Although Qi Miaoxuan wore a smile and appeared calm and unconcerned, cracks had already begun appearing across his body. Sword intent was ready to erupt from within him at any moment.
Faced with Qi Miaoxuan's question, Gu Mo did not answer that it was because his conversation with Yu Shijiu had revealed discrepancies between Qi Miaoxuan and the Plague God's accounts, making him realize that something was wrong with Qi Miaoxuan.
Gu Mo said in a low voice, "You and the Plague God work together far too seamlessly. That doesn't look like the relationship between enemies you described. It looks more like friends who have worked together for a long time."
Many things were like this. Before one noticed a problem, everything seemed normal. But once suspicion took root, everything began to feel wrong.
Qi Miaoxuan said, "Isn't that perfectly normal? I've fought the Plague God for hundreds of years. Though we're enemies, we undoubtedly understand each other better than anyone. Wouldn't it be normal for us to coordinate well?"
"It is normal," Gu Mo said. "But from the moment I began suspecting you, every action of yours that couldn't stand up to scrutiny became infinitely magnified in my eyes. For example, more than three hundred years ago, when you pursued the heavily wounded Fire Kirin to He Xu Ancient City, the Plague God stopped you. But at the time, the Plague God was merely a guardian of the Fire Spirit Race. What gave him the ability to stop an old monster like you, who had lived for centuries, perhaps millennia? Even the Fire Kirin wasn't your match. What right did a guardian of the Fire Spirit Race have to stop you?"
Qi Miaoxuan said, "I was injured at the time."
Gu Mo smiled. "The later developments were unreasonable too. The Plague God seized half a Kirin Egg, yet you actually allowed him to absorb Kirin Power and gradually become a taboo existence. Then, every time the He Xu Ruins appeared, you would make a trip here, and so on. There are many unreasonable things.
Of course, you have explanations for all of them. But once I already suspect you, every explanation and reason you give will seem forced to me. Still, there's something I haven't figured out. What was your purpose in putting on this act before us?"
Qi Miaoxuan chuckled softly and asked, "Aren't you afraid you guessed wrong and killed the wrong person?"
"Then you're just unlucky," Gu Mo said.
Qi Miaoxuan threw back his head and laughed. "Gu Mo, I'm increasingly eager to have you accompany me. You truly will make my dull, boring days much more interesting.
Let me tell you my purpose. It's because I find you interesting, and you have tremendous potential. You are someone with even greater talent and potential than Yu Shier... hm, the Plague God, that is. I want to turn you into someone like him—a servant who will help me achieve the supreme Great Dao!"
Qi Miaoxuan made a slight beckoning gesture. The Plague God instantly vanished, turning into a wisp of smoke that drifted to Qi Miaoxuan's side before slowly gathering into a humanoid form once more.
Qi Miaoxuan said, "Gu Mo, I'll give you a chance to choose. Whatever you want, I can satisfy you. Then, I can grant you the ability of Eternal Life and lead you toward the Great Dao, allowing you to become a god of this world!"
Gu Mo did not answer. Instead, he asked, "So the Plague God cooperated with you back then?"
Qi Miaoxuan said, "You're right. A mere guardian of the Fire Spirit Race could never have stopped me, even if I was injured. But I didn't kill him back then. Instead, I gave him a choice: live, fulfill his wish, grant him Eternal Life, and have him serve me.
It wasn't a choice that required any thought. Naturally, he would not choose death. And his wish was to lift the Fire Kirin's curse upon the Fire Spirit Race, allowing its people to live normal lives. As it happened, what I valued was his unparalleled medical talent, so I gave him the Kirin Egg worshipped by the Fire Spirit Race for him to study.
I granted him power and gave him every manual, wealth, Heavenly Material and Earthly Treasure he required. He did not disappoint me either. Through medicine, he forged an unprecedented path to ascension and became the taboo Plague God. Over the following centuries, his understanding of Kirin Power grew deeper and deeper. At last, my experiment on Ye Jinglan succeeded."
Gu Mo asked, "So every time the He Xu Ruins opened, you and the Plague God would come here to determine the Fire Kirin's whereabouts?"
