Chapter 2039: Mo Zu

"Gou Wuyue?"

"He actually deigned to show his face?"

Turning his head, he saw the one-armed Gou Wuyue stepping into the air on his sword in the distant sky. Who else could it be?However, Cao Yihan didn't believe this guy was so benevolent.

While Gou Wuyue was indeed an ancient sword cultivator, he was fully immersed in his own world and wasn't like Cao Yihan, Ba Zun'an, or the others. This was evident from their individual choices after the Battle of the Ten Esteemed Ones.

The Battle of the Ten Esteemed Ones was presented as a peak battle for the Five Regions, but it was essentially a selection trial for the five great Holy Emperor families to choose their Sacred Slaves. How could the various prodigies, who had fought their way through mountains of corpses and seas of blood, agree to become someone's dog? Therefore, even though most received an olive branch from the Heavenly Ladder after the competition, they largely chose to refuse. Only Ai Cangsheng and Gou Wuyue were exceptions; though neither ascended the Heavenly Ladder, both joined the Holy Divine Palace.

Emperor Cangsheng's path was clear. He accepted reality and voluntarily became a touchstone. Those who defeated him might advance, but those who lost would have no chance of turning the tide. He acted as a barrier, seemingly blocking the path of the Five Regions' prodigies, but in reality, he allowed the beings beyond the Heavenly Ladder to confidently entrust him with the responsibility of protecting the continent. This protected the Five Regions' talents from being discovered prematurely and suffering an early demise. Ultimately, he tested out Xu Xiaoshou, then retired successfully.

Gou Wuyue, on the other hand, purely went to be a lackey. Kui Leihan held him in utter contempt.

If Gou Wuyue had been a Red-Clad Ruler, fighting ghost beasts and guarding dimensional rifts, then regardless of any wrongful killings, at least half of his actions would have been good. But what were the White-Clad? The White-Clad were the Holy Divine Palace's executioners, specifically tasked with dealing with "dark forces," which naturally included the Sacred Slaves. The truly dark forces couldn't stir up much trouble under the Holy Divine Palace's dominion; they were thoroughly suppressed. However, organizations symbolizing freedom and rebellion, primarily led by Sacred Slaves, were branded as threats to the continent and subjected to total annihilation. Gou Wuyue contributed significantly to this effort.

"Brother Dog, what's this about?" Turning his head, Cao Yihan's voice was filled with undisguised mockery, showing no regard for Sword Immortal Wuyue's dignity: "You didn't act early, you didn't act late, but you choose to appear now. Are you perhaps trying to wish me an early New Year?"

Gou Wuyue held the Voice of Nulan obliquely, shaking his head and chuckling at the remark. He wasn't a weasel, and Cao Yihan didn't need to debase himself to a chicken. While they weren't close friends, from Gou Wuyue's perspective, they weren't enemies either. Gou Wuyue merely knew that this person disliked him, and he had a rough idea why.

It was simply that years ago, he accidentally encountered Qingquan Zhuozu, one of the Five Elders of Slaying Passion, at Milzao Spring in Heting Mountain, and later tracked them down to destroy the Qin Burning headquarters. Then, while comprehending the sword in the Western Region, he accidentally shattered the formation of the Desert Ridge headquarters, killing their Vice Seat. Through the captured Relic Tablet artifact, the Spiral Mirror, he realized that the Vice Seat was merely an illusionary clone. Following that lead, he found the Desert Ridge's Chief near Qingyuan Mountain in the Central Region. However, in both incidents, Gou Wuyue did not pursue complete annihilation.

Since the Qin Burning organization had been exposed, its subordinates certainly couldn't escape. Their leader was quite capable, and Gou Wuyue, discerning the sword intent in the token, understood enough to give them face and let the matter drop. As for the Spiral Mirror incident in the Western Region, it was completely suppressed; no one but Dao Qiongcang knew the truth. Afterward, no one was sent to hunt down members of the Desert Ridge organization. Dao Qiongcang merely unilaterally dispatched more personnel to Qingyuan Mountain to keep a close watch on Kui Leihan.

Gou Wuyue provided every convenience within his authority. For instance, groups like the Yi Gang at Cross Street East, the Flower and Herb Pavilion behind Half-Moon Residence in the Southern Region, and San Yue Immortal City in the Eastern Region—couldn't the White-Clad led by Gou Wuyue have cleared them out? He simply chose not to. A single word, "busy," was enough to dismiss all death orders.

