Chapter 253: The World's Number One

“Ah!”

From the observation deck, Gu Chudong gasped as she saw Gu Mo remove his blindfold. She leaped up excitedly, shouting, “My brother opened his eyes! My brother opened his eyes!”

Many people present cast confused glances her way.

Beside Gu Chudong, Su Ziyou asked, “What does Gu Mo opening his eyes mean?”

Su Ziyou’s question echoed the thoughts of everyone else.

Gu Chudong pointed towards Mingyue Mountain. “It means exactly what it says! Didn’t you see it? My brother opened his eyes… Oh, my apologies, I forgot most of you can’t see that far!” The observation deck was hundreds of yards from Mingyue Mountain, and most people could only make out general shapes, not the detail of Gu Mo removing his blindfold. However, Gu Chudong, with her advanced martial arts, possessed astonishing eyesight and could discern it clearly.

Gu Chudong continued, “My brother’s eyes healed back in Linhai Commandery. He’s been waiting for an opponent worthy enough for him to open them. He said that the moment he opens his eyes will be the moment he becomes the world’s number one.”

For a moment, various expressions flickered across the faces of the spectators.

Su Ziyou gazed at Mingyue Mountain, but the area was now shrouded in smoke and dust, with surging battle energy. As someone not versed in martial arts, he couldn’t see clearly. He whispered, “Our Qian Emperor is going to be heartbroken now!”

Gu Chudong looked puzzled. “Why?”

Su Ziyou explained, “Because he’s still having the Imperial Medical Academy physicians devise the fastest and easiest ways for your brother’s eyes to recover, hoping to use that to forge a closer relationship with him. Now, that plan is effectively ruined!”

Gu Chudong chuckled, taking her satchel off her back and placing it in front of her.

At the same time, on the other side of the observation deck, Princess Xiao Ziyin of Chu shifted slightly. “Gu Mo’s weakness is truly hard to find. I was still hoping to use his blindness to make him owe me a favor.”

“Your Highness,” her maid said, “the bigger problem now is that our plan might fail. Gu Mo’s strength has exceeded our expectations, and now that his eyes are open, he truly might become the world’s strongest.”

“If it fails, it fails,” Xiao Ziyin replied. “What can I do? If Su Qianqiu, plus Master Liansheng, plus the Jin army can’t defeat Gu Mo, what power do I have now?”

The maid asked, “But His Majesty might be difficult to explain this to.”

Xiao Ziyin waved her hand. “He is a martial artist himself; he understands better than anyone. If Gu Mo can still turn the tide under these circumstances, it’s truly an unresolvable situation. Even if he came personally, there would be no other way.” Speaking, Xiao Ziyin looked towards the Jin Emperor at the center of the observation deck and sighed. “It seems the destiny of the Jin Kingdom has not yet completely dissipated.”

Meanwhile, the Jin Emperor stared intently at Mingyue Mountain. Although he couldn’t see anything clearly, he was extraordinarily excited, a flicker of hope igniting within him.

At this moment, on Mingyue Mountain, Su Qianqiu felt an inexplicable sinking in his heart as he looked at the opened-eyed Gu Mo, a hint of fear arising within him. However, as he felt the continuous surge of battle energy flowing into his sword and body, the fear vanished.

He pointed his sword at Gu Mo. “You shouldn’t have opened your eyes. If you had kept them closed, losing wouldn’t have felt so bad. But now that you’ve opened them, you will witness me utterly defeat you with my flawless martial arts. For a young man like you, that would be far too cruel!”

Gu Mo looked at Su Qianqiu and chuckled, “Less talk, or it will all become the reason you get beaten later.” With that, Gu Mo stomped his foot, soaring into the sky, and roared, “Saber!”

Gu Mo’s voice, like a booming bell, resonated through the nine heavens. The immense sound waves churned the flowing clouds, causing them to tremble.

Hundreds of yards away on the observation deck, Gu Chudong immediately thrust her arm, launching the Gouchen Demonic Saber. Enveloped in crimson flames, it streaked across the sky, leaving a scarlet trail. The blazing blade scorched the air, creating twisting ripples, like a fiery dragon breaking through the void. Gu Mo’s palm conjured a dragon-shaped vortex, and he reached out, the demonic saber instantly vanishing into it.

In an instant, the saber erupted with a blood-red glow, its fiery edge flickering like a living thing. He roared “Battle!” from his throat, the sound wave exploding with saber qi, sending sand and stone within ten yards hurtling skyward. In that very instant, Gu Mo’s figure had already transformed into a bloody afterimage, vanishing from his spot.

Suddenly, Su Qianqiu’s pupils constricted—a fierce saber wind sliced past his face, the demonic saber’s fiery trail leaving charred cracks in the air. In the nick of time, Su Qianqiu lowered his stance and twisted his body, his Autumn Sword drawing a silver arc. The moment the blade met the demonic saber, sparks erupted like a meteor shower.

However, Gu Mo’s offensive was like a thunderous storm. The instant his right-hand saber strike was blocked, his left hand, with five fingers like steel hooks, darted out. Blood patterns swirled on his palm, and his fingernails grew half-inch long crimson claws, swiftly executing a throat lock, vein seize, and wrist grab, poised to crush Su Qianqiu’s wrist.

