Chapter 111: Slaying the Shadow of Chrysanthemum Mountain

The moment Jushan Yin's fingers touched the Thousand Mechanism Casket, Gu Mo's blade was already out.

The flash of the blade was like a meteor streaking across the long night. No one could clearly see which finger gap the flying knife had been released from. Little Gu's flying knife often struck when one was dazed or uncertain, much like the strongest wine is always uncorked on a cold night, or when blood beads began to roll down the ebony casket's surface.

Little Gu's flying knife never missed. Even when facing the Grandmaster-level Jushan Yin, Little Gu's flying knife did not fail. Though Jushan Yin was impervious to blades and spears, with a body of steel and bone, the flying knife was nothing more than an ordinary one forged by a common blacksmith.

Never missing meant never missing. The flying knife instantly slashed across Jushan Yin's wrist. In that instant, sparks flew, accompanied by a splash of blood. The flying knife shattered into pieces, but Jushan Yin's palm was cleanly severed at the wrist.

As the Thousand Mechanism Casket fell, its nine layers of springs had already awakened. There was a rumor in the world that the Thousand Mechanism Casket was the fifth most powerful hidden weapon under heaven. Its first rotation, "Heavenly Pivot," pierced the clouds; its second, "Earth Fiend," unleashed a chain; its third, "Human Slaughter," brought a whirlwind. When three rotations and nine releases culminated in the "Calamity," no innocent soul remained beneath the Thousand Mechanism Casket.

In that instant, it was blindingly brilliant. No one could clearly see what hidden weapons were shot out from it. They only felt it was the most magnificent spectacle in the world, as if the most beautiful rainbow had been imprisoned within the casket and was now released, appearing dreamlike, hazy, and illusory.

Yet, it was also the most extravagant death trap in the world. Three thousand six hundred poisoned thin blades reflected the cold moonlight, as if the Milky Way was pouring down onto the mortal realm, as if a giant deity was churning the sea of clouds, as if an immortal from the nine heavens was gazing down, as if the mighty tides of the four seas were surging backward, and also as if a sword immortal had summoned countless flying swords with an outstretched hand.

Gu Mo couldn't see, but he could hear. He seemed to hear the Milky Way in the nine heavens breaking its banks, like clouds from the nine heavens descending, whistling, roaring, and surging forth, incredibly fast, rushing relentlessly.

In that instant, Gu Mo's expression turned stern, and his aura abruptly shifted. He rapidly circulated the Nine Yang Divine Skill and activated the Bright Jade Skill. In a flash, a layer of crystalline light appeared around his body, like warm, lustrous jade, yet within it, raging flames surged and burned, forming a state of yin and yang coexistence. A powerful protective qi shield burst open, firmly guarding his entire body.

In a flash, he felt a tightness in his chest as his protective inner energy was instantly breached. He hastily unleashed his most powerful move from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms, "Six Dragons Soaring." Six dragon-shaped energy currents seemed to rise from the ground, coiling around his entire body, like six mighty dragons emerging from the sea, but in that very instant, they were cut and dissipated.

Sharp blades whistled, and several blade fragments grazed his skin. In the blink of an eye, gashes appeared on Gu Mo's clothes, and black blood quickly seeped out, spreading across them. Several scattered strands of hair were also sliced off, drifting leisurely downwards. Two more blade fragments grazed his face, instantly leaving two bloody marks on his cheeks, with crimson blood slowly trickling down, making him look quite disheveled.

However, the Thousand Mechanism Casket's true attack was not directed at Gu Mo. This was because Little Gu's flying knife had severed Jushan Yin's palm, causing a slight deviation when the Casket opened. Furthermore, Gu Mo had used his lightness skill to evade some of the attacks as soon as his flying knife was released. He had only faced three or four of the nine "Calamity" rotations from the Thousand Mechanism Casket.

The massive boulder beside him, weighing tens of thousands of jin, was now riddled with holes, covered in marks where sharp blades had pierced through. Not far away, a cluster of trees had all fallen under the powerful impact, with branches and leaves scattered everywhere. Within ten zhang, not a single one of the twenty or thirty righteous martial artists and Moon Worship Cult members who were engaged in battle managed to escape this calamity. They were either pierced through the heart by sharp blades or had their internal organs shattered by the powerful energy surge, falling scattered on the ground, lifeless. A deathly silence pervaded the scene, broken only by the chilling scent of blood.

