Chapter 160 - Mere Mortals, How Can They Stand Shoulder to Shoulder with the Gods?

Naturally, those at the edge of the secret realm were unaware of the crisis brought by Jiang Xuan.

Yuan Gang was somewhat puzzled. “Junior Brother, what makes you say that?”

“You should be able to see it. He relies on his dual Supreme Stage, along with that strange sword skill. Even though he was only an eight-stage Essence Gathering cultivator, fourth- or fifth-stage Divine Connection cultivators were absolutely no match for him.” Chu Kuang shook his head. “That’s why he’s been able to hold his ground against Yang Lin until now. Plus, with the help of Yang Ying, they actually had a sliver of a chance at victory today. What a pity, such a pity...”

Just then, he sighed with emotion. “After all, mortals are just mortals. How can they stand shoulder to shoulder with the gods?”

Yuan Gang was taken aback. “God? What do you mean?”

Yet Chu Kuang said nothing more. In his usually confident and composed eyes, a trace of inexplicable apprehension had appeared.

Not far away, Gu Han couldn’t shake off the feeling he had seen the blood bead in Yang Lin’s hand. He grew more convinced of it with each passing second. Above all, instinct told him that this thing was very dangerous.

He warned the others, “Be careful! This thing is extremely strange. Later, you absolutely must—”

Yang Lin suddenly shot forward, not giving him a chance. He charged straight at Gu Han. “No one will leave alive!”

Shit!

Overwhelmed with a sense of crisis, Gu Han instinctively tried to retreat.

Meng Xing sneered. “You think you can escape? It’s too late!”

He radiated a brilliant silver light as he flashed forward, aiming to block Gu Han’s escape route.

A purple golden hammer whistled through the air from the side, smashing squarely into Meng Xing. He was sent flying backward, coughing up blood in mid-air. Even his indestructible treasure physique was rattled by the full force of Murong Yan’s hammer.

Murong Yan shifted her aim. “Yang Lin, I’ll hammer you to death, bitch!”

Following her, Shen Xuan and Yang Ying also attacked from the other two directions.

Four against one, each formidable in their own right. No matter how strong Yang Lin was, he absolutely couldn’t win. Yet, instead of being panicked, a hint of a triumphant smile appeared on his face.

Gu Han, being closest to him, sensed something was wrong. “Fuck! Retreat! Fall back now!”

With a faint, cracking sound, Yang Lin had crushed the blood bead. An overbearing, majestic aura suddenly spread across the field. Everyone trembled, shook to their core. If not for a sliver of remaining reason, they would have likely dropped to their knees then and there, prostrating in worship.

A thumb-sized, vivid strand of red mist shot toward Gu Han, imperceptibly fast. Retreating was already impossible.

Thus, Gu Han made a decisive move. A desperate, fight-to-the-death resolve surged within him. Killing intent rose once more in his heart. Enduring the intense discomfort from the oppressive aura, he swung his sword, slashing at the red mist.

“Kill!”

Silently, the red mist was severed into two. However, its speed didn’t diminish in the slightest. In the blink of an eye, it had completely vanished into him. Gu Han froze while still leveling his sword, his aura rapidly weakening.

Yang Lin’s right arm hung limply, seemingly also suffering severe damage. Despite his extreme caution, rashly activating the red mist had still exacted a heavy price. His arm appeared undamaged on the outside, but the flesh, blood, and bones within had already turned into mush.

Still, he didn’t possess the innate Green Wood Spirit Physique for nothing. A large mass of dark green qi gathered around his right arm, and the injury began to heal at a visible rate.

Not far away, Chu Kuang shook his head. “He’s dead. That kind of power was simply not something he could resist.”

Yuan Gang sneered coldly. “He brought it upon himself.”

At the very back of the three families’ group, Zhi Xuan’s head drooped slightly. She murmured incessantly, her expression unseen, “Dead?

Ah,

to die just like that... what a pity...”

Meanwhile, Murong Yan and the other two rushed to Gu Han’s side, calling out repeatedly, “Brother Gu, are you okay?!”

Yet, no matter how many times they called, Gu Han’s eyes remained tightly shut. His face was deathly pale, while his aura was barely imperceptible.

Yang Lin was full of satisfaction. “Stop shouting! He won’t make it!”

Murong Yan raged. “Bullshit! I’ll hammer you to death, bitch!”

Meng Xing gloomily wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. “Murong Yan, don’t worry, it’ll be your turn soon.”

Then, Yang Lin shifted his gaze to Yang Ying, his tone indescribably sinister. “And you! The person you cast your mother aside for is dead! Well? Do you regret your earlier decision? What a pity, but it’s too late! You will die, your mother will die, and your whore sister will die too!”

