Fire Kirin Appears

When the army arrived at Dongsha Valley, Ye Jinglan became busy. He coordinated the overall situation, directing soldiers from all sides to cooperate with the diviners in setting up the formation. He worked almost non-stop, and after three days, the grand formation was finally completed.

This day, early in the morning.

Ye Jinglan summoned Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan to the mountaintop of Dongsha Valley. Looking down, various platforms had been built throughout Dongsha Valley.

At this moment, numerous diviners were already preparing.

As noon approached, the sun was directly above Dongsha Valley. A horn sounded, and at the same time, many diviners simultaneously made their move, activating the formation.

"Rumble" "Rumble"

The roar of the formation's operation was like deep thunder rolling through the earth. The yellow sand of Dongsha Valley suddenly stirred up energy waves ten zhang high.

The surface cracked like a spider web. Majestic sand and dust seeped from the deep black fissures. Accompanied by a screeching sound like metal friction from underground, several tornadoes rose from the intersection of the cracks.

Grit spun at high speed in the eye of the storm, forming dense tornadoes that rolled shattered rocks and scorching airflow from underground straight into the sky, creating a sky-covering sand sea. In the center of the sand sea, the ground slowly rose as if lifted by an invisible giant hand.

"It's coming out!"

Ye Jinglan pointed at the terrifying sandstorm in the distance, swallowed saliva, and said, "He Xu Ancient City, that's He Xu Ancient City!"

Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan were relatively calm.

However, Gu Mo was still somewhat impressed by the shocking scene. Although he had seen He Xu Ancient City once three years ago, he hadn't seen how He Xu appeared then.

At this moment, within the sandstorm, The city walls revealed their edges from beneath the sand and gravel, shedding layers of dormant dust with a rustling sound, revealing mottled beast-face reliefs and winding runes on them. The eerie glow seeping from the wall joints interplayed with the electric light within the tornadoes, like the eyes of a sleeping giant beast opening.

Between the faintly visible city walls, a bolt of purple lightning suddenly exploded in the hazy sandstorm in the sky. It struck the rolling clouds like a silver snake, instantly illuminating the entire desert like daylight.

The sandstorm reached its peak at this moment. The tornadoes transformed into a sandstorm barrier encircling the ancient city. Golden sand particles formed high-speed rotating vortices outside the city walls, emitting a roar like galloping horses. He Xu Ancient City became increasingly apparent, the entire ancient city now standing like a giant beast in the center of the desert. Electric snakes danced between the battlements, and purple-black clouds spun rapidly above the city towers, forming a strange, eerie correspondence with the golden sandstorm encircling the ground.

"All troops advance!"

Ye Jinglan flew down from the mountaintop, mounted his steed, and raised a military banner. With his command, a thousand heavy cavalry led the way, followed by three thousand light cavalry and six thousand elite infantry. A total of ten thousand elites marched towards He Xu Ancient City.

Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan exchanged glances and flew into mid-air, following the army towards He Xu Ancient City. The closer they got, the more they could feel the pressure brought by the He Xu Ruins.

"What formation is this?" Gu Mo asked.

Qi Miaoxuan said, "The Void Array, known as one of the top ten wondrous formations of all time. However, it has been lost for hundreds of years. If I'm not mistaken, these He Xu Ruins should be the only complete Void Array remaining in the world.

The creator of this formation was truly an incredible genius. They must have been inspired after witnessing a true blessed land. This formation exists between reality and illusion, similar to a cultivator's domain."

Gu Mo asked, "You can't break it?"

Qi Miaoxuan shook his head and said, "Human strength ultimately has its limits. Although I have lived for many years and am proficient in many things like traditional arts, poetry, martial arts, medical skills, etc., there are so many things in the world, and there are still many I haven't had time to learn. This formation is one of the things I don't understand well."

This is why I had to find a way to get Ye Jinglan to bring an army here. Once we enter the city, I'll need Battle Qi to shield me from the Void Array, so I don't get pulled into that Fire Kirin's Fire Realm. While I'm confident I can kill the beast, I can't guarantee I'll do it without injury if I'm dragged into the Fire Realm. I advise you to be cautious too, kid."

Gu Mo nodded slightly and chuckled, "Something that even you, Old Undying, are afraid of is indeed worth paying attention to."

