With just a glance,

Gu Han withdrew his gaze and continued on his way.

He had known Liu Ying since childhood and understood her character well; beneath her stunning beauty lay a heart of cold indifference and ruthless decisiveness.

Moreover,

In his heart,

Liu Ying was indeed beautiful, but she couldn't compare to even a fraction of Ah-Sha's charm.

...

Once upon a time,

One was the top genius of Sky Martial City.

The other was the city's most beautiful woman.

Everyone thought they were a pair, even City Lord Liu Yuan seemed intent on matchmaking them.

And with her deliberate approach, she had formed a not-so-shallow bond with Gu Han.

Of course,

All this was before Gu Han was crippled.

"Hm?"

The man beside her caught her expression.

"Do you know him?"

"Not very well."

Liu Ying shook her head, seemingly reluctant to discuss Gu Han further.

"But to think that you, Seventh Prince, of such noble status, would come to this small Sky Martial City."

"Cough cough..."

The Seventh Prince coughed lightly.

"Though Sky Martial City is small, the Barbaric Wilderness Forest stretches for thousands of miles, filled with countless spiritual herbs and treasures. It just so happens that Old Xue is here to seek medicine... cough cough, I'm just tagging along for the excitement."

"Old Xue? Could it be... that legendary Doctor Xue?"

Liu Ying could no longer maintain her composure.

Doctor Xue, with his profound cultivation and extraordinary medical skills, coupled with his humble and kind nature, had a great reputation in the Great Qi Dynasty.

"Indeed."

The Seventh Prince coughed again, his face showing a sickly pallor.

"It's him."

During the conversation,

His gaze turned towards the direction of the Barbaric Wilderness Forest, filled with hope...

Hoping that Old Xue could find a cure this time.

The cold poison in his body could no longer be delayed.

***

As dusk approached,

Gu Han continued to advance, carefully sensing the changes in his body.

Although his cultivation was only at the fourth level of Qi Condensation, perhaps due to the miraculous nature of his newly formed meridians, his spiritual power had become much purer and more condensed than before.

Naturally,

The power of his attacks far exceeded that of the fourth level of Qi Condensation!

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a roar erupted from not far away.

Gu Han's steps halted.

A demonic beast!

Whoosh!

In the next moment,

A demonic wolf over three feet long appeared before him!

Its eyes were filled with bloodlust and brutality, drool dripping from its fangs as it fixed its gaze on Gu Han.

A first-order demonic beast!

Just like humans,

Demonic beasts also had their own hierarchy.

First-order, second-order... corresponding to the various realms of human cultivators.

Rumors had it that if a demonic beast evolved to a higher order, it could transform into human form, calling themselves the Demonic Race. Aside from their innate talents, they could also cultivate human secret techniques, becoming extremely powerful.

Gu Han had never seen such a thing.

The highest he had seen in the Barbaric Wilderness Forest was a third-order beast, corresponding to the Meridian Unblocking Realm of humans.

"Roar!"

The demonic wolf roared again, leaving a blur as it pounced towards Gu Han!

"Ah!"

Ah-Sha was instantly awakened, extremely anxious.

"Young Master, be careful!"

"It's okay!"

Gu Han said firmly: "Hold on tight!"

Whoosh!

As he spoke, he lifted his sword and slashed at the approaching wolf!

On the blade,

A barely visible glint of light flashed by!

Pfft!

With a soft sound,

The demonic wolf didn't even have a chance to whimper before it was cleaved in two by the sword!

The cut was smooth as a mirror!

Gu Han lifted his sword, contemplating the notched blade.

This broken sword,

Was found by Gu Tian when he picked him up years ago, the only clue to his origin. Hence, he had always treasured it and never left it behind.

Just now,

His spiritual power seemed to resonate with the sword!

It was clear now.

The Great Expansion Sword Scripture had been hidden within this sword all along!

And that Golden Seal...

"Young Master."

Ah-Sha on his back was full of surprise.

"You were so amazing just now!"

"Was I?"

Gu Han snapped out of his thoughts, patted her little head, and smiled warmly.

"Are you hungry? I'll give you... Hm?"

He was about to collect the demonic wolf's corpse when his expression suddenly changed.

He gently set Ah-Sha down and looked towards the twilight in the distance, his face cold.

"Come out!"

"Tsksksk."

A mocking voice came through.

"It seems my pill has greatly aided Young Master Gu's recovery. I wonder what you'll use to thank me?"

During the conversation,

A plump figure emerged from the shadows.

It was the fat apothecary from the daytime!

"Eh?"

Ah-Sha naturally recognized him.

