Chapter 322: Blue Dragon and God

Azure Dragon remained silent in response to Qi Miaoxuan's question.

Qi Miaoxuan sneered, "I get it. You must have been beaten by that god, which is why you're afraid to mention it!"

"Nonsense, you lowly slave, what do you know? I was tricked by it!" Azure Dragon retorted, exasperated.

A smile played on Qi Miaoxuan's lips. Having served as Azure Dragon's blade-rest for over a thousand years, he knew the dragon's stubborn nature well—it would rather die than admit defeat.

"See? You're flustered. I hit a nerve, didn't I?" Qi Miaoxuan said smugly.

"You lowly slave, you know nothing," Azure Dragon scoffed. "That god couldn't defeat me. If it hadn't tricked me back then, I would be the only god in this world right now."

"Oh, really?" Qi Miaoxuan retorted sarcastically, "I'm sure that god only won by tricking you!"

"Hmph," Azure Dragon snorted, "A god is nothing special. It can't compare to us Five Divine Beasts, who are born of heaven and earth. It was created inadvertently by humans.

A long, long time ago, humans were the lowest creatures in this world. However, they possessed intelligence superior to beasts, gradually forming tribes, learning to use tools, and forming alliances to fight against wild animals.

But there were many things they couldn't comprehend. They didn't understand why people got sick, why there was thunder and lightning, why it sometimes rained and other times the sun blazed down. There was too much they didn't understand.

So, the smartest among them had an idea and fabricated a god. According to his narrative, it was the god who sent down rain to nourish all things and who also sent down rain or drought to punish disrespectful mortals. With a god, there would be favorable weather; with a god, the seasons would turn. Sickness could be cured by herbs because the god bestowed divine power.

Under the embellishment of that clever person, the distinction between gods and mortals appeared for the first time. He became a divine messenger, and his words were the elusive will of the god.

However, more intelligent people began to receive "divine decrees," so the number of divine messengers increased, and the portrayal of the god became more elaborate, with its abilities becoming more detailed.

Some became leaders by shaping the god, others founded kingdoms... In reality, there was no god. But those clever people, with great tacit understanding, spoke with one voice. Eventually, they even convinced themselves that a god existed. And if the smartest people believed it, then the foolish people of the world naturally believed it even more deeply.

So, one day,

the god was truly born!

Qi Miaoxuan looked bewildered and astonished. "That's how a god was born? But the rules of the world already existed—the changing seasons, wind, rain, thunder, lightning... Aren't those all natural phenomena? What's the point of a god's existence?"

Azure Dragon scoffed, "Look at you, look at you! Didn't you clamor about wanting to become the Heavenly Dao before? It's utterly ridiculous to claim you want to become the Heavenly Dao when you don't even know what it is!"

Qi Miaoxuan fell silent.

Azure Dragon continued, "Wind, rain, thunder, lightning, the changing seasons, birth, aging, sickness, and death—these are the rules by which the world operates. That is the Heavenly Dao. It is fixed and orderly.

The Heavenly Dao is without consciousness; it is immutable. It is the rule that maintains the world's existence. If the Heavenly Dao had consciousness, the world would cease to exist. So, simply put, there isn't a 'Heavenly Dao' in itself, it's just a general concept.

What you understand as a conscious Heavenly Dao is not the Heavenly Dao; that's what a god is.

A god, on the other hand, is a being empowered by human faith to control certain rules. Within a certain scope and within the rules' permission, it can alter patterns and order.

For example, rain.

The sky rains; this is a rule in itself. A god cannot change the inherent existence of rain; it cannot alter the concept of rain. However, it can change the area where it rains, the timing of the rain, and the intensity of the rain.

Thus, after a god was born, existing through faith, it naturally had rules bestowed by that faith. For instance, in sacrificial rituals for rain, humans would set up altars and burn decrees according to their faith, and the god would send rain for them.

Another example is plague.

Plague itself is also a rule of the world; both humans and livestock can contract it. This is a rule a god cannot change. However, human faith imbued the god with the ability to dispel plagues.

Therefore, according to the rules of the god endowed by faith, when humans prayed according to the procedure, the god would help them dispel the plague.

This is the meaning of a god's existence.

Qi Miaoxuan thought for a moment and said, "In that case, isn't it quite good?"

Azure Dragon sneered, "But what if a god develops individual consciousness? Take you, for instance, you lowly slave. I granted you immortality and power, yet you have independent consciousness, so you betrayed me."

Qi Miaoxuan: "..."

