Chapter 280: White Jade Capital, You're Asking for Death

Gu Mo poured a cup of tea for Master Liansheng and said, "I've long heard that you have the ability to foresee the future and perceive the past. However, Baiyujing is one of the legendary Thirteen Taboos, the most mysterious existence in the world. Are you confident you can deduce things faster than Baiyujing?"

Master Liansheng pondered for a moment and replied, "I will be honest with you, Hero Gu. Our Great Brightness Temple possesses a treasured heirloom, the Reincarnation Mirror, which is ranked second among the Thirteen Taboos. This mirror has the power to peer into the past and future. The reason I was able to cultivate my precognitive abilities is, in fact, due to my study of the Reincarnation Mirror. My confidence in deducing unparalleled martial arts when facing Baiyujing this time isn't because I can contend with Baiyujing myself, but because it will be a contest between the Reincarnation Mirror and Baiyujing."

Gu Mo's eyes were full of surprise. "Master," he said, "wealth can move hearts, let alone a treasure like the Reincarnation Mirror. You just told me directly?"

Master Liansheng said, "If it were anyone else, I would certainly not have told them. But there is no harm in telling you, Hero Gu. You possess the greatest strength in the world, and also the greatest magnanimity. It is impossible for you to covet others' treasures; this is the pride and state of mind of the world's strongest. Furthermore, I once used the Reincarnation Mirror to glimpse the future, and you and I will be friends."

Gu Mo chuckled softly. "I must thank you for your trust, Master. However, I don't have any martial arts I need Baiyujing to deduce, so you are free to proceed as you wish."

Master Liansheng replied, "Hero Gu, this is a great opportunity. Please rest assured, I will not covet your divine martial arts, just as you would not covet my Reincarnation Mirror."

Gu Mo said, "I truly have no need. To be honest with you, Master, my current cultivation realm has already transcended the limitations of conventional martial arts."

Master Liansheng let out a soft "Oh?" and said, "Hero Gu, you've given me an idea. When the time comes, I can consider deducing techniques that transcend the Ascension Realm and even the Immortal Realm. I want to see Baiyujing's limits!"

Gu Mo chuckled, "Perhaps also consider techniques for dealing with inner demons."

"Oh, good, good," Master Liansheng said, looking puzzled. "Are there really inner demons?"

Gu Mo nodded. "I have seen them. The legends are true; once you ascend, you will encounter inner demons. Only by defeating them can you knock on the Heavenly Gate and enter the Celestial Realm."

"So that's how it is," Master Liansheng said. "Then I will definitely ask Baiyujing about it."

Gu Mo asked, "By the way, did many people come from your state of Chu this time?"

Master Liansheng nodded. "Four of the top ten masters from Chu's Heavenly Rankings are here, along with over twenty people from other professions. That's quite a lot. We arrived yesterday. Oh, and people from Southern Jin also arrived yesterday, including the old Sword God Su Qianqiu..."

Just then, a clear, cool voice came from outside the courtyard: "Hero Gu, has Chutong arrived?"

Gu Mo turned his head and saw a woman in green standing at the door. Her demeanor was elegant, and her appearance was beautiful. It was none other than Xiaobai, whom he had met last year, and also the reincarnation of Qi Tianshu's master, Yu Jinghong.

"Miss Xiaobai, please come in!" Gu Mo said.

Xiaobai stepped inside, looking left and right. "Hero Gu," she asked, "Chutong didn't come?"

Gu Mo shook his head slightly. "No."

Xiaobai was quite disappointed. "Why didn't she come? Didn't I promise to show her around?"

Gu Mo explained, "Chutong is in seclusion. It's a critical moment for her, so she couldn't come out."

"Alright," Xiaobai said, looking dejected. "Then, when you return, Hero Gu, please bring some specialties from Penglai Island back for Chutong."

"Okay." Gu Mo nodded. "Miss Xiaobai, has your mental clarity fully recovered now?"

"Yes," Xiaobai replied. "I must thank you for your help, Hero Gu. If you hadn't taken me to Qingyi Village to help me recover my missing soul, I might have lived my entire life with an incomplete mind."

Gu Mo asked curiously, "Then, Miss Xiaobai, have you recovered your past life memories?"

