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

Chapter 307 The Era of Godslaying
Xiao Zhaolin sized up Jiang Ruoxu and slowly said, "Does my empire need a lonely ghost like you to protect it? You can't even protect the Jiang Kingdom, what right do you have to talk to me about cooperation?"

Jiang Ruoxu said in a deep voice, "Can your Chu Kingdom's foundation withstand the turmoil of a few Ascension Realm cultivators?"

Xiao Zhaolin waved his hand and said, "You don't need to worry about that. I can give you face by using the name Jiang Ruoxu. However, you only have the time it takes to drink a cup of tea. If you can't convince me to cooperate with you, then you can leave on your own!"

Jiang Ruoxu chuckled and said, "I've long heard that Emperor Xiao Zhaolin of Chu is incredibly arrogant. Seeing him today, I can see that he truly lives up to his reputation. Even your father wouldn't have dared to speak to me like that back then."

Xiao Zhaolin slightly raised his eyelids and said, "If you're here to take advantage of your age, you can leave now. I'm very busy."

Jiang Ruoxu slowly said, "The inner demon and the Heavenly Gate are real, but also fake. They are real because they actually exist, and fake because they are not like the rumors, but real living beings."

Xiao Zhaolin then raised his head and said, "Now that you mention this, I'm interested. Why don't you tell me what happened back then? I've always had some doubts about your sudden qi deviation and subsequent death."

Jiang Ruoxu said, "It was about thirty years ago, I don't remember the exact time. I broke through to the Ascension Realm and saw the Heavenly Gate. So, I left my physical body in the Jiang Kingdom's palace and my primordial spirit flew towards the Heavenly Gate."

However, upon reaching the Heavenly Gate, I encountered my inner demon. I didn't know just how powerful this inner demon was, because it had secretly cast a spell on me when my cultivation reached a point where ascension was within reach. Therefore, I was defeated after only a few rounds of fighting.

However, at the last moment, my Awakening Insect Sword unleashed its unique power, severing the demonic control of my inner demons and buying me time. I seized the opportunity to rush to the Heavenly Gate and successfully knocked it open!

Xiao Zhaolin raised an eyebrow slightly and asked, "What did you see?"

"One eye!"

Jiang Ruoxu said, "That's not a Heavenly Gate at all, but an eye, a huge eye covered with countless tentacles. It's disgusting, just embedded in the void."

When I knocked on the gates of heaven, only one eye opened. The tentacles tried to pull me into that eye. I used all my strength and in that instant, I comprehended my domineering true meaning and made a suicidal move, barely severing a few tentacles.

Whether it was fortunate or unfortunate, my primordial spirit was still restricted by Bai Yujing at the time. Just when I was almost pulled into that eye, Bai Yujing's restriction pulled me out again.

I fled frantically with the Jingzhe Sword, but the inner demon had already locked onto me. I was being hunted down to the point where I had almost nowhere to run. I had no choice but to become the sword spirit of the Jingzhe Sword. During the battle, I discovered that the inner demon's attacks on the physical body were very weak. So, by becoming the sword spirit of the Jingzhe Sword, I was able to escape the inner demon's pursuit.

However, although my primordial spirit escaped the pursuit, it was still invaded by the demonic energy of my inner demons. Before long, it became delirious and killed indiscriminately. You should know what happened next: I was besieged by all the kingdoms of the world.

Xiao Zhaolin said in a deep voice, "Human power, even battle qi, has little effect on cultivators in the Ascension Realm."

Jiang Ruoxu said, "That's true. However, in that battle, the elites of various countries joined forces, encompassing almost 30% of the world's top experts, plus the armies of various countries. Although they couldn't kill me, they brought about a tremendous celestial phenomenon. During that celestial phenomenon, my cultivation level suddenly rose, and I actually glimpsed a mysterious cave. I suspect that is the true Heavenly Gate."

But it vanished in an instant. Luckily, in that brief moment, I managed to grasp a wisp of immortal energy, completely suppressing the demonic energy and regaining my senses. So, I took advantage of the situation and created the illusion that I had died from heavenly lightning, then hid away and devoted myself to studying that wisp of immortal energy.

Xiao Zhaolin asked, "Have you come up with any results?"

Jiang Ruoxu said in a deep voice, "Of course, that is power that surpasses the Ascension Realm."

"You've got it?"

Jiang Ruoxu nodded slightly and said, "Speaking of which, I have to thank Gu Mo, the number one in the world today. If it weren't for this boy, I'm afraid it would have taken me ten or even twenty years to master that immortal energy."

