Chapter 310: Seven Saints Slaying the God Legend

As the heart demon perished, the giant Buddha's palm, which had overshadowed everything, slowly rose as if it had never descended, yet it carried away all the filth and despair that had shrouded Northern Zhou.

“Whoosh—”

Like billions of restless souls sighing in unison, or like a putrid swamp being drained by an invisible giant hand, the terrifying demonic energy, thick as ink, that permeated the heavens and earth, dissolved and disintegrated at a visible rate under the cleansing of immeasurable Buddhist light. They were no longer abysses that devoured light, but transformed into wisps of faint gray smoke, silently vanishing in the golden radiance, leaving no trace of malevolence.

The shattered Wutong City was bathed in a warm and sacred golden rain of light. The sky was no longer an oppressive dark red; a clear, pristine blue reappeared. Sunlight pierced through the sparse clouds, casting its rays upon the ruined walls and shattered remnants, revealing a tranquility of survival after catastrophe. Amidst the rubble and scorched earth, tiny specks of vibrant green quietly bloomed, as if the earth's wounds had been soothed by a compassionate hand, and it was now radiating new vitality. The multitude of Buddhas hovering above the Imperial City continued to chant their Buddhist scriptures, slowly beginning to dissipate.

In the distance, Saint Monk Huineng, who was meditating at the center of the ruins, had the Buddhist and demonic energies around him completely silenced, transforming into a deep, stable, interwoven black and white glazed light. The black strange stone that had been swallowed into his belly was now firmly encased in a cocoon of light woven from countless intricate gold and black runes, floating between his clasped palms, its aura completely isolated. His face was serene, as if in deep meditation. Only a faint, ethereal Buddhist mark was visible on his brow. He looked up at the myriad Buddha illusions in the sky and at Gu Mo, who had now become a true Buddha. A compassionate smile appeared on his face as he softly chanted, “Amitabha, so there truly is a real Buddha in this world!”

At this moment, Gu Mo hovered in mid-air.

A system notification sound echoed in his mind:

"Killed an eight-star wanted criminal"

"Received eight-star reward: Max-level Demonic Blade"

"Claim?"

The Demonic Blade, a blade technique named after 'demon,' existed with the extreme philosophy of "sacrificing oneself as an offering." Its ideology of "abandoning gods and forsaking Buddhas, going against orthodox beliefs" discarded worldly morals and emotional attachments, valuing absolute power above all. Hailed as "the most perfect blade technique in the world," it completely liberated martial arts from the constraints of human nature. The Demonic Blade comprised nine forms; its moves integrated demonic energy and a will for slaughter, with each form secretly containing the true essence of the demonic path.

After Gu Mo claimed the max-level Demonic Blade, he felt an inexplicable sense of emotion. The Buddha's Realm in his palm, which he had just forged from the fusion of the Rulai Divine Palm, Great Vajra Divine Power, and his Domain Golden Core, could be considered the most sacred Buddhist technique in the world. Yet, in an instant, he also possessed the most demonic martial art in the world. This was also an alternative form of Buddha-demon unity.

For a moment, Gu Mo couldn't help but ponder: if his currently perfected Demonic Blade were to face the heart demon, whose demonic nature would be stronger?

As Gu Mo was pondering, the vast illusory Buddha's Realm and the towering Rulai Golden Body behind him quietly faded away. The brilliant golden light also receded back into his body like a tide. He remained in his green robe, his aura returning to normal.

He quickly flew to Saint Monk Huineng's side.

“Amitabha,” Saint Monk Huineng said with a faint smile, “So, Great Hero Gu is indeed the Buddha.”

Gu Mo replied, “Saint Monk, everyone can be a Buddha.”

“This monk was too attached to appearances,” Saint Monk Huineng said, “Having benevolence in one's heart and acting with benevolence—that is being a Buddha.”

Gu Mo examined Saint Monk Huineng, realizing that Saint Monk Huineng had completely lost all vitality, his primordial spirit power almost entirely depleted, sustained only by his last shred of will.