Gu Mo staggered back a few steps, quickly circulating his inner energy to expel streams of poisoned blood. The blades from the Thousand Mechanism Casket were not only incredibly fast but also concealed potent venom.

As the poisoned blood dripped to the ground, Gu Mo pushed off with his foot and leaped up, like a swallow skimming water. His posture was agile and swift, and he launched himself into the air, surging towards Jushan Yin like an arrow released from a bowstring.

In the distance, Gu Chudong shouted loudly, "Brother, catch!" As his voice faded, the famous Autumn Water sword in his hand had already left his grip, shooting towards Gu Mo like a silver rainbow.

Gu Mo, suspended in mid-air, reached out and drew in, firmly grasping the hilt of the incoming sword. In an instant, his aura abruptly changed. The long sword in his hand gleamed with a cold, piercing light, and he transformed into a dazzling streak of light, rushing directly towards Jushan Yin.

At this moment, Jushan Yin had just struggled up from the snow, his severed palm still bleeding profusely. Yet, the eerie poisonous glow on his body showed no signs of diminishing, making him resemble a demon god from hell. Seeing Gu Mo's sword slash towards him, he hurriedly raised his arm, using his almost steel-hard body to directly block Gu Mo's sword.

"Clang!"

With a loud clang, sparks flew as Gu Mo's long sword struck hard against Jushan Yin's body, yet it felt as if it had struck an unyielding bedrock. Gu Mo was forced back half a step, but Jushan Yin dared not continue fighting Gu Mo. He turned, intending to pick up the Thousand Mechanism Casket.

However, Gu Mo naturally wouldn't give him the chance. With a flick of his wrist, Bright Jade inner energy, like surging tides, continuously poured into the Autumn Water sword. In an instant, the famous sword's edge suddenly grew several times sharper, its cold light intensified, and its power greatly increased. Seizing this opportunity, Gu Mo exerted force, pushing the long sword forward, which then forcefully pierced through Jushan Yin's chest. Immediately after, he slammed his palm onto the sword hilt without hesitation. The long sword instantly passed straight through Jushan Yin's chest, splattering blood.

Then, Gu Mo's attack continued without pause. He spun his body, unleashing "Twin Dragons Retrieving Water" from the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms. His left and right palms, carrying immense force, struck Jushan Yin's head fiercely, like two flood dragons emerging from the sea. Jushan Yin's body jolted violently. Before he could recover, Gu Mo's index finger moved repeatedly, and an invisible sword qi shot out from his fingertip. It was the "Rushing Sword" from the Six Meridians Divine Sword, striking Jushan Yin precisely on his forehead.

"Pfft!"

Jushan Yin immediately bled from all seven orifices, stumbling back two steps. He stared fixedly at Gu Mo, muttering, "Truly... no wanted criminal can... escape... from your grasp..." He collapsed to the ground before finishing his sentence. The poisoned blood in his body gushed out like a bursting dam, spreading everywhere. Wherever it touched, the ground was instantly corroded, emitting sizzling sounds and plumes of black smoke, creating a horrifying sight.

Five-star wanted criminal slain.Received five-star reward - Max-level Blazing Sun Divine Skill.Claim reward?

Gu Mo immediately chose to claim it.

The Blazing Sun Divine Skill was one of the most scorching inner energies in the world, supremely rigid and masculine, formless in its changes, and controllable at will. In that very instant, a vast, scorching inner energy surged within Gu Mo, instantly suppressing both his Nine Yang inner energy and Bright Jade true qi. Gu Mo instantly understood the characteristics of the Blazing Sun Divine Skill at that moment.

In terms of the profoundness of inner energy, the Blazing Sun Divine Skill was not necessarily stronger than the Nine Yang Divine Skill or the Bright Jade Skill. However, its high rating in the system was due to its incredibly potent explosive power. The rigid and masculine characteristics of the Blazing Sun Divine Skill far surpassed those of the Nine Yang Divine Skill. It could directly ignite inner energy into high-temperature flames, intensely hot and boiling. A targeted opponent would feel as if they were being consumed by a raging fire, and the longer the inner energy was used, the more the heat would continuously escalate.