Xiao Zhaolin asked in confusion, "What's going on?"

Jiang Ruoxu said, "You must know that Penglai Immortal Island was sunk by Gu Mo, right?"

Xiao Zhaolin nodded.

Jiang Ruoxu said, "He sank Penglai Immortal Island with his physical strength. He turned into a dragon. At that moment, I realized that all of us in the world had gone astray."

We all pursue spiritual ascension, abandoning our physical bodies, because it's generally accepted that the physical body cannot ascend; to ascend, one must shed the mortal form. Yet, Gu Mo retained his physical body, and moreover, his physical strength reached the Ascension Realm!

At this point, Jiang Ruoxu sighed softly and said, "Gu Mo is truly a great man. He is so great that he changed the world. He is unprecedented and will never be surpassed."

From this, I understood the true direction of that celestial energy. After that, I took the sword as my body and completely merged with that celestial energy.

Xiao Zhaolin stood up and said, "Just because you told me about physical ascension, I can agree to your cooperation requests as long as they aren't too unreasonable. What do you want to cooperate on?"

Jiang Ruoxu said in a deep voice, "Borrow the nation's fortune to kill Tianmen!"

Xiao Zhaolin asked in confusion, "Didn't you already master the power beyond ascension? How come you can't kill that eye?"

Jiang Ruoxu said, "In the heavens, I am not entirely confident, because once it senses something is wrong and hides, I will have no chance of finding it. Therefore, the only option is to bring it down to the human world."

I have been studying magic arrays for years. I created a God-Slaying Array, originally intending to deal with the inner demon first. However, the inner demon suddenly disappeared, so I will use it to deal with the Heavenly Gate.

My God-Slaying Formation requires the mobilization of human power to trap the Heavenly Gate, preventing it from returning to heaven for a short time. I can then seize the opportunity to kill it. And in the world today, no nation has the strongest destiny than your Chu Kingdom, so cooperating with you is the most suitable option.”

Xiao Zhaolin chuckled and said, "The fate of the nation, huh? Very well, I grant your request!"

Jiang Ruoxu said, "After I kill that eye, I will not immediately seek the true path to immortality. I will first help you sweep across the universe and unify the world, and then I will go and seek the path to immortality."

Now that the inner demon is dead, those old fogies who have been hiding will surely be busy recovering their Ascension Realm cultivation, which may cause chaos. You can rest assured, I will help you suppress these old fogies.”

Xiao Zhaolin chuckled and said, "Actually, those old guys aren't important. They're afraid of their inner demons and dare not ascend. No matter how strong they are, they have their limits. If you want to help me sweep away the world, the biggest obstacle is Gu Mo. Can you defeat him?"

Jiang Ruoxu said, "Gu Mo is very strong. His physical body has ascended, and if I'm not mistaken, his primordial spirit has also ascended. His title of 'Number One in the World' is the most prestigious in history. Among cultivators in the Ascension Realm, he is also the number one in the world. However, it's a pity that I now possess power beyond the Ascension Realm."

A year ago, I was no match for him; now, he is no match for me.

Xiao Zhaolin looked at Jiang Ruoxu, pondered for a moment, and said, "I'm afraid you're wrong. Gu Mo has definitely mastered power above the Ascension Realm as well."

Jiang Ruoxu's pupils contracted slightly, and she asked, "How did you know?"

Xiao Zhaolin asked, "Do you know about the Outer Heavens?"

Jiang Ruoxu nodded slightly and said, "One of the thirteen taboos, it is suspected to be the Heavenly Realm, but whether it really exists remains to be verified."

Xiao Zhaolin said, "Whether it is the Heavenly Realm or not, I do not know. However, the Outer Heaven is definitely real. The reason I know this is because the establishment of my Chu Kingdom was largely due to the help of the Outer Heaven."

Jiang Ruoxu said, "I've heard this legend before. It's said that the founding emperor of your Chu Kingdom was able to establish the Chu Kingdom with the help of a goddess."

Xiao Zhaolin said, "That legendary goddess came from the Outer Heavens."

Jiang Ruoxu asked in surprise, "Are there really goddesses?"

Xiao Zhaolin said, "It really is true, and right now there are two divine messengers from the Outer Heavens in my imperial city."

A hint of shock flashed in Jiang Ruoxu's eyes.

Xiao Zhaolin continued, "That's why I know Gu Mo has mastered the power beyond ascension. It's because I sought help from those two divine envoys earlier, and they promised to eliminate Gu Mo for me. Not long after, I saw the inner demon appear in the imperial city."

"You can see inner demons?" Jiang Ruoxu asked in surprise.

