Gu Han failed to guard against the will, and nearly lost his mind and consciousness as a result.

Crafty bastard!

However, despite having caught him off guard, it still failed to breach the Great Evolution Sword Scripture’s mysterious light. It lingered on him far longer than before, but to no avail.

Finally, just as Gu Han felt he could barely hold on, the will dispersed once more. Though he had sustained no actual injuries, it felt as if he had just fought a grueling battle. Gu Han shook slightly, struggling to stay on his feet. He did not dare lower his guard in the slightest.

If it comes again and I’m caught unprepared, I’ll be done for.

He stared for another moment, yet nothing happened. The originally dim and hazy world gradually brightened. Even the red lightning and the giant eye in the sky flickered in and out of view, showing signs of dissipating. Within his consciousness space, the billions of tiny sword intents had reassembled into the sword scripture once again.

Upon seeing this, Gu Han finally breathed a sigh of complete relief. He had dodged this tribulation! At the same time, the shadow’s curses rang clearly in his ears.

***

Within the consciousness space, the shadow nearly lost it when he saw Gu Han. “You little bastard! What exactly did you do! To actually attract the probing of the Great Dao’s will!”

Gu Han was stunned for a moment, then laughed coldly. “The Great Dao’s will?”

So that’s what it is called! Just wait, this score isn’t settled. I don’t care if it’s the Great Dao’s will, if it provokes me, it still has to—no, wait, revenge against it seems a bit difficult!

One look at Gu Han’s expression and the shadow knew exactly what he was thinking.

The latter trembled with rage. “Do you have any idea that you nearly got me killed?! Day after day, provoking this one, provoking that one. There’s no one you don’t dare to provoke! You think you’re skilled enough to provoke the Great Dao? If you’re tired of living, let me out first, and I’ll finish you off with one slap!”

Gu Han’s face darkened. “Let you out? You know so many of my secrets. Do you really think I’d let you go?”

The shadow erupted in fury. “Fine! I knew it, you’re full of vile schemes. You just want to use me as free labor! And here I gave you so much guidance, you ungrateful wretch—”

Gu Han’s gaze deepened. “Tell me, the fewer people who know my secrets, the better, right?”

“No shit!”

Gu Han stared at him with an unfriendly expression. “Then it seems I should kill you first. You know all my secrets!”

The shadow’s tone shifted abruptly as he changed the topic. “Hurry! Go and check on my precious disciple! Is she okay?! You don’t need to worry about me! Just protect her!”

Gu Han ignored him and drifted away. “She only follows me. Without my permission, no one can take her as a disciple!”

The shadow’s heart prickled from his threat, and he didn’t dare speak loudly anymore.

“What the hell do you know! Becoming my disciple is for her own—” As if thinking of something, he suddenly sighed. “If it weren’t for the fact that I treated my disciples too well, how would I have ended up in this state today...”

***

Outside, Gu Han opened his eyes again. The world had become clear and bright. The red lightning and the giant eye had vanished without a trace, as if everything that had just happened was merely an illusion.

When he swept his gaze across, his heart suddenly ached. The Dao Bell! How come even the Dao Bell disappeared? What about the blessing?! If not ten rings, nine rings would have been fine too! It’s gone, just like that? After all that fuss and struggle? I nearly lost my life, yet I didn’t gain a single thing?! What a huge loss!

If he had received the Great Dao’s blessing, he could have entered the Divine Connection realm’s Supreme Stage at no cost!

For a moment, he twisted with regret. I was too greedy! Ten rings? What did I need ten rings for?! The blessings of nine rings would have been plenty!

As Ah Sha saw him awake, she pounced over. “Young Master, what just happened?!”

The others also gathered around to ask, filled with lingering fear. Although they had lost consciousness, they had clearly seen the red lightning and the giant eye earlier, and were extremely concerned about Gu Han’s safety.

Gu Han forcibly suppressed his heartache and explained a bit. Of course, to avoid worrying them too much, he glossed over the danger within.

Finally, he added seriously, “Oh, right. Not a single word about what happened here can be leaked. Otherwise, it would be an absolute catastrophe for me.”

Everyone nodded solemnly. Ten rings of the Dao Bell was too inconceivable. Moreover, the unusual heavenly phenomenon today had definitely alarmed many terrifying existences. The entire world was probably searching for the source. If Gu Han were exposed, the consequences were predictable.

Murong Yan frowned deeply. “Brother Gu, you didn’t get any rewards whatsoever?”

Gu Han was triggered. “I don’t want to talk about it!”

