Chapter 166: Gu Mo Fights Qilin

The Fish-Dragon Battle Formation, one of the Six Doors' trump cards, held a formidable reputation in the martial arts world. It was largely responsible for the Six Doors' ability to assert its dominance over the martial arts community.

Battle formations themselves were not rare in the martial arts world. They ranged from small joint-attack techniques for two or three individuals to large-scale formations like the Big Dipper Sword Formation of the Canglan Sword Sect, which could harness the power of dozens.

However, no other sect's formation in the martial arts world could rival the Six Doors' Fish-Dragon Battle Formation. Its superiority wasn't due to its intricate design but rather its remarkably high potential combined with an extremely low entry barrier.

Most other sects' formations required disciples to train for years to cultivate the necessary rapport before they could be deployed. The Fish-Dragon Battle Formation, however, was different. Its essence lay not in the individuals but in the Fish-Dragon Iron Chains. These chains, forged from a special material, could absorb and convert internal energy, a closely guarded secret of the Six Doors.

Its method of use was remarkably simple: with minimal training, individuals could cooperate to deploy it, following specific patterns to gather the internal energy of numerous masters. Rumor had it that the Fish-Dragon Formation had no upper limit; theoretically, as long as there were enough Fish-Dragon Iron Chains, it could accommodate the internal energy of any number of people.

Countless martial arts masters had previously fallen victim to the Fish-Dragon Battle Formation. Once ensnared, escape was almost impossible, unless one could overpower the combined internal energy of all the encircling attackers with their own individual power.

At this very moment, inside Divine Weapon Villa.

Dozens of iron chains crisscrossed in the air, instantly forming the Fish-Dragon Battle Formation, which transformed into a black cage, tightly trapping Lu Canyang within.

Nearly three hundred Six Doors constables struck simultaneously, letting out a unified low roar. Their internal energy, like a hundred rivers merging into the sea, continuously surged into the iron chains.

In that instant, the iron chains glowed brilliantly, and faint, illusory fish-dragon figures emerged. Some coiled and swam, while others bared their fangs and claws, exuding a terrifying aura.

Trapped within, Lu Canyang showed no hint of panic. Instead, his fighting spirit intensified, and he declared loudly, "I've long heard that the Six Doors' Fish-Dragon Battle Formation is the bane of masters. Today, allow me to test if this formation truly lives up to its formidable reputation!"

Immediately, Lu Canyang's qi and blood surged as he unleashed his full repertoire of skills. His fist techniques were ferocious and powerful; each punch carried the force to cleave mountains and shatter rocks, striking the iron chains with dull thuds. His leg techniques were swift and sharp, like a torrential storm, with multiple leg shadows that made the chains hum. His palm techniques were robust, the palm winds whistling as if tearing through the air.

Yet, no matter the ferocity of his attacks, the cage, though violently shaking, remained as stable and unbreakable as Mount Tai. Furthermore, the cage was slowly contracting, progressively shrinking his available space.

Liu Ruohong and Xie Mingzhong stood outside the formation, nervously observing the battle. Witnessing Lu Canyang's ferocity, Xie Mingzhong urgently called out, "Hero Gu, let's strike together! Don't let him break free!"

Theoretically, the Fish-Dragon Battle Formation converted gathered internal energy into a cage, meaning the more internal energy supplied, the stronger it became. Gu Mo, a renowned grandmaster of internal martial arts in the jianghu, would undoubtedly be a tremendous asset.

While Xie Mingzhong and Liu Ruohong were not primarily known for their internal energy, as grandmasters of their generation, their fundamental internal strength was by no means weak.

Immediately, all three moved simultaneously, each taking a position in a formation eye and beginning to infuse their internal energy.

At this moment, the Fish-Dragon Battle Formation's power intensified even further.

"Excellent! Excellent!" Lu Canyang, still confined within the cage, uttered several praises. "This truly fulfills my desire," he declared. "To face a Fish-Dragon Battle Formation empowered by three grandmasters and hundreds of experts! If I break this, it will be a fitting first battle for me, the 'Number One Under Heaven'!"

