Supreme Sword Exalt

Chapter 174 - Monster Mutation, A Grave Crisis

Compared to the periphery, the red mist in the depths of the secret realm was so dense, nearly solidifying. Thread-like strands connected into a continuous mass, constantly deepening into a dark red.

The entire secret realm grew even more bizarre.

***

Amid the pervasive red mist, Gu Han moved at a steady, unhurried pace, heading deeper inside. Nearly half a day had passed since his departure. Even though the secret realm wasn’t small, its connected ends spanned only about a hundred li. For someone of his caliber, covering it shouldn’t have taken this long. It was just that the deeper he went, the denser the red mist became.

Naturally, he didn’t want to miss this excellent cultivation opportunity. Along the way, he simply opened a small gap in his protective spirit light, drawing in wisps to refine gradually. He was on the verge of breaking through to the third stage of the Spirit Profound realm as a result.

Such jaw-dropping speed was unheard of, making Gu Han even more eager inside. Moreover, the liquid treasure’s efficacy had to surpass the red mist. He hoped that nothing would go wrong. Thinking about this, he picked up his pace again.

“Hmm?”

Suddenly, he sensed something and stopped in his tracks, furrowing his brow.

Boom!

In the next moment, an explosion occurred. The ground beneath his feet shook faintly.

He sighed inwardly. “Seems like luck isn’t on my side this time.”

Aside from Murong Yan, only those monsters could create such a commotion. Clearly, it was the latter this time.

Sure enough, two furious roars erupted, shattering the long-standing tranquility.

“My God!”

“Glory!”

Immediately after, two bulky figures crashed through layers of red mist. Propelling themselves with their hands, they appeared before Gu Han in an instant.

His heart sank when he swept his glance at them. The monsters had swelled almost a full size, their four arms far thicker and stronger. Even the dullness in their eyes had receded significantly, replaced by a trace of clarity. Evidently, as the red mist increased, they were also constantly evolving.

When they saw Gu Han absorbing the mist, the two monsters uttered their first complete sentences.

“Defiling my God!”

“You must die!”

The vertical eyes on their foreheads opened, revealing an even deeper shade of red.

Fuck!

A sense of alarm shot through Gu Han. He instinctively dodged away. Two deafening booms echoed. The solid red earth was blasted open, revealing two deep pits.

“Divine power must not be defiled!”

The monsters’ reaction speed was also much faster than before. Seeing that their attacks were rendered ineffective, their thick arms pushed off the ground hard. This time, they lunged straight at Gu Han from left and right.

Gu Han’s expression turned grave. The monsters were almost as strong as Yang Lin and Meng Xing. Worse, they didn’t have to worry about running out of pills. They were a great threat.

He swung his sword down, unleashing twenty-one strands of sword qi at the left monster. Following that, he flickered, killing intent surging in his heart. A three-cun sword light shot straight for the vertical eye of the monster on the right.

The monster, now with intellect, had sensed the danger. A massive palm shot up high, instantly shielding it.

Gu Han remained unfazed. “Kill!”

His Kill Sword accelerated even more. It tore through the monster’s palm and struck its vertical eye with deadly precision. The monster howled in agony, instantly going limp.

Witnessing this, the monster on the left gave up resistance. Its arms bent as it knelt down, allowing the sword qi to carve over a dozen bone-deep wounds into its body.

It mumbled, as if praying for something, “My God, grant me glory!”

An opening! Gu Han’s eyes lit up. He withdrew his sword as killing intent rose again. The next moment, he moved so fast he was almost an afterimage, slashing down toward the monster’s head.

Suddenly, another mutation occurred. As the monster murmured, the boundless red mist around grew restless, transforming into red vortexes that poured into its body.

At that moment, the sword descended. “Kill!”

The sword penetrated three cun into the flesh before it could advance no further.

Meanwhile, the monster kept mumbling incessantly, “My God, grant me... glory...”

Gu Han witnessed as the monster expanded rapidly, growing thick enough to squeeze his sword out.

Damn it! Gu Han’s heart sank. This monster’s strength had exceeded his imagination.

Suddenly, the monster raised its head. “Must die!”

Its gaze was overbearing and ruthless, a far cry from its previous dullness.

Gu Han had a feeling that the monster saw him as nothing more than a gravel. Its vertical eye opened once more.

He was overcome with a sense of crisis. The next moment, a red beam shot out again. Not only was it several times stronger, it faintly carried a trace of annihilating intent.

At the critical moment, Gu Han held his sword before him, barely managing to block the deadly blow. With a deafening boom, he was blasted far into the distance.

He vomited blood uncontrollably while still in mid-air. Even with the treasure robe, his internal organs were still severely injured. A faint cracking sound came from all over him. He didn’t even know how many bones were broken.

That was close!

If not for his tenacious will, he would have failed to maintain his protective spirit light. Gu Han endured the intense pain. Without hesitation, he flashed away, desperately sprinting forward.

“Defiling my God.” The monster’s intellect grew. Its speech no longer held the previous sluggishness or awkwardness, and even carried a hint of indifference. ”Must die!”

It forcefully pushed itself off the ground, leaping over a hundred zhang, closely pursuing Gu Han’s aura.

***

Several miles away from this battlefield, Chu Kuang walked forward as if taking a leisurely stroll in a courtyard. Layers of red mist swirled around him, yet he made no move to increase his speed. He didn’t even put up any protective spirit light. Instead, he was encased in a layer of light, providing absolute protection from the mist.

He pondered continuously. At present, aside from this divine essence, there are actually two other fortuitous encounters. The Profound Pill Pavilion, and the Holy Son Selection of the Myriad Transformations Holy Land!

Thinking of the former, he frowned slightly.

It was uncertain when the Profound Pill Pavilion would appear, so I’ll set it aside for now. As for the latter, my strength isn’t restored yet, so I’ll have to bear with the humiliation for now. Myriad Transformations, I will be your Holy Son. You’re getting a huge bargain!

As if recalling something, his expression gradually turned cold.

He was full of sarcasm. “Hmph... Once I advance another step and unify the Eastern Wasteland, I will definitely massacre that forbidden land! I shall repay that sword strike! The God-Slaying Formation? The formation you passed down ultimately became my fortuitous encounter! I bet you never see that coming!”

Right at that moment, a faint and almost indiscernible cry of agony echoed from afar.