Qi Miaoxuan nodded. "After all, if that beast hid elsewhere, it would truly be difficult to find. Yu Shier could use his identity to contact the Fire Spirit Race and confirm whether the Fire Kirin had awakened or left."
Gu Mo said, "Then why go through such a huge detour? The Plague God is your servant. Couldn't the two of you simply join forces and charge in?"
Qi Miaoxuan said, "Having Ye Jinglan bring an army was preparation for two possibilities. The Plague God carries the Fire Kirin's energy. If he entered the He Xu Ruins, he would inevitably be detected. Therefore, the Fire Spirit Race had to help him control the Void Array to deal with the Fire Kirin's domain barrier.
But accidents could still happen, so I had Ye Jinglan bring an army as a second preparation. Battle Qi could also resist the Fire Domain for a short time. Otherwise, if the Plague God and I clashed head-on with the Fire Kirin within the Fire Domain, we could still kill it, but we couldn't guarantee emerging unscathed."
Gu Mo nodded slightly. "So that was how it was."
Qi Miaoxuan said, "Originally, I had the Plague God act with me because I hadn't intended to expose myself before you at this point. I wanted to have some fun with you for a while longer. But you brat had to be so sharp-eyed that you spotted the problem. What a pity—you've deprived me of much pleasure. Boy, the identity of Qi Miaoxuan has brought me quite a lot of fun. I'd originally planned to spend twenty or thirty years with you as that old immortal's friend. You... sigh, you really shouldn't have exposed me!"
A smile suddenly appeared on Qi Miaoxuan's face again, but it was deeply eerie. Cracks had already split across his face, as though fragments were about to fall away. He stared at Gu Mo and said, "But you are still a very adorable pet in my eyes. So although you have done something wrong, I will forgive you. You won't make the same mistake again, will you? You'll make the smart choice, won't you?"
Gu Mo waved a hand. "Sorry, old immortal, but I'm not the sort of person who can be a dog!"
"How could it be becoming a dog?" Qi Miaoxuan said. "I'll only place the tiniest little restriction in your Nascent Soul. Don't worry. Just like Yu Shier, as long as you obey, you'll always remain free!"
Gu Mo asked in confusion, "Then why didn't you tamper with anything when you healed my eyes?"
Qi Miaoxuan said, "I have standards when choosing pets too, all right? Does every stray cat and dog qualify? Still, I have to say, I misjudged you back then!"
Gu Mo said, "So, as for Ye Jinglan, you..."
"He isn't worthy."
Gu Mo said, "...I'll thank you for Ye Jinglan!"
Qi Miaoxuan slowly spread his hands. "Gu Mo, it's time to make your choice. Will you become my servant and gain Eternal Life, or... die!"
Gu Mo chuckled. "I choose the third option—kill you!"
As Gu Mo's words fell,
Pfft—
A faint but air-rending sharp cry burst from Qi Miaoxuan's body. Countless silver-white Sword Qi strands, thin as cow hair, suddenly burst through his flesh. They did not slash in every direction; instead, they crazily shredded him from within in an almost self-destructive manner.
This was precisely the sword intent left behind by Gu Mo's earlier strike. At this moment, it was completely detonated, and Qi Miaoxuan could no longer suppress it.
The circulating Sword Qi carried the sharp cry of shattered metal. Fine as a spiderweb, it instantly spread through Qi Miaoxuan's limbs and bones. As it sliced his black robes apart inch by inch, it also ground his bones, flesh, and meridians into powder.
This was not the slash of ordinary Sword Qi, but collapse from the inside out—amid flashes of visible silver light, Qi Miaoxuan's body became like snow foam scattered by a gale, turning into countless glimmering white particles that fell softly. Not even a trace of blood mist splashed out.
However, at the instant those particles touched the ground—
"Kehehe..."
A cold and sinister laugh surged in from every direction. The Plague God scattered into smoke that roiled and rose. Within the smoke, countless twisted and distorted ghostly faces emerged one after another. Every face was frozen in extreme pain and resentment, black pus flowing from their eye sockets as their gaping fanged mouths released shrieks like wailing ghosts and howling wolves.
