After the army arrived at Dongsha Valley, Ye Jinglan plunged into work. He coordinated the overall situation, dispatching soldiers from every side to assist the diviners in setting up the array. He barely slept or rested, and after three days, the grand array was finally complete.
Early that morning,
Ye Jinglan summoned Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan to the heights above Dongsha Valley. Looking down, they saw that all manner of ritual platforms had been erected throughout the valley.
At that moment, the many diviners had already begun their preparations.
As the third quarter of noon arrived, the sun stood directly above Dongsha Valley. A horn sounded, and at the same time, the many diviners struck together, activating the array.
"Rumble!" "Rumble!"
The roar of the array in motion was like muffled thunder rolling through the depths of the earth. The yellow sand of Dongsha Valley suddenly surged into an energy wave thirty feet high.
The ground cracked like a spiderweb. Vast clouds of sand seeped from the pitch-black fissures, while shrill metallic screeches rose from underground. Several tornadoes rose from the Ground where the fissures met.
Sand and gravel spun at high speed within the eye of the storm, forming dense tornadoes that swept broken rocks and scorching currents from underground straight into the sky. They formed a Sand Sea that blotted out the heavens, and at its center, the earth slowly swelled as though lifted by an invisible giant hand.
"It's coming out!"
Ye Jinglan pointed at the terrifying sandstorm in the distance and swallowed. "He Xu Ancient City! That is He Xu Ancient City!"
Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan were relatively calm.
Still, Gu Mo could not help marveling at the scene's sheer grandeur. Though he had seen He Xu Ancient City once three years ago, he had not seen how it had emerged that time.
At that moment, within the sandstorm,
The outlines of city walls emerged from beneath the sand. Dust that had slept for ages fell away in rustling streams, revealing weathered beast-face reliefs and winding runes. The dim light seeping from the wall joints reflected the lightning within the tornadoes, like the eyes of a sleeping beast opening.
As the city walls flickered in and out of sight, a bolt of purple lightning suddenly exploded through the hazy sandstorm overhead. Like a silver snake, it cleaved into the rolling clouds and instantly turned the entire desert into broad daylight.
The wind and sand reached their peak at that moment. The tornadoes became a sandstorm barrier surrounding the ancient city, while golden grains formed high-speed whirlpools beyond its walls, howling like galloping horses. He Xu Ancient City became increasingly clear, its entire form standing in the heart of the desert like a colossal beast. Lightning Snakes danced wildly between the battlements, while purple-black Cloud Layers spun rapidly above the towers, answering the golden sandstorm circling the ground in a bizarre echo between heaven and earth.
"The whole army, advance!"
Ye Jinglan flew down from the valley and mounted a fine horse, shouldering a General's Flag. At his command, a thousand heavy cavalry led the way, followed by three thousand light cavalry and six thousand elite infantry. A full ten thousand elite troops advanced toward He Xu Ancient City.
Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan exchanged a glance, then both followed the army through the air toward He Xu Ancient City. The closer they came, the more clearly they could feel the oppressive presence of the He Xu Ruins.
"What array is this?" Gu Mo asked.
Qi Miaoxuan said, "The Void Array. It is known as one of the ten great wondrous arrays since ancient times, but it has been lost for centuries. If nothing unexpected happens, these He Xu Ruins should contain the only complete Void Array remaining in the world today.
"The person who created this array was truly an extraordinary genius. He must have seen a genuine blessed grotto-heaven and drawn inspiration from it. This array lies between reality and illusion, much like a cultivator's domain."
"You can't break it?" Gu Mo asked.
Qi Miaoxuan shook his head. "Human strength has limits in the end. Though I have lived for many years and am proficient in many common arts—music, chess, calligraphy, painting, poetry, martial arts, medical skill, and so on—there are countless things in this world, and many I have yet to learn. Arrays are one thing I do not understand particularly well.
"That is why I needed Ye Jinglan to bring an army here. Once we enter the city, we will need Battle Qi to shield me from the Void Array, lest we be dragged into that Fire Kirin's fire realm. I am confident I can kill that beast, but if I am dragged into the fire realm, I cannot guarantee killing it without injury. I advise you to be cautious too, kid."
