Supreme Sword Exalt

Besieged by three Feather Transformation realm, the Fang family’s old ancestor breathed his last.

Afterward, the ten Saint realm cultivators proceeded to take care of the higher-ups of the Fang and Wu families, along with the dying Wu family’s old ancestor.

The news spread and shocked everyone. Immediately after, forces of all sizes made their moves. Some ate the meat, while others drank the soup, completely dividing up the two families.

After this, the two families fell apart, and their clansmen suffered countless casualties. They were completely erased from the Central Continent.

***

Of course, Gu Han had no idea what had transpired after he left. Taking Fatty’s advice, he did not dare fly too high. He deliberately avoided crowded places and continuously fled west. The further west he went, the lesser the population became. As for cultivators, he saw even fewer of them.

Over ten days passed in the blink of an eye. The region where the Fu family resided was on the outermost edge of the Central Continent, much closer to the Western Desert than to the Eastern Wasteland. Although he hadn’t been flying at full speed, he had arrived at the border of the Western Desert.

A vast expanse of yellow sand unfolded before his eyes. Although a few patches of green dotted the landscape, it still seemed listless.

Although the spirit opportunity here couldn't compare to the Central Continent, it was at least slightly more than the Eastern Wasteland.

Despite feeling confused, he had no intention of investigating. Entering the Western Desert, his sense of the karmic connection to the human tribulation grew stronger. He flew even lower and even reduced his speed by more than half.

In a flash, another two or three days passed. The yellow sand gradually disappeared, while greenery slowly increased, and he could even occasionally spot traces of life. Could my human tribulation be here?

Just as he was lost in thought, someone shouted coldly from afar, “Stop right there!”

Immediately after, a bloody aura closed in, and three figures landed before him. Gu Han paused as he secretly observed the three men.

The leader was a black-robed, middle-aged man brimming with menace and ferocity. His cultivation was around the third stage of the Heavenly Tribulation realm. The bloody aura had come from him. The two behind him wore similar attire. Their cultivations were slightly lower, only at the Soaring realm.

Gu Han shook his head. “It’s not them.”

These three were not the ones destined to trigger his tribulation.

The big man demanded viciously, “Kid, what ‘not them’?! Where are the goods? Hand them over!”

Gu Han was stunned. “What goods?”

The one behind the big man sneered. “Your storage ring, of course! Is this your first time going outside or something? This here is our old ancestor, and this territory belongs to the Blood Soul Sect. Not only did you trespass here, but you also dared to absorb the spirit qi! Who gave you the courage?!”

Since he couldn't see through Gu Han’s cultivation, he dismissed Gu Han for a Soaring realm cultivator.

Another chimed in, “That’s right! If we just let anyone absorb the spirit qi as they please, what will be left of our sect?! You have to compensate us a hundredfold!”

Gu Han was speechless. How did they even come up with such an absurd reason?

Even Fatty's bullshit couldn't compare to these three’s.

Gu Han didn’t want to get tangled up with them, so he turned to leave.

Just then, a Buddhist chant rang out. The voice held a hint of crispness and youthfulness, reaching everyone’s ears with clarity.

The big man was furious. “Who’s there?! I hate bald donkeys the most!”

No sooner had he spoken, a small figure appeared in the distance, slowly approaching them step by step. It was a young novice monk, looking only about ten years old, with his palms pressed together.

He had delicate features, but his robe appeared somewhat worn. His eyes were full of compassion and innocence.

The big man laughed angrily. “A little bald donkey? You have some nerve!”

The bloody, baleful aura around him surged, and he stood over the young novice monk.

As the monk stared at him, the compassion in his eyes deepened. “Benefactor, you have fate with my Buddha.”

The big man was enraged. “Nonsense! Our sect master said that if any bald donkey dares say those words, we smash his bald head! I see you’re still young and don’t want to bully the small.

“Hand over your storage—pft! You’re so poor you don’t even have a monk’s robe. Get lost now, or I'll send you to your Buddha!”

When he saw Gu Han staring their way, the big man grinned ferociously. “What are you looking at! Storage ring, dao artifact, pills... Hand over all the valuables!”

In truth, Gu Han was eyeing the monk. He had seen what the big man couldn't. The monk was at the Half-Step Transcendent realm. Beneath the compassion and innocence in his eyes was a hint of extreme madness and bloodlust. It reminded Gu Han of the demonic shadow that had appeared behind Gu Tian.

Could he be the one destined to trigger my tribulation?

However, there was no sign of the tribulation manifesting on him, so Gu Han dismissed the guess.

Just then, the monk smiled benevolently at him. “You are also destined with my Buddha.”

The big man laughed in exasperation. “Little bald donkey, if you say that one more time, I will smack you to death!”

Gu Han thought for a moment before saying, “Sorry. My killing nature is too heavy. I don’t know how many people have died by my hand. My body is stained with blood and gore. I have no destiny with your Buddha.”

Just as he turned around and prepared to leave, the monk swayed and arrived before him.

He still had his palms pressed together, the compassion in his eyes even deeper. “Benefactor, all living beings and things in this world are destined with my Buddha.”

Gu Han frowned deeply. “Little monk, move aside.”

The monk chanted a Buddhist phrase, “My Buddha is merciful. Today, I will dissolve the killing karma on your behalf.”

A layer of white light lit up on him. Behind him, a one-zhang-six-chi tall golden body faintly appeared. Its palms were also pressed together, its eyes tightly shut, and its face full of compassion and mercy.

The next instant, the golden body opened its eyes, revealing boundless bloodlust and madness. Illuminated by the light, it made for an indescribably bizarre sight.

Just then, the golden body reached out and grabbed Gu Han.

The monk declared somewhat fanatically, “Benefactor, enter my sect, and you will attain great transcendence and freedom!”

Endless light rolled up on him, and he advanced toward Gu Han along with the golden body.

Gu Han cursed inwardly, Madman!

The human tribulation be damned, his cultivation surged to its peak, unleashing a zhang-long sword aura that shredded the golden body to pieces.

The monk staggered back several steps as his light flickered incessantly. Yet as if unaware, the fanaticism in his tone grew stronger. “Your sins are deep and heavy. Why remain stubbornly deluded?”

By now, madness and bloodlust had erased any traces of innocence in his eyes.

His light intensified several times over, spreading outward. In an instant, one Buddha after another appeared beside Gu Han. Even every blade of grass and every tree transformed into the likeness of a Buddha. All these Buddhas had their palms pressed together. With bloodlust and madness in their eyes, they ceaselessly chanted scriptures.

In a flash, chants filled the air, and light covered the sky. The whole area had transformed into a Buddhist kingdom.

Gu Han was secretly alarmed. Such strong soul power!

He could sense that everything before him was false, forcefully brought about by the monk's godly soul power. However, true and false have never been strictly defined. What one believed became the reality.

Not far away, the big man and his two companions knelt on the ground. They wept bitterly, ceaselessly confessing.

“My killing karma is too heavy!”

“My sins are enormous! I am steeped in evil!”

“My Buddha is merciful, please deliver us!”

The three also began chanting sutras with compassion on their faces.

The big man looked at Gu Han. “Benefactor, abandon your sinful path and follow Buddha!”