269: Chapter 268 Sun Mo

Dragon Abyss Palace, Tianji Peak.

The night was as dark as ink, and the lights on the seven Peaks flickered in the night wind, making the entire Sect look like a ghostly realm. On the Star Gazing Platform at the Peak of Tianji Peak, Grand Elder Xuanjizi stood with his hands behind his back, his aged face devoid of any expression. Before him lay three corpses side by side, each covered with a white cloth, with dark red bloodstains faintly visible at the edges of the cloth.

Jiang Hanzhou stood three steps behind Xuanjizi, his expression solemn.

When he received the communication from Xuanjizi, he was refining fire spirit marrow in the Cultivation room of Red Fire Peak. The communication talisman contained only one sentence: "Come to Tianji Peak quickly, there are important matters to discuss." He did not delay, immediately putting away the fire spirit marrow and rushing through the night.

At this moment, looking at the three corpses covered by white cloth, a sense of inexplicable unease welled up in his heart.

"Grand Elder," he spoke, his voice calm, "how did they die?"

Xuanjizi did not speak, but simply raised his right hand and gave a gentle wave.

The white cloths on the three corpses were lifted simultaneously, revealing three faces as pale as paper. Two men and one woman, all dressed as Inner Sect Disciples of Dragon Abyss Palace, aged between twenty and thirty. Their eyes were open, their pupils dilated, and fine black patterns were faintly visible deep within their eye sockets.

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils contracted sharply.

He recognized two of them. One was an Inner Sect Disciple of Heavenly Sword Peak who had fought against him at the Sword Discussion Assembly; the other was an Inner Sect Disciple of Bibo Pool whom he had met during the Dragon Gate Trial. He did not recognize the third person, but judging by the clothing, they should be an Inner Sect Disciple of Zixiao Peak.

"The three of them," Xuanjizi's voice was calm, yet contained an inexplicable chill, "died suddenly at the same time last night. The cause of death: withered Divine Soul and complete loss of cultivation."

Jiang Hanzhou's brow furrowed sharply: "The manner of death is the same as Han Qing's?"

"Correct." Xuanjizi turned around, his gaze falling on him, "When Han Qing died, you were on the arena. You should remember his state before death: his Divine Soul withered, his dao foundation shattered, and all the cultivation in his body was drained dry."

Jiang Hanzhou nodded.

He remembered. The moment Han Qing died, his body was as if it had been hollowed out; all his blood Qi, True Intent, and Divine Soul had vanished into nothingness. At the time, he thought it was the result of the Sword Gu's backlash, but now it seemed things were far from that simple.

"The three of them," Xuanjizi continued, "have one thing in common. They all entered the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion and absorbed memory fragments of the Dragon Slaying True Person. Furthermore, the dao seeds within their bodies had already matured."

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils contracted sharply.

"The dao seeds matured?"

"Correct." Xuanjizi took out a Jade Slip from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Hanzhou, "This is the result of Tianji Peak's thorough investigation last night. Within the Dragon Abyss Palace, all Disciples who have entered the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion and absorbed memory fragments have a dao seed in their bodies. The growth rate of the dao seed depends on the depth of their comprehension of the Dragon-Slaying True Intent. The deeper the comprehension, the deeper the dao seed takes root, and the faster it matures."

He paused, his gaze like a blade: "Han Qing's dao seed was rooted the deepest, so he was harvested on the Sword Discussion Platform. These three Disciples' dao seeds were also nearing maturity, so they were harvested simultaneously last night."

Jiang Hanzhou took the Jade Slip and probed it with his Divine Sense.

In the Jade Slip, the research of Tianji Peak on the dao seeds was recorded in great detail. One passage, marked in blood-red font, was particularly striking:

"The harvesting of the dao seed does not require the Dragon Slaying True Person to act personally. The True Intent imprint he left in the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion is the switch for harvesting. When the dao seed matures to a certain extent, the True Intent imprint will automatically activate a pulling force, draining the dao seed's Divine Soul, Dao laws, and lifelong cultivation to serve as nourishment to sustain the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul."

"The trigger conditions for harvesting are not yet clear. But what is certain is that as the date of the Dragon Slaying True Person's resurrection draws closer, the frequency of harvesting will increase. At that time, all dao seeds will be drained, with none spared."

Jiang Hanzhou withdrew his Divine Sense from the Jade Slip and remained silent for a long time.

Then, he spoke, his voice raspy: "Grand Elder, how many people in the Dragon Abyss Palace have dao seeds in them?"

Xuanjizi looked at him and was silent for three breaths.