Additionally, the Blazing Sun true qi could be released and retracted freely and at will, making it difficult for opponents to parry. It possessed extremely strong simulation capabilities, able to imitate various air currents to affect enemies, allowing for precise and wondrous techniques to overcome them. Thirdly, its defensive power was exceptionally strong. When used for body protection, the Blazing Sun true qi would form a layer of high-temperature protective energy on the body's surface, like a blazing shield. This not only provided defense but also simultaneously attacked; anyone who approached would be burned by the high temperature, effectively repelling enemy attacks. The final point was that the Blazing Sun Divine Skill also had healing properties, though in this aspect, it fell far short compared to the Nine Yang Divine Skill.

"Jushan Yin is dead!" "Jushan Yin is dead!" Someone on the other side shouted loudly. Instantly, people from the righteous martial arts faction also began shouting, and in a moment, the Moon Worship Cult members were thrown into disarray, losing their leader. Meanwhile, the morale of the righteous faction surged. With this shift in momentum, the situation instantly reversed, and the Moon Worship Cult members began to scatter and flee.

After claiming the Blazing Sun Divine Skill, Gu Mo walked towards the Thousand Mechanism Casket that had fallen to the ground. However, he didn't dare pick it up because he couldn't see. He had heard of the Thousand Mechanism Casket: the fifth most powerful hidden weapon in the world, containing a Nine Palaces revolving mechanism. Each rotation was engraved with the positions of the twenty-eight constellations, and the interlocking rotations formed a Bagua formation. Seven blood marrow jades were embedded on the casket's surface in the shape of the Big Dipper, secretly corresponding to the Heavenly Gang Killing Array.

This Thousand Mechanism Casket was extremely complex. He couldn't see the locations of its mechanisms, and accidentally triggering it would be no laughing matter. He had just witnessed the power of the Thousand Mechanism Casket; before he acquired the max-level Blazing Sun Divine Skill, he wasn't confident in confronting it head-on. Even now, with the max-level Blazing Sun Divine Skill, he remained very wary of it. After all, the Thousand Mechanism Casket had different uses depending on who wielded it. This time, it wasn't the Casket that lost; it was Jushan Yin. Jushan Yin had lost to Little Gu's flying knife, not the Thousand Mechanism Casket losing to Little Gu's flying knife.

"Brother, are you okay? Are you seriously hurt?" Gu Chudong ran over, nervously checking Gu Mo's injuries. He hastily tore open Gu Mo's clothes, pulled out several bottles of medicine, and began fussing with them.

Gu Mo heard the crying in Gu Chudong's voice and felt his body tremble slightly, clearly startled. He smiled faintly and reassured him, "Don't worry, they're just superficial wounds, nothing serious..."

"So many wounds, and you're poisoned too, yet you're still smiling," Gu Chudong said, his nose red and eyes swollen. "Brother, let's... let's go snatch a heavenly treasure, then find Qi Miaoxuan to heal your eyes. Once your eyes are better, can we stop living this martial world life? Brother, I'm scared!"

Gu Mo put his arm around Gu Chudong's shoulder and gently patted him. He knew Gu Chudong was frightened because the Thousand Mechanism Casket had almost killed him just now. Gu Mo comforted him, "It's fine. Didn't you always say your brother is invincible? No one can kill me, don't be afraid!"

Gu Chudong choked back a sob, "Brother, you yourself said that was just bragging, and you're still using it to fool me. Brother, please promise me, once your eyes are healed, can we go back to our old home?"

Gu Mo nodded slightly, then suddenly said, "Alright, alright, I'll listen to you. We'll go back to our old home and build a big house... Huh, is that a snot bubble on your nose?"

Gu Chudong sniffled, then couldn't help but laugh and cry at the same time, annoyed, "Brother, you're so annoying!"

Just then, Yan Sanniang also rushed over with a panicked expression. She only let out a sigh of relief after receiving Gu Mo's clear assurance that there were no major issues.

In the valley woods, Yang Qingtong emerged, covered in wounds. Seeing from a distance that Gu Mo was mostly unharmed, she quietly exhaled, then stopped, slowly turned, and sat down under a tree, finally beginning to bandage her own injuries.