Like a swarm of mosquitoes that had caught the bloody smell, they transformed into torrents of black smoke. Carrying bone-chilling corpse-rot cold energy, they savagely bit toward Gu Mo's neck and heart from every angle. The darkness filling the sky seemed to come alive, with countless ghost faces appearing and vanishing in the black backdrop, forming a horrifying painting enough to make any normal person's soul fly away and scatter.
"Hmph!"
Gu Mo gave a soft snort, and clear radiance surged in his eyes.
In an instant, within three feet around him, visible moon-white currents abruptly gathered into form. Innate Protective Qi reinforced with Nascent Soul Power unfolded, wrapping around him like a gentle yet tough jade membrane. The currents gleamed with watery luster, and shadowy stars flickered faintly within their flow.
Facing the pouncing ghost-face smoke, the protective qi did not proactively strike. With a thought from Gu Mo, the moon-white light membrane abruptly expanded outward, releasing a humming vibration. The ghost faces that touched the protective qi instantly gave shrill screams and melted into strands of black qi like snow splashed with boiling oil. More ghost faces came one after another without pause, but the instant they approached the protective qi, that moon-white wall of light shattered them to pieces.
The surging Innate Protective Qi centered on Gu Mo like a rising bright moon. Its radiance grew ever stronger, and its range rapidly expanded.
The moon-white currents surged like sea waves, crashing against the surrounding dark domain with cracking sounds. Rippling folds appeared across the ink-black void, as though it might be torn apart by this incomparably fierce power at any moment. The edge of the protective qi even reached the barrier of the dark domain, forcing the sticky ink-like darkness back several zhang and exposing faint cracks deep within.
Just as the protective qi was about to tear through the poisonous fog domain,
A soft scoff came from the depths of the darkness, carrying indescribable leisure.
Qi Miaoxuan, who had originally turned to powder, unexpectedly took form out of thin air more than a zhang behind Gu Mo, a vague smile on his face.
He did not have a single wound on him. The sight of his body being shredded by Sword Qi moments earlier seemed like nothing more than an illusion. Looking at Gu Mo, he said, "Gu Mo, you made a very unwise decision. I no longer like you."
He extended his index finger toward the moon-white protective qi that had expanded to its limit. Before his fingertip even touched the surface, a layer of pale golden light spread from his fingertip.
Pop—
The soft sound was like a bubble bursting.
The invincible, flawless Innate Protective Qi unexpectedly cracked inch by inch the instant Qi Miaoxuan's fingertip touched it.
The moon-white light membrane collapsed like a spiderweb. The flowing protective qi instantly became chaotic currents, dispersing into specks of fluorescent light with chiching sounds.
The once-surging field of energy suddenly collapsed inward. Gu Mo stepped back slightly, his Protective True Qi leaking out rapidly like a punctured air sac. Even the dark ground beneath his feet shook violently from the imbalance of energy.
"You, you," Qi Miaoxuan sighed. "You brat, why are you so incapable of appreciating kindness? Did watching me kill that Fire Kirin beast earlier make you think that was all the strength I had? I was only playing with you, child!
Forget it. I'll teach you a lesson first. It's rare to find a pet with potential like yours, so I should give you another chance!"
The corners of Qi Miaoxuan's lips curved into a helpless bitter smile. His ink-black robes did not stir in the slightest, yet he had already closed in by half a step.
He raised his fingertip lightly and casually pointed. Wherever the Finger Wind passed, the void was silently pierced like old silk cloth. Strands of spatial ripples burst from his fingertip, while invisible pressure, deep as an abyss and vast as the sea, crashed down. The surrounding air instantly congealed into lead.
Gu Mo's pupils suddenly contracted. His palms crossed sharply before his chest, and a moon-white barrier of protective qi rose around him in an instant, flowing like glazed crystal. This was the Innate Protective Qi he unleashed with all his strength. At the same time, his blood and qi boiled within him as Great Vajra Divine Strength surged forth from his lower abdomen, condensing within the protective qi into a mysterious phantom of a Golden Dharma Image.
Then the Grand Void Sword gave a hum, its white radiance surging as it stretched before his chest and formed a dense sword net.
Yet in the next instant,
With a soft pfft, Qi Miaoxuan's finger struck the Innate Protective Qi. It shattered inch by inch like window paper meeting fire, and when the moon-white light vanished, it did not even leave behind a ripple. The phantom of Great Vajra Divine Strength that followed became like snow foam cast into boiling oil, vanishing into specks of golden light with a chiching sound.
