Gu Mo gripped Shopkeeper Song by the throat and said, "I am Gu Mo. I already told you."
Feeling the immense Nascent Soul Power Gu Mo had unleashed, Shopkeeper Song said in a deep voice, "Impossible. You can wield Nascent Soul Power without transcending the flesh, which means yours is complete Nascent Soul Power. You are a true Ascension Realm cultivator, not merely Half-step Ascension Realm.
"In this age, no one can attain the true Ascension Realm. The Inner Demon stands guard at the gates of heaven. Even with the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror protecting me, I could not evade the Inner Demon. I could only see ascension and yet dare not ascend. You say you are Gu Mo—how could that be possible?"
Gu Mo said calmly, "Does it matter to you whether I am Gu Mo?"
Shopkeeper Song said, "True, it does not matter. But we can cooperate, Gu Mo... Let us assume you are Gu Mo. You can kill me; it does not matter. After all, you cannot kill every version of me across all worlds. One day, I will create the most Perfect Physical Body. From then on, cultivators of this world will no longer be constrained by the Inner Demon. Gu Mo, do you not want to defeat the Inner Demon?"
Gu Mo had not been particularly interested in speaking further with Shopkeeper Song. He had only wanted to ask about the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror. But now that he had heard there was a way to deal with the Inner Demon, his interest was piqued.
"How do you defeat the Inner Demon?" Gu Mo asked.
Shopkeeper Song slowly said, "Twenty years ago, my cultivation reached the Human World Peak, and I successfully entered the Ascension Realm. But it was then that I learned the legendary Inner Demon truly existed, and that it truly stood at the gates of heaven.
"I nearly became food in the Inner Demon's belly. Fortunately, the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror protected me, allowing me to escape being devoured. Yet even with its protection, I still had to sever my own realm before I could completely shake off the Inner Demon's pursuit.
"But fortune and misfortune lean upon each other. Though I encountered the Inner Demon, it was during that encounter that I discovered the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror's true power. It was not, as rumored, merely able to reveal one's past and present lives. It could connect to other worlds."
Gu Mo asked, "Then why were you not properly studying the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror at Great Bright Light Temple? Why did you come to Gan Country?"
Shopkeeper Song said, "When I sought ascension, I had already dissolved my physical body. Although I used the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror to return to a body afterward, it was clearly no longer compatible with me. I needed to study the power of reincarnation. But the Chu Kingdom imperial family had two Divine Envoys from Beyond the Heavens. If I conducted experiments in the Chu Kingdom, they might discover me.
"By chance, the Chu Kingdom's spy network in Chang'an City had run into trouble and needed someone to reorganize it. So I proactively came here, using the Chu Kingdom's spy network as cover. This allowed me to openly obtain assistance from the Chu Kingdom imperial family, making it convenient to act in Gan Country while avoiding the investigation of those two Divine Envoys from Beyond the Heavens."
Gu Mo said in a deep voice, "So afterward, you caused the tragedy in Chang'an City where thousands committed suicide!"
Shopkeeper Song said, "That was not my intention. My experiment failed at the time.
"After bringing the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror to Chang'an City, I began devoting myself to researching the power of reincarnation to deal with the Inner Demon. At first, I never considered using the physical body against it. The Inner Demon's strongest ability lay in its demonic desires, which could corrupt a cultivator's will.
"I thought then: if I could create a pure and flawless will, could it not suppress the Inner Demon? The Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror could connect with every world, so I deliberately guided others' thoughts, turning them into utterly pure believers, stripping away all their desires until they became Sages without the seven emotions and six desires."
Gu Mo frowned slightly. He felt that was impossible. No matter how thoroughly someone was brainwashed, they could not completely cast aside the seven emotions and six desires.
Shopkeeper Song chuckled. "I know that even the most devout believer cannot truly reach a state without desire or want. But that does not matter. I do not need them to remain without desire forever. I only need a believer to enter that state for a single instant.
"Gu Mo, not long ago, the two of us discussed infinite worlds. Every thought that arises in anyone's mind at any particular moment creates a world. Therefore, I do not need believers to be without desire forever. One instant is enough.
"I can use the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror to lock on to the world born in that instant, then exchange that desireless soul from that world with the filthy soul in this one. Then I gain, in this world, a follower as desireless as a Sage!
