Blind Ghostwriter: Starts with the full level of Nine Yang Magic Skill

Chapter 251 The Number One Under Heaven (1.1 words, please vote)

"what!"

On the viewing platform, Gu Chudong jumped up excitedly the moment she saw Gu Mo remove the blindfold, shouting, "My brother opened his eyes! My brother opened his eyes!"

Many people present cast puzzled glances at him.

Standing next to Gu Chudong, Su Ziyou asked, "What does it mean by opening your eyes, Brother Gu?"

Su Ziyou's question resonated with everyone.

Gu Chudong pointed to Mingyue Mountain and said, "It means exactly what it says. Didn't you see? My brother opened his eyes... Um, sorry, I forgot, most of you can't see that!"

The viewing platform was hundreds of feet away from Mingyue Mountain. Most people could only see the general outline and could not possibly see the details of Gu Mo removing the blindfold. However, Gu Chudong was highly skilled in martial arts and naturally had amazing eyesight, so she was able to see it.

Gu Chudong continued, "My brother's eyes were healed back in Linhai County. He has been waiting for an opponent worthy of his open eyes. He said that the moment he opens his eyes will be the moment he becomes the number one in the world."

For a moment, the expressions on the spectator stands varied.

Su Ziyou looked towards Mingyue Mountain, but unfortunately, the area was shrouded in smoke and dust, and the battle aura was surging. As someone who knew nothing about martial arts, he couldn't see clearly at all. He whispered, "Our Emperor Qian is going to be heartbroken!"

Gu Chudong asked in confusion: "Why?"

Su Ziyou said, "Because he was still having the imperial physicians of the Imperial Hospital research the fastest and easiest way to restore your brother's eyes, hoping to use this to get closer to him. Now, that plan is ruined!"

Gu Chudong chuckled and took the book box off his back and placed it in front of him.

at the same time,

On the other side of the viewing platform, Princess Xiao Ziyin of Chu's expression shifted slightly as she said, "Gu Mo's weakness is really hard to find. I was even thinking of using his blindness to make him owe me a favor."

"Your Highness," said the maid beside Xiao Ziyin, "Now, the bigger problem is that our plan may fail. Gu Mo's strength has exceeded our expectations, and now that he has opened his eyes, he may really become the number one in the world."

"So be it if we fail!" Xiao Ziyin said. "What can I do? If Su Qianqiu, Master Liansheng, and the entire Jin army can't defeat Gu Mo, what can I do with such strength?"

The maid said, "But, I'm afraid it will be difficult to explain to His Majesty."

Xiao Ziyin waved his hand and said, "He is a martial artist and understands better than anyone else that if Gu Mo can turn the tables under these circumstances, it will be an unsolvable situation. Even if he comes in person, there is no other way."

As he spoke, Xiao Ziyin looked at the Jin Emperor in the center of the viewing platform, sighed, and said, "It seems that the Jin Kingdom's national fortune has not completely dissipated yet."

At this time,
Emperor Jin was staring intently at Mingyue Mountain. Although he couldn't see anything clearly, he was extremely excited, and a flame ignited in his heart.

……

now,

On Mingyue Mountain, Su Qianqiu looked at Gu Mo, who had opened his eyes, and his heart sank for no reason. He even felt a little scared. However, when he felt the battle energy flowing into his sword and body, the fear dissipated.

He pointed his sword at Gu Mo and said, "You shouldn't have opened your eyes. If you had kept your eyes closed, you wouldn't have felt much of the loss. But by opening your eyes, you've witnessed me utterly defeating you with flawless martial arts. That's far too cruel for a young man like you!"

Gu Mo looked at Su Qianqiu and chuckled, "Stop talking nonsense, or it will become the reason you get beaten up later."

Having said that, Gu Mo stomped his foot, soared into the sky, and roared, "Bring the blade!"

Gu Mo's voice was like a resounding bell, shaking the heavens and earth. The powerful sound waves stirred up the flowing clouds, causing the clouds to tremble.

On the viewing platform hundreds of feet away, Gu Chudong immediately raised his arm and threw his sword. The Gouchen Demon Blade, wrapped in crimson flames, left his hand and drew a scarlet trajectory in the air. The raging flames on the blade even scorched the void, creating distorted ripples, as if a fiery dragon was breaking through the sky.

A dragon-shaped vortex rose from Gu Mo's palm, and with a swift grab, the demon blade instantly disappeared into it.

In an instant, the blade burst forth with a bloody light, and the flames flowing across the edge leaped up like living things. He let out a "Fight!" The sound wave, wrapped in the blade energy, exploded outwards, and the sand and gravel within a radius of ten feet were swept up into the sky with a roar.

In that instant, Gu Mo's figure vanished from the spot, turning into a blood-red afterimage.

In an instant, Su Qianqiu's pupils contracted sharply—a chilling blade of wind slashed down close to his face, the flames trailing behind the demonic blade tearing the air with scorched cracks. At the critical moment, Su Qianqiu bent his waist and twisted his body, his Qianqiu Sword drawing a silver arc, and the instant the blade collided with the demonic blade, sparks flew like a meteor shower.