Then, he slowly spoke: "One hundred and thirty-seven people."

Jiang Hanzhou's breath hitched.

"One hundred and thirty-seven people," Xuanjizi continued, "including Inner Sect Disciples, Outer Sect Disciples, deacons of various Peaks, and even two Inner Sect Elders. They are all people who entered the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion at different times and absorbed memory fragments."

"Furthermore, this is only the number within the Dragon Abyss Palace. Among the major powers of the East Sea, even more people have entered the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion. The Black Jade Mansion, the Sea Quelling Department, the three great families, and those small and medium-sized powers—altogether, there are at least over a thousand people."

His voice was calm, but every word was like a thousand-pound hammer striking Jiang Hanzhou's heart.

Over a thousand people.

Over a thousand dao seeds.

Over a thousand pieces of prey being raised by the Dragon Slaying True Person.

Jiang Hanzhou took a deep breath, suppressing his surging emotions.

"Grand Elder," he spoke, his voice returning to calm, "you didn't call me here just to tell me this."

Xuanjizi nodded: "Correct. I called you here because you are the only one who has broken the dao seed. Your Thousand Tribulations Nirvana Gu and your Dao-Slaying Blade Intent are the keys to severing the dao seed. I need your help to find the mole who is secretly harvesting dao seeds within the Dragon Abyss Palace."

Jiang Hanzhou's brow twitched slightly: "A mole?"

"You think these three Disciples were harvested after maturing naturally?" Xuanjizi shook his head, "No. Their dao seeds were forcibly ripened. Someone is secretly using evil techniques to accelerate the growth of the dao seeds, making them mature and be harvested prematurely."

He took out a jade talisman from his sleeve and tossed it into the air.

The jade talisman transformed into a light screen, showing an aerial view of Tianji Peak. The map was marked with dense red dots, each representing the location of a dao seed host.

"This is the Divine Soul fluctuation recorded by Tianji Peak's 'Tianji Soul-Locking Formation'." Xuanjizi's voice was calm, yet contained an inexplicable chill, "At midnight last night, the moment the three Disciples died, an extremely weak Divine Soul fluctuation came from the direction of the Scripture Pavilion."

In the light screen, a fine black thread extended from the Scripture Pavilion, splitting into three strands that connected to the locations of the three deceased.

"This Divine Soul fluctuation is the pulling force of the harvest," Xuanjizi continued. "It was sent from the Scripture Pavilion, connecting to the dao seeds of the three Disciples, forcibly draining their Divine Souls, Dao laws, and cultivation."

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils contracted sharply: "The Scripture Pavilion?"

"Correct." Xuanjizi nodded, "And I have checked. In the Scripture Pavilion, there is only one person who can freely enter and exit at midnight."

He looked at Jiang Hanzhou and said word by word: "The Pavilion Guarding Elder, Sun Mo."

A figure flashed through Jiang Hanzhou's mind.

Sun Mo, the Pavilion Guarding Elder of the Scripture Pavilion, possessed cultivation in the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm and had served in the Dragon Abyss Palace for over forty years. He kept a low profile, was a man of few words, never participated in factional disputes within the Sect, and was not close to any Peak's Elders. He was like a stone statue, guarding the Scripture Pavilion day after day, registering Cultivation Techniques and organizing ancient texts, never making a mistake.

But such a person was actually the Dragon Slaying True Person's mole?

"Grand Elder," Jiang Hanzhou spoke, his voice calm, "do you have conclusive evidence?"

"No." Xuanjizi shook his head, "That Divine Soul fluctuation was too weak; it could only lock onto a general direction and couldn't confirm exactly who it was. But Sun Mo is the most suspicious because only he can freely enter and exit the Scripture Pavilion at midnight, and furthermore, there is also a dao seed within his dao foundation."

Jiang Hanzhou's brow furrowed sharply: "Sun Mo is also a host for a dao seed?"

"Correct." Xuanjizi nodded, "Forty years ago, he entered the Dragon Slaying Cave Mansion and absorbed memory fragments. But his dao seed has never matured. Not because his comprehension wasn't deep enough, but because his dao seed was artificially suppressed."

He paused, his gaze like a blade: "The method to suppress a dao seed is known only to the Dragon Slaying True Person himself. The fact that Sun Mo could suppress his dao seed for forty years means it is highly likely he has had contact with the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul and obtained the suppression method from him."

"In exchange, he works for the Dragon Slaying True Person, secretly harvesting mature dao seeds within the Dragon Abyss Palace."