Dao Qiongcang cultivated enemies to maintain his prestige, turning a blind eye. Gou Wuyue, rarely obtuse, procrastinated with the incessant commands from the Heavenly Ladder until matters simply passed. If all these things came to light, it would not be an exaggeration for the Holy Divine Palace to sentence Gou Wuyue as a hidden Sixth Esteemed Sacred Slave and condemn him to death. It was unspeakable. And there was no need to speak of it.

Shen Yi was burly and rough, and Cao Yihan was at most strongly built. They were all stubborn, unworldly individuals, so speaking to them would be futile. It was enough that Ba Zun'an knew.

"In your position, fulfill your duties." Gou Wuyue couldn't be bothered with pleasantries. With that single phrase, he bypassed Nianzu, who he had once considered an acquaintance. His empty sleeve fluttered in the biting, desolate winds of the battlefield. Stepping forward, Gou Wuyue entered the fray, turning his head to fix his gaze on Demon Ancestor Sheng Xin, his eyes remarkably calm.

Meanwhile, Sheng Xin, positioned behind the two Guardian Generals, was fearless, not even glancing at the returning Ba Zun'an. After a careful look at Gou Wuyue's sword, a hint of mockery appeared in his expression: "Nianzu's great righteousness, the Ancestral Thought Godnet benefiting the cultivators of the Five Regions—do you also wish to dance, for 'us ancient sword cultivators'?" Was everyone who picked up a sword now acting as if they were Ba Zun'an reborn? Did they truly believe everyone could transcend and act with such impunity?

"No," Gou Wuyue shook his head. "I am only for myself, and for the sword in my hand." How many were truly selfless in the Battle for the Dao? The Ancestral Thought Godnet was merely a fallback. Those who gave up halfway to enter reincarnation did so for personal reasons. From the Ten Ancestors above to the Ten Esteemed Ones below, with the sole exception of Ai Cangsheng, even Ba Zun'an could only focus on the Heavenly Realm and the people of the world within his capabilities. Utter selflessness? At least, if he were to search his own heart, Gou Wuyue admitted he could not achieve it.

Sheng Xin cast a sidelong glance at the earnest ancient sword cultivator, then lowered his head to look at Wen Ting, You Tu, Mei Sire, and Xiao Kongtong on the ground. He then raised his head with a smirk, jesting: "The consequences, I imagine you already know." "None of them are capable, but Ba Zun'an is one of the Ten Esteemed Ones, and so are you. Ba Zun'an isn't among the Seven Sword Immortals, but you are." "In other words, if Ba Zun'an is 'ten,' then you are 'twelve.' If Ba Zun'an rises a foot, do you, sir, rise three?"

Gou Wuyue let out a wry chuckle: "In the Eight Palaces, I have already been defeated." Yet the Voice of Nulan hummed, clearly unyielding.

Sheng Xin glanced at the sword and chuckled, adding, "There's a saying, 'Eight Under Wen Gou,' and now 'After Qingju, no more famous swords.' You must have something to prove, don't you?" But Gou Wuyue hadn't come to prove such meaningless things. Sheng Xin was being aggressive, and Gou Wuyue knew that he had been observing him, just waiting for him to act. Now, Sheng Xin was attempting to disrupt his Dao Heart prematurely. It was meaningless! How many ancient sword cultivators hadn't mastered the art of verbal sparring and would be confused by such petty tricks? Gou Wuyue decided not to hold back. He raised the demonic sword in his hand and shouted:

"The Voice of Nulan might be worth a try." "Of course, Master Shou's hidden suffering might also surprise the Demon Ancestor."

The Five Regions stirred, hearing "Master Shou" from Sword Immortal Wuyue's lips. Who would have thought that Shou, the reclusive tortoise who only cultivated the path of invisibility, would be held in such high regard by Sword Immortal Wuyue? The world knew only part of the truth, not the whole.

Upon hearing this, Sheng Xin's brows furrowed in anger. He instantly realized that this fellow was aiming for the Time-Space Passage, perhaps even more insightful than Kui Leihan, having seen its true nature. "Such a sharp tongue! Today, I'll break it!" Sheng Xin flicked his sleeve. The Guardian Divine General remained in place, but the Guardian Demonic General rose with his spear, soaring into the sky, rushing to confront Gou Wuyue.

Just then, a sword hum resonated. Before Gou Wuyue, green light crisscrossed, shooting countless threads forward, transforming into myriad Mo Swords, converging into the Green River Sword Realm. "Demon Ancestor Sheng Xin, if you wish to defend, then defend well!" He raised the Voice of Nulan high, shaking it horizontally in the air, sending out ten thousand miles of sword qi. Frost splattered from his eyes, and his voice was as cold as iron: "Don't fall like a startled horse, crashing to the ground in disgrace!"

