Chapter 261: Killing Ye Nantian, Killing Jiang Huang

"I never expected this!"

Jiang Ruoxu said in a deep voice, "I've been hunting geese all my life, but today, a goose bit me!"

"Ye Nantian," Emperor Jiang said, "this is true cooperation. Although I've trapped your soul within this immortal body, your personal will remains. You are still a natural person; you are still Ye Nantian."

Ye Nantian replied, "But my life and death now rest on your single thought."

"I am the sovereign, and you are my subject. You will loyally expand my territory," Emperor Jiang declared. "This was your initial promise, and now you are merely fulfilling it. Moreover, I have granted you the supreme power you sought. With this immortal body, your boundless energy, and infinite avatars, you are invincible!"

"Fine!"

Ye Nantian sighed and said, "Whether I am truly invincible remains to be seen, but I can certainly claim the title of 'number one in the world' for now."

As he spoke, Ye Nantian looked at Gu Mo and said, "Gu Mo, I originally had no intention of killing you today; I was already prepared to leave. But this particular mishap has occurred, and now I have no choice but to kill you. It's truly a pity. With your martial arts talent, your future was limitless, but today, it ends here!"

Gu Mo floated in the air, laughing loudly, "Since I began my journey, I've encountered all sorts of powerful opponents. Every one of them, just like you, said similar things. And without exception, they all ended up dead by my hand."

"Today will be the exception," Ye Nantian stated.

Gu Mo crooked his finger and said, "Come kill me!"

Ye Nantian moved slightly. In that instant, the surrounding air froze like iron, not even stirring a speck of dust. Yet, within a few feet around him, space rippled like a spiderweb, and eerie blue electrical currents seeped from dark fissures, as if space itself was being torn apart by his subtle motion.

The next moment, Ye Nantian's figure dissolved like a drop of ink in clear water, only to reappear steadily atop a battlement thirty feet away. The bricks beneath his feet cracked in a spiderweb pattern.

Gu Mo immediately summoned the Dharma Aspect behind him. A roar like dragons and tigers echoed through the heavens and earth. Crimson flames enveloped azure wind blades, while silver lightning snakes intertwined with dark electrical currents. Four distinct powers coalesced into a twisted column of chaotic light, striking towards the battlement with world-destroying force.

Where the light column passed, the air ignited into brilliant multi-colored flames. The bluestone bricks on the ground cracked inch by inch, and fragments of stone, before even leaving the ground, were pulverized by the energy at the edge of the light column.

"Hero Gu," Ye Nantian taunted, "no matter how powerful a martial art is, outdated moves are useless!"

Just as the light column was about to graze Ye Nantian's robes, he uttered a taunt. The air around him rippled like stones dropped into a lake, and dozens of identical figures suddenly materialized!

Each avatar swiftly picked up various weapons from the ground, and each figure carried the same cold killing intent. They darted in all directions like a swarm of locusts, their trajectories as elusive as swallows migrating south in late autumn, weaving a shifting net of sword shadows in the void.

"Boom—!"

The Dharma Aspect attack slammed violently into the battlement. The power of wind and fire ripped away the entire parapet, while the lightning tore through the rammed-earth wall. Half the battlement, like a mountain split by a giant axe, collapsed with a thunderous roar that shook the heavens and earth.

Flying bricks and stones, mixed with scorching airwaves, shot skyward, forming a vast cloud of dust that obscured the sky.

Within the dust, dozens of Ye Nantian's avatars were struck by the residual energy, scattering into luminous dust, like fireflies dispersed by a gale.

However, the remaining dozens of avatars used the air currents from the explosion, darting like agile fish through the forces of wind, fire, thunder, and lightning. Stepping on the jagged edges of collapsed bricks, they moved so quickly that only afterimages remained. In the instant Gu Mo's Dharma Aspect withdrew, they had already shot forward like arrows from a bowstring, reaching him!

"Imprison!"

Dozens of avatars simultaneously roared, their voices coalescing into an invisible sonic wave. The weapons they wielded did not emit sharp sword energy, but rather strands of milky-white True Qi. These True Qi strands intertwined and coiled in the air, like the most skilled weavers crafting a net, instantly transforming into dozens of True Qi chains, each as thick as a bowl. Linking together, they formed an octagonal True Qi cage within a few feet of Gu Mo!

The cage's surface shimmered with a soft glow, appearing gentle, but in reality, it contained the restrictive power of Ye Nantian's lifelong cultivation. Even the air within the cage became thick and viscous.

"Ye Nantian, I'll return your previous words: 'outdated moves are meaningless!'"