Gu Mo nodded slightly and smiled. "Something that even an old immortal like you fears is indeed worth watching out for."
Qi Miaoxuan curled his lips. "You brat have no manners at all. This old man kindly warned you, yet all you do is call me an old immortal!"
"Aren't you one?" Gu Mo retorted. "You probably do not even remember how old you are anymore, do you?"
"Well..." Qi Miaoxuan thought for a moment, then laughed. "You know, you really are right... Hahaha... hahaha... I really have forgotten how many years I've lived... Kid, do you want immortality?"
Gu Mo asked doubtfully, "What? Are you going to share your method of immortality with me?"
"I'll give it to you," Qi Miaoxuan said, an eerie smile appearing on his face. "I only hope you will not regret it when the time comes... Hahaha, kid, I will soon completely master the power of immortality. I'll come find you then. I am truly lonely!"
With that, Qi Miaoxuan sped up, flying to the very front of the army and quickly descending before the gates of He Xu Ancient City.
Gu Mo watched Qi Miaoxuan's back, his brows knitting slightly.
Qi Miaoxuan had seemed quite normal before, but ever since revealing his identity as a Long Life Being, he had begun speaking in mysterious, rambling ways.
He was normal before because he was trying hard to play the role of Qi Miaoxuan, Gu Mo mused inwardly. Like acting in a play, every movement, every word, and every deed followed the character he had created. Now that he has cast aside Qi Miaoxuan's identity and returned to being a Long Life Being, he will become normal again when he next plays some other identity.
Isn't that just split personality?
After mocking him inwardly, Gu Mo quickly flew over as well and landed before the gates of He Xu Ancient City.
This city had indeed once been a capital. Though it could not compare with Chang'an City, it was still immensely grand and imposing. Though ancient, it still carried a sense of oppression.
The city gates stood open, revealing broad streets within. Though many of the houses and pavilions on either side were damaged, they were still remarkably well preserved. Only the pervasive sand and dust limited how far they could see.
"Enter!"
Ye Jinglan took the lead, carrying a long saber as he walked at the very front. Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan followed closely behind, while the army advanced after them. Their footsteps made the ground tremble.
Within He Xu Ancient City, everything was dim. The sunlight was Completely Covered, leaving only darkness thick as ink. Heavy sand and dust churned across the sky, while the ground beneath their feet seemed unable to bear the burden, shaking and trembling violently. Every tremor felt as if it might shake one's soul from one's body.
From time to time, dry bones and weapons could be seen in the streets. No one knew whether they belonged to citizens from when He Xu Ancient City vanished or treasure hunters who had entered in the years since.
After the army had gradually all entered the city, Ye Jinglan prepared to order a search for treasure. But just as he was about to wave the Command Flag, Qi Miaoxuan pressed down his hand.
Qi Miaoxuan chuckled. "Don't be hasty, kid. Look at the sky first!"
Ye Jinglan raised his head, and in that instant, his pupils suddenly contracted—
The sandstorm tornadoes rolling over the ancient city resembled funnels gripped by an invisible giant hand, crushing downward at a terrifying speed. The originally golden pillars of sand were now wrapped in bursting sparks. Every rotation carved distorted rune trails into the air, and the swirling grains followed some unique rhythm, sketching a burning, profound array diagram as they descended, scorching savage cracks across the sky.
"Crack—"
A muffled sound exploded from the base of the city walls. The ash-gray battlements slowly shifted like enormous gears, while the towering walls around the city began rotating counterclockwise. Firelight seeping from the Brick Seams connected into flowing ribbons of light, turning the entire wall into a giant compass floating above the desert.
At the same time, the desert in every direction around the ancient city suddenly boiled. The originally golden sand abruptly turned crimson, surging toward the city like boiling iron sand and forming twelve encircling Flame Sand Walls.
Ye Jinglan felt the scorching heat and pressure, and his entire body tensed.
Qi Miaoxuan merely chuckled and patted Ye Jinglan's shoulder. "Kid, this is where I need your help. Once this Void Array descends, this place will completely become the Fire Kirin's home ground!"
Ye Jinglan's pupils shrank slightly.
How could he not understand what Qi Miaoxuan meant? He immediately swung the long saber in his hand. The instant it plunged into the sand, he roared, "All troops, heed my command! Battle formation, activate!"