However, Gu Mo's attack was as powerful as thunder. The moment his right-hand sword strike was blocked, his left hand's five fingers shot out like steel hooks. Blood lines flowed in his palm, and half-inch-long crimson claws grew from his fingernails. He executed the throat lock, pulse grab, and wrist capture in one smooth motion, and it looked like he was about to crush Su Qianqiu's wrist.

Su Qianqiu hastily spun around and changed his move, his sword flowers raining down on Gu Mo's face. But he was shocked to find that Gu Mo's left hand suddenly turned into a claw, his five finger joints making a strange clicking sound. He grabbed directly at Su Qianqiu's throat with an extremely tricky move, startling Su Qianqiu into dodging in a sorry state.

"bang"

Amidst the sparks of clashing swords, Gu Mo's attacks were like a raging storm, employing ambidextrous techniques. His right hand wielded the demonic sword with the sweeping and powerful Eight Heavenly Blade Techniques, while his left hand used various methods, sometimes unleashing the Dragon Subduing Palm, sometimes the White Rainbow Palm Force, and sometimes the Heavenly Mountain Plum Blossom Hand, forcing Su Qianqiu to retreat repeatedly.

In the blink of an eye, they had already exchanged dozens of blows.

At some point,

"when--"

The Demon Blade and the Thousand Autumn Sword collided in mid-air, exploding into blinding flames.

The two touched the ground with their toes and leaped into the air to a height of ten zhang. Suddenly, dozens of peacock feathers flew out from Su Qianqiu's Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage Robe and transformed into a peculiar rope, wrapping around the Gouchen Demon Blade.

Gu Mo's pupils contracted slightly.

He knew that Su Qianqiu was protected by the Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage Armor, and the possibility of injuring Su Qianqiu with a knife was almost zero. This Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage was a defensive divine weapon even stronger than the Taixu Divine Armor.

Immediately, Gu Mo's offensive strategy changed abruptly, and he actually abandoned the demon sword in his hand.

The moment the demonic blade pierced the air, his left arm suddenly tensed, his muscles erupting like gnarled ancient vines, sweeping across Su Qianqiu's face with the force to split mountains and shatter rocks. Amidst the howling wind, this strike was as fast as lightning, tearing the air apart with a piercing shriek.

Su Qianqiu hastily raised his sword to block, and sparks flew as the blade collided with Gu Mo's palm.

However, Gu Mo's killing move was far from over. His right fist, accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder, struck Su Qianqiu's chest and abdomen with overwhelming force.

"boom!"

With a muffled thud like thunder, Su Qianqiu's protective inner energy shattered like glass, and he was struck as if by lightning. He spat out a mouthful of blood and was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, crashing heavily to the ground. The hard rock was smashed into several deep grooves, and as the debris flew, dust billowed into the air.

Gu Mo lightly touched the ground with his toes, his figure chasing down like a ghost. The Gouchen Demon Blade he threw seemed to have a mind of its own, slicing through the sky, its blade blazing with blood flames, aiming straight for Su Qianqiu's vitals.

Su Qianqiu suddenly sprang to his feet, his Qianqiu Sword radiating a blinding light. With a single slash, the sword energy transformed into a streak of lightning, shattering half a mountain peak in two. In an instant, countless fragments of rock rained down like a torrential downpour, creating an incredibly terrifying spectacle.

Gu Mo parried with his blade, and the Gouchen Demon Blade clashed with Su Qianqiu's sword once more. The two terrifying forces collided, distorting and shaking the void itself, and the surrounding air was violently compressed, creating a violent air explosion.

The powerful aftershocks swept around like a hurricane, uprooting trees and causing the earth to tremble violently. Those watching the battle felt a sharp pain in their eardrums, and the scene before them was distorted and deformed by the shockwave.

Gu Mo's Gouchen Demon Blade is a divine weapon of the world, while Su Qianqiu's Qianqiu Sword is also a divine weapon of the world. Gu Mo's internal strength is extremely profound, while Su Qianqiu is now enhanced by battle qi. When they clashed with all their might, the force rebound was extremely strong, and the mountain was shaking.

The Gouchen Demon Blade was jolted out of his hand, tearing through the sky and embedding itself in a giant rock a thousand meters away. The tremor of the blade even caused spiderweb-like cracks to appear on the entire rock. At the same time, Su Qianqiu's Thousand Autumn Sword was also jolted away, drawing a bright silver arc in the air before crashing into a grassland several miles away.

Gu Mo saw that he had successfully knocked Su Qianqiu's sword away.

He immediately transformed into a blur and sped over.

His palms surged with crimson true energy, his knuckles protruding like tiger claws, tearing through Su Qianqiu's hastily condensed protective qi. Amidst the crisp sound of the qi shattering, Gu Mo's right leg swept across like an iron whip, and with a "crack," Su Qianqiu's ribs snapped at his side, blood and bone fragments spraying out.

The intense pain caused Su Qianqiu's pupils to shrink sharply, but she also seized the opportunity and slapped Gu Mo's shoulder with her palm, which gleamed with a cold blue light.

"boom!"

The two streams of true energy collided, causing Gu Mo to sway slightly, and the fabric of his clothes on his shoulders to shred.

