Chapter 263: Legend and the Fox Spirit

Xiao Ziyin opened her hand. A translucent crystal, about the size of a pigeon's egg, slowly floated from her palm. Its surface was covered with nine tiny holes, which emitted a clear, phoenix-like call when wind blew from outside the room.

Xiao Ziyin slowly said, "This is the Nine-Orifice Exquisite Stone given to me by His Holiness. It is considered the foremost of the world's ten greatest wondrous stones. Besides possessing the coldest power in the world, it also has investigative capabilities. When I went to Jiang Kingdom this time, I specifically brought this stone. I was with Gu Mo the entire time, and I can confirm he is truly human. There are no spiritual or demonic energies on him, so I can confirm he absolutely does not belong to any special races. He is undeniably a human being."

Xiao Zhaolin's brows furrowed deeply as he said, "Even with all this, he's still human? I've thoroughly investigated Gu Mo's entire life, from childhood onward. He was born into an ordinary martial arts family in Yunzhou, Qian Kingdom. His parents were also just common martial artists. His parents grew tired of the martial world and settled in a small mountain village. However, when Gu Mo was ten years old, their enemies found them. To protect Gu Mo and Gu Chutong from being exposed, they re-entered the martial world and were both killed in a chaotic skirmish.

"If this were a story, Gu Mo should have diligently practiced martial arts to avenge his parents. Yet, the truth is, before Gu Mo even grew up, their enemies were wiped out by others. In that martial arts skirmish, his parents were just a pair of nobodies whose names few remembered, and their enemies were also minor figures who had never made a name for themselves in the martial world. There are countless such families across the land. From such an ordinary background came an equally ordinary young man, who remained ordinary until three years ago. During a commonplace escort mission, Gu Mo was blinded. Unable to continue his trade, he set off to return to his hometown. It was that very night, an ordinary night, that the legend of a martial arts prodigy began. The siblings were fortunate enough to kill a severely injured pervert, and from then on, a rapid rise to prominence began in the martial world."

At this point, Xiao Zhaolin picked up a stack of rice paper from the table and handed it to Xiao Ziyin. "Imperial Sister, these are all records of Gu Mo's life experiences," he said with a scoff. "Haha… How could this possibly be a human?"

He sneered, "He was just a man who could be blinded by a mediocre poison-path martial artist. Logically, on that day, when the siblings left Linjiang City, the martial world should have simply lost an ordinary bodyguard, and society would have gained an ordinary blind man, who would live to old age or die before it. This should have been an unremarkable story, one of countless similar events that happen daily in the martial world. Yet, by chance, on that day, a pervert's escape from the city changed the entire landscape of the martial world, and perhaps even the whole world. After Gu Mo returned to Linjiang City that day, he transformed from a young, mediocre bodyguard into a master of internal energy. Since then, his martial arts have known no limits. Even now, as the strongest in the world, it's impossible to determine his true limits or if he still has hidden trump cards!"

Xiao Ziyin looked at the stack of rice paper in her hand and said, "This isn't very much, is it?"

Xiao Zhaolin patted another stack of rice paper, as thick as a palm, on his table. "What you have are just the records of Gu Mo's first twenty years. What I have here are his various experiences from the past three years, along with analyses of his martial arts and more. To date, Gu Mo has displayed at least thirty different martial arts techniques, and he performs each one with effortless naturalness and consummate skill. Only three years, just three years—and you say he's human?"

Xiao Ziyin said helplessly, "But he truly has no special aura. However, Master Liansheng once mentioned something. He said he saw the karma of past and present lives in Gu Mo, which is what Buddhism refers to as reincarnation."

Xiao Zhaolin replied, "Isn't Master Liansheng himself rumored to be the reincarnation of a Buddha?"