Yang Ying fiercely tightened his grip on his spear.

Murong Yan’s eyes turned bloodshot. “You bastard! Senior Brother, let’s kill them together! We’ll avenge Brother Gu!”

Yang Lin flexed his nearly recovered right arm. “Did you not hear me?! The ones who will die today are you!”

As the words fell, he flipped his palm over, revealing yet another blood-red bead.

The crowd was shocked.

What?! Such a terrifying thing and there’s another?

***

Chu Kuang had lost interest in watching further. “It seems those two planned this all along. Their opponents won’t survive.”

With the red mist in hand, Yang Lin was invincible within this secret realm.

Yuan Gang frowned deeply. “Junior Brother, if they use this thing against us later when fighting for the liquid treasure...”

Chu Kuang waved his hand. “Senior Brother, rest assured. He definitely won’t have many of these. Aren’t Senior Sister Murong and the others here to take the hit for us? Besides, even if they really have more, they definitely won’t use them against us.”

“Why?”

“Because I will subdue them both.”

Yuan Gang knew some of Chu Kuang’s secrets and deeply believed his words. “I see! It seems I was worried for nothing!”

With that, he made a gesture and led his people away from the area. He didn’t even spare a glance toward Shen Xuan and the others.

***

On the battlefield, Shen Xuan’s eyes widened as he swiftly moved to block Murong Yan. “Junior Sister, careful!”

Yang Ying fell silent for a moment, despair creeping in. “We can’t block this thing...”

Murong Chong also led his clansmen to Murong Yan’s side, standing in front of her. Although he didn’t speak, his intention was clear.

If you want to harm Murong Yan, you have to get past us first!

“Move!” Murong Yan roared in anger, shoving everyone aside. “I’ll hammer anyone who dares stop me from taking revenge first!”

Meng Xing glanced into the distance. “Brother Yang, they’ve already left. We need to finish this quickly too!”

Yang Lin sneered repeatedly. “As long as they’re still in the secret realm, no one can escape!”

He no longer hesitated and slowly advanced toward the group.

Shen Xuan suddenly said, “Junior Sister, let me go first!”

Before his words fully faded, he flashed, blocking Yang Lin’s path.

Murong Chong was horrified, no longer caring about the form of address. “Brother-in-Law, you can’t!”

Murong Yan’s eyes were bloodshot. “Senior Brother, get back here now!”

“Junior Sister, don’t think about stopping me. With my speed, if I’m serious, you can’t stop me.” Shen Xuan sighed with a flash of reminiscence in his eyes. “Actually, ever since the day we met, I’ve always given in to you, never once going against your wishes.

Hah,

isn’t it laughable? I, a man of seven chi, have been the subject of so much gossip for it. So this time, I want to be firm. I won’t listen to you anymore.”

Murong Yan’s tears instantly overflowed. “Senior Brother, come back! I promise you, I-I swear, I’ll never hit you again!”

Shen Xuan said with a longing expression, “I don’t believe you, but I guess it doesn’t matter anymore. You won’t have another chance to hit me in the future.”

Across from them, Yang Lin frowned deeply. “Shen Xuan, this item of mine isn’t meant for you. Someone like you isn’t even worthy!”

Yang Ying instantly appeared at Shen Xuan’s side. “Add me, is that enough?”

“Junior Brother Yang, you—”

Yang Ying said flatly, “No need to persuade me. My fate was sealed long ago. Life or death makes no difference to me.”

Yang Lin’s voice turned icy. “Yang Ying? Fine! I never thought a bastard like you would have such courage! Today, I’ll kill you first. After I return, I’ll reunite your family of three—”

Several beams of bright light suddenly flashed past. However, the one who acted wasn’t Yang Ying.

Shit!

Yang Lin’s pupils contracted. He felt these beams were somewhat familiar, but he had no time to think. Instinctively, he dodged. Still, in his haste, how could he completely avoid them? His right hand was severed, the bead still tightly clutched in his palm.

Looking at Yang Lin’s severed wrist, Meng Xing frowned deeply. “Brother Yang, this is—”

Yang Lin had already recognized it. “It’s him! He’s not dead!”

They were Gu Han’s sword lights.

Meng Xing’s pupils shrank as he blurted out, “What?! That’s absolutely impossible!”

Suddenly, a cold voice reached everyone’s ears. “Nothing’s impossible.”

Gu Han walked out from behind Murong Yan, staring blankly at his two opponents. “So, are you surprised?”

The two felt no joy in their hearts, only shock. Only they knew best just how deadly that red mist was. Forget Gu Han, even Yang Tong and Meng Qing probably wouldn't survive it. Yet, not only did Gu Han survive it, he seemed fully unscathed.