The two engaged in a fierce battle, their fists and palms clashing like a torrential rain. Gu Mo's every punch carried the power to split mountains and shatter rocks, while Su Qianqiu countered with gentle, flexible force.

In the blink of an eye, dozens of rounds passed, and the two fought fiercely from the clouds to the ground.

Gu Mo threw a heavy punch at Su Qianqiu's face, but Su Qianqiu dodged it and then elbowed Gu Mo in the ribs. Gu Mo spun around and swept his leg, but Su Qianqiu leaped up and slashed at his neck with both palms like knives.

As they fought back and forth, waves of air surged, snapping trees in their wake and leaving craters of varying depths in the ground, making them appear evenly matched.

In reality, Su Qianqiu was in a very sorry state.
Gu Mo's left fist struck Su Qianqiu's face seven times in a row, denting his nose and swelling his right eye so much that it was just a bloody slit. Su Qianqiu's right leg also kicked Gu Mo's body several times, but it was no match for the opponent's steel-like muscles. Instead, he felt a bone fracture in his own ankle.

After another thirty rounds,

The entire Mingyue Mountain has been leveled, with loess mixed with rocks churning in the violent air currents.

Gu Mo's iron-like fingers gripped Su Qianqiu's nape tightly, and his muscular arms suddenly exerted force, slamming Su Qianqiu's head heavily onto the ground.

"Boom!"

Rocks shattered, dust flew everywhere, and Su Qianqiu saw stars before his eyes, his brains almost bursting out of his skull. He struggled to stay conscious, and with a backhand elbow strike, he slammed it into Gu Mo's temple like an iron spike.

Gu Mo reacted swiftly, blocking with a horizontal palm strike. Amidst the crisp, metallic clang, fine blood vessels appeared on his palm. Taking advantage of the moment, Su Qianqiu wrapped her arms around Gu Mo's waist like iron chains, and using the opening in his block, she suddenly flipped and tumbled down the cliff. The two figures shot off like arrows, carrying a sharp burst of energy as they plummeted to the ground.

In mid-air, the wind howled as Gu Mo threw a straight punch at Su Qianqiu's face. Su Qianqiu dodged to the side and kicked at his opponent's lower body.

In the back-and-forth exchange, robes fluttered and blood splattered. Su Qianqiu's Heavenly Crafted Spirit Cage Robe glowed with a faint blue light, actually dissipating much of the force of Gu Mo's punch.

Protected by the treasure robe, Su Qianqiu endured several heavy punches, holding onto Gu Mo tightly, and like two shooting stars, they fell into the battle formation set up by the Jin army.

The moment they landed, the sky darkened abruptly, and countless streams of air lit up, completely engulfing their figures.

"rush!"

The thousand riders at the forefront shattered the earth with their iron hooves. Their black armor gleamed coldly in the moonlight. Each warhorse had a large steel ram on its forehead, and the riders on horseback held twelve-foot iron spears. In an instant, they surrounded Gu Mo, and their overwhelming battle aura pressed down.

Su Qianqiu, like an eel, crawled on the ground and flew behind the army.

Gu Mo wiped the blood from the corner of his lips, looked at the heavy cavalry surging towards him like a tidal wave, and charged straight at them.

The moment the first wave of spear tips came, he turned sideways, grabbed two spear shafts, used the momentum to leap onto his warhorse, crushed the knight's throat with his knee, and snatched the iron spear with his right hand, sweeping it across and instantly severing the necks of three warhorses.

In the blood mist, he descended like a god of death, his iron spear swirling like a hurricane, smashing knights' backs and shattering warhorses' skulls. Occasionally, when he clashed hand-to-hand, he would break off his opponent's arm as a weapon or crush their throat with a throat lock.

The heavy cavalry charge formation crumbled under his hands. Some tried to flank from the rear, but Gu Mo suddenly grabbed a knight's ankle and swung him around like a bloody windmill, sweeping down more than ten riders.

The iron hooves slipped on the corpses of his comrades, and Gu Mo seized the opportunity to pounce on the warhorse. He dug his fingertips into the horse's eyes, and the warhorse reared up in pain. He used the momentum to leap into the air and smashed through the knight's visor with an elbow strike. The sound of armor shards breaking and bones piercing flesh echoed one after another.

Gu Mo fought with increasing ferocity, his true energy surging and inexhaustible.

The thousand cavalrymen were routed by him, and the ground was littered with twisted corpses. Blood flowed like a river down the leveled hillside, turning the yellow earth dark red.

Even as Su Qianqiu, who was hiding behind the army to recuperate amidst the battle, was trembling with fear.

My own family knows their own affairs,
If it weren't for the boost from his battle aura, he would never have been able to fight Gu Mo hand-to-hand for so long. Even with the Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage, he would have been smashed into mincemeat.

"Damn it, is this guy even human?"

Su Qianqiu watched Gu Mo rampage and slaughter amidst the heavy cavalry encirclement, and cursed inwardly.

"How can this kid be so arrogant? How many years has he been cultivating? The battle qi of my army of over ten thousand is not even comparable to the true qi of a mere twenty-year-old?"

It seemed that Gu Mo was about to break through the heavy cavalry formation.
Su Qianqiu, disregarding his need to recover his breath, shouted, "All troops, combine!"