Before Gu Mo could react, the Finger Wind that had pierced space struck the spine of the Grand Void Sword without obstruction.
Hummm—!
The clear sword cry abruptly became hoarse, like sobbing and pleading. That ancient Grand Void Sword, capable of cutting iron like mud, visibly bent inward with tremendous force, its sword body curving into the shape of a full moon. Its white radiance flickered violently, and the bent section smashed hard into Gu Mo's chest.
An irresistible force exploded through his body along the sword body. Gu Mo flew backward like a paper kite with its string cut, his back slamming into the poisonous fog domain barrier ten zhang away. Poisonous fog rained down, corroding his Protective True Qi.
Yet Qi Miaoxuan did not pursue his advantage. Instead, he placed his hands behind his back and began offering leisurely instruction. "Gu Mo, you too have failed to escape convention and entered a dead end of martial arts. Your martial arts may appear magnificent and grand, your methods lofty, but you have forgotten that the essence of martial arts is killing one's opponent. No matter how dazzling and elaborate the methods, if they cannot kill the enemy, they are rubbish.
You possess many martial arts, and their effects are not bad, but you have failed to return to the essence. For instance, just now, if I had used one more fraction of strength, I could have killed you with a single finger. What could all your wondrous methods have done then? What use is your ability to fight an entire nation alone? I might not be able to kill everyone in a nation, but I can kill you with ease!"
Gu Mo slowly rose to his feet, smiled faintly, and said, "Is that so?"
The instant Gu Mo stepped forward with a smile on his lips, the already ink-dark world abruptly faded into pure white. The strange roiling black fog suddenly froze, as though a vast landscape scroll painted on Xuan Paper was slowly unfurling—mountain ranges brushed in dry ink carried pale outlines, ruined towers sketched amid empty spaces seemed to ripple faintly, and a waning moon slowly rose from the ink-washed horizon.
The instant cold moonlight poured down like broken jade scattered from the heavens, the poisonous fog domain around them collapsed with a thunderous crash.
The Plague God's body suffered severe damage, shattering inch by inch within the dispersing gray fog before regathering amid the rolling blackness. He stared at Gu Mo beneath the moon wheel, his voice emerging heavily through the cracks in the smoke. "Esteemed One, this Gu Mo walks a deeply demonic path. Do not play any longer..."
"It won't get out of hand."
The smile remained on Qi Miaoxuan's lips. With a light twist of his fingers, an immense suction force, like a whale swallowing a hundred rivers, swept together all the moonlight pouring through the sky. As his pale fingers turned, the entire ink-wash world became like Xuan Paper torn to shreds, black ink and silver radiance swirling together in his palm.
"Gu Mo, this isn't enough," Qi Miaoxuan said.
Gu Mo hovered beneath the moon wheel, his robes billowing in the flowing wind.
"Then—come again!"
The instant he raised his fingers, wild thunder tore through the sky, silver snakes danced chaotically, and torrential rain poured down from the Nine Heavens—every raindrop carrying the force of a thousand jun, while lightning dense as strung pearls crashed down like raging waterfalls.
Yet just before the raindrops and lightning touched the ground,
Qi Miaoxuan lightly raised his pale hand. The rain and lightning across the sky froze as though confined within an invisible frame. Countless silver threads and droplets stopped in midair, even the bursting thunder seeming sealed within the blank spaces of the ink-black world.
"You still haven't listened," Qi Miaoxuan said with a slight shake of his head. "I'm very disappointed. I thought your talent should stand alone among all those of the past several hundred years. Yet I already told you the correct answer, and you still got it wrong. I don't like you very much now."
As he spoke,
Qi Miaoxuan clenched his hand. In an instant, raindrops shattered across the sky and lightning exploded wildly.
He said in a deep voice, "I told you already, these flashy tricks are useless. Return to simplicity. Great Dao is Simple. Martial arts are not for performance—they are for killing enemies. What use are all your flashy tricks? If this is the extent of your comprehension, then you are not worthy of the second chance I gave you. You..."