"Boom—!"
With the command issued, Battle Qi erupted from the soldiers' bodies like a golden tide, converging upon the General's Flag at the formation's core. The war banner embroidered with a Mysterious Turtle suddenly burst with blinding golden light. That light transformed into a tangible wall shooting into the sky, colliding thunderously with the descending firelight.
The instant the tendrils of the fire walls closing in from every direction struck the light wall, they emitted shrill hums and dissolved into thick black smoke. The roar of the rotating walls and the creaking of shifting buildings were all drowned out by the thunderous clash of Battle Qi.
Then,
Ye Jinglan waved the General's Flag again, and a thousand heavy cavalry pressed forward together. Driven by the overwhelming Battle Qi of those thousand riders, one fire wall ahead began to turn illusory and disappear.
But at that moment,
Black rainwater suddenly fell from the sky. When it landed, it directly corroded through the thick Stone slabs.
Ye Jinglan looked up and saw immense Black Haze pouring down from the flaming cracks in the heavens. The mist was not a chaotic mass, but billowed like an inverted Ink Sea. Countless strands of Black Qi traced bizarre Star Chart patterns as they surged, sometimes gathering into spinning whirlpools, sometimes scattering into charging Beast Shadows, before finally transforming into densely packed, grotesque Human Faces diving downward.
As someone who had fused with Kirin Blood, Ye Jinglan's perception was exceptionally powerful. He immediately sensed that the Black Haze was concentrated poisonous fog, and shouted, "Qi Miaoxuan, the Plague God has made his move!"
Qi Miaoxuan smiled faintly and floated beside Ye Jinglan. "Kid, just use your Battle Qi to hold off the Void Array for me. Leave this Plague God to me. I'll deal with him in half an hour at most!"
"Half an hour?" Ye Jinglan said in alarm. "What if the Fire Kirin comes out?"
Qi Miaoxuan chuckled. "Originally, quite a few people would have had to die, but now..." He pointed at Gu Mo. "With that ill-mannered Gu Mo here, what are you afraid of?"
With that,
Qi Miaoxuan shot into the sky, raising one hand above his head. In that instant, a terrifying suction force appeared in his palm, instantly forming a massive vortex that swallowed all the poisonous fog covering the sky and earth. Then he plunged straight into the poisonous fog and sandstorm overhead.
Immediately, immense energy turbulence erupted in the sky. Qi Miaoxuan and the Plague God had clearly begun fighting.
The Void Array continued operating.
The entirety of He Xu Ancient City was in motion. The unceasing high temperature had already become too much for the cavalry clad in heavy armor. The pressure of the grand array was manageable, since Battle Qi feared pressure least of all, but the endless high temperature was agonizing.
Ye Jinglan's expression was grave. "Half an hour..."
"Leave it to me!"
Gu Mo gave a light laugh and stepped forward, circulating Limitless Return to Origin Qi supplemented by Frozen Ice True Qi. He struck with one palm, and in an instant, the void froze. Waves of cold surged outward, freezing even the dust in the air, and soon brought down the scorching high temperature.
Ye Jinglan gave Gu Mo a thumbs-up, then directed another unit to begin searching the city for the treasures left behind by the He Xu Kingdom.
Gu Mo, meanwhile, flew onto a tall building and looked up at the surging sand and dust in the heavens. Though he could not see what was happening within, he could sense two powerful forces clashing there. One was Pure Nascent Soul Power, which should belong to the rumored Plague God, neither human nor ghost.
Seeing that the Fire Kirin had yet to appear, Gu Mo considered rushing up to fight the Plague God as well, lest Qi Miaoxuan steal his kill.
However, at that moment,
Gu Mo suddenly felt something. He had detected a strand of his own Sword Intent—the Sword Intent of Destruction he had comprehended from the Word of Destruction in the Nine Swords of Dugu.
"Yu Shijiu?"
Gu Mo's pupils narrowed. His Sword Intent had only leaked out once: three years ago, when he had first come to Mobei and met a youth swordsman named Yu Shijiu, known in the martial world as the Flying Swordsman.
Gu Mo had admired him greatly. Yu Shijiu was not only the most naturally gifted young man in Sword Dao that Gu Mo had ever seen, but his decisive style and chivalrous character had also won Gu Mo's admiration.