The piercing sound of horns tore through the thick clouds, and the Jin army surged forward like a torrent, shaking the earth and raising dust that obscured half the sky. With a unified roar, battle aura filled the air, turbulent the clouds, and swirled and converged in mid-air, gradually solidifying into a tangible form.

Su Qianqiu let out a long roar, his feet stepping on a stream of light as he soared into the sky, his clothes fluttering in the wind.

He spread his arms wide, a mad glint in his eyes, and roared, "Gentlemen, lend me a sword!"

The roar seemed to carry some mysterious power, like a heavy hammer, striking the heart of every soldier.

In an instant, countless streams of battle energy, like a summoned Milky Way hanging upside down, surged wildly into Su Qianqiu's fingertips like a waterfall.

His palm shone brightly, and a huge blade of light slowly took shape. The blade was crystal clear, yet it exuded a chilling pressure. On the spine of the blade, countless phantom images of weapons appeared and disappeared, each accompanied by a deafening clang of metal, as if countless warriors were fighting and shouting within it.

The entire lightsaber hovered in the air, as if time itself had frozen, and everything in the world trembled under its terrifying sword intent.

This sword strike is a sword of overwhelming power.

The lightsaber hung in the sky, yet to fall, but the ground beneath Gu Mo's feet was already bearing the weight.

With a crisp "crack," the earth cracked like a spider web, the cracks spreading wildly radiating outwards from him. Dust billowed wherever he passed, and hard rocks were shattered into dust by the invisible sword intent. It was as if even space itself was distorted and deformed under this terrifying pressure.

Gu Mo looked up at the light blade that blotted out the sky, his pupils contracted slightly, and he quickly formed a hand seal in front of his chest. He then activated his Wuji Guiyuan Qi.

A vast and powerful aura surged from his dantian, and a dazzling golden light burst forth between his palms, like a small sun burning in his hands.

"boom!"

A deafening roar shook the heavens and earth, and Gu Mo's aura suddenly surged.

The third form of the Ultimate Golden Core was activated with a roar, and more than a dozen kinds of true energy surged out from the limbs and bones like living things, swirling and merging wildly at the Golden Core.

At this moment, the golden elixir seemed to be the beginning of chaos, with various streams of energy colliding and intertwining within it, eventually condensing into a golden elixir.

"go with!"

Gu Mo roared, shattering the ground as he soared into the sky. The brilliance of his ultimate Golden Core illuminated the entire battlefield, meeting the overwhelming sword strike head-on.

The moment that sword crashed down...

The golden core sprayed out ten thousand streams of energy, like a meteor shower. The ten thousand streams of light rolled back like the Milky Way. Each stream of energy carried the power of a malevolent star, weaving into a magnificent net of light in the void, and colliding violently with the sword.

First, there was a moment of complete silence, as if the world had been put on pause, followed by a deafening roar like mountains collapsing and the earth splitting apart.

The lightsaber shattered inch by inch, each fragment exploding like a thunderclap.

The battle aura shattered with a deafening roar.

The front-line soldiers, armor and all, were blasted into a bloody mist by the shockwave. The cavalry in the rear were thrown hundreds of feet away by the blast, their warhorses neighing mournfully in the air, their iron hooves kicking the void in vain.

Gu Mo crashed back to the ground like a meteorite, carving a deep trench a thousand meters long in the earth. Su Qianqiu was thrown back several miles by the shock, her back slamming heavily against the mountain wall. The Heavenly Craft Spirit Cage Treasure Robe on her chest was covered with spiderweb-like cracks, and blood gushed from her mouth.

The battlefield fell into dead silence, with only the howling wind sweeping past, carrying severed limbs and broken armor.

The once orderly military formation was now unrecognizable, with convulsing wounded soldiers scattered everywhere. Fragments of armor and remnants of weapons were embedded in pools of blood. In the distance, the unaffected military flags still fluttered in the wind, reflecting the horrific scene of mountains of corpses and seas of blood.

……

"I can't beat them, I can't beat them, I give up!"

Just then, Su Qianqiu sent a telepathic message to Gu Mo, admitting defeat.

Gu Mo said in a deep voice, "I'm very curious now, how are you going to handle this?"

Su Qianqiu said, "Believers, believers, it all comes down to faith. They are superstitious people. Moreover, the people here are only a tiny fraction of the entire Jin Kingdom. Even if some of them are clear-headed, they can't affect the overall situation. When the time comes, the government and the Qianqiu Sect will spread the word, and today's events will become a completely different story!"

At that time,

Su Qianqiu flew out from the ruins, his white hair cascading down like a waterfall. He lightly touched the stone edge with his toes and spun up, his robes billowing like a white crane spreading its wings. As his fingertips brushed the jade hilt at his waist, seven streaks of azure light burst forth from his sleeves. The sword blade sliced ​​through the void with a clear, melodious sound like the ringing of jade. The sword light bloomed with ice crystal-like patterns in the twilight, weaving a flowing cocoon of light around him.

As the seventh sword light, like a dragon returning to the sea, entered his palm, the countless fragments of light suddenly condensed into gilded auspicious clouds. Nine-colored auspicious light poured down from between the cloud patterns, coating his figure with a crystal-clear appearance.