Jiang Hanzhou remained silent for a long time.

Then, he spoke, his voice raspy: "Grand Elder, what do you need me to do?"

Xuanjizi looked at him, his aged face devoid of any expression.

"I need you to use your Dao-Slaying Blade Intent to test Sun Mo."

He paused and said word by word: "Your Dao-Slaying Blade Intent specifically slays dao seeds. If Sun Mo's dao seed is truly suppressed, your blade intent striking him will produce no reaction. But if his dao seed is not suppressed and is instead deeply bound to the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul, your blade intent will trigger a backlash from the dao seed. At that time, the dao seed in his body will spiral out of control, and his hidden cultivation will be exposed."

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils contracted slightly: "Grand Elder, do you want me to strike him in public?"

"Not in public." Xuanjizi shook his head, "I will arrange a 'Cultivation Technique Comprehension Assembly' and invite the Core Disciples of each Peak to the Scripture Pavilion to comprehend Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques. Sun Mo, as the Pavilion Guarding Elder, will be present. You will use the opportunity of comprehending the techniques to secretly strike him with your Dao-Slaying Blade Intent and test his reaction."

He paused, his gaze burning: "If there is no problem with him, your blade intent will not harm him. If there is a problem, the dao seed will backlash, and he will show his true colors. At that time, Master Xue Mu and I will strike simultaneously and take him down."

Jiang Hanzhou was silent for a moment, then nodded: "Alright."

Xuanjizi took out a jade talisman from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Hanzhou: "This is a map of the Scripture Pavilion, marking the position where Sun Mo usually stays. Familiarize yourself with it in advance so that nothing goes wrong when the time comes."

Jiang Hanzhou took the jade talisman and placed it into his sumeru pouch.

He turned and walked down from the Star Gazing Platform.

After walking a few steps, he suddenly stopped and said without turning his head: "Grand Elder, if Sun Mo really is a mole, his cultivation must be more than just the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm, right?"

Xuanjizi was silent for a moment, then slowly spoke: "Correct. If he is deeply bound to the Dragon Slaying True Person's remnant soul, his cultivation is at least at the Peak of the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm, and he may even have touched the threshold of the Supernatural Realm."

"But with Master Xue Mu and me working together, it will be enough to suppress him."

Jiang Hanzhou nodded and strode away.

Three days later, the Scripture Pavilion.

The morning sun shone through the window lattices of the Scripture Pavilion, casting mottled shadows on the floor. In the main hall of the first floor, dozens of prayer mats were laid out, each with a low table in front of it holding a Jade Slip for comprehension.

Today was the Dragon Abyss Palace's monthly "Cultivation Technique Comprehension Assembly." Core Disciples from every Peak would come to comprehend the Heaven Rank Cultivation Techniques within the Scripture Pavilion. This was a tradition of the Dragon Abyss Palace and a unique benefit for Core Disciples.

Jiang Hanzhou sat on a prayer mat in a corner of the hall, a Jade Slip containing the "Five Elements Returning to the Source Manual" placed before him. His gaze fell upon the Jade Slip, but his Divine Sense slowly spread throughout the hall, sensing everything around him.

To his left sat Teng Yuzhi. Her expression was cold as her gaze rested on the Jade Slip before her, but within those eyes, a trace of ill-concealed nervousness was hidden.

To his right sat Zhou Lie. His expression was as usual, but his hands were unconsciously gripping the corners of his robes.

At the very front of the hall, Sun Mo stood with his hands behind his back.

He wore a gray Daoist robe, his hair was white as snow, and his face was lean. A faint ripple of spiritual opportunity swirled around him; it was the aura of the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm, calm as water, showing no signs of anything unusual.

His gaze swept across the hall, falling upon each Disciple before slowly retracting.

“The Cultivation Technique to be comprehended today is the 'Five Elements Returning to the Source Manual',” His voice was calm, aged, and deep. “This technique centers on the mutual generation of the Five Elements. When the five intents merge into one, they can evolve into all things. When you comprehend it, you must start from 'Water,' using Water to generate Wood, Wood to generate Fire, Fire to generate Earth, Earth to generate Metal, and Metal to generate Water, in a continuous and unending cycle.”

He paused, his gaze sweeping over everyone. “Begin.”

As his voice fell, the hall sank into silence.

The Disciples one by one sent their Divine Sense into the Jade Slips and began their comprehension. Sun Mo stood at the front of the hall with his hands behind his back, his gaze slowly scanning the crowd, occasionally lingering on one or two people before quickly moving on.