Su Qianqiu hastily spun and changed his stance, his sword flowers blooming like a rainstorm towards Gu Mo’s face. To his surprise, Gu Mo’s left hand suddenly transformed into a claw, his finger joints making eerie clicking sounds. With an incredibly tricky move, he directly grasped at Su Qianqiu’s throat, forcing him into a clumsy retreat.

*Bang!*

Amidst the sparks of clashing blade and sword, Gu Mo’s assault was a whirlwind. Employing a simultaneous dual-wielding technique, his right hand wielded the demonic saber with the expansive moves of the Eight Heavenly Saber訣, while his left hand utilized a variety of techniques—sometimes a Dragon Subduing Palm, sometimes White Rainbow Palm Force, sometimes a Tianshan Plum-Folding Hand—forcing Su Qianqiu to continuously fall back. In a rush, dozens of rounds had already been exchanged.

At one point, *Clang!*

The demonic saber and Autumn Sword collided in mid-air, erupting in blinding sparks. Both men tapped their toes on the ground, leaping ten yards into the sky. Su Qianqiu’s Heavenly Craft Spiritual Cage Armor suddenly released dozens of peacock feathers, forming a peculiar rope that enveloped the Gouchen Demonic Saber.

Gu Mo’s pupils narrowed. He knew that Su Qianqiu’s Heavenly Craft Spiritual Cage Armor protected him, making the possibility of wounding Su Qianqiu with his saber almost zero. This Heavenly Craft Spiritual Cage was a defensive divine weapon even stronger than the Grand Void Divine Armor.

Immediately, Gu Mo’s attack abruptly changed. He directly discarded the demonic saber from his hand. The moment the demonic saber flew through the air, his left arm suddenly tensed, muscles bulging like gnarled ancient vines. With the force to split mountains and cleave rocks, he swept horizontally towards Su Qianqiu’s face. Amidst the whistling wind, this strike was as fast as lightning, tearing the air with a piercing shriek.

Su Qianqiu hastily raised his sword to block. The moment the blade met Gu Mo’s palm, sparks flew. However, Gu Mo’s killing move was far from over. His right fist, wrapped in the sound of wind and thunder, slammed into Su Qianqiu’s chest and abdomen with devastating force.

*Boom!*

A dull thud like thunder resonated. Su Qianqiu’s protective true qi shattered like琉璃 glass, and he was struck as if by lightning, spitting out a large mouthful of blood. He flew backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily onto the ground. The hard mountain rock was gouged with several deep furrows, and as shattered stones flew, a cloud of dust rose into the air.

Gu Mo lightly tapped his toes, his figure pursuing like a ghost. The Gouchen Demonic Saber he had thrown also seemed to possess sentience, slicing through the sky, its blade’s bloody flames surging as it aimed straight for Su Qianqiu’s vitals.

Su Qianqiu suddenly flipped up, his Autumn Sword emitting a dazzling light. With one strike, the sword qi transformed into a white bolt, instantly shattering half a mountain peak. In an instant, shattered rocks rained down, an incredibly terrifying spectacle.

Gu Mo swung his saber to block, and the Gouchen Demonic Saber clashed with Su Qianqiu’s sword edge once more. Two terrifying forces collided, distorting and shaking the very void. The surrounding air was violently compressed, creating a fierce air blast. The powerful shockwave swept outwards like a hurricane, uprooting trees, and causing the ground to tremble violently. Those watching felt their eardrums ache, and the scenery before their eyes warped and distorted due to the air currents.

Gu Mo’s Gouchen Demonic Saber was a divine weapon of the current age, and Su Qianqiu’s Autumn Sword was also a peerless divine weapon. Gu Mo’s internal energy was incredibly profound, and Su Qianqiu was currently augmented by battle energy. This full-power clash resulted in an extremely strong recoil, causing the mountain itself to sway.

The Gouchen Demonic Saber was shaken from Gu Mo’s hand, tearing through the sky to embed itself in a massive rock a thousand yards away. The vibrating blade even created spiderweb cracks throughout the entire rock. Simultaneously, Su Qianqiu’s Autumn Sword was also flung away, drawing a silvery arc in the air as it plunged into the grassland several miles distant.

Seeing that he had successfully disarmed Su Qianqiu, Gu Mo’s figure blurred into an afterimage, swiftly closing in. His palms surged with crimson true qi, knuckles protruding like tiger claws, as he violently tore through Su Qianqiu’s hastily condensed protective aura. Amidst the crisp sound of the aura shattering, Gu Mo’s right leg swept out like an iron whip. With a *crack*, the sound of breaking ribs emanated from Su Qianqiu’s side, and bloody froth mixed with bone fragments splattered out.

The excruciating pain caused Su Qianqiu’s pupils to constrict, but he seized the opening, his palm glowing with an eerie blue light as he struck Gu Mo’s shoulder.

*Boom!*

The two true qis collided. Gu Mo’s figure swayed slightly, and the fabric of his shoulder shattered.

