Supreme Sword Exalt

As if thinking of something, the War Prince’s expression changed dramatically. “Brother, you—”

The Flame Emperor fell silent for a moment. “There’s no need to persuade me. To be honest, I should have done this a long time ago. At this point, there aren’t many of our clan members left.

“Whether this mark exists or not, it doesn’t mean much anymore. And if it weren’t for us, he wouldn’t have to get caught up in this whirlpool. Don’t worry, I will definitely rescue him!”

Feng Xi knew what he was going to do. Her expression dimmed, a wave of sorrow spreading through her heart.

Without waiting for the others to speak, the Flame Emperor’s mark lit up for a moment, and he vanished without a trace.

“Let’s go back first. Give me some time, I will find Yun Ao, and I’ll personally kill him!”

***

The barbarians who’d been watching the battle had fled back to the War God Hall. They brought back the news that Tuo Jun had died, and his head would soon be hung outside the Great Flame Military Camp.

For a time, the entire War God Hall was restless and uneasy. The only one happy was Sang Ge. With Tuo Jun dead, he was the most suitable candidate for the first war god, and also the undisputed number one heavenly pride of the tribe.

***

In the barbarian tribe’s forbidden zone, space rippled by the pond, and Yun Ao landed. He trembled slightly, and white hair occupied nearly all of his temples.

He coughed lightly. “The power of this mark is indeed extraordinary! Yun Tian, oh Yun Tian, what virtue or ability do you have? What qualifications do you possess to control such power?”

Then, he glanced at the pond again, somewhat emotional. “A mere Heavenly Tribulation cultivator had forced me to use the seal. Even in death, you should be proud enough.”

Just then, three people’s weak voices resounded from outside. “Hall Master.”

Yun Ao withdrew his gaze and replied indifferently, “Come in.”

A moment later, three barbarians cautiously came before him. They were the three Saint realm barbarians. Despite ganging up on Yun Zhan, their injuries were far more severe.

One barbarian said, “Hall Master, now that both the Flame Emperor and the War Prince are severely injured, the border army is guarded by no experts. Should we launch an attack and wipe them out? This is our chance to eliminate a major threat.”

Yun Ao waved his hand. “No. It’s not good to push him too hard. Besides, wiping out the empire has never been my goal.”

Although the three felt it was a pity, they did not dare to disobey his wishes. “Understood.”

Another barbarian glanced at Yun Ao. “Hall Master, are you injured?”

Yun Ao looked at his reflection in the pond water, sighing. “Yes. Yun Tian fought me desperately, and I recklessly used the Dragon Seal. Indeed, the damage is considerable. I need to rest quietly for some time.”

Following that, he smiled at the three. “Speaking of which... I need to ask you for a favor.”

The three quickly bowed. “It would be an honor to share your burdens, Hall Master.”

Yun Ao said no more. With a casual wave of his hand, the calm water surface churned once again.

The green dragon whipped its tail fiercely. A beam of green light, far denser than before, rose up and enveloped the three.

“Hall Master!”

“What are you doing?!”

“We have always been completely loyal to you, Hall Master!”

The three were overcome with despair. Despite their attempts to resist, the bizarre green light left them unable to muster even a trace of power.

Yun Ao smiled. “Don’t resist. Didn’t you say you were completely loyal to me? Now is the best opportunity to prove your loyalty.”

As his voice fell, the green light blazed, obliterating the three.

At the same time, threads and strands of dense life force continuously rose from the pond water. Not only did the pond water become clearer, the green dragon also seemed to have regained some energy. A youthful dragon’s roar rang out, slightly merrier.

Yun Ao glanced at the green dragon, then sat cross-legged with his eyes closed, absorbing the strands of life force. His white hair gradually blackened again.

***

Back in the military camp, everyone felt heavy, devoid of the earlier excitement and joy. Li Xun felt somewhat conflicted. With Gu Han in trouble, he didn’t know whether the head should be hung or not.

“Hang it up!” instructed Feng Xi.

