At Fengwu Court.
Given the simplistic conditions, Gu Han could only follow Zuo Yang and the others, and construct a simple thatched hut for himself.
Inside the hut, Ah Sha slowly opened her eyes, meeting Gu Hanâs concerned gaze. âYoung Master...â
Upon seeing her expression, Gu Han sighed softly. âAh Sha, did you have a nightmare again?â
Ah Shaâs eyes dimmed. â
Mhm.
Young Master, I saw so much blood on you...â
Gu Han smiled. âDonât worry. That blood must be someone elseâs! Remember, starting from the Gu family, Iâve survived countless deadly crises. Even if your dream is true, Iâll definitely pull through this time!â
Gu Hanâs words bolstered Ah Shaâs confidence a little.
Gu Han stood up. âLetâs go see Senior Sister.â
Who wouldâve thought that the moment they reached Yu Miaoâs dwelling, sheâd unceremoniously shoo them away? She stated that her sewing had reached a critical juncture and asked Gu Han to wait another three days.
Truth be told, Gu Han had originally intended to make another trip to Yue Mountain City, but his curiosity was piqued by Yu Miao. He just stayed, accompanying Ah Sha as they wandered every corner of the small mountain, taking a proper break for once. These three days were also the most peaceful period he had experienced in recent years.
***
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
Upon finding Gu Han and Ah Sha sunbathing on the hillside, Yu Miao called out to them, a hint of fatigue in her voice, âJunior Brother, come, quickly try it!â
Saying so, she flipped her hand, and a neatly folded robe appeared before Gu Han. It was mainly black, with threads of fiery red interwoven within. Moreover, it was dotted with specks of silvery light.
With just one glance, Gu Han could not tear his eyes away.
Ah Sha widened her eyes and couldnât help but reach out to touch it. âItâs so beautiful!â
It was silky smooth and exuded a trace of warmth.
Yu Miao chuckled. âLittle girl, donât be envious, Iâll make you an even prettier one later!â
Ah Sha nodded excitedly. âThank you, Senior Sister!â
Upon seeing Gu Hanâs captivated expression, Yu Miao couldnât hold back her amusement. âWhat are you standing there for? Try it on quickly!â
âAlright!â
Clad in a profound robe, the already handsome Gu Han appeared all the more heroic.
Ah Shaâs face flushed slightly. âYoung Master, you really look good!â
Yu Miao nodded with satisfaction. âNot bad! You finally look like a proper person.â
Gu Hanâs mouth twitched.
As expected, Fengwu Court truly shared the same lineage. Even Senior Sisterâs way of complimenting people is so unique.
âNow then, letâs test its defense,â Yu Miao said abruptly and struck forward with a sweeping palm.
Her seemingly effortless strike palm concealed immense force, blasting Gu Han dozens of zhang away. The golden, crimson, and silvery lights on the robe suddenly flared up.
Ah Sha cried out in alarm, âYoung Master!â
â
Cough... Cough...
Itâs... itâs nothing!â Gu Han struggled to get up in the distance, gasping from the pain. âSenior Sister, you couldâve at least warned me?!â
Yu Miao glanced at him. âIf I warned you, you would have been on guard. How are we supposed to accurately test this robeâs true defensive power then?â
Ah Sha suddenly understood. âOh, right! What Senior Sister says makes a lot of sense!â
Gu Han fell into thought.
Something isnât quite right...
Yu Miao gave a very fair assessment. âItâs alright... Against opponents below the Soaring Realm, it can block fifty percent of their attacks. Against Soaring Realm or above, around thirty percent. Of course, the specifics depend on the opponentâs methods. Anyway, with Senior Brother here, no ignorant Soaring Realm cultivator would dare attack you. Even if you enter a secret realm wearing this robe, youâll have the ability to protect yourself.â
Gu Hanâs heart leaped with joy.
Below the Soaring Realm, fifty percent? Itâs absolutely a treasure robe!
He simply couldnât have imagined that a mere piece of clothing could possess such formidable defensive power. Such a priceless robe could play a role in turning the tide of battle at critical moments.
He bowed solemnly. âThank you, Senior Sister!â
Yu Miao waved her hand dismissively. âWeâre family, thereâs no need for formalities. Alright, go do what you need to do. I need to rest for a while...â
Under normal circumstances, it would have taken her ten days to sew the robe. Using special methods, she had reduced the time by more than half, albeit at a considerable cost.
