Supreme Sword Exalt

Gu Han was taken aback. “Fourth brother? I heard from Yun Fan—”

Feng Xi shook her head. “He’s not dead. Only four people know about this matter.”

Gu Han grew even more confused. “But isn’t he your brother? Why would you want him dead?”

“He—enough. Don’t tell Yun Fan or anyone else about this. Besides, your cultivation is still too low to speak of this.” Feng Xi seemed to recall something as she shook her head and dropped the matter entirely. She took out a thumb-sized, transparent crystal. “Take this.”

The moment it appeared, Gu Han felt the surrounding space become unstable. “This is—”

Feng Xi said calmly, “The Void Essence Crystal. It can help you better comprehend space and rapidly improve your cultivation.”

Gu Han did not refuse. “Thank you, Senior Sister.”

Improving his cultivation as fast as possible was his exact priority. He silently noted Feng Xi’s instructions, asked no more questions, and left.

After Gu Han left, Feng Xi looked at the two female cultivators. “Where is she?”

The two were stunned.

“She? Your Highness, there are only the two of us here.”

“Yes, Your Highness, you might have been mistaken?”

Feng Xi frowned. Her restriction should’ve been more than enough to trap an Earthly Tribulation cultivator, yet the Divine Connection realm female cultivator had managed to escape.

***

Two thousand li from the military camp stood a mountain gate, renowned for its breathtaking scenery and abundant spirit energy. It was the location of the Yudan Sect. At this moment, the sect had become a slaughterhouse.

Under the overwhelming pressure from Wang Yong and Zhou Ye, an old man and a middle-aged man knelt on the ground, trembling violently.

The middle-aged man pleaded desperately, “Xue Mao, you have always been a kind-hearted person. We have been friends for over a decade. Do you really not care about the bond we once shared?!”

Divine Physician Xue’s eyes had turned bloodshot. “Hong Yi! You still dare speak of friendship?! I’ve always been good to you, yet you massacred my entire family just for the sake of a pill formula!”

The middle-aged man, Hong Yi, was the one behind Divine Physician Xue’s family massacre. Meanwhile, the old man was the Yudan Sect’s old ancestor.

Only now did they regret slaughtering Divine Physician Xue’s family over a useless pill formula, and even more so their failure to hunt him down and eliminate the root of the problem.

The old ancestor gritted his teeth. “Xue Mao, since things have come to this, I have nothing more to say. You’re free to have your revenge, but the matter back then was led by us few. Kill us if you must, but spare our sect.”

He knew Divine Physician Xue’s temperament well. Since force wouldn’t work, he resorted to pleading.

Divine Physician Xue remained silent.

Wang Yong said calmly, “Fellow Daoist Xue, his words are not to be trusted!”

Zhou Ye licked his lips as a gleam of bloodlust flashed in his eyes. “According to our sect’s tradition, we shouldn’t leave a single blade of grass!”

Having never forgotten Gu Han’s instruction, they would not be as soft-hearted as Divine Physician Xue.

Xue Yu’s eyes filled with tears as her voice was laced with intense hatred. “Grandfather, I-I don’t want to spare them!”

“Back then, I knelt before you too, begging you. I only asked that you spare my family in exchange for the pill formula! Yet you feared the truth would come to light...” Divine Physician Xue said desolately, his eyes reddened as he stared straight at Hong Yi. “Did you spare me?!”

Wang Yong laughed heartily. “Fellow Daoist Xue, you are not one to be played with!”

Zhou Ye was also very pleased. “You are worth getting to know!”

The two stopped suppressing their cultivation. White and gray auras, both incredibly powerful, spread throughout the Yudan Sect. They were at the peak of the Transcendent realm, on the verge of stepping into the Saint realm. How could these people possibly withstand them? Wherever they passed, everything turned to dust. Hong Yi and the old ancestor turned into clouds of blood mist in an instant.

Suddenly, Wang Yong noticed his white aura being suppressed by the gray aura by a few cun. He sneered and with a thought, his white aura instantly eclipsed the gray aura.

Zhou Ye refused to be outdone and pushed back. Their faces turned red as they pushed their cultivation to the extreme. Neither of them was willing to yield.

They cursed each other while competing.

Bastard!

Bitch!

Under the clash of their auras, not even a fist-sized stone remained.

Xue Yu wiped her tears, forcing back her grief. “S-Seniors, don’t forget what the young master instructed.”

Their hearts jumped.

Fuck!

Shit!

