Supreme Sword Exalt

Among the five domains, especially in the Central Continent, there were quite a few Saint realm cultivators combined. Those who were at the Feather Transformation realm were less than five. As for the Ascension realm, they could already tear open the sky veil and roam beyond the domains, almost never appearing in the mortal world.

The Feather Transformation realm represented the pinnacle of powerhouses. Since the Flame Emperor used to be at that realm, the forces from the Northern Domain didn’t dare provoke him easily. Even after knowing he carried injuries and had fallen to the Saint realm, they remained extremely wary of him.

Now that there were five of them, they thought they could at least stand on equal footing against the Flame Emperor. It turned out they couldn’t even muster a single thought of resistance against a Feather Transformation realm enemy.

Under the cover of purple flames, more and more cracks appeared on them, damaging their very foundations.

Just then, the clouds that had dispersed gathered once again. They rose and fell, forming a white humanoid figure that landed before the five.

The five endured the intense pain and bowed respectfully. “Greetings, Hall Master!”

The humanoid figure casually waved his hand, and a wisp of ethereal cloud qi descended, instantly extinguishing the purple flames on the five. “There’s no need for formalities.”

The five secretly sighed in relief and immediately retreated into the distance. That was close!

Only the Flame Emperor and that humanoid figure remained in the space between them.

He stared at the dragon-shaped mark on the Flame Emperor’s head, a trace of barely detectable envy in his tone. “That should’ve been mine.”

The Flame Emperor sneered coldly. “You think you’re worthy?”

The humanoid figure fell silent for a moment. “Yun Tian, why are you so stubbornly deluded? Haven’t you lost enough over these years? Give it to me! I promise you, all of this will end. Otherwise, you’d better prepare to lose everything!”

The dragon’s purple flames blazed fiercely.

The Flame Emperor’s tone grew even colder. “Even if I lose everything, I won’t give it to you! Someone like you, who abandoned the Ancestral Dragon’s will, doesn’t deserve to be called a descendant of the Ancestral Dragon!”

The humanoid figure sighed. “Since that’s the case, I’ll have no choice but to turn Yun Lie into a second Yun Tu.”

A faint green flame rose from him. As the flame circulated, it transformed into a green dragon. Even though it was somewhat dispersed, its imposing momentum surpassed the purple dragon behind the Flame Emperor.

Two dragon roars resounded simultaneously. One filled with fury, while the other filled with violence. The humanoid figure swayed and lightly pressed a palm against the Flame Emperor’s chest. The emperor’s purple aura trembled violently, and the purple dragon’s form became far less stable than before.

The Flame Emperor stared at the humanoid figure. His mark grew even more vivid, his aura becoming more distinct. “You want to stop me? Then bring your real self here!”

A half-cun streak of purple light shot from his eyes, veering off and falling to the side. It transformed into a purple humanoid figure that swayed and vanished without a trace.

In the distance, a barbarian cautiously asked, “Hall Master, should we stop him?”

“No, he’s right. Unless my real self comes here, no one can stop him. Besides...” The humanoid figure shook his head. “I want to see if you have the heart to do it!”

***

In a desolate wasteland in the Northern Domain, two people flew without pause. They were Yun Lie and Ji Cheng. From the moment of their rebellion, the two had pushed their cultivation to its limits, not daring to look back. They feared neither Yun Zhan nor Feng Xi, but the Flame Emperor. No one knew better than them just how terrifying the man truly was.

Silently calculating the distance to the border, Yun Lie’s nervousness gradually gave way to ecstasy. Power! Status! Ancestral Dragon bloodline!

He could almost see these things he could never obtain in the empire beckoning to him.

Suddenly, Ji Cheng’s panicked voice reached his ears. “Your Highness, i-it’s the princess!”

Yun Lie looked back and just happened to see the tiny phantom of a heavenly phoenix in the extreme distance. “What?! How annoying! Why?! Why won’t she let me go?! Feng Xi—no, bitch! That bitch! Doesn’t she already have enough? Why won’t she give me even this last chance?!”

Ji Cheng burned with anxiety. If not for that person’s instruction, he would’ve abandoned Yun Lie and fled long ago. However, even if he defected to the barbarians, he would be nothing without Yun Lie. All he could do was push his cultivation frantically and flee.

Yun Lie’s face twisted with fury. “Kill her! I must kill her! As long as I awaken the Ancestral Dragon bloodline, I will personally kill her.”

Suddenly, the Flame Emperor’s majestic voice rang out. “Unfilial wretch!”

A purple humanoid figure descended before the two. The two collided against an invisible force, bringing their escape to an abrupt halt.

Yun Lie was filled with despair. “F-Father?”

The Flame Emperor slowly approached, the coldness in his tone grew heavier. “Unfilial wretch, who do you want to kill?”

Yun Lie seemed not to hear him, looking around frantically, desperately hoping that person would appear and save his life.

“S-save me... What about your promise?! What about your guarantee?! Save me! Aren’t I important to you?!” he screamed madly, but he saw no one, as if that promise was nothing but a lie.