Qi Miaoxuan pouted, "You're so rude, kid. I'm kindly warning you, and you keep calling me 'Old Undying'!"

"Aren't you?" Gu Mo retorted. "You probably don't even remember how old you are, do you?"

"This..." Qi Miaoxuan thought for a moment and then laughed, "You know, you're actually right... Hahaha... Hahaha... I really have forgotten how many years I've lived... Kid, do you want to achieve Long Life?"

Gu Mo asked doubtfully, "What? Are you going to share your method for Long Life with me?"

"I'll give it to you," Qi Miaoxuan said with a weird smile. "I just hope you won't regret it then... Hahaha, kid, I will soon completely master the power of Long Life. I'll come find you then. I'm so lonely!"

With that, Qi Miaoxuan sped up and flew to the front of the army, landing quickly before the gate of He Xu Ancient City.

Gu Mo watched Qi Miaoxuan's retreating back, his brow furrowing slightly.

Before, Qi Miaoxuan had seemed quite normal, but ever since revealing his identity as a Long Life Being, he had started talking cryptically.

He was normal before because he was trying hard to play the part of Qi Miaoxuan, like acting in a play, with every move and word following the character. Now, he has shed the identity of Qi Miaoxuan and returned to being a Long Life Being. The next time he plays a different role, he'll become normal again.

Gu Mo mused inwardly, thinking, Isn't this just schizophrenia?

After a brief complaint, Gu Mo also flew over quickly and landed in front of the gate of He Xu Ancient City.

This city certainly lived up to its past as a capital. While not comparable to Chang'an City, it was still magnificent and imposing. Despite its age, it exuded a sense of Pressure.

The city gate was open, revealing a wide street within. The houses and pavilions on both sides, though showing signs of damage, were remarkably well-preserved. However, Sand Dust permeated the air, limiting visibility.

"Enter!"

Ye Jinglan led the charge, his long saber in hand, with Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan closely following. The army advanced behind them, their steps making the ground tremble.

Inside He Xu Ancient City, the atmosphere was dim. Sunlight was Completely Covered, leaving only a Thick as Ink gloom. The Sky Dome was filled with rolling, heavy Sand Dust. The ground beneath their feet seemed Unable to Bear the weight, shaking and trembling violently. Each tremor felt like it could shake a person's soul from their Shell.

On the streets, Withered Bones and weapons could be seen from time to time, remnants of the citizens from when He Xu Ancient City vanished, or perhaps from treasure hunters who had entered over the years.

As the army gradually entered the city, Ye Jinglan prepared to give the order to search for treasure. But as he raised his Command Flag, Qi Miaoxuan placed a hand on his arm.

Qi Miaoxuan chuckled, "Hold on, kid. Take a Look at the sky!"

Ye Jinglan looked up, and in that instant, his Pupils contracted sharply--

The swirling Sand Dust tornado above the ancient city compressed downwards like a funnel gripped by an invisible giant hand, descending at a terrifying speed. The once golden sand columns were now wrapped in explosive sparks. Each rotation carved distorted Rune trajectories in the Air. The spinning sand particles followed a unique rhythm, outlining a burning, profound formation as they descended, scorching terrifying Cracks across the entire Sky Dome.

"Crack—"

A muffled sound erupted from the base of the city wall. The Ash Green battlements shifted slowly like giant gears. The circular city wall began to rotate counter-clockwise. Firelight seeped from the Brick Seams, forming a flowing ribbon of light that turned the entire wall into a giant Compass suspended in the Desert.

At the same time, the desert surrounding the ancient city suddenly boiled. The originally golden sand turned crimson, surging towards the ancient city like boiling iron filings, forming twelve encircling Flame Sand Walls.

Ye Jinglan felt the intense heat and pressure, his entire body tensing up.

Qi Miaoxuan, however, chuckled and patted Ye Jinglan's shoulder, saying, "Kid, this is where I need your help. Once this Void Array descends, this place will completely become the Fire Kirin's domain!"

Ye Jinglan's pupils contracted.

Understanding Qi Miaoxuan's meaning immediately, he swung the long saber in his hand and plunged it into the sand, roaring, "All soldiers, heed my command! Battle formation, activate!"

"Boom—!"