This was an illusion created by his phantom sword. Su Qianqiu raised his sleeve and brushed away the clouds, and jade flower petals fell from the waterfall of light, each petal reflecting starlight like the Milky Way, swirling around him in a spiral of light. He lightly touched the auspicious clouds with his toes and rode the waves upward, his wide sleeves spreading out thousands of silver-like sword lights, as if an immortal was riding a raft and cutting through the clouds, while the cocoon of light behind him was gradually transforming into the phantom image of a crane carrying a lingzhi mushroom.

The people who looked up from afar were dazzled and mesmerized. They could clearly see the jade butterfly hair ornament in his white hair fluttering in the auspicious light as if about to take flight, and they could clearly hear faint celestial music coming from the depths of the illusion woven by sword light.

"Infinite Heavenly Lord!"

Su Qianqiu floated in the void like an immortal, his face calm, and his voice rang out: "Thank you, Antarctic Heavenly Lord, for guiding me through this tribulation. I have already comprehended the past and the mortal world."

Then, he looked at Emperor Jin on the viewing platform and said calmly, "Emperor Jin, you are my celestial attendant, reincarnated in this life to help me overcome my tribulation. However, in the past, I was blinded by my past life and failed to understand the cause and effect, and was misled by others, thus misunderstanding you. Fortunately, the reincarnation of the Antarctic Heavenly Lord saw through my past life and corrected the wrongs in time, preventing me from going astray. Now that I have understood my past life, I will clear your name. In seven days, I will be reborn in the mortal world and continue your nation's fortune for another hundred years!"

Immediately, Su Qianqiu pointed into the distance, and it seemed as if a ray of spiritual light merged into Emperor Jin's body. Under the watchful eyes of everyone, a dragon shadow flashed past behind him.

Immediately, Su Qianqiu shattered the wind and snow, transforming into a bright white rainbow in the sky, becoming thousands of points of light. The snow surface touched by his toes left no trace. Only the fine sword light suddenly condensed into real snowflakes before landing, fluttering and scattering all over the world.

In the ruins of the plain,

As Gu Mo watched the strange phenomenon in the sky disappear, he couldn't help but feel impressed by Su Qianqiu's impressive illusion techniques. No wonder he could turn the entire country of Southern Jin into a nation of faith by pretending to be a god or ghost.

However, this method is not very effective against top experts, because Gu Mo could sense that when the illusion appeared in the void, Su Qianqiu had already run to the carriage on the viewing platform to hide and heal her injuries.

now,

As Su Qianqiu's illusion dissipated, many people knelt on the ground, chanting "Respectfully sending off the Heavenly Venerable!" The scene was terrifying.

Gu Mo couldn't understand the thoughts of the fanatical believers.

However, he had no interest in finding out. He reached out and pulled the Gouchen Demon Blade into his hand, and then in a few flashes, he teleported to the viewing platform.

Gu Mo's sudden appearance on the viewing platform startled all the civil and military officials of Jin, who instinctively took a few steps back.

Emperor Jin reacted the fastest, immediately bowing and saying, "Greetings, Lord of the South Pole!"

Immediately, all the civil and military officials realized what was happening and bowed respectfully, saying, "Greetings, Heavenly Emperor."

Gu Mo felt embarrassed after hearing this.
He's not Su Qianqiu; he can't pretend to be a god and accept others' worship with equanimity.

"I'm not some Antarctic Heavenly Lord, I'm just a江湖人 (jianghu person, a person of the martial arts world)!" Gu Mo said.

"Yes, yes, yes," Emperor Jin hurriedly replied, "The Heavenly Lord is now a reincarnation, primarily in the human realm, as the chivalrous hero Gu Mo!"

Gu Mo knew that Emperor Jin intended to end today's events with Su Qianqiu's final words of admitting defeat, thus bringing an end to the chaos.

He had no interest in actually arguing about the Heavenly Emperor or Heavenly Venerable here, lest he undermine this situation. So, he immediately reached out and grabbed Su Wanguan, saying, "Your Majesty, this Thousand Autumns Sect leader, I suppose I captured him?"

"Of course," Emperor Jin said with a smile, "The imperial reward will not be less than a single penny!"

Su Wanguan offered no resistance. He glanced at Gu Mo, then looked at the Emperor of Jin, and said, "Your Majesty, Jin can only survive through my methods. Although I lost today's plan due to unforeseen circumstances, I did not do anything wrong!"

The Emperor of Jin looked at Su Wanguan and slowly said, "But, have I been wrong?"

Su Wanguan shook his head slightly.

The Emperor of Jin said, "You think I can't save Jin, but you think your method can. I don't want to discuss whether the method is right or wrong. I just want to ask you one question: can you guarantee that your heart will never waver? If one day Jin's gates are breached, will the Thousand Autumns Sect truly remain true to its original intention of saving the country? Or will it evolve into a tool for power?"

Perhaps you, Su Wanguan, can maintain your integrity, but what about the others? Can they remain steadfast in the face of self-interest? Will there come a day when the doctrines of the Thousand Autumns Sect become that the pseudo-Jin state is the legitimate dynasty, and then one day when the unification of the world by Chu is the inevitable trend, the will of Heaven?