"It's you?"

"Ah-Sha, you know him?"

"Yeah!"

Ah-Sha was somewhat happy.

"Young Master, he's a good person, he gave me that pill..."

Innocent and guileless, she thought she had been helped by him and excitedly recounted the day's events.

"Is that so."

Gu Han's eyes narrowed.

"To deceive even Ah-Sha, you truly are scum!"

"Hehe."

The fat apothecary was unfazed.

"Given Young Master Gu's deeds, I doubt you're in any position to judge me! I didn't expect that even though you're crippled, you still had a beast core on you. If you're wise, hand over all the remaining beast cores, and I might consider sparing your life. If you don't cooperate..."

As he spoke,

He slowly advanced,

His aura unleashed, revealing the cultivation of the eighth level of Qi Condensation!

Now that everyone in the city knew Gu Han was crippled, he was confident in his advantage and appeared fearless.

"You want the beast core?"

Murderous intent surged in Gu Han's eyes.

"Then trade it for your life!"

Foster father Gu Tian.

Maid Ah-Sha.

They were the only two relatives in his life, and his reverse scale!

When the reverse scale is touched, what follows is his boundless rage and killing intent!

"Seeking death?"

The fat apothecary sneered, charging at Gu Han with a speed that belied his bulky frame.

"Then I'll grant it to you!"

Across from him,

Gu Han's scant spiritual power within his meridians was pushed to the limit, and a faint light suddenly shone on the dark sword blade!

In the blink of an eye,

The two figures crossed paths!

Pfft!

A soft sound!

"You..."

The fat apothecary's movement halted, a line of blood quickly spreading across his neck, and he fell forward stiffly!

Behind him,

Gu Han's figure swayed.

His current cultivation had not recovered, and killing an opponent four minor realms higher required his full effort, draining him significantly.

"Young Master!"

Ah-Sha was full of concern.

"Are you alright?"

"Let's go!"

Gu Han dared not delay, found the beast core from the wolf demon, looted the fat apothecary's corpse, then carried Ah-Sha on his back and headed into the Barbaric Wilderness Forest.

He understood well,

That those targeting him were certainly not limited to the fat apothecary.

***

The night deepened.

A long time had passed since Gu Han had left.

The fat apothecary's corpse naturally attracted many vultures that feast on carrion.

Whoosh!

Suddenly,

The vultures scattered in all directions!

In the night, a group of figures rapidly approached.

"Gu Commander!"

After inspecting the corpses of the fat apothecary and the wolf demon, one of them turned to the others.

"The cuts are smooth, just like Qian Fu and the others were killed!"

"It's him!"

Gu Commander's gaze fell on the distant Barbaric Wilderness Forest.

"He must be hiding in there, chase him!"

"Commander, the Barbaric Wilderness Forest is vast, and with demonic beasts everywhere, just us..."

"We still have to chase!"

Gu Commander took a deep breath.

"Have you forgotten the young master's orders? If we catch him, show no mercy, kill him on the spot!"

"Yes!"

...

The Barbaric Wilderness Forest was vast and boundless.

Even just the outskirts were filled with dense jungles and surrounding mountains, teeming with countless demonic beasts and poisonous insects. Every year, many cultivators perished within.

And the deeper one went,

The more dangerous it became.

As for what lay in the deepest parts, no one knew. Perhaps some had ventured there, but no one had ever returned alive.

Of course,

Thanks to this unique environment,

The Barbaric Wilderness Forest nurtured countless spiritual materials and precious ores.

Thus, despite the dangers, many independent cultivators still chose to try their luck here. Even if they couldn't find spiritual herbs, the beast cores from demonic beasts were valuable enough.

***

In a secluded part of the forest.

Pfft!

Gu Han casually killed a first-order demonic beast, took over its nest, and carefully set Ah-Sha down.

"Young Master."

Ah-Sha winced in pain, tears streaming down her face.

"It hurts so much..."

"Silly girl."

Gu Han was both amused and heartbroken.

She had carried him so far without a word of complaint, but now that they were temporarily safe, her inherently fragile nature was revealed.

"Wait here."

He spoke soothingly.

"I'll treat your wounds right away... Hm?"

Suddenly,

His expression tightened.

"Young Master, what's wrong?"

"There's someone talking!"

"I... I didn't hear anything!"

"There is someone!"

As a cultivator, Gu Han naturally had far superior hearing than ordinary people and began to listen intently.

"It sounds like... cursing!"

"Oh no!"

Realizing the source of the voice, his expression darkened instantly.

That cursing voice...

Came from within his own mind!