Jiang Hanzhou sent his Divine Sense into the Jade Slip, but he did not attempt to comprehend the Cultivation Technique.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Heart Blade trembled slightly. The dark gold dragon patterns on the blade's surface flowed slowly, and the dark gold halo at the edge of the blade grew brighter and brighter. This was the power of the Dao-Slaying Blade Intent, the mark of the Fusion between the Dao-Devouring Power and the power of the Divine Soul.

He needed to find a suitable moment to strike Sun Mo with the Dao-Slaying Blade Intent.

It couldn't be too early, nor could it be too late.

If it were too early, Sun Mo would be on guard. If it were too late, the comprehension assembly would end, and Sun Mo would leave the hall to return to the quiet room deep within the Scripture Pavilion, which was protected by Formations and would be even harder to probe.

He needed to wait.

Wait for Sun Mo to lower his guard, wait for him to stop paying attention to the Disciples in the hall, wait for him to turn around and show his back.

Time passed bit by bit.

One hour, two hours, three hours.

midday, three quarters past noon.

Sun Mo slowly turned around and walked toward the quiet room at the back of the hall.

His steps were very slow, so slow that every step was clearly audible. His back was aged and hunched, like a stone statue weathered for a thousand years.

The very moment he turned around, Jiang Hanzhou moved.

He didn't stand up, he didn't draw his blade, and he made no unnecessary movements.

He simply closed his eyes, his thoughts shifting slightly.

Deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Heart Blade suddenly vibrated. The dark gold dragon patterns on the blade erupted with a brilliant golden light that pierced through the Sea of Consciousness and the Physical Body, transforming into an unadorned blade light that silently slashed toward Sun Mo.

Dao-Slaying Blade Intent.

It wasn't slashing at Sun Mo's Physical Body, nor was it slashing at his Divine Soul; it was slashing at the dao seed within him.

The moment the blade light sank into Sun Mo's body—

Sun Mo's body suddenly stiffened.

He stopped in his tracks, standing there motionless.

The Disciples in the hall didn't notice anything unusual; they were still immersed in their Jade Slips, comprehending the "Five Elements Returning to the Source Manual." Only Teng Yuzhi and Zhou Lie simultaneously raised their heads to look at Jiang Hanzhou, a trace of tension flashing in their eyes.

Jiang Hanzhou didn't look at them.

His gaze was fixed intently on Sun Mo's back, staring at the blade light that had entered his body.

One breath.

Two breaths.

Three breaths.

The blade light dissipated.

Sun Mo's body trembled slightly, and then he returned to normal. He continued walking toward the quiet room, his steps still slow and his back still hunched, showing no signs of anything out of the ordinary.

Jiang Hanzhou's brow furrowed slightly.

He had sensed it; he had sensed the dao seed within Sun Mo.

That dao seed was still there, unsevered. But there was also no backlash, no loss of control, and no abnormal reaction.

Just as Great Elder Xuanjizi had said, Sun Mo's dao seed was being suppressed. The Dao-Slaying Blade Intent had struck the suppression power without triggering any reaction.

“Could it be that Sun Mo isn't a mole?”

A trace of doubt rose in Jiang Hanzhou's heart.

But just then—

Sun Mo stopped in front of the quiet room door.

He didn't turn around; he just stood there and spoke without looking back, his voice frighteningly calm.

“Junior Nephew Jiang, your Dao-Slaying Blade Intent is quite good.”

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils suddenly constricted.

Sun Mo slowly turned around, his aged face showing no expression. But within those deep eyes, a five-colored brilliance was now flowing—red, gold, blue, green, and yellow—the Five Elements True Intent, perfectly fused.

That was the True Intent of the Dragon Slaying True Person.

“But you forgot,” Sun Mo's voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable chill, “the Dragon Slaying True Person is the Ancestral Master of the Five Elements True Intent. Your Dao-Slaying Blade Intent was comprehended from his Dao laws. You use his Dao laws to slash the dao seed he planted—do you think that will work?”

Jiang Hanzhou's expression changed drastically.

He suddenly stood up, his right hand gripping the hilt of the tiger soul saber at his waist.

But Sun Mo was faster.

Sun Mo raised his right hand and gently made a grasping motion.

An indescribable pressure erupted from within his body like a collapsing mountain, a sweeping tsunami, or a heavenly fire consuming all things. The faces of the Disciples in the hall turned deathly pale, their bodies swaying, and some even collapsed directly to the ground.

Peak Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm.

No, it wasn't just the Dragon-Elephant Intersection Realm.

It was the half-step Divine Ability Realm.