Following the order, in an instant, the Battle Qi erupting from the soldiers surged out like a golden tide, converging towards the General's Flag at the formation's core. The battle flag, embroidered with a Mysterious Turtle, suddenly emitted a blinding golden light, which transformed into a solid light wall soaring upwards, crashing violently against the pressing firelight.

The tentacles of the fire walls surrounding them let out a piercing hum upon hitting the light wall, dissipating into wisps of thick smoke. The rumbling of the city walls rotating and the creaking of buildings shifting were now drowned out by the thunderous sound of Battle Qi colliding.

Then, Ye Jinglan waved the military banner again, and a thousand heavy cavalry pressed forward in unison. Driven by their majestic Battle Qi, they directly pushed a fire wall in front of them until it became illusory and disappeared.

But just then, Black Rainwater suddenly fell from the sky. Upon hitting the ground, it directly corroded and pierced through the thick stone slabs.

Ye Jinglan looked up to see streams of majestic Black Haze pouring down from the fiery cracks in the sky dome. The haze was not a chaotic mess but churned like an inverted Ink Sea. Billions of black qi threads writhed, outlining weird Star Chart trajectories, sometimes gathering into rotating vortices, sometimes scattering into running Beast Shadows, and finally transforming into dense, eerie Human Faces that swooped down.

As someone who had fused with Kirin Blood, Ye Jinglan's senses were incredibly sharp. He immediately perceived the black mist as potent poisonous fog and shouted, "Qi Miaoxuan, the Plague God has made a move!"

Qi Miaoxuan smiled faintly, floating beside Ye Jinglan, and said, "Kid, you just need to use your Battle Qi to hold off the Void Array. Leave this Plague God to me; I'll handle it in half an hour at most!"

"Half an hour?" Ye Jinglan exclaimed, "What about the Fire Kirin coming out then?"

Qi Miaoxuan chuckled, "Originally, many would have died, but now..." He pointed at Gu Mo and said, "With this impolite Gu Mo here, what do you have to fear?"

With that, Qi Miaoxuan soared into the sky, lifting one hand above his head. In that instant, a terrifying suction force emerged from his hand, instantly evolving into a massive vortex that drew in the overwhelming poisonous fog. Then, he instantly disappeared into the poisonous fog and sand dust above the sky dome.

Immediately, powerful Energy Turbulence erupted across the sky dome, clearly indicating that Qi Miaoxuan and the Plague God had begun their battle.

The Void Array continued its operation.

The entire He Xu Ancient City was in motion, emitting continuous high temperatures. The soldiers in heavy armor were already struggling to endure. The pressure from the array itself was manageable, as Battle Qi was least afraid of pressure, but the relentless high temperature was tormenting.

Ye Jinglan's expression grew grave, and he said in a deep voice, "Half an hour..."

"Leave it to me!"

Gu Mo let out a light laugh and took a step forward. He circulated his Limitless Return to Origin Qi, supplemented by Frozen Ice True Qi, and unleashed a palm strike. Instantly, the void seemed to freeze. Streams of coldness surged out, freezing even the Dust in the air. Soon, the scorching high temperature was brought down.

Ye Jinglan gave Gu Mo a thumbs-up, then immediately directed another team to search the city for treasures left behind by the He Xu Kingdom.

Gu Mo, meanwhile, flew to a tall building and looked up at the majestic sand dust churning in the sky dome. Although he couldn't see what was happening inside, he could sense two powerful forces clashing. One was Pure Nascent Soul Power, which should belong to the Plague God, rumored to be neither human nor ghost.

Seeing that the Fire Kirin had not yet appeared, Gu Mo considered charging up to fight the Plague God himself, lest Qi Miaoxuan snatch the kill.

However, at this very moment, Gu Mo suddenly had a feeling. He actually detected his own Sword Intent, the Sword Intent of Destruction that he had comprehended from the Word of Destruction of the Nine Swords of Dugu.

"Yu Shijiu?"

Gu Mo's pupils contracted. His Sword Intent had only leaked out once before, three years ago, when he first came to Mobei and encountered a youth swordsman named Yu Shijiu, known in Jianghu as the Flying Swordsman.