"Repeating this cycle over and over, I acquired thousands of utterly pure wills without desire. Then I tried ascending again, intending to confront the Inner Demon head-on. In the end, I failed. Though those wills had some effect, they were still not worth a single blow before the Inner Demon. That was why thousands committed suicide back then. It was not because I bewitched them into killing themselves, but because their souls were devoured by the Inner Demon.
"Even I nearly got devoured by the Inner Demon once more.
"Fortunately, I retreated into my physical body in time. Then, to my astonishment, I discovered that the physical body could resist the Inner Demon for a short time, buying me enough time to activate the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror. Once again, I escaped the Inner Demon.
"That was when I understood. To deal with the Inner Demon, one's physical body and Nascent Soul had to ascend at the same time. The Inner Demon only possessed power to deal with the Nascent Soul and could not harm the physical body. Thus, if one possessed a physical body at the Ascension Realm and a desireless Nascent Soul, one could leave the body without being bewitched by the Inner Demon, while the body could resist its invasion."
Gu Mo suddenly understood. "So you created Clay Figurines?"
"Yes," Shopkeeper Song said. "Using the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror, I captured the soul of myself from a world I had created in a single thought and fused it into my physical body in this world.
"When I created that one-thought world, I used a method to temporarily cast aside my true secret concerning the creation of desireless wills to fight the Inner Demon, as well as the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror. Therefore, that 'me' knew many things, but did not know about ascension, did not know the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror remained in Chang'an City, and knew nothing of the Inner Demon.
"In his memories, he had merely come to Chang'an City to complete the Chu Emperor's task. Then, through one stray thought, he committed a great calamity and killed countless people. Afterward, he was imprisoned for twenty years beneath Star Plucking Tower. That allowed me to escape successfully.
"Over those twenty years, I used countless methods to create a Perfect Physical Body, but I never succeeded. Then, three years ago, I accidentally observed that even the mud in the most disgusting, filthy, decayed, deathly stinking ditch could, at its utmost extreme, be Born to Die and give rise to life. Moreover, the heavier the Deathly Aura, the purer the life force it produced.
"This perfectly accorded with the truth of yin and yang in all things, where they generate and restrain one another."
Gu Mo came to a sudden realization. "So you began creating Clay Figurines in vast numbers?"
"Correct," Shopkeeper Song said. "Through the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror, I captured pure souls of will from other worlds and fused them into Clay Figurines. Over time, the Clay Figurines gradually transformed from Deathly Aura into pure life force. It is becoming increasingly successful now, though there remains a great flaw: the people I create cannot realize they are fake. Otherwise, the worlds will fall into chaos, and they will vanish directly.
"However, I have been constantly perfecting it. The flaws are becoming fewer and fewer. In at most ten years, I will be able to create the most Perfect Physical Body in the world. Then cultivators everywhere will no longer need to fear the Inner Demon. I may even eradicate it completely. From then on, we can restore the age from seven hundred years ago, when anyone with sufficient cultivation could ascend and attain the Dao. I can even create an unprecedented path of Physical Body Ascension!
"Gu Mo, though this method harms the Harmony of Heaven, it is an act that errs in the present age yet benefits a thousand autumns. Will you still stop me?"
Gu Mo did not answer. Shopkeeper Song's impassioned words did not move him much. Instead, he asked, "What is this business of your Clay Figurines eating brain marrow?"
Shopkeeper Song said, "Recently, I have been improving the flaw where Clay Figurines collapse once they know they are fake. I have found a direction. When those Clay Figurines realize they are fake, if they quickly consume brain marrow, they can gain a small portion of the victim's memories in a short time, throwing the Clay Figurine's consciousness into confusion. Then I immediately insert another soul at random. By replacing the soul, I can preserve the Clay Figurine's physical body."
"The Clay Figurine's appearance changes with its soul?" Gu Mo asked doubtfully.
"Yes." Shopkeeper Song nodded. "If the soul and memories change but the appearance does not, that will definitely not work. Otherwise, it will fall into confusion a second time."
"No wonder," Gu Mo said. "No wonder people in the Flesh-Eating Ghost Case saw the dead consuming others' brain marrow. When you randomly drew souls, you drew someone who had already died in this world."
Shopkeeper Song nodded. "That is indeed the case. But these are insignificant matters, nothing worth worrying about. I can control the demise of those Clay Figurine bodies at any time. The authorities can never trace them.
