The morning sun climbed higher, bearing witness to Gao Han's ascent. As its rays fell upon the faces of once-celebrated prodigies, they seemed dazed and disoriented.
Gao Han had taught them a searing lesson that day: ranking among the outer sect's top hundred did not grant them free rein over the entire division. To him, they had merely been clowns putting on a self-indulgent show. With his strength, he could have claimed a place on the Condensation Grounds from the moment he entered the sect, yet he had chosen not to. Only when scorned and belittled had he stepped forward to teach them a lesson—defeating the fifth-ranked and third-ranked disciples in quick succession.
A sharp round of claps cut through the murmurs of the crowd. A handsome young man strode onto the Condensation Grounds, followed by a thin, sinister-eyed attendant. "Impressive, Wu Yan. I did not expect you to find a capable ally. Very well—I shall spare you this day. Sever one of your own arms, and you may leave unharmed. I promise never to trouble you again."
At the sight of him, the assembled disciples brightened. This was Gu Yunli, the acclaimed second-strongest disciple of the outer sect. The man at his heels was his loyal lackey. From Gu Yunli's words to Wu Yan, the crowd finally understood the root of the conflict.
Gao Han recognized him at once as the source of the entire affair. He glanced at Gu Yunli faintly, finding his features vaguely familiar, though he could not place where they had met. He soon dismissed the thought. "You have arrived at the perfect time. Let us fight." With that, he held his sword at a slight angle, his Long River Sunset Art circulating faster than ever. The earlier skirmishes had stoked his fighting spirit to its peak.
Gu Yunli cast a dismissive glance at Gao Han and sneered coldly. "You? Let me speak plainly—your performance just now was passable, but you are still far from being my match. It would be wiser for you to let your handyman disciple cripple himself."
He turned and walked directly toward Wu Yan, ignoring Gao Han entirely. Gao Han smiled to himself in bemusement. Did he truly look so weak? If his opponent would not strike first, he would force his hand.
He raised his sword and lunged forward. Enraged by Gao Han's audacity, Gu Yunli snapped, "Since you refuse to know your place, do not blame me for what comes next. Ge Ying, my sword!" The sinister lackey hurried forward and presented the sword with both hands.
A clear ring echoed as Gu Yunli drew his low-grade spiritual sword, its tip pointed directly at Gao Han's blade. Gao Han knew better than to pit his inferior weapon against his foe's finest. He instantly changed his stance, slashing at Gu Yunli's legs instead. Caught off guard by the shift, Gu Yunli leaped into a front flip, slashing his sword downward at Gao Han mid-air. Realizing he had no time to dodge, Gao Han flicked his blade and unleashed the Soul-Breaking Sword Art to meet the incoming strike.
A rapid series of clangs filled the air. Gu Yunli landed softly, his spiritual sword unscathed. Gao Han's blade, by contrast, was covered in tiny, pea-sized nicks.
"Your strength may be respectable, but weaponry is an extension of one's power. With a low-grade spiritual sword in my hand, you stand no chance against me." Gu Yunli twirled his sword, its glint dazzling in the sunlight. "You could have conceded with your dignity intact. But since you dare to defy me, I shall cripple your dominant hand and teach you your place."
Gao Han turned calmly to face him. "Your tongue is indeed formidable—something I fear I shall never match. As for victory… is it not too soon to declare yourself the winner?"
"Do you not see how ridiculous you look? You have already lost, yet you refuse to admit it. Your skin must be thicker than a turtle's shell." Gu Yunli stared at Gao Han with contempt.
"Then we shall put it to the test."
Gao Han channeled every ounce of his inner qi and surged toward Gu Yunli, unleashing the Soul-Breaking Sword Art at full force. This was the first time he had fought with everything he had since defeating Gao Ping. He knew his sword would not survive the clash.
Watching Gao Han's reckless advance, Gu Yunli only smiled coldly. He flicked his sword into motion, its flashes so rapid they cut through the air with a sharp whirring sound.
Gao Han's pupils constricted. This was the Swift Thunder Sword, a high-tier Mortal art of devastating power. He had seen it in the Scripture Pavilion and been tempted to choose it himself, but it demanded relentless, grueling practice—striking stones, repeating swings thousands upon thousands of times, all to double one's attack speed. Having already selected two high-tier Mortal arts, Gao Han had abandoned the idea for lack of time and energy. He had not expected Gu Yunli to master it so completely.
Gao Han knew he would lose if the fight continued this way. For every one of his strikes, Gu Yunli landed two. Even if one was blocked, the other would wound him.
He hardened his resolve. "I have no choice but to use this technique. I had reserved it as one of my trump cards, but it can no longer be helped." Over the past half-month, he had not only broken through in his arts and honed his combat skills—he had also devised two devastating secret techniques. Now was the time to reveal one.
"Soul-Breaking River Surge!"