The two then became entangled in close combat, punches and palm strikes interweaving like a rainstorm. Each of Gu Mo’s punches carried the immense force to split mountains and shatter rocks, while Su Qianqiu countered and maneuvered with soft, yielding force. In the blink of an eye, dozens of rounds passed, the two battling from the clouds down to the ground.

Gu Mo delivered a heavy punch towards Su Qianqiu’s face. Su Qianqiu dodged sideways, following through with an elbow strike to Gu Mo’s ribs. Gu Mo spun and swept his leg; Su Qianqiu leaped up, both palms chopping like blades towards his opponent’s neck. As they exchanged blows, air currents surged, breaking all trees in their path and leaving numerous craters of varying depths on the ground. They appeared evenly matched.

In reality, Su Qianqiu was in a dire state. Gu Mo’s left fist had repeatedly struck Su Qianqiu’s face seven times, leaving his nasal bone sunken and his right eye swollen to a mere bloody slit. Su Qianqiu’s right leg had also kicked Gu Mo’s body several times, but it couldn’t overcome the opponent’s steel-like muscles; instead, he felt the pain of bone fracture in his own ankle.

After another thirty rounds, the entire peak of Mingyue Mountain had been flattened, and loess mixed with rocks churned in the violent air currents.

Gu Mo’s iron-like fingers tightly gripped the back of Su Qianqiu’s neck. His muscular arm suddenly exerted force, slamming Su Qianqiu’s head heavily into the ground.

*Rumble!*

Rocks shattered, and dust flew. Stars danced before Su Qianqiu’s eyes, his brain seemingly about to burst from his skull. He stubbornly held onto consciousness, countering with an elbow strike, slamming it like an iron cone into Gu Mo’s temple.

Gu Mo reacted with extreme speed, blocking with an open palm. Amidst the crisp, metallic clang, his palm was visibly covered in fine blood fissures. Su Qianqiu seized the opportunity, wrapping his arms around Gu Mo’s waist like iron chains. Using the momentary gap created by Gu Mo’s block, he suddenly rolled down the cliff. Their figures, like arrows shot from a bow, plummeted towards the ground, carrying fierce energy.

Mid-air, fist winds whistled. Gu Mo delivered a straight punch towards Su Qianqiu’s face. Su Qianqiu evaded sideways, then raised his leg to kick at Gu Mo’s lower body. As they exchanged blows, robes fluttered, and blood splattered. Su Qianqiu’s Heavenly Craft Spiritual Cage Armor glowed with an eerie blue light, deflecting much of Gu Mo’s punch force.

Protected by the armor, Su Qianqiu, despite taking several heavy punches, held onto Gu Mo tightly. They fell like two meteors, crashing into the battle formation deployed by the Jin army. The moment they landed, the sky darkened, and countless streams of energy lit up, completely engulfing their figures.

“Charge!”

The vanguard of a thousand cavalry shattered the ground, their black armor gleaming coldly in the moonlight. Each warhorse bore a steel ramming horn the size of a bowl on its forehead, and the riders held twelve-foot iron lances, instantly surrounding Gu Mo, their immense battle energy pressing down.

Su Qianqiu, like an eel, crawled on the ground and flew behind the army.

Gu Mo wiped blood from the corner of his lips and charged directly into the tide of heavy cavalry. The moment the first lances pierced forward, he moved sideways, grabbed two lance shafts, and used the momentum to leap onto a warhorse, his knee crushing the rider’s throat. With his right hand, he seized an iron lance and swept it horizontally, instantly snapping the necks of three warhorses.

In a mist of blood, he was like a god of slaughter. The iron lance spun into a hurricane, smashing riders’ lumbar bones and shattering warhorses’ skulls. When occasionally engaging bare-handed, he would directly break off an opponent’s arm to use as a weapon or crush a throat with a throat lock. The heavy cavalry’s charging formation shattered in his hands. Some tried to flank him from behind, but Gu Mo suddenly grabbed a rider’s ankle, swinging him like a human flail, knocking down over a dozen cavalrymen.

Iron hooves slipped on comrades’ corpses. Gu Mo seized the opportunity to leap onto a warhorse, digging his fingertips into its eyes. The horse reared in pain, and he used the momentum to spring into the air, an elbow strike piercing through a rider’s faceguard. The sounds of shattered armor plates and bone splintering into flesh rang out ceaselessly.

Gu Mo grew stronger with every strike, his true qi vast and unceasing. A thousand cavalry, meant to encircle and kill, were routed by him, leaving behind twisted corpses on the ground. Blood gathered into a river, flowing down the flattened slope, dyeing the loess a deep crimson.

Within the formation, Su Qianqiu, who was recuperating behind the army, trembled. He knew his own limits. Without the battle energy augmentation, he wouldn’t have been able to engage Gu Mo in bare-handed combat for so long; even with the Heavenly Craft Spiritual Cage, he would have been reduced to a pulp.

“Damn it, is this even human?” Su Qianqiu cursed inwardly, watching Gu Mo rampage and slaughter through the heavy cavalry encirclement. “Why him? How many years has this kid been cultivating? My more than ten thousand army’s battle energy can’t even compare to a young man’s true qi, barely past his coming of age?”