Xiao Ziyin nodded. "However, Master Liansheng said that the talk of him being a Buddha's reincarnation is merely a rumor; he was simply born with a Buddha-nature. But Gu Mo genuinely shows signs of rebirth. Therefore, according to his speculation, Gu Mo likely awakened his past-life memories under a certain catalyst exactly three years ago. There are seven types of sages in this world: those with double pupils, those with fused ribs, those with a dragon-like face and sun-like forehead, those with a flat skull and river-like eyes, those accompanied by celestial phenomena, those with three holes in their ears, and those who are born with knowledge! Awakening past-life memories is what it means to be 'born with knowledge.' This 'born with knowledge' refers to breaking through the mystery of the womb, not necessarily awakening memories immediately upon birth. That's why I previously said Gu Mo is a born sage, just like you."

Xiao Zhaolin remained silent for a moment, then said, "Imperial Sister, is there any possibility of bringing Gu Mo under my command?"

Xiao Ziyin shook her head. "Don't even consider that. However, I believe you don't need to focus too much on Gu Mo. While he is extremely powerful, his humanity is actually faint, and his divinity is dominant. In other words, as long as we don't provoke him, it's unlikely we'll become his enemies!"

Xiao Zhaolin said in a deep voice, "Am I to avoid his formidable presence?"

Xiao Ziyin replied, "That, of course, is for Your Majesty to consider. As you've said, we haven't uncovered all of Gu Mo's trump cards, yet he is already publicly recognized as the strongest in the world. And precisely because he moves through the world primarily guided by his divine nature, avoiding his formidable presence is theoretically the optimal choice."

Xiao Zhaolin said, "Avoiding his formidable presence is acceptable, but we cannot pin our hopes on his divine nature. We must find a way to contain him. Therefore, investigations and analyses concerning him cannot stop. We must do everything possible to find his weaknesses."

Xiao Ziyin nodded slightly.

"Alright," Xiao Zhaolin waved his hand. "Go back, bathe, and change. Afterwards, come with me to meet the two Venerables. This time, if not for their timely warning, we would never have known that Ye Nantian was collaborating with Jiang Kingdom, nor that Jiang Kingdom had such a devastating hidden weapon. If we had encountered it unexpectedly during a major battle, the losses would have been immense."

Xiao Ziyin nodded. "Indeed. When I saw Jiang Ruoxu's physical body in the Jiang Kingdom's imperial city, I was truly startled. Ye Nantian's Undying Gu combined with Jiang Ruoxu's body would certainly cause enormous trouble."

Xiao Zhaolin nodded slightly. "Coincidentally, I also wanted to consult with the two Venerables about Jiang Ruoxu's current state."

Xiao Ziyin bowed respectfully, preparing to leave, when she suddenly remembered something. "Your Majesty, there is one more person you should pay close attention to."

"Who?" Xiao Zhaolin asked.

"Ye Jinglan," Xiao Ziyin stated. "This person possesses Qilin blood, and his performance in the battle at Jiang Kingdom's imperial city was exceptionally outstanding. He killed half of the Grandmasters in Jiang Kingdom's imperial city and even routed their army. His potential is immense. If not for Gu Mo, Ye Jinglan would certainly have become famous throughout the world this time, at least qualifying for the world's martial arts ranking list!"

Xiao Zhaolin's pupils constricted slightly. "I have indeed reviewed the information on Ye Jinglan, and it is impressive. Qian Kingdom's martial fortune is truly flourishing. This person's potential is even greater than you imagine. According to His Holiness, Ye Nantian also possessed Qilin blood, though it was different from Ye Jinglan's. Now that Ye Nantian has been killed, I fear his Qilin blood will be taken by Ye Jinglan. If Ye Jinglan successfully merges the two types of Qilin blood, his strength will undoubtedly secure him a place on the world's martial arts ranking list!"

Qian Kingdom, Imperial City outskirts.

Ye Jinglan was accompanying Qi Miaoxuan to a mountain. The two walked side-by-side into a cave. The moment they entered the cave, Ye Jinglan felt a bone-chilling cold wash over him. Even with his Qilin blood and extremely yang body, he could still feel the intensity of the chill.

The cave was deep, dark, and gloomy.

Ye Jinglan's palm emanated a flame for illumination. After walking several dozen zhang, they encountered a small pool, about half a zhang wide. Its depth was indeterminable, but it exuded a profound chill. The surrounding rocks were covered in ice, yet the water in the pool itself remained unfrozen.