Xiaobai smiled faintly. "When a person dies, their consciousness perishes. At that moment, all memories turn to nothing and dissipate. Those fortunate enough to reincarnate carry only the spiritual essence of their previous life. In essence, they are already two different people."

"So, you haven't recovered your memories," Gu Mo stated.

"It's not important anymore."

Xiaobai said, "Whether I recover my memories or not, Yu Jinghong is Yu Jinghong, and Xiaobai is Xiaobai; they are unrelated. Also, Hero Gu, could you please convey a message to Sect Master Qi Tianshu for me? Please tell him there's no need to avoid me. Yu Jinghong has already vanished from this world. Now there is only Xiaobai, and he is a senior in the martial world, while I am a junior."

Gu Mo smiled slightly. "Alright."

"Thank you, Hero Gu. Xiaobai will not disturb you further."

Xiaobai bowed to Gu Mo in thanks, then bowed to Master Liansheng, and slowly departed.

Master Liansheng watched Xiaobai leave, then asked, puzzled, "Who was that?"

"That was Xiaobai, the Saintess of Penglai Island," Gu Mo explained. "She is also the reincarnation of Qi Tianshu's master, the former sect leader of our Qian Kingdom's Canglan Sword Sect."

Master Liansheng was surprised. "There truly is reincarnation in this world?"

Gu Mo asked, "Can't the Reincarnation Mirror see past and present lives?"

Master Liansheng shook his head. "That's merely a rumor in the martial world. The Reincarnation Mirror only possesses the ability to peer into the past and future. It's just that the rumor spread and evolved into being able to reflect past and present lives, which is how it got its name."

"Then, is it possible, Master, that you simply haven't fully developed the Reincarnation Mirror's ability to reflect past and present lives?" Gu Mo inquired.

Master Liansheng suddenly realized. "There is indeed that possibility."

Gu Mo asked with a light chuckle, "Master, do you think Xiaobai has recovered her past life memories?"

Master Liansheng said, "I believe she has. Otherwise, she wouldn't have said those things; a simple 'no' would have sufficed."

Gu Mo nodded slightly. "However, it truly is as she said—it's no longer important."

Master Liansheng pondered for a moment. "So, Hero Gu, do you think possessing memories is equivalent to possessing the past?"

"This...?"

After leaving Gu Mo's courtyard, Xiaobai returned to her own. However, she now held an additional item: a seemingly unremarkable, blunt heavy sword, its blade already covered in rust.

Entering her room, Xiaobai placed the heavy sword on the table and said, "Stay here with me for a while. Under no circumstances should you go out alone. This entire Penglai Island is a grand formation, and any slight movement will be perceived by the First Island Master and Second Island Master."

Jiang Ruoxu's voice transmission came from within the sword: "Understood."

Xiaobai added, "Oh, and by the way, Gu Mo's main purpose for coming to Penglai Island this time isn't to see Baiyujing, but to find you. He wants to kill you."

The heavy sword rippled slightly, and a translucent figure appeared—Jiang Ruoxu. He asked softly, "Why does Gu Mo want to kill me?"

"Because you are a wanted criminal, and he is a bounty hunter," Xiaobai replied.

"That reason... is indeed unresolvable," Jiang Ruoxu chuckled.

Xiaobai said, "Gu Mo and Gu Chutong are usually inseparable, but this time, Gu Mo came to Penglai Island alone. His determination to kill you is clear."

Jiang Ruoxu thought for a moment. "In a one-on-one fight, I fear no one in this world, be it the First Island Master, Second Island Master, or Gu Mo. However, if the three of them were to join forces, I wouldn't be confident."

Xiaobai said, "You don't need to worry. As long as you don't show yourself, Gu Mo won't find you. In the year or so since my mind fully recovered, I've thoroughly understood the situation on Penglai Island. The First Island Master and Second Island Master *are* Baiyujing. In a while, when 'Baiyujing' appears, they will go elsewhere, and three or four of the Three Buddhas and Four Emperors will be left to guard the place where the restrictions are controlled. At that time, I'll need your help to break in."

"As the Saintess, you can't get in?" Jiang Ruoxu asked.