Seeing Gu Mo about to break through the heavy cavalry formation, Su Qianqiu no longer cared about recuperating. He yelled, “All forces, merge!”

A piercing horn blared, tearing through the thick clouds. The Jin army surged forward like a torrent, shaking the earth. The rising dust obscured half the sky. With synchronized roars, battle energy permeated and agitated the heavens, swirling and converging in mid-air, gradually solidifying.

Su Qianqiu let out a long cry, his feet treading on flowing light as he shot into the sky, his robes fluttering in the strong wind. He spread his arms, a frantic light flashing in his eyes, and his voice boomed across the land: “Gentlemen, lend me a sword!” This roar seemed to carry a mysterious power, like a heavy hammer striking the heart of every soldier.

In an instant, thousands of streams of battle energy, as if summoned, poured into Su Qianqiu’s fingertips like a cascading silver river. His palm glowed intensely, and a massive blade of light slowly formed. The light blade was crystal clear, yet it exuded a terrifying pressure. On its spine, countless ethereal shadows of weapons flickered, each one accompanied by deafening metallic clashes, as if innumerable warriors were fighting and shouting within. The entire light sword hovered in the air, as if time itself had frozen. Everything between heaven and earth trembled under this terrifying sword intent. This was a sword of paramount force.

The light sword hung in the sky. Before it even descended, the ground beneath Gu Mo’s feet could no longer bear the pressure.

*Crackle!* With a crisp sound, the earth cracked like a spiderweb, fissures radiating wildly from his center. Dust rose wherever they spread, and hard rock fragments were vibrated into dust by the invisible sword intent, as if even space itself was distorted by this terrifying pressure.

Gu Mo looked up at the light blade that obscured the sky, his pupils constricted. He swiftly formed a hand seal before his chest, raising both palms, and immediately activated his Limitless Return to Origin Qi. A vast and profound aura surged skyward from his dantian. A blinding golden light instantly erupted between his palms, like a small sun burning within them.

*Boom!*

A tremendous roar shook heaven and earth, and Gu Mo’s aura suddenly surged. The third form of the Limit Golden Core burst open. More than ten types of true qi surged out from his limbs and bones like living things, madly swirling and blending within the Golden Core. At this moment, the Golden Core seemed like the primordial chaos, various colored energies colliding and intertwining within it, finally condensing into a single golden orb.

“Go!” Gu Mo roared, shattering the ground as he charged straight into the clouds. The radiant brilliance of the Limit Golden Core illuminated the entire battlefield, confronting that paramount sword.

The moment that sword slammed down, the Golden Core sprayed out ten thousand streams of energy, like a meteor shower. Ten thousand streams of light, like a reversing galaxy, each enveloped in destructive power, interwove into a magnificent light net in the void, violently colliding with the sword.

First, there was a silent instant, as if heaven and earth had been paused. Then came a thunderous roar like mountains collapsing and earth shattering. The light sword shattered inch by inch; each exploding light shard was like a peal of thunder striking the ground.

The battle energy was utterly destroyed. The frontline soldiers who first bore the brunt of the shockwave were vibrated into a mist of blood, armor and all. The cavalry in the rear were flung hundreds of yards by the air currents, their warhorses neighing in distress in the air, their iron hooves kicking uselessly at the void.

Gu Mo slammed back to the ground like a meteor, plowing a thousand-yard long trench across the earth. Su Qianqiu, meanwhile, was thrown several miles backward, his back crashing heavily against a mountain wall. The Heavenly Craft Spiritual Cage Armor on his chest was covered in spiderweb cracks, and blood gushed continuously from his mouth.

The battlefield fell into a deadly silence, only the raging wind carrying scattered limbs and broken armor. The once orderly army formation was unrecognizable, filled with twitching wounded soldiers. Armor fragments and weapon debris lay embedded in pools of blood. In the distance, untouched army flags still flapped, yet they mirrored the horrific scene of corpses and blood.

“I can’t win, I can’t win, I surrender!” Just then, Su Qianqiu transmitted his concession to Gu Mo.

Gu Mo said gravely, “I’m very curious now, how will you resolve this?”

Su Qianqiu replied, “Believers are about faith; they are superstitious. Besides, the common people here are just a tiny, insignificant fraction of the entire Jin Kingdom. Even if some are awakened, it won’t affect the larger picture. Afterward, the government and the Autumn Cult will spread their narrative, and today’s events will be spun into something entirely different!”

At that moment, Su Qianqiu flew out from the rubble. As his white hair cascaded, he lightly tapped a stone edge and spun into the air, his robes fluttering like a crane flapping its wings. When his fingertips grazed the jade hilt at his waist, seven azure rainbows burst from his sleeves. The blades sliced through the air, their clear hum like ringing jade. The sword light blossomed in the twilight, forming ice-crystal patterns, weaving a swirling cocoon of light around him.

When the seventh sword light, like a dragon returning to the sea, merged into his palm, the scattered light shards instantly coalesced into auspicious gilded clouds. Nine-colored auspicious light poured from the cloud patterns, coating his figure in a translucent, glazed radiance. This was the illusion created by his Illusory Sword.