Everyone was dumbfounded. After all, those who could enter the secret realm were the elite of their respective families. They knew how inconceivable it was to survive that terrifying red mist.

In the distance, Zhi Xuan stared at Gu Han, full of infatuation and admiration. “That’s wonderful, he survived...”

Even happier than her was Murong Yan. “Brother Gu, you’re okay! That’s just wonderful!”

“Glad you’re alive,” said Yang Ying. The three words encompassed the entirety of his feelings.

Gu Han sighed with emotion. “It was close, I almost died.”

The red mist had almost churned his flesh into pulp. He only survived thanks to his miraculous meridians. Not even the red mist stood a chance against them.

Shen Xuan was puzzled. “Brother Gu, your injuries...”

The Gu Han before them not only showed no sign of injury, he even seemed more spirited than before.

Gu Han answered indirectly, “Brother Shen, just now, I discovered a secret.”

Shen Xuan was stunned. “A secret? What secret?”

Gu Han’s tone shifted, filled with murderous intent. “Wait a moment. It’s a bit complicated to explain. Let’s deal with these two first.”

Meng Xing was full of disdain. “Deal with us? Big talk!”

Even if the red mist became ineffective, he was confident he and Yang Lin could still prevail with their strength, though it would be more difficult.

Gu Han paid him no mind, pointing his sword at Yang Lin. “This one is mine.”

His aura instantly surged until the ninth stage of the Essence Gathering realm, just half a step away from the Spirit Profound realm.

Shen Xuan was stunned. “He broke through again?”

Yang Ying was indifferent. “How is that strange?”

He shook his spear immediately after. Like a startled dragon, he charged toward the two families with an unstoppable momentum.

Murong Chong came closer. “Brother-in-Law, let’s do this too!”

Shen Xuan was too tired to correct his form of address anymore. He nodded helplessly and appeared beside Yang Ying.

Meanwhile, Gu Han was only a few zhang away from Yang Lin. He erased the distance in an instant.

“Kill!”

With killing intent soaring in his heart, the Kill Sword aimed straight for Yang Lin’s head.

Yang Lin could barely block the strike with his spears, and was sent flying far back. He glared at Gu Han, his blood churning violently. “You—”

Yang Lin almost spat out a mouthful of blood. In truth, he still slightly surpassed Gu Han in terms of strength. However, he had just lost a hand. Even with his powerful regenerative abilities, it was hard to recover fully in a short time. His combat power had already diminished significantly.

In contrast, Gu Han had broken through mid-battle, making his strength greater than ever. It was obvious who held the upper hand.

With no other choice, Yang Lin could only seek help. “Brother Meng, help me!”

Yet, there was no response. Meng Xing was locked in a fierce struggle with Murong Yan. How could he spare any attention for Yang Lin? It wasn’t just them. The battlefield now was just like before, a chaotic melee. Of course, except for Zhi Xuan, who had hidden far away like a complete outsider.

Gu Han was full of scorn. “

Hah!

The esteemed young master of the Yang family actually asked others for help?”

His killing intent swelled once more. The only way to kill someone with an extremely powerful regenerative ability like Yang Lin was a single, lethal strike, giving him no chance to recover at all.

Yang Lin’s face was dark. “I’ve underestimated you, but it doesn’t change anything. You will die.”

He flipped his hand over, revealing his last blood bead! It was also the last one. His plan was simple: even if the bead couldn’t kill Gu Han, it could temporarily immobile him. This would be his only chance.

Gu Han raised an eyebrow. “Is that so? Well, you can try!”

Since he had experienced it before, he knew how to counter it. Although he would still get hurt, he could preserve most of his combat power. That would also be his best chance to kill Yang Lin. Both sides were gambling on a chance to surely kill the other.

Yang Lin exerted slight pressure with his hand, about to crush the bead. “Fine! As you wish!”

However, at that very moment, another unexpected change occurred. Strands of vivid, red mist drifted over from the distance, arriving before the two in a flash.

Their hearts sank.

Shit! The aura of this red mist is all too familiar!

Without the slightest hesitation, both activated protective spirit lights.

“What is this?!”

“

Aah!

S-Save me!”

“Quick! Run!”

They came to their senses early, but those further away weren’t so lucky. The first to suffer were those with inferior cultivations.

A Yang family clansman couldn’t escape in time, Instantly, several strands of red mist drilled into his seven orifices. He froze and stood there dumbly, before raising his head. A vivid red vertical eye had appeared between his eyebrows. On his back, four lumps wriggled incessantly, as if something was trying to burst out.

With a vacant gaze, he murmured incessantly, “We welcome our god...”