Xiaobai shook her head. "No one can enter except for the First Island Master and Second Island Master. Even the Three Buddhas and Four Emperors who are responsible for guarding it are not allowed inside. I've never been in either. The reason I'm certain that's where the restrictions are controlled is because I've perceived various spiritual energies within it."

Jiang Ruoxu nodded. "Alright."

Xiaobai continued, "However, you absolutely must not let your guard down. The cultivation of each of the Three Buddhas and Four Emperors is unfathomably deep; they are the kind of figures who, in the outside martial world, could rival those on the World Martial Arts Rankings."

Jiang Ruoxu said, "The World Martial Arts Rankings, apart from Gu Mo, are merely a matter of one sword, one kill."

Xiaobai pursed her lips. "Better safe than sorry. This island is only so big, and we don't have much time. Once we alert the First Island Master and Second Island Master, we'll only have a very short window."

Jiang Ruoxu said, "That's why I suggested you invite Gu Mo to help before."

Xiaobai said, "We have no conditions that could persuade Gu Mo to help us deal with the First Island Master and Second Island Master. On the contrary, you are quite a temptation to him. If we were to invite him, I'm afraid we'd be exposed before Baiyujing even appears. Gu Mo doesn't seem like someone who would unconditionally abide by Penglai Island's rules."

Jiang Ruoxu didn't pursue that topic further. Instead, he asked, "Why do you believe there is no Baiyujing?"

Xiaobai explained, "The First Island Master and Second Island Master indoctrinate everyone on the island with the belief that once our cultivation reaches the Ascension Realm, Baiyujing will come to guide us to ascend to the Celestial Realm, without needing to knock on the Heavenly Gate or fight inner demons. The problem is, no one has ever seen Baiyujing. I've been to the Heavenly Island more than once, and I've never detected any unusual traces there, nor have I ever seen anyone ascend to the Celestial Realm. However, these are not the most direct proofs."

Jiang Ruoxu asked, "Then what is?"

Xiaobai said, "On Penglai Island, everyone actively creates various secret manuals. Many of these manuals actually surpass those found in the outside martial world. But what's very strange is that the people on Penglai Island are never allowed to meet Baiyujing. This is actually a very illogical point. If the purpose is to create martial arts, to create more and more perfect techniques, then why doesn't Baiyujing help deduce the techniques created by the islanders to a higher level? Therefore, I believe Baiyujing is a lie, a fabrication created by the First Island Master and Second Island Master to deceive martial artists from the outside world. It must require a great deal of effort or energy to simulate a false appearance of Baiyujing. Through this illusion, successive generations of martial arts prodigies can be implanted with restrictions, and then reincarnated onto Penglai Island."

Jiang Ruoxu said, "So, you mean that the so-called Baiyujing is a mental illusion created by the First and Second Island Masters using powerful spiritual energy or formations for each generation of talented newcomers to the island? And the 'deduction of secret manuals' is actually their own deduction?"

"Precisely," Xiaobai confirmed. "Otherwise, I couldn't understand it. Baiyujing isn't a person; what would it need martial arts techniques for? But if the First Island Master and Second Island Master *are* Baiyujing, then it makes sense. They are human, and therefore they need prodigies from every era to help them forge the most powerful and perfect divine techniques."

Jiang Ruoxu remained silent for a moment. "Never mind," he said. "I'm not interested in what Baiyujing truly is. I just need to break my own restriction."

With that, Jiang Ruoxu transformed into a wisp of light and merged back into the sword.

The next morning, as Gu Mo just woke up, he saw a Penglai Island disciple waiting patiently outside his door. The disciple had been ordered to guide him and help him familiarize himself with Penglai Island.

The tour lasted the entire day.

Gu Mo also formed an impression of Penglai Island: a small, rather regularly shaped island, approximately four li in both length and width. It had a significant number of disciples, several hundred, all skilled cultivators. Any one of them could be considered a martial arts master in the outside world.

The island had many places similar to Longhu Mountain's Ascension Platform that aided in enlightenment. Moreover, rare fruits, exotic herbs, and natural treasures were common on the island, which reasonably explained why the cultivation levels of its inhabitants were so high.