Su Qianqiu swept his sleeve through the cloud vapor, and qionghua petals drifted down from the cascade of light. Each petal reflected starlight like a celestial river, spiraling light paths around him. He lightly tapped the auspicious clouds, treading on them as if on waves. As his wide sleeves unfurled, they brought forth thousands of silver-thread-like sword lights, as if an immortal were riding a raft, piercing through the clouds of the nine heavens. Behind him, the light cocoon gradually transformed into the ethereal image of an immortal crane holding a spirit ganoderma.

The distant onlookers, mesmerized, clearly saw the jade butterfly hairpin in his white hair fluttering as if to fly amidst the auspicious light. They distinctly heard faint celestial music emanating from the depths of the illusion woven by sword light.

“Boundless Heavenly Venerable!”

Su Qianqiu hovered in the void like an immortal, his expression serene. His voice resonated with an ethereal quality: “Many thanks to the Lord of the South Pole for enlightening this Venerable One during my tribulation. Past events, the mortal world—this Venerable One has now comprehended them.”

Then, he looked towards the Jin Emperor on the observation deck and said calmly, “Jin Emperor, you are this Venerable One’s Heavenly Attendant from the Celestial Realm, reincarnated in this life to aid me in my tribulation. It was only that previously, this Venerable One’s past was obscured, leading to a misunderstanding and being misled, causing me to err against you. Fortunately, through the reincarnation of the Lord of the South Pole, I glimpsed the past, rectified the chaos in time, and prevented this Venerable One from making a grave mistake. Now that this Venerable One has comprehended the past, I shall restore your innocence. Seven days from now, this Venerable One shall descend upon the mortal realm once more and extend your kingdom’s destiny by a century!”

With that, Su Qianqiu pointed distantly, and a flash of spiritual light seemed to merge into the Jin Emperor’s body. Under the watchful eyes of all, a dragon shadow briefly flickered behind him.

Then, Su Qianqiu was seen shattering the swirling wind and snow, becoming a brilliant white rainbow in the sky, dissolving into myriad points of light. The snowy surface where his feet had touched bore no trace, only the tiny fragments of sword light suddenly condensing into real snowflakes before landing, scattering profusely upon the human world.

In the plain’s ruins, Gu Mo watched the celestial phenomena disappear, somewhat impressed by Su Qianqiu’s illusionary techniques. It was no wonder he had managed to turn the entire Southern Jin into a nation of faith by playing the role of a deity. However, such methods had limited effect on top masters, as Gu Mo could perceive that the moment the illusion appeared in the void, Su Qianqiu had already hidden in a carriage near the observation deck, recuperating from his injuries.

At this moment, as Su Qianqiu’s illusion dissipated, numerous common folk knelt on the ground, shouting, “Respectfully seeing off the Heavenly Venerable!” Their collective voices were formidable.

Gu Mo couldn’t understand the mindset of fanatical believers. However, he had no interest in understanding it. With a wave of his hand, he drew the Gouchen Demonic Saber into his grip, then with several flashes, he instantly appeared on the observation deck.

Gu Mo’s sudden appearance on the observation deck startled the Jin civil and military officials present, who all instinctively recoiled a few steps. The Jin Emperor, however, reacted fastest. Instantly, he bowed deeply, saying, “Greetings, Lord of the South Pole!” Immediately, the numerous civil and military officials also reacted, bowing in unison and exclaiming, “Greetings, Heavenly Monarch!”

Gu Mo felt a wave of embarrassment. He wasn’t Su Qianqiu; he simply couldn’t brazenly accept worship while pretending to be an immortal.

“I am no Lord of the South Pole; I am just a martial artist!” Gu Mo stated.

“Yes, yes, yes,” the Jin Emperor quickly said, “The Heavenly Monarch is currently in a reincarnated body, primarily as a mortal, the heroic Gu Mo!”

Gu Mo knew that the Jin Emperor intended to conclude today’s chaotic situation by using Su Qianqiu’s concessionary words at the end. He had no interest in debating the matter of Heavenly Monarchs and Venerables here to disrupt the façade. So, he immediately reached out and seized Su Wanguan, saying, “Your Majesty, this leader of the Autumn Cult, I caught him, didn’t I?”

“Of course,” the Jin Emperor smiled. “The imperial court’s bounty will be paid in full!”

Su Wanguan offered no resistance. He looked at Gu Mo, then at the Jin Emperor, and said, “Your Majesty, only my method can ensure Jin’s survival. Although today’s plan failed due to unfortunate circumstances, I was not wrong!”

The Jin Emperor looked at Su Wanguan and slowly said, “But, was I wrong?”

Su Wanguan shook his head slightly.

The Jin Emperor continued, “You believe I cannot save Jin, and that only your method can. I do not wish to debate whether the method is right or wrong. I only wish to ask one thing: can you guarantee that your heart will never waver? If one day Jin’s national gates are breached, will the Autumn Cult truly adhere to its original intention of saving the nation? Or will it evolve into a tool for power? Perhaps you, Su Wanguan, can maintain your original intentions, but what about others? In the face of profit, can they always remain steadfast? Will there come a day when the doctrines propagated by the Autumn Cult declare that ‘pseudo-Jin’ is the legitimate power, and then one day proclaim that Chu’s unification of the world is the destined trend, decreed by heaven?”

