Chapter 126 – Slaying the False Core Cultivator
"Just a few more days, and I'll reach the Immortal City."
Gu Mo gazed at a small marketplace ahead, took out a map to confirm his location, and verified his position. Over the past few months, he had essentially carved a bloody path all the way here.
Along the way, Gu Mo eliminated every spy he encountered, killing many of He Shaogang's men and acquiring spoils worth several hundred thousand spirit stones.
By the third time Gu Mo struck, his enemies had already begun to catch on and started searching for him. Unfortunately for them, with his perfected-level Breath Concealment Technique, entry-level Disguise Technique, and his avatar's assistance, capturing Gu Mo was no easy task.
Of course, the most critical factor was Gu Mo's caution—if anything felt off, he would decisively abort the mission.
"Hmm?"
Upon entering the small marketplace ahead, Gu Mo once again noticed a familiar sect marker. However, this time, he had no intention of making a move. He had already acted too many times lately—especially after killing a Foundation Establishment cultivator at the peak stage—and he suspected that striking again would likely draw enemies at the Core Formation level.
But soon, Gu Mo was forced to abandon that plan—because he saw someone he recognized: Mai Yunfa. At that moment, Mai Yunfa was covered in blood, with a specially designed, gleaming lock piercing through his collarbone, being dragged through the street of the marketplace.
It was obvious the enemy had resorted to this cruel tactic to lure Gu Mo into action. Of course, they didn't know that Gu Mo was the one behind the previous attacks; they merely believed that Mai Yunfa, as one of the few spirit herb cultivators in Qinglu Sect, was a valuable disciple.
Using a valuable disciple as bait was meant to hook a valuable target.
To be fair, the move did infuriate Gu Mo. But he didn't act immediately. Clearly, the enemy had laid a meticulous trap, just waiting for Gu Mo to take the bait.
Suppressing his rage, Gu Mo rented a cultivation dwelling within the marketplace. These kinds of dwellings gathered spiritual energy via Spirit Gathering Formations. While they couldn't compare to places with actual spirit veins, they were cheap—making them a popular choice among rogue cultivators trying to break through their bottlenecks.
Led by an attendant, Gu Mo entered the dwelling. Once the attendant left, Gu Mo quietly slipped out and exited the marketplace altogether.
Shortly after his departure, a plain-looking, middle-aged cultivator walked out of his room. This man was Gu Mo's False Core avatar.
Letting his true body leave the marketplace ensured safety; then the avatar would make the move—this was Gu Mo's plan.
Following the sect markings left around the marketplace, Gu Mo quickly located the enemy's base. However, he didn't approach. He merely glanced at it from a distance.
Then he quietly withdrew. Gu Mo could already determine that the enemy was at the False Core level. After months of refining his soul, Gu Mo's spiritual sense had nearly reached the False Core tier, and this heightened perception had given him a sort of sixth sense.
When he tried to get closer, that sixth sense sent him a faint warning. For a False Core avatar to sense danger, the threat had to be at least of the same level.
So most likely, the opponent was a False Core cultivator. A true Core Formation cultivator seemed unlikely—Gu Mo's recent actions hadn't yet escalated to the level that would warrant such a response.
Besides, the Core Formation cultivators backing He Shaogang probably had bigger issues to deal with. Wiping out a Nascent Soul sect might look impressive, but cleaning up afterward was no easy feat.
If nothing else, the other Nascent Soul sects would be more than happy to use the excuse of "aiding Qinglu Sect" to seize its fourth-rank spiritual vein.
So while taking Qinglu Sect's territory was the first step, being able to hold it was the real challenge. Unfortunately, Gu Mo lacked the intelligence needed to understand the larger picture.
Since he was sure the enemy was a False Core cultivator, Gu Mo figured it was worth trying to take them out. If it turned out to be a real Core Formation cultivator, he'd have to give up on the rescue.
After all, he wasn't about to throw his own life away just to save someone else.
Charging in head-on to save the hostage was clearly not an option. Who knew what traps the enemy might have laid? If he couldn't storm in, then he'd have to lure the enemy out and kill them instead. Gu Mo wasn't good at ambushes—his strength lay in positional warfare.
At that moment, his true body was already setting up a battlefield outside the marketplace. Now the False Core avatar had to figure out how to bait the enemy.
Gu Mo's gaze fell on the sect marker. A thought struck him. Silently, he erased the original marker and drew a new one that would guide the enemy to the location he had prepared.