As Gu Han watched her leave, a warm feeling welled up in his heart. Meanwhile, Ah Sha seemed to think of something, her delicate brows furrowing once again.
Gu Han patted her head. âWhatâs wrong? Didnât Senior Sister say sheâll make you an even prettier one?â
Ah Sha sighed inexplicably. âYoung Master has become so handsome.â
Gu Han was taken aback, not understanding what she meant.
Ah Sha lifted her head, but suddenly asked a completely unrelated question, âYoung Master, why hasnât the family head returned after chasing that demoness?â
Gu Han was speechless. Even so, he wasnât worried. Gu Tian was someone even Murong Yuan feared. In the Northern Domain of the Eastern Wasteland, those who could harm Gu Tian were few and far between. If anything, he suspected Gu Tian had gotten lost.
Having replenished her soul power, Ah Sha naturally became much smarter. She muttered softly, âKeep it up, Family Head! You must succeed! Young Master has become even more handsome now. You absolutely must not let that shameless woman seduce Young Master again!
Hmph,
so what if sheâs bigger!â
Gu Hanâs mouth twitched.
Oh no... Ah Sha has been corrupted...
***
Deep within the Wild Forest, a voice filled with savagery and killing intent rang out. âKill!â
Truth be told, Gu Han guessed right. Gu Tian, while not exactly lost, was close to it. His demonic qi had almost condensed into a solid substance, his eyes long since turned pure black. He seemed to be pursuing something, flying swiftly towards the deepest parts, startling all the demonic beasts along the way into fleeing.
A good while later, a figure slowly materialized beneath an ancient tree. It was none other than the demoness, Liu Ying.
âLucky me. Good thing I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve. I narrowly escaped disaster this time.â She patted her chest, still a little shaken. Then, she snorted coldly. â
Hmph...
To think Gu Tian isnât dead and has even embarked on the True Demon path! Little Brother Gu Han, I imagine this has something to do with you too,
keke
!â
Liu Ying giggled again. âYou just have too many secrets! Just you wait, Iâm not one to let go easily!â
***
On the wilderness path, Gu Han sped forward. He was headed for Yue Mountain City once more. That pill had given him a three-month buffer, and he had to think of a new solution within this timeframe.
Before he knew it, he was already halfway there. Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks, furrowing his brow deeply.
Someoneâs here!
His spirit perception was powerful. He could vaguely sense five auras rapidly approaching him. Without the slightest hesitation, he grasped his sword.
The next moment, five figures approached from a distance, fanning out from several directions to encircle him. In just a few breaths, they had completely cut off all his escape routes.
His frown deepened as he swept his gaze over the five men. They were all Spirit Profound realm cultivators. The lowest was at the seventh stage of Spirit Profound, while the highest was impressively at the ninth stage.
Moreover, the five men bore some resemblance to each other. They faintly carried a bloody aura, their faces set with solemn killing intent. One look told they had spent their lives amid constant battles and slaughter. They were much more troublesome than ordinary Spirit Profound cultivators like Yu Hua.
The man with the highest cultivation level blankly glanced at Gu Han. âIs it him?â
The person beside him nodded. âYes. I saw him leaving Fengwu Court with my own eyes. Age, appearance, they all match.â
Gu Han took a deep breath. âWho exactly are you all?!â
He had a premonition that these men meant trouble. Most likely, he was in for a fierce battle today.
The leader was extremely decisive. Without giving explanations or a chance for Gu Han to stall for time, he charged forward and waved his hand. âAttack!â
Although Gu Han was only at the Essence Gathering realm, he still went all out. Before even reaching Gu Han, the leaderâs cultivation erupted completely, a powerful aura instantly pressing down.
Mid-charge, the leader casually drew a long black saber, its blade gleaming coldly as he swung it down toward Gu Han. âDie!â
Gu Han also moved. His spirit power instantly surged at full force, faintly accompanied by the sound of wind and thunder. While the total amount of spirit power was still slightly inferior, it was far more domineering compared to his opponentâs.
Gu Hanâs eyes gleamed with killing intent. âKill me? In your dreams!â
He also went all out from the very first move. These five were no ordinary, mediocre opponents. Holding back would be equivalent to seeking death.
As Gu Han swung his sword, the broken tip suddenly revealed a several-inch-long sword light.
Kill Sword!