Gu Han had instructed them to retrieve every single resource the Yudan Sect had embezzled over the years.

Damn fool!

You almost ruined my important task!

Glaring fiercely at each other, they withdrew their auras and shot toward the Yudan Sect’s treasury.

Looking at Divine Physician Xue’s dejected expression, Xue Yu’s heart churned with a mix of sorrow and joy. She murmured, “Grandfather, Young Master Gu kept his word. He avenged us!”

Tears streamed down her face like rain.

Divine Physician Xue was dazed and confused. He never imagined the young man he’d helped on a whim would wash away his twenty-year blood feud with a casual remark.

***

Inside a purple military camp, Yun Lie quietly sat at the head of the room. His face was as black as a pot. Meanwhile, Marquis Song and another thin, short man kept exchanging glances. This man was Ji Cheng, one of the nine marquises.

After a long while, Ji Cheng couldn’t hold back any longer, seeing that Yun Lie showed no sign of speaking. “Your Highness, what do you think?”

A flicker of hesitation appeared in Yun Lie’s eyes. “If father and second uncle find out about this matter—”

Ji Cheng interrupted him. “Your Highness, the Flame Emperor and the War Prince each have their own battles. Where would they find the time? Besides, I’ve made this trip several times now, and they’ve never discovered me, have they?”

Yun Lie still seemed unsure. “But betraying the empire—”

“Your Highness, forgive my bluntness. How did the empire repay your unwavering loyalty? Do they even acknowledge you? You saw what happened today. Gu Han had only just arrived at the camp, yet his prestige already surpasses yours. The War Prince and the Flame Emperor said nothing even after he destroyed the Yudan Sect and publicly defied you! Even the soldiers disregard you!” Song He sneered, fixing his gaze on Yun Lie. “Your Highness, do you really think you have a chance at that position?”

These words struck like a thunderbolt, shattering Yun Lie’s hesitation and indecision.

His eyes slowly turned red. “Did he agree to my conditions?”

Ji Cheng quickly said, “Your Highness, rest assured! The elder I negotiated with said that you and that person share the same origin, connected by blood. As long as you go, your treatment will surpass all the other barbarians. Even those young war gods will be at your disposal! You will be his direct descendant!”

Song He added, “Your Highness, you are a heavenly pride, having elicited eight rings from the Dao Bell. But if I may be so forward, as long as you stay here, you will always be overshadowed by Princess Feng Xi. You will never have a chance to rise. Now, there’s also Gu Han. From what I can see, his sword intent is pure and majestic.Even on equal footing, you’d still struggle to match him.”

Upon hearing this, the blood vessels in Yun Lie’s eyes grew even more prominent.

Ji Cheng shook his head. “The barbarians outnumber us several times over. If this war continues, defeat is our only outcome. Besides, with Gu Han destroying the Yudan Sect, the empire’s downfall is likely near. That person also said that if you go, he will refine the trace of Ancestral Dragon bloodline within you!”

Yun Lie immediately fixed his gaze intently on him. “Really?”

“Given that person’s status, why would he lie to you?”

Yun Lie’s eyes turned red. “Good! I agree!”

Ji Cheng and Song He’s expressions brightened with joy as they secretly sighed in relief.

“Excellent!”

“When the barbarians attack next, the Flame Emperor and the War Prince will surely be locked in a bitter struggle. That will be our chance!”

The war situation was grim. Ji Cheng and Song He had long wanted to defect, but the other side had proposed a strange condition. If they could successfully turn Yun Lie, they would help the two achieve the Saint realm. No one could refuse such temptation. They had worked hard for a long time, constantly inciting discord behind the scenes. Thanks to Gu Han’s arrival, they finally achieved their goal.

A murderous glint flashed in Song He’s eyes. “At that time, Gu Han will surely appear on the battlefield too. I’ll take advantage of the chaos of war to kill him and avenge my son!”

Ji Cheng secretly shook his head. The war was so fierce, even those at the Transcendent realm lived in fear every day. Just look at how many sons the Flame Emperor had lost.

Among the nine marquises, only Song He had managed to keep his bloodline alive. Yet precisely because Song He couldn’t bear to let his son experience the battlefield, the young marquis ended up lacking practical combat skills despite his impressive cultivation, ultimately dying at Gu Han’s hands.

Ji Cheng warned solemnly, “Revenge is revenge. Just don’t mess up our important matters.”

Song He was full of confidence. “Rest assured. Killing him will only take a moment!”