“Saint Monk, your condition is not good,” Gu Mo said.

Saint Monk Huineng chuckled softly, “Death is not the end; it is merely a return to nirvana. This monk has cultivated his entire life. To be able to ascend and achieve enlightenment at the last moment, to behold the Buddha, and to fulfill my wish of suppressing the heart demon's true form, my life's cultivation has now reached fruition.”

Gu Mo cupped his hands and bowed, “Saint Monk, you took it upon yourself to save all beings and suppressed the demon with your own body. I admire that. This act is no less significant than the Buddha sacrificing his flesh to feed a hawk and his body to a tiger.”

Saint Monk Huineng said, “This monk still has two matters to inform Great Hero Gu about.”

“Please speak.”

Saint Monk Huineng said, “This monk is about to pass away. I have temporarily sealed the demonic stone using the Buddha-demon dual energies from my Great Sun Demonic Art. However, these Buddha-demon dual energies are formless and insubstantial; they require a medium to permanently seal the demonic stone. Originally, this monk intended to transform into a sarira upon passing away, but now, the Buddha-demon dual energies have evaporated and dried up my physical essence, and I can no longer transform into a sarira. Among all the nations in the world today, only the Great Bright Temple possesses a complete Buddha sarira. Therefore, I trouble Great Hero Gu to take the demonic stone to the Great Bright Temple.”

Gu Mo pondered for a moment, slowly unfastened a pouch from his waist, and took out the sarira that Master Liansheng had given him. He asked, “Will this work?”

Saint Monk Huineng was slightly startled upon seeing this. Then he smiled faintly and said, “Indeed, everything in this world is predetermined in the unseen. Destiny and karma are truly wondrous.”

Saint Monk Huineng gently raised his hands. The dark demonic stone between his palms seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, slowly drifting towards the suspended sarira.

The moment the demonic stone touched the sarira—

A sudden change occurred!

The hard form of the demonic stone instantly melted, transforming into a deep, flowing pool of dark liquid. This liquid seemed to possess life, shimmering with a faint, dark luster. It was formless and insubstantial, yet it contained immense energy that surpassed the mundane. This was Source Qi.

As soon as the demonic stone's Source Qi touched the sarira, it was like a drop of water merging into a sponge. Seamlessly, thread by thread, it permeated the sarira, instantly encompassed by its warm and sacred radiance. At the same time, the continuous, almost tangible Buddhist light and demonic energy circulating around Saint Monk Huineng also seemed to be drawn to the sarira. Two distinct yet co-originating streams of glazed energy, like two intertwining ribbons of light, rapidly withdrew from his body, precisely coiling around the sarira that was absorbing the Source Qi. The Buddha-demon dual energies rapidly rotated, compressed, and merged on the surface of the sarira. As the light flowed, they became increasingly ethereal, eventually transforming into a layer of almost transparent, hazy mist, like a veil in the morning light, gently covering the sarira's surface. Immediately, this layer of mist also silently vanished into nothingness, as if it had never existed.

The brilliance receded, and the dust settled. The sarira quietly floated in Gu Mo's palm, still perfectly round and warm to the touch, as before, as if the thrilling fusion and purification just moments ago were merely a gentle breeze over a stone, leaving no trace.

“Amitabha!”

Saint Monk Huineng clasped his hands and said, “Within a hundred years, this demonic stone will no longer have the power to harm the human world.”

Gu Mo felt the sarira in his hand. Although it appeared unchanged, he could sense that Saint Monk Huineng's Buddha-demon dual energies had used the sarira as a medium to create an item capable of trapping Source Qi. It was an item on par with the small iron cage Qi Miaoxuan had used to capture the Fire Kirin Ancestral Fire Source Qi back in the desert north.

Gu Mo mused inwardly, “The Great Sun Demonic Art has this effect? Doesn't that mean Ye Chen's misfortune and luck Source Qi could also be transformed into such items?”

