Supreme Sword Exalt

Even though Gu Han only caught a whiff of the fragrance, he already felt a series of numbing, itching sensations spread across him. Waves of agony struck his severely damaged divine soul, so intense that he could barely endure them.

His movements were also far more rigid than before. He had inhaled too much of the mist that his meridians couldn’t completely neutralize it in time, and his body began to undergo a corresponding mutation.

However, Chongming was still fine. “Kid!”

Seeing the state Gu Han was in, he took a deep breath, and his five-colored divine light flickered as it barely expanded to envelop Gu Han. Upon coming into contact with the divine light, the pink mist seemed to come alive, writhing incessantly. Soon, it turned black and emitted an unbearable stench.

In the meantime, Gu Han’s meridians relentlessly purified the toxins, and his mutations gradually faded. He let out a long, relieved sigh. “Master Rooster... let’s go...”

In just an instant, some of his cultivation base had been devoured. The small figure within his consciousness space had also become much more transparent than before. The two sword scars on its brow flickered intensely, clearly having suffered considerable damage once again.

Gu Han looked back at the Ghost Physician, and his heart sank heavily. Under the shroud of that red mist, the human-faced flowers covering the mountain had all withered, and the Ghost Physician was no exception.

In his final moment, his expression held not fear, but relief. He kept his eyes fixed on Gu Han, his mouth opening and closing subconsciously, repeating, “Leave... quickly...”

The legendary physician’s expression bore a faint, subtle resemblance to Mo Huaiyuan’s from back then.

At that moment, the giant vine tore through the air, shattering space as it came crashing down upon the man and the rooster. When the vine came into contact with the divine light, it also erupted, billowing black smoke. But compared to the colossal size of that vine, this damage was insignificant.

Chongming blocked ninety percent of the force and was sent flying first, then came Gu Han. What remained of the force slammed into him, snapping his bones, causing him to cough up blood incessantly.

The valley shook with increasing violence, while the ground kept caving in. The entire place transformed into an abyssal, black void resembling a giant maw.

Within the strange mist, Gu Han and Chongming crashed heavily onto the ground. However, aside from looking a bit disheveled and losing a few divine feathers, Chongming was mostly unharmed.

Gu Han struggled to his feet. “Master Rooster, what exactly is this—”

Then, the ground beneath his feet began to tremble violently as well.

A hint of gravity flashed in Chongming’s eyes. “Oh no! We need to move fast! This one’s even bigger!”

Without hesitation, Gu Han swallowed more Transcendent Substance, gritted his teeth, and shot up into the air. Sweeping his gaze around, his heart immediately sank. Within the churning strange mist, countless eerie beings fled in all directions. He even spotted a skeletal humanoid figure, whose eye sockets flickered with ghastly green ghost fire. Its two slender, pale legs carried it at a speed even faster than his own flight.

Just then, a massive, unknown black object burst forth from the ground, blotting out the sky and sun. The giant vine that had attacked Gu Han earlier coiled around it. From the vine’s end, countless thick tendrils branched out, adorned with long-withered, human-faced flowers.

Out of the corner of his eye, Gu Han could vaguely make out the true identity of that thing: a rhizome of some creature. That thing was twisted and winding, entirely black. Suddenly, a massive maw split open on the rhizome, emanating an overwhelmingly powerful suction force.

None could resist the suction, regardless of what they were. They were reversed and drawn back, swallowed into that gaping maw. Though Gu Han didn’t see it, the shape of that maw was exactly the same as the valley from just moments ago.

The instant Gu Han entered the maw, he felt a nearly irresistible grinding force descend upon him. It dissolved his tattered robe, his storage ring, and even his flesh... Agony washed over Gu Han as he gritted his teeth and circulated his cultivation, but it was of little use. That grinding force was even wearing away his cultivation itself.

Suddenly, from within the pitch-black darkness, many translucent tentacles lashed out and wrapped around him. Strands of pink liquid flowed within them. The liquid’s movement gave the tendrils a certain beauty, except at the ends of these tentacles were rows of gaping, vicious maws. The maws pierced into Gu Han’s flesh. Even though he was strong, they seemed even sharper, easily breaking through his defenses.

Gu Han suffered unbearable agony. It felt as if even his divine soul was being torn apart. The rate at which his cultivation base dissipated increased greatly. His cultivation base scattered outward, forming the Great Evolution Sword Formation. Strands of sword qi rained down, severing many tentacles, but even more tendrils surged forward to surround him in return.

Just as Gu Han was on the verge of collapse, Chongming’s voice rang out. “Kid!”

Five-colored divine light blazed to life, enveloping Gu Han. Whether the giant vine or those tentacles, they all seemed restrained by this divine light, turning scorched and black. They were temporarily unable to approach Gu Han.

Chongming panted heavily. “Are... are you alright?”

Gu Han pointed into the distance. “The things...”

The storage ring had been dissolved, and so did its contents. Pills, transcendent substances, and even the Ghost Physician’s possessions were all lost. Only the black sword, the Red Dust Sword, those golden jade talismans from the Profound Pill Camp, the round token, and the bodhi seed that housed Mo Chenyin’s soul remained.

The Red Dust Sword was Yun Jiansheng’s final relic.

Chongming opened his beak and swallowed the sword, along with those golden jade talismans and that token. “Little Yun!”

At the same time, the black sword circled and landed beside Gu Han. Gu Han also clutched that bodhi seed tightly. He could die, but Mo Chenyin could not. He was in a state far worse than after his battle with Yun Tu. There was not a shred of cultivation left within him, and his divine soul was barely hanging there. Forget Yun Tu, any random Saint realm cultivator could easily defeat him now.

“Master Rooster, where are we?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can we still get out?”

“I don’t know.”

Gu Han gently rubbed the bodhi seed. As the divine light clashed with the devouring force, the man and the rooster bobbed and drifted. Their destination was unknown, much like his current state of mind.

He was somewhat lost and lonely. This was the first time he had ever felt this way since he was a kid. Gu Tian, Ah Sha, Mo Chenyin, Yun Jiansheng... Those closest to him were either dead, missing, or separated by an immeasurably vast distance. Of course, some were right beside him, yet he was powerless to save them.

In the silence, he said softly, “Master Rooster, Senior left behind an obsession.”

Chongming was silent for a moment, his tone tinged with sorrow. “He still couldn’t let her go.”

Gu Han rubbed the bodhi seed. “Master Rooster, am I useless?”

Chongming stared at him. “Kid! Are you dead?”

“No.”

“Is your sword broken?”

“No.”

Chongming took a deep breath. “You’re not dead, and your sword isn’t broken, so keep on fighting! Whoever provokes you, crush them! When the day comes that you die, your sword breaks, and your enemies still live, that’s when you can say such things.”

Gu Han was silent for a long time before smiling in relief, his dejection dissipating in an instant. “I understand. Master Rooster, you mean that as long as I’m strong enough and my sword is sharp enough, I can cut down any enemy and change everything, right?”

“Let’s not talk about that for now.” Comforting people was never Chongming’s strong suit, nor was he the type to do that sort of thing. He only knew how to tear people down and serve them bitter, poisonous chicken soup. “You’re probably the shortest-lived Sword Chief in the history of the Profound Heaven Sword Sect.”

“Why?”

Chongming’s divine light dimmed in an instant. “Because I’m about to give out, and you might die very soon.”