Azure Dragon continued, "Even you, a lowly slave, would bite the hand that feeds you after gaining power. How much more so for a god, a being that has been superior to humans since its very birth? How could it willingly serve humans forever?

Of course, it's not just the god's problem; humans have many issues too. The god was created by them and exists based on faith, yet they gradually began to lose faith in it.

This gradually formed an irreconcilable contradiction.

After developing consciousness, the god grew increasingly greedy for faith. Thus, it would use various means to constantly raise the faith requirements for humans to receive its help, making it increasingly difficult for humans to satisfy the god's demands.

And humans, over those years, grew stronger with the god's help. They gradually became less reliant on the god. For instance, with plagues, instead of immediately seeking divine protection, they started thinking about medical treatment.

With droughts, humans thought of diverting water; with floods, they thought of managing water. As for wild beasts, with martial arts growing stronger and tools becoming more refined, beasts actually became human prey.

The god was merciless. It existed because of humans but was inherently superior to them. For the sake of faith, it could let countless humans die. And humans were also merciless; they sought the god when they needed it, kicked it aside when they didn't, and even slandered it.

So, the ultimate outcome was that when human civilization reached a certain level, the god would try every means to destroy it. For example, within the rules, physical ascension was forbidden, limiting humans from ever possessing power surpassing the god. No matter how naturally gifted humans were, their cultivation would always be restricted to the Nascent Soul realm.

And for other civilizations, it would ensure the world could never achieve true peace. Once a unified dynasty emerged, it would find ways to split it, plunging it into endless wars.

Doing this, firstly, would restrict human intellectual development, meaning fewer people would question the god. Secondly, in times of chaos, there would always be people constantly promoting the divine right of kings, keeping faith in the god alive and even deepening it over time.

Qi Miaoxuan asked doubtfully, "But, judging by what you're saying, the god is still constrained by humans. If a brilliant and ambitious person emerged in the world, trying every means to break faith, the god would weaken and then could be killed."

Azure Dragon said, "Exactly. So, the god couldn't just sit there and wait for death. On one hand, it arranged for the Heart Demon and Heavenly Gate to act as its two eyes—the Heart Demon probing the human realm, the Heavenly Gate observing from above, monitoring every move. On the other hand, it constantly interfered with the rise and fall of human dynasties, ensuring that the human realm would always split after a long period of unity and unite after a long period of division.

During this process of division and reunification, human destiny energy would constantly be born. It would absorb this human destiny energy to create a place called 'Heaven Beyond Heaven.'

This Heaven Beyond Heaven is a realm purely of faith, a place where only those who believe in the god can exist. Once Heaven Beyond Heaven takes shape, the god can completely break free from its reliance on the human realm and become a truly flawless god."

Qi Miaoxuan then asked, "So, what does this have to do with you? Why do you say the god tricked you?"

Azure Dragon was silent for a while. "The rules of the world are immutable. The birth of a god must also be within these rules. And under this particular rule, a god is not allowed to develop consciousness.

Once consciousness is born, the corresponding rules will react. From the moment the god was born, a Great Sun Demonic Art and seven types of sages were also born in the world. There are seven types of sages in the world: one with double pupils, two with fused ribs, three with dragon-like faces and sun-like foreheads, four with convex crowns and river-like eyes, five who cause heaven and earth anomalies, six with triple-perforated ears, and seven who are born with innate knowledge!

These seven types of people represent seven different destinies.

The Great Sun Demonic Art will constantly roam the world searching for these seven types of people, helping them develop their destinies.

Once the Seven Sages join forces, they can slay a god.

It's not that these seven types of sages are necessarily powerful in themselves; rather, it's simply a rule that the Seven Sages combined can slay a god.

More than two thousand years ago, the Seven Sages successfully united."

Qi Miaoxuan quickly asked, "Then why does the god still exist?"

Azure Dragon roared, "Because the Seven Sages joined forces to slay the wrong god! They killed me!"

Qi Miaoxuan: "That carelessly?"

Azure Dragon angrily said, "I was the most powerful being in the world at that time. Even the White Tiger, the only one who could rival me, had been defeated by me. I was utterly bored, and when I accidentally learned of the god's existence, I went to Heaven Beyond Heaven and eventually defeated the god.

It yielded Heaven Beyond Heaven to me, but I had no interest in it; I simply wanted a fight. That wretched thing then tricked me, saying that controlling Heaven Beyond Heaven would grant me even greater power and allow me to master rules. So, I believed it and indeed accepted the divine seal that represented the god.

As soon as I took the divine seal, the Seven Sages attacked Heaven Beyond Heaven. I couldn't even explain that I wasn't the god, and by accepting the divine seal, I had taken on its karma. I was genuinely restrained by the Seven Sages' destinies and was ultimately killed.

