Chapter 134: Killing the Ghost

Ye Lingsu and Ye Wanyue were sent flying backward by Gu Mo's palm strike. Their expressions instantly turned grim, their arms trembled, and they quickly circulated their internal energy to regain composure.

Ye Lingsu stared at Gu Mo, her eyes filled with doubt. From the fact that Gu Mo, clearly not heavily injured, had feigned severe wounds, Ye Lingsu concluded that he had deliberately tried to lure them into revealing themselves. What she couldn't understand, however, was why Gu Mo would be wary of them.

"You've been wary of us all along?" Ye Lingsu asked in a deep voice. "I don't believe I've shown any weaknesses. Why did you suspect us?"

Gu Mo, however, had no interest in further discussion. His aura surged abruptly, and his Blazing Sun True Qi coursed fiercely through his meridians, emanating a searing heat that seemed capable of igniting the surrounding air.

The next moment, he sent out powerful dragon-shaped energy surges from his palms. Each surge was imbued with blazing inferno flames, roaring and tearing through the air with destructive force as they hurtled towards Ye Lingsu and Ye Wanyue.

Wherever they passed, the ground cracked from the intense heat, and vegetation instantly turned to ash.

In an instant, the palm winds struck Ye Lingsu and Ye Wanyue. However, at that very moment, their bodies eerily transformed into two black mists, instantly dissolving into the night. Like spilled ink, the mist rapidly spread, and within moments, an area of fifteen to sixteen zhang was engulfed by the strange black fog, making it impossible to see one's own hand.

Immediately afterward, a chilling rustling sound emanated from within the black mist. Countless Gu worms swarmed out from all directions, dense and numerous, surging towards Gu Mo like a tide. These insects varied in shape; some glowed faintly, others spat venom, and all opened their sharp mandibles.

But at that very moment, Gu Mo's Blazing Sun True Qi surged around him, circulating rapidly over his body like boiling magma. In a blink, a scorching aura shield materialized, emanating rolling heat waves that warped the surrounding air. From a distance, it appeared like a colossal, burning fiery cocoon, enveloping him protectively.

The overwhelming swarm of Gu worms, lunging with their sharp mandibles, crashed into the aura shield like a multitude of suicidal moths. Instantly, sizzling sounds echoed through the black mist as the high temperature incinerated the Gu worms into ash, filling the air with a burnt smell.

The thick, ink-like black mist was now forcibly torn open by the raging flames. The fire spread rampantly, clashing fiercely with the mist, which boiled and evaporated upon contact with the heat. For a moment, the entire space became a chaotic maelstrom.

"Great Hero Gu..." Ye Lingsu's voice, seemingly coming from all directions within the turbulent black mist, or perhaps from the millions of Gu worms themselves, began.

"Strictly speaking, we have no grudge against you. You can't kill us, and we would struggle to kill you. Why don't we both take a step back? We'll leave now, and from this day forward, wherever Great Hero Gu appears, my sister and I will retreat three paces. How does that sound?"

Meanwhile, outside the black mist, Ren Tianqi grew frantic. If Gu Mo truly reached an agreement with Ye Wanyue and Ye Lingsu, he would be doomed. So, he quickly interjected, "Changgui, don't even think about it! Who in the martial arts world doesn't know Great Hero Gu Mo of Yunzhou? He detests evil as if it were a personal enemy, and no wanted criminal has ever escaped his grasp. How dare you imagine negotiating with him?"

From within the swirling black mist, Ye Lingsu's voice spoke again, "Great Hero Gu, what do you say? Even if you don't consider yourself, think about your fellow martial artists; they won't last much longer! Great Hero Gu, there truly is no enmity between us. Your quarrel is solely with Ren Tianqi. If you wish to kill him, we won't stop you. In fact, we could even do it for you?"

Gu Mo said coldly, "I fear that even if I genuinely wished to leave now, you wouldn't let me. After all, for refining the Five Elements Golden Gu, there are few better sacrifices in this world than me. Haven't the two of you painstakingly plotted to kill me from the very beginning? Why is there suddenly no enmity?"