Xiao Zhaolin said calmly, "I was born with double pupils. My eyes can see many secrets. It's not surprising that I can see inner demons. The reason I can recognize them is because the demonic energy is so strong that it is hard to find in the human world."

Of course, I wasn't entirely sure at the time; I only had a guess. It was only after combining this with what you just said about the disappearance of the inner demon that I became certain that what I saw that day was the inner demon, or rather, its clone.

Two days later, the two divine envoys asked me to escort something to the Northern Zhou Kingdom. They said it was a dragon scale, which was specially obtained to help me kill Gu Mo. After that, I heard that Gu Mo went to the Northern Zhou Kingdom.

Given all these coincidences, I had a guess that the two divine messengers must have sent the inner demon to kill Gu Mo. And just now, considering your statement that the inner demon disappeared and that its attacks on the physical body were not very effective, I can confirm that the inner demon died at Gu Mo's hands.

Gu Mo's ability to slay his inner demons means, in other words, that he has also mastered power beyond ascension. Otherwise, even if his physical body couldn't defeat his inner demons, they wouldn't have simply vanished, would they?

Jiang Ruoxu pondered for a moment and said, "In that case, it is very likely that Gu Mo killed the inner demon. However, I have some doubts. You know that Gu Mo was able to transform into a dragon and sink Penglai Island. Why didn't you stop those two divine envoys from using dragon scales to kill Gu Mo? Using dragon scales to kill a dragon is simply a joke."

Xiao Zhaolin sneered, "Because I want my inner demons to fail."

"Why?" Jiang Ruoxu asked, puzzled.

Xiao Zhaolin said, "There are two reasons. First, I later decided to defeat Gu Mo personally and honorably. Second, I wanted to use Gu Mo to kill those two divine envoys."

Jiang Ruoxu asked in confusion, "Why do you want to kill those two divine envoys? Weren't they here to help you unify the world?"

Xiao Zhaolin said, "They want to unify the world, but not to help me. They can help anyone, because they are supporting a puppet. As for their ultimate goal, I don't know."

If it were just that simple, I could barely coexist with them. But there is one conflict that cannot be resolved: they do not allow me to achieve the Ascension Realm. As the supreme ruler, I am even subject to the control of others in my cultivation. What a humiliation this is.

"For me, achieving the Ascension Realm is essential, but they won't allow it. Therefore, we cannot coexist. It's either me or them."

Jiang Ruoxu pondered for a moment and said, "After all, they are helping you. Perhaps we can discuss it!"

Xiao Zhaolin sneered, “They always put on an arrogant attitude, as if I wouldn’t be where I am today without them. But in reality, when the late emperor passed away, the wicked concubine conspired with the court officials to kill me and install someone else on the throne. Those two divine messengers did not show up.”

When I ascended the throne at a young age, I was adept at navigating the political landscape and controlling the court, yet they did not help me. Later, when I expanded the territory, they did not help me either, only intervening in some minor matters.

Their reason for demanding my obedience wasn't based on any favors they'd done for me, but rather on the fact that the founding emperor of Great Chu was established with their support from the Outer Heavens. Therefore, they demanded that Great Chu obey their commands for generations to come. In their eyes, I'm merely a puppet, someone they can replace at any time if I disobey!

Xiao Zhaolin looked at Jiang Ruoxu with a cold smile and said, "Do you think there's any room for negotiation?"

“No,” Jiang Ruoxu said.

“So, this is my reason for killing them,” Xiao Zhaolin said. “Originally, I wanted Gu Mo to handle it, but since you’re here now, I’ll leave this matter to you. If you can’t even kill them, there’s no need to talk about killing the eye in the sky.” “Alright.”

Jiang Ruoxu readily agreed, then said, "However, I'd like to ask, since those two are divine messengers, what makes you so confident in killing them? Or what if Gu Mo can't kill them?"

Xiao Zhaolin said, "Over the years, I have been trying to extract information from them intentionally or unintentionally, and I have also used my double pupils to observe them. Those two guys dare not show themselves in the world easily, which must be because the power of the human world has a restraining effect on them. As long as we break their barrier, those two guys will surely die."

Of course, if I'm wrong, then I'll accept my fate. If I can fight, I'll fight; if I can't, I'll face death calmly. Although I'm only in my twenties, I've weathered many storms in my life, all through gambles. I have excellent sportsmanship when it comes to gambling.

As he spoke, Xiao Zhaolin chuckled and looked Jiang Ruoxu up and down, saying, "For example, right now, I'm also gambling, betting that you really want to slay the gods, and that those two guys weren't sent to test me."