Gu Mo greatly admired him. Yu Shijiu was not only the most talented youth in Sword Dao that Gu Mo had ever seen, but his crisp and decisive style of action and his chivalrous character also earned Gu Mo's deep appreciation.

Therefore, Gu Mo had gifted Yu Shijiu a sword and a Sword Intent back then.

Finally, Yu Shijiu had also given him two Spirit Pills and Potent Medicine. One was fed to the Old Heavenly Master by Gu Chundong at Dragon Tiger Mountain, and the other was still kept in Gu Chundong's Great Book Box.

Immediately, Gu Mo looked in the direction from which the Sword Intent came. A surge of Nascent Soul Power flowed out. At that moment, he saw that within this He Xu Ancient City, a hidden, faintly visible, illusory world like a mirage existed.

Instantly, Gu Mo took a step forward. Relying on his powerful Spiritual Power, he instantly grasped an opportunity between reality and illusion and stepped in. In an instant, he appeared in a picturesque small village. Strangely, although this village was within the He Xu Ancient City, once he entered, he was actually outside the He Xu Ancient City, and in Dongsha Valley, yet he could still see the He Xu Ancient City.

"Great Hero Gu!"

Just then, a voice called out.

Gu Mo looked over and saw Yu Shijiu.

Three years had passed, and Yu Shijiu had grown much taller, but apart from his height, nothing else seemed to have changed. He still had dark skin and a childish face.

Yu Shijiu held a sword in his hand, the very sword Gu Mo had gifted him back then.

"Shijiu, long time no see. Why are you here? Are you from the Fire Spirit Race?" Gu Mo asked.

Yu Shijiu stepped forward, bowed, and said, "Great Hero Gu, I am the current Dao Protector of the Fire Spirit Race. Are you... here to kill the Fire God?"

"Fire God? The Fire Kirin?" Gu Mo asked.

Yu Shijiu nodded and said, "The Fire God is the Fire Kirin."

"I am indeed here to kill it," Gu Mo answered directly, without concealment. "Does your tribe intend to obstruct me?"

Yu Shijiu said, "Great Hero Gu, you are Number One Under Heaven, you have joined forces with that legendary Long Life Being, and you have the army's assistance. Apart from me, the Dao Protector, my people are not skilled in cultivation and are naturally not qualified to obstruct you."

I just observed you in the city and deliberately invited you here. I wanted to tell you that you won't succeed this time. Great Hero Gu, you should leave quickly."

"What do you mean?" Gu Mo asked with doubt.

Yu Shijiu said gravely, "The Plague God is invincible within He Xu Ancient City. If you add the Fire God to the mix, you have no chance of winning. Great Hero Gu, I don't want you to die here, so I'm specifically advising you!"

Gu Mo asked, "Are you so sure I can't defeat the Plague God?"

Yu Shijiu replied, "Great Hero Gu, your martial arts are peerless, but the situation here is different. This is He Xu Ancient City. The Plague God told me himself that no one here can be his opponent!"

Gu Mo asked with doubt, "Has the Plague God always been in He Xu Ancient City?"

Yu Shijiu shook his head. "No, he and that Long Life Being can sense each other's existence. He didn't enter in advance. I met him outside."

Gu Mo's pupils contracted. "How did you know they could sense each other's existence? Did the Plague God tell you that too?"

Yu Shijiu nodded.

Gu Mo said, "Alright, I understand. Thank you for your reminder."

"Great Hero Gu, please leave quickly!" Yu Shijiu said.

Gu Mo chuckled and patted Yu Shijiu's shoulder. Without saying more, he turned and flew towards He Xu Ancient City.

This Void Array is indeed weird. Entering the small mountain village from He Xu Ancient City felt like crossing into another world. However, going from the small mountain village to He Xu Ancient City was natural. Although he was still on the same small path, far from He Xu Ancient City, in just one step, he had appeared within He Xu Ancient City. When he turned around, the traces of the small mountain village had disappeared.

At the entrance of the small mountain village, Yu Shijiu watched Gu Mo disappear and sighed softly. He whispered, "Great Hero Gu, I'm sorry. I can't control myself. I'm sorry for the kindness of your sword transmission..."

As he muttered, wisps of flame permeated Yu Shijiu's body, his skin turning red before breaking open and transforming into scales.

"Roar..."