That was why Gu Mo had given Yu Shijiu a sword and a strand of Sword Intent back then.
When they parted, Yu Shijiu had also given him two spirit pills and potent medicine. One had been fed to the Old Heavenly Master by Gu Chundong at Dragon Tiger Mountain, while the other remained in Gu Chundong's Great Book Box.
At once,
Gu Mo followed the direction from which that Sword Intent came and sent out a strand of Nascent Soul Power. At that moment, he saw a faintly visible, illusory world hidden within He Xu Ancient City, as unreal as a mirage.
At once,
Gu Mo took a step forward. With his powerful Spiritual Power, he instantly seized an opportunity between illusion and reality and stepped inside. In an instant, he appeared in a beautiful little village surrounded by green mountains and clear waters. Strangely enough, although the village was clearly within He Xu Ancient City, after entering it, he was somehow outside the city again, still within Dongsha Valley, yet he could still see He Xu Ancient City.
"Great Hero Gu!"
At that moment, a voice called out.
Gu Mo looked over and saw Yu Shijiu.
Three years had passed, and Yu Shijiu had grown much taller. Yet aside from his height, he seemed unchanged, still dark-skinned and youthful-faced.
Yu Shijiu held a sword in his hand—the very sword Gu Mo had given him years ago.
"Shijiu, it has been a long time. Why are you here? Are you from the Fire Spirit Race?" Gu Mo asked.
Yu Shijiu stepped forward and bowed. "Great Hero Gu, I am the Dao Protector of the Fire Spirit Race in this generation. You... have you come to kill the Fire God?"
"The Fire God? The Fire Kirin?" Gu Mo asked.
Yu Shijiu nodded. "The Fire God is the Fire Kirin."
"I did indeed come to kill it." Gu Mo answered directly without concealing anything. "Does your race intend to stop me?"
Yu Shijiu said, "Great Hero Gu, you are Number One Under Heaven. You have also joined forces with that legendary Long Life Being, and you have an army to assist you. Other than me, the Dao Protector, none of my people cultivate. Naturally, we are not qualified to stop you.
"I detected you in the city just now and deliberately invited you here because I wanted to tell you that you will not succeed this time. Great Hero Gu, leave quickly."
"What do you mean?" Gu Mo asked doubtfully.
Yu Shijiu said solemnly, "The Plague God is invincible within He Xu Ancient City. If you add the Fire God to that, you cannot possibly have any chance of victory. Great Hero Gu, I do not wish for you to die here, so I came specifically to warn you!"
"You are certain I cannot defeat the Plague God?" Gu Mo asked.
Yu Shijiu said, "Great Hero Gu, your martial arts are unmatched, but the circumstances here are different. This is He Xu Ancient City. The Plague God told me personally that here, no one can be his opponent!"
"Has the Plague God always been inside He Xu Ancient City?" Gu Mo asked doubtfully.
Yu Shijiu shook his head. "No. He and that Long Life Being can both sense the other's existence. He did not enter beforehand. 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.
"Alright, I understand," Gu Mo said. "Thank you for the warning."
"Great Hero Gu, leave quickly!" Yu Shijiu said.
Gu Mo smiled lightly and patted Yu Shijiu's shoulder. Without saying anything more, he turned and flew toward He Xu Ancient City.
This Void Array was indeed bizarre. Entering that little village from He Xu Ancient City felt like crossing into another world, yet returning from the village to He Xu Ancient City happened naturally. He was clearly still on that small road, far from He Xu Ancient City, but after one step, he was already within the city. When he turned around, the little village had vanished without a trace.
At the entrance of the little village, Yu Shijiu watched Gu Mo disappear and sighed softly. "Great Hero Gu, I'm sorry. I cannot control myself. I have failed the kindness of your gift of the sword..."
As he muttered, wisps of flame spread across Yu Shijiu's body. His skin turned crimson, then split open and transformed into scales, one after another.
"Roar..."
Yu Shijiu suddenly erupted with a furious roar. His clothes were instantly burned away, and his body began to twist and mutate. In the next moment, flames surged around him once more. He thrust his hands forward and dropped to the ground, where they transformed into two beast legs. His entire body became a Kirin the size of an adult water buffalo, wreathed in raging flames.