"Gu Mo, although you are an Ascension Realm cultivator, you have not gone to Beyond the Heavens, which means you have flaws. You can enter the gates of heaven. Whether you evaded the Inner Demon or used some other method does not matter. You can advance no further now. Yet I possess a brand-new path of Physical Body Ascension. Are you truly not tempted?"
Gu Mo smiled faintly. "Whether I am tempted aside, there is one problem with what you said. You claim the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror is in your hands, yet Great Bright Light Temple also possesses one. It is in Dharma Master Liansheng's hands. What is going on?"
Shopkeeper Song smiled faintly. "That Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror, like the Clay Figurines, came from another world. The mirror itself is only an ordinary mirror, but its reincarnation power was replicated. Although it cannot compare to the true Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror, it possesses some of its power.
"Everything I have came from Great Bright Light Temple. Great Bright Light Temple has endured to this day mainly because of the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror. I truly could not bear for Great Bright Light Temple's inheritance to be severed because of me."
"Is that so?"
Gu Mo frowned, not quite believing him.
After all, if the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror in Dharma Master Liansheng's hands was merely an imitation with only a fraction of the original's power, yet could cripple White Jade Capital, then how terrifying was the real Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror?
"Gu Mo, that is the matter," Shopkeeper Song said slowly. "With the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror, you definitely cannot kill me. Why not cooperate with me? You and I can join hands. I will forge the Perfect Physical Body, and together we will face the Inner Demon, journey to the heavenly realm, and open a brand-new road for those who come after us. You and I will become the ancestors of martial arts! Surely you have already made your decision?"
Gu Mo chuckled. "Your so-called path of Physical Body Ascension holds no attraction for me."
"You do not believe me?" Shopkeeper Song asked in astonishment. "I truly did not deceive you!"
Gu Mo shook his head slightly. "It is not that I do not believe you. It is that... have you still not noticed that aside from using Nascent Soul Power at the beginning, I have controlled you this entire time using only my physical body?"
Shopkeeper Song froze slightly. He immediately sensed for himself, and his expression changed dramatically. He cried out in shock, "How is that possible?"
Gu Mo chuckled. "There is nothing impossible about it. I achieved Physical Body Ascension long ago. That is why I said I was at the complete Ascension Realm. However, I did not know before that the physical body restrained the Inner Demon. You did remind me of that. Now I know how to face the Inner Demon in the future."
Hearing Gu Mo's words, Shopkeeper Song was not afraid. Instead, he became exceedingly excited. "Tell me, Gu Mo! How did you do it? How did you create a Perfect Physical Body?"
"Rather than answer your doubts, I would rather see whether you truly cannot be killed!"
Gu Mo did not speak further with Shopkeeper Song. He immediately squeezed down hard, and the immense power of the Ascension Realm surged forth, instantly crushing Shopkeeper Song's Nascent Soul to pieces.
But in that instant,
A peculiar power silently appeared at the moment Shopkeeper Song's Nascent Soul perished. It was a qi that existed beyond the Ascension Realm, Origin Qi on the same level as his Law Qi.
This was the second formed Origin Qi Gu Mo had seen. The first had appeared after he killed the Fire Kirin, when the Fire Kirin's Origin Qi formed Ancestral Fire and was taken away by Qi Miaoxuan.
However, unlike the Fire Kirin's conspicuous Ancestral Fire, this Origin Qi was exceedingly subtle. If an ordinary Ascension Realm martial artist had been here, they would not have noticed it at all.
The instant that Origin Qi appeared, it vanished.
"Hmph."
Gu Mo snorted softly and used his will to command the qi born from the laws of heaven and earth, colliding it with that Origin Qi.
At that instant,
The countless Glass Mirrors in the workshop all gushed out strands of peculiar power. In that instant, they surrounded Gu Mo, and an immense suction force tried to drag him into one of the Mirror Worlds.
Yet they could not move Gu Mo.
The next instant,
All the mirrors floated into the air, continuously flashing scenes from various "worlds." Different worlds ran in motion, then all pressed toward Gu Mo together, instantly enveloping him within a space made of mirrors.
Gu Mo was trapped amid countless worlds of mirror light. Fragmented scenes crashed against his senses like a flood, seeking to assimilate him and exile him into some eternally empty corner. Layer upon layer of worlds cast Gu Mo into infinite reincarnation.
"Gu Mo, I told you that you cannot kill me!"