Fortunately, I wasn't truly the god. After my physical body was slain and I lost the divine seal, the suppressing force diminished significantly. My divine soul was thus able to hide in my reverse scale, escape from Heaven Beyond Heaven to the human realm, and eventually, after centuries of slumber, the reverse scale was forged into the Reverse Scale Blade."

Qi Miaoxuan asked skeptically, "You really could defeat the god?"

"Hmph," Azure Dragon roared, "Why don't you go ask that wretched thing yourself? I just couldn't kill it, but defeating it was effortless!"

Qi Miaoxuan asked curiously, "You wouldn't say anything before, so why are you willing to talk now?"

Azure Dragon was silent for a while. "Before, telling you was pointless. With the Heavenly Gate and Heart Demon present, it was impossible for the Seven Sages to gather. But then, when I learned that two individuals born with innate knowledge existed simultaneously, I knew the rules had been triggered, and a new era of god-slaying had arrived.

And now that both the Heart Demon and Heavenly Gate have encountered trouble, it further confirms that the time is right. Although I'd love to flay you alive, you lowly slave, relatively speaking, I hate the god more. Being outwitted by you was a fair strategic defeat in our millennium-long rivalry, but that god was truly despicable back then!"

"What a petty mind, holding a grudge for two thousand years!" Qi Miaoxuan grumbled. Even though he had already sealed Azure Dragon and was continuously refining its divine soul, he still felt a slight fear of its pettiness.

"To slay the god as the Seven Sages: I am the one with a dragon-like face and sun-like forehead, Gu Mo is born with innate knowledge, Xiao Zhaolin of Chu is the one with double pupils, Ye Chen causes heaven and earth anomalies. We're still missing the three natural-born sages: one with fused ribs, one with a convex crown and river-like eyes, and one with triple-perforated ears!"

Qi Miaoxuan muttered, then asked, "Can only the Seven Sages combined kill the god?"

Azure Dragon replied, "Yes, there's no other way."

Yun Province, Dongli Sect.

When Gu Mo returned with Iron Head and the others, Wang Dongli rushed out to greet them.

Not long after Gu Mo and his companions left, Wang Dongli regained consciousness. He vaguely remembered seemingly attacking Gu Chutong and Hong Yi in a muddled state and hurried to apologize.

"Hero Gu... I truly don't know what happened to me then. It was as if my body was beyond my control, I'm so sorry..."

Gu Mo waved his hand. "This isn't your fault. You were being manipulated."

Wang Dongli was startled. "What do you mean?"

Gu Mo said, "Your Wang family's curse doesn't come from the spiritual energy in your bodies. It comes from your ancestor, Wang Qingping, from your family's inherited 'Three Flowers Gathering Spirit Art'... which should now be called the 'Spirit Nurturing Art.' Only members of your Wang family can cultivate it, and slowly, you would be possessed by him and become his nourishment..."

Immediately, Gu Mo briefly explained Wang Qingping's existence to Wang Dongli.

"You don't need to worry anymore. Wang Qingping has been dealt with by me, and the spiritual energy in your body doesn't need to be extracted. However, your Dongli Sect will need to exert great effort to help clear the rivers and prevent floods. Your ancestor was truly ruthless—cruel to his descendants and cruel to ordinary people too!"

After hearing Gu Mo's explanation, Wang Dongli was utterly stunned. It took him a long time to recover.

These matters were simply too shocking for an ordinary martial artist like him.

"So that means... my father, my grandfather... they were all possessed by our ancestor?" Wang Dongli stammered.

"That's right," Gu Mo confirmed. "If we hadn't discovered this in time today, you would also have been possessed, and even your son might have been. For Wang Qingping, who was preparing for ascension, even a mosquito's flesh is still meat."

With a "thump," Wang Dongli immediately knelt before Gu Mo and kowtowed. "Thank you, Hero Gu, for saving me and my son. The Wang family will never forget this profound kindness. From now on, should Hero Gu utter a single word, the Wang family will gladly brave any danger, no matter how great!"

Although Wang Dongli found Gu Mo's words astonishing, he didn't doubt them. This was because, despite the shock, there were clues. Secondly, Gu Mo had no reason to lie to him. Thirdly, the most direct proof of truth or falsehood was his own physical reaction.

"There's no need to be so polite," Gu Mo said, helping Wang Dongli up. "A super flood could erupt from Tiansheng Lake at any moment. I've blocked it for now, but not for long. My sister has already gone to notify the authorities. You should use the Dongli Sect's reputation to rally the martial arts community of Qingyang Prefecture to help resolve this matter as quickly as possible."

