"..."

Oda Chi's beautiful eyes lost their luster, completely shrouded in a layer of gray haze.

She subconsciously bit her lower lip tightly, as if she wanted to bite it until it bled, yet she was unaware, her whole demeanor appearing somewhat dazed.

"If we can make it in time, we'll see then." Gu Mo replied indifferently, without making any other arrangements, dispatching only a Terminator Type I team of two hundred and fifty to intercept.

However, considering they are the first prototype model, their design performance is not yet perfect, and the weapons configured are rather monotonous. Additionally, this world contains mysterious powers—Guardian Spirits, Demonization, Yin Yang Techniques, Spirit Stone Essence, even the martial arts of using swords for close combat may possess some kind of incredible quality...

The Oda army over there might just be able to face and win, at least there's a possibility.

After all, if we consider them as powerful Demon Ghosts, then this world's army does indeed have experience with such things.

Gu Mo wasn't too concerned either, treating it as data collection. Even if the Oda army could win, it would be a pyrrhic victory, greatly diminishing their vitality. In such circumstances, it's as good as a defeat. Could a severely weakened army possibly regroup and cross the plains again, ready to siege?

It's impossible...

"Ahhhh——!!"

At this moment, amidst the fallen and groaning injured, someone suddenly let out a desperate scream, as if to spurt blood. A visible black airflow shrouded him, emitting an evil and extremely ominous aura, leaving those around him momentarily stunned.

In the next instant, several alert guards swiftly drew their blades to strike down.

No matter what this person intended to do, they couldn't stand by and let him wreak havoc, chopping him to death was the only option. They wouldn't hesitate at such a critical moment.

But at the very moment the blades touched his body, they felt a recoil force!

It was as though dull blades struck thick leather, unable to cut through the skin at all. His body seemed to undergo some strange transformation in an instant... Moreover, the next moment, his body swelled up like it was being inflated.

"Everyone, back away!"

Gu Mo furrowed his brows slightly.

This seemed to be a technique Layman Guoxin used on Saito Risaburo, forcibly transforming this person into a demon... Was it Su Nuo or something else?

His skin tore apart, and a colossal figure seemed to emerge from within his original body, as if breaking through a blood-colored cocoon. Two gigantic and ferocious red-green demons appeared back-to-back in the main hall, bursting through the roof, toppling columns, and causing the ground to shake.

It moved violently, wielding different weapons in its four arms that were taller than a human, axes, blades, and a great bow, seemingly ready to unleash a wave of gruesome slaughter.

Then—

A gourd gently aimed, and the mouth of the gourd released an extraordinarily powerful pulling force, as if a fierce wind had blown through the courtyard.

The guards who had just distanced themselves felt the terrifying suction, the ancient trees in the courtyard seemed like they might be uprooted by the wind, the stones on the ground trembled and hovered up, while the raging and struggling Su Nuo was inevitably sucked in!

The massive body rose into the air, spinning and flying towards it, rapidly shrinking in the process, ultimately being drawn into the gourd.

Gu Mo calmly sealed the gourd's mouth again. Recently, he had been collecting various ecological samples, from common animals in nature to legendary demons and ghosts. He certainly wouldn't miss such an opportunity now.

"..."

"..."

The scene fell into silence. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

The guards exchanged glances, their faces pale, gradually calming down. Finally swallowing their saliva, the terrifying transformation they just witnessed left an impression in their hearts, making their legs weak. They only thought that if they were to fight such a monstrous thing, they'd lose their lives today.

They hadn't expected it all to end so suddenly...

Looking at the calm and composed Sovereign, a strange thought suddenly emerged in their hearts—did the Sovereign truly need their protection?

"Don't just stand there, clean up this place, and take the survivors away for questioning..." Gu Mo waved his hand at them, speaking calmly. Although he understood the situation, they still needed to follow protocol, and he needed that as a formality.

Beside him, Oda Chi opened her mouth but said nothing, her expression desolate.

"You take Ah Shi l... uh, take Ah Shi back to rest a bit." Gu Mo glanced at her and spoke gently, instructing the trembling maids who approached.

If he appeared too distant with his address, it might signal something negative to those around them.

This girl would have trouble later... there was no need to implicate her.

However, regarding exploiting the people of Owari and strategically calculating against the Oda family, he didn't feel much guilt.

After all, it wasn't even akin to entrapment. From beginning to end, it wasn't something he initiated or orchestrated, at most, it was awareness of a plot and manipulating it for his benefit. Besides, although Layman Guoxin was causing trouble, if they hadn't had intentions, there wouldn't have been fertile ground for the plot.

Unlike the innocent maiden Oda Chi, Miss Tamamo no Mae, who came from Owari with her, noticed that from the moment they planned to marry off Oda Chi, Owari had been secretly moving provisions and reallocating troops...

What kind of scheme her opportunistic brother-in-law was plotting was self-explanatory.

To conquer the world, one must first take Mino.

Nagano is a whole; whether it's Owari or Mino, it must integrate the other to have the capacity to expand elsewhere. As long as that person had ambition, naturally, they wouldn't abandon Mino. Perhaps that was why they seized this opportunity...

"Yes..."

Several maids exchanged a glance and stepped forward as if intending to support Miss Ah Shi.

But at that instant, one of the maids with her head lowered suddenly raised it, with a dazzling purple brilliance in her eyes, the essence of the refined Spirit Stone!

In a moment beyond reaction, a light gate constructed of runes appeared in the void, the light seemed to scorch and melt the space, corroding a void hole, revealing a desolate and unfamiliar landscape scene outside the door!

Thus—

In the blink of an eye, the young man was swallowed up!

In the next instant, along with the maid and the light gate, they all vanished from everyone's perception.

......

"Huh?"

In another unfamiliar environment, Gu Mo was slightly surprised but remained unpanicked, quickly calming himself.

Surrounding him were numerous figures, emanating astonishingly enormous energy reactions. Their murderous aura was sinister, with the central figure being the maid from earlier. However, her appearance, figure, and clothing changed in a blink, becoming a bald man in a black robe.

He wore a sinister smile, a red snake appearing and coiling around his body...

"The philosopher king of the future, your reign ends here. Today, we'll correct everything, putting history back on its rightful path."

The bald man said with a cruel yet excited smile, bowing courteously, and the surrounding people burst into laughter, seemingly very pleased with themselves.

"It's you, Edward Kelly..."

Gu Mo examined the bald man in front of him, thoughtfully nodding.

"Hmm? You know me?" The bald man was taken aback; at this point in time, this person shouldn't know him, right?

"Of course, I know..."

Gu Mo nodded, his gaze resting on the alchemist's shoulder, at the evil emanating serpent Guardian Spirit... named Ouroboros, carrying special symbolism for alchemy. Its ability involved capturing others' Guardian Spirits, a quite "buggy" Guardian Spirit.

He suddenly solved a mystery—

Minamoto no Yoshiie said he would gather all the world's Guardian Spirits... but where did he get the ability for that?

Now it seems, perhaps the answer has emerged.

Gu Mo gathered his thoughts, he regarded the bald man before him with a curious expression: "Have you considered that this action of yours, instead of correcting history, might instead—"

"...bring about everything you fear?"