World after world flickered through Gu Mo's consciousness like dreamlike bubbles in a revolving lantern. Shopkeeper Song appeared before Gu Mo again and said, "I originally wanted to cooperate with you, but you insisted on choosing this road. Then I apologize. I can only let you sink forever into these infinite worlds. I will take that Perfect Physical Body of yours."
Gu Mo chuckled. "If these so-called infinite worlds are merely Conscious Worlds without even physical substance, then I fear they cannot trap me."
As he spoke, Gu Mo lightly reached out and grabbed one "world," kneading it into a ball of qi that vanished.
He had to admit that this so-called Parallel World would truly cause ordinary people—even the overwhelming majority of experts—to sink into it. This was because it was a Conscious World. Once one's consciousness was pulled inside, it would become completely compatible with it, just as the physical body was with the real world.
But,
To Gu Mo, this world was exceptionally fake.
The operation of a world followed countless laws, but these Conscious Worlds were impoverished and hollow. Every law revolved around a single person, fully embodying the saying: "I think, therefore I am; I am, therefore the world is!"
Once consciousness ceased, this so-called world would disperse.
"You spent all this time speaking in mystical riddles. I thought the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror could truly connect to Parallel Worlds. After all this, you are merely someone trapped within a Conscious World who cannot escape!"
The Shopkeeper Song before Gu Mo stared at him in stunned disbelief. "What do you mean?"
Gu Mo chuckled.
In that instant, sword intent erupted from within him. This strike condensed the power of sword intent to its utmost limit. He swung it casually, yet it contained the mighty force to tear through the void!
A tremendous boom rang out like a divine sound splitting heaven and earth.
The sword seemed to transform into a giant pillar supporting the chaos between heaven and earth. Wherever it passed, the Mirror Worlds emitted cries of unbearable strain. Dense layers upon layers of mirror surfaces, fragile as glass, shattered inch by inch and were annihilated beneath the impact of that boundless power! The immense suction force was like a tide crashing against a reef, instantly smashed to pieces and scattered!
Crash—boom!
The Mirror Domain space was like a massive bubble being pierced, exploding with a thunderous bang!
Gu Mo's figure pierced through the final shards of mirror light like a sharp sword, once more landing steadily upon the cold floor of the workshop.
Dust filled the air. The workshop was in utter disarray. Most of the countless Glass Mirrors that had hung there before had become tiny fragments of glass. Only a few larger shards lay scattered across the ground, reflecting the flickering lamplight and Gu Mo's cold, stern figure.
Then he turned and locked on to the half-man-tall Bronze Mirror on the wall that had first triggered the anomaly.
The mirror surface now resembled a boiling black swamp, churning violently. Within it, Ye Chen's terrified, struggling figure could vaguely be seen.
Gu Mo stepped forward, ignoring the remaining bizarre suction inside the mirror. His right hand plunged directly into its viscous surface! His arm seemed to ignore the barrier of space as he precisely seized Ye Chen by the collar.
"Come out!"
With Gu Mo's low shout, he yanked his arm back.
"Splat!"
Like a drowning man being dragged from the water, Ye Chen was forcibly pulled out of the mirror by Gu Mo and slammed heavily onto the ground. He gasped for breath, his face white as paper, his eyes still holding the utmost terror.
"Big Brother is awesome! Big Brother is mighty! Big Brother is Number One Under Heaven, throughout all ages—" Ye Chen had not recovered from the shock, but that did not stop him from flattering Gu Mo.
"Take her away first!"
Gu Mo pulled at another mirror and dragged Li Li's consciousness from within, brutally forcing it back into Li Li's unconscious physical body lying on the ground.
Ye Chen hurried over, carefully hoisted the still-unconscious Li Li onto his shoulder, and quickly ran out the door.
At that moment, the shards on the ground and the remaining Glass Mirrors hanging on the walls all erupted with dim light at once. Their surfaces twisted violently, then fell still.
Gu Mo snorted coldly. He no longer held back his aura!
"Buzz—!"
An invisible yet immense domain, seemingly capable of freezing time and space, instantly unfolded and completely enveloped the entire workshop and courtyard! Within the domain, the air congealed, dust froze in place, and even the swaying lamplight seemed to have had a pause button pressed.
At that instant, within this domain of absolute control, Gu Mo summoned Law Qi. He slowly raised his right hand, palm facing upward.