Jiang Ruoxu sighed softly and said, "You young people these days are all so remarkable... Hmm, when are you planning to kill them?"

"Then let's go now!" Xiao Zhaolin said. "How about we go right now?"

"can."

Before he finished speaking, Jiang Ruoxu's figure suddenly became ethereal, turning into a wisp of condensed green smoke, silently disappearing into the ancient and heavy giant sword beside him.

The candles inside the hall flickered without any wind, and the heavy sword emitted a deep hum, as if a ferocious beast that had been asleep for millennia was slowly opening its eyes.

Immediately,

Xiao Zhaolin then gripped his heavy sword and went out the door.

Soon, they arrived at the pavilion where a barrier was hidden, and bowed, saying, "Disciple Xiao Zhaolin requests an audience."

The seemingly ordinary wooden door to the attic slid open silently, revealing some ordinary tables and chairs behind it. However, as Xiao Zhaolin stepped inside, a distorted vortex of light and shadow appeared behind him.

Xiao Zhaolin stepped inside without expression.

A dizzying sensation washed over him instantly, and the next moment, he found himself in a secluded valley. The valley was lush and green, dotted with exotic flowers and rare herbs. A crystal-clear stream flowed gently, and on a smooth boulder by the stream, Master Chen and Master Qiu sat facing each other, intently playing chess. The crisp sound of the chess pieces striking the stone mingled with the sounds of the stream and birdsong, creating an atmosphere of extraordinary tranquility and peace—a world apart from the bustling imperial palace outside.

Xiao Zhaolin's arrival did not interrupt their game of chess. Master Chen did not even raise his head, but casually picked up a white piece and placed it down, asking indifferently, "Emperor, why are you here today instead of handling state affairs in the capital?"

Xiao Zhaolin, carrying the Jingzhe Sword, stopped about ten feet away from the stone table, bowed slightly, his posture seemingly respectful, but his eyes were sharp as an eagle: "This disciple does have a question, and has come to ask the two venerable ones for guidance."

Master Qiu slowly placed a black chess piece down before looking up at Xiao Zhaolin, his gaze lingering for a moment on the clearly extraordinary longsword in Xiao's hand: "Oh? What is it?"

Xiao Zhaolin asked, "This disciple would like to know the relationship between the Outer Heaven, the Heavenly Gate, and the Inner Demon."

Master Chen suddenly raised his head and said, "Your Majesty, why do you suddenly ask this?"

Xiao Zhaolin said calmly, "I just happened to hear that the inner demon guards the Heavenly Gate and devours those who ascend. The Heavenly Gate is not the Heavenly Gate, but just an eye. However, the two Venerable Ones have always said that the Heavenly Gate is the true Heavenly Gate. Therefore, I have reason to suspect that the Outer Heaven behind the Heavenly Gate is not the Heavenly Realm, but rather a place where demons gather."

"Insolence!" Master Chen's hair and beard bristled with rage. A blinding white light erupted from his body, and his powerful aura, unleashed without restraint, crashed down like a raging torrent. He roared, "Emperor, have you lost your mind today?"

Xiao Zhaolin chuckled and said, "Then let's talk about the second matter. If I insist on breaking through to the Ascension Realm, what do you two think?"

"Then let's change the emperor!"

As Master Qiu placed a piece on the chessboard, the spiritual energy in the valley instantly became violent.

"Your Majesty, you have tested me many times already. I will not beat around the bush with you any longer today. It is true that Your Majesty cannot ascend to heaven, but you cannot ascend to heaven."

"Why?" Xiao Zhaolin asked.

"Because those born as saints must die to ascend to immortality. As for the reason, you are not worthy to know," Master Chen said.

"Then there's nothing to talk about."

Before he could finish speaking, Xiao Zhaolin suddenly drew his sword!

"Qiang——!!!"

A clear, resonant sword cry, sharp enough to pierce gold and shatter stone, suddenly exploded!

The sound seemed to come from the ancient wilderness, carrying an overbearing and resolute power to sever everything, instantly tearing apart the tranquility of the valley and the invisible, terrifying pressure.

The moment the Jingzhe Sword was drawn, it was no longer covered in rust, but burst forth with unimaginable brilliance.

A cyan-gold light shot into the sky, and a cyan-gold sword aura, condensed to its extreme and containing power beyond the mortal realm, suddenly erupted from the sword.

"Tsk-!"

Like torn silk, or shattered glass!
Before the horrified eyes of Master Chen and Master Qiu, the cyan-gold sword energy slashed fiercely at a certain point in the void.