At the same time, two or three hundred Kirins ran from the little village, unleashing terrifying Beast Roars as they charged madly outside. As they thundered forward, they were like a surging sea of fire.
In the next instant,
Two or three hundred Kirins appeared within He Xu Ancient City.
Before the soldiers could react, nearly three hundred Kirins charged toward the Military Formation. Their momentum was like a rainbow, flames flooding everywhere, terrifying beyond measure. They actually intimidated the army, and for a time, the battle formation began to loosen and Battle Qi wavered.
Fortunately, Ye Jinglan reacted swiftly. He shot into the sky and slashed with his saber. A blade aura dozens of feet long directly split the foremost Kirin in two, blood spraying everywhere.
"What are you afraid of? They're only beasts!"
Ye Jinglan roared, immediately stabilizing the army's morale. He swung his saber again and shouted, "Heavy cavalry, press forward!"
At once, a thousand armored cavalry advanced, Battle Qi bearing down. Yet the Kirins feared no death and were incredibly ferocious, erupting with surging flames that burned through the Battle Qi as they charged the army.
Though Ye Jinglan had stabilized morale, only a small number could kill these Kirins alone. The army was still heavily affected, and Battle Qi from all sides began to weaken. In particular, Gu Mo's Frozen Ice True Qi was burned away, and the high temperature descended once again, inevitably weakening the army.
This time, however, Gu Mo did not act again.
Because he had sensed the aura of the true Fire Kirin.
At that moment,
The Void Array was finally complete. Heaven and earth changed color, and the entire world sank into fiery hues. The sky became a sea of fire, the earth turned crimson, and the air became unbearably hot.
Above the void, a flaming vortex suddenly appeared, twisting and churning wildly. Crimson magma surged through its depths like a long river, every wave carrying scorching heat.
Suddenly, the magma at the vortex's center violently collapsed, and a pitch-black fissure tore open. It was not a crack in space, but the omen of some colossal creature about to break through—the magma churned like boiling porridge stirred by an invisible giant hand, bursting into pillars of fire dozens of feet high. The flames at the vortex's edge were forcibly compressed into solid lava and fell rustling along the vortex walls, revealing the volcanic world at its core as it broke apart.
"Roar—!"
The roar tore through the void before its body emerged. It was not sound, but a tangible impact of energy.
The flames on the vortex's surface were instantly shaken into countless streams of flowing fire. Like glass struck by a heavy hammer, they shattered with a crash into spiderweb-like cracks.
The fiery vortex in the void churned as magma surged like a galaxy. Suddenly, the vortex center split open, and a giant claw covered in diamond-shaped molten armor stretched out. Flames dripped from its talons, and whenever they pierced the void, space warped like rippling water while the air let out sharp cries like glass shattering.
When the giant claw braced itself against the vortex's edge, a head wreathed in blazing flames rose up. Its horns crossed like arching beams, their tips lifting collapsing flame nebulae. When its amber vertical pupils opened, the flames rolling within them scorched black smoke from the void.
Its crimson body slowly rose forth. Light like a Star Core flowed between scales the size of millstones, while its flaming mane along the spine coiled with arcs of lightning. As it rose, it forcibly spread the vortex apart, and magma poured from its shoulders and back like waterfalls.
An Aura of Destruction that burned away the origins of all matter spread around it. Its body, five zhang tall, trampled and shattered the void with every step, making space groan. When it fully emerged, the fiery vortex behind it instantly shrank into dim sparks, while the ground and buildings below burst into flame.
"Fire Kirin!"
Standing atop the high building, Gu Mo looked at this true, legendary forbidden Fire Kirin and only then realized how terrifying this ferocious beast truly was.
Thinking of the Kirin form Lu Canyang had transformed into in Qingzhou and the Kirin Ye Jinglan had become at the Jiang Kingdom Imperial Palace, compared to this true Kirin, they were as far apart as clouds and mud. They instantly seemed like two mutts.
At that moment,
Ye Jinglan looked at the Fire Kirin and began trembling all over. His soul shuddered from its depths, and flames began spreading from his body beyond his control.