Gao Han uttered the name of the move calmly. It merged the Roaring Torrent of his seventh-level Long River Sunset Art with the final form of the Soul-Breaking Sword. A single, sharp clang rang out as the blades locked. Gu Yunli could not launch a second strike—he realized the power of Gao Han's technique endured far longer than a normal blow. A continuous stream of frigid qi poured from Gao Han's sword into his own, surging toward his body. Before it could penetrate, Gu Yunli unleashed all his inner qi to meet it head-on.
The two warriors locked in a stalemate. The clashing currents of qi emitted low, throbbing sounds, a testament to their fearsome power.
Gradually, Gu Yunli began to falter, his face turning pale. Gao Han, by contrast, still bore a healthy flush. How can his qi reserves be so much deeper than mine? he thought in panic. And why is my qi dwindling so rapidly? It is not merely dissipating from the clash—it is vanishing entirely.
Gao Han himself was mildly surprised. His ice-attributed qi was not only resisting Gu Yunli's power but freezing it and converting it into his own. He could not absorb it permanently without damaging his foundation, but using it in the moment drastically conserved his own energy.
Gu Yunli grew increasingly desperate. His qi was fading fast, and he would soon be gravely injured from exhaustion. With a violent burst, he forcibly severed his connection to his sword, sending himself flying back ten steps.
He spat up a mouthful of blood, severely wounded by the backlash of cutting his qi flow short.
As Gu Yunli stumbled away, Gao Han's sword shattered into countless fragments. It had broken long ago, held together only by his qi until its task was done.
Gao Han smiled coldly at him. "It seems your mouth remains your greatest weapon." He then turned toward Ge Ying, who backed away in terror. "What are you doing? Save me, Brother Yunli!"
Gu Yunli's face darkened. "Friend, leave room for mercy in this life. We may meet again."
Gao Han glanced at him indifferently. "You speak of such wisdom now? Did you not threaten to cripple my handyman disciple without a second thought? You demand restraint from others while showing none yourself—and as a defeated man, no less."
Ignoring Gu Yunli entirely, he walked toward Ge Ying and struck him a single palm, leaving him badly injured. "You claimed to crave a fair duel. Now I give you one. Wu Yan, come here."
Wu Yan stepped quickly to his side. "Senior brother!"
"Is his injury comparable to what you suffered that day?" Gao Han said calmly. Wu Yan understood at once. "It is slightly lighter, but I am confident I can defeat him."
Gu Yunli knew he was utterly defeated—beaten by a fledgling newcomer. He glared at Gao Han with hatred. "One day, I shall surpass you. When that day comes, I will kill you and use your life as my stepping stone to greatness." Without a backward glance at Ge Ying's cries for help, he stumbled away, gravely wounded.
"Very well. He is yours. Conquer your own demons. If you cannot defeat him now, the fault lies within you." Gao Han sat cross-legged nearby and began restoring his qi.
He was not disappointed. Ge Ying's cultivation was far beneath Wu Yan's even at full strength, and Gao Han's palm had left him weakened. Wu Yan defeated him with ease.
After his victory, Wu Yan stood quietly behind Gao Han, waiting for him to finish meditating.
"Who has wounded my brother Gu Yunli? Show yourself and face death!"
A majestic voice boomed just as the crowd waited for Gao Han to awaken. The disciples exchanged weary glances. What kind of day was this? Did everyone prefer to make dramatic entrances from behind?
They looked toward the rear, but no one was there. Had they seen a ghost? A cold sweat broke out over many of them. Only Gao Han slowly opened his eyes and rose to his feet. "I am the one. Who are you?"
The moment he finished speaking, a figure shot toward them like a speeding arrow, covering the distance in the blink of an eye and stopping at the center of the Condensation Grounds.
The disciples' hearts sank. This was Gu Yunbie, the undisputed first-ranked disciple of the outer sect and Gu Yunli's elder brother. Rumors swirled that he had reached the True Essence Realm—or that he had not. What everyone agreed on was his overwhelming power. He had held the top rank for three consecutive years, ever since reaching the Ninth Layer of Qi Condensation. No fellow outer-sect disciple knew his true cultivation.
Of course, this ignorance only applied to those at the same level. To higher-ranked experts, his realm was plain to see.
Gao Han smiled coldly at his arrival. "Beat the younger, and the elder appears. Beat the elder, and will the patriarch show himself next?"
Before he even finished speaking, a powerful force crashed toward him from mid-air. Gao Han's eyes widened—True Essence Realm? He channeled his strength to the limit and unleashed the Cold Mountain Palm, striking the invisible wave. The force split down the middle, slamming into two ordinary wooden stakes behind him.
Crack! The stakes snapped cleanly. Everyone present had felt the invisible energy. True Essence warrior. The words echoed in their minds. "The rumors were true! Gu Yunbie has reached the True Essence Realm!" a young female disciple murmured.
Gao Han calmly brushed dust from his robes and spoke softly. "Will you not explain yourself? Do you truly believe yourself to be a full True Essence warrior?"