Ye Nantian's technique of using avatars to unleash an amplified combined attack had been employed before.

Instantly, a cold light shot from Gu Mo's eyes. He stomped fiercely, shattering the bluestone bricks beneath his feet. His Tai Xu and Yuan Hong twin swords simultaneously burst forth with dazzling sword light—the Tai Xu sword in his left hand, like a thousand miles of ice, its blade coated with delicate frost; the Yuan Hong sword in his right, like flames consuming the heavens, its spine flowing with crimson fire patterns.

"Break!" he roared, crossing his twin swords like a cross, and with an aura of creation, he slashed towards the True Qi cage.

"Crack—!"

The milky-white True Qi chains shattered instantly, scattering countless firefly-like specks of light. But Ye Nantian's avatars did not dissipate. Instead, at the moment the cage broke, all figures suddenly converged into one, like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

A blinding light flashed, and Ye Nantian's true form re-coalesced. The longsword in his hand, having absorbed the sword intent of all the avatars, turned ink-black. What flowed across its blade was no longer True Qi, but a palpable, eerie blue sword aura.

"Then let's make it a simple head-on clash!"

Ye Nantian roared and closed in like a phantom. He no longer used avatar techniques, but instead attacked purely with swift, powerful sword strikes. As his longsword swung, the air shrieked under the strain. One black sword aura after another slashed out like bolts of silk, each possessing the power to split mountains and shatter rocks.

Gu Mo wielded both swords, weaving an impenetrable shield of silver light. Yet, he was repeatedly forced back by the furious sword aura. It had to be admitted that Jiang Ruoxu's body was indeed extremely powerful; not only its speed and defense, but its strength too, had reached an extreme.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The clash of sword auras and sword light was like thunder striking the earth.

The city wall completely collapsed in the roar, revealing the scorched earth beneath. The ground cracked open with bottomless fissures from the vibrations. Bricks and stones flew everywhere, swept up by the residual energy like leaves in a gale, forming a howling storm of debris in mid-air.

Amidst the swirling dust, their figures appeared and disappeared. Only the sharp clang of weapons colliding and the muffled thunder of True Qi clashing echoed continuously over the ruins.

Just as Ye Nantian slashed his sword towards Gu Mo's face, Gu Mo sharply twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the blade, and at the same time, flicked his wrist—

"Clang!"

The Tai Xu sword flew from his hand with a sharp tearing sound. Instead of stabbing straight forward, it arced bizarrely in the air, coiling around behind Ye Nantian like a spiritual snake, its tip aimed directly at his undefended back!

This sword strike was exquisitely cunning in its angle and as fast as lightning. Even the flying brick dust in the air was split in two by its sword intent.

However, just as the sword tip was about to strike, Ye Nantian's figure once again split—this time, over a dozen figures scattered in all directions.

"Puff! Puff!"

Two avatars were precisely struck by the Tai Xu sword, dissipating into specks of light. But the remaining avatars simultaneously swung their swords, weaving a net of swords behind Ye Nantian, which managed to slightly impede the Tai Xu sword's momentum.

Meanwhile, Ye Nantian's true form, using the moment his avatars obstructed, drifted several dozen feet away like a wisp of smoke, narrowly dodging the fatal blow.

Bricks and stones still flew everywhere, fragmenting the daylight.

Gu Mo's Tai Xu sword spun in the air and swiftly returned to his hand.

Ye Nantian stood on a nearby broken wall, his longsword pointing diagonally to the ground.

Their gazes met, and the air seemed to solidify.

Gu Mo inwardly sighed, acknowledging that Ye Nantian combined with Jiang Ruoxu was indeed troublesome. His strongest single-target offensive techniques were the Vertical and Horizontal Sword Arts and the Heavenly Will Four Symbols Art. But from the start of the fight until now, these techniques had been used to their limits. Although they hadn't been defeated, they could no longer harm Ye Nantian, who had found ways to counter them.

This is why martial artists rarely unleash their ultimate moves immediately in battle. Their trump cards are meant to be used for a decisive, fatal strike at the opportune moment during a close-quarters fight. If one uses a big move at the start, the enemy, in peak condition, can easily evade it. This exposes one's own trump card without knowing the enemy's, leading to a passive situation in prolonged combat, where one might be severely wounded or killed by the opponent's ultimate move if careless.

Therefore, Gu Mo decided to engage in close-quarters combat.

In a direct confrontation, his biggest trump cards were actually his endless internal energy and his unparalleled combat awareness. With mastery of dozens of martial arts, he truly didn't believe anyone in the world could possess a stronger combat awareness than him.

