https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-106-Transcending-the-Void-Realm-Is-It-Powerful-/12575270/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-108-Holy-Land-Death-of-the-Sect-Leader/12575272/
Chapter 107: The Road to the Nine Profound Realms
Chapter 107: The Road to the Nine Profound Realms
Li Ya finally agreed to join the Ephemeral Sect, and Gu An did not comfort him much, maintaining his image as a mysterious and respected senior.
After leaving the Northern Sea Mountains, Gu An returned to the Mysterious Valley.
Next, he prepared to embark on a long-term life-extension plan, aiming to break through the thousand-millennium longevity milestone!
The harsh winter eventually passed, and the New Spring Festival arrived. The entire Tai Cang Imperial Court was in a festive mood, with colorful lanterns and decorations everywhere. Even the Tai Xuan Gate began to celebrate the occasion.
On this day, Gu An strolled through the outer gates with Xiao Chuan and Lu Lingjun.
Lu Lingjun was intrigued by the Spring Festival and had specifically requested to visit the outer gate city. Considering the extraordinary Heavenly Spirit Lake formed by the Heavenly Spirit Water, Gu An had agreed to bring her along, having grown fond of her.
With Lu Lingjun by his side, he also had the opportunity to recruit her into the Tai Xuan Gate, ensuring future protection and support.
Gu An's foundation was already established, and the stronger the Tai Xuan Gate became, the better his chances of survival.
Over the years, the reputation of the Tai Xuan Gate had improved, and the occurrence of dark incidents had lessened, leading to Gu An's growing sense of belonging to the sect.
As soon as they arrived at the outer gate city, Xiao Chuan left on his own, as he had friends in the city as well.
Gu An took Lu Lingjun to the Butian Platform, wanting to show her the two characters "Zheng Dao" (Righteous Path).
When he had inscribed those characters, he had just reached the Combined Realm, which was also why the Demon Path feared Lu Baitian more. For those at the Combined Realm, the sword intent on the Butian Platform was not unimaginably powerful, as he had inscribed them from a distance.
"After so many years, the sword intent left by the Supporting Sword Venerable still attracts so many cultivators to observe. It's truly remarkable," Gu An sighed.
Lu Lingjun had seen the "Zheng Dao" characters when she first arrived at the Tai Xuan Gate, and she nodded, "Indeed, it's impressive."
In the world she came from, she had never encountered such powerful sword intent, and this further fueled her curiosity and expectations about the Tai Xuan Gate.
If the outer gate had such powerful sword intent, what kind of depth did the inner gate possess?
Not to mention the even more prestigious sect's main city!
Just thinking about it excited Lu Lingjun. She felt that at the Tai Xuan Gate, she could find a way to break through to higher realms.
However, Gu An noticed that Lu Lingjun's reaction was rather lukewarm, and her words seemed perfunctory.
Oh no!
Does this young lady look down on my sword intent?
Does she believe she can defeat me, a cultivator at the Combined Realm?
As these thoughts crossed Gu An's mind, his sense of self-satisfaction diminished considerably.
There were countless talented individuals in the world, especially those who had emerged victorious from their own worlds. He must not be complacent and underestimate others.
Gu An continued to scan the Butian Platform, sending out lifespan probes toward the unfamiliar cultivators.
Because it was the Spring Festival, there were fewer people on the Butian Platform than usual, as most were strolling through the city and relaxing their Dao hearts.
"Valley Master, I want to wander around by myself. May I?" Lu Lingjun asked.
This left Gu An feeling even more hurt. Was his sword intent truly so unattractive?
"Go ahead. Let's meet back here in the evening," Gu An nodded, secretly deciding that he must find a way to keep Lu Lingjun in the Tai Xuan Gate.
Such a talented individual should be serving the Tai Xuan Gate!
Wait a moment!
Why am I suddenly thinking like a sect master?
This is all Lu Baitian's fault!
Gu An shook his head and turned towards the Elixir Hall.
He also had many friends in the outer gate city, mostly concentrated in the Dan Medicine Hall and the Library Pavilion. Over the years, whenever he visited, he would meet up with a few close friends, listen to their cultivation experiences, and enjoy the simple and leisurely life.
On the other side.
Lu Lingjun wandered around until someone stopped her.
"Miss, I have some good books here. Why don't you buy one? Many female disciples are reading them," said the disciple mysteriously, glancing around as if afraid of being discovered.
