Supreme Sword Exalt

Chapter 257 - Transforming into the Sword Demon! The Demon Monarch’s Secret Technique, Eclipse of Heaven!

“What’s wrong with her?”

“Could it be that she overused her ability and suffered backlash?”

“That must be it!”

“Everyone, this is our chance!”

Upon seeing Ah Sha’s current state, Luan Ping and his group grew restless again. However, she left such a scarring impression that they hesitated briefly.

Gu Han regained consciousness at that very moment. He immediately saw that Ah Sha’s eyes were tightly shut. Her face still bore traces of dried tears as she clutched tightly to his clothes.

“Ah Sha!”

Though he didn’t know how she had appeared here alone, his heart sank at her condition. Something is very wrong! Ah Sha’s usual symptom of soul power loss is completely different from this!

Suddenly, the shadow’s roar echoed in his mind. “Brat! Damn it! What the hell did you do? Why is my disciple like this?!”

With the sword cage gone, he could enter and exit Gu Han’s consciousness space at will and see the situation outside.

Gu Han ignored him completely. He frantically brushed through Ah Sha’s hair, searching for the storage ring he had left behind. “Medicine! Pills!”

The shadow grew angrier with each word. “It’s useless! No pills can save her in her current state!”

Gu Han froze. “What exactly happened?”

The shadow said irritably, “Extreme soul power depletion has led her to the state of soul power extinction. She must have used an ability far beyond what she could withstand. Normally, her soul power loss wouldn’t be this severe in battle. Brat, what the hell have you gotten into? Just how powerful of an enemy did you provoke that she had to step in and end up like this?”

Gu Han gripped his sword tightly. “My friend... died.”

The curses were at the tip of the shadow’s tongue, but it wouldn’t come out. After all, he could perceive Gu Han’s emotions clearly. Those three words carried an unprecedented fury and sorrow.

“Save her! Think of a way! As long as you can save her, I’ll give you whatever you want! Even if...” Gu Han gently stroked Ah Sha’s head, his eyes reddening. “Even if you want my body, I’ll give it to you.”

The shadow seemed to notice something else and lost his temper once more. “Fuck! How did you let yourself end up in such a state?! You touched that time power, didn’t you? Do you realize you have less than two months left? And you dare offer such a broken body?”

Gu Han wouldn’t listen. “Save her! I’ll do anything!”

His pitiful gaze struck a chord in the shadow’s heart, perhaps because he was a Demon Monarch who had witnessed countless bloody scenes and endless deceit. Words of refusal simply wouldn’t come out.

“Save her.”

The shadow let out a long sigh. “In my current state, I simply can’t do it. But I can temporarily seal her soul for a few days. You’ll have to figure out the rest yourself.”

“Alright.”

The shadow didn’t delay any further. “Open your mind, don’t resist.”

Seeing that Ah Sha was growing weaker with each passing moment, Gu Han obeyed without question. In an instant, an immense consciousness seeped into him, nearly overwhelming his own. His hand lifted involuntarily, slowly covering the top of Ah Sha’s head. A stream of soul power, far purer than anything he had ever imagined, flowed into her consciousness space.

“So, this little girl really did suffer backlash. Indeed, using such a powerful ability couldn’t possibly be without cost.” Luan Ping, not far away, finally sensed the anomaly. He stared at Gu Han. “Unexpectedly though, you were able to wake up too. That really surprised me! You can’t use that sword strike anymore, can you? This little girl is useless now. Let’s see who else can help you.”

Gu Han remained silent. Since he was cooperating with the shadow to treat Ah Sha, he couldn’t move.

Meanwhile, the shadow was enraged, cursing and roaring, “Fucking cunts! How dare they bully me? Don’t let me get the chance, or I’ll make sure they die horribly!”

Suddenly, the sound of tearing air echoed through the space.

Luan Ping was stunned. “Hmm? Him?”

Before the words faded, Zuo Yang had already appeared before Gu Han. Though his cultivation surpassed Ah Sha’s, his speed couldn’t match outright teleportation, hence why she arrived much earlier.

As his aura gradually climbed, Luan Ping said impassively, “You chose the path of life, yet you insist on returning to die. I don’t know whether to call you loyal or just plain stupid!”

Zuo Yang didn’t speak. His boning knife flashed, instantly pointing at Luan Ping. Although he didn’t know why Ah Sha was here, he understood he couldn’t afford to ask questions now.

Just then, a thunderous roar echoed. A battered Gu Tian descended from the sky, faint lightning swirling around him. To avenge as quickly as possible, he had forcibly crossed the nine stages of Lightning Tribulation, disregarding the damage to his body.

Luan Ping laughed coldly. “Another one! It seems your connection with him runs deep. Fine, I’ll slaughter the two of you right in front of him!”

Of course, Gu Tian wouldn’t waste words with him. “Kill!”

His eyes once again turned pure black, demonic flames surged around him. He charged at Luan Ping first, and Zuo Yang followed suit without hesitation.

“Kill them!”