Instantly, Gu Mo once again unleashed the Tai Xu flying sword, directly locking onto Ye Nantian's true form. With a hum, the Tai Xu sword suddenly erupted in dazzling silver light. True Qi flowed like a living thing across its blade, and wisps of silvery-white sword energy solidified into chains, striking towards Ye Nantian with the force of thunder.

The moment the Tai Xu sword locked on, the Yuan Hong sword tightly gripped in Gu Mo's left hand suddenly burst forth with dark red flowing light. He abruptly stomped, shattering the burning city bricks beneath his feet, and the space around him rippled like water. He instantly teleported in front of Ye Nantian, his Yuan Hong blade angled upwards, its tip spitting out a foot-long dark gleam, aiming directly for Ye Nantian's throat.

"Excellent!"

A cold glint flashed in Ye Nantian's eyes; he advanced instead of retreating. Dozens of avatars suddenly burst forth around him, each figure carrying the same fierce sword intent as the true form. They rushed towards the Tai Xu sword's energy like moths to a flame!

"Boom! Boom!"

The avatars, one after another, self-detonated, their azure True Qi exploding like fireworks within the net of light. Each explosion caused the void to tremble violently. Over a dozen avatars transformed into 'gu' worms within the light net, coalescing around the Tai Xu sword into twelve coiling dragon-shaped chains. With a crack, they locked into an octagonal cage, trapping the ferocious flying sword within.

And almost simultaneously, from another cloud of dust, over a dozen more avatars shot out like specters.

Disregarding the protective True Qi emanating from Gu Mo, they actually used their physical bodies to withstand the Yuan Hong sword's residual force, fiercely pouncing on Gu Mo's sword-wielding left arm!

"Puff! Puff!" Two avatars' bones cracked from the True Qi shock, but before dissipating, they firmly gripped Gu Mo's wrist. The Yuan Hong sword in Gu Mo's hand, however, was already forced to fly out!

The instant it left his hand, the Yuan Hong sword astonishingly traced a strange arc in the air. As its blade flipped, dark red light flowed like a venomous snake flicking its tongue, coiling back towards the two avatars gripping Gu Mo!

In that very instant, a sharp glint flashed in Ye Nantian's eyes, and the longsword tightly gripped in his hand suddenly flew from his grasp!

"Clang—!!"

Two loud thuds almost overlapped.

Ye Nantian's thrown longsword, like a meteor chasing the moon, struck the guard of the inverted Yuan Hong sword with precise accuracy.

Two immense, irresistible forces violently collided in mid-air. The air rippled visibly, and both sword shadows were simultaneously sent flying backward.

The Yuan Hong sword and Ye Nantian's sword, like two meteors, pierced through the last half of the scorched city wall with a sharp, tearing roar, then a resounding "boom"!

Amidst flying bricks and stones, the two swords, trailing long tails of light, plunged directly into the depths of the burning forest outside the city, their whereabouts unknown.

And in that very instant,

Ye Nantian's true form appeared before Gu Mo, directly swinging a fist towards Gu Mo's head.

At this moment,

Gu Mo instantly understood,

that Ye Nantian had come to the same conclusion as him: to engage in close-quarters combat.

However, upon reflection, it made sense. His weapon techniques were used to their limits, and Ye Nantian was also repeatedly using only a few ultimate moves.

And now that Ye Nantian had merged with Jiang Ruoxu's body, he would naturally want to fully utilize Jiang Ruoxu's physique, which had reached its peak in strength, speed, and defense.

"Buzz!"

As Ye Nantian's fist struck, the air hummed. His bare upper body was covered in crisscrossing bloodstains. His glass-like skin shimmered in the setting sun, and every muscle bulged as if cast from iron.

His right fist, whistling through the air, aimed straight for Gu Mo's face. Before the fist even arrived, the compressed air crackled. This punch was without flourish, a purely instinctive strike of physical power pushed to its extreme. The force of the punch across the ground pulverized the broken bluestone bricks into dust.

Gu Mo's hair was somewhat disheveled, but the cold sharpness in his eyes remained undiminished.

He leaned back strangely, like a swaying willow, avoiding the fist. Simultaneously, his left hand formed a palm, fingers like swords, aiming directly for Ye Nantian's "Zhangmen acupoint" beneath his ribs. This "Star-Tapping Finger" was as swift as lightning, and the qi force from his fingertip even left faint blood marks on Ye Nantian's skin.

"Thud!"

