Chapter 81: Mingyu Skill and Little Gu Throwing Knife

At that very instant, Gu Mo heard the system's prompt sound in his mind:

Killed Four-Star Fugitive (2/2)Received Four-Star Reward — Max-level Mingyu Divine SkillClaim?

Gu Mo silently affirmed 'Claim' in his heart, and in an instant, the Mingyu Divine Skill was cultivated to its grand mastery.

At that very moment, Gu Mo felt a powerful surge of internal energy naturally flow through his body, rivaling, if not surpassing, the Nine Yang inner energy. This new energy, extremely cold, directly countered the supreme yang of the Nine Yang inner energy. It also completely absorbed the previously existing Ice Qi within Gu Mo.

Strangely, these two vast internal energies, one yin and one yang, one hot and one cold, coexisted without conflict.

The Mingyu Divine Skill and the Nine Yang Divine Skill shared many similarities. Upon mastering Nine Yang, inner energy flows endlessly, generating protective True Qi. Upon mastering Mingyu, inner energy becomes boundless, also generating protective True Qi with an added reflective effect. The difference lay in one being ultimately yang and the other ultimately yin.

The Mingyu Divine Skill was more profound than the Nine Yang Divine Skill. While the Nine Yang Divine Skill excelled in internal energy, the Mingyu Divine Skill, equally potent in internal energy, offered a deeper conceptualization of martial arts realms. Especially at the ninth level, the realms of Wuji Asura, Yijin Nirvana, and Danmeng Xiaoyao allowed for perpetual youth and an ageless appearance. It could generate infinite suction, neutralizing external forces, and possessed the ability to alter the trajectory of attacks.

Ming (明) signifies the sun and moon, while Yu (玉) represents the essence of heaven and earth. Only by seizing the creation of heaven and earth and extracting the essence of the sun and moon could it be called Mingyu. In that instant, Gu Mo's martial arts realm took a significant leap forward.

“Brother, wasn't that last saber strike of mine cool?”

“Absolutely stunning!”

“I spent a long time perfecting that move. First, I'd use the Finger Flicking Divine Skill for a sneak attack, then simultaneously employ a sudden strike from the Profound Void Saber Art, combined with the speed of Ladder Cloud Step. It's simply impossible to guard against.”

“It seems my little sister is a genius!”

“Of course, I'm incredibly formidable!”

Just then, Zhuo Qingfeng suddenly yelled, “Hey, you two, can you stop chatting? He's about to run away!”

It turned out that Mo Qingxian, seeing Zuo Yue's death, had no desire to fight on and immediately turned to flee. While Gu Mo was fighting Zuo Yue, Mo Qingxian had also engaged Zhuo Qingfeng. Mo Qingxian, truly an experienced master who had roamed the martial world for decades, was still able to suppress Zhuo Qingfeng despite having taken a palm strike from Gu Mo earlier. If Gu Mo's fight hadn't ended so quickly, Zhuo Qingfeng wouldn't have lasted thirty moves against Mo Qingxian.

Mo Qingxian, known in the martial world as the 'Invincible Divine Blade,' possessed extremely fast and incredibly subtle saber techniques. However, upon witnessing Zuo Yue's death, he knew the tide had turned. With no desire to continue fighting, he repelled Zhuo Qingfeng with a single saber strike and turned to flee.

Immediately, Gu Mo's body arced through the air in an incredible curve, like a nimble swallow—light and ethereal, yet carrying an unparalleled aura. Every one of his movements was fluid and natural, as if he had merged with the heavens and earth. As he ascended, his feet seemed to tread on invisible steps in the void, each step harnessing momentum to propel his body to new heights.

In the blink of an eye, Gu Mo had leaped high, reaching a height of several zhang, and swiftly landed in front of Mo Qingxian. His figure, illuminated by the moonlight, appeared exceptionally ethereal, like an immortal descending upon the world.

“Manor Lord Mo, we agreed my saber would test yours,” Gu Mo said.

Mo Qingxian looked at Gu Mo, a wave of despair washing over him. Even though Gu Mo's back was to him, he inexplicably lost the courage to grip his saber. Gazing at Gu Mo's retreating figure, he sighed softly, “Hero Gu, you gained quite a bit from that last fight, didn't you?”

“What makes you say that?” Gu Mo slowly turned around.

Mo Qingxian replied, “The previous Hero Gu had reached a state of ultimate mastery, returning to simplicity. But the Hero Gu now makes me feel as if I've seen someone beyond the mortal world, detached and independent. I suppose your realm has broken through again!”

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, “Indeed, a minor breakthrough.”