Finally, as night fell, Gu Mo was led to a place called Mount Daolun in the center of the island. The mountain contained numerous tall buildings and pavilions, serving as Penglai Island's place of enlightenment. Each of these tall buildings housed various secret manuals from different professions and arts.

The secret manuals inside could be freely perused. Each floor had Penglai Island disciples assigned to assist visitors. Additionally, at designated locations, the First Island Master, Second Island Master, and a few randomly assigned members of the Three Buddhas and Four Emperors would engage in discussions, sometimes appearing together.

Gu Mo also entered Mount Daolun to browse the secret manuals, and there he met masters from various states.

After Gu Mo had perused the secret manuals on Mount Daolun, he had to admit that Penglai Island's allure to masters across the land was well-justified. Even with his martial arts cultivation realm, he found some of the theories astonishing.

Furthermore, this place gathered the world's most top-tier qi cultivators, who shared their knowledge without reservation, and masters from all nations engaged in discussions. Even the food and tea on Penglai Island contained natural treasures that could enhance cultivation.

Top-tier divine martial arts manuals, which would be considered the treasured legacies of major sects in the outside martial world, were openly displayed on bookshelves for anyone to peruse. Among them, Gu Mo saw the "Seven Killings of Heavenly Abyss Return to Silence" from the Grand Manager of Seven Absolutes Pavilion, which he had once encountered, and the "Mud-Sand Great Law" of the Moon Worship Sect, among other divine techniques.

Of course, pure martial arts manuals held little significance for those who could reach Penglai Island. What truly mattered were the various martial arts philosophies compiled on the island, many of which were simply breathtaking.

Gu Mo, like the others, simply took up residence on Mount Daolun.

During this period, he read many secret manuals, discussed the Dao with numerous individuals, listened to many lectures, and personally witnessed many people achieving enlightenment. These were already the world's top masters, yet they were able to make further breakthroughs, proving that a visit to Penglai Island was indeed worthwhile.

However, Gu Mo always remembered Ji Wusuan's instructions and never sparred or competed with anyone.

Although many times during discussions he would feel a spontaneous urge to try out new ideas by engaging with others, he always restrained himself, acting only as a spectator, watching others spar, and directly refusing any invitations.

Time flew by, and three months passed in a flash.

Hardly anyone perceived the passage of time. This place held immense appeal for leading figures in various fields. Moreover, Penglai Island provided comprehensive services, with everything of the highest quality, even offering mechanical workshops for those who studied mechanical arts.

During these three months, everyone who came to the island gained significant benefits. Even Gu Mo, who had previously believed he had reached the limits of human martial arts, still made considerable progress. His Wuji Guiyuan Qi once again evolved, advancing from an infinite golden core to the fifth type of domain golden core.

On this particular morning, the red sun had just risen.

On a cliff face of Mount Daolun, a dozen martial artists sat under a tree, discussing the Dao. The speaker at the moment was an internal martial arts grandmaster named Wang Chongjiang, from the State of Houqin, a renowned longevity master who was over 120 years old.

He was sharing his insights on the integration of longevity practices and internal martial arts. Gu Mo and Ji Wusuan were also present. As for Qi Tianshu and Zhang Daoyi, though elderly, they had no interest in longevity, so they were with a group of pure martial artists, including Su Qianqiu.

Just as everyone was sharing their opinions, a crane's cry suddenly echoed from the distant sky. The First Island Master and Second Island Master appeared, riding a crane. The Second Island Master retained his ethereal, immortal-like appearance, holding a burnt-tail zither. The First Island Master, too, was still in her red robes today, holding a jade flute.

The First Island Master said softly, "Fellow Daoists, I have been commanded by Baiyujing to invite you all for a visit to the Heavenly Island. I won't elaborate much on the Heavenly Island; please ascend the island yourselves. Your future lies at your feet. After descending from the Heavenly Island, this opening of Penglai Island will conclude. I will not come to bid you farewell then. See you in thirty years!"

With that, the First Island Master waved her sleeve, and the crane carried the two island masters towards the horizon, slowly disappearing into the setting sun's red glow.

Subsequently, the people on Mount Daolun descended the mountain and headed towards the Heavenly Island.

The Heavenly Island was an island within Penglai Island itself.

