Supreme Sword Exalt

Chapter 269 - Boundless Red Dust Intent

With a loud noise, the two white gates of the Heavenly Palace slowly opened. In an instant, a mysterious aura spread out. Whether cultivators or beasts, even the slightest contact with the aura left their eyes dazed, their expressions changing in an instant. Their expressions varied, ranging from joy and sorrow to anger and fear. The wisp only lasted briefly before vanishing without a trace.

Amid the drifting clouds and mist, a figure slowly emerged from the palace. Clad in a dark robe, he stood firm and tall. Despite being ordinary-looking, he possessed a unique temperament, one that completely overshadowed the majestic and imposing palace behind him.

His gaze shifted like the vast, ever-changing scenes of the Red Dust.[1] However, a closer look revealed a hidden coldness and ruthlessness beneath it.

Solemnly and respectfully, sixteen black-robed elders stood in two rows behind him. Then, the man slowly descended from the Heavenly Palace. Wherever he passed, steps materialized out of thin air for him to walk on.

Many cultivators respectfully bowed, their eyes flashing with boundless fervor and reverence.

“Pay respects to the young venerable!”

Far from being revered at birth, he started as a nobody, dismissed and even despised by others. He rose to his current position step by step, crushing rivals and cutting down countless prodigies along the way. The title of a legend truly befitted him.

Just then, he stopped walking, stunning everyone. After all, he usually wouldn’t even spare them a glance. There had never been an exception. Everyone had long grown accustomed to this.

The elder who stood right behind him asked cautiously, “Young Venerable, is there something you wish to command?”

The Red Dust Intent within the man’s eyes grew even stronger. “Elder Qi, do you have friends?”

The extremely bizarre question shook everyone greatly. If it were anyone else, asking this question wouldn’t seem too abrupt. However, the man before them cultivated the profound Boundless Red Dust Intent. He had wandered through the mortal world amid dreams and reality, experiencing the myriad forms of life. Upon the day of awakening and returning, he would then sever all those emotions, leaving behind only that wisp of profound Red Dust aura.

They understood the man’s temperament very well. Calling it emotionless and close to the Dao would not be an exaggeration. Ordinarily, those who could even exchange a single sentence with him were few and far between. Why did he mention the word “friend” all of the sudden?

Elder Qi suppressed his shock. “Young Venerable, did something go wrong while you were in secluded meditation?”

The Boundless Red Dust Intent itself could be called a heaven-defying technique, and had also been improved by the man. Nevertheless, Elder Qi was worried as the risks were still extremely high.

If one was not careful and failed to withstand the tempering of the Red Dust, they could be tainted by it. Unable to distinguish between dream and reality, they could lose themselves, ultimately failing just short of success.

The man shook his head and continued walking forward. “Not at all. I am nearing perfection.”

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. They failed to see that as the surging currents of the Red Dust flowed within his eyes, a trace of a different color was revealed. Even after severing everything, there remained a residue of a very unfamiliar emotion, yet one that the former him had yearned for. And one name, Gu Han. [2]

***

In the Border Wasteland, Gu Han was silent, standing there for a long time. The situation had been severe earlier, followed by consecutive great battles, so no one had paid any attention to this place. He simply couldn’t figure out if Yang Ying’s corpse had disappeared because some hidden secret had been triggered, causing it to be washed away by the time power. He wanted to ask Qian Ye, but the shadow had already fallen into deep slumber.

In the distance, Yun Lie was full of impatience. “Quite the airs he puts on, making so many people wait for him alone!”

Yun Fan scratched his head. “Ninth Brother, if you don’t want to wait, you can leave first. It doesn’t really have anything to do with you anyway. You’re the one who insisted on following.”

Unable to withstand his constant questioning, Zhao Mengyou finally revealed what had happened inside the Profound Pill Pavilion. One had lost their life for a friend. Another only had two or three months left to live for a friend. It was youthful passion. Yun Fan felt great respect toward Gu Han and Yang Ying.

Zuo Yang touched his dagger. “Senior Sister, this guy is your brother?”

“Mhm.”

“Can I chop him?”

