Supreme Sword Exalt

Chapter 298 - Vanguard Gu, the True War God

Body cultivators walked a path that diverged from the mainstream. Nevertheless, in the early stages, they were no different from ordinary cultivators. They would gather spirit qi, open spirit pools, and condense divine sense.

The fundamental goal was to nourish their physical bodies. By various methods, they forged an indestructible physique able to withstand tribulations, which was basic mastery. The further they progressed, the greater the divergence between the two paths.

For body cultivators, the significance of lightning tribulations was immense, and even considered a tremendous stroke of luck. The Heavenly Tribulation realm marked the dividing line for a body cultivator’s strength and physical resilience. Although separated by only a single realm, the difference was enormous.

This was why the second war god believed he could defeat Gu Han despite witnessing his overwhelming power.

As the sword qi approached, the man laughed instead of showing alarm. “Good! Since you insist on death, don’t blame me for using my realm to suppress you!”

As his voice faded, the qi within him surged. His already tall and robust frame expanded, and a faint radiance covered his bronze-colored skin. As his qi reached its peak, a rumbling thunderous sound echoed from him.

Not far away, Xian He nodded in satisfaction. “Not bad! Ba Tu’s Barbarian Ancestor bloodline is much purer than before. It seems he has made considerable progress during his seclusion.”

After witnessing Ba Tu blocking Gu Han’s attack, the Great Flame Border Army’s spirits sank. Ba Tu’s combat strength was clearly on a completely different level from the previous opponents.

Even Liao Zheng and the other marquises’ grew serious. Can he still win?

Meanwhile, Gu Han showed no surprise that his attack failed. Ba Tu’s power was still within his expectations. Swaying lightly, Gu Han closed several zhang in an instant, leaving afterimages in his wake. His spirit energy surged once more, compressing entirely into the sword. The sword let out a clear hum and descended again.

Ba Tu’s eyes blazed with battle intent. “Good strike!”

Knowing Gu Han’s speed surpassed his own, he chose not to evade. His golden bangles flared brilliantly as he threw a heavy punch. The thunderous rumbling he emanated grew even louder, carrying an overwhelming wave of qi as it slammed violently into the sword.

As fist met sword, there was an earth-shattering boom, and an invisible shockwave instantly spread outward. Dust swirled. Countless wide cracks spread outward from the two combatants, racing toward the distance. Ba Tu had a formidable physical body, while Gu Han had his treasure robe for protection. Such force caused them no harm.

In the ensuing silence, blood continuously dripped from Ba Tu’s fist, but he had completely blocked Gu Han’s strike.

The border soldiers’ hearts sank. The very sword strike that crushed the sixth war god into a pulp had only grazed Ba Tu’s skin. Just how tough was his body?

Ba Tu glanced dismissively at his right hand. “Is that all you’ve got? Not impressive.”

Gu Han smiled. “You’re barely holding on. How many fractures?”

Ba Tu’s expression darkened. Gu Han’s method of bludgeoning with the sword was undeniably brutal. The external wounds were merely superficial. His fingers, hands, even arms had actually sustained numerous fractures.

As his qi surged, the cracks began to shrink. Since a body cultivator’s entire prowess lay mostly in their physical form, their recovery ability was exceptional.

Yet in the next moment, Gu Han’s voice rang out once more. “Again!”

Another sword strike crashed down. Ba Tu’s eyes blazed with fury, but he could only endure again.

Gu Han seemed to have discovered his passion for bludgeoning. Block one strike, and another would follow, with no pause whatsoever.

With each successive impact, Ba Tu’s stature visibly diminished, until finally he stood barely level with Gu Han. His lower half had been driven into the ground. The crowd stared in stunned disbelief. They had never witnessed such a fighting style.

Liao Zheng was speechless. This kid is definitely doing it on purpose. He’s devious to the core!

Ba Tu was on the verge of losing control. “Aaaargh!!!”

Since he couldn’t outspeed Gu Han, he could only endure. More and more of his bones cracked, worsening his injuries. The humiliation was beyond unbearable.

Gritting his teeth, the golden bangles on his right arm erupted with brilliant light. His entire arm swelled as he seized Gu Han’s sword. The sword qi pierced his flesh and scraped against his finger bones.

Ignoring the pain, he gathered all his qi into his left fist and hurled it viciously at Gu Han. “Die!”

Gu Han had been waiting for this moment. Now!

He unleashed his divine sense, striking instantly. No ordinary cultivator could withstand a Supreme Stage divine sense, especially a body cultivator like Ba Tu.

In that instant, Ba Tu faltered as his eyes went blank for a split second.

Gu Han seized the opportunity, driving his sword straight into Ba Tu’s head. However, it met resistance. Ba Tu’s bones were so hard that they slowed the blade.

The searing pain jolted Ba Tu back to his senses. His eyes turned bloodshot, and his ferocity was fully unleashed. “We’ll die together!”

His left fist surged with qi once more as he brought it crashing down on his opponent. “Kill!”

Instead of dodging, Gu Han poured all his remaining cultivation into his blade. A strand of invisible sword qi, compressed to its absolute limit, burst out from the back of Ba Tu’s skull. It pierced into the ground, and left a deep, narrow hole.

Ba Tu’s two arms fell limply to the ground. Dead silence fell over the field, which caused Xian He’s face to darken. The man he had praised was dead. Even with his formidable physical resilience, Xian He felt a stinging heat creep across his face.

“Vanguard Gu!”

“Might and invincibility!”

After a brief pause, the Great Flame Border Army erupted in cheers, even more fervent than before. Gu Han had become the true war god in their hearts.

Seeing the cultivators’ spirits soar, Gu Han understood that he had achieved his goal. Retracting his sword, he swept his gaze over the grim-faced barbarians. “That’s all? What about the first war god? Why not let him come and try?”

The barbarians’ expressions grew even sourer. Even setting aside the fact that the first war god was in seclusion, the disparity in realms was too great. Killing Gu Han would bring no honor. Moreover, if even the first war god failed to kill him, the War God Hall’s reputation would be completely destroyed.

Gu Han appeared disappointed. “How lame.”

Ignoring the barbarians’ murderous glares, he returned to his companions.

Fatty curled his lip. “You’re still pretending to be tough? That took quite a toll, didn’t it?”

Gu Han didn’t deny it. Seven tolls of the Dao Bell, formidable combat power, and a body cultivator to boot. Winning so decisively had required him to go all out, even resorting to divine sense attacks. He appeared calm and composed, but the strain had been immense. Now, the momentum between the barbarians and the Great Flame Border Army had completely reversed. One side was dejected, while the other brimmed with fighting spirit.

In the far distance, Yun Lie clenched his fists tightly. He desperately wanted to abandon everything and defect. Still, for all he knew, the Flame Emperor could be watching right now. He forcefully suppressed his bitterness. Endure! I must wait for a foolproof opportunity! Just let Gu Han have his moment of glory for now!

The old man and Liao Zheng approached, showering Gu Han with praise. “Excellent! You truly are the sharpest sword in the Great Flame Border Army!”

Initially, due to the Yudan Sect incident, they harbored some small resentment toward Gu Han. After witnessing his achievements, the lingering grievances had vanished without a trace. Gu Han’s actions had undeniably restored the Great Flame Border Army’s morale, one blow at a time.

In the soldiers’ eyes, they no longer saw dejection, but soaring battle intent. So this is the truth. The barbarians aren’t all that, after all! They can fear, die, and even be crushed into pulp!

They hadn’t felt such exhilaration in years!