Chapter 52: The Ruins of a Dao-Slaying Master

Soon, Chu Han reached the mountaintop. The sensation grew ever stronger, guiding him as he searched the summit. He hardly encountered any powerful magical beasts—his perception was formidable. Before crossing their paths, he sensed their presence and hid until danger passed.

He scoured the mountaintop, and after ten minutes, discovered a cave. The feeling emanated from within, yet he did not rush inside; the aura of peril was overwhelming. At that critical moment, more than a dozen figures appeared, encircling him. They wore armor and carried longswords, seeming like ordinary men, but the force they radiated marked them as masters of the Wheel-Sea Realm.

“Haha, I didn’t expect such a young lad to come our way—excellent! Hand over whatever treasures you possess, and I might consider letting your corpse remain whole,” the leader stepped forward with a hearty laugh, his men joining in mockery, their eyes brimming with derision.

Chu Han’s face was grim. He said nothing, but judging by their attire, they belonged to some sect of East Wilderness. Why they appeared here, he could not guess.

“Who are you, and why are you here? How did you know I would arrive and set your ambush?” Chu Han was unafraid, yet sought to glean information. Perhaps they knew what lay within the cave; then he would not need to probe its dangers himself.

“Haha, we didn’t know who would come. As for the ambush—wasn’t your purpose the same as ours? There are relics left by a fallen master of the Path-Cutting Realm within the cave. However you learned of it, our ambush was not in vain.” The leader, thinking Chu Han had surrendered and was desperate for last words, revealed all they knew.

Chu Han nodded inwardly; no wonder he sensed something extraordinary here. Relics of a fallen Path-Cutting master were enough to incite East Wilderness’s factions, though few knew of this place.

“Enough talk. I’ve told you all you need to know. Now, prepare to meet your end,” snorted the man, rushing forward with his longsword wreathed in black flame. The aura he released made Chu Han realize he was a master of the Other Shore Realm; the rest were merely at the Divine Bridge Realm.

Chu Han scoffed, facing the assault without flinching. When the blade was upon him, he struck—a single punch. To their astonishment, his fist was unscathed while the burly man’s sword snapped cleanly. Chu Han’s fist landed squarely on the man, breaking bones and sinews, blood spurting from his mouth as life escaped him.

Chu Han never showed mercy to those threatening him; regardless of who they were, they were doomed. His display of strength shocked the remaining men—they retreated in terror. Together, they couldn’t best their captain, let alone fight Chu Han. They wished to flee, but his oppressive force rooted them in place.

At that moment, Chu Han moved. He charged into the group, thunder crackling, and in an instant, more than ten men lay prone, unable to rise. The weaker ones fainted outright.

“I ask you—why did you ambush here, and why won’t you enter?” Chu Han seized one who remained conscious and demanded loudly.

“There are traps inside. We’ve already lost several men, so we could only wait in ambush. The captain said others would surely learn of this place, and when they arrived, we would kill and rob them. Up here on the mountain, no one would know,” the man replied with trembling voice, desperate to live. Chu Han’s terrifying power had shattered his courage.

Chu Han nodded; this matched his expectations. Even fallen, a Path-Cutting master’s strength was formidable. Setting traps in their tomb to deter intruders was a simple matter.

After knocking the man unconscious, Chu Han pondered for a moment, then entered the cave. The relics of a Path-Cutting master were too great a temptation, especially since he had not yet broken through to the Dao Palace Realm.

Though the cave was trapped, Chu Han pressed forward without hesitation. Fortune favors the bold; in his previous life, reaching the Heavenly Lord Realm owed much to his love of adventure—his strength would have grown far slower otherwise.

Inside the cave, darkness unsettled him. He extended his right hand, unleashing lightning and fire, illuminating his surroundings. The cave was about the height of a man, yet very wide—five could walk abreast with ease. He advanced cautiously, wary of what lay ahead.

Ten minutes later, he was deep within, the entrance now a mere white speck behind him. Suddenly, a swarm shot out from the darkness, soaring through the air. Chu Han startled, ducking aside—it was a flock of bats, some thirty in number, streaming out. His expression grew grim.

After the bats left, he pressed on, arriving at a spacious plaza. Torches hung from the walls, flooding the area with light. Having emerged from the gloom, Chu Han’s eyes struggled to adjust. As he closed his eyes to recover his vision, a sudden threat from behind caught him off guard. He rolled forward, narrowly evading the attack.

Opening his eyes, he saw his assailant: an armored figure, clad in dull yellow, eyes vacant, resembling a corpse. Chu Han sensed it was a humanoid puppet—an advanced one, able to attack unaided.

Realizing it was a puppet, Chu Han relaxed. The puppet lunged again, but Chu Han dodged, then landed a punch, shattering it—its stony body unable to withstand his strength.

As expected of a Path-Cutting master’s tomb, such lifelike puppets lay in wait, striking as vision returned in the brightened space—almost impossible to guard against.

Having dealt with the puppet, Chu Han surveyed the plaza. Four stone doors stood around him, each with a mechanism. Pressing the mechanism would open the door, though danger surely lurked within.

But since he had come, he would not leave empty-handed. He approached one stone door and gently pressed the switch. Soon, the door creaked open.

Chu Han was ready for battle. As the door opened, countless poisoned needles shot forth, densely packed. Chu Han retreated swiftly, but their range was long; despite his withdrawal, he could not escape the barrage.