Breathing a sigh of relief, Li Xun quietly placed the head in the most conspicuous position. 𝑓𝑟ℯℴ𝓂

Then, the group ran straight into Zhao Mengyou.

Yun Fan’s face changed dramatically, unable even to speak. “Y-y-you... What are you doing here?!”

“I’ve been here the whole time! Some people said I’ve been with you all along, and him—” Zhao Mengyou’s brow furrowed slightly, the feeling that something was amiss growing stronger. Just then, she realized Gu Han wasn’t there, and her expression changed. “Where is he?!”

Everyone’s hearts sank. If the person before them was Zhao Mengyou, then who was that person who had been with Gu Han earlier?

Murong Yan and Shen Xuan exchanged a glance, blurting out, “The demoness!”

Fatty turned deathly pale. “Sister Demoness? W-why is she here too? W-when did she come?”

He had always carried some psychological shadow toward her. So it’s her?

After listening to the two’s explanation, Feng Xi had a look of understanding. The female cultivator that aroused her suspicion was likely the demoness.

Fatty gave a bitter laugh. “It’s over... It’s over... If he’s inside that Dragon Seal, he might survive for a while longer. But with her, he probably won’t last even a few days.”

Yun Fan seemed worried. “Brother Yulin, why does that demoness keep clinging to Brother Gu and won’t let go? What does she really want?”

Fatty smiled bitterly. “She... She probably wants to possess that bastard.”

***

Inside the Dragon Seal, there was no spirit qi nor life force. The sky was dim, and the ground was gray-black, with no living creatures in sight. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but the occasional colossal, oddly shaped giant skeleton. Even the light was extremely dim, making it eerie.

In the next moment, the silence broke. Two figures fell from the sky, slamming heavily onto the ground.

Gu Han went pale as he vomited another mouthful of blood. Falling from such a height worsened his already severe injuries, leaving him barely able to move at all. Fortunately, he had a good foundation. If it had been before, he probably would have fallen into a meat paste, or something close.

After a moment, he gradually adapted to the pain. That was when he caught a faint fragrance and felt a warmth settle over him. He realized that was still lying on top of him, holding him tightly, not letting go at all.

Gu Han no longer had the strength to curse. “Get up...”

Zhao Mengyou said nothing and slowly got up. Suddenly, her face turned white and she spat out a mouthful of blood. She went limp, collapsing onto Gu Han once again. Her original self had a much worse physical foundation than Zhao Mengyou. Even with Gu Han as a meat shield, she still suffered considerable injury.

As he felt that astonishing fullness and softness again, Gu Han’s face darkened. Grabbing the back of her collar, he proceeded to toss her aside.

Zhao Mengyou gazed at him timidly, not daring to speak. While silently taking her pill, a faint, almost imperceptible trace of resentment flickered deep in her eyes.

Gu Han ignored her and took his pill, before surveying everything in the area. The more he looked, the more solemn his expression became. The entire world had only two colors which were gray and black.

He couldn’t tell what creatures those giant skeletons in the distance were at all. Moreover, aside from himself and Zhao Mengyou, he couldn’t sense the slightest trace of spirit qi or life force. This place was a dead zone, a place of certain death.

After a long while, he turned to Zhao Mengyou again. “Is there something wrong with your brain? Were you determined to follow me here to die together?”

He couldn’t be bothered to curse anymore. At this point, no matter how harshly he cursed, it was meaningless.

Zhao Mengyou remained silent. In truth, the moment she had held onto Gu Han, she also wondered why she had done so. Maybe it was for scheming, maybe it was because she saw Gu Han trying to save her again. More likely, it was both.

Gu Han couldn’t be bothered to say more, and he surveyed the place again. “Never mind. At this point, we should focus on how to get out. This place is definitely connected to Yun Ao, and it feels very wrong to me too. Perhaps—”

Suddenly, three faint, indistinct screams came from the distance. The sky grew even darker as a devouring force descended from somewhere unknown.

Gu Han’s expression changed dramatically. Damn it!

His vital qi was being continuously extracted!