Supreme Sword Master - Chapter 9

"Supreme Sword Master - Chapter 9: A Flawed Soul, An Incurable Condition!"

Chapter 9: A Flawed Soul, An Incurable Condition!

Looking at the elderly man who referred to himself as "this humble servant" and spoke in a soft, sinister tone, Gu Han's heart immediately tightened. He instinctively gripped his sword tightly.

Strong!

Extremely strong!

This old man gave him an overwhelmingly dangerous feeling—someone he couldn't possibly resist.

Taking a cautious step forward,

He blocked the entrance to the cave behind him.

There.

A Sha was still sound asleep.

Two days had passed since his battle with Commander Gu, but A Sha had remained unusually asleep this entire time. Gu Han assumed it was due to her exhaustion, so he carved out a cave here for her to rest properly.

With the lingering presence of the red snake's aura,

Few humans or beasts dared to approach. For now, it was a relatively safe place.

As for the fruit...

It had long been plucked and consumed by him.

However.

Though the fruit was miraculous and helped him smoothly break through the Qi Condensation stage, he had only reached the second level of the Spirit Enlightenment stage—a far cry from the potency of the red snake's venom.

After much thought,

He could only attribute the disparity to the liquid spiritual energy within his body and his abnormally wide meridians.

"Boy!"

Seeing that Gu Han remained silent, Master Li grew impatient.

"This humble servant is asking you—where is the Solar Blaze Fruit?!"

Solar Blaze Fruit?

So that was the name of the fruit?

"I don't know."

Gu Han naturally wouldn't admit anything.

"I've never seen the Solar Blaze Fruit you're talking about."

"Cunning brat!"

Master Li raised an eyebrow.

"How dare you deceive me? If you haven't seen it, then where did the aura of the Solar Blaze Fruit on your body come from? Speak the truth, or else!"

"..."

Gu Han was speechless.

Was this guy part dog?

How could he sniff that out?

"If you hand over the fruit obediently, I'll be in a good mood and reward you. But if you keep spouting nonsense..." Master Li sneered coldly, "I'll make you regret it!"

As he spoke,

An icy pressure surged forth!

"It's too late."

Seeing how aggressive Master Li was, Gu Han realized there was no way this situation would end peacefully. There was no point in hiding the truth any longer.

"The fruit—it's gone."

"What do you mean?"

"I ate it."

"You what?!"

Master Li shrieked.

"Ate it? You arrogant fool! The Solar Blaze Fruit's effects are overwhelming—even cultivators at the Spirit Accumulation stage must carefully refine its energy. With your measly Spirit Enlightenment cultivation, how could you possibly withstand its explosive power?"

"Believe it or not, I ate it."

"Fine, fine, fine!"

Master Li sneered darkly.

"You refuse to take the easy way out, huh? Then don't blame me for teaching you a lesson!"

With that,

The icy pressure multiplied several times over!

Gu Han tensed up, gritting his teeth as he fully mobilized his cultivation. Great Yan Sword Qi surged, ready to strike at any moment!

"Stop!"

Suddenly,

A loud shout came from afar, halting Master Li just in time.

It was Divine Physician Xue.

"Master Li!"

Xue approached, his expression stern.

"What are you doing?!"

"Elder Xue, you don't understand."

Master Li glared fiercely at Gu Han and recounted the events.

"This brat has a foul temper—I had no choice..."

Opposite him,

Gu Han stared coldly.

My foul temper?

Have you looked in the mirror lately?

"Enough!"

Divine Physician Xue frowned deeply after hearing the explanation.

"This matter is your fault! He arrived first, so the Solar Blaze Fruit rightfully belongs to him. If he doesn't want to give it to you, forcing it from him is inappropriate—highly inappropriate!"

"Yes!"

Master Li quickly forced a smile.

"Elder Xue is right. I was overly worried about the Seventh Prince's safety and acted rashly."

But inwardly, he disagreed.

This Divine Physician Xue was skilled in every way, except for being too soft-hearted—a pushover.

"Friend."

Divine Physician Xue pondered for a moment before addressing Gu Han.

"The Solar Blaze Fruit, though precious, is primarily known for its fiery properties. Its medicinal power is fierce and aggressive, and its effect on improving cultivation isn't as significant as one might think. Moreover... given your current cultivation, the fruit is practically useless to you."

Known for its fiery properties?

Gu Han suddenly understood.

No wonder the fruit's effect on him had been far below expectations—it made sense now.

"Friend."

Divine Physician Xue continued, "The Solar Blaze Fruit is highly valuable to me. How about you let me have it? Rest assured, I won't leave you at a loss—I'm willing to exchange it for equivalent cultivation resources!"

"..."

Gu Han already felt some regret.

He had eaten it too soon!