"ROAR!" Lu Canyang suddenly let out a heaven-shaking roar, his voice reverberating throughout the surroundings. A terrifying surge of flames abruptly erupted from his body.

In that instant, it was as if heaven and earth had ignited. A sea of fire enveloped the surroundings, and waves of scorching heat assaulted everyone, almost suffocating them.

A colossal beast, resembling a Qilin, flickered into existence within the sea of flames. It reared its head and let out a long cry, then galloped forward, charging indiscriminately. The flames, imbued with terrifying power, violently clashed with the cage, producing deafening roars.

In mere moments, the iron chains were scorched red, then broke apart inch by inch. The Fish-Dragon Battle Formation instantly shattered, and the chains scattered across the ground like falling rain.

A Qilin, entirely wreathed in flames and over a *zhang* (approximately 3.3 meters) tall, emerged. Just like the mythical creature, its eyes blazed like crimson suns, and a profound, boundless rage seemed to smolder within their depths. A pair of thick, upward-curving horns adorned its head. Its four limbs were robust and mighty, resembling colossal pillars supporting its immense body. Each stable, powerful step it took caused the earth to tremble and the ground to crack.

The Qilin was engulfed in towering flames, each lick of fire seemingly reaching for the sky. It let out a deafening roar, the rolling sound waves surging like a tumultuous tide, charging madly towards the constables. It rampaged through the crowd, leaving a trail of continuous screams and flying flesh and blood. In moments, wailing filled the air, transforming the scene into a living purgatory.

Witnessing the chaos, Xie Mingzhong's heart burned with anxiety. He unleashed his ultimate technique, "Yanluo's Roll Call," causing a faint black light to emanate from his heavy mace as he swung it towards the "Flaming Qilin."

The Flaming Qilin charged forward, brazenly taking the blow directly on its head. A deafening "clang" echoed, yet it was merely the sound of metal striking metal. Lu Canyang was utterly unharmed, while Xie Mingzhong's hand, specifically the web between his thumb and forefinger, was split open by the rebound force, bleeding profusely.

At the same moment, Liu Ruohong unleashed his "Night Parade of a Hundred Ghosts." Twelve celestial silkworm threads flew from his hands, interweaving in the air to form a massive net, which he cast over Lu Canyang. Lu Canyang snorted coldly as the Qilin flames around him flared violently, burning the celestial silkworm net with a sizzling sound, instantly reducing it to ash. Liu Ruohong then spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward, crashing to the ground.

The Flaming Qilin let out another roar, and flames, carrying boundless might, instantly surged to engulf both men. They were too slow to dodge and were sent flying by the powerful impact, landing heavily on the ground, spitting blood from their severe injuries.

The Flaming Qilin shot into the sky, then rapidly descended, clearly intending to crush Xie Mingzhong and Liu Ruohong to death.

Gu Mo swiftly snatched two iron chains from the ground and flung them out. Just as the Qilin descended, he deftly wrapped the chains around Xie Mingzhong and Liu Ruohong, then pulled them forcefully, extracting them from the imminent danger.

The Flaming Qilin landed, creating a massive crater and causing the earth to tremble for an instant. It then let out a roar, charging madly towards Gu Mo.

Gu Mo quickly pushed Xie Mingzhong and Liu Ruohong away. He then swiftly employed his Ladder Cloud Ascent skill, soaring more than twenty *zhang* (approximately 66 meters) in the blink of an eye.

The Flaming Qilin roared, its head thrown back, and with flames surging around it, it too leaped into the sky, lunging towards Gu Mo as if to tear him apart.

Airborne, Gu Mo sensed the relentless Flaming Qilin pursuing him. His aura abruptly surged, and his long hair whipped wildly in the wind.

He took a deep breath and fiercely unleashed a "Flying Dragon in the Sky" strike. This palm, however, no longer channeled the Nine Yang Divine Skill, but rather the Blazing Sun Marvelous Skill.