A shattering sound, so sharp it made your teeth ache, as if the whole world was groaning, suddenly rang out!
The transparent barrier that enveloped the entire valley and isolated it from the world's hustle and bustle was like a glass dome struck by a heavy hammer, instantly covered with spiderweb-like cracks.

Then, with a deafening roar, it shattered completely.

Countless glittering fragments fell like stars, quickly dissolving into nothingness during their descent.

The barrier was broken, just like that, with a single, effortless sword strike.

The valley scene vanished in an instant.

The three appeared in the imperial city.
A unique "aura" surged forth like a flood bursting its banks; it was the most ordinary and commonplace atmosphere in the human world, yet it was also the foundation of the world—the warmth and vitality of everyday life.

The hustle and bustle of traffic, the cries of street vendors, the laughter of children, the panting of oxen, the warmth of countless lights in homes... all these elements of the mundane world intertwine to form a vast, complex, and vibrant force that is also tinged with "turbidity"!

Master Chen and Master Qiu quickly formed hand seals, and unique streams of energy enveloped their bodies, resisting the power of the human world.

"Emperor, do you wish for utter ruin?" Master Chen roared.

Master Qiu stared intently at the sword in Xiao Zhaolin's hand and said solemnly, "Xiao Zhaolin, we can help you break through to the Ascension Realm, but you..."

Xiao Zhaolin unleashed two sword strikes, instantly piercing through the aura surrounding Master Chen and Master Qiu.

"what--!!!"

"Do not--!!!"

Two shrill screams, so piercing they were inhuman, rang out simultaneously!

The moment Master Chen and Master Qiu came into contact with the overwhelming human energy, their skin and flesh began to turn black, shrink, and rot at a visible speed!
That once ethereal, otherworldly face was instantly covered with hideous black spots, and his skin peeled off piece by piece like charred paper, revealing the flesh and blood underneath that were also rapidly carbonizing and decaying.

Their bodies convulsed violently, as if invisible flames were burning them from the inside out. Their magnificent robes quickly turned to ashes amidst the festering flesh.

In just a few breaths, the outstretched arm turned into bare white bones, and then in the next moment, it disintegrated along with the bones, turning into grayish-white dust that fell down in a flurry.

“You should have pressed for some information just now,” Jiang Ruoxu appeared.

Xiao Zhaolin sneered, "Do you know why so many people plan for years, only to fail at the last hurdle?"

"Why?" Jiang Ruoxu asked.

Xiao Zhaolin said, "Because of too much talk and not decisive enough in killing, we gave our opponents a chance to counterattack. All the unknowns come from insufficient strength. Once we have enough strength, all doubts will be resolved."

Jiang Ruoxu nodded slightly and said, "However, these two so-called divine envoys are not very strong, only at the Ascension Realm. Moreover, their condition is very strange, unlike the Ascension Realm in the mortal world. They... are very light!"

Xiao Zhaolin said, "I know."

"You know?" Jiang Ruoxu asked in surprise.

Xiao Zhaolin chuckled and said, "Although I enjoy gambling, I have never lost. Do you know why?"

"why?"

“Because I’m always absolutely certain of victory when I gamble.” Xiao Zhaolin looked at Jiang Ruoxu and said, “Guess what, if you couldn’t kill these two divine envoys just now, I would have had other ways to kill them?”

Jiang Ruoxu was slightly taken aback, then gave a thumbs up and said, "You young people of this generation are really becoming more and more remarkable. I'm afraid that if I cooperate with you now, I might accidentally get killed by you one day."

Xiao Zhaolin waved his hand and said, "You have no conflict of interest with me, so I will not kill you. However, Gu Mo is hunting you down. We have a common enemy. He can kill inner demons, and he can kill you too!"

Jiang Ruoxu said in a deep voice, "If he slays a demon, then I will slay a god. I am quite looking forward to fighting him."

Xiao Zhaolin chuckled and said, "If he kills you, remember to leave a wisp of your immortal energy in the sword. When the time comes, I will take your sword to kill a few real gods, which will fulfill your wish!"

“It shouldn’t be necessary,” Jiang Ruoxu said. “I don’t think I will die.”

Xiao Zhaolin said, "But, in this world, no wanted criminal that Gu Mo has targeted has been able to escape."

Jiang Ruoxu was silent for a while, then said, "If that day ever comes, I will leave the sword to you. You will kill the gods for me, and Gu Mo will also kill the gods. You can start an era of god-slaying. I think the human world is a human world, and there should be no gods, much less gods ruling the human world!"

(End of this chapter)