Ye Nantian neither dodged nor retreated. The instant his right fist missed, his left elbow shot out horizontally like an iron pestle, striking Gu Mo's wrist. The sharp crack of bone collision was clearly audible. Gu Mo felt a numbness in his wrist, and his finger strike instantly faltered.

But his combat awareness was incredibly keen. He used the momentum to spin, and his right leg swept horizontally across Ye Nantian's waist and abdomen like a whip.

"Good!"

Ye Nantian roared, meeting the attack head-on instead of dodging. He actually used his Dantian to directly withstand the whip kick.

A few muffled "crack" sounds, like ribs dislocating, but Ye Nantian seemed oblivious. His arms, like iron tongs, clamped fiercely onto Gu Mo's ankle. Using the power of his waist, he actually lifted Gu Mo clean over his head!

"Crash—!"

Ye Nantian roared, flinging Gu Mo towards the shattered wall of the grand hall behind him.

The intricately carved glazed screen wall shattered on impact. Gu Mo's figure burst through the wall, his body imbued with Vajra Divine Power. He crashed through several vermilion-lacquered wooden pillars inside the hall, yet seemed largely unharmed.

Amidst the swirling dust, he swiftly burst out of the ruins, but then stomped hard, shattering a falling 'chiwen' (a mythical beast on roof corners), and his figure closed in like a specter.

The two exchanged fists and kicks, their moves growing increasingly ruthless.

Ye Nantian relied on his formidable physical body, often trading blows: when Gu Mo's knee struck his chest, he would counter with an elbow strike to Gu Mo's back of the head; when Gu Mo's whip kick broke two of his ribs, he would strike Gu Mo's shoulder blade with his iron palm.

Ye Nantian, relying on Jiang Ruoxu's "immortal body," was like a wall of bronze and iron. Meanwhile, Gu Mo's Great Vajra Divine Power rendered his body indestructible, with no internal or external weaknesses.

Every collision between them was accompanied by the dull thud of flesh and bone striking, erupting in massive, roaring airwaves that churned waves of debris within the shattered palace walls.

However, Gu Mo gradually began to gain the upper hand.

Because he was like the most precise killing machine, every block and every counter-attack was perfectly timed. He always found openings in Ye Nantian's wild attacks: if Ye Nantian's left fist was fierce, he would sidestep to avoid it, simultaneously using "Coiling Silk Hands" to dissipate the force; if Ye Nantian's right knee struck, he would bend his leg down, using the momentum for a "Sweeping Leg" to attack his lower body.

His techniques were not solely fierce; at times, they were as intricate as a spring drizzle, at others, as violent as crashing waves, always targeting Ye Nantian's vital points.

Ye Nantian, however, relied solely on the "immortal body's" inherent speed, strength, and defense, which could make any single action incredibly powerful and destructive. But in terms of martial arts techniques, a hundred of him might not be able to contend with Gu Mo's infinite array of moves.

"Boom! Boom! Boom!"

The battle raged from Taiji Hall to Wenhua Hall, then from Wenhua Hall to the shattered walls of Meridian Gate. Ye Nantian's fists punched through the Nine Dragon Wall, and Gu Mo's kicks broke the coiled dragon pillars of the Golden Water Bridge. Eaves and dougong brackets collapsed like building blocks in their collisions, and thick palace walls crumbled from the force of their punches. The entire imperial city seemed to tremble in this hand-to-hand combat.

Ye Nantian's breathing grew heavier, and the wounds on his body increased, some even revealing bone. Although the "immortal body" didn't bleed and recovered quickly, recovery still took time.

However,

it was unclear whether it was Ye Nantian's own strong combat awareness or the "immortal body's" tenacious will to fight, but Ye Nantian grew stronger with each blow. Every time he was knocked down, he would rise again with astonishing regenerative power and physical instinct, continuing his assault.

His attacks became simpler, yet more ferocious, like a wild bull in the wilderness, crushing everything with pure strength and speed.

Veins bulged on Gu Mo's forehead, sweat drenched his clothes, and he had multiple bone fractures in his arms and lower legs.

But his gaze grew calmer, his combat awareness elevating in the extreme. He no longer directly matched strength with Ye Nantian, but instead moved like a leopard, searching for a fatal opportunity.

Finally, as Ye Nantian swung another punch, Gu Mo swiftly ducked, his hands clamping onto Ye Nantian's ankles like iron tongs, while his shoulder slammed into his knee.

"Crack!"

Ye Nantian's knee let out a grating crunch, and his body instantly lost balance.

Gu Mo seized the opportunity, moved in, locked his hands around Ye Nantian's neck, and with a swift over-the-shoulder throw, slammed him violently to the ground!

