Supreme Sword Exalt

Within the forbidden zone, as the group of outer domain people surged into this landmass, the ancient path calmed once again and hid within the endless strange mist.

Just then, the vortex-like portal trembled slightly, and Luo Wushuang stepped out. Clad in a white robe, he smiled gently, untouched by dust. He wasted no time leaving the forbidden zone and set off toward the Central Continent.

News of the Gold List’s imminent appearance had now spread across nearly this entire continent, so no one came to bother Tian Ji anymore.

Silently and imperceptibly, Luo Wushuang descended. In one step, he had already entered the Tian Ji Great Formation.

***

Inside the small courtyard, Han Fu, who was in charge of the great formation, noticed the change. He saw the restless look on Tian Ji’s face. “Old man, this is—”

Tian Ji casually waved his hand and knocked Han Fu unconscious. Luo Wushuang appeared before him right after.

He cupped his hands with a warm smile. “Fellow Daoist, we meet again.”

Tian Ji frowned deeply and cut to the chase. “So, you schemed to lead the outer domain people here to share the Gold List’s opportunity? Aside from causing a few small disturbances, what will that accomplish? The result would be much better if you do it yourself.”

Luo Wushuang smiled as always. “Fellow Daoist, I want to ask a question.”

“Speak.”

“What are fortune and chance?”

Tian Ji appeared confused. “Your mastery of the heavenly secret art is no weaker than mine now. Why ask me such a question? They are just like calamities and tribulations, born from the Great Dao.”

Luo Wushuang nodded. “Indeed. Divine artifacts and forbidden techniques are not actually that precious, unlike the Dao Bell and the Gold List. The fact that they appear only once every hundred thousand years made them a rare fortune.

“Yet here, they appeared after only a few thousand years, with barely a decade between the Dao Bell and the Gold List. Have you ever wondered why? Moreover, they’re limited in number. If there is more here, then there is less elsewhere.”

He gazed up at the sky. “In other words, he forcibly moved what belonged to others to here. So, I say heaven is unjust.”

Tian Ji had never considered that before. “Who exactly are you?!”

“Me? You should know the answer already. He is only doing this to search for something. I am simply his eyes. The purpose of my birth is merely to make it more convenient for him to observe here.”

His simple explanation struck Tian Ji like lightning. He finally understood why Luo Wushuang had refused to let him deduce his origins back then.

“You—”

Luo Wushuang smiled. “Don’t worry. I almost blinded him, so he has no choice but to bestow chance and fortune more and more frequently... No different from drinking poison to quench thirst, really.”

“H-how did you manage that?”

For the first time, the smile on Luo Wushuang’s face gradually faded. “It’s very simple. The human tribulation.”

“The human tribulation?”

“The Great Dao is vast and boundless. He can control less than one percent. He can bestow chance and fortune, but he cannot stop cultivators from breaking through realms and ascending, nor can he stop me from crossing my human tribulation.”

“Your human tribulation—”

Luo Wushuang sighed. “Stop asking if you don’t want to die.”

“What do you plan to do?”

Luo Wushuang shook his head. “He’s not fully blind yet. I need to cover his eyes with another layer of cloth.”

“By relying on these people from the outer domain?”

“This bit of backlash should be enough for now. It’s not like I am trying to overthrow him.”

Tian Ji shook his head. “I don’t understand. What exactly is your purpose in doing this?”

A rare flicker of longing appeared in Luo Wushuang’s eyes. “Fairness, freedom, and escaping control. He can’t give me these things, so I’ll take them myself. Oh, right. I am the fairest person. Since you’ve given me the heavenly secret art, I’ll give you a piece of advice.”

“What?”

“He had forcibly brought these opportunities here, even though they were never meant to exist in this place. Strictly speaking, this is theft. Under the backlash of the Great Dao, a heaven-shaking, great calamity will inevitably descend. If you want to avoid it, flee to the outer domain as soon as you can. That’s the proper course.”

Tian Ji closed his eyes to deduce. “A calamity?”

Suddenly, he went pale and spat out a mouthful of blood. His cultivation, which had just stabilized, showed signs of falling again.

Though he could not deduce what the calamity was, he saw an almost endless killing intent swallowing this continent. Among them, the Central Continent had it the worst.

Just as he was about to ask again, Luo Wushuang was already gone. After pondering for a moment, he waved his hand to wake Han Fu and casually tossed him a storage ring. “Leave.”

“Leave? Where? Am I getting an opportunity too?”

Tian Ji said impatiently, “You’re getting nothing! Get the hell out of here. Go to a remote place with few people and don’t come out for now!”

Han Fu was a bit reluctant. “But...”

After staying here for over ten years, he had grown attached to this place. Mei Yun was another matter.

Tian Ji sneered. “You don’t want to leave? I’ll call Mei Yun back right now!”

Han Fu’s face darkened as all reluctance in his heart vanished. He turned his head and left. “Farewell!”

Tian Ji sighed softly. What exactly is this heaven-shaking great calamity? Could it be related to the people from the outer domain?

***

Within the Central Continent, on Yan Qi’s back, Gu Han opened his eyes. Lurking beneath his placid temperament was a hint of vast, detached, and otherworldly quality. He had reached the ninth stage of the Transcendent realm!

The Transcendent Substance he had left wasn’t enough to support his breakthrough. Fortunately, he ran into Chang Wei and gathered enough to make up the shortfall.

Beside him, Fatty was a bit envious and also a bit sour. Despite being in the same realm, Gu Han used nearly twice as much Transcendent Substance, and that didn’t even count the profound yin qi he had absorbed in the previous realms.

Rather than aptitude, Gu Han had the support of the four perfect Supreme Stages. His foundation had advanced to a degree unimaginable to others. As for someone like Xiao Yang, he didn’t even qualify to eat dust behind Gu Han.

Having reached the peak of the Transcendent realm, Gu Han could faintly sense that boundless, endless sea of vital qi that existed everywhere. Yet a thin membrane separated him from the sea. Though it lay right before his eyes, he could never touch it.

He understood that the sea of vital qi represented the power of heaven and earth, while the membrane was the final barrier separating him from the Saint realm.

Once he broke through, he would completely cast off the shackles of his mortal body. Like a bird flying into the sky, his level of life would be completely sublimated, no longer bound by anything.