Yang Tong’s heart went cold at Li Xun’s refusal, and he quickly said again, “Li Xun, don’t worry! I’ll keep my word! These two aren’t anything to be afraid of—”

He barely had time to speak before a figure wreathed in surging demonic flames appeared before him. Gu Tian was full of savagery, his killing intent soaring to the heavens. Demonic qi swirled and blazed incessantly around him, as if possessing a life of its own. They grew and spread in accordance with his thoughts.

Startled by Gu Tian’s aura, Yang Tong subconsciously took half a step back.

Gu Tian ignored him completely. “Kill!”

The moment he reached out, rolling demonic flames boiled up, descending upon Yang Tong.

Only then did Yang Tong react, his face contorting viciously. “You’re just at the Heavenly Tribulation realm! Who do you think you are?!”

Unleashing all his remaining cultivation base, he met Gu Tian with a palm strike. Two powerful auras collided in an instant. Soon, Yang Tong realized he had underestimated Gu Tian’s demonic qi. It struck like splitting bamboo, shattering Yang Tong’s aura before creeping along his arm.

Yang Tong screamed as he watched his arm rotting before his eyes. The demonic qi had even devoured his spirit power slightly! Gu Tian’s demonic flames surged another thirty percent, while Yang Tong’s aura wilted.

Not far away, Chu Kuang grew haggard. “This demonic qi isn’t right!”

As a former Saint realm cultivator, his insight far surpassed everyone else. He could instantly tell that Gu Tian was different from the norm. He had come across millions of demonic cultivators, yet none like Gu Tian. The word “demon” flashed through his mind in an instant.

Apart from Gu Tian’s appearance, he had nothing human left about him. He was the purest, most primal, and most enigmatic demon.

Murong Yan gulped hard. “Uncle Gu is still so fierce!”

Zuo Yang nodded in agreement. “Indeed! Fellow Daoist Gu is truly a rare master!”

Gu Han was confused. “Senior Brother, how did you end up with my father? Did you know each other?”

Zuo Yang sighed. “It was pure coincidence. When I encountered him, he had just finished his Lightning tribulation. He didn’t seem mentally stable, and he even stopped me to ask where his son was. It was so out of the blue, how could I possibly know?”

Gu Han felt a headache coming on. “And then?”

Zuo Yang thought for a moment.

“And then? We fought. Your father’s strength was slightly beyond my expectations. I got tangled up with him for a long time and couldn’t shake him off. I didn’t have a choice, I could only reason with him. Who would have thought...” He glanced at Gu Han helplessly. “His son’s name is Gu Han.”

Gu Han was speechless.

***

Gu Tian’s ferocity far exceeded Li Xun’s expectations. Li Xun knew that even a moment’s carelessness could be fatal against him.

He shot a hateful glare at Yang Tong, almost cursing out loud. Damn! I was almost tricked! This is what you call ‘nothing to be afraid of’?

Li Xun completely lost any desire to wade into this muddy water.

With a grave expression, he cupped his hands toward Murong Yuan.“Fellow Daoist Murong, such a huge mess occurred in the secret realm today. All the elite disciples of the Qixia Court perished within. Alas, as the court master, how my heart aches. The disciples in the court also need me to console them...”

Murong Yuan felt disgusted. Heartache? Which one of you people isn’t selfish and self-interested? Never mind some elite disciples, even if your own son died, you probably wouldn’t care!

Suddenly, Gu Tian’s roar came again. “Kill!”

Nearly half of Yang Tong was engulfed by the demonic qi. No matter how he struggled, there wasn’t the slightest chance of breaking free.

In desperation, he cried out again, “Brother Meng, help me!”

He had risked everything, yet not only had he failed to kill Gu Han, he now faced a death too agonizing even for him.

The tables had turned, and Meng Qing realized they were in grave danger. Now, he required Li Xun’s help more than ever. “Li Xun, what will it take for you to help?”

Li Xun’s eyelids twitched as he cursed Meng Qing inwardly. Bastard, you still want to drag me down at a time like this?!

He snorted heavily and shot into the air. “Hmph! I have a spine of iron and—oh forget it, farewell!”

He even skipped the formalities and disappeared without a trace.

Meng Chuan’s heart sank. “Father, what should we do now—”

Before he could finish, Zuo Yang had appeared before him. He fixed his gaze on Meng Chuan, idly stroking the knife at his waist. “What to do? Well, it’s simple. Since you want to kill my junior brother, then I’ll kill you!”

He had just heard the full story from Gu Han. While marveling at Gu Han’s luck in surviving, he also firmly resolved to kill both families.

Meng Chuan was slightly taken aback. “Zuo Yang, don’t think that—”

Zuo Yang didn’t even wait for him to finish before raising his arm. The knife instantly left its sheath. In a blur, a streak of snowy-white sword light cut toward Meng Chuan.