In the distance, Ye Chen, who was drinking water, suddenly felt a chill down his spine.

Gu Mo looked at Saint Monk Huineng and asked, “Saint Monk, what is the second matter you wished to discuss?”

Saint Monk Huineng said, “Great Hero Gu, this monk is a 'born knower.' A born knower does not mean one is born omniscient or all-knowing. Rather, it refers to someone who, at a certain stage, suddenly awakens past-life wisdom and understands the cause of previous lives and the fruit of this life. Seventy years ago, this monk awakened past-life wisdom overnight, then renounced the mundane world to become a monk; this is a destined fate. Previously, when this monk heard that you defeated Benefactor Su Qianqiu to become the strongest person in the world, I inquired about your information. If this monk is not mistaken, you are also a 'born knower,' aren't you?”

The awakening of past-life wisdom was, in fact, one of Gu Mo's secrets. However, when he learned that there were seven types of saints in the world, and one of them was a 'born knower,' he knew that with his meteoric rise, someone would surely connect it to him being a born knower. Moreover, as his martial arts skills grew stronger, he no longer paid much attention to it.

“Yes,” Gu Mo replied, “According to what is recorded in the ancient texts, I am indeed a 'born knower.'”

Saint Monk Huineng chuckled, “Perhaps this signifies a change in the heavenly mechanisms. For the seventy years since this monk awakened past-life wisdom, I have continuously consulted relevant scrolls and ancient texts, especially paying closer attention when I learned that the Great Sun Demonic Art was searching for natural-born saints. I've reviewed countless ancient texts and discovered a pattern: each type of natural-born saint has only one existing person at any given time; there wouldn't be two simultaneously. Yet, you and I both exist concurrently. This is a flaw or oversight in the heavenly mechanisms.”

Gu Mo asked, puzzled, “What does that mean, then?”

Saint Monk Huineng said, “In the innermost bookshelf on the fourth floor of the Scripture Repository at Feilai Temple, there is a stone tablet. It was something this monk stumbled upon forty years ago. That stone tablet is probably over two thousand years old. It records a story: the tale of the Seven Sages Slaying the Dragon. The story says that a very, very long time ago, a divine dragon appeared in the world. Humanity worshipped it, calling it the Azure Dragon. It controlled wind, rain, thunder, lightning, and the four seasons of the human world. It was the god of the world, controlling all laws. However, the Azure Dragon gradually became reckless and unrestrained. Day and night were inverted, seasons became chaotic, and wind and rain acted whimsically. Humanity faced a catastrophe that threatened to destroy the world. At this time, seven saviors appeared in the human world. They were natural-born saints. The seven of them joined forces, ascended to the heavens, and slew the Azure Dragon. Then a new god was born, and the human world once again returned to peace.”

Gu Mo's brows slightly furrowed, and he remained silent.

Saint Monk Huineng continued, “At the end of that stone tablet, it says: The heavens and earth operate according to rules and patterns. Yin and Yang have mutual restraint, and all things have mutual generation. Gods govern the rules of the world. However, to prevent gods from developing desires, there are rules to restrain them. The existence of the seven types of natural-born saints is precisely to guard against gods developing desires. Perhaps this is just a story. But after this monk encountered the Great Sun Demonic Art, I began to believe it somewhat. And after I consulted relevant scrolls and ancient texts, I discovered the rule that the same type of saint would not exist simultaneously. But now, you and I coexist. If that story is true, then it means the mission of the natural-born saints has arrived. And to prevent unforeseen circumstances, or perhaps to fill a void at any time, the world has begun to see the coexistence of the same type of saints.”

Gu Mo pondered, “So, Saint Monk, you believe that a new era of god-slaying has arrived?”

Saint Monk Huineng replied, “If that story is true, after more than two thousand years, it's natural for new gods to develop desires. A new round of god-slaying would also make sense.”

“I hope that's just a story,” Gu Mo murmured.