Qi Miaoxuan said, "This cold pool was formed by me specifically drawing forth and gathering the earth's cold qi here. It is the ultimate yin and cold, meant to suppress your Qilin's beast fire. Your Qilin blood is now refined to be very close to the true Qilin's bloodline. What it currently lacks, purely in terms of bloodline, is the infinite energy of a Qilin's heart blood."

As he spoke, Qi Miaoxuan took out a small jade bottle. Inside, a single drop of blood, glowing red and resembling amber, floated. This was the Qilin heart blood obtained from Ye Nantian.

Qi Miaoxuan said, "Over the years, Ye Nantian was my most successful cultivation of Qilin heart blood. While it wasn't enough to achieve the truly infinite energy of a Qilin, it allowed for extremely fast recovery, barely sustaining the Qilin energy bursts. If it were to advance further, recovery would match bursts, truly reaching an endless cycle."

Ye Jinglan asked, "How confident are you that you can successfully implant this drop of blood into my body?"

Qi Miaoxuan replied, "With the aid of this cold pool, I have sixty percent confidence."

Ye Jinglan said, "Then let's begin!"

"So impatient?" Qi Miaoxuan chuckled.

Ye Jinglan explained, "The battle in Jiang Kingdom's imperial city was the only time I've unleashed the full power of my Qilin blood since I gained it. The exhilaration of that power was intoxicating. However, the consumption from the Qilin power burst was too great; I couldn't even sustain it for half an hour. This Qilin heart blood will allow me to endure longer, perhaps even achieve infinite energy. Naturally, I'm impatient. In my pursuit of power, I, Ye Jinglan, have always disregarded my life; otherwise, I wouldn't have agreed to your terms in the first place."

Qi Miaoxuan chuckled, "Well, now I have eighty percent confidence. Soon, I will cut open your heart and implant this Qilin heart blood into it. You must use your own Qilin blood to quickly merge with it. Remember, you only have twelve hours, because the cold power of this pool can only suppress the demonic energy of the Qilin heart blood for twelve hours. If you haven't successfully merged with the Qilin heart blood by then, you will be directly controlled by the demonic energy, becoming deranged and turning into a beast."

Ye Jinglan said firmly, "I won't fail. I've already promised Brother Gu a fight!"

"That's still not enough," Qi Miaoxuan stated. "Gu Mo's internal energy is so profound that even after all my years, having met countless heroes and masters, those who can truly rival his internal energy can be counted on one hand. Even if you successfully merge with the Qilin heart blood, you won't have an advantage against him. And relying solely on your current Qilin power, you're still no match for Gu Mo."

Ye Jinglan said in a deep voice, "I received an invitation from Penglai Immortal Island a while ago. I'll go meet Bai Yujing there and further refine a few more stances of my 'Thirteen Heavenly Questions Blade Arts' before I fight Brother Gu."

Qi Miaoxuan scoffed, "Why go to Penglai Island? That's not a good place at all!"

"You've been there?" Ye Jinglan asked curiously.

Qi Miaoxuan nodded. "Of course I have. Having lived for so many years, there are few places I haven't seen. However, I didn't go onto the island. The moment I arrived near the island, Bai Yujing warned me. I wasn't confident I could defeat that entity, and I didn't want to provoke it, so I didn't go ashore."

Ye Jinglan was surprised. "Bai Yujing is a living being? Isn't that a place?"

Qi Miaoxuan thought for a moment and said, "How to put it? It's not exactly a living creature, and it probably has no specific form, but it definitely possesses consciousness, otherwise it wouldn't have warned me. However, don't ask me what Bai Yujing is really up to; I can't answer that question for you. But I speculate that anything with consciousness must have a purpose, so it's best to avoid it if possible."

Ye Jinglan said in a deep voice, "But I haven't heard of anyone who went to the island having any problems."

Qi Miaoxuan shrugged. "I don't know what Bai Yujing is exactly, so I can't answer your question. However, at least the two island masters are living people. They were there when Penglai Island first appeared over three hundred years ago, and they're still there now. I don't believe that two people who have lived for so many years would selflessly provide various secret manuals to martial artists for free."