As someone who had elicited seven rings from the Dao Bell, Luan Ping’s strength far exceeded the other guardians. He withstood the combined strike of Zuo Yang and Gu Tian without a scratch.

“This brat must survive, but the other two can die!”

As his words fell, the remaining few surrounded the two newcomers. Having been toyed with by Gu Han and scared witless by Ah Sha, they had long been holding a belly full of anger. Zuo Yang and Gu Tian were their perfect targets for venting.

Various divine powers clashed with demonic qi, causing the land to tremble faintly. No matter how strong Zuo Yang and Gu Tian were, they couldn’t withstand the combined assault. Soon, they were severely wounded, on the verge of collapsing.

In Luan Ping’s spare moments, he didn’t forget to provoke Gu Han. “Look, one is your senior brother, the other your father. They’re about to die before your eyes. Is there anything you want to say before it’s too late?”

Gu Han lifted his head sharply, staring intently at him. In an instant, he unleashed a towering demonic qi. He could finally look elsewhere now that the shadow had finished temporarily sealing Ah Sha’s soul.

Gu Han stared fixedly at Luan Ping, his killing intent almost taking form. “I will fucking kill you!”

Luan Ping laughed scornfully. “By yourself? What a waste—”

Another voice emanated from Gu Han, completely different in both tone and manner. “I’ll make you regret ever being born!”

Luan Ping’s pupils contracted sharply, focusing his divine sense on Gu Han. “What... Who are you?!”

Of course, with his cultivation, he couldn’t see the shadow’s existence. He had a foreboding feeling.

To treat Ah Sha, the shadow had consumed a great deal of power. His voice sounded somewhat weak, but his wrath was ten times greater than before. “Brat! Your body’s already wretched, surely it can take a few more injuries?”

“Dispose of it as you wish!” replied Gu Han.

He certainly remembered his promise. Keeping his word had always been his principle. Of course, except regarding Yang Ying.

The shadow gnashed his teeth. “Good! Let’s cooperate and slaughter these bastards!”

Gu Han’s expression flickered with a trace of daze. Cooperate...

Thinking of Yang Ying, his killing intent surged several times over. “Alright. That’s exactly what I want!”

His demonic qi surged as well. A vast aura of demonic power, far surpassing Gu Tian’s, descended upon the scene. Everyone ceased attacking and stared at him in shock.

Zuo Yang and Gu Tian called out to him at the same time.

“Junior Brother!”

“Han’er!”

Gu Han replied coldly, devoid of emotions, “Senior Brother, Father, take care of Ah Sha.”

Strangely, it sounded both like and unlike him, faintly carrying an overlapping quality.

Demonic qi enveloped him all over. His eyes flickered between red and black as his aura seemed about to pierce the heavens. He was almost unrecognizable from before.

Wave after wave of vast demonic might descended. Space shattered, while earth quaked. Luan Ping and the others were so terrified they went pale. Gu Han’s demonic qi surpassed Gu Tian’s by several tiers in terms of power level. How is this possible? Could he also be a demonic cultivator?!

In the distance, Di Kan watched with great interest. “This! I know this one! This should be the Sword Demon!”

From the sword light to Ah Sha, and now to this demonic qi, Di Kan had grown accustomed to Gu Han’s endless arsenal of techniques.

As Gu Han raised his sword, countless threads of demonic qi swirled around it, transforming it into a demon sword. “You insignificant ants! You dare blaspheme against me! Today, I’ll annihilate you!”

The voice belonged to the shadow.

Then, it shifted back to Gu Han’s. “Kill!”

Upon hearing these two strange, alternating voices, Luan Ping and the others felt a chill rise from the depths of their hearts, rushing straight to their heads.

The sword fell heavily as Gu Han’s and the shadow’s voices overlapped. “Eclipse of Heaven!”

The area within a ten-li radius of him darkened, as if draped in a black curtain, plunging everything into near-total darkness.

It was the Demon Monarch’s secret technique, the Eclipse of Heaven.

***

In the Border Wasteland, looking at the desolation around them, the golden-armored youth scratched his head. “Sister, the Border Wasteland is so big, where are we supposed to find your junior brother? Tsk, that woman didn’t make it clear either...”

The noble-looking youth was remarkably calm. “It’s fine, we’ll search slowly. I’m even more curious now. Just what kind of extraordinary talent is this junior brother that she thinks about so much?”

The woman ignored the two. She took a hearty sip of wine as she coldly gazed straight ahead.

In the next moment, the sky in the extreme distance seemed to be growing dim.

The woman immediately soared into the air and vanished into the distance. “Hmm? There!”

***

Within the void of emptiness, an old man rained attack after attack upon the sky veil, finally managing to open a crack. Without hesitation, he flashed inside.

Meanwhile, on the ground below—whether in the five domains, the forbidden zones, or other secret lands—a host of powerhouses sensed the shift in the sky veil. They looked up one after another. Some were surprised, some suspicious, some wary...

The old man ignored the prying eyes hidden in the darkness. He was transfixed at his black jade, which was radiating brilliant light, his tone filled with excitement.

“I found her! I finally found her! Young Lady, you have suffered all these years... I will take you home now!”