"Thud—!"

Ye Nantian crashed through several layers of floor tiles, sinking into the ground. Gu Mo, however, did not stop. He straddled Ye Nantian's chest, clenched his fists, and rained down blows like a sudden downpour!

"Thump! Thump! Thump!"

Fists landed like sledgehammers on Ye Nantian's chest, cheeks, and head.

Each punch carried immense force, causing the ground to hum.

Ye Nantian tried to block, but Gu Mo precisely evaded his attempts, his fists landing relentlessly. Amidst the bloody mess, Ye Nantian's body was continuously driven deeper into the ground, and the surrounding soil and broken bricks splattered high into the air.

"Ughhh—!"

Ye Nantian let out a low growl like a trapped beast, but he couldn't block and endured the beating. Every punch and every palm strike was accompanied by massive roars and airwaves, constantly shaking the ground, and a huge pit, roughly ten feet deep, appeared prominently on the surface.

"Roar..."

Finally, after enduring hundreds of Gu Mo's punches and palm strikes, Ye Nantian couldn't bear it any longer. He let out a hysterical roar of pain, and one of his arms was torn off by Gu Mo.

As the arm broke, a golden liquid flowed out. It looked like blood, but every drop that hit the ground instantly vaporized and disappeared.

Multiple bones in his body were broken, his chest was caved in, and dense fist marks protruded from his back.

Just then, he controlled an avatar to rush towards Emperor Jiang, roaring, "Damn you, release my Life Gu quickly, or we'll both die here today!"

As he roared, Ye Nantian's avatar rushed to Emperor Jiang's side, trying its best to remain calm. Just as it was about to speak, golden blood spurted from its mouth. It took a deep breath and said, "If you release my Life Gu, I will do my best to ensure your survival. But if you don't, I will die, and you will certainly die too!"

"You truly are useless!" Emperor Jiang said coldly. "You were so confident before, claiming you'd easily defeat Gu Mo. Yet, with an immortal body, infinite energy, and countless avatars, you still failed!"

Ye Nantian's avatar retorted coldly, "Stop talking nonsense! Either we die together, or we escape together. You choose!"

A faint smile appeared on Emperor Jiang's face. He said, "Don't worry, I won't die!"

Ye Nantian's avatar suddenly froze, then instantly melted onto the ground like a puddle of mud.

But in that very instant,

Ye Nantian, still being beaten in the deep pit, suddenly realized with horror that he had lost control of his body.

And in that very instant, Gu Mo thrust a hand-blade into Ye Nantian's chest, gripped his heart, and squeezed hard. The Life Gu was instantly crushed.

But just as Gu Mo's fingertip touched the warm heart, and before the crunch of the Life Gu beneath his thumb fully erupted, a chilling pulsation shot up his neck like a venomous snake.

Almost instinctively, his pupils constricted. He was about to withdraw, but then saw Ye Nantian's body, which should have gone limp due to the cessation of life, suddenly tremble violently beneath his palm.

It wasn't a death throe, but the surging stirrings of some colossal entity awakening from dormancy.

"Boom—!"

A deafening roar exploded in the void.

From the wound in Ye Nantian's chest, where golden blood had been gushing, it suddenly froze, then transformed into countless tiny golden streams of light.

The next moment, those streams of light erupted wildly from his shattered chest cavity like an unleashed raging sea!

That golden liquid was not blood, nor True Qi,

but the materialization of boundless sword intent,

sword intent purified to its extreme!

The moment that sword intent appeared, it became a towering tsunami. His black robes were instantly torn to shreds, revealing skin covered in intricate sword patterns, each pattern exhaling fierce sharpness.

It was as if a sea of swords, dormant for eons, had suddenly unleashed a heaven-defying divine wave. The wave crests were not water, but billions of solidified light swords. Each wave peak carried the tyrannical power to cleave the heavens, and each surge brought the resolve to destroy worlds and incinerate cities.

The air was shredded by the sword intent into piercing shrieks.

Gu Mo felt as if he had been pulled into a world of swords.

Sword intent erupted from every inch of his shattered skin, like countless divine swords soaring from a corpse, converging into an overwhelming torrent of swords that blotted out the sky.

"Swords hidden within the body, Overbearing True Intent!"

The sword intent surged like a raging sea, every wave crest inciting the rhythm of destruction, as if it aimed to plow this entire realm into a sword burial ground.

Ye Nantian's face blurred within the sword intent, until only a pair of eyes burning with sword flames remained, locking onto Gu Mo through a myriad of sword shadows.