If he had kept the fruit until now, the cultivation resources he could have exchanged it for might have pushed his cultivation to the third or even fourth level of Spirit Enlightenment!

"Senior."

Divine Physician Xue's gentle demeanor and lack of coercion softened Gu Han's response.

"It's not that I'm unwilling, but the fruit... I truly ate it."

"Boy!"

Master Li shrieked again.

"You..."

"Enough!"

Divine Physician Xue shot him a displeased glance and shook his head.

"Since our friend is unwilling, I won't force the matter. Master Li, let's go."

"This... sigh, fine!"

Master Li reluctantly agreed but shot Gu Han another fierce glare.

"Boy, don't let me catch you again!"

Gu Han remained expressionless.

A threat?

He wasn't afraid.

From the tone and title, he had already vaguely guessed Master Li's identity, but he harbored no particular feelings toward the royal family of Great Qi.

Since childhood,

Gu Tian had taught him a principle:

A true man stands tall under heaven.

Respect, but fear nothing!

"Young Master..."

At this moment,

A weak, trembling voice came from behind him. It was A Sha, staggering out of the cave, still half-asleep, as if two full days of rest hadn't replenished her energy.

"A Sha?"

Gu Han's face lit up, and he quickly supported her.

"You're awake? Don't move too much—you're still injured!"

"Young Master, I'm hungry..."

Without cultivation and only a mortal body, she hadn't eaten or drunk anything for so long, naturally leaving her weak.

"Hungry? Alright, I..."

"Friend."

At this moment,

Divine Physician Xue's voice rang out again—he had returned and now stood before Gu Han.

"Senior."

Gu Han tensed up, quickly shielding A Sha behind him.

"The fruit—it's really gone. I ate it!"

"It's not about that."

Divine Physician Xue smiled faintly and took out a jade bottle from his storage ring.

"I noticed this young girl is quite injured. This is a medicinal powder I prepared in my spare time. Consider it a gift."

"Thank you, Senior!"

Gu Han exhaled in relief, accepting the jade bottle without hesitation.

Just the exquisite craftsmanship of the bottle hinted at the preciousness of the medicine inside—far superior to the ordinary pills he had obtained from Commander Gu.

In the distance,

Master Li's face darkened, wanting to lash out but restraining himself.

Tch!

What a lucky brat!

Encountering a renowned soft-hearted soul like Divine Physician Xue—it was sheer luck!

"Thank you, Grandpa!"

A Sha peeked out from behind Gu Han, timidly expressing her gratitude.

"Well, well, well!"

Hearing the word "Grandpa," Divine Physician Xue seemed to recall something, his expression momentarily distant.

"Little girl."

Shaking off his thoughts, his eyes softened even more.

"You're quite polite. My medicine won't be wasted on you... Hmm?"

Mid-sentence,

His brows suddenly furrowed.

"Something's wrong!"

"Senior, what's the matter?" Gu Han's heart sank.

"It seems..."

Divine Physician Xue examined A Sha closely, pondering for a moment.

"Girl, come here. Let me take a look at you."

"Ah?"

A Sha timidly glanced at Gu Han.

"Young Master..."

"Go ahead."

Gu Han smiled reassuringly. "This senior means no harm."

He was well aware that both Divine Physician Xue and Master Li were far stronger than him. If they intended harm, they would have acted directly instead of resorting to such tactics.

Divine Physician Xue gently placed his hand on A Sha's forehead.

A faint, milky-white glow flowed continuously.

After a while,

"Sigh..."

Divine Physician Xue withdrew his hand, his gaze filled with pity.

"Poor girl."

"Senior."

Gu Han's heart tightened.

"What's wrong with A Sha?"

"If I'm not mistaken, this girl suffers from what ancient texts call "Soul Deficiency Syndrome'!"

"Soul Deficiency Syndrome? What's that?"

"The soul is the foundation of a person. Whether a cultivator or a mortal, their soul is tightly locked within their spirit sea, with no leakage. Those with a deficient soul are dull, slow-witted, and in severe cases, exhibit signs of idiocy..."

The more Gu Han listened, the colder his heart grew.

It all matched!

Everything matched!

Ever since he found A Sha ten years ago, she had always been this mentally sluggish.

"Ten years?"

After listening to Gu Han's explanation,

Divine Physician Xue's brows furrowed even deeper.

"According to ancient records, those afflicted with Soul Deficiency Syndrome experience a constant loss of soul energy and rarely live past three years. Yet this girl..."

Beside them,

A Sha looked at him weakly, her expression confused.

"Senior!"

Gu Han was growing increasingly anxious.

"Can this Soul Deficiency Syndrome... can it be cured?"

"My skills are insufficient..."

Gu Han's eyes dimmed.

His heart plummeted to the bottom of his stomach.

"But..."

Divine Physician Xue's next words reignited a flicker of hope in him!