“Yes but there’s no need.” Feng Xi nodded and cast a faint, cold glance at Yun Lie. “Get lost.”

Yun Lie wanted to throw hands, but he also understood Feng Xi’s temperament very well. If he really angered her, would beat him half to death.

With an angry snort, he soared into the air and left. “Hmph!”

Yun Fan shook his head repeatedly. Ninth Brother, why can’t you ever learn your lesson?

Zuo Yang cast his gaze into the distance, his brow slightly furrowed. “Alright. So it just disappeared like that? Senior Sister, do you know the reason?”

Feng Xi shook her head. “I don’t.”

She wasn’t clear on the internal details as her understanding of the Profound Pill Camp wasn’t even as good as Gu Han’s.

At that moment, Gu Han finally returned, letting out a soft sigh. He had collected all of Yang Ying’s spear fragments. As for his corpse’s disappearance, Gu Han couldn’t figure it out and could only put it aside for now.

Feng Xi shook her head. “Senior Sister, thank you for today.”

Even though it was only their first meeting, Feng Xi was willing to destroy a Holy Land for him. This bond of friendship was etched in his heart.

Feng Xi nodded slightly, conveniently taking down her wine gourd. “Go back. Heal your wounds.”

Yun Fan glared at Zhao Mengyou, who didn’t move. “Don’t just stand there! Keep up! From now on, you need to get used to your new identity!”

Zhao Mengyou silently gnashed her teeth. She considered fleeing, but the moment she looked at Feng Xi, her confidence vanished. In the end, she could only resign herself to fate. None of them were people of many words.

Along the way, only Yun Fan’s dissatisfied voice occasionally rang out. “Hurry up! You still call yourself a Divine Maiden? You’re too slow! How do you usually cultivate? How can your cultivation be this low?”

Zhao Mengyou flushed red, but she didn’t utter a single word. Aside from Gu Han, she was indeed the one with the lowest cultivation level. Even Yun Fan was at the Heavenly Tribulation realm. She simply couldn’t understand. How could this be? The youth seemed much younger than her!

Yun Fan seemed to see through her thoughts and appeared very proud. How could my cultivation be low when I follow my sister? Didn’t you see she even gave me Transcendent Substance? I’m just not telling. I’m just going to annoy you!

With everyone’s speed, they soon left the Border Wasteland’s bounds, just in time to encounter Murong Yan and Shen Xuan. The two were also going to look for them.

After hearing the two recount their encounter, Gu Han’s killing intent surged once more. “Yuan Gang!”

Feng Xi also had a decisive and ruthless temperament. “Let’s go kill him.”

Shen Xuan hesitated slightly. “But Senior Brother Luo is there too...”

Cold and aloof, Feng Xi disliked being showy. Although he had utterly crushed the six families back then, his cultivation was low at that time, and she didn’t have much of an impression of it. However, she had personally witnessed how terrifying Luo Wushuang was.

Feng Xi’s gaze grew murderous. “Anyone who blocks dies.”

Yuan Gang wasn’t far from here. They arrived at the dense forest in no time, but Luo Wushuang was nowhere to be seen. As for Yuan Gang, he was no more.

He died tragically, eyes wide open, filled with pain, terror, and despair as his faith collapsed. He suffered far more dying at Luo Wushuang’s hands than he would have at Gu Han’s. Clearly, his luck had run out.

Murong Yan felt immense satisfaction. “Filthy beast, good riddance!”

Whether Yuan Gang was killed by Luo Wushuang or not, she couldn’t be bothered to think about it. She genuinely felt very relieved.

Gu Han remained silent, vaguely sensing that if Yuan Gang had died at Luo Wushuang’s hands, the terror he experienced must have been unimaginable.

Now that the matter had been concluded, everyone moved forward again.

However, Feng Xi didn’t let Gu Han return to Fengwu Court. Instead, she wanted to take him back to the Great Flame Empire’s capital, preparing to seek out the Flame Emperor to solve Gu Han’s problem.

Gu Han didn’t object, but he made a request. “Senior Sister, I want to bring them along.”