With a thud, Ji Cheng immediately knelt, weeping bitterly. “Your Majesty, spare me—”

The Flame Emperor casually waved his hand, and a wisp of purple flame descended. Before Ji Cheng could even cry out, he had turned into a wisp of smoke and dissipated.

At the same time, the emperor’s form grew unstable. With a step, he instantly appeared before Yun Lie.

Yun Lie’s face paled. “Father, you want to kill me?”

The Flame Emperor didn’t speak but slowly raised his right hand.

Yun Lie’s years of pent-up resentment erupted, his eyes filled with venomous spite. “Why?! Why do you all favor her, Seventh Brother, and even Yun Fan over me? Am I not your son? Why should I receive such treatment? I also achieved eight rings from the Dao Bell, a generation’s prodigy! Why should I be overshadowed by her? Even that damn junior brother of hers is more popular than me! I refuse to accept it!”

The Flame Emperor stopped moving. “She is your sister.”

Yun Lie laughed bitterly. “Bullshit! My sister? She didn’t even give me a single chance! She chased all the way here just to kill me! In this world, is there such a heartless sister?”

The Flame Emperor shook his head. “You’re wrong. If she captured you, you could still live. It’s me who wants to kill you.”

Yun Lie froze. “What? Impossible! She never regarded me as her brother!”

The Flame Emperor’s tone suddenly softened slightly. “Yun Lie, just because you have no familial affection in your heart doesn’t mean she lacks it. Understand?”

Suddenly, Yun Zhan pleaded from within the void for Yun Lie, “Brother!”

The Flame Emperor seemed not to hear, brushing his hand against the top of Yun Lie’s head. The movement was gentle, like when he used to pat Yun Lie’s head as a child.

Just then, a phoenix cry rang with urgency. Yun Lie heard it and instantly understood that what the Flame Emperor said was true, but the hatred and venom in his heart remained undiminished.

Rivers and mountains could shift, but one’s nature was hard to change. Silently and imperceptibly, a wisp of purple flame descended, reducing Yun Lie into a wisp of ash.

Having executed Yun Lie, the emperor’s projection was instantly exhausted, slowly dissipating.

At this moment, Feng Xi had already arrived before him. She said nothing, only gazing at him with sorrow.

The emperor gently sighed. “Silly girl, you know this. Father and son turning against each other, flesh and blood slaughtering each other, this is the curse one bears when accepting the heritage mark. Besides, if I didn’t kill him, he would inevitably become a second Yun Tu in the future. I made a mistake once. I can’t make the same mistake again.”

With that, the projection completely dissipated. Feng Xi still didn’t speak, silently turning and heading back toward the border. Her usual steadfastness and coldness had been replaced with loneliness and sorrow. Father and son turning against each other, flesh and blood slaughtering each other. Of course, she knew of this curse. What about myself? Will there come a day when I...

She murmured to herself, “Junior Brother, you must help me kill him.”

***

On the battlefield, Gu Han moved like a ghost, constantly weaving through various areas. Even though the battlefield was vast, those war gods were easy to find. Each wore a golden bangle on their arm. This was the most conspicuous mark. Perhaps to them, it was a special honor, but to Gu Han, it was a symbol of seeking death.

He spread his divine sense, detecting the ninth war god in no time. Like the other barbarians, he was also enjoying the thrill of slaughter, unaware of the encroaching shadow of death.

He laughed triumphantly. “The Great Flame Border Army’s morale has hit rock bottom. Today, we’ll march straight into—”

Just then, a flash of light streaked by, and Gu Han had already taken his head. In the distance, Li Xun had already hidden in the sky. He steeled himself and fished for the pill from Gu Han.

I’m going all out! As long as I don’t die, I will earn enough military merit to exchange for enough Transcendent Substance! Once I break through to the Transcendent realm, I’ll immediately go and parade in front of Old Geezer Murong three—no, five times!

He channeled his cultivation, spreading his voice across most of the battlefield. “You barbarian scum, listen well! Gu Han, a peerless prodigy and a vanguard of the Great Flame Empire, finds your War God Hall incompetent despite your boasts!

“A bunch of defeated dogs, yet you dare call yourselves war gods? You barbarians are all body cultivators, so your faces are thicker than anything! Vanguard Gu says that from now on, he will hunt down your so-called war gods one by one! After today, the barbarians will have no more prodigies! No more War God Hall!”

With that, he displayed the two bloody heads in the high sky. “Here! There’s already two—”

Before he finished speaking, Gu Han flashed by and tossed him another head. “One more! Dean Li, if you can’t hold on, flee quickly. I’ll still reward you handsomely afterward!”

Li Xun felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

Of course, on the outside, he showed no sign of fear, arranging the three heads in a row. “Three! And soon there will be four! Tsk tsk, these lowly barbarians are useless! What war gods? All bullshit!”

The barbarians completely exploded. The War God Hall meant to them what the Flame Emperor meant to the Great Flame Empire. It was their faith!

Earlier, Gu Han had trampled on their faith. Now, he was doing it a second time, and even more thoroughly. It was absolutely unbearable to the barbarians. Instantly, many barbarians split into two torrents. One charged toward Gu Han, and the other charged toward Li Xun.