Meng Qing flew into rage. “Zuo Yang, how dare you?!”

Without hesitation, his aura surged as he struck Zuo Yang with a palm strike.

Suddenly, Murong Yuan flashed by, completely blocking his attack.

“Meng Qing, your opponent is me!” he calmly said.

Meng Qing gnashed his teeth. “Murong Yuan, do you really want an endless feud with the Meng family?”

Murong Yuan cast him a disdainful look. “What? You scared?”

Meng Qing shot back fiercely despite his fear. “You’ll have to pay a price to kill me!”

Murong Yuan’s tone held mockery. “Hah! Weren’t you the ones who swore to wipe us out? Now that you can’t, you want to run? I’ve never seen anyone more shameless, Meng Qing!”

With every word, his aura rose a notch, until it finally exploded. His meaning was clear. No life, no rest.

Enraged, Meng Qing instantly charged toward him. “Then let it be endless!”

In an instant, the two were locked in battle.

Not far away, Meng Chuan retreated step by step from Zuo Yang’s knife. Without Meng Qing’s help, he didn’t dare to block at all. Zuo Yang’s saber technique was completely ordinary. It was just the simplest slashing motions, without any divine secret arts. However, there was vaguely a special artistic conception contained within. I’m going to slash you. You can’t dodge nor avoid. You can only take it!

Meng Chuan’s cultivation was originally inferior to Zuo Yang’s. Locked by that peculiar sword dao intent, with the sword light getting closer and closer, he had nowhere left to retreat.

He flipped both hands, pulling out a profound short sword. “I’ll fight you to the death!”

Just at that moment, the sword light reached him. With a quiet echo, a long wound split across Meng Xin. The arm holding the short sword also flew high into the air. One slash, and he was severely wounded.

Meng Xing staggered back, filled with disbelief. “Y-your cultivation...”

Zuo Yang had actually reached the eighth stage of the Earthly Tribulation realm!

Zuo Yang pondered for a moment. “This time when I went, I made a special effort to break through a realm, and also practiced my saber technique along the way. Looking back, I guess it’s not bad.”

The knife lifted again, closing in on Meng Chuan once more.

“Again!”

***

In the distance, Meng Xing’s face twisted in despair. He watched Meng Chuan and the others fight desperately, their lives hanging by a thread.

Unable to stand by and watch, he turned to Chu Kuang. “Brother Chu, I beg you... help us!”

Even he could sense that Chu Kuang, as a saint's reincarnation, had hidden trump cards. Chu Kuang could have turned the tide with a mere flick of his hand. And yet, the reincarnator remained silent.

Meng Xing gritted his teeth. “Brother Chu, if you help us, the Meng family will fully submit to you! We’ll be at your command from now on, with absolute loyalty!”

Yuan Gang frowned deeply. “Junior Brother Chu, it’s a rare opportunity! What exactly are you worried about? Being hesitant and indecisive isn’t like your usual style!”

A flicker of struggle passed through Chu Kuang’s eyes.

Right at that moment, Gu Han walked over with a smile.

“Actually, I’m also very curious.” He stared at Chu Kuang with a serious expression. “Between my trump cards and yours, which is stronger? Why don’t we find out?”

The turmoil in Chu Kuang’s eyes instantly vanished. The more confident Gu Han seemed, the less Chu Kuang dared to act rashly.

Gu Han appeared slightly regretful. “You don’t dare? Forget it then.”

Seemingly understanding Chu Kuang’s apprehension, Yuan Gang frowned deeply, but ultimately didn’t speak again.

When it struck him that Chu Kuang had forsaken him, Meng Xing went white. “Brother Chu, you—”

Before he could finish, a pure killing intent instantly locked onto him.

Gu Han raised his sword, sword light flickering incessantly at the tip. “Young Master Meng, you managed to escape in the secret realm. This time, don’t think about running away again.”

Not daring to test how long his bluff would hold against Chu Kuang, he decided to wrap things up quickly.

Wishing to devour Gu Han, Meng Xing’s eyes turned blood-red. “You think you’ve already won? I was just lacking pills in the secret realm. I will definitely kill you!”

Silver light blazed brilliantly around him. He charged at Gu Han, turning into a blur.

Yet, as if not noticing this, Gu Han stared at his broken sword. He recalled Chongming’s words. Do you have a name?

For the first time, he didn’t regard it as a weapon, but as an old friend who had accompanied him for many years.

The sword trembled lightly, so slight it was almost negligible, yet Gu Han clearly caught it.

He smiled. “You really do have a name!”

Compared to before, the sword felt far more agile and spirited, almost as natural to command as his own arm.

Meng Xing arrived before him right at that moment. Silver light coursed through his fists as they struck Gu Han with crushing force.

“Kill!”

With the soft cry, the sword descended with momentum, clashing against the two fists.