Lu Lingjun raised an eyebrow, "Do you know 'The Green Hero's Journey'?"
The disciple's eyes lit up at the mention of the book, "A true connoisseur, I see. I could tell from your extraordinary demeanor that you are well-versed in this field. Indeed, I do have 'The Green Hero's Journey'. Buy one copy of the 'Tai Xuan Secret Transmission', and I'll give you two copies of 'The Green Hero's Journey' for free!"
"Oh? How many books are there in the complete set of 'The Green Hero's Journey'?"
"There are quite a few. Do you want the entire collection, miss?"
"Yes."
"In that case, for 200 low-grade spirit stones, you can buy ten copies of the 'Tai Xuan Secret Transmission', and I'll throw in the full set of 'The Green Hero's Journey'."
"Deal."
The two began their transaction, and after the sale, the book-selling disciple quickly left, as if he had just committed a crime.
Lu Lingjun felt that she had been cheated. How could an ultimate secret manual or a secret book be so cheap? However, 200 low-grade spirit stones were insignificant to her, so she put all the books into her storage bag to read later when she returned to the valley.
When Gu An arrived at the Dan Medicine Hall, he spotted a familiar face—An Xin, the disciple he had accepted in the outer gate.
An Xin had mediocre talent and could only remain in the outer gate, but An Hao had not forgotten about her. From time to time, he sent her various Elixir Pills. Unfortunately, her cultivation progress remained slow.
The two of them had been born in the same village, but their paths in the immortal realm had diverged greatly, leading Gu An to sigh at the unfairness of fate.
An Xin was currently running errands at the Dan Medicine Hall. She felt that she shouldn't rely on An Hao forever and wanted to make her own efforts as well.
Gu An watched as the fragile-looking An Xin dealt with the male disciple who was deliberately making things difficult for her, and he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
Perhaps it would be better to just take care of her for the rest of her life?
While Gu An valued An Hao more, An Xin was still his disciple.
Moreover, if he didn't take action, he feared that one day, An Xin would die because of An Hao. As their cultivation levels increased, An Hao's enemies would only grow in number, and eventually, someone would target An Hao's weakness—An Xin.
With these thoughts in mind, Gu An walked up to An Xin. The male disciple, upon seeing Gu An approaching, quickly put on a smile and greeted him respectfully.
Gu An held a significant position in the Dan Medicine Hall, as he visited every month and was known to be close to the hall's elders.
After dismissing the disciple, Gu An turned to An Xin.
"Is there something you need, Master Gu?" An Xin asked anxiously. She was more aware of Gu An's identity than the other outer disciples, knowing that he was someone who could chat casually with the sect leader.
Previously, when Lu Baitian had taken An Hao to confront Gu An, An Hao had taken the opportunity to bring An Xin to the Third Medicine Valley, and the two had met. At that time, although Gu An hadn't spoken to An Xin, she had left a deep impression on him.
"You're called An Xin, right? Why don't you come with me to the Third Medicine Valley? It's all the same doing odd jobs, but you'll have better treatment with me, and it will be more convenient for you to see An Hao in the future. I'm quite close with your senior brother," Gu An said with a smile.
Upon hearing this, An Xin hesitated.
Gu An saw through her thoughts and said earnestly, "It's good to be self-reliant, but there's no need to deliberately make things hard for yourself. Doing what's good for you is also good for An Hao. What are you hesitating about?"
An Xin remained silent.
For the first time, Gu An found this young lady so stubborn. He said in a low voice, "I have a cultivation technique here that may be able to change your natural talent. As long as you perform well in the Medicine Valley, I'll teach it to you."
He was referring to the 'Dao Yan Gong' that Wo Xin had passed on to him, which involved accumulating spiritual energy and suppressing one's cultivation, waiting for the right moment to break through and reverse one's destiny.
Wo Xin had spoken about it mysteriously, but this technique had not yet been tested.
Upon hearing this, An Xin was finally moved. She bit her lip lightly and asked, "Thank you, Master Gu. Should I go back and pack my things now?"
"There's no need to inform the people at the Elixir Hall. I'll handle it. You can just leave now, and I'll wait for you here. There's no rush, just come back before evening," Gu An said with a smile. He had an urge to reach out and ruffle An Xin's hair, but he restrained himself.
The child had grown up, and such an action wouldn't be appropriate. Moreover, the two of them had not yet recognized each other, so doing so might be too forward.