Su Wanguan stated gravely, “But at least, there is more hope than clinging to the hope of continuously defending the national gates.”

The Jin Emperor said no more. He subtly waved his hand, summoning a few soldiers to bind Su Wanguan, then began to deal with the aftermath.

Gu Mo, meanwhile, walked over to the Qian delegation, handed the Gouchen Demonic Saber to Gu Chudong, and then the group quickly departed. The Chu delegation also left at the same time.

Xiao Ziyin watched Gu Mo board his carriage and sighed softly. “The World Martial Arts Rankings are about to change. Gu Mo will become the new world number two…”

“No, the world number two will still be Su Qianqiu.” Just then, Master Liansheng appeared beside Xiao Ziyin. “Gu Mo is different from Su Qianqiu. Su Qianqiu claims to be world number two because he lacks the ambition to be invincible; he dares not claim world number one. But Gu Mo is different. He has an invincible spirit; he naturally dares to claim world number one. And he said that the moment he opens his eyes is the moment he becomes the world’s number one.”

“World number one!” Xiao Ziyin said gravely, “The allure of that title is immense. Throughout history, how many heroes have spent their entire lives chasing that title!”

Master Liansheng said, “But there can only ever be one world number one.”

Xiao Ziyin sighed. “Actually, whether Gu Mo is the world’s number one isn’t that important. What’s important is that he’s too strong.” She pointed to the shattered army on the plain and the half-collapsed Mingyue Mountain. “Although Su Qianqiu was merely playing the part of a deity, on another level, when martial power reaches their level, it’s not an exaggeration to call them gods.”

“Amitābha,” Master Liansheng said, “Indeed, they are like gods and immortals!”

Xiao Ziyin said, “One Su Qianqiu was already enough to defend the Southern Jin national gates. Now there’s an even stronger Gu Mo. Our Emperor’s path to unifying the world is becoming increasingly difficult!”

Master Liansheng, however, shook his head. “Actually, it has become somewhat simpler.”

Xiao Ziyin asked, “What do you mean?”

Master Liansheng explained, “Sword God Su is already old. In today’s battle, he lost, and that spirit was also lost. On another level, his martial destiny has now ceased. This battle should be his last peak battle in his life, unless he gains a greater harvest in White Jade Capital two years from now, but that’s highly unlikely.”

Xiao Ziyin nodded. “I understand that. But even if Su Qianqiu falls, an even stronger Gu Mo has emerged, hasn’t he? Judging by Gu Mo’s combat performance today, even if Jiang Ruoxu were still alive, Gu Mo might be able to fight him to a draw.”

Master Liansheng said, “Great Hero Gu is different from Sword God Su. Sword God Su’s divinity has vanished; it is his humanity that walks the mortal realm. He will steadfastly guard the national gates and will exert all his effort to protect Jin. But Great Hero Gu is different. His divinity is stronger now, and his humanity occupies less space. His attitude towards Qian is different from Sword God Su. If Qian were attacked, the resistance from Great Hero Gu would not be comparable to Sword God Su’s.”

Xiao Ziyin raised an eyebrow. “So, I should now find a way to increase his divinity.”

Master Liansheng nodded. “But, if I’m not mistaken, the Qian Emperor will definitely try to increase Great Hero Gu’s humanity.”

A glint shone in Xiao Ziyin’s eyes as she murmured, “Increase his divinity, hmm…”

After leaving Mingyue Plain, Gu Mo returned directly to the Honglu Temple in the Southern Jin capital. Although he fought with great satisfaction and won decisively in the battle of Mingyue Plain, his opponent was indeed very powerful, and he still sustained some injuries. However, he possessed various internal arts with miraculous healing effects, so it didn’t have a significant impact. He only needed to recuperate in the Honglu Temple for two or three days.

The morning Gu Mo’s injuries were fully recovered, he made a public appearance and had a meal with Su Ziyou. At noon, the Jin Emperor personally arrived at the Honglu Temple, bringing the Ministry of Justice official letter and the bounty, which had been converted into natural treasures worth thirty thousand taels of silver.

The moment Gu Mo received the official letter, a system prompt sounded in his mind:

*Apprehended Six-Star Fugitive**Received Six-Star Reward – Max-level Vertical and Horizontal Sword Arts**Claim?*

In that instant, Gu Mo mastered the Vertical and Horizontal Sword Arts. Not only did he gain the two powerful signature sword moves, Hundred-Paces Flying Sword and Sweeping All Directions, but he also acquired special abilities such as predicting opponent attack trajectories, mental deterrence, remote assault, and crowd control.

The Vertical and Horizontal Sword was a sword of negotiation and integration, representing the way of heaven and earth, embodying a philosophical concept of opposing yet unified yin and yang, pushing swordsmanship to its extreme to achieve one-hit kills and an unstoppable effect.

Inside the room, Gu Mo and the Jin Emperor sat facing each other.

After some pleasantries, the Jin Emperor said, “Great Hero Gu, I have come here today not only to deliver the official bounty but also on behalf of Old Master Su to invite you to Qianqiu Mountain.”