At precisely that moment—
Gu Mo's pupils abruptly contracted into pinpoints. A strange will wound its way forward like spider silk, its energy flowing with deep-blue eerie radiance and carrying a bizarre aura neither immortal nor demonic, firmly locking onto Qi Miaoxuan.
Blazing interest rose in Qi Miaoxuan's eyes. His laughter carried uncontainable excitement. "Finally, this is getting interesting, Gu Mo. Don't disappoint me..."
Before his words fell, Gu Mo suddenly broke into a wild sprint, the blue stone slabs cracking into spiderweb patterns beneath his feet.
"Roar..."
A clear dragon's roar burst from his chest cavity, like a divine bell ringing through the Nine Heavens. Dazzling white light erupted around him, and an illusory divine dragon covered in scales gleaming with the cold luster of jade burst from his body—its head raised high, thunder as its scales and torrential rain as its claws. Amid the roiling dark clouds and exploding lightning, it became a White Rainbow Piercing the Sun and pounced at Qi Miaoxuan with world-destroying might.
The instant Gu Mo transformed into a dragon,
Qi Miaoxuan's face instantly went pale. The smile on his face stiffened as he cried in panic, "How are you a dragon... fuck..."
At the same time,
Qi Miaoxuan's body suddenly stiffened, and a section of blade tip protruded from his chest, radiating Dragon Might.
"Get back inside!"
Qi Miaoxuan let out a hysterical roar. One hand seized the blade tip, blood instantly spraying everywhere as two fingers fell to the ground. At the same time, his other hand grabbed the Plague God and threw him toward the giant dragon Gu Mo had become.
At that moment, an angry roar sounded from within the section of blade tip. "Insolent slave, how dare you act so presumptuously!"
"Fuck your mother..."
Qi Miaoxuan violently pulled that section of blade tip out of his chest. It was like a palm-sized scale, yet also resembled a rather peculiar dagger.
"Roar..."
At that instant, the giant dragon Gu Mo had become slammed the Plague God flying and directly pounced toward Qi Miaoxuan. In that fleeting moment, Qi Miaoxuan gripped the strange dagger in his blood-soaked hand and lightly slashed forward, instantly cutting open Gu Mo's domain.
Qi Miaoxuan took one step and appeared above He Xu Ancient City, spraying out a mouthful of blood. Blood surged wildly from the huge blood hole in his chest. He reached out with one hand and drew the Fire Kirin's massive body toward himself.
In an instant, the dragon's roar split the sky!
The illusory divine dragon tore through the air, its silver scales stirring up sand and dust that swept backward across the sky. Its dragon tail swept out like a thousand-jun iron whip, lashing the air into a shrieking blast as its tip smashed heavily into Qi Miaoxuan's shoulder and neck.
Pfft—
Blood foam and shattered teeth sprayed through the air. Qi Miaoxuan flew sideways like a puppet with its strings cut. When his back smashed through a blue stone archway three zhang away, his bones exploded with sounds like dry wood snapping one after another. Fine cracks instantly crawled over his entire body from his spine, but Qi Miaoxuan had no time to care about anything else. He immediately scrambled up and dodged, looking extremely pathetic.
The divine dragon's claw grabbed empty air, and a voice rang out. "Old immortal, what are you dodging for?"
Before the voice faded, the divine dragon had already extended its dragon claw covered in frost-white scales. When its five fingers spread, they covered the sky and sun, and where the Claw Wind passed, even space rippled like water.
Qi Miaoxuan raised his hand and threw the inch-long dagger.
Deep purple cold light burst from its edge. The instant the dagger cut through the void, the surrounding air split open in savage fissures like torn silk. He casually dragged over the Fire Kirin at his side, its flames rolling wildly as the enormous beast's firelight became a vortex and instantly vanished into the fissure.
However, just as Qi Miaoxuan prepared to enter, the white dragon had already charged over. Its head slammed into Qi Miaoxuan's chest, instantly pulverizing his already wounded chest. Then it drove him into the sky before smashing him down into the earth, creating an enormous crater.
Qi Miaoxuan swung the dagger in his hand, intending to slash the dragon. But in that instant, the dragon transformed into Gu Mo. He reached out, and the Grand Void Sword flew into his hand. With one stroke, he chopped at Qi Miaoxuan's wrist, instantly severing his hand.