An Xin smiled brightly at him and bowed before leaving.
Gu An watched her departing figure, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
An Xin used to be like a little bean sprout, thin and weak. Now, she had grown tall and beautiful, which made him feel relieved.
After stepping out of the threshold, An Xin breathed a sigh of relief.
"Why is he looking at me with a smile? Does he have ill intentions?"
An Xin felt anxious, but then she thought that there were many disciples in the Third Medicine Valley, and even if Gu An had ill intentions, he probably wouldn't dare to do anything improper. This thought calmed her down.
...
Upon returning to the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An asked Lu Lingjun to arrange accommodations for An Xin. If the two of them developed a closer relationship, Lu Lingjun could also guide An Xin in her cultivation.
This arrangement also put An Xin at ease.
Gu An noticed that An Xin seemed tense during the journey, but he didn't think much of it.
Afterward, he returned to the Mysterious Valley through the teleportation formation.
Back in the valley, he summoned Chu Jingfeng and Lu Jiujia and formally imparted the 'Dao Yan Gong' to them.
Upon hearing Gu An explain the effects of the cultivation technique, the two men breathed heavily, their eyes full of anticipation. The first to snap out of it was Lu Jiujia, who immediately knelt before Gu An in gratitude.
Chu Jingfeng gritted his teeth but did not kneel.
Gu An quickly helped Lu Jiujia up. He didn't need others to kneel to show their loyalty; kneeling was not the only way to demonstrate devotion.
This was a good opportunity to test the 'Dao Yan Gong' on these two men. If it proved effective, he would then let An Xin cultivate it.
After they left, Gu An took out the latest volume of 'The Green Hero's Journey' to read.
So many years had passed, and new volumes of 'The Green Hero's Journey' were still being published. Gu An truly admired the author. He wondered if the author didn't cultivate and instead spent his time traveling the world.
...
Under the cover of night, a dilapidated temple sat amidst the mountains.
Jinghong Ke sat on the eaves, holding a long scroll, which he read by the moonlight. "Have you made up your mind? Once you join the Ephemeral Sect, there's no turning back, and you'll have to be marked with the Ephemeral Seal," he said softly.
Li Ya stood in the courtyard, his back straight as he carried the Beihai Heavy Sword. He stared intently at Jinghong Ke and asked, "Aren't you the one who wanted me to join the Ephemeral Sect? Why? Do you not want me to join now?"
Jinghong Ke turned to look at him, his gaze cold and detached, as if he could see right through Li Ya.
"The goal of the Ephemeral Sect is to pursue the Nine Abyssal Paths. A hundred years from now, the Demon-Monster Catastrophe will sweep across the Nine Dynasties. At that time, only those who embark on the Nine Abyssal Paths will be able to escape the human inferno. Joining the Ephemeral Sect is a way to secure your own survival, and if you perform well, you may even obtain the Ephemeral Flower, which can enhance your natural talent."
Jinghong Ke's voice was calm and detached as he spoke of the impending catastrophe. The mention of the "Demon-Monster Catastrophe" caused Li Ya's eyebrows to furrow.
Li Ya asked what the catastrophe was.
Jinghong Ke did not hide the truth and explained it to him.
Upon learning that the Nine Dynasties would be trampled under the endless waves of demons and monsters, Li Ya was shocked.
"What you're saying is nonsense! If we can't win, we can just flee south to the sea. Why rely only on your Nine Abyss Road for escape?" Li Ya challenged.
"Throughout history, how many cultivators have ventured south, and how many have returned? The demons and monsters in the sea are even more terrifying," Jinghong Ke replied.
"The cultivators of the Nine Dynasties could unite and resist the Demon-Monster Catastrophe together," Li Ya argued.
"There are already demons and monsters beyond the Combined Realm in the world beyond the Nine Dynasties. Do you know what the Combined Realm is? It's the existence beyond the Void Realm! Such overwhelming demon kings could sweep through the Nine Dynasties on their own, not to mention that there is more than one, and they have countless demons and monsters under their command," Jinghong Ke said, his tone icy.
Li Ya fell silent.
Beyond the Combined Realm...
He couldn't help but think of the Li family's ancestor, wondering if he had transcended the Combined Realm.
Jinghong Ke continued, "I forgot to tell you that there are also beings beyond the Combined Realm in the Ephemeral Sect. When they arrive, it will be the day the Tai Xuan Sect turns to ruins."
Third shift!
(End of Chapter)
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