Clang— The Guardian Demonic General, wielding the Demonic God's Great Spear, swept it forth, unleashing a thousand feet of demonic light. It struck the Green River Sword Realm, causing the resounding clang of clashing weapons. This truly astonished the spectators from the Five Regions, and even Cao Yihan, who had been watching from the sidelines, changed his expression slightly. "It's not the Green River Sword Realm..."

The Mo Sword Art's first stage, the Green River Sword Realm, was known throughout the Five Regions. Gou Wuyue cultivated the Mo Sword Art, and it was world-renowned that thousands of Mo Swords followed him whenever he moved. However, this seemingly minor technique, which was effective against Sovereigns and Grand Voids, was actually able to withstand the Guardian Demonic General and the Demonic God's Great Spear. This clearly indicated it was not merely the first stage.

"The second stage, Sword of Unrestrained Desire?" Sheng Xin's brows furrowed slightly. He naturally had knowledge of ancient sword arts. However, according to his understanding, this was clearly not Guzhou's Sword of Unrestrained Desire; at best, it was a variation of the Green River Sword Realm. How then could it block the Demonic God's Great Spear?

"Clang, clang, clang..." Spear after spear, the Demonic God's Great Spear blurred into afterimages in the Guardian Demonic General's hands, yet after the Green River Sword Realm appeared, it could not advance an inch. After failing to break through within three breaths, the Guardian Demonic General let out a prolonged roar. It was clear he was pressing his attack. He plunged his spear into the air, unleashing overwhelming bloody aura around him, illuminating all the demonic runes on his spear and armor: "This mere Green River Sword Realm, I shall break it with one spear! Cloud-Piercing Heaven-Opening!"

The great spear retracted, then lunged forward again. With a move like a 'Flood Dragon Emerging from the Sea,' a sea of conceptual blood-fiend energy ignited behind him, carrying a long blood-fiend dragon that slammed directly into the Green River Sword Realm, heading for Gou Wuyue below. However, at the same moment, Gou Wuyue scoffed, "With a body like a Kui Ox and eyes like a rat, how could I possibly use the Green River Sword Realm to face an Ancestral God?"

He pressed his fingers together, bit the tip of his tongue, and smeared blood onto the demonic sword's blade. "Voice of Nulan, Heavenly Unbinding!" With a tearing sound, like wind shattering. The golden-dusted long sword vanished into a phantom, and Gou Wuyue simultaneously disappeared from mid-air. Even the "Green River Sword Realm," after a tremor, shed its Mo Sword facade, revealing its true form with a prolonged hum.

"Grand Dao Rules?" Each Mo Sword, in essence, was a Grand Dao Rule solidified into a thread-like sword. They drew upon the Dao laws of the Holy Divine Continent and also utilized the power of the Ancestral Thought Godnet. Cao Yihan, who controlled the Ancestral Thought Godnet, how could he not know that this fellow had instantly connected to his power?

And just as Hua Changdeng viewed the world through his soul, allowing him to command myriad ghosts and slay myriad spirits; and Ba Zun'an viewed the world through his self, comprehending body, spirit, will, and self, enabling him to sever the four paths and eradicate ancestors; The Mo Sword Art, also known in ancient times as the True Sword Art. Gou Wuyue viewed the world through the "truth" of the Mo Sword. Thus, the truth of swords condensed into Mo Swords; if all things were swords, then the truth of all things could also condense into Mo Swords. And among these myriad things were the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth, including the more than three thousand Grand Dao Rules that could be materialized by powerful external forces.

"These myriad Mo Swords are not formed from his own sword power, nor are they conjured through Void Sword Condensation Art." "Instead, he treats the Grand Dao Rules of heaven and earth as swords—their inherent attributes do not match, so they cannot be directly borrowed. Yet, through the method of solidifying truth into Mo, he borrows thousands of Rule Mo Swords for his own use?" "If so, the level of Rule Mo Swords is no longer within the realm of swords; in essence, he is manipulating Dao laws?"

Realizing this, Sheng Xin felt a chill down his spine, sensing a gust of cold wind. How was this any less potent than Ancestral Source Power? Were ancient sword cultivators truly all monstrous talents? Wen Ting's third stage of No-Sword Art, "Frost-Blown Peak," had already broken free from the constraints of the Sword Ancestor, innovating on No-Sword Art and opening a mystical door. Gou Wuyue's seemed even more profound! He had directly transcended the realm of sword Dao, clearly moving from Mo Sword Art into Mo Dao, cultivating the myriad laws of Mo, or perhaps the True Sword of Myriad Laws!

