Supreme Sword Exalt

A month ago, Gu Tian returned with a mysterious golden seal. After meditating on the golden seal for several days, Gu Tian’s mind became disoriented. He then fell victim to an ambush by the scheming clan elder, Gu Zhang, who then framed Gu Han.

However, Gu Tian’s body transformed after meditating on the seal. Though he was stabbed in his heart, he didn’t die immediately. In his dying moments, he fought his way out of the encirclement. During a brief moment of lucidity, he handed the golden seal to Gu Han with a grave warning.

“There is great opportunity within the seal, but also immense danger! If your cultivation is insufficient, you must not attempt to use it. Otherwise, catastrophe will surely befall you!”

Yet now, Gu Han was cornered, leaving him no choice but to activate the seal.

As the voice within the seal faded, a pitch-black ink-like aura suddenly emerged, shooting straight into the center of Gu Han’s forehead!

Moments later, Gu Han’s lifeless eyes regained their clarity.

But the look in these eyes was completely different. His gaze was icy, and an ominous aura emanated from him. Wisps of black qi curled and coiled around his body, making him look less human. His appearance and demeanor exuded an unsettling evil.

“Hm?” He examined his own condition and frowned.

“The injuries are quite severe. It seems I’ll have to put in some effort to recover. It doesn’t matter. Having inherited this body, your grievances are now mine to bear. As for those who harm you, I will ensure they regret their very existence and pay for your suffering.”

As he spoke, he glanced at the golden seal in his hand, his tone filled with wrath.

“You two traitorous dogs dared to betray me! You didn’t expect me to preserve a fragment of my soul within the seal and narrowly escape death! Just wait. Once my power is restored, I will return to the Ninefold Demon Domain and make you repay your debts with blood!”

With that, he willed the golden seal to vanish from his hand.

“Now...” He surveyed his surroundings. “First, I need to find a place to heal. Hm?”

It was then that he noticed a broken sword lying on the ground. Well, to call it a sword was already generous. It was entirely black, and he couldn’t tell what it was made of. The blade was pitted and dented, the edges riddled with nicks, and even its tip was missing, making it an utterly wretched sight.

“This boy truly had it rough, relying on such trash... Huh? No. Something’s off!” With his keen eyesight, he immediately sensed an anomaly.

“This sword...” He picked it up and studied it closely, his frown deepening. “There’s something strange about it!”

The moment he spoke, the sword suddenly emitted a light!

“Motherfucker!” Stunned for a split second, he cursed aloud. “What the hell is this... Ahh!!”

A scream tore through the air. The light shot into his forehead.

Pang!

The long sword fell to the ground, returning to its battered appearance as though nothing had happened.

***

Within the consciousness space, Gu Han remained unaware of what was happening outside and the entity concealed within the golden seal.

His mind was wholly captivated by the golden book before him.

“The Great Freedom Heavenly Demon Scripture?”

Overwhelmed, he subconsciously inched closer to the golden book. From the unseen depths of his mind, an alluring voice urged him onward.

Open it! Hurry and open it! Once you open it, unimaginable fortune and opportunity will be yours! The impasse before you will cease to exist!

The threat of the Gu family will crumble before you! Comprehend the true essence of the golden book, and you will shatter all shackles and attain ultimate freedom and liberation!

Before he knew it, he found himself standing directly before the golden book. His eyes were glazed with confusion and obsession, his mind consumed with nothing but an intense desire for the book.

He extended his right hand. But just as he was about to touch the book’s cover, suddenly, a sharp gleam of light flared, striking the golden book. A transparent ripple spread outward, yanking Gu Han’s mind back from the edge of losing itself!

“What...” Staring at the enormous golden book, Gu Han felt a chill run down his spine.

“No wonder! Father warned me not to use the seal without sufficient cultivation. But...” His gaze shifted to the light now clashing with the golden book. “What is that...”

Boom!

Before he could finish speaking, the light exploded! An overwhelming, boundless sword intent descended, tearing the golden book into countless pieces. The pieces then morphed into mysterious runes that glimmered briefly before vanishing completely!

Gu Han’s mind went blank. This sword intent was far beyond his comprehension! Could someone truly unleash such a strike in this world?

Buzz!

At that moment, the residual sword intent trembled before transforming into an ancient and complex scripture! On closer inspection, each word of the scripture was meticulously crafted from minuscule threads of sword intent!

Great Evolution Sword Scripture!

The four words radiated a boundless, dominating sword intent. The opening passage alone seized Gu Han’s full attention.

“There are countless divine powers and a myriad of Daos, and only by grasping their essence can one truly grasp their core! The sword is the purest of all. By cultivating this sword scripture, one first forms the ultimate sword body.

“Initial mastery will give you the power to slash through mountains, rivers, and powerful enemies. Basic mastery will let you slash thousands of stars and slay gods and demons.

“Advanced mastery will allow you to slash through the Nine Hells and Yellow Springs, severing all causes and effects! And when you reach the pinnacle, the cycle of reincarnation and the river of time will be in your grasp. One sword to create, and one sword to destroy!”

Domineering! Audacious! Gu Han was utterly astounded.

To make such declarations, the creator of this scripture was either unimaginably arrogant or fully capable of backing such claims. Based on the sword intent he had just witnessed, it was clear the latter was true!

He continued reading as he kept his composure. Aside from introducing the scripture, the prologue also described a divine sword technique: the Great Evolution Sword Qi.

By channeling spirit qi and refining it with a specific method, one could cultivate up to forty-nine strands of Great Evolution Sword Qi.

Inescapable! Unstoppable!

Most divine powers and techniques in the world were ranked into four tiers. They were Heaven, Earth, Black, and Yellow, with Heaven being the highest and Yellow the lowest.

Each tier was further divided into high, mid, and low grades. Although compatibility mattered most for techniques, all else being equal, higher-tier techniques were naturally more powerful.

The Gu family’s foundational technique, Blazing Flame Scripture, was a high-grade Yellow-tier technique renowned in Tianwu City. Yet compared to the Great Evolution Sword Qi, it was nothing more than trash.

“So powerful!”

Gu Han’s eyes briefly lit up, only to dim again.

His cultivation had been entirely destroyed, and his meridians were crushed. Without the ability to channel spirit qi, how could he possibly cultivate sword qi?

As if sensing his despair, the sword intent within the scripture suddenly erupted, scattering outward in all directions!

“What...” Gu Han’s eyes widened.

The crushed meridians within his body, which were just moments ago causing him agony, began regenerating under the nourishment of the sword intent! In mere moments, his meridians had been completely reformed!

Not only that, but his life-threatening injuries were eighty percent healed. The newly-formed meridians were several times broader than before and glimmered with silver light, far sturdier and harder to destroy!

“The prologue alone is this formidable! What about the rest...”

Suppressing his excitement, Gu Han tried to read further. However, no matter how hard he tried, the scripture beyond the prologue remained obscured, its content entirely unreadable.

“I see...” He quickly realized what was going on. “I’m too weak right now. I’m not qualified to access the rest of the scripture. Aih...”

Just as he prepared to return to his body, a weary ancient voice suddenly echoed from the scripture.

“This is all we can do for you. Move quickly. It... is awakening.”

“Who’s there?!” Gu Han’s heart raced. “Who spoke? And what is awakening?!”

No one answered. The scripture continued to float quietly, majestic and mysterious, as if the voice had been nothing more than an illusion.

“Damn it!”

Suddenly, Gu Han seemed to hear something and his face paled.

“Ah Sha!”

In his urgency, he failed to notice the depths of the consciousness space, where a prison of sword intent contained a shadowy figure thrashing and cursing...