"It's been days—still no sign of the target?" Zong Taicheng asked the Foundation Establishment disciples beside him. He had come under orders from Young Lord He to eliminate the person who had killed so many of their sect's disciples lately.
To that end, He Shaogang had specially selected a valuable piece of bait. Unfortunately, most of Qinglu Sect's core and inner disciples had either been taken away by their Core Formation elders or had already defected. If they'd had a true core disciple or inner disciple to use, it would've worked even better.
"Reporting to Elder, we've detected no abnormalities so far," a Foundation Establishment disciple replied respectfully.
"Elder Zong, there's been a development."
Just then, a disciple came over, dragging a Qinglu Sect disciple along. "Speak!" he barked, giving the captive a kick.
"R-reporting to Elder... a new marker has appeared in the marketplace," the Qinglu Sect disciple stammered.
"Where's the marker located?"
Zong Taicheng's eyes narrowed. The target had finally made a move. But the man was clearly cunning—he hadn't come to rescue the hostage directly.
"The new mark points fifty li south of the marketplace," the Qinglu Sect disciple hurriedly answered.
"Lead the way!"
Zong Taicheng stood up.
"Elder, could this be a trap?" one of the Foundation Establishment disciples asked. Even though Qinglu Sect had been destroyed, a number of its Core Formation elders had escaped. If one of them had set an ambush, the situation could be dangerous.
"Hahaha! Those old fogeys from Qinglu Sect? Do you think they dare show their faces now?" Zong Taicheng laughed. "They're the last hope of their sect. Unless cornered, they'll never risk exposure."
Several Gold Core elders from the Qinglu Sect were carrying the sect's accumulated resources and disciples. If they dared show themselves, not only would their enemies attack, even members of other factions would likely make a move.
And as long as they weren't true Gold Core cultivators, what did Zong Taicheng have to fear?
Soon, Zong Taicheng led his men away from the marketplace, heading toward the location indicated by the marker. At that moment, Gu Mo's False Core avatar appeared and found the severely wounded Mai Yunfa.
"Senior, hurry—go!"
Mai Yunfa opened his eyes. Though he didn't recognize the disguised Gu Mo, he instinctively knew this must be a senior from his sect who had come to save him.
Clang clang!
Gu Mo formed a sword with his fingers and severed the iron spikes that had pierced Mai Yunfa's collarbones. Then, he cast a Minor Rejuvenation Technique upon him, swiftly healing his injuries.
While Gu Mo's combat strength under the Qingmu Sutra was lacking, he was more than confident in his healing abilities.
"Find a chance to escape on your own."
Gu Mo handed him a magic sword, several bottles of Tier 1 pills, and a few talismans. It wasn't that Gu Mo didn't want to take Mai Yunfa somewhere safe, but he was already being hunted.
Zong Taicheng's earlier departure had just been a feint; he was now closing in fast.
"Yes!"
Mai Yunfa understood that following this senior would only slow him down. Without hesitation, he summoned his magic sword and quickly fled into the distance.
Meanwhile, Gu Mo took off in the opposite direction. With him drawing the enemy's attention, Mai Yunfa had a good chance of escaping. After all, they'd gone to great lengths to find Gu Mo—now that he had appeared, letting Mai Yunfa go was of little consequence.
"As expected."
Seeing Gu Mo streak away as a ray of light, Zong Taicheng smirked contemptuously. Trying to play tricks on him? Laughable.
Without delay, Zong Taicheng also transformed into a beam of light and gave chase.
Sensing the rapidly approaching aura behind him, Gu Mo sighed inwardly. His False Core avatar hadn't cultivated any specialized movement or escape techniques. It wasn't that Gu Mo didn't want to learn them—he simply didn't have the necessary inheritance.
If the Qinglu Sect still existed, with his status as a true disciple, he could have easily exchanged for a suitable movement technique tailored to his False Core avatar.
What a pity...
Since he couldn't escape, Gu Mo had no choice but to fight. Although he knew this False Core avatar was no match for Zong Taicheng in a direct confrontation—after all, this avatar wasn't a true False Core cultivator, but a mutated External Core cultivator—Gu Mo had refined an external core that served as a pseudo-core for the avatar.
It was only because of their 100% compatibility that it counted as a False Core. But Gu Mo had never intended for the avatar to defeat the enemy. The main body's trap was the key. The avatar's job was simply to lure the enemy in.