"To solidify truth with the sword, its name is Mo." "To solidify truth with desire, its name is Wang." "To solidify truth with law, its name is Ze."

Tens of thousands of green thread-like sword shadows condensed to an incredibly tangible degree, crisscrossing and weaving a gigantic net in the sky above the Central Region. With just a gentle vibration, they could tear through space and cleave through everything beneath the rules, resembling Yan Wuse's light vibrations, but even more potent. The Guardian Demonic General's great spear pierced out, but before it could fully penetrate, the blood-fiend dragon, while breaking through the Ze Sword net, was already sliced into countless fragments, its power completely severed. Even Gou Wuyue himself vanished, as if merging into the Grand Dao of Heaven and Earth, leaving only a faint Daoist sound. For a moment, the Guardian Demonic General was bewildered: Where was he? How could he be killed?

"Boom!" Until tribulation clouds gathered in the sky, and thunder roared across the Five Regions. The Guardian Demonic General looked up to see a one-armed figure in a blue-and-white sword robe condensed beneath the tribulation clouds, capable of riding the wind and controlling lightning. With the tribulation clouds looming overhead, Gou Wuyue held the Voice of Nulan, his back emanating radiant light. Suddenly, a Golden Gate opened, and profound mysteries surged forth from it.

Hum... At this instant, all the great sword cultivators in the Five Regions felt a stirring in their minds, achieving clarity. "Mo Sword injures, piercing metal and iron." "Wang Sword has no rules, freely summoned and dispersed." "Ze Sword merges with Dao, transforming boundaries between reality and illusion."

Beneath the Profound Gate, the thunder tribulation roared down, but Gou Wuyue parried it all with a single sword stroke. With a flick of his sword, the streaks of thunder tribulation condensed into lines of green threads, which he cast downward. The remaining lightning followed the sword's path, all surging into Gou Wuyue's body, yet it didn't feel as if it truly entered him. He felt no sensation of being struck by the tribulation; instead, it was as if he had hidden the thunder tribulation in another invisible world within him, a "Void World" corresponding to reality.

"Truth, Void..." As these two words were uttered, Sheng Xin's pupils contracted sharply. Undoubtedly, this was also influenced by Ba Zun'an's Dao merger, adopting the method of two fundamental principles, aiming for a step-by-step return to nothingness. But what was truth, and what was void? Sheng Xin understood Sword Ancestor Guzhou's Mo Sword Art, his Green River Sword Realm, and his Sword of Unrestrained Desire. Yet, this "Ze Sword," which surpassed the Sword of Unrestrained Desire, was visible but intangible, only partially understood!

"Water is inherently formless; it turns to mist when meeting warmth, and to ice when touching cold." "Dao is inherently invisible; latent, it forms rules; manifest, it becomes principles." "I am inherently formless; outside the law, all is void; defined, it becomes real."

Beneath the thunder tribulation, before the Profound Gate, Gou Wuyue released the Voice of Nulan from his hand. The sword's shadow transformed into a swirling wind, humming a mournful tune. His hands danced, as if plucking strings, and as his fingertips moved, the thousands of green thread-like Mo Swords below—or rather, Ze Swords—began to gather, respond to commands, and form arrays.

At times, they transformed into long wings, using the void world as their body. With a sweep, they unleashed countless Ze Swords, in the manner of the Myriad Sword Art's Great Red God's Fury. The Guardian Demonic General hastily retaliated, whirling the Demonic God's Great Spear to defend, yet the Ze Swords penetrated it one by one, including the Demonic God's Great Spear and the Guardian Divine General's demonic armor. Upon closer inspection, the parts that were "pierced" were not wounds; it seemed as if the Guardian Demonic General and the Demonic God's Great Spear were inherently like that. As defined by these rules, the physical parts that disappeared seemed as if they had never existed.

"No..." "They weren't pierced through, but rather, those touched by the Ze Sword were brought into another 'world,' or a higher-tier 'exile' of rules." Kui Leihan remained in place, not yet departing. From his elevated perspective, he naturally discerned that the Guardian Divine General's armor, flesh, and even the Demonic God's Great Spear, upon contact with the Ze Sword, were all sent to another "place," much like the tribulation lightning that touched Gou Wuyue's body. As for what this "place" was, or whether it was another dimension, Kui Leihan couldn't discern it in such a short time.

And those myriad Ze Swords, sometimes gathered, forming a sphere, as if constructing a completely new miniature plane, forming the new plane's grand network of rules. At this moment, if a Ze Sword deviated from its path during flight, it was like a rule taking an unusual step during its operation, appearing as the Ze Sword straying from the sphere and extending outwards. Even if it immediately returned, with the sharpness of the Ze Sword, it instantly cut a rift in space. Behind that rift was not spatial turbulence, but a direct connection to another unknown world, linking rules to rules.

