miaoxuan's face vanished abruptly.

He suddenly raised his head, his gaze no longer mockingly looking down at the masses, but instantly becoming sharp as a falcon's. It pierced through the Tavern's rooftops, through the noisy night fog of Chang'an City, and shot straight towards the depths of the vast, deep night sky. He exclaimed in surprise, "It's not Jiang Ruoxu. Someone actually attacked the Heavenly Gate. Could it be Gu Mo again? What a shame. I wonder if he succeeded in killing it!"

"No," the sealed Azure Dragon suddenly spoke.

Qi Miaoxuan asked with Doubt, "How do you know?"

The Azure Dragon said, "Because... the God just made a move. Although it didn't descend, as long as it acts, no one in the sky can kill the Heavenly Gate."

"Can't someone else kill the Heavenly Gate in the human world?" Qi Miaoxuan said.

"If it were in the human world, the God wouldn't act. It can't come down," the Azure Dragon said.

Qi Miaoxuan asked with Doubt, "How do you know?"