“Amitabha,” Saint Monk Huineng said, his hands clasped, his voice low. “This monk also wishes it were just a story. There can be faith in the world, but there should be no true gods.” With that, he raised his eyes, looking calmly at Gu Mo. “Great Hero Gu, this monk only wishes that you forever remain a mortal. Amitabha!”

As the last Buddhist chant fell silent, Saint Monk Huineng slightly lowered his head, and in an instant, all vitality vanished from him. His body rapidly withered, then, like an ancient artifact weathered by a thousand years, it turned into dust, scattering with the wind, leaving no trace.

Gu Mo watched Saint Monk Huineng turn to dust. He clasped his hands and bowed. “May the changes in the human world be as you wished.” Although he had only met Saint Monk Huineng today, he could deeply feel the profoundness of Saint Monk Huineng's Buddhist teachings and his compassionate state of being.

Immediately after, Gu Mo turned and left. As he walked, he also probed the Demonic Stone's Source Qi within the sarira. Instantly, he discovered an astonishing sight: The Demonic Stone's Source Qi was continuously devouring a portion of the malevolent energy that had originally come from Great Compassion Divine Monk, which was enveloped within the wisp of Reincarnation Mirror's Source Qi previously hidden in the sarira. At this moment, the Source Qi had no consciousness, so this behavior was merely instinctual.

“If it devours malevolent energy, it will also devour other Qi. Therefore, this is why these Source Qi give birth to divine consciousness.” Gu Mo basically understood why Source Qi was originally a law, a natural operation, without consciousness, yet later, various taboos would arise. This was because the Source Qi's instinct would devour and merge with other substances according to their respective attributes. During this process, divine consciousness would be born. For example, the Demonic Stone's Source Qi's instinct was to devour demonic energy and desires. Over time, a complete desire-consciousness was born, turning into the heart demon.

“It's the same principle for the White Jade Capital. However, the White Jade Capital's characteristics are different. It doesn't devour human demonic energy; instead, it absorbs primordial spirit memories, continuously fusing them to create a perfect and flawless person. The Demonic Stone's Source Qi gave birth to the heart demon. So, theoretically, the White Jade Capital would give birth to a perfect god!”

Gu Mo pondered while idly turning the sarira in his hand, feeling the demonic nature emanating from within. Unconsciously, he activated the Great Dao Heart Demon Seed Art, attempting to absorb the demonic power. To his surprise, it actually worked. The purity of each wisp of demonic power far surpassed that of the Great Dao Heart Demon Seed Art.

“No wonder Qi Miaoxuan took away the Fire Kirin's Source Qi. As long as one finds a matching cultivation method or technique, they can utilize Source Qi.” For a moment, Gu Mo felt a certain gravity in his heart. Qi Miaoxuan himself possessed over a thousand years of cultivation, and within his body, the power of a dragon was hidden, plus the Fire Kirin's Source Qi. “This old undead is only getting more formidable!”

As Gu Mo was sighing with emotion, Ye Chen ran over, shouting, “Big Brother, how did it go? Is the heart demon dead?”

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, “It's dead.”

Ye Chen was overjoyed, “It's great that bastard is dead! Oh, by the way, Big Brother, didn't you say before that the heart demon blocked the Gate of Heaven, intercepting ascensions for seven hundred years? Now that the heart demon is killed, does that mean the human world will return to the era of free ascension, like in ancient times?”

Gu Mo nodded slightly and said, “Theoretically, yes.”

Ye Chen, however, frowned and said, “I'm afraid there will be big trouble.”

“Why do you say that?” Gu Mo asked.

Ye Chen sighed and said, “Think about it, Big Brother. You previously met the generation before last's 'Number One Under Heaven,' Ling Xiao, at Mount Longhu, and you got news of the previous generation's 'Number One Under Heaven,' Jiang Ruoxu, on Penglai Island. A while ago, we also encountered the Great Compassion Divine Monk in Chang'an City. Aren't all these people at the Half-Step Ascension Realm? They all didn't dare to ascend due to the heart demon's existence. Does that mean there might be other individuals who also reached the Half-Step Ascension Realm and survived using special methods? Now that the heart demon's suppression is gone, they will likely have no reservations. Either they will break through, or they will recover their cultivation. If there aren't many, it might be fine, but if there are many, it will certainly cause great chaos. Not everyone cultivates upright martial arts; there are quite a few evil and demonic techniques!”