Gu Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and chuckled lightly, “He wouldn’t be coming back for a rematch because he’s still sore about his last loss, would he?”

The Jin Emperor quickly replied, “That’s certainly not possible. He wishes to invite you to discuss matters concerning Penglai Immortal Island. Old Master Su originally wanted to come see you in person, but as you know, his injuries are severe, and he cannot descend from Qianqiu Mountain for a while. In a few days, after performing a ‘Heavenly Venerable Descending to the Mortal Realm’ spectacle on Qianqiu Mountain, he will immediately enter seclusion for healing.”

“Penglai Immortal Island, hmm?” Gu Mo thought for a moment. “Yes, we can discuss that.” Then, Gu Mo asked, “By the way, how do you plan to handle the Autumn Cult?”

The Jin Emperor replied, “That’s easily handled. In Jin, with just a word from Old Master Su, everything becomes very simple. Su Wanguan will be publicly beheaded, and a large number of people, including high-ranking court officials, will be executed under the name of the ‘Autumn Evil Cult.’ This matter will then be concluded. As for the future, the Autumn Cult will still be officially established, but it will not be allowed to operate independently of the imperial court; it will be fully led by the imperial court.”

Gu Mo nodded slightly. In truth, despite such a grand spectacle, nothing had really changed. The Jin Emperor’s imperial authority had been preserved. Southern Jin was still essentially ruled by Su Qianqiu, and Su Qianqiu remained the faith of the entire Southern Jin. The only difference was that the plan for religious governance of the country had been thwarted. Su Qianqiu had taken a step back, allowing the Autumn Cult to be managed by the imperial court, which meant its control over Southern Jin would gradually weaken. There was no other choice. The path of religious national governance was blocked, so they could only settle for the next best thing: letting imperial authority truly control the nation. Otherwise, if Su Qianqiu were to die in the future and the imperial authority and Autumn Cult were to fracture, Southern Jin would truly have no resistance whatsoever.

Subsequently, Gu Mo and the Jin Emperor conversed for a long time. Upon his departure, the Jin Emperor left behind a golden token, upon which four large characters were engraved: “Grand Hero of the Nation!” This “Grand Hero of the Nation” token was identical to the one the Qian Emperor had given him, granting him free access to the imperial palace and allowing him to request local government assistance in various commanderies and counties for intelligence gathering.

Looking at the token, Gu Mo felt somewhat amused and exasperated, as if he were collecting puzzle pieces. Gu Chudong, however, was delighted. She took the token from Gu Mo’s hand, weighed it, and tapped it on the ground. “Brother, it’s real gold! Very valuable!”

Gu Mo was speechless. “My dear sister, we just earned thirty thousand taels; don’t act so…”

“Hehe!” Gu Chudong giggled, putting the token away. “Brother, if you keep this up, will there come a day when the emperors of all nations will all strike a ‘Grand Hero of the Nation’ token for you, and then, wherever we go, we can eat and drink for free, with the government picking up the tab?”

“Oh, that’s incredible,” Gu Mo said, giving her a thumbs-up. “That idea of yours is truly genius. I never would have thought this token could be so useful!”

“I’m smart, aren’t I!” Gu Chudong was very proud.

Gu Mo nodded emphatically.

“Right, brother, when are we going to Qianqiu Mountain?” Gu Chudong asked. “We can go early. Su Ziyou and the others are meeting with the imperial merchants from the Jin Ministry of Internal Affairs these days. Once things are settled, they’ll return to Qian. We can go back with them!”

Gu Mo replied, “Going to Qianqiu Mountain early is fine, but whether to return to Qian is still under consideration. I’m planning whether to go directly from Jin to Jiang to capture Ye Nantian, the leader of the Moon Worship Cult!”

Gu Chudong immediately looked a bit disappointed. “Is that so… Alright then!”

“What’s wrong?” Gu Mo asked, puzzled. “Are you in a hurry to go back for something? If it’s for Chinese New Year, there isn’t enough time. If we go back now, we’d have to celebrate it on the road.”

“It’s not for Chinese New Year,” Gu Chudong said. “It’s for something else very important!”

“What is it?” Gu Mo asked, intrigued.

“To take you on blind dates!” Gu Chudong exclaimed. “Did you forget? I told you before: once your eyes healed, I’d take you on blind dates! Xie Liuying of Xuannv Palace in Qingzhou, Hua Yanyue, Sister Yunxiu from Cangzhou, Sister Yan Sanniang, Yang Qingtong, the Martial Arts Alliance Leader, Jin Caicai from Prime Minister Jin’s family in the capital, Mu Yan from the Ministry of Rites Minister’s family… I’ve had it all planned out! I’ll take you to meet them one by one. Whichever one you like, we’ll marry her and bring her home to be my sister-in-law. Of course, we’ll definitely marry several. So, I’m in a hurry to go back not just to take you on blind dates, but also to buy a house, a very, very big house! I’ve taken a liking to Lingyun Manor in our Linjiang Commandery. Brother, what do you think?”