"Go!"
Gu Mo summoned the mid-grade flying sword he had previously acquired and slashed it toward Zong Taicheng. Upon seeing this, Zong Taicheng immediately sensed Gu Mo's true strength.
"A big catch, indeed!"
Feeling the cultivation level of a False Core from Gu Mo, Zong Taicheng was overjoyed. Although this wasn't a Gold Core elder, it was likely the strongest combatant the remnants of the Qinglu Sect could muster.
Without hesitation, Zong Taicheng summoned a large seal to meet Gu Mo's flying sword. While flying swords were the mainstream weapon among cultivators, some preferred to use specialized magical treasures.
And in certain circumstances, those specialized tools could have miraculous effects.
For example, the large seal Zong Taicheng used had a suppressive effect. As Gu Mo's sword neared it, its speed drastically dropped—stripped of speed, it posed little threat.
Without delay, Gu Mo recalled his sword. The price of taking a hit head-on wasn't worth it. He turned and continued fleeing. This brief skirmish with a true False Core cultivator made it clear to Gu Mo just how lacking his own avatar still was.
Once he reached Immortal City, he planned to thoroughly enhance the avatar and grant it the true combat power of a False Core.
"So you're just a rookie who recently formed a False Core." From the brief clash, Zong Taicheng had already seen through Gu Mo's shallow foundation.
The chase continued. For cultivators at the False Core level, fifty li was covered in just a few breaths.
Arriving at the destination, Gu Mo's avatar stopped fleeing and summoned his flying sword to fight Zong Taicheng. Though he was being completely suppressed, Zong Taicheng couldn't take him down instantly either—they were both False Core cultivators.
During the battle, Gu Mo retreated step by step, while Zong Taicheng pressed in closer and closer—until a crisp crack abruptly ended the fight.
Zong Taicheng looked down to see a small wooden stick crushed beneath his foot. His spiritual sense screamed danger. Without hesitation, he withdrew rapidly.
But behind him, a large blood-red cherry had appeared without him noticing—and from that cherry, Zong Taicheng felt the same mortal threat.
With both front and rear paths blocked, Zong Taicheng had only one choice: upward.
"Heaven Severing!"
But Gu Mo's avatar had been waiting for that moment. He unleashed a sword technique from the Yuqian Sword Manual—a strike known as Heaven Severing, a purely offensive sword art that focused solely on raw power.
Though Gu Mo used Qingmu Sutra energy to cast it—lacking its intended aggressive edge—the move still packed considerable might.
And Gu Mo hadn't intended for this sword strike to kill his opponent. It was only meant to stop his escape. The Tier 2 supreme-grade Potato Landmine and Cherry Bomb would finish the job.
"Break for me!"
Zong Taicheng erupted with all his strength to shatter the sword light. Though Heaven Severing lacked sharp killing intent due to the nature of the Qingmu Sutra, it possessed a certain toughness granted by wood-element spiritual energy. Zong Taicheng couldn't break through it right away.
And that sealed his fate.
BOOM! BOOM!
Two nearly simultaneous explosions rang out. If it had been just one of the Tier 2 supreme-grade landmines or cherry bombs, Zong Taicheng might've survived. But with both combined, death was inevitable.
"Hoo—"
Gu Mo exhaled deeply as he looked at the gaping crater before him. The annihilating force of the explosion ensured nothing remained of the enemy—not even bones. Unfortunately, the loot was also destroyed. A bit of a loss.
Still, there were a few Foundation Establishment cultivators left. He could recover some spoils from them.
His False Core avatar couldn't defeat an old hand like Zong Taicheng, but bullying some Foundation cultivators was easy. In just a dozen breaths, Gu Mo returned with his loot.
Afterward, he didn't linger and immediately made his way toward Immortal City.
On the road ahead, Gu Mo stopped making any moves. He knew full well that now that a False Core had died, the next enemy would be a true Gold Core.
Bang!
A luxurious table was smashed to pieces with a single furious punch from He Shaogang. Losing a False Core cultivator was a serious blow—but more than anything, He Shaogang was furious at being humiliated.
Yet the sect's Gold Core elders couldn't spare the time. And by his calculations, that person's destination was likely Immortal City.
In those marketplaces, He Shaogang could unleash his people with impunity. But in Immortal City, even he didn't dare act recklessly. The city's strength rivaled—if not surpassed—that of any Nascent Soul sect.
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