Strands of faint Origin Qi were drawn out from those mirror surfaces and instantly gathered into a ball. Shopkeeper Song's Nascent Soul was wrapped within it, gradually condensing into the form of a mirror, with Shopkeeper Song appearing inside.
Shopkeeper Song was trapped within the mirror, his face filled with terror. He no longer retained his former calm and became hysterical, roaring, "How could this happen? What exactly is going on? Why are the worlds fake? Why—"
Gu Mo looked at Shopkeeper Song in the mirror and said, "As you can see, you thought you were controlling the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror, but in truth, you were the one being controlled. You were always inside a Conscious World created by the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror. At best, you were merely a tray holding mirrors. More than that, what you held was not even a complete mirror, only a small fragment of one!"
"How could that be?" Shopkeeper Song was full of unwillingness.
Gu Mo said, "You thought the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror at Great Bright Light Temple was a fake mirror you replicated with the true Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror. In truth, the real Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror had long since returned to Great Bright Light Temple. The replicated fake Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror was the one in your hands.
"You thought the fake Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror connected to other worlds. In reality, it merely created Conscious Worlds based on different people's consciousness, then created the desireless consciousness you needed and handed it to you.
"That is why those Clay Figurines vanished the moment they realized they were fake. It was not because the barriers between worlds had become chaotic. They were merely replicated consciousnesses. Once consciousness knew it was fake, it naturally dispersed, because it was not a soul at all—only a thought!"
"Then what am I?" Shopkeeper Song was on the verge of collapse. "Am I me? Or am I merely a thought too? Am I real or fake? What exactly am I? Ah..."
"You are you. You are a Nascent Soul," Gu Mo said. "But without realizing it, you became the spirit of a replicated fake Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror, helping the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror grow!"
By this point,
Gu Mo understood why the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror on Penglai Island had been able to cause White Jade Capital to collapse. The essences of these two existences were similar: White Jade Capital harvested countless Nascent Souls to nourish its own growth.
The Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror was the same.
It was only that the abilities of these two existences differed, and thus they manifested differently.
White Jade Capital created replicas, making them increasingly mature and increasingly powerful.
The Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror created Conscious Worlds, making them increasingly real. In Shopkeeper Song's—or rather, Dabie's—hands, it had reached the point where it could make Conscious Worlds affect the real world by controlling Clay Figurines.
"Ah... I am real... Hahaha..."
Shopkeeper Song laughed wildly inside the mirror. His entire face twisted grotesquely. "I am real, I am real... I have figured it out, I have figured it out..."
Gu Mo looked at Shopkeeper Song in the mirror and sighed softly.
He knew Shopkeeper Song had suffered an enormous blow. His worldview had collapsed, and he had already gone mad.
Immediately,
Gu Mo waved his hand and struck out with his palm.
Flames formed from Law Qi arose from nothingness and surged into that mirror.
The flames licked across the mirror surface with a sizzling burn. Those distorted faces within the mirror let out silent shrieks in the flames, struggling and melting!
The flames grew fiercer and fiercer, as though they would burn through space itself.
Under the burning of Dao fire, those mirror surfaces were like inferior glass cast into a furnace. They rapidly softened and warped, then became scorching liquid flowing downward, gleaming with an eerie luster.
Then, gradually, they transformed once more into a strand of Origin Qi, held within the restraint of Gu Mo's Law Qi.
At the same time,
A system notification sounded in Gu Mo's mind:
[Six Star Wanted Criminal killed] [Star Reward obtained—Full-Level One Sword Separates Worlds] [Claim?]
Gu Mo immediately claimed One Sword Separates Worlds, a martial art that resembled a laser beam.
Of course, in terms of simply increasing combat strength, One Sword Separates Worlds was not especially useful to Gu Mo now. But the skill's delicate, minute control and its principle of using a point to break through a surface could provide Gu Mo with considerable inspiration.
However,
Gu Mo had little energy to study One Sword Separates Worlds at the moment, because he was somewhat troubled over how to handle this Origin Qi from the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror.
Laws were the essence of all things' operation and existence in this world.
Origin Qi was the manifestation of laws.
It was impossible to erase it.
Even Qi Miaoxuan, who had lived for over a thousand years, had no way to erase or directly devour Origin Qi. He could only prepare an item capable of sealing Origin Qi in advance.