Zhuo Qingfeng caught up, unable to resist saying, “Your martial arts are already so high, and you still break through? Are you trying to make it impossible for others to live?”

Gu Mo shook his head and said, “The realm of martial arts is infinite. The path forward is never-ending; at least for now, I don't see an end.” After speaking, Gu Mo looked at Mo Qingxian and said, “Manor Lord Mo, draw your saber. I want to see how fast your saber truly is.”

However, Mo Qingxian simply dropped his saber to the ground and said, “Hero Gu, before you, this old man has lost the courage to draw his saber. This strike, it won't be fast... I only ask for a dignified end now.”

“Very well.”

“Thank you!”

Mo Qingxian raised a hand and struck his chest with a palm. Instantly, his heart meridians shattered. A trickle of blood slowly seeped from the corner of his mouth, and his body slumped to the ground. Thus ended the life of a renowned hero.

“Ah,” Zhuo Qingfeng sighed, saying, “I suddenly feel very sentimental. Manor Lord Mo's decades of renown and Lingyun Manor's immense wealth will all ultimately become an illusion!”

“More than that,” Gu Chudong said, “there are also the Four Great Sword Sects, the leaders of Qingyang's martial world! After this incident becomes public, the reputation of the Four Great Sword Sects will be ruined. More importantly, with the exposure of the black industry behind the Divine Cat Temple, the four sect leaders will lose their reputations in their twilight years!”

“It's not just about losing their reputations; they'll also face lawsuits,” Zhuo Qingfeng said. “Zuo Yue mentioned earlier that the Divine Cat Temple was also involved in human trafficking. I hope it was just subordinates acting under the Four Sword Sects' name. If the four sect leaders were also involved, it would mean confiscation of property and annihilation of their clans.”

Gu Mo asked, “Commander Zhuo, how about this? Chudong and I will go notify the county magistrate's office now!”

“No need,” Zhuo Qingfeng said. “I already arranged for someone to notify them before we came. It shouldn't be long now. However, government officials often have one big flaw: they always arrive fashionably late, usually after everything is over.”

“You're also a government official.”

“I'm different from them. I always arrive first, which is why I can't get promoted to a high official. Those who can rise in ranks are definitely not people who honestly get things done.”

“Commander Zhuo, mind your words!”

Indeed, just as Zhuo Qingfeng had said, the government officials always arrived late, after everything was over. The county magistrate arrived with several hundred county soldiers. Knowing that staying longer would waste too much time with the county office, Gu Mo called Gu Chudong and quietly left.

As he walked, Gu Mo wiped clean his blood-stained flying dagger. Recalling Gu Mo's two flying dagger strikes that night, Gu Chudong couldn't help but exclaim, “Brother, your flying daggers are incredible! You hit your target every single time!”

“Alas,” Gu Mo sighed softly, saying, “It's still missing something.”

“Missing what?” Gu Chudong asked, puzzled.

Gu Mo shook his head, saying nothing more. After all, Gu Mo was not Li Xunhuan. He wasn't as righteous as Li Xunhuan. Even though he had mastered the Little Li Flying Dagger to max level, the flying dagger techniques he employed were different from Li Xunhuan's. There would never be a second Li Xunhuan.

But...

Gu Mo put away his flying dagger and chuckled softly. And in this world, there would never be a second Gu Mo. Little Li's Flying Dagger is Little Li's Flying Dagger, and Little Gu's Flying Dagger is Little Gu's Flying Dagger!

At this moment, Gu Chudong looked at Gu Mo with some surprise and whispered, “Brother.”

“What is it?”

“You seem different again.”

“I've suddenly understood some things.”

Gu Chudong suddenly stopped, sharply raised her head, and said, “Brother, I just remembered something! We forgot about the heads of the Zuo father and son – that's three thousand taels!”

“Don't worry, Commander Zhuo will handle it properly.”

“Oh, right, Commander Zhuo might be unreliable in a fight, but he's competent when it comes to business,” Gu Chudong said, linking her arm through Gu Mo's. She asked, “Brother, do you think the Four Great Sect Leaders were involved in the black industry behind the Divine Cat Temple?”

Gu Mo nodded and said, “Definitely. When subordinates are involved in something, it's impossible for those above them to be completely unaware. Either they participated themselves, or they turned a blind eye for profit and pretended not to know.”

“Why would they do that?” Gu Chudong asked. “They're all so old, and they don't lack money or fame. Why would they still do such things?”

Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, “Perhaps, they did so much when they were lacking that they had no choice but to continue even when they no longer needed to. Or perhaps... those clandestine dealings and industries are simply customary for certain circles!”