Yu Shijiu suddenly let out a roar. His clothes instantly burned away, and his body began to twist and mutate. The next moment, flames surged powerfully from him again. He lunged forward on his hands, dropping to the ground, and transformed into a pair of beast legs. His entire body became a Qilin the size of an adult water buffalo, burning with blazing flames.

At the same time, in the small mountain village, two to three hundred Qilin rushed out, letting out terrifying beast roars as they madly charged outwards. Their stampede was like a surging sea of fire.

The next moment, Two to three hundred Qilin appeared in He Xu Ancient City.

Before the soldiers could react, nearly three hundred Qilin charged towards the military formation. Their momentum was like a rainbow, the sea of fire permeated the air, and their power was terrifying. They actually managed to awe the army, causing the battle formation to loosen and the Battle Qi to waver.

However, fortunately, Ye Jinglan reacted swiftly. He soared upwards and slashed out with his saber, a saber energy dozens of feet long directly splitting the foremost Qilin in two, spraying blood.

"What are you afraid of? They're just beasts!"

Ye Jinglan roared, immediately stabilizing the army's morale. He swung his long saber again and shouted, "Heavy cavalry, advance!"

Immediately, a thousand heavily armored cavalrymen moved forward, their Battle Qi pressing down. However, the Qilin were all fearless and extremely ferocious, erupting with surging flames that burned the Battle Qi as they charged towards the army.

Although Ye Jinglan stabilized the army's morale, only a minority could kill these Kirin alone. The army was still greatly impacted, and the battle qi from all sides began to weaken. Especially Gu Mo's Frozen Ice True Qi was being burned, and high temperatures struck again. The army inevitably weakened.

However, this time, Gu Mo did not make a move again.

Because he had already sensed the aura of the True Fire Kirin.

At this moment, the Void Array was finally completed. In an instant, heaven and earth changed color, and the entire world was plunged into a sea of fire. The sky became a vast sea of fire, the earth turned fiery red, and the air was extremely hot.

Above the void, a fiery vortex suddenly appeared, churning wildly and ferociously. Crimson lava surged in the depths of the vortex like a long river, each wave carrying scorching heat.

Suddenly, the lava in the center of the vortex collapsed violently, and a dark crack tore open. This was not a spatial crack, but a sign that some colossal being was about to break through the barrier. The lava, as if stirred by an invisible giant hand, boiled and erupted into fiery pillars several zhang high. The flames at the edge of the vortex were forcibly compressed into solid lava, falling down the vortex wall with a rustling sound, revealing the volcanic world that was cracking in the core of the vortex.

"Roar--!"

The roar tore through the void before the form, not a sound, but a substantial energy impact.

The flames on the surface of the vortex instantly shattered into myriad streams of fire, bursting into spider web-like cracks with a crash, like glass being struck by a heavy hammer.

The void churned with a sea of fire, and lava surged like a galaxy. Suddenly, the center of the vortex cracked open, and a giant claw covered in rhombic molten armor extended out. Flames dripped from the tip of the claw, causing space to distort like ripples with every thrust into the void, and the air emitted sharp chirps like shattering glass.

As the giant claw propped up the edge of the vortex, a head burning with blazing flames raised itself. Its twin horns intertwined to form an arch, their tips holding a collapsing stellar nebula of flames. As its amber vertical pupils opened, the flames churning within them scorched the void, causing black smoke to seep out.

A crimson body slowly emerged. Between its millstone-sized scales flowed a radiance like a star core. The fiery mane on its back was entwined with arcs of lightning. As it stood up, it forcibly pushed open the vortex, and lava poured down its shoulders and back like a waterfall.

It was enveloped in an Aura of Destruction that could incinerate the very essence of matter. Its five-zhang-tall body trampled the void, and every step made space groan. When it fully emerged, the fiery vortex behind it instantly shriveled into dim sparks. The houses and the ground beneath its feet were instantly incinerated.

"Fire Kirin!"

Standing on a tall building, Gu Mo looked at this True, legendary, forbidden Fire Kirin and finally realized the terror of this ferocious beast.

Recalling Lu Canyang's transformed Kirin form in Qingzhou and Ye Jinglan's Kirin form in the Jiang Kingdom Imperial Palace, he felt they were like two stray dogs compared to this True Kirin, a world of difference.