But Gu Mo possessed no item that could seal Origin Qi. He could only continuously summon Law Qi to trap it here for the time being. Yet unless Gu Mo frequently returned to reinforce it, this Origin Qi would inevitably break free and flee after enough time had passed. Then, many years later, perhaps through some chance encounter, it would give birth to another imitation Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror.
After temporarily binding that Origin Qi in place, Gu Mo walked out of the workshop and saw Ye Chen carrying the unconscious Li Li on his shoulder while swinging his long sword, destroying the Clay Figurines in the courtyard.
"Big Brother..."
Ye Chen hurried over and asked, "How did it go?"
"It has been dealt with," Gu Mo said.
Still shaken, Ye Chen asked, "Those Clay Figurines will not turn into people again, will they?"
"No," Gu Mo said. "It's just... tonight will probably become a lifelong nightmare for many people!"
Now that the Replica Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror had been destroyed and turned into that wisp of "Origin Qi," it meant the power of reincarnation had vanished. The Clay Figurines still wandering outside would all reveal their true forms.
Although, according to Shopkeeper Song, he had only been making Clay Figurines for a few years, even two or three years would surely amount to quite a number. Those currently keeping company with Clay Figurines would probably be scared into lifelong psychological trauma.
However, what Gu Mo was most curious about was how many people would end up in the same situation Ye Chen had been in before.
Overall, Ye Chen had still been lucky. He had fallen short by that final step. If, at the crucial moment, he had discovered that the person beneath him had turned into a puddle of rotten mud... that scene...
Just as the two of them walked out into the courtyard,
A jumble of footsteps came from outside. Ye Jinglan had arrived with a troop from the Imperial City Division, accompanied by Su Ziyou, Gu Chundong, and Red Clothes.
"Brother Gu,"
Ye Jinglan swiftly flew before Gu Mo and said, "I just went to the Princess Mansion to look for you, and heard that you'd chased someone here. How did it go?"
Gu Mo nodded slightly. "It's been resolved. The mastermind has been killed as well."
"What exactly happened?" Su Ziyou asked.
After thinking for a moment, Gu Mo slowly said, "The owner of this Clay Figurine Shop was an evil cultivator. He cultivated Spiritual Power and possessed some bizarre puppet techniques, capable of extracting other people's memories and implanting them into puppets..."
Gu Mo did not tell the truth.
It was not because he was unwilling to say it, but because if he revealed the truth, hardly anyone would be able to understand it. He could only recount it in terms everyone could understand as much as possible.
As Gu Mo recounted the matter,
Gu Chundong suddenly cried out, "Brother!"
Gu Mo and the others immediately looked over and saw that the pouch hanging at Gu Chundong's waist was actually glowing, slowly floating upward as though trying to break free of its restraints.
Gu Mo raised a brow.
Inside this pouch was the relic Dharma Master Liansheng had given them back in the Southern Jin Country.
At first, Gu Mo had thought it was an ordinary relic. But later, while using it, Gu Chundong discovered that its effects were extraordinarily powerful. Thus, on Penglai Island, Gu Mo had deliberately asked about it and learned from Dharma Master Liansheng that it was an Ancient Buddha Relic, left behind after a generation's Buddha Child had passed into nirvana. It was one of the Great Bright Light Temple's most precious relics.
"Let it out," Gu Mo hurriedly said.
Gu Chundong immediately opened the pouch, and in that instant, the Ancient Buddha Relic transformed into a streak of light and shot away.
Gu Mo and the others hurried after it, only to see the Ancient Buddha Relic floating in the center of the Mud Figurine Workshop. Buddha Light blazed brilliantly as it bloomed into a sacred lotus flower, which then closed in the air.
Everyone wore bewildered expressions, having no idea what was happening!
Only Gu Mo saw that, as the lotus formed by the Ancient Buddha Relic continuously bloomed and closed, it was absorbing that strand of "Origin Qi" from the Cycle of Reincarnation Mirror.
This Ancient Buddha Relic was precisely the item Gu Mo had intended to seek out to seal the "Origin Qi."
"Dharma Master Liansheng..." Gu Mo murmured.
Gu Chundong asked in confusion, "Brother, is this phenomenon related to Dharma Master Liansheng?"
Gu Mo frowned slightly. "Dharma Master Liansheng kept saying this relic was fated with me. Did he foresee what would happen today, or is there an even greater karmic bond?"
Before you continue