“This...”

Gu Mo thought about it and felt that Ye Chen made a lot of sense. However, he then changed his mind and said, “I can even kill the heart demon. What kind of waves can those people stir up?” As for the potentially hidden Half-Step Ascension Realm cultivators, Gu Mo didn't think they would have much impact. In his view, even if there were a thousand or ten thousand Half-Step Ascension Realm cultivators, their combined threat wouldn't compare to a single Qi Miaoxuan.

Immediately after, Gu Mo put away the sarira and at the same time picked up the dragon scale. Then he took Ye Chen and left, flying towards Mount Feilai.

At this moment, wails of anguish echoed throughout Wutong City. From the moment Gu Mo annihilated the heart demon, with the Imperial City as its center, the vast demonic energy began to dissipate. Those whose minds had been eroded by demonic energy and controlled by desires gradually regained their consciousness. They were not puppets, merely having their desires amplified by the demonic energy. They were still themselves; they wouldn't forget what they had done. It was just that now their desires had returned to their original state, and they were lucid. Many people broke down at this moment. When desires are infinitely amplified, people lose ethics, morals, and compassion. Some might have killed their wives, children, and elderly, some might have indulged in unrestrained behavior, and some might have slaughtered countless people...

However, the impact of Gu Mo killing the heart demon extended far beyond this.

At this time, on a mountain peak three to four hundred li outside Wutong City, Qi Miaoxuan was gazing into the distance at Wutong City. He saw the demonic energy surging throughout the city and witnessed Gu Mo's Buddha's Realm in his palm annihilating the heart demon.

“He's gotten stronger again...” Qi Miaoxuan muttered, his voice devoid of emotion.

“Hmph, feeling the pressure now, wretched slave?” the sealed Azure Dragon sneered. “Wretched slave, this Gu Mo is a dragon. His talent is unparalleled. What if you've lived for a thousand years? In front of him, you're just like a dog!”

Qi Miaoxuan said calmly, “He actually hid such a Buddhist divine ability in addition to his dragon transformation. This kid truly hides things deeply. Fortunately, it's a Buddhist divine ability; this Demonic Stone Source Qi would be useless to him. If it were a demonic divine ability, then I would truly have aided the enemy this time!”

“You trash,” the Azure Dragon scoffed, “You don't even dare to kill a mere heart demon yourself, needing to use someone else's hand.”

Qi Miaoxuan said expressionlessly, “Azure Dragon, you don't need to provoke me; it's useless. I have my own plans. Not only did I use someone else to kill this heart demon, but I also intend to use someone else's hand for the Gate of Heaven up there. I originally helped that kid named Jiang Ruoxu see the truth about the Gate of Heaven, and even gave him a wisp of Source Qi. With that kid's arrogance, he will definitely use his sword to open the Gate of Heaven. Now that Gu Mo has killed the heart demon, his opportunity has also arrived.”

“Heh, trash!” the Azure Dragon said in a deep voice. “An old geezer who's lived for over a thousand years, beaten to a pulp by a twenty-something young man like Gu Mo, yet you don't even dare to fight back? You're trash!”

Qi Miaoxuan pursed his lips and said, “Azure Dragon, are you foolish? I deliberately guided Gu Mo to kill the heart demon and Jiang Ruoxu to open the Gate of Heaven with his sword. This is so they can destroy the eyes of the Heavens Beyond Heavens and attract the attention of the Heavens Beyond Heavens for me. Yet you foolishly try to provoke me into killing Gu Mo now? Do you think that's possible?”