Sun Mo's cultivation, hidden for forty years, was completely exposed at this moment.

“Junior Nephew Jiang,” his voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable murderous intent, “you are very talented. But you were too impatient. You shouldn't have tested me.”

He raised his right hand and pressed it toward Jiang Hanzhou from a distance.

A five-colored light surged from his palm, transforming into a five-colored giant hand about ten feet in diameter that clawed toward Jiang Hanzhou.

Contained within that hand was the perfect Fusion of the Five Elements True Intent, continuous and unending. Any attack based on Dao laws would be layer by layer neutralized and devoured by the power of the mutual generation of the Five Elements in front of the giant hand.

Jiang Hanzhou gritted his teeth and drew his blade.

The moment the tiger soul was unsheathed, four-colored brilliance intertwined and wrapped around the blade. He swung his blade, and an unadorned blade light slashed straight toward the five-colored giant hand.

The collision between the blade light and the giant hand produced no loud crash or explosion.

Only a soft sound—

“Ssh.”

The blade light slashed into the giant hand, severing the first layer, the second, and the third. But the hand possessed the Five Elements, and the Five Elements generate each other endlessly. As one layer was severed, another was born; as two were severed, two more were born; as three were severed, three more were born.

The blade light dissipated at the fifth layer.

The five-colored giant hand continued toward Jiang Hanzhou with undiminished momentum.

Jiang Hanzhou's pupils suddenly constricted.

He wanted to retreat, but he couldn't. The power of the mutual generation of the Five Elements within the giant hand had sealed off all his paths of retreat. No matter which direction he retreated, he would be caught by the hand.

Just as the five-colored giant hand was three feet away from Jiang Hanzhou—

A streak of crimson-gold flame erupted from the Void Realm, transforming into a fire wall about ten feet in diameter that blocked the way in front of Jiang Hanzhou.

Master Xue Mu.

He had appeared in the hall at some unknown time, his right hand gripping that crimson longsword, with blazing crimson-gold flames flowing along the blade. His expression was calm, but within those deep eyes, an indescribable chill was contained.

“Sun Mo,” his voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable murderous intent, “you've hidden for forty years, and finally, you can hide no longer.”

Sun Mo looked at him, his aged face showing no expression.

“Master Xue Mu,” his voice was calm, “you cannot stop me.”

Master Xue Mu smiled, a smile full of mockery. “Can't stop you? Then let's see.”

He swung his sword.

The crimson-gold flames collided head-on with the five-colored giant hand, erupting with a startling surge of energy. The low tables, prayer mats, and Jade Slips in the hall were all blown into disarray by the energy shockwave. The Disciples' faces were deathly pale as they scrambled to flee the hall.

Teng Yuzhi and Zhou Lie shielded Jiang Hanzhou on either side, dragging him toward the exit of the hall.

“Junior Brother Jiang, hurry, let's go!” Zhou Lie barked.

Jiang Hanzhou did not resist, allowing the two of them to drag him out of the hall.

But his gaze remained fixed on Sun Mo.

Fixed on Sun Mo's eyes, where the five-colored brilliance was flowing.

He saw it.

He saw the remnant soul hidden deep within those eyes.

The remnant soul of the Dragon Slaying True Person.

It was parasitic within Sun Mo's Sea of Consciousness, using Sun Mo's dao foundation as a nursery, Sun Mo's Qi and blood as nourishment, and Sun Mo's Divine Soul as a shield. It had hidden within the Dragon Abyss Palace for forty years, secretly harvesting dao seeds, secretly laying its plans, and secretly waiting for the day of its Rebirth.

And today, it had finally bared its fangs.

In the hall, the duel between Master Xue Mu and Sun Mo continued.

The crimson-gold flames and the five-colored brilliance intertwined, shaking the entire Scripture Pavilion until it seemed it might collapse.

Just then, a golden light descended from the sky, falling upon Sun Mo.

Great Elder Xuanjizi.

He stood in the Void Realm with his hands behind his back, his aged face showing no expression. But his right hand was pressed against the crown of Sun Mo's head, and golden light surged from his palm, suppressing the Five Elements True Intent within Sun Mo layer by layer.

“Sun Mo,” his voice was calm, yet it contained an indescribable pressure, “you have colluded with the remnant soul of the Dragon Slaying True Person and harmed your fellow Sect members; your crimes are unforgivable. In the name of the Grand Elder of the Dragon Abyss Palace, I hereby strip you of your position as Pavilion Guarding Elder. You are to be apprehended immediately and cast into the Sky Prison to await your sentence.”