"Oh, Great Hero Gu, what are you saying? We haven't succeeded, have we?" Ye Lingsu replied. "Great Hero Gu, you're such a handsome young man; even if I had the chance, I wouldn't bear to. What do you say, Great Hero Gu? Your martial arts are formidable, and you even blocked the heavenly lightning. But what about your sister? Do you really want to keep wasting time with us here?"

"Alright," Gu Mo said. "I'll let you go."

Immediately, Gu Mo retreated swiftly, stepping out of the mist-shrouded area. Inside, countless Gu worms still buzzed and shrieked, making it impossible for Gu Mo to pinpoint the locations of Ye Lingsu and Ye Wanyue.

At once, Ren Tianqi's face, not far away, turned pale, and he frantically called out, "Changgui, take me with you..."

However, before Ren Tianqi could finish his sentence, a black mist suddenly enveloped him. In an instant, Ren Tianqi was completely swallowed by the unexpected fog, followed by an extremely shrill scream that pierced the silent night sky, sending shivers down one's spine.

Simultaneously, the black mist surged, instantly covering the Five Elements Grand Formation. At that moment, the formation activated with a crackling sound, and electricity began to emanate across the bronze platform. Within the black mist, currents flickered and sizzled, like countless silver serpents weaving through the darkness. Then, an intensely terrifying bolt of lightning converged within the formation. The electrical discharge was as thick as a colossal pillar, its dazzling light illuminating the black mist to transparency.

"Little sister, now!" Gu Mo suddenly shouted at that instant.

Before his voice faded, he swiftly raised his right hand. A streak of cold light instantly tore through the air as Gu's Flying Dagger, like a meteor chasing the moon, shot towards Ren Tianqi's location with an unstoppable, sharp momentum.

At the same time, his hands rapidly moved, and his fingers deftly unleashed the formidable Six Meridians Divine Sword. Six streaks of sword energy whistled from his fingertips, crisscrossing and instantly forming a massive sword array. Within the array, sword energy surged like dragons, possessing an irresistible momentum as it fiercely sliced towards the black mist where Ren Tianqi was located.

Wherever it passed, the air sizzled from the cutting, and the ground was gouged with trenches by the sword energy, sending shattered rocks flying.

At the same moment, a cloud of dust suddenly erupted from the ruins.

Gu Chutong, who had been buried in the ruins and whose fate was unknown, appeared like a ghost, with numerous ice shards still clinging to her. She quickly opened her Thousand Mechanisms Box, and an invisible force surged from within.

"Buzz!" A hum, like a river bursting its banks, resonated as three thousand six hundred hidden weapons surged forth from the Thousand Mechanisms Box.

These hidden weapons varied in form; some were as thin as willow leaves, others as sharp as needles, glinting with a cold light in the night. They were dense and overwhelming, pouring into the swirling black mist with an unstoppable force.

At that moment, it seemed as if countless stars had transformed into hidden weapons, surging and cascading upon the world. Each weapon shimmered with a cold gleam, like a meteor chasing the moon, carrying a world-destroying aura. They interwoven to form a silver curtain of light, illuminating the night sky as brightly as day.

Instantly, the whistling of flying daggers, the crisscrossing of sword energy, and the dense hail of hidden weapons intertwined, colliding fiercely with the bizarre black mist.

"Gu Mo, you bastard! You broke your word..." From within the dense black mist, Ye Lingsu's piercing scream echoed. She stumbled out of the fog in disarray, many hidden weapons from the Thousand Mechanisms Box embedded in her body. Her face was ashen, and dark blood soaked her clothes.

At that very moment, the active Five Elements Grand Formation also ceased, and the converging beam of electricity, poised to erupt, vanished instantly.

With a thud, Ye Lingsu collapsed to her knees, venomous blood continuously oozing from her body. Angrily, she exclaimed, "Gu Mo, you, the esteemed Great Hero of Yunzhou, a grandmaster of your generation, actually break your promises!"