Su Wanguan said in a deep voice, "But at least, the hope is greater than the hope of simply guarding the country's borders."

Emperor Jin said nothing more, but waved his hand slightly, summoning several soldiers to tie up Su Wanguan, and then began to deal with the aftermath of the incident.

Gu Mo walked over to the Qian Kingdom delegation and handed the Gouchen Demon Blade to Gu Chudong. Then, the group quickly left.

The Chu delegation also left at the same time.

Xiao Ziyin watched Gu Mo board the carriage, sighed softly, and said, "The martial arts rankings are going to change, and Gu Mo is going to become the new second in the world..."

"No, Su Qianqiu is still the second best in the world."

Just then, Master Liansheng appeared beside Xiao Ziyin and said, “Gu Mo is different from Su Qianqiu. Su Qianqiu claims to be the second in the world because he does not have the heart of invincibility. He dares not claim to be the first in the world. But Gu Mo is different. He has the heart of invincibility. He naturally dares to claim to be the first in the world. Moreover, he said that the moment he opens his eyes will be the moment he becomes the first in the world.”

"Number one in the world!"

Xiao Ziyin said in a deep voice, "The allure of this title is too great. Throughout history, countless heroes have spent their entire lives pursuing this title!"

Master Liansheng said, "But there can only ever be one number one in the world."

Xiao Ziyin sighed and said, "Actually, whether Gu Mo is the best in the world is not that important. What's important is that he is too strong." She pointed to the army that had been shattered on the plain and the Mingyue Mountain that had been half destroyed, and said, "Although Su Qianqiu is pretending to be a god, in fact, from another perspective, someone with their level of martial prowess is no exaggeration to call them a god."

“Amitabha,” Master Liansheng said, “Indeed, he is like a god or an immortal!”

Xiao Ziyin said, "Su Qianqiu alone was already able to guard the gates of the Southern Jin Kingdom. Now, with the even stronger Gu Mo joining us, the path for our Emperor to unify the world is becoming increasingly difficult!"

Master Liansheng shook his head and said, "Actually, it's a bit too simple."

Xiao Ziyin asked in confusion, "What do you mean?"

Master Liansheng said, "Sword God Su is old. He lost today's battle, and he lost his spirit as well. From another perspective, his martial luck has come to an end. This battle should be the last peak battle of his life. Unless he can gain more in Baiyujing the year after next, it is unlikely."

Xiao Ziyin nodded and said, "I understand this principle, but with Su Qianqiu's downfall, an even stronger Gu Mo has emerged, hasn't he? Judging from Gu Mo's combat performance today, even if Jiang Ruoxu were alive back then, Gu Mo could probably put up a 50/50 fight."

Master Liansheng said, "Hero Gu is different from Sword God Su. Sword God Su's divinity has disappeared, and he is now just a human being. He will defend the country's borders and do his best to protect Jin. But Hero Gu is different. The current Hero Gu is more divine and his humanity occupies less space. His attitude towards Qian is different from that of Sword God Su. If we attack Qian, the resistance we will encounter from Hero Gu will not be as great as that from Sword God Su."

Xiao Ziyin raised an eyebrow and said, "So, I should now think of a way to enhance his divinity."

Master Liansheng nodded and said, "But, if I'm not mistaken, Emperor Qian will definitely try to enhance Hero Gu's humanity."

Xiao Ziyin's eyes gleamed as he murmured, "To enhance divinity..."

……

After leaving Mingyue Plain, Gu Mo went directly back to the Honglu Temple in the capital of Southern Jin.

Although he fought a very satisfying battle at Mingyue Plain and won decisively, the opponent he faced was indeed very strong, and he still suffered some injuries. However, he possessed several internal energy techniques that had miraculous healing effects, so they did not have a significant impact on his health.

He spent two or three days recuperating at the Honglu Temple.

On the very day that Gu Mo had fully recovered from his injuries, he made a public appearance in the morning and had a meal with Su Ziyou. At noon, the Emperor of Jin personally came to the Honglu Temple.

They also brought an official letter from the Ministry of Justice and a reward, which they exchanged for rare and precious materials worth 30,000 taels of silver.

The moment Gu Mo received the official letter, a system notification sounded in his mind:
Apprehend a six-star wanted criminal.

[Received a six-star reward - Max level Vertical and Horizontal Sword Technique]

[Whether to receive it]

……

At that moment,

Gu Mo then mastered the Vertical and Horizontal Sword Technique. In addition to mastering the two typical and powerful sword moves, Hundred Steps Flying Sword and Horizontal Sweep in Eight Directions, he also gained special abilities such as predicting the opponent's attack trajectory, mental intimidation, long-range surprise attack, and group control.

The sword of vertical and horizontal swordsmanship is the sword of opening and closing, the way of heaven and earth, embodying a philosophical thought of yin and yang being both opposite and unified, bringing swordsmanship to its extreme, so as to achieve the effect of killing with one blow and being unstoppable.

……

in the room.

Gu Mo sat facing the Emperor of Jin.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Emperor Jin said, "Hero Gu, I have come here today not only to deliver the government's reward money, but also to invite you to Qianqiu Mountain on behalf of Master Su."