“Trash!” the Azure Dragon said, “Gu Mo is a dragon; his talent is unparalleled. I tell you, if you don't kill him now, once his dragon body matures, you will surely be killed by him!”

Qi Miaoxuan chuckled softly, “When I fought Gu Mo during the last hunt for the Fire Kirin, I personally witnessed his dragon transformation. He is not a true dragon like you. He cultivated a certain martial art; he is still human. Azure Dragon, you'll be disappointed; he is not your kind! Compared to his dragon transformation technique, what I care about more is that he is a natural-born saint, a 'born knower.' But he is also a natural-born saint, and a 'born knower' at that. Why is this Monk Huineng so far inferior to Gu Mo?”

The Azure Dragon suddenly asked, “You said Gu Mo is a 'born knower,' and there are two 'born knowers'?”

“Indeed,” Qi Miaoxuan said, “The monk who just died was also a natural-born saint, a 'born knower'!”

The Azure Dragon's tone suddenly became urgent as he asked, “Qi Miaoxuan, how many natural-born saints are there in the current era?”

“Why do you care about that?” Qi Miaoxuan asked, puzzled. “Was your death back then related to the natural-born saints?”

The Azure Dragon suddenly fell silent.

“Hahahahaha...” Qi Miaoxuan suddenly burst into laughter, “I knew it, hahaha. Azure Dragon, I tricked you into talking. Your death back then really wasn't so simple. It was indeed related to the natural-born saints. You're quite good at hiding things, but I still got it out of you, foolish dragon!”

“Wretched slave!”

“Foolish dragon!”

In a deep abyssal gorge, miasma permeated the air. Scattered everywhere within were broken and rusted swords, and piles of white bones. It was clearly an abandoned ancient battlefield where a large-scale war had once taken place.

At this moment, in the ancient battlefield, a heavy, rusted sword suddenly began to glow. A figure abruptly appeared. It was Jiang Ruoxu, who had transformed into a sword spirit. He suddenly lifted his head, his eyes filled with confusion, and exclaimed in surprise, “The heart demon has actually disappeared? What's going on?” He looked up and pondered for a long while, muttering, “It doesn't matter anymore. Perfect, the heart demon is gone. Then I, Jiang Ruoxu, shall open the Gate of Heaven with my sword, restore clarity to the human world, and find the true path to immortality!”

Immediately, Jiang Ruoxu's figure transformed into a wisp of green smoke, instantly merging into the heavy, rusted sword.

“Clang—!”

A clear, resonant sword cry echoed through the abyss. The rusted sword suddenly erupted with dazzling brilliance, transforming into a heaven-shaking rainbow that tore through the miasma, shooting straight towards the sky. Its speed was as swift as lightning, covering a thousand li in an instant. In a mere moment, it crossed mountains and rivers, heading straight for the Imperial City of Chu.

The long rainbow circled once above the magnificent Imperial City, carrying an unmatched sharpness. Ignoring all palace restrictions, it precisely hovered before Emperor Xiao Zhaolin of Chu, who was reviewing memorials. The sword trembled slightly, covered in rust, yet it emanated a chillingly ancient sword intent. This sudden sight would certainly have startled an ordinary person.

However, Xiao Zhaolin, seated on his throne, merely slowly raised his head, expressionless. Deep within his profound eyes, two icy, substantial golden rays suddenly flashed, instantly piercing through the sword and directly looking into the sword's primordial spirit.

“What restless spirit dares to act presumptuously before Us?” Xiao Zhaolin's voice was deep and majestic, carrying the inviolable sternness of an emperor.

With a flicker of light and shadow, Jiang Ruoxu's illusionary figure emerged from the sword, solidifying before the imperial desk. He looked directly at the emperor on the dragon throne, his voice filled with undeniable resolve: “Xiao Zhaolin, I am Jiang Ruoxu. Today, I propose a transaction with you. The heart demon is dead, and the dormant old ascetics of the Ascension Realm will surely emerge one after another. Cooperate with me, and I can guarantee your Great Chu Dynasty... will be safe and secure!”