Ye Jinglan raised an eyebrow. "So many people living for hundreds of years? You've lived for centuries, that Plague God has lived for centuries. How is this possible? How do you all manage it?"

"Not many," Qi Miaoxuan replied. "Besides myself, I only know of these three. Each has their own unique method. My method cannot be replicated. The Plague God's method is related to the Qilin. As for those two on Penglai Island, it might be related to Bai Yujing, but I'm not clear on the specifics."

At this point, Qi Miaoxuan looked at Ye Jinglan and said, "Theoretically, you also have a chance."

"What do you mean?" Ye Jinglan asked, puzzled.

Qi Miaoxuan said, "Am I not currently researching Qilin power on you? If one day you fully master the power of the Qilin, perhaps you too could gain the ability of Qilin longevity!"

Ye Jinglan said in a deep voice, "Are you implying you have more than just Qilin essence blood and heart blood?"

Qi Miaoxuan nodded. "Naturally, there's more. That's why I said you don't need to go to Penglai Island. Just be my obedient test subject, and if one day you can fully acquire the Qilin's power, you too can become the publicly acknowledged strongest in the world!"

"Publicly acknowledged?" Ye Jinglan asked in surprise. "Even if you assume I can master the complete Qilin power, I still can't become the true strongest in the world?"

Qi Miaoxuan chuckled slightly. "Boy, have you ever wondered why I was able to obtain those Qilin items?"

"Hm?" Ye Jinglan slowly asked, "You... killed a Qilin?"

"More or less," Qi Miaoxuan said. "Over four hundred years ago, I spent a great deal of effort to find clues about the Qilin, and then I entered its domain. I was just about to successfully slay that beast, but at the last moment, a protector from the Fire Spirit Tribe appeared and rescued the Qilin—that's the later Plague God. I pursued the Fire Qilin into the Fiery Ruin, where I found that Fire Spirit Tribe, and also found the Plague God, who was still human at the time. Simultaneously, I discovered the world's second Fire Qilin, or to be precise, an egg—a Qilin egg. The Fire Spirit Tribe in the Fiery Ruin had, surprisingly, always revered that Qilin egg as their clan's greatest treasure. Unable to find the adult Fire Qilin, I planned to take the Qilin egg, but my intention was guessed by the Plague God. He escaped with the Qilin egg. We fought in the Fiery Ruin, and leveraging the power of the ruin's grand formation, he proved to be my match. Finally, the Qilin egg was shattered, revealing a fully formed Qilin cub. The Plague God and I each managed to obtain half of it."

Ye Jinglan realized, "So, the Qilin blood that Ye Nantian and I use both came from that half of the Qilin cub?"

"Precisely," Qi Miaoxuan confirmed. "So, your room for improvement is still vast. After mastering Qilin blood, there's Qilin bone, Qilin scales, Qilin horn, and so on. However, even if you truly acquire all of the Qilin's power, you still won't be my opponent. Therefore, you can only be the publicly acknowledged strongest in the world."

Ye Jinglan asked, "You've told me everything. Aren't you afraid I'll find a way to defeat you?"

Qi Miaoxuan chuckled, "I'd be very happy, very happy indeed. I've been quite bored for so many years. What made me happiest was getting injured in the Fiery Ruin over four hundred years ago. This injury, lasting over four centuries, gave me a sense of urgency, and occasionally even fear. For instance, provoking the Plague God in the northern desert every few decades, or the pressure from Bai Yujing on Penglai Island in the East Sea, which makes me feel threatened—these things make me feel alive. So, I've deliberately kept this injury from healing."

Ye Jinglan's mouth twitched. He couldn't comprehend it and said, "Are you not well?"

"No impact, no impact," Qi Miaoxuan replied. "Anyway, my research on the Fire Qilin isn't entirely successful yet, so I'm not in a hurry. Otherwise, a mere Fiery Ruin, I would have broken through it ages ago. I've been emperor many times; isn't it effortless to deploy troops?"

Ye Jinglan looked at Qi Miaoxuan, once again profoundly sensing that the old man before him could no longer be considered human.