Gu Mo picked up his teacup, took a sip, and chuckled, "Could it be that he's still resentful about his loss last time and wants to get his revenge now?"

Emperor Jin hurriedly replied, "That's impossible. I wanted to invite you to discuss matters concerning Penglai Immortal Island. Old Master Su originally intended to come to you in person, but as you know, his injuries are severe, and he won't be able to leave Qianqiu Mountain for a while. In a few days, after staging a scene of a celestial being descending to earth at Qianqiu Mountain, he will go into seclusion to heal his injuries."

“Penglai Immortal Island!” Gu Mo thought for a moment and said, “Then we can go and have a chat.”

Then, Gu Mo asked, "By the way, what are your plans to do about the Thousand Autumns Sect?"

Emperor Jin said, "That's easy to do. In Jin, as long as Old Master Su says the word, everything will become very simple. Su Wanguan will be beheaded and his head displayed to the public. Then a large number of people will be arrested, including high-ranking officials of the court, and executed in the name of the Qianqiu Cult. This matter will then be over. As for the future, the Qianqiu Cult will still be officially established, but it will not be allowed to operate independently of the court and will be fully led by the court."

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

In reality, despite all this commotion, nothing has changed except that Emperor Jin's imperial power has been preserved. Su Qianqiu still holds the reins of power in Southern Jin, and he remains the undisputed leader of the entire nation. The only difference is that the plan to govern the country through religion has been disrupted. Su Qianqiu has now conceded, allowing the Qianqiu Sect to be managed by the imperial court, which means that the sect's control over Southern Jin will be gradually weakened.

There was no other way. The path of governing the country through religion had been blocked, so the only option was to settle for second best and let the imperial power truly control the country. Otherwise, if Su Qianqiu died and the imperial power and the Qianqiu Sect split, then the Southern Jin would really have no ability to resist at all.

Subsequently,

Gu Mo chatted with the Emperor of Jin for a long time.

When he left, the Emperor of Jin left behind a golden token with four large characters engraved on it: "Great Hero of the Nation!"
This "Great Hero of the Nation" token is the same as the one Emperor Qian gave him before. Both grant the holder the right to freely enter and leave the palace and to request local officials in various counties and prefectures of the Jin Kingdom to help investigate intelligence leads.

Looking at the token, Gu Mo was both amused and exasperated, feeling like he was piecing together a jigsaw puzzle.

Gu Chudong, on the other hand, was quite happy. She took the token from Gu Mo, weighed it in her hand, and then tapped it on the ground, saying, "Brother, it's real gold! It's very valuable!"

Gu Mo was speechless and said, "Sis, we just earned 30,000 taels, don't act like this..."

"Hehe!" Gu Chudong chuckled as she put away the token and said, "Brother, if you keep going like this, will there come a day when emperors from all over the world will give you a token of national heroism, and then we can eat and drink for free wherever we go, with the government paying the bill?"

"Wow, that's incredible!" Gu Mo gave a thumbs up and said, "Your idea is really brilliant. I could never have imagined that this token could be so useful!"

"Am I smart?"

Gu Chudong was very proud.

Gu Mo nodded firmly.

“By the way, brother, when are we going to Qianqiu Mountain?” Gu Chudong asked. “We can go sooner, because these past few days Brother Su and his team have been in contact with the imperial merchants from the Jin State’s Ministry of Internal Affairs. Once things are settled, they will be returning to Qian Kingdom. Let’s go back with them!”

Gu Mo said, "Going to Qianqiu Mountain sooner is fine, but I'm still considering whether to return to Qian Kingdom. I'm planning whether to go directly from Jin Kingdom to Jiang Kingdom to capture Ye Nantian, the leader of the Baiyue Cult!"

Gu Chudong was immediately disappointed and said, "Is that so... then okay!"

"What's wrong?" Gu Mo asked in confusion, "Are you in such a hurry to go back? If it's for the New Year, there's no time left. If we go back now, we'll have to spend the New Year on the way."

"It's not for the New Year," Gu Chudong said. "It's for something else very important!"

"What's wrong?" Gu Mo asked, puzzled.

"I'll take you on blind dates!" Gu Chudong said. "You forgot? I said before that once your eyes are better, I'll take you on blind dates. There's Xie Liuying from the Xuan Nu Palace in Qingzhou, Hua Yanyue, Sister Yunxiu from Cangzhou, Sister Yan San Niang, Sister Yang Qingtong, the leader of the martial arts alliance, Jin Caicai from the Jin family of the Prime Minister in the capital, and Mu Yan from the family of the Minister of Rites..."

"I've already planned this all along. I'll take you to meet them one by one, and whoever you like will become my sister-in-law. Of course, we'll marry several. So, I'm in a hurry to go back now, not just to take you on blind dates, but also to buy a house—a really, really big house. I've got my eye on Lingyun Manor in Linjiang County. Brother, what do you think?"

Gu Mo: “…”

You've really thought things through long-term!

……

Qianqiu Mountain, located on the outskirts of Quwo City, is a huge mountain that reaches into the clouds. On the mountain is the Qianqiu Temple, the largest temple in the Southern Jin Dynasty.