His right hand slowly pushed out from his chest, golden light shimmering in his palm. A lifelike fire dragon roared forth from his palm, its scales gleaming with dazzling golden light, each appearing to contain boundless power. Its maw was agape, revealing sharp fangs, and it let out resounding dragon roars that seemed capable of tearing the very sky.

Simultaneously, the Flaming Qilin seemed to sense the threat. It let out a long cry heavenward, its body blazing fiercely with flames, like a surging sea of fire, as it charged towards Gu Mo. Wherever the flames reached, the air scorched and warped, emitting sizzling sounds.

In a blink of an eye, the dragon-shaped qi energy and the Flaming Qilin collided with a thunderous impact.

For a moment, a blinding light erupted, and scorching hot air currents diffused outwards like a surging tsunami. The colossal fire dragon, appearing as a living entity, instantly coiled around the Flaming Qilin, then, with overwhelming force, pressed it downwards towards the ground.

Entangled by the fire dragon, the Flaming Qilin's body crashed heavily to the ground. In that instant, the earth violently shook, as if heaven and earth had been overturned.

From the impact point, massive cracks spiderwebbed across the ground, extending outwards. Countless bricks and stones splattered like cannonballs, striking surrounding buildings and people, leaving wreckage in their wake.

Blazing flames rapidly spread, instantly igniting nearby houses and trees. Thick smoke billowed straight into the sky, making the entire world seem engulfed in a sea of fire. The suffocating heat washed over everyone.

Waves of scorching heat radiated outwards like a nuclear explosion. The seven-to-eight-story Divine Weapon Pavilion, not far away, instantly collapsed under the impact of this terrifying force. Bricks and stones flew everywhere, and fierce flames erupted.

As the blinding light dissipated, both the dragon and the Qilin had vanished. In their place stood Gu Mo and Lu Canyang, facing each other.

Both men were now bare-chested, their bodies glowing crimson, internal flames surging within them as if threatening to burst through their skin.

Lu Canyang's eyes gleamed with crimson light as he violently unleashed a punch. The fist-wind whistled, imbued with the power of the Qilin, resembling a burning meteor.

Gu Mo showed no fear, likewise delivering a palm strike with surging true qi and blazing flames in his palm. Their true qi and flames collided like two tumultuous waves crashing head-on, producing a deafening roar as the surrounding air was violently compressed, emitting crackling sounds.

"ROAR!" Lu Canyang let out an inhuman roar, his voice like a beast's bellow. The rolling sound waves caused excruciating pain in everyone's eardrums, almost to the point of rupture.

"ROAR!" Unwilling to be outdone, Gu Mo activated his Lion's Roar Skill. His furious roar echoed like a massive bell or thunder from the nine heavens, shaking the earth violently and causing deep, bottomless cracks to appear in the ground.

Under the impact of this powerful sound wave, Lu Canyang was momentarily disoriented. As their fists and palms connected, both men were simultaneously sent flying backward.

As Gu Mo flew backward, his right hand shot out like lightning, and his "Little Gu Flying Dagger" (Xiao Gu Fei Dao) was released. The blade glinted with cold light, carving a perfect arc in the air as it shot towards Lu Canyang's throat with the force of a thunderbolt.

However, only a metallic clang echoed. The flying dagger was directly embedded in his skin — more precisely, in a scale.

Immediately after, Lu Canyang's terrifying skin, which had appeared burned by molten lava, suddenly split open with cracks. One by one, blood-red scales emerged, covering his entire body in an instant, even his face becoming riddled with those strange scales.

Now, Lu Canyang was wreathed in flames, the scales on his body shimmering with an eerie luster. His eyes, fixed on Gu Mo, were clouded with a moonlit mist as he said in a deep voice, "Gu Mo, I underestimated you. I am the 'Number One Under Heaven,' and your strength truly places you among the top five. It's only a pity that you are destined for an untimely demise."

With that, Lu Canyang extended his hand and softly called out, "Blade, come!"