Gu Mo said, speechless, "Weren't you also planning not to keep your word?"

"But you are the Great Hero of Yunzhou!" Ye Lingsu roared indignantly. At that very moment, she heard a crisp sound and painstakingly turned her head to look towards Ren Tianqi.

As the black mist slowly dissipated there, the situation within was revealed.

Ye Wanyue had her palms plunged into Ren Tianqi's chest, but she remained motionless in that posture, a flying dagger impaled in her own chest.

Immediately afterward, an extremely fine crack suddenly appeared on Ye Wanyue's face, like ice quietly fracturing on a cold night, revealing a chilling gleam under the moonlight.

In the blink of an eye, this crack spread wildly as if alive, with more delicate fissures rapidly forming like a spiderweb, densely covering her face. Then, the cracks rapidly expanded from her face to her neck, torso, and limbs. Wherever they reached, a surging force seemed to churn beneath her skin, threatening to tear her body apart.

"Bang!" With a dull thud, Ye Wanyue's body shattered like broken porcelain, instantly exploding into scattered limbs and flesh. A mist of blood filled the air, acrid and pungent.

At that very moment, a system notification sounded in Gu Mo's mind: "Wanted Target – Changgui (1/2)."

Immediately after, Ren Tianqi, whose heart had been ripped out, also exploded with a "boom," his body violently shattering into pieces that scattered across the ground, a truly horrific sight.

Both individuals had evidently been torn apart by Gu Mo's invisible sword energy.

"Sister!" Ye Lingsu let out a hysterical cry, but a mouthful of poisoned blood gushed forth, leaving her instantly gasping for breath. Looking at Gu Mo, she asked, "Where did I expose myself?"

Gu Mo replied, "Today isn't the night of the full moon, yet I detected traces of the Netherworld Epiphyllum, indicating its appearance was artificially orchestrated from the start. Since I happen to need the Netherworld Epiphyllum, I had reason to suspect this was a trap set for me. So, I just followed the process, and the mastermind behind it naturally revealed themselves."

Ye Lingsu paused, then gave a desolate smile. "So... that's how it was... What a grievous defeat... I was supposed to refine the unprecedented Tribulation Heart Gu King, using two grandmasters and three top internal energy experts as sacrifices..."

Gu Mo extended a finger, and an invisible sword energy instantly pierced Ye Lingsu's forehead.

In that instant, a system notification appeared: "Five-star wanted criminal slain. Acquired Five-star reward – Max-level Yijian Art. Claim now?"

Gu Mo did not claim it immediately. Instead, he swiftly pointed his finger again, dispatching the half-dead Wuchang Ghost with a single strike.

"Two-star wanted criminal slain. Acquired Two-star reward – Lion's Roar Skill. Claim now?"

In an instant, a vast and profound power, like a surging torrent, rushed forth from the depths of his spiritual sea. Every strand contained the ultimate truths of swordsmanship, flowing through Gu Mo's meridians, illuminating countless stars of the sword dao wherever it passed.

All the sword techniques and principles of Yijian Art flooded into his mind like a tide. From the most basic starting stances to profound, world-dominating killing moves, every detail was clearly etched into his soul.

When Gu Mo slowly opened his eyes, a brilliant sword gleam flickered within them.

Next, he claimed the Max-level Lion's Roar Skill.

The Lion's Roar Skill, also known as Lion's Roar, is one of the Seventy-two Shaolin Ultimate Skills and the most representative sound-wave technique in the world.

In an instant, Gu Mo grasped the essence and profound mysteries of the Lion's Roar Skill.

"Brother," Gu Chutong said, walking over with her Thousand Mechanisms Box, asking with curiosity, "Has your cultivation reached this level already? That was heavenly lightning just now!"

Gu Mo shook his head slightly. "It's science."

"What science?"

"Ice doesn't conduct electricity."