Earlier, upon first arriving on the island, Gu Mo had been near the Heavenly Island and observed it from afar. It was a small island hidden among the clouds and mist.

It floated like a piece of unpolished jade amidst the ethereal mists, an immortal pavilion seemingly cradled by heaven and earth, appearing and disappearing vaguely within the clouds, indistinct and unclear.

Stone pillars, hundreds of feet high, rose from the base of Penglai Island, with sections of steps winding upwards. However, the higher they went, the more indistinct the steps became, as the clouds grew thicker and heavier. Before even reaching halfway, they were completely swallowed by the surging sea of clouds, with only faint glimpses of stone steps like a winding silver chain, leading directly into the depths of the cloud-capped summit, as if walking on a path paved with countless auspicious clouds.

Around the island, clouds and mists sometimes gathered and sometimes dispersed. Occasionally, golden light pierced through the layers of clouds, casting dappled patterns on the stone steps, as if spiritual radiance spilled by immortals descending to the world. As the wind passed, the cloudy mist brushed lightly like a veil, revealing a few gnarled ancient pines at the island's peak, their branches adorned with glistening white dewdrops. The entire island seemed to breathe in the faint glow, exuding an unworldly, ethereal aura that calmed the mind and soul at first glance, making one suspect it was a palace from the Nine Heavens, left behind in the mortal realm.

A group of prodigies from various fields and nations gathered at the foot of the Heavenly Island, over a hundred people. Many among them were not martial artists, and their faces turned pale upon seeing the stone steps that ascended straight into the clouds.

A guiding Penglai Island disciple said, "Everyone, Heavenly Island is not a place of the mortal realm. You can confidently step onto the Heavenly Ascent Stone Steps. Whatever your heart desires, that will be Baiyujing. Do not worry about physical exhaustion."

Zhang Daoyi, standing beside Gu Mo, whispered, "This Heavenly Island is quite strange. From the moment you step onto the stairs, it's as if you're in another world. Just boldly proceed."

Gu Mo asked, "Baiyujing isn't on the island?"

Zhang Daoyi replied, "What that Penglai Island disciple said is true: what your heart desires, that will be Baiyujing. Everyone sees something different."

At this moment, Su Qianqiu walked over and said, "Hero Gu, Heavenly Baiyujing, but where exactly is 'heaven'?"

Gu Mo asked, puzzled, "What do you mean, Old Mr. Su?"

Su Qianqiu explained, "Ever since I returned to Jin thirty years ago, I've been wondering what Baiyujing truly is. It wasn't until recently, after you told me about the existence of inner demons, that I finally understood. Baiyujing is an entity similar to inner demons. The only difference is that inner demons uncover and amplify the demonic desires within a person's heart, while Baiyujing amplifies a person's spiritual will and divine consciousness, developing their potential. That's why everyone sees a different Baiyujing, and everyone is able to see what they desire—because it's what they already hold within their own hearts."

As the few of them spoke, someone had already stepped onto the stone steps.

Surprisingly, the moment that person stepped onto the stone steps, they vanished from everyone's sight. Subsequently, others followed suit, stepping onto the steps and disappearing in the exact same manner.

Gu Mo's pupils contracted slightly. He immediately activated the Dao Heart Demon Seed Grand Method to probe the past, but he couldn't perceive anything. He only vaguely sensed a faint power of spatial domain.

In a short while, most of the hundred-plus people had entered. Finally, only Gu Mo and a few others remained. Zhang Daoyi and Su Qianqiu also clasped their hands in salute to Gu Mo, then stepped onto the Heavenly Ascent Stone Steps. Eventually, only Gu Mo and Master Liansheng were left.

Master Liansheng clasped his palms together and bowed. "Hero Gu, please wait for me to deduce an unparalleled martial art. When that time comes, I will surely come to seek your guidance."

Gu Mo clasped his hands in return. "Then I wish you swift success, Master."

Master Liansheng bowed deeply. "Amitabha, I shall depart!"

Gu Mo watched Master Liansheng step onto the stairs and disappear, and he chuckled softly.

Master Liansheng's Lotus Thirty-Six Heavenly Sutra had now become the Thirty-Eight Heavenly Sutra. After encountering Baiyujing and using the Reincarnation Mirror to contend with it, Gu Mo was very much looking forward to seeing how many heavens the Lotus Sutra would reach!

