Supreme Sword Exalt

In the distance, Ling Ya had already regained his bearings. Given his knowledge, he could guess that Gu Han was undergoing his human tribulation. “You’re undergoing your human tribulation? You have guts! What a shame. You’ve only passed half of it!”

Although Gu Han had recovered his cultivation, Ling Ya was still here. The killing tribulation had not passed, so the human tribulation could not be considered fully complete.

Ling Ya stared oddly at the bodhi seed. “Your only chance of survival was her, but now it’s gone.”

Like Fatty’s Indestructible Golden Physique, the profound yin qi was also one of the Great Dao’s gifts to Gu Han, invisible and intangible. It was likewise the hope of resolving the human tribulation. Merely absorbing one third of it would help his cultivation break through to the Saint realm.

Coupled with the fact that Zhong Yu wasn’t here, Gu Han could have easily resolved the killing tribulation. But alas, now that the demoness had preserved her last chance of survival, Gu Han lost his.

Ling Ya had been waiting for this exact moment. He didn’t strike earlier in fear of triggering the demoness’ remaining contingency.

He was in a great mood. “Ha! Not only did I get to preserve the profound yin qi, but I also got to harvest such a thing! Heaven truly treats me quite favorably!”

Of course, he coveted both the profound yin qi and the bodhi seed. If his speculation proved true, the latter’s value was a hundred times greater than the former.

Gu Han looked up with bloodshot eyes full of explosive killing intent. “Ling Ya!!!”

Never before had he felt such a strong urge to murder someone. His cultivation erupted completely. The wisp of profound yin qi he had absorbed allowed him to reach the fifth stage of the Transcendent realm.

Ling Ya raised an eyebrow. “Supreme Stage? I appreciate you more and more. What a shame. People like you are hard to control, just like Chenyin. I can't leave a hidden danger like you alive. I'll eliminate you right now!"

He stepped forward and reached out with Hong Luan's fair and delicate arm, which was enveloped in a domineering and unparalleled Saint might.

At that moment, Gu Han moved. “Die!”

Red sword qi swirled incessantly around him, cutting away more than half a zhang from the ground for dozens of zhang around. The sword qi turned and then compressed itself to a cun outside him. As he swung his right fist, the sword qi changed shape accordingly into a sword, crashing heavily against Ling Ya’s arm.

It was no surprise that Gu Han flew backward. His arm had broken into many pieces, and he vomited large mouthfuls of blood. Ling Ya remained in place as blood continuously dripped from his fist.

His eyes flickered with surprise. “You’re not dead? Such a strong physical body! Are you a body cultivator? No, you should be a sword cultivator. Why are you so powerful? You’re a little different from ordinary Transcendent realm cultivators.”

In the distance, Gu Han struggled to his feet. He took out one jade bottle after another, chugging the Transcendent Substance inside. In an instant, his injuries began to recover at an astonishing speed, and even his cultivation climbed once more. In the blink of an eye, he reached the sixth stage of the Transcendent realm!

Ling Ya acted as if he hadn’t seen Gu Han’s actions. “It seems you really don’t understand how huge the difference between the Transcendent realm and the Saint realm is. Even if you reach the ninth stage of the Transcendent realm, so what?

“Without becoming a Saint, you remain an ant. Even if this body is only at the second stage of the Saint realm, it’s still more than you can withstand. What a shame about your skills!”

Though his tone was one of regret, his movements did not slow in the slightest. With a flicker, he reappeared before Gu Han once more. His cultivation exploded, mobilizing endless heavenly-earthly forces, sending them crashing down upon Gu Han.

For several li around the summit of Cold Mountain, the wind and clouds changed drastically.

Gu Han’s eyes were filled with ferocious killing intent, even his rationality somewhat scattered. “Die!!!”

He brought his fists together, the sword qi pressed down another half cun. Transforming into a red long sword, he collided against the domineering and unparalleled Saint might. Yet not even his second-stage Indestructible Sword Physique could withstand it.

Bones broke, while flesh and blood poured out. However, with the amount of Transcendent Substance he had consumed, his injuries rapidly recovered. His cultivation also rapidly climbed, reaching the seventh stage of the Transcendent realm!

The red light in his eyes surged. “Ling Ya, go to hell! I will avenge her!”

The Kill Sword resisted the Saint might.

A continuous series of booming sounds came without end. From afar, a massive crimson sword qi could be seen wavering as it stabbed toward the heavens. It went against the Saint might that was saturated with the power of heaven and earth, colliding once more with Ling Ya’s hand.

Ling Ya’s palm tore open until his bone was visible. Blood continuously dripped down, only to be shredded by the rampaging sword qi.

Ling Ya narrowed his eyes. “How can mere mortal strength surpass the power of heaven and earth?!”

Light flashed in his eyes, and he mobilized the trace of meager power carried by this split soul, which far surpassed the Saint realm. “I am your death tribulation!

In an instant, the red-colored sword qi around Gu Han shattered. Ling Ya’s bloody hand bore down upon Gu Han, driving him directly several zhang into the ground.

The Cold Mountain could no longer withstand the battle. The earth shook and the mountains swayed. Countless huge stones and mud tumbled down. Unfathomably deep cracks spread and expanded in all directions, startling the beasts and birds into fleeing in all directions. The mountaintop was gone.

Inside a deep pit dozens of zhang in circumference, Gu Han lay injured and broken, while Ling Ya stood quietly before him. Having consumed that power, a trace of weakness showed in his eyes. His right hand was also a bloody mess.

He slowly walked toward Gu Han. “Too bad I wasn’t Hong Luan, eh? Or you could’ve easily won. What a pity that I am Ling Ya, your death tribulation!”

Inside Gu Han, Transcendent Substance continued to mend his injuries. Even bolstered by endless ferocious killing intent, the Kill Sword could not defeat Ling Ya.

Ling Ya looked at Gu Han. “Monster! You are a true monster! Even in this universe, such people are as rare as phoenix feathers and unicorn horns! Even more so... you are also a sword cultivator! Come to think of it, as a sword cultivator, where is your sword?”

***

All of the villagers had gathered outside the Wangxiang Village, staring at Cold Mountain rumbling in the distance, their faces somewhat pale. What’s happening? Has the Mountain God grown angry?

Ah Nan’s eyes held hidden worry. “Brother Gu and Sister Ah Yin! I saw them go up the mountain! I will check on them!”

All the villagers were worried. Could something have happened?

***

Within a small courtyard, a pile of firewood was stacked neatly against one wall. On that wooden stump, where Gu Han had chopped firewood for ten years, lay an old dilapidated sword. Lusterless, the sword seemed as ordinary as could be.

Just then, faint starlight flickered to life atop the pile of firewood. The starlight then flickered to life and spread across the small courtyard, the village, the villagers, every blade of grass, and every tree in Wangxiang Village.

As the starlight touched the sword, it trembled slightly before emitting a joyful sword chime. Then, it disappeared in an instant, too fast for anyone to catch!