Lin Mu was on his way to the outpost where the people of the Black Dune sect were fighting. He had been delayed by a day in all this and he didn't know how they were faring now.

There was no way to contact them since the communication jade slips were still blocked. 

'Leaving those villagers is still quite uncomfortable…' Lin Mu thought to himself.

After saying a few words of comfort to the villagers and giving them some gold, Lin Mu had left. He had to hurry to the outpost or there might be more trouble coming his way. He also saw the villagers searching for their loved ones who had not made it.

Lin Mu was unable to get all of them in that time and about five percent of the population of the village had died. While the other five percent that was left behind in the village was injured.

Some were lightly injured with some of them being crippled for life due to the houses and other things collapsing on them. The force of the explosion was truly strong and Lin Mu understood how severe the consequences of using a self destructing formation could be.

"Not just the formation… the man himself… how could I not tell there was something that would make himself detonate?" Lin Mu wondered.

He had checked the man and didn't find any such danger. While he had felt a strange aura in the man, Lin Mu thought that it was the same as that of the others that had taken the pills or other things that Gu Yao had made.

"It isn't really your fault. There are many was to hide from spirit sense and Gu Yao has been able to find one of them it seems. At least now you know to be alert whenever that aura is felt. 

For others they might not even be able to detect that aura." Xukong consoled.

Lin Mu went silent for a while before finally nodding his head.

"You're a right senior. I have a lot to do rather than hang my head here." Lin Mu replied.

"Though I have to admit… this Gu Yao… he's a genius too and talented in refinement, as well as technique creation." Xukong spoke.

"That… is true." Lin Mu admitted, recalling all that Gu Yao had done.

He had been infected by an invader's avatar once and had managed to repel it. Not only that, he had also grasped a concept from that and made the human Controlling Blood curse. 

And now he had made even more dangerous mutated humanoids, that he called the 'Reborn'. The creation of rebirth fluid, refined from the blood and bodies of cultivators, was an evil technique through and through.

Then there was also the cultivation base boosting pills that could be made as a waste product from the failed Reborn. This ability to make up for failure was what made the technique so much more dangerous.

If there was no way to reuse it, the Rebirth fluid would not be much of a problem. But now that the pills could be made from it, it meant that Gu Yao won't be wasting any resources on it.

With this, he could recruit even more people under him, without even needing to use the Human Controlling Blood curse.

Lin Mu didn't know how strong or expansive the human Controlling Blood Curse was now. Before the strongest Gu Yao could control was the Dao Shell realm cultivators. But now that he was probably at the Dao Shell realm as well, he would be able to control Dao Treading realm cultivators.

While the numbers were still unknown, even one of them being controlled depending on their position would be terrifying. 

A lone rogue or itinerant Dao Treading realm cultivator was still fine, but a Dao Treading realm cultivator that was the patriarch or the supreme elder of a sect was a completely different game.

Controlling a Dao treading realm cultivator like that meant he would have a majority of the sect under him. 

'The only saving grace is that he can't control any Immortal Ascension realm experts, or this would have already ended a while ago. Gu Yao having control over the top three sects would be the worst thing.

Thankfully, his lack of control is still the factor which has prevented them from being enslaved.' Lin Mu thought to himself.

The northern Tribes could basically invade the Great Zhou continent at any time and they would have free access to it in its entirety if Gu Yao controlled even one Immortal Ascension realm cultivator.

'But seeing as he has not made a move on the top three sects, it means that the ancestors of the top three sects are still alive and well. If they weren't, Gu Yao would probably have started controlling their Dao Treading realm experts too.' Lin Mu reckoned to himself.

While Lin Mu was thinking all this, Xukong was doing the same.

'Gu Yao might be another talented individual. If he was given enough time, it won't be unusual if he really became the ruler of this world. 

And considering the many examples of the many worlds, it won't be unusual or out of the normal either. There is no lack of such experts in the universe. 

There is no evil technique… all are the same…

It is the Heavenly Dao that can be biased at times, but the Great Dao will always be neutral. What god and what devil… they're all equal in the end.' Xukong thought to himself as he reminisced some memories.

Xukong turned to look at the ethereal altar in the distance and muttered, "and where will you stand? Whatever you are?"

No response was heard to his question, and the ethereal altar stayed the same.

"Seems like only time will tell…" Xukong said before he closed his eyes and went back to cultivating.

Lin Mu continued his journey for another couple of hours before he finally reached his destination.

"Finally…" He whispered.

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