Of course, he was referring to Yang Lan and her mother. He had promised Yang Ying two things. He had failed to accomplish the first, so he wouldn’t break his word on this second one.

Feng Xi had no objections. “That’s fine.”

***

Yun Lie traveled through the air, ferocity and reluctance occasionally flickering in his eyes.

If it was about cultivation, ability, and aptitude, he was the cream of the crop within the Great Flame Empire, almost unrivaled. Yet just as Yun Fan said, Feng Xi would always overshadow him no matter what. Even though he exhausted all his skills every time, it was still to no avail.

He refused to accept that he simply couldn’t compare to her. What made it even more unbearable was that Feng Xi had never regarded him as a rival, and the undisguised favoritism that came from the Flame Emperor.

Years of suppression had somewhat twisted his temperament. “Let’s see how this junior brother of yours will survive!”

Just as he was getting angry, a surprisingly clear voice suddenly came from below. “Esteemed Young Master.”

“Who’s there!”

Startled, Yun Lie quickly descended, only to see a very beautiful woman in a white dress smiling at him.

The woman bowed, her voice melodious and pleasant to the ear. “May I ask, did you come from the Border Wasteland?”

Yun Lie subconsciously nodded. “Yes.”

The woman chuckled softly, like a hundred flowers blooming. “Young Master, could you tell me what happened in the Border Wasteland?”

Involuntarily, Yun Lie told her everything he knew in detail. Though cautious by nature, he found himself completely lowering his guard before her. Without questioning her sudden appearance or identity, he simply laid bare his deepest secret.

The woman was momentarily stunned, but instantly deduced the identity of the “junior brother” Yun Lie spoke of.

Her expression was somewhat complex. “Only has less than two months to live?”

Inexplicably, she recalled how Gu Han had stepped forward to protect her in the secret realm.

She let out a faint, soft sigh. “Brat. You’re so bad, so how come you’re about to die...”

***

In the Murong family estate, Yang Lan and her mother were grief-stricken upon learning of Yang Ying’s death. Seeing Gu Han’s aged face and his head full of white hair, they also understood the immense price he had paid to avenge Yang Ying.

Yang’s mother forcibly suppressed her grief. “Ying’er sought and obtained what he wanted. To have a friend like you is his fortune.”

Gu Han let out a soft sigh. “Likewise. He is also my fortune!”

He proposed taking them both to the Great Flame Imperial Dynasty’s capital, but they refused, saying the Northern Domain was their home.

Unable to persuade them despite his efforts, Gu Han left behind a large number of pills and entrusted Murong Yuan with taking care of them. As for the pill to improve aptitude that Yang Ying never got to take, he gave it to Yang Lan and personally watched her take it.

Zhao Mengyou found this very hard to understand. The pill was too heaven-defying. Even if Gu Han had rung the Dao Bell nine times, it could still bring some improvement to his aptitude. And yet, he had given it to Yang Lan, whose aptitude could only be considered barely passable. It was simply a monstrous waste of a heavenly treasure in her view.

Of course, she didn’t dare to mention it. Along the way, she had been nearly brainwashed by Yun Fan’s phrase, “Know your place.” A maid shouldn’t worry so much!

With so many pills in his possession, Gu Han worried someone would covet them. In the end, he simply brought Feng Xi to meet Wu De, Duan Ren, and Li Xun.

Frightened by Feng Xi, Wu De and the others immediately announced they were going into secluded meditation.

As for Li Xun, he righteously declared, “From this day forward, within this Northern Domain of the Eastern Wasteland, I will follow Fellow Daoist Murong’s lead in all matters. I will absolutely never oppose any suggestion of his!”

If not for the vast difference in appearance, Zhao Mengyou would almost suspect Li Xun was her master’s illegitimate son.

***

Meanwhile, inside Fengwu Court, Yu Miao sighed softly at Zuo Yang, who had shouldered his black pot and sheathed his boning knife. “Senior Brother, you’re going back?”

1. Emotions, desires and attachments that tie people to the mortal world ☜

2. ***E/N: Heaven’s Official Blessing ost legit randomly played in my ytube as I edited this part ☜