In the blink of an eye, the saber and sword collided. A crisp ring sounded and the opponentâs mid-grade saber was cleaved in two.
âKill!â Gu Han roared, his swordâs speed increasing yet again.
Oh no!
The leader had no time to mourn his saber. Locked by Gu Hanâs killing intent, he instantly stiffened. However, his combat experience was extremely rich. He forced his spirit power to circulate at nearly twice its usual speed, heedless of the damage to his meridians, until spirit light burst from him. In exchange for a brief moment of clarity, he barely managed to evade his vital points. The sword pierced through his chest and blood sprayed out.
At the same time, the attacks from the remaining four also landed on Gu Han. Even with the treasure robe blocking half the force, it still jolted Gu Han, turning his face pale. He staggered back a few steps before regaining his footing, holding his sword ready.
One of them called out, âBig Brother, are you alright?!â
The leader glanced at the wound on his chest, breaking out in a cold sweat. âIâm fine!â
If not for his earlier decisiveness, his heart meridian would have been pierced.
The leader glared at Gu Han with a grave expression. âI underestimated him. This kid is no easy target!â
In fact, his combat power was slightly higher than Gu Hanâs. He simply hadnât expected Gu Hanâs broken sword to be so sharp, and his Kill Sword technique so overbearing. A moment of carelessness led to him being wounded by Gu Han.
Opposite him, Gu Han felt somewhat disappointed. His original intention was to take down the highest-level cultivator with lightning speed before the others could react, then find an opportunity to escape. His opponentâs tenacity far exceeded his expectations.
To the five men, Gu Hanâs performance was nothing short of unbelievable. A mere Essence Gathering realm cultivator almost singlehandedly killed a ninth-stage Spirit Profound cultivator. Who would believe such a tale if told?
By now, Gu Han had already vaguely guessed something. âTell me! Who sent you?!â
A lean, wiry man sneered. âKid, youâre about to die. Whatâs the point of knowing so much? Isnât it better to be a confused ghost?!â
The leader frowned deeply. âHey! Did you forget the rules? No small talk! Hurry up and finish this! Everyone, go all out! This kid is bizarre. Resolve this quickly to avoid complications! And watch out for his sword!â
The wiry man licked his lips. âGot it!â
He charged toward Gu Han once more, a poleaxe in his hand. It was also a treasure item.
Even more killing intent surged from Gu Hanâs heart. âKill me? Then youâll have to pay with your life!â
With a sweep of his sword, over ten streams of Great Evolution Sword Qi shot toward the manâs vital points, a thread of killing intent locking firmly onto him.
A faint whoosh of wind came from behind Gu Han. The other four had begun their attack. Gritting his teeth, Gu Han increased his speed by another threefold.
Iâll risk it even if I get seriously injured. I must take down one first!
Otherwise, he would eventually be worn down to death here by these men.
Under the combination of sword qi and killing intent, cold sweat instantly drenched the wiry manâs back. âWhat the hell is this?!â
The shadow of death instantly shrouded his heart. In terms of temperament, cultivation, and decisiveness, he was no match for his big brother. Twisting himself by force was the limit of what he could do. Defense was no longer possible. After several soft sounds, multiple bloody holes appeared on him.
Upon seeing Gu Hanâs sword getting closer and closer, he was terrified. âBig Brother, save me!â
The leaderâs voice also carried a trace of urgency. âHurry! Kill him! Save him!â
However, it was too late. Another sound rang out and the manâs head instantly flew off, meeting a miserable death under his Kill Sword.
âFourth Brother!â
The remaining four menâs eyes nearly split with rage. The five brothers had grown up together since childhood, always inseparable. They cultivated and killed together, their bond deep. Losing one of their kin, immense grief surged in their hearts, even overshadowing the bounty.
âSlaughter him!â
âKill! Avenge Fourth Brother!â
âGo to hell!â
In the blink of an eye, the attacks of the four were less than three chi from Gu Han.
It was already too late to dodge. Even with the treasure robe, he would undoubtedly be severely injured taking these four attacks head-on. Counterattack was basically impossible.
Gu Han cursed inwardly. His eyes were bloodshot, and his heart dropped.
Damn it! Iâll risk it all!
The essence blood coursing within his vein began to boil. Wisps of crimson mist seeped from his pores. He was about to activate the Blood Spirit Art once more. Suddenly, there was a loud crash. A long spear abruptly thrust forward from the side.