"Alright, let's begin!"

Qi Miaoxuan reached towards Ye Jinglan's chest. With a light flick of his finger, Ye Jinglan's chest instantly split open. He then opened the jade bottle and channeled energy, guiding the drop of Qilin heart blood into Ye Jinglan's heart.

Luzhou, Longhu Mountain.

After a journey of nearly a month, Gu Mo and Gu Chutong finally arrived in the Longhu Mountain territory in early May. Upon entering Luzhou, Gu Mo and Gu Chutong's horizons were broadened. They witnessed Longhu Mountain's immense influence in Luzhou; practically all the province's residents believed in Taoism. Along their journey, nearly ninety percent of the martial arts sects they encountered originated from Taoist traditions.

That evening, Gu Mo and Gu Chutong, leading their horses, entered a large market town. However, what puzzled them was how deserted the town was. This was unusual. Along their journey, the closer they got to Longhu Mountain, the livelier the places became. This was because, under Longhu Mountain's protection, no bandits or evil cultists dared to cause trouble in its territory. Over time, more and more people moved closer to Longhu Mountain, naturally leading to the phenomenon of increasing bustle closer to the mountain. But today, this market town was eerily quiet.

As they proceeded, they noticed various shops lining the streets, with numerous restaurants and inns. Though most were closed, it indicated that the town should usually be quite bustling. Furthermore, Gu Mo sensed that there were many people in the town, but they were mostly keeping their doors and windows shut, not coming out.

Perplexed, they arrived at an inn. Seeing the two leading their horses stop at the entrance, the inn employee quickly came out, saying, "Oh, esteemed guests, you've arrived just in time! If you were any later, we'd be closing up."

Gu Chutong asked, puzzled, "Brother waiter, what's going on with your town? We've seen four or five inns on our way here, and all of them are closed. And hardly anyone is out?"

The inn employee hastily replied, "Esteemed guests, I believe this is the last inn that will close. Please come in first. I'll take your horses to the backyard and tie them up, and then I'll explain everything to you."

"Alright."

Gu Chutong nodded and handed the reins of both horses to the inn employee. Then, she and Gu Mo entered the inn. The inn was deserted; there wasn't a single person inside. The siblings found a random table and sat down.

A moment later, the inn employee came in from the backyard, carrying a pot of tea. As he poured, he said, "Esteemed guests, if you had arrived any later, I'm afraid you would have had to sleep on the streets tonight. And sleeping on the streets isn't the main concern; the real problem is encountering monsters!"

"Monsters?" Gu Chutong asked, surprised. "What kind of monsters?"

The inn employee lowered his voice. "Fox spirits. There are two of them, a male and a female. In the past few days, over twenty people in town have been harmed by them. The female fox spirit transforms into a beautiful maiden to lure men, while the male fox spirit transforms into a handsome young man to entice women..."

As he spoke, the inn employee lit the oil lamp. Then, he suddenly eyed Gu Mo and Gu Chutong suspiciously, and inexplicably, his heart tightened, and his face turned pale. It was only then that he clearly saw Gu Mo and Gu Chutong's appearances. The man was handsome, and the woman was beautiful!

Gu Mo noticed the inn employee's strange expression and chuckled, "Don't worry, Brother waiter, my sister and I aren't fox spirits. We're martial artists..." As he spoke, Gu Mo took out a token from Gu Chutong's satchel and placed it on the table. "This is a Blade Catcher's token issued by the government. No fox spirit would go and become a Blade Catcher for the government, would they?"

The inn employee finally relaxed and said, "During this time, with the fox spirits harming people, everyone in town is on edge. As soon as dusk approaches, everyone hides at home and doesn't go out. Until the government constables catch the fox spirits, I'm afraid this town will remain this deserted."

Just then, a gust of wind blew from outside the door, causing the oil lamp flame to flicker wildly. The inn employee quickly prepared to close the door, but then he saw a group of people appear on the dim street. They were dressed in Taoist robes and carried long swords on their backs.

The inn employee exclaimed with delight, "It's the true masters from Longhu Mountain, here to subdue the demons!"