Gu Mo: “…”

*You really do plan far ahead!*

Qianqiu Mountain, located on the outskirts of Quwo City, was a massive, towering mountain reaching into the clouds, home to Southern Jin’s largest Autumn Temple. The Autumn Temple on Qianqiu Mountain was truly grand. From the base of the mountain, countless Southern Jin common folk were densely gathered, chanting the Autumn Eternal Scripture. Whether there were truly the thirty-three thousand three hundred thirty-three people Su Qianqiu mentioned, Gu Mo didn’t know, but even if not, it likely wasn’t far off.

Gu Mo and Gu Chudong were greeted by Su Qianqiu’s disciple, who led them directly to a manor on the summit of Qianqiu Mountain. The place was covered in swirling, falling snow. As they entered the manor, they saw Su Qianqiu standing barefoot in the snow, his figure ethereal amidst the falling flakes, white-haired and clad in white, looking slightly up at the sky. His appearance, with the white hair of an elder and the complexion of a child, exuded the aura of an immortal at that moment.

“For all these years, I have stood so high, so illusory, looking down upon the world, looking down upon all living beings. I was profoundly empty, profoundly lonely, profoundly bewildered, until now, when I finally feel my feet firmly on the ground.” As he spoke, Su Qianqiu walked out on the accumulated snow with bare feet, each step leaving a footprint on the snow, his expression indifferent.

Gu Mo curled his lip. “If Old Master still wants to feel more grounded, I can help. This time, I’ll embed you so deeply in the ground that you’ll have even more tangible contact with it, and you won’t feel illusory at all.”

Su Qianqiu waved his hand. “I am now truly the world’s number two, no longer a castle in the air as before. My many years of wishes have been granted; everything now is the best it can be. There is no need to be bothered by empty fame.”

Gu Mo’s mouth twitched. “As far as I know, you care very much about the title of world’s number one. Oh, by the way, Old Heavenly Master once said that you like to pretend to be aloof and uncaring on the surface, but in reality, you crave to be the world’s number one more than anyone. In the past, when facing Jiang Ruoxu, you always secretly practiced your sword, shouting about defeating Jiang Ruoxu, and then publicly claimed to not care about empty fame!”

Su Qianqiu put his hands behind his back. “Zhang Daoyi is merely a vulgar mortal who likes to slander others behind their back. Who am I, Su Qianqiu? I am the God of Swords! Of all the sword arts in the world, I alone possess twelve parts, and the rest of the world owes me two parts!”

Gu Mo said helplessly, “Less talk. A few days ago on Mingyue Plain, if you hadn’t talked so much, you might have taken a few fewer punches from me!”

Su Qianqiu waved his hand. “It doesn’t matter. When we go to Penglai Island, I’ll count it all against Zhang Daoyi. That old geezer had a foul mouth; he fought me twenty moves back then and took nineteen beatings, all because of his foul mouth!”

Gu Mo: “…”

He had no interest in the grudges and loves of two octogenarians. He said, “I’m not very interested in Penglai Island, but I’m very curious about White Jade Capital. I heard you are the person, besides Jiang Ruoxu, who has delved deepest into White Jade Capital. What exactly is White Jade Capital like?”

Su Qianqiu shook his head slightly. “I have not fully perceived the complete appearance of White Jade Capital. However, I know that White Jade Capital is not a concrete object. The depth to which each person experiences White Jade Capital originates from their individual spiritual will.”

Gu Mo asked, “How would you describe it specifically?”

Su Qianqiu thought for a moment. “It’s similar to a formation or barrier. Within it, what you think and what you see is all White Jade Capital. The true White Jade Capital has never been seen by anyone. Over hundreds of years, not many people have visited Penglai Island, but not few either. Dozens have encountered White Jade Capital, but what they saw and heard were all different. After all, it is the third of the world’s thirteen taboos; its wonder need not be stated further.”

“Thirteen taboos? What are they?” Gu Mo asked.

Su Qianqiu looked puzzled. “That old geezer Zhang Daoyi didn’t tell you about the thirteen taboos? Hmm, it’s normal for him not to. These thirteen taboos are just thirteen legends, of little value, mostly treatable as stories. They are, respectively: Human Dragon Veins, Samsara Mirror, White Jade Capital, Knocking on the Heavenly Gate, Xuanwu Tortoise, Fire Qilin, Heaven Beyond Heaven, Great Sun Demonic Art, Inner Demon, Plague God, Inverse Scale Blade, Seven-Colored Peacock, and Jiang Ruoxu. These thirteen taboos are legends passed down from a very long time ago. Simply put, they are things that have caused mysterious and special events in various eras. The most recent taboo to emerge in the last hundred years is Jiang Ruoxu, a madman whose combat strength cannot be assessed, and whose life or death no one can confirm. So, he was ranked as the thirteenth taboo.”

Gu Chudong asked, “Are they all real?”

Su Qianqiu said, “That’s impossible to confirm, but, theoretically speaking, they should be. At the very least, I can confirm that Jiang Ruoxu, Seven-Colored Peacock, and White Jade Capital are real taboos!”

“Brother, do you think they’re real?” Gu Chudong looked at Gu Mo.

Gu Mo nodded slightly. He could confirm that the number of genuinely existing taboos was greater than what Su Qianqiu knew. That was because he had already received system notifications indicating that several of these thirteen taboos were actually on his list of wanted fugitives!