And as the last bit of flesh and blood at his heart was consumed by the sword intent, that world-destroying sword intent finally reached its peak—not a tsunami, but an entire sword universe collapsing with a roar, drawing everything into the final strike of this "invisible sword."

At this moment,

Outside the deep pit, the sky was instantly dyed a chilling blue-gold. Clouds were kneaded by an invisible giant hand, turning into a rain of swords that whispered down. The earth groaned under the unbearable strain, spiderweb-like cracks burst open in a circular pattern, and deep within these fissures, instead of soil, flickered sword shadows with cold glints, as if another abyss of swords lay dormant beneath.

At this moment,

Gu Mo shot skyward, protected by his Innate Gang Qi. Moon-white currents of energy rapidly coalesced around him, layering upon layer to form a semi-transparent, moon-white Gang Qi shield around his body. The instant it formed, it shattered the first wave of incoming sword intent, sending up countless fine golden sparks.

"Hum—"

The Gang Qi shield continued to tremble, but Gu Mo let out a low roar from his throat.

The muscles of his exposed forearms suddenly bulged. Beneath his bronze skin, golden divine chains seemed to surge. The moon-white light that normally flowed around him abruptly exploded into dazzling golden rays, indicating the full activation of his Great Vajra Divine Power.

Where his palms met, a blurred golden Dharma Aspect phantom shimmered into existence. Its muscular contours, infused with divine power, resembled cast steel, and every inch of its physique radiated the Daoist charm of "indestructibility."

Furthermore, wisps of sandalwood-like Buddha light dispelled the sword intent's ferocity, slowly emanating from his brow chakra—not the peaceful Zen light of temples, but golden lotus flowers imbued with the meaning of subduing demons and guarding the righteous path. As each light lotus bloomed, ancient Sanskrit chants resonated in the void, forming a triple defense with his Gang Qi and divine power.

The furious torrent of sword intent finally slammed into the defensive barrier.

The surface of the Innate Gang Qi instantly bore thousands of fine sword marks, as if ice was being simultaneously scraped by billions of fine swords, emitting a teeth-grinding "sizzling" sound.

But that seemingly fragile moon-white light barrier seemed alive. The moment each sword mark cracked open, new Gang Qi runes flowed to fill it, constantly maintaining the integrity of the shield.

The Vajra Divine Power that followed immediately transformed into an even more formidable defense. The instant the sword intent wave shattered the Gang Qi shield, Gu Mo pushed his arms forward. Golden light surged dramatically on his bronze skin, forcing the second wave of sword intent to curl upwards, forming a golden "human-shaped" energy wall. The wave crests slammed onto his shoulders, and the splashing sword intent fragments even solidified into tiny arrowheads on his skin, drawing sparks and flecks of blood from him.

At this moment,

Within the chaotic imperial city,

The gradually dimming sky seemed like a curtain being torn open, revealing a churning abyss of swords behind it. The clouds on the horizon began to twist bizarrely, not from wind, but from some terrifying force tearing them apart and reassembling them into countless flowing sword-blade shapes.

Immediately after, an invisible roar made all the glazed tiles clatter. The great bronze bell of the entire imperial city began to ring without any wind, emitting a mournful hum.

"Look! What is that?!"

Amidst the continuous exclamations, everyone's gaze was drawn to the sky in the northwest.

They saw a towering sword wave rising with devastating force, reaching to the heavens. Its crest was not water, but billions of solidified light swords, each blade exhaling world-destroying sharpness.

In this pressure that could dim the heavens and earth, Gu Mo shot skyward, appearing in the void. However, that sky-obscuring sword wave was simply too colossal. In merely the span of a single breath, Gu Mo's figure was completely swallowed—not dispersed by the wave, but entirely enveloped by billions of sword intents, as if drawn into a forming peerless formidable sword.

On the ruined palace square,

Xiao Ziyin looked at the heaven-reaching sword intent and exclaimed, "It looks like Jiang Ruoxu's Overbearing Sword Intent... How is that possible? When a person dies, their sword intent should vanish..."

"What if he isn't dead?" Ye Jinglan said in a deep voice.

Zhuo Qingfeng wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and said, "If he isn't dead, then Brother Gu's 'number one in the world'... I fear... Oh no, Brother Gu!"

Xiao Ziyin was also startled, saying, "Now it's not a matter of being number one or not. It's whether Hero Gu can withstand this!"

Immediately,

Ye Jinglan abruptly swung his blade, cleaving a large swath of the surrounding Jiang Kingdom soldiers and carving out a bloody path.