At this moment, Ye Jinglan looked at the Fire Kirin and trembled all over, his soul quivering. Flames began to emanate uncontrollably from his body.

He had originally thought that with his cultivation, his transformed Fire Kirin form would at least possess forty to fifty percent of the true Kirin's majesty, even if it couldn't compare to the original. But now, he realized that even the biggest cat could not imitate the aura of a tiger.

Just then, Gu Mo suddenly slashed out with his sword. A majestic coldness permeated outwards, instantly tearing open a gap in this world of fire, cutting a huge gap in the city wall of He Xu Ancient City.

"Let's go, Old Ye!"

Gu Mo took a step forward, teleporting in front of Ye Jinglan. He slapped Ye Jinglan's shoulder, suppressing the Kirin Blood that was about to uncontrollably erupt from him, and then shouted, "Aren't you retreating yet?"

Ye Jinglan reacted and immediately waved the army banner, circulating his cultivation and shouting, "Retreat, retreat quickly, everyone, get out!"

The army immediately retreated frantically.

Gu Mo and Ye Jinglan, one holding a sword and the other a saber, stayed behind, both releasing their immense auras to intimidate the small Kirins. As for the True Fire Kirin, it seemed uninterested in Gu Mo and the others, instead looking up at the void.

Just then, Qi Miaoxuan descended rapidly from the sky, appearing beside Gu Mo and Ye Jinglan. He looked at Gu Mo blankly and asked, "Kid, what are you doing?"

Gu Mo shrugged and said, "Nothing much. I can't beat it, so I'm planning to run. Old Undying, I'll leave this place to you. We mortals won't interfere in your inhuman battles!"

Qi Miaoxuan was speechless. "Didn't you want to kill the Fire Kirin? It's a wanted criminal!"

Gu Mo curled his lips. "You want me to fight alone, and I can't win. What else am I supposed to do but run? I want to kill a wanted criminal, but I'm not going to risk my life for it. I'm outta here, outta here. Old Qi, take your time fighting. I'm rooting for you, you can handle one against two!"

Qi Miaoxuan: "..."

At this moment, a black mist surged down rapidly, taking on human form. It was the Plague God.

Immediately, Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan became vigilant.

Unexpectedly, the Plague God transmitted a message to Gu Mo and the others, saying, "I also want to kill the Kirin. We can join forces first!"

Gu Mo, Ye Jinglan, and Qi Miaoxuan exchanged glances, seeing doubt in each other's eyes.

The Plague God continued to transmit, "The Fire Spirit Race needs to get rid of the Kirin's Curse. Everything I've done is for the Fire Spirit Race. The reason I've been fighting you desperately for these hundreds of years is because I couldn't find a way to lift the Kirin's Curse. The Kirin cannot die. Now that the method has been found, I want to kill the Kirin even more than you do!"

Gu Mo smiled. "Then you go first. Otherwise, we won't trust you."

"Fine."

Instantly, the Plague God transformed into a wisp of smoke and appeared in the void. With a wave of his hand, he pulled downwards, causing the black mist to churn and instantly isolating the flames in this void.

"The Kirin's Fire Realm has been weakened by my isolation, but I can only maintain it for the time it takes for an incense stick to burn. We must finish this quickly!"

As the Plague God transmitted his message, he directly dived towards the Fire Kirin, transforming into a majestic black mist that enveloped it.

At the same time, Qi Miaoxuan looked at Gu Mo and nodded. "Let's kill the Fire Kirin first, and then we'll join forces to kill the Plague God. Anyway, both of them are wanted criminals and both are your targets. How about it?"

"Okay," Gu Mo nodded. "But you have to be in front."

Qi Miaoxuan rolled his eyes, said nothing more, and transformed into a streamer of light, charging towards the Fire Kirin.

At this moment, Ye Jinglan gripped his long saber, his saber intent surging out majestically. Just as he was about to charge forward, Gu Mo's voice echoed in his ear: "You retreat first and be ready to cover me at any time. Old Qi has major problems!"

Ye Jinglan's aura did not diminish in the slightest. He looked at the Fire Kirin with eyes full of fighting spirit and defiance. Then, with a majestic turn, he ran away, his retreating figure from the city exceptionally dashing.