Ah Sha was sulky. “So stingy! That’s way too stingy!”

Zuo Yang agreed. “Indeed. The Great Dao is selfless, so it should treat everyone equally!”

Shen Xuan sighed. “Even if it gave a reward for four or five rings, that would be fine!”

Yang Ying nodded. “Three rings would be fine too! That’s still better than nothing!”

One said nothing, another said loss. Each sentence was clearly meant to cheer Gu Han up, but they were akin to sharp knives, causing him unbearable pain.

He grinded his teeth. “Enough! This matter is not over!”

Suddenly, Ah Sha seemed to have discovered something and yelped. “Oh? Young Master, there seems to be something over there?”

Following the direction she pointed, everyone looked and saw nothing.

Gu Han’s heart stirred. “Ah Sha, what do you see?”

No one understood the extent of Ah Sha’s abilities better than he did, hence he trusted her words completely.

Ah Sha tilted her head, thinking. “There. There’s light.”

Zuo Yang was a little puzzled. “Ah Sha, Fellow Daoist Gu and I just went there earlier—hmm?”

He stopped and carefully sensed it.

After a moment, he frowned slightly. “That’s right. The atmosphere there is indeed a bit different from when we went. But it’s too far away, and I can’t perceive it clearly. If Ah Sha hadn’t reminded me, I wouldn’t have noticed.”

Gu Han and Yang Ying exchanged glances as their hearts stirred.

“Could it be...? Senior Brother, should we go take a look?”

Zuo Yang nodded. “That works. Junior Brother, you gained nothing today. If you can obtain some blessing there, it might make up for it a little.”

Gu Han was full of grievances. Are we never moving past this?

***

Beyond the sky veil, that black-robed elder stopped in his tracks, staring at the empty void ahead. A trace of surprise flashed in his eyes.

“Such a thick sky veil! Even I would have to expend considerable effort to break through it! Hidden behind a sky veil this thick, no wonder the black jade gave no reaction at all! I didn’t expect this was where the young lady and her husband hid the young lord. Haa... After all these years, the young lord must have endured great hardship.”

Gradually, a terrifying and awe-inspiring aura gradually rose from him.

“Young Lord, wait for me. I will bring you home!”

***

Although the heavenly phenomenon in the sky had passed, they were still deeply shaken. Logically speaking, the Dao Bell had appeared again after three thousand years and bestowed countless blessings. This should have been a time for countless factions to celebrate, and for the geniuses blessed by the Great Dao to contend with one another.

However, no one was in the mood. The appearance of the giant eye and the red lightning had left them scarred. No one dared to let their guard down. At the same time, many people went to Tianji Valley to seek confirmation. However, Tian Ji refused them entry, declaring the valley closed for a hundred years.

Regarding this, opinions were divided, and all sorts of bizarre guesses surfaced. Some said a certain forbidden existence within a forbidden zone had angered the Dao Bell, resulting in divine punishment.

Others said that when the Dao Bell appeared, weird creatures from beyond the domain had taken the opportunity to sneak in. Once the Great Dao detected them, the divine lightning struck.

Others said an unparalleled heavenly pride had caused the Dao Bell to ring ten times, incurring heaven’s jealousy, and was blasted to dust.

***

Unbeknownst to them, those who truly understood the true story were currently inside the Wild Forest.

Luo Wushuang glanced at the sky which had returned to calm, frowning slightly. “They’re dead? No, that’s not right. If they died just like that, how could they be worthy of the word ’forbidden’?”

***

In the Forbidden zone, Chongming seemed somewhat unwilling after seeing the heavenly phenomenon gradually return to normal.

“That’s it? What a pity. I missed such a lively scene for nothing!” He glanced at the old man. “Little Yun, do you think the fish was caught or not?”

“I don’t know.”

As if expecting this answer, Chongming began to sigh with feeling. “He paid such a huge price. If he caught it, fine. If he didn’t... tsk tsk, then that’s a huge loss!”

The old man seemed unconcerned with this matter, instead focusing on something else. “Master Rooster, how great a fortune can that boy obtain?”

Chongming was taken aback. “Him? With his talent, it shouldn’t be small.”

The old man smiled. “I think the blessing he obtained is probably far greater than anyone can imagine!”

At this moment, Gu Han, who was in the Border Wasteland, suddenly felt his heart ache again.

Chongming was somewhat surprised. “Oh? Why do you think so highly of him?”