"Alright, I'll do it right away."

Wang Dongli readily agreed, then departed in a hurry. Afterwards, he arranged a place for the rescued weapon smiths to rest.

Iron Head, meanwhile, was taken by Gu Mo to his courtyard.

"Dragon scale!"

When he learned that Gu Mo had a dragon scale for him to forge into a weapon, Iron Head became utterly ecstatic. The mental gloom from Tiansheng Lake instantly vanished. He rushed to the dragon scale, gently caressed it, and exclaimed, "There really are dragon scales in this world, tsk tsk tsk... Hero Gu, this blade will definitely become the greatest divine blade of this era! I'm willing to use my life..."

"Absolutely no need, absolutely no need!" Gu Mo quickly interjected. "You just need to forge the blade and fully utilize the dragon scale's sharp properties. As for the blade spirit, don't mess around. Even the best weapon smith's sacrifice for a blade can't compare to an Ascension Realm Nascent Soul. Don't act rashly; you wouldn't want your masterpiece to have flaws, would you?"

Gu Mo knew that Iron Head was fanatically devoted to weapon forging, to the point of sacred obsession. If left unchecked, he might truly sacrifice himself for a blade. He didn't want Iron Head to die for the sake of a blade. He said this not because an Ascension Realm Nascent Soul was genuinely superior and he wanted to prevent Iron Head from sacrificing himself, but rather to deliberately plant a thought in Iron Head's mind, preventing him from becoming obsessed during the forging process and sacrificing himself.

"Right, right, right," Iron Head said, pressing his face against the dragon scale. "This dragon scale is truly magnificent! Can there be any better material in this world? Hero Gu, just leave it to me; it'll definitely be perfect..."

Watching Iron Head's infatuated expression, Gu Mo couldn't help but chuckle. A starving ghost for beauty encountering an unparalleled belle was akin to Iron Head's current state when looking at the dragon scale.

"Brother!"

Just then, Gu Chutong and Hong Yi returned.

"I just saw Chief Constable Du; he immediately notified the Qingyang Prefecture yamen to prepare for the emergency. There shouldn't be any major problems now," Gu Chutong said.

Gu Mo nodded. "The Dongli Sect will also gather various martial arts sects to assist."

Gu Chutong said, "Brother, judging by the current situation, the lead on the Seven-Colored Peacock is gone, and the Heavenly Craft Exquisite Device borrowed from Old Master Su also seems useless now."

Gu Mo chuckled softly. "The Seven-Colored Peacock lead isn't gone, and the Heavenly Craft Exquisite Device wasn't borrowed for nothing. Although the Wang family no longer needs to have their spiritual energy extracted, I can use the Heavenly Craft Exquisite Device to research the Seven-Colored Peacock's characteristics. Knowing yourself and your enemy ensures victory in a hundred battles.

Furthermore, regarding the Seven-Colored Peacock's whereabouts, another person should have specific clues."

"Who?"

"Xiao Ziyin!" Gu Mo said. "Back on Canglan Mountain, the first time I saw Wang Dongli use that strange ice power, it felt somewhat familiar. The more I interacted with it over time, the more familiar it became. Finally, I remembered why.

Do you remember our battle in the Jiang Kingdom's imperial palace? Xiao Ziyin demonstrated a cold ice technique that was unafraid of Ye Jinglan's Kirin Flames. I found it strange at the time but didn't investigate further. Now that I think about it, if that was the Peacock's spiritual power, it makes perfect sense!"

Gu Chutong thought for a moment. "Yes, the Eldest Princess's ice power is indeed formidable. So, Brother, are we going to Chu State?"

Gu Mo replied, "Not immediately. You still need to return to Linjiang City to repair our family manor, don't you? At the end of the year, when my appointment with Master Liansheng at Guangming Temple comes, I'll pay a visit to Xiao Ziyin on the way."

"Alright."

That day, the Grand Void Flying Sword returned, bringing Su Qianqiu's Heavenly Craft Exquisite Device.

Afterward, Gu Mo stayed in Qingyang Prefecture for a few days until the Tiansheng Lake flood issue was completely resolved. He also took the opportunity to clear out the Divine Heaven Society before leaving with Gu Chutong and Hong Yi to return to Linjiang City.

As for the dragon scale, Gu Mo handed it directly to Iron Head. Iron Head departed that very day under the escort of the Six-Fan Gate and returned to Yun City to begin his closed-door forging of the Dragon Scale Blade.