"Interdimensional space world!" At that instant, Sheng Xin understood. This was his own method: dispersing the power of the Six Prime Ancients by exiling ghost beasts, or using the Six Prime Ancients' power to connect with other planes, thereby opening countless spatial rifts across the Holy Divine Continent. In this way, the Red-Clad would be forced to eradicate ghost beasts, while the power of the Six Prime Ancients remained ceaseless, and interdimensional spatial worlds continuously emerged throughout the Five Regions.

"His Ze Sword connects to interdimensional space worlds?" "So, the tribulation lightning was also transported to another plane. While this indeed avoids the Ancestral God's Dao-Destroying Tribulation, he won't receive its baptism and thus cannot become an Ancestral God..."

While Sheng Xin had only grasped a rough understanding, Kui Leihan's pupils widened, clearly having guessed something. He slightly lowered his eyelids, and in that instant, too many thoughts flooded his mind: Ba Zun'an's mutual reliance of sword and self, creating existence from nothing; Dao Ancestor's memory accomplishments, stunning when revealed, yet hidden nameless when not, undetectable even by Ancestral Gods. They all shared a remarkably similar ingenuity, which was... "The reverse side of Dao?"

Kui Leihan couldn't clearly articulate this concept, but he had comprehended that Ba Zun'an created existence from beyond the rules, and Dao Ancestor hid behind memories, evading all attention. Now, Gou Wuyue was using truth and void to seal an Ancestor, opening the Profound Gate. He wasn't avoiding the Ancestral God's Dao-Destroying Tribulation; it wasn't even invading or disturbing him. He was hiding! In his world, the established world was the True World, covered by rules. The reverse side of the established world was the Void World, where there were no rules, or rather, beyond the rules.

He hid the tribulation lightning beyond the rules, within the Void World. When needed, just as Ba Zun'an used the sword to rely on self, or self to rely on the sword, or when sword and self dissipated, then the sword and self would emerge again from within the Grand Dao Rules. Gou Wuyue could postpone his Ancestor sealing slightly. He could wait until he reached the desired location for sealing an Ancestor, then retrieve the tribulation lightning from the Void World to proceed. And the Ze Sword's touch on the Guardian Demonic General's armor, flesh, and great spear, while seemingly permeating everything and causing real damage, was in essence, at the moment of contact, replacing "truth" with "void," achieving the effect that the Ze Sword could penetrate anything and harm anything.

"Genius!" Kui Leihan did not like Gou Wuyue as a person. However, Gou Wuyue's astonishing idea left Kui Leihan utterly amazed. Was this the path beyond Unrestrained Desire that he had comprehended, the fruit of over thirty years of cultivation? Then... If that were the case... The place where he intended to undergo tribulation a step later...

"Sheng Xin, are you ready?" Before the Profound Gate, Gou Wuyue elegantly turned, a slight smirk playing on his lips. Then, he reclined backward, directly stepping into the boundless radiance. His backlighted dark silhouette was instantly engulfed by the colorful glow, until it became nothingness, passing from truth to void.

"Dao merges with principle, truth and void transform!" As he spoke, Dao laws across the Holy Divine Continent condensed into green threads, originating from the Five Regions—east, south, west, north, and center—and from the Four Seas. Countless green Ze Swords, in a convergence of ten thousand swords, merged and stacked into one, heading towards the Profound Gate in the Central Region.

"This is..." They converged into a single green thread, as thin as a cicada's wing, stretching for ten thousand miles, horizontally positioned beneath the Profound Gate. It appeared as only one, a single "one," yet everyone knew it embodied tens of millions of Mo Swords from the Five Regions, its power incredibly condensed! And where would this "one" sword go?

Sheng Xin looked up, his pupils swirling with turmoil. He wanted to directly confront the sword's edge and force Gou Wuyue out of his pretense of an unknown realm, yet he also felt genuinely compelled to evade it. However, doing so would expose the Time-Space Passage...

As Sheng Xin hesitated, a resounding explosion echoed through heaven and earth, accompanied by a long, chilling roar that resonated powerfully: "Mo Sword Art, Third Stage: One-Character Supreme Principle Sword!" "Slash!" Hum— The thread-like sword vibrated gently in the air, trembling with thousands of black spatial shattering light-shadows above and below. It then spun through the void, creating a gigantic black disc above the Central Region and the North Sea, before diagonally striking not Sheng Xin, but the Time-Space Passage.

"A good dog doesn't block the road; get lost!"