The crowd stirred in shock. Could Gu Yunbie not have reached the True Essence Realm? Then how could he unleash qi attacks from afar?
Gu Yunbie sneered. "What need is there for such questions? You wounded my brother. For that, you die." He lunged forward and threw a devastating punch at Gao Han.
Fully restored, Gao Han faced him with unshaken confidence. He met the punch with the Cold Mountain Palm, his Long River Sunset Art operating at full capacity as frigid river qi flooded his palms.
Boom! Gao Han was thrown back twenty steps. Gu Yunbie staggered back five. Both were astonished. Gao Han had not expected his foe's strength to be so monstrous—he had channeled every ounce of his power, enough to strike with a thousand catties of force, yet he had been pushed back four times farther.
Gu Yunbie, too, was taken aback. He cultivated the Wild Bull Mountain-Shattering Art, which granted him immense physical strength, and his cultivation far outstripped Gao Han's. He had believed his power to be insurmountable.
Gao Han calmed his mind and let his fighting spirit burn brighter than ever. At last, he had found an opponent worthy of his full strength.
He stopped holding back, unleashing his true power. Gu Yunbie's expression grew grave. "Boy, you are strong enough to warrant my full effort. But you still cannot defeat me."
Gao Han smiled faintly. "Thank you for the compliment. But I fear you cannot bear the cost of declaring victory so soon. Enough talk. We shall see who is worthy in battle."
A flash of killing intent ignited in Gu Yunbie's eyes. "Boy, you force my hand. You reap what you sow. It is a pity you will die young, not yet having reached seventeen."
"Wild Bull Quakes the Earth!"
Gu Yunbie clenched his fists into the shape of bull horns and charged forward. His punches whipped up a violent wind, lifting loose stones from the ground. A single strike to the head would have turned a skull to pulp.
Gao Han did not flinch. He unleashed the seventh form of the Cold Mountain Palm—World-Shaking Might. Wisps of frost curled around his hands, which turned as white as snow from the concentrated qi. The air itself seemed to freeze.
In a clash that held the crowd breathless, fist met palm. A shockwave exploded outward from the point of impact.
Many frontline spectators were knocked back a step, shouting in protest. "You stepped on my foot!" "Then why didn't you move?" "How could I? Sand got in my eyes!" "Let me blow it out for you!"
On this day, many warriors who witnessed the battle would find love in the chaos.
After three seconds of deadlock, the two fighters recoiled. Gao Han's hands were split open by the brute force of the punch. Gu Yunbie's hands shook uncontrollably from the freezing cold; the qi in his meridians had been frozen solid, blocking its flow. He circulated his energy violently to shatter the frozen qi and expel it from his body. He knew the frigid energy would render his qi unusable if he kept it.
Both techniques were devastatingly powerful. On the surface, they had fought to a standstill.
"Kill!"
Gao Han let out a low cry, his palms spinning in a flurry as he struck at Gu Yunbie from every angle with the Cold Mountain Palm. Gu Yunbie countered with the Wild Bull Fist, its thunderous momentum crashing toward Gao Han.
Gao Han slammed a powerful palm toward Gu Yunbie's chest. Gu Yunbie ducked and threw an uppercut at Gao Han's chin. Gao Han transformed his palm into a sword hand and unleashed the final form of the Soul-Breaking Sword toward his wrist. Gu Yunbie shifted his elbow into a punch and struck Gao Han in the abdomen.
Both landed a hit. Gao Han was thrown back ten steps, clutching his stomach. Gu Yunbie stood frozen, gripping his right wrist.
Gao Han spat up a mouthful of blood but forced himself upright, stubborn withstanding the pain. "You are strong. If you had truly broken through to the True Essence Realm, I would not stand a chance. But the path you have chosen is wrong."
"Boy, you are merely early Ninth Layer. What gives you the right to lecture me?" Gu Yunbie roared in fury.
"A warrior marches forward without hesitation. A solid foundation is vital, but you have forcibly halted your breakthrough to the True Essence Realm even though you are ready. You believe hoarding power will let you soar later, but you have already lost the fearless spirit of a true warrior. You are nothing but a fallen one. You will never again gaze upon the peak of martial arts. Half-step True Essence is nothing but a joke."
Gao Han smiled coldly and unleashed his final trump card—Ice Peak Roar.
He struck forward with the World-Shaking Might, fueled by the endless surging qi of the Roaring Torrent. Gu Yunbie ignored the pain in his right hand, channeling all his power into his fist to block the strike. But before the palm even reached him, waves of frigid qi crashed into his fist like blocks of ice, shattering his momentum entirely. Gao Han's Ice Peak Roar landed squarely on his chest.
Gu Yunbie was gravely wounded. The crowd finally understood the secret to his strength. Some warriors chose to delay their breakthrough to the True Essence Realm, believing they could grow far stronger by amassing power in the Qi Condensation stage. Such men were known as fallen ones.