He had originally thought that, with his cultivation, the Fire Kirin he transformed into might not match the real one, but would at least possess forty or fifty percent of its bearing. Only now did he understand that no matter how large a cat was, it could never imitate a tiger's majesty.
At that moment,
Gu Mo suddenly slashed out with his sword. Vast cold spread forth, instantly tearing open a gap in this world of fire and directly carving an enormous breach through the walls of He Xu Ancient City.
"Old Ye, we're leaving!"
Gu Mo took one step and instantly appeared before Ye Jinglan. He slapped Ye Jinglan's shoulder, suppressing the Kirin Blood that Ye Jinglan was about to lose control of, then shouted, "Why haven't you withdrawn the army?"
Ye Jinglan came to his senses at once. He immediately waved the General's Flag and circulated his power as he shouted, "Retreat! Retreat quickly! Everyone, withdraw!"
At once, the army retreated in a frenzy.
Gu Mo and Ye Jinglan, one wielding a sword and the other a blade, held the rear. Both released immense auras to intimidate the Small Kirin. As for the True Fire Kirin, it seemed uninterested in Gu Mo's group and merely raised its head to stare into the void.
Just then,
Qi Miaoxuan descended swiftly from the sky and appeared beside Gu Mo and Ye Jinglan. He looked at Gu Mo with utter bewilderment and asked, "Kid, what are you doing?"
Gu Mo shrugged. "Nothing. I can't beat it, so I'm getting ready to slip away. Old fossil, I'll leave this place to you. We mortals shouldn't meddle in inhuman battles like yours!"
Qi Miaoxuan said speechlessly, "Weren't you going to kill the Fire Kirin? It's a wanted criminal!"
Gu Mo curled his lip. "You want me to fight it alone? I can't beat it. If I'm not running, what am I supposed to do? I do want to kill Wanted Criminals, but I'm not about to gamble my life for it. I'm off, I'm off. Old Qi, take your time fighting. I have faith in you—one against two is no problem!"
Qi Miaoxuan: "..."
At that moment, a cloud of black mist poured down swiftly and formed into a humanoid figure. It was the Plague God.
Gu Mo and Qi Miaoxuan immediately became wary.
Yet unexpectedly, the Plague God transmitted his voice to Gu Mo and the others. "I want to kill the Kirin too. We can join forces first!"
Gu Mo, Ye Jinglan, and Qi Miaoxuan exchanged glances, each seeing confusion in the others' eyes.
The Plague God continued through voice transmission, "The Fire Spirit Race needs to free itself from Kirin's Curse. Everything I have done was for the Fire Spirit Race. The reason I have fought you to the death all these hundreds of years is because I had not found a way to lift Kirin's Curse. The Kirin could not die. Now that I have found a solution, I want to kill the Kirin even more than you do!"
Gu Mo smiled. "Then you go first. Otherwise, we can't trust you."
"Fine."
In an instant, the Plague God turned into a wisp of smoke again and appeared in the void. With a downward pull of his hand, black mist churned across the sky, instantly cutting off the flames within this stretch of void.
"I have isolated Kirin's Fire Realm, greatly weakening its strength. But I can only hold on for the time it takes an incense stick to burn. We must end this swiftly!"
As the Plague God transmitted his voice, he dove straight toward the Fire Kirin, transforming into vast black mist that shrouded it.
At the same time,
Qi Miaoxuan looked at Gu Mo and nodded. "Kill the Fire Kirin first, then we'll join hands to kill the Plague God. Those two bastards are both Wanted Criminals anyway, both your targets. What do you say?"
"Fine," Gu Mo nodded. "But you have to take the lead."
Qi Miaoxuan rolled his eyes. Without another word, he transformed into a streak of light and shot toward the Fire Kirin.
At that moment, Ye Jinglan gripped his long blade, his blade intent surging forth like a vast tide. Just as he prepared to charge after them, Gu Mo's voice sounded beside his ear. "Withdraw first. Be ready to support me at any moment. Old Qi has a serious problem!"
Yet Ye Jinglan's aura did not diminish in the slightest. His eyes, fixed on the Fire Kirin, brimmed with fighting spirit and defiance. Then, with boundless momentum, he turned around and ran, his retreating figure racing out of the city with exceptional flair.
Before you continue