Chapter 282 - One Step, One Realm, Triple Supreme Stage, Done!
Inside the arena, Song Jian’s heart dropped at the sight of the rushing Fatty, and he quickly withdrew his offensive.
As the dust gradually dispersed, Gu Han reappeared before everyone. He was covered in terrifying wounds, most of them caused by forcibly using the Dual Supreme Stage in his condition.
Song Jian was stunned and uncertain. “Who are you?! How dare you disrupt the death duel!”
Fatty’s tone was murderous. “Shut up! Say one more word, and I’ll fucking kill you!”
Intimidated by his aura, Song Jian dared not speak further. Though the fatty was of unknown origin, he seemed extremely strong. The crowd also held their breath, wondering just who this divine being was.
The smile in Gu Han’s eyes faded slightly as he returned to normal. “Fatty, you’re back so soon?”
However, Fatty instantly caught his abnormality. “Enough about that. What’s wrong with you? Why is your killing intent so strong?”
Gu Han didn’t speak.
Fatty sighed and stopped pressing. “I brought something back. Back then, the old ancestor relied on it to—anyway, I feel like there’s a chance it could save your life. How about going back to try it?”
Gu Han glanced at Song Jian. “Fatty, this is me saving myself.”
Fatty said irritably, “Saving my ass! Look at yourself! What kind of state are you in?! With your body in this state, how much strength can you even use? Death duel? Self-preservation? You might as well be seeking death!” Fatty said irritably, then relented after seeing that Gu Han wouldn’t budge. “You really won’t back down?”
Gu Han stared at his sword. “Fatty, Yun Fan must have told you the rules of this death duel. As a sword cultivator, backing down means harboring fear in your heart. In that case, this sword is as good as broken.”
Fatty didn’t speak. Although his understanding of Gu Han couldn’t compare to Yang Ying’s, he deeply knew his personality. No one could persuade him.
“Forget it. Since this is your choice, I won’t interfere much. From the day I met you, we’ve braved life and death several times. So this time, you have to brave it too.” He felt a bit dejected. Then, he glanced at Song Jian in mid-air with a strange expression on his face. “Do you even deserve to use a sword?”
Song Jian, who had always prided himself on being a sword cultivator, suffered a huge blow. With bloodshot eyes, he gripped his sword tightly, nearly going mad.
Yun Fan stared at Fatty with admiration. “Brother Yulin, you’re really amazing, way more impressive than Brother Gu!”
These words immediately broke Song Jian, the effect surprisingly good.
Wang Yong couldn’t help but sigh. “To devise such a method of seeking life in the midst of death, Young Master Gu’s courage, character, and strategy are all things I’ve rarely seen in my life. No wonder he’s so highly regarded by Zuo Yang.”
Elder Zhou didn’t want to fall behind. “In my view, if Young Master Gu gets through this tribulation today, he’ll definitely be a bird soaring to the sky, a dragon entering the vast sea. His future prospects are limitless. No wonder he’s the junior brother Feng Xi cares about most!”
Anyone could hear the implicit rivalry in their words.
At that moment, Song Jian’s offensive fell again, more ruthless than ever. He no longer thought about being stable. He only wanted to kill Gu Han as soon as possible and prove that he was a mighty sword cultivator.
A deep, huge pit appeared where Gu Han stood. However, even though he was at an absolute disadvantage, he showed no sign of giving up. His cultivation base was nearly overloading. While resisting wave after wave of attacks, he could occasionally send a sword light back at Song Jian.
At this moment, shock was not enough to describe the crowd. The looks they gave Song Jian grew increasingly strange. Made the Dao Bell ring five times? Heaven-tier technique? Claims to be a sword cultivator? Why is it taking him so long to finish off a Spirit Profound realm cripple? Could the young marquis really just be a useless pretty boy?
The crowd’s gazes, like sharp swords, pierced Song Jian’s self-esteem, leaving it riddled with holes. He roared angrily, “Die!”
His divine sense pressed down toward Gu Han. It was as if a thunderclap sounded in his mind, and he stopped moving. Gu Han struggled to resist, his formidable soul power long since burned out.
Within the consciousness space, it was complete blankness, deathly silence. Only a faint spark of light remained, akin to a candle flickering in the wind, threatening to go out at any moment.
Seeing Gu Han stop, Song Jian rejoiced. “An opening!”
He thrust his sword straight toward Gu Han’s head. The blade was about to pierce him in less than a second, but he couldn’t see nor feel it. The crisis of death grew heavier and heavier.
Deep within the consciousness space, cracks instantly covered the entire seed. The layer of dark outer shell exploded instantly. A point of light condensed to the extreme, seemingly existing yet non-existent, slowly brightened.
Outside, Yun Fan and Fatty were about to intervene to save Gu Han.
“Brother Gu!”
“Fuck it, screw this!”
Meanwhile, Wang Yong and Elder Zhou had the highest cultivation bases at the scene and were far from ordinary mediocre hands. They immediately noticed the strange occurrence on Gu Han.
“Wait!”
“Don’t!”
“He broke through!”
“He did it!”
The oblivious crowd all showed confusion.
A flash of excitement crossed Song Jian’s eyes. “Die!”
Suddenly, Gu Han’s sword moved, blocking Song Jian’s fatal strike. A clear chime resounded.
Song Jian’s eyes widened. “No... That’s impossible!”
Gu Han slowly opened his eyes. His divine sense was reborn, clearly perceiving that joyful, cheering intent hidden within the sword.
He gently stroked the sword with a trace of tenderness in his eyes. “Thank you, old friend.”
The sword trembled lightly again.
The crowd was horrified to discover that Gu Han’s aura had changed. “H-he... broke through?”
The Divine Connection realm! The speed of the shift in circumstances had already surpassed their comprehension ability.
Song Jian gnashed his teeth. “So what?! It’s just the Divine Connection realm, how could he possibly be my match?!”
Gu Han didn’t even glance at him. He gently gripped the sword and smiled. “Senior was right. Famous or nameless, what does it matter? You’re just my old companion.”
Having said that, he lightly took a step forward. Just one step and his cultivation base had actually reached the second stage of the Divine Connection realm. At the same time, his graying hair actually darkened considerably, and even his face gained a touch of youthfulness.
The crowd was greatly shocked. “What?!”
Even Song Jian appeared incredulous, involuntarily stepping back. Gu Han ignored them and took another step. Now, he was at the third stage of the Divine Connection realm! Song Jian took another step back! Another step, and Gu Han reached the fourth stage! With each step he took, his cultivation base increased by one level, and he grew younger.
As if strolling leisurely, Gu Han took nine consecutive steps. The moment he reached the Supreme Stage of the Divine Connection realm, he returned to his original appearance. Eyebrows like swords, handsome features, heroic posture. The deadly tribulation had passed. He was reborn. Compared to before, he now held more of a mysterious quality, exuding confidence that no one was his match.
No one could deny how dashing he appeared. Quite a few female cultivators stared at him in infatuation.
Not far away, Xue Yu stared dazedly at Gu Han. How she wished to carve this moment deeply into her heart, to remember it forever, never to forget.
With her anxiety finally settling, Zhao Mengyou murmured to herself, “Triple Supreme Stage...”
Looking at Gu Han now gave her a mix of joy, bitterness, regret, and a trace of admiration she hadn’t even noticed herself.
He had recovered, no longer crippled. He was again the unparalleled heavenly pride he was before. She felt dispirited and lost. Although Gu Han was right beside her, she felt the distance to Gu Han growing ever wider. It was a feeling she couldn’t quite grasp.