The group quickly rushed towards the direction of the sword intent.

By contrast,

Gu Chudong was the calmest of the group. With a placid expression, she ran while taking a small box from her satchel. Inside were the Life-Restoring Creation Pills, rumored to revive the dead and regrow flesh on bones.

As the group flew past the collapsed city wall, they heard a tremendous roar from the void: "Break!"

A colossal Dharma Aspect, wreathed in thunder, lightning, wind, and fire, appeared in the void, letting out a hysterical roar.

Yet, in the very next instant, it was directly pierced and riddled with countless holes by the boundless sword intent, then dissipated.

However, at this point, the terrifying sword intent also began to weaken.

In the void, Gu Mo was still enveloped in golden Buddha light and flowing divine power, but it was now mixed with dripping blood.

After a long while, the heaven-reaching sword intent dissipated.

Gu Mo rapidly fell, his body drenched in blood.

"Kill!"

Instantly, a large group of Jiang Kingdom experts rushed forward.

Gu Mo crashed onto the ground and immediately sat cross-legged to circulate his energy for healing.

"Roar!"

At the same time, Ye Jinglan let out a roar, instantly transforming into a fiery Qilin and charging forward. It instantly trampled two experts to death, then roared again, spewing raging flames to intercept the approaching people.

Immediately, Xiao Ziyin descended from the sky. With a wave of his hands, his densely packed long sleeves fluttered into a fabric wall, firing countless ice cones towards the rushing Jiang Kingdom soldiers.

"Brother, take your medicine!"

Gu Chudong swiftly popped a Life-Restoring Creation Pill into Gu Mo's mouth.

At the same time, strands of white silken energy surged from Gu Mo's body. He softly said, "Don't worry, I'm not badly hurt!"

"I know," Gu Chudong said. "My brother is the number one in the world, nothing will happen to him!"

Gu Mo chuckled. He could see the worry and panic in Gu Chudong's eyes. However, Gu Chudong had indeed made great progress; previously, seeing such a situation would have surely made her burst into tears, but now she was able to effectively suppress her emotions and remain calm.

"Zither!"

Just then,

Gu Mo stood up. Gu Chudong immediately handed him the Heavenly Demon Qin.

Gu Mo held the Heavenly Demon Qin and looked at the vast, surging army of the Jiang Kingdom.

"Brother Gu, are you still good to go?" Ye Jinglan, enveloped in flames, walked over. Seeing Gu Mo still able to stand and his aura not weak, he jested.

Gu Mo pointed towards Emperor Jiang at the rear of the army and said, "Shall we make a wager and see who can reach him first?"

"A wager it is!"

Ye Jinglan immediately charged towards the army.

Gu Mo also quickly charged out.

Zhuo Qingfeng shouted, "I..."

Gu Chudong and Xiao Ziyin looked at Zhuo Qingfeng, who was holding his sword, eager to join.

A hint of exasperation flashed in Xiao Ziyin's eyes. He said, "Lord Zhuo, please don't hold us back now..."

Gu Chudong also wore a doubtful expression.

Zhuo Qingfeng spat out a mouthful of blood and said awkwardly, "I meant to say... they're truly formidable!"

"Roar—!"

A beast's roar, tearing through the clouds, suddenly exploded, its sonic waves carrying the ferocity to burn heavens and boil seas.

Ye Jinglan's body abruptly expanded at the heart of the army formation. Crimson scales, like molten lava, covered his entire body. Two jagged horns, like burning coral, sprouted from his head, and a flick of his long tail swept out several ten-foot-long fiery trenches.

In a flash, a fiery Qilin, burning with azure flames, trampled through the army formation. Where its four hooves landed, the hard bluestone ground melted like butter into glazed trenches. The surging heat distorted the air within a thirty-foot radius into grotesque, demonic faces.

It didn't even use its sharp claws to tear; with only its mountain-like charging force, it slammed headfirst into the square formation of heavily armored soldiers.

"Crunch—"

The mournful screech of twisting metal mixed with the dull crunch of shattering bones echoed continuously. Shield-bearing soldiers, like clay pots hit by a trebuchet, were sent flying backward with their shields. Their armor sparked against the Qilin's scales, and upon landing, they had transformed into broken scraps of metal wrapped in flesh and blood.

Some were even crushed by its thick Qilin legs. The neatly arrayed army formation was instantly plowed into a bloody path several feet wide, and dismembered limbs, like fallen leaves scattered by a strong wind, mixed with scorching blood droplets, spattered across the burning banners.