Subsequently, Gu Mo stepped onto his Tai Xu Sword and flew directly towards the Heavenly Island in the clouds.

However, as he flew towards the Heavenly Island, upon getting closer, he discovered that it was an illusory existence, like a mirage. When he approached a little closer, the Heavenly Island simply vanished. The cloud layer remained a cloud layer, but there was no trace of the Heavenly Island. He looked down and even the Heavenly Ascent Stone Steps had disappeared.

When he flew down again, the Heavenly Island reappeared.

Immediately, Gu Mo put away his sword and stepped onto the Heavenly Ascent Stone Steps.

At that very instant, he felt a colossal spatial force pulling him. He did not resist and was instantly drawn in. In a daze, he found himself on the moon.

He knew he was on the moon because he saw a very beautiful palace ahead, named Guanghan Palace.

When he turned back, behind him was an endless abyss, and beneath that abyss lay the mortal world, stretching for thousands of miles.

As he walked forward, the scenery behind him gradually faded, and he found himself in the Guanghan Immortal Realm, bathed in cool moonlight. Pearly towers and jade palaces were scattered about, their gleaming white walls emitting a faint glow, as if gently caressed by frost and snow.

Osmanthus trees stood tall like canopies, casting fragmented silver-like light and shadow through their branches. Jade rabbits frolicked among the flowers, and immortal mist swirled, creating a dreamlike, illusory scene. In the distance, the cold pond shimmered, reflecting the hazy moonlight.

On a stone couch nearby, the Second Island Master was playing a burnt-tail zither. As the green strings vibrated, clouds gathered into cranes carrying clouds with the music, and the golden osmanthus blossoms rustling down from the trees even hung in mid-air, forming rings. The First Island Master was playing a flute, its notes intertwining with the zither's, even stilling the ripples on the distant cold pond.

Beneath the jade osmanthus tree, a woman in white danced gracefully amidst the intertwining melodies of the zither and flute. Amidst falling blossoms, she spun out ripples of moonlight, her silken sleeves flowing like frost over the osmanthus shadows, each step seemingly crushing fragments of the Milky Way.

The woman's elegance and peerless beauty left Gu Mo speechless, unable to conjure any suitable adjectives. The First Island Master of Penglai Island was already a beauty akin to a legendary fairy, but in front of this woman in white, she seemed fit only to be a maidservant.

That woman in white truly seemed like a fairy from the Moon Palace.

With a gentle sweep of her sleeves, the woman in white gracefully approached Gu Mo, extending a jade hand and smiling radiantly. "Young master, please take a seat!" she said softly.

Gu Mo smiled faintly but did not move. Instead, he asked, "Are you Baiyujing?"

The woman in white shook her head slightly. "No, I am what your heart desires."

Gu Mo chuckled lightly. "I wasn't thinking of a woman."

The woman in white said, "But you are thinking of the Wuji Guiyuan Qi's fifth-form domain golden core, young master. I am the fifth-form domain golden core that you desire and seek. Please, see if this is what you envisioned."

The woman in white slightly opened her hands.

Instantly, Gu Mo found himself standing upon a vast ocean. The night was dark and deep, the water faintly rippling. In a daze, a bright moon slowly rose from the distant horizon's darkness. As its moonlight cascaded down, a unique realm of heaven and earth took form.

Suddenly, Gu Mo's consciousness blurred for a moment. His previously vague concept of the Wuji Guiyuan Qi's fifth-form domain golden core suddenly became incredibly clear. All the various principles, true qi circulation paths, and qi cultivation methods integrated themselves at this very instant.

But at that very instant, scales suddenly appeared on Gu Mo's body. The Dragon God Technique, activated subconsciously, began to emanate a majestic draconic might, and his entire being started an uncontrollable draconic transformation.

Gu Mo immediately realized something was wrong. At that same moment, he discovered a bizarre power within his primordial spirit, which was imposing a restrictive bind upon it.

"Roar..."

Accompanied by a dragon's roar, the restriction within Gu Mo's primordial spirit was instantly torn apart. Enraged, he bellowed, "Baiyujing, you seek death!"