“His encounters are astonishing. Not only does he possess the ultimate method of sword dao, but he also seems to be walking the path of the Supreme Stage. Even I can’t see through his sword clearly.” The old man sighed. “If I were to impart my techniques on someone like him, it would actually harm him. It’s better to give him some guidance and help him avoid detours. That’s what suits him best. I have a feeling that if he grows up well in the future, his achievements in sword dao will definitely far surpass mine!”

Chongming did not refute. Though inferior in other respects, the old man’s understanding of the Sword Dao’s lineage exceeded his by ten times.

After a moment of silence, Chongming asked with a somewhat serious tone, “What do you think about him?”

He had asked this question before, but bringing it up again now clearly referred to something else.

The old man understood his meaning and shook his head. “Forget it. The consequences are too great. He cannot bear it. It’s rare to encounter such a good seedling. I cannot ruin him. Let the Profound Heaven lineage end with me!”

Chongming almost lost his patience. “If you could change this rotten habit of yours, would you have left such severe Dao wounds back then? And that God-Slaying Formation too. They brought it upon themselves, so whether they live or die isn’t any of your damn business! And now you’re—”

The old man interrupted him. “Master Rooster, it’s too late to talk about this now. I don’t regret the choices I made back then.”

Chongming sighed. “At least don’t die so soon. If you die, I will really have no companion left.”

The old man gently stroked his wooden staff. “Don’t worry. Before that sword is fully nurtured, I will not die.”

Chongming was stunned. “Nurture a sword? What are you nurturing a sword for?”

The old man’s eyes trembled slightly. A wisp of sword intent burst forth from the corner of his eye—vast, majestic, and unparalleled. It instantly cleared all the strange fog within ten li of the thatched hut.

“Nurturing a sword for a millennium is to slay a god.”

***

Everyone in the Myriad Transformations Holy Land secretly breathed a sigh of relief after seeing the heavenly phenomenon disappear. Just like the outside world, everyone was discussing it. All sorts of random guesses were circulating.

The Holy Master glanced at Chu Kuang. “Well? Any clues?”

He completely treated Chu Kuang as a contemporary. After all, aside from his former cultivation level, Chu Kuang was no inferior to him in insight and experience.

Chu Kuang was slightly haggard. “The Dao Bell’s rang strangely, so it must be connected to this. But to uncover the truth, we’ll need to investigate further in the Central Continent.”

Everyone knew that the Central Continent had Tian Ji, who excelled at discerning heavenly secrets. No one dared to offend him though his cultivation was at the bottom of the Saint realm. After all, nearly half the secrets circulating among the five domains came from him.

The Holy Master sighed. “We’ll have to settle for that. At least no major disaster occurred. Otherwise, with the Myriad Transformations Holy Land’s foundation, we would probably be the first to suffer.”

Chu Kuang shook his head. “It’s fine. Since you and I have an agreement, within these hundred years, I will help you—”

Before he finished speaking, several people suddenly flew over from afar. He recognized them as the people who were sent out earlier to find the four nine-ring individuals.

The Holy Master scolded them. “What are you panicking about! Did you find the people?”

The four looked at each other in dismay. Not long after they left, they were nearly scared out of their wits by the heavenly phenomenon. How could they still dare to look?

One of them braced himself. “Holy Master, we haven’t found them yet. But on the way back, we encountered the carriage of the Tiansheng Hall’s Divine Maiden. It seemed to be heading toward the Border Wasteland.”

Chu Kuang frowned deeply. “Border Wasteland? What is she going to the Border Wasteland for at a time like this?”

Of course, he knew of the Tiansheng Hall. Its strength and foundation were far greater than the Myriad Transformations Holy Land.

“Tiansheng Hall’s inheritance is ancient. They know many secrets we don’t. For them to go to the Border Wasteland at this time, they must have discovered something—hmm?” The Holy Master thought for a moment. Suddenly, he seemed to think of something and exchanged a glance with Chu Kuang. “Could it be...?”

Chu Kuang was somewhat excited. “There’s no mistake! It’s the Profound Pill Pavilion!”

***

In the Border Wasteland, with Zuo Yang and Gu Tian leading, the group found that anomalous place without much trouble. Before they even got close, everyone was already stunned by the scene.

Shrouded in a thin veil of mist, an ancient and incomplete complex loomed faintly into view. The buildings seemed to warp and waver with the rise and fall of the fog.

Gu Han suppressed his shock. “Brother Yang, by any chance, is this the secret place you mentioned?”

Yang Ying stared at it for a long time, somewhat hesitant. “It looks like it, but it also doesn’t...”

Gu Han had the urge to hit someone.