Yet strangely, the instant Qi Miaoxuan's hand landed on the ground, it vanished. Then a new hand grew from him, while the dagger appeared once again in his mangled, bloody chest.
"Boy, you're courting death..."
Qi Miaoxuan was furious as he struck his palm toward Gu Mo.
Gu Mo gripped the Grand Void Sword with both hands and thrust downward. As palm and sword met, Qi Miaoxuan's shattered chest unexpectedly healed in an instant. He glared at Gu Mo and roared, "Boy, you are actually the third dragon. I will make you beg for life but be unable to die..."
Just then,
Another wound appeared on Qi Miaoxuan's chest. The blade tip of that strange dagger emerged from his chest again, and an enraged roar exploded from within it. "Insolent slave, you actually dare scheme against me!"
"Get back inside!"
Qi Miaoxuan slapped the blade tip with his other hand. At the same time, the Plague God transformed into a wisp of black smoke and wound around Qi Miaoxuan's palm. A formation emerged over Qi Miaoxuan's chest, slowly pressing the dagger back inside.
"Insolent slave, insolent slave! When this venerable one awakens, I will grind your bones and scatter your ashes!"
"Insolent slave..."
Mad roars came from within the dagger.
At the same time, Gu Mo kicked Qi Miaoxuan in the stomach, sending him flying. Then, gripping the Grand Void Sword, he teleported into the air and slashed down, mocking, "No wonder an old immortal like you seeks slaves. It turns out it's to salvage your pathetic self-respect. What Long Life Being? You're merely a Longevity Slave!"
"Gu Mo, you deserve death, you bastard..."
Qi Miaoxuan's defenses broke when Gu Mo struck at the heart of the matter, and he cursed wildly.
Gu Mo slashed down with his sword. Qi Miaoxuan immediately prepared to meet it, but in that instant, the struggling movement in his chest intensified. He had no choice but to use his other hand to press down on the dagger as well.
In that instant,
Gu Mo's sword fell, directly chopping off Qi Miaoxuan's head. Wild Sword Qi erupted and blasted Qi Miaoxuan's body apart, while the Plague God turned into smoke in an instant and prepared to drift away.
Gu Mo snorted coldly and beckoned.
In an instant, heaven and earth abruptly changed into black and white. The city beneath them all became a surging sea, while a bright moon rose from the seabed. Under its moonlight, the sea churned and roared.
Qi Miaoxuan appeared in the air once more, both hands tightly gripping the dagger. The mysterious power of the dagger had stripped both hands down to nothing but bloody bones. Elsewhere, the Plague God was wrapped in a beam of moonlight and crushed beneath it, unable to maintain his humanoid form.
Gu Mo made a slight gesture.
Sea waves and moonlight surged forth, directly shaking Qi Miaoxuan's body into fragments. Yet Qi Miaoxuan remained expressionless as he said, "Boy, consider yourself lucky today. You actually awakened that beast within me. The next time we meet, you will certainly die!"
Before his words could finish,
Qi Miaoxuan's hands, reduced to bones, lightly slashed with the dagger, and a Spatial Rift appeared.
"Roar..."
Gu Mo transformed into the divine dragon and released a dragon's roar as he dived down. Yet he was ultimately one instant too slow. The Spatial Rift had already closed, and Qi Miaoxuan's aura could no longer be sensed at all.
However, the divine dragon did not hesitate. It suddenly turned its enormous body and looked toward the Plague God.
At that moment, the Plague God, unable to move under the moonlight's restraint, watched Qi Miaoxuan tear open space and flee. He could not help cursing, "Old Ghost Qi, fuck your mother..."
The Plague God instantly scattered into strands of smoke.
However,
At that instant,
The divine dragon arrived in a flash. As its body turned, it formed a vortex that sucked in the dispersing poisonous fog. Then, as it coiled, its dragon head slammed forward, knocking Yu Shier's Nascent Soul Body out from the poisonous fog. He became extremely illusory and collapsed onto the ground.
The divine dragon dived down and instantly transformed into Gu Mo. With a beckoning gesture, the Grand Void Sword flew over, and he drove it through Yu Shier's chest.
Before you continue