Simultaneously, Gu Mo's figure, like a dry leaf flying close to the ground, had its Innate Gang Qi shield surface covered in spiderweb-like cracks. Each crack sizzled under the Qilin's scorching aura, yet stubbornly blocked several spraying broken blades for him.

He slid almost grazing the ground with his feet, his robe corners lifted by the airwaves like unfurling bat wings. His fingertips frantically plucked the ancient Heavenly Demon Qin. Each time a string vibrated, visible black sonic waves erupted.

"Zing! Zing! Zing!"

What was emitted was not pleasant zither music, but a piercing shriek like thousands of vengeful spirits howling at once.

The sound waves spread in concentric rings. Where they passed, the soldiers suddenly froze collectively, bloodshot eyes bulging. The next moment, their armor, bones, and even internal organs disintegrated inch by inch under the invisible impact!

They weren't cut down, but vibrated into fragments at a molecular level by the sound waves—a moment ago, robust men charging with long spears, the next, they became a rain of blood and flesh, pulverized meat and bone fragments mixed with broken weapon parts, like minced meat churned by an invisible giant hand, splattering loudly onto the burning ground.

The fiery Qilin's flames and the Heavenly Demon Qin's sonic waves intertwined on the battlefield, forming a destructive duet.

The former was like a moving volcano, crushing life with every leap; the latter was an invisible meat grinder, where its sound waves swept, even the air turned crimson.

The once orderly army formation completely became a slaughterhouse. Living soldiers couldn't even scream before being pulverized by the double strangulation of fire and sound. Only dismembered limbs continued to fly in the air, ignited by the Qilin's residual flames, trailing long blood-fire wakes as they fell.

Gu Mo's figure, flying close to the ground, appeared and disappeared amidst the rain of blood. The cracks on his Gang Qi shield grew denser, yet it consistently protected him as he moved through the mountain of corpses and sea of blood. The Heavenly Demon Qin under his fingertips was played faster and faster, each note accompanying this catastrophic disaster.

Finally,

Gu Mo charged into the formation first, flying to the command platform where Emperor Jiang was located.

To Gu Mo's slight surprise,

Emperor Jiang, at this moment, remained as unmoving as a mountain, standing on the platform with an unchanged expression. He truly embodied the saying, "remaining calm even when Mount Tai collapses before you."

For a moment, Gu Mo's estimation of Emperor Jiang increased.

"Gu Mo, do you truly intend to kill me?" Emperor Jiang looked at Gu Mo.

Gu Mo said coldly, "Are you still planning to threaten me with Jiang Ruoxu?"

Emperor Jiang replied, "My grandfather is indeed not dead yet. However, while he might be enough to threaten others, he's probably not enough to threaten you.

But you should think carefully: Emperor Chu is currently ambitious, aiming to unify the world. A chaotic era is approaching, and all nations are sharpening their weapons, preparing for a major war. But no one wants to bear the stigma of initiating this chaos.

If you kill me now, the Jiang Kingdom will become the origin of war, inevitably ushering in the greatest turmoil in seven hundred years. And you, as the instigator, will bear eternal infamy. Are you truly prepared for that?"

Gu Mo said coldly, "Whether it's eternal infamy or a place in history, I, Gu Mo, have never cared!"

With that,

Gu Mo plucked a zither string.

In that instant, Emperor Jiang's body twitched slightly, then bloodstains began to appear, followed by a "boom" as he exploded, splitting into pieces.

At this point,

Gu Mo finally checked the system prompts:

Eliminated Seven-Star FugitiveObtained Seven-Star Reward — Max-Level Dragon God TechniqueClaim?

Eliminated Eight-Star Fugitive (1/2)Target — Jiang RuoxuMission Level — Eight-StarMission Reward — Max-Level Sword Twenty-ThreeNot yet completed

Instantly, Gu Mo claimed the Dragon God Technique.

In that very moment, he felt a change in his body.

This change was different from any transformation brought by previous martial arts he had acquired.

It was a feeling of physical sublimation.

This feeling was very strange,

as if he had perceived the laws governing the world, as if his life level had been elevated.

Subsequently,

Gu Mo looked at the system's second prompt. This one was about Jiang Ruoxu, showing a completion of one-half.

Gu Mo speculated that this was likely because he had just shattered Jiang Ruoxu's physical body, which Emperor Jiang and Ye Nantian referred to as the "immortal body."

And according to Ye Nantian and Emperor Jiang, it was the physical body Jiang Ruoxu left behind when he ascended.

"Did he really ascend?"

"But wasn't Jiang Ruoxu besieged and publicly obliterated by heavenly lightning back then?"