The Qianqiu Temple on Qianqiu Mountain is very grand.

From the foot of the mountain, countless people from the Southern Jin Dynasty were chanting the Scripture of Eternity. As for whether there were really 33,333 people as Su Qianqiu had mentioned, Gu Mo didn't know, but even if there weren't enough, it should be close to the truth.

Gu Mo was greeted by Su Qianqiu's disciple, who led Gu Mo and Gu Chudong directly to a manor atop Qianqiu Mountain.

Here, heavy snow is falling, drifting and swirling.

Upon entering the manor, one sees Su Qianqiu standing barefoot in the snow, his figure swaying in the heavy snow. With white hair and white clothes, he looks up at the sky, embodying the image of a white-haired youth with a youthful face and an otherworldly air.

"For so many years, I have been standing very high, always feeling illusory, looking down on the world and on all living beings. I have felt very empty, very lonely, and very disoriented. Only now have I finally felt grounded."

As she spoke, Su Qianqiu walked out barefoot into the snow, leaving a footprint with each step, her expression indifferent.

Gu Mo curled his lip and said, "If you want to feel more at ease, sir, I can do it for you. This time, I will definitely bury you in the ground and embed you there, so that you can have a more real contact with the earth and not feel like you are in a dream at all."

Su Qianqiu waved his hand and said, "I am now truly the second best in the world. I am no longer just an empty shell like before. I have achieved what I have wanted for many years. Everything is already the best. I no longer need to be troubled by empty fame."

Gu Mo's lips twitched, and he said, "As far as I know, you care a lot about the title of the best in the world. Oh, right, the old master said that you like to pretend to be nonchalant and indifferent on the surface, but in reality, you crave the title of the best in the world more than anyone else. In the past, when facing Jiang Ruoxu, you would always secretly practice your sword behind his back, shouting that you wanted to defeat Jiang Ruoxu, and then on the surface, you would say that you didn't care about empty fame!"

With his hands behind his back, Su Qianqiu said, "Zhang Daoyi is just an ordinary mortal who likes to slander others behind their backs. Who am I, Su Qianqiu? I am the God of Swords!"

Of all the swordplay in the world, I possess twelve-tenths of the total, while the rest of the world owes me two-tenths!

Gu Mo said speechlessly, "Stop talking nonsense. A few days ago at Mingyue Plain, if you hadn't been so full of it, you might have gotten a few fewer punches from me!"

Su Qianqiu waved his hand and said, "It's alright. Once we get to Penglai Island, I'll hold Zhang Daoyi responsible. That old bastard has a foul mouth. Back then, we exchanged twenty blows, and he took nineteen of them, all because of his foul mouth!"

Gu Mo: “…”

He had no interest in the grudges and feuds between two old men in their seventies and eighties, so he said, "I'm not very interested in Penglai Island, but I'm very curious about Bai Yujing. I've heard that you are the person who has the deepest contact with Bai Yujing besides Jiang Ruoxu. What exactly is Bai Yujing like?"

Su Qianqiu shook his head slightly and said, "I have not been able to see the full picture of Baiyujing either, but I know that Baiyujing is not a specific object. The depth of each person's contact with Baiyujing comes from their own spiritual will."

Gu Mo asked in confusion, "How exactly should I describe it?"

Su Qianqiu thought for a moment and said, "It's similar to an array barrier. Inside, everything you think about and see is Baiyujing. No one has ever seen the real Baiyujing. Over the past few hundred years, not many people have been to Penglai Island, but not a few either. Dozens of people have come into contact with Baiyujing, but what they have seen and heard is different. After all, it is the third of the thirteen taboos in the world, so its wonders need no further explanation."

"Thirteen taboos? What are they?" Gu Mo asked.

Su Qianqiu asked in confusion, "Didn't that old codger Zhang Daoyi tell you about the thirteen taboos? Well, it's normal that he didn't. These thirteen taboos are just thirteen legends, not very valuable, and can basically be regarded as stories."

They are: Human Dragon Vein, Reincarnation Mirror, Jade Palace, Knocking on the Heavenly Gate, Black Tortoise, Fire Qilin, Outer Heaven, Great Sun Demon Art, Heart Demon, Plague God, Reverse Scale Blade, Seven-Colored Peacock, and Jiang Ruoxu.

These thirteen taboos are legends passed down from ancient times. Simply put, they are taboos that have caused mysterious and special events in various eras. The taboo that emerged in the last hundred years is Jiang Ruoxu, a madman whose combat strength cannot be assessed, and whose life or death is uncertain. Therefore, he was designated as the thirteenth taboo.

Gu Chudong asked, "Are they all real?"

Su Qianqiu said, "That can't be confirmed, but theoretically speaking, at least I can confirm that the three taboos—Jiang Ruoxu, the Seven-Colored Peacock, and Bai Yujing—are real!"

"Brother, do you think it's true?" Gu Chudong looked at Gu Mo.

Gu Mo nodded slightly.

He was certain that the number of taboos that actually existed was greater than that of Su Qianqiu.

Because he had already received a system notification that several of the thirteen taboos were actually wanted criminals!

(End of this chapter)