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Chapter 108: Holy Land, Death of the Sect Leader
Chapter 108: Holy Land, Death of the Sect Leader
Gu An had no idea what Li Ya had gone through. Every now and then, he would use his divine sense to search for the Great Blue Imperial Court, and Li Ya would be practicing his swordplay at the border. There also seemed to be an additional soul within his body, indicating that the Astonishing Guest hadn't deceived him.
All that was left to do now was to wait for the Mirian Sect to gather, and then wipe them out in one fell swoop.
Even after Gu An had cut down the Mirian Tree, the Mirian Sect remained active, seemingly unaffected. It was clear that there was more than one Mirian Tree.
The true enemy of the Great Xuan Gate was not the current Mirian Sect, but the imminent arrival of the core disciples of the Mirian Sect.
Gu An prepared to find an opportunity to advance his cultivation to the ninth layer of the Great Vehicle Realm.
The difference of a minor realm was significant, especially at higher levels!
After the new spring, everything returned to normal.
Lu Lingjun no longer sought out Gu An. She worked during the day and cultivated under the Xuanqing Tree at night. Whenever Gu An looked at her, he felt that she was reluctant to meet his gaze, though he wasn't sure if it was just his imagination.
An Xin quickly adapted to life in the Third Pill Valley. As the saying goes, "The valley takes after its master." The disciples in the valley were kind and amiable, and cultivation level was not the primary focus here, which made her feel relaxed.
As spring turned to summer, Gu An's age jumped to sixty-one.
Today, Tang Yu received his Foundation Establishment Pill from Gu An, and the entire Pill Valley was abuzz with excitement. Tang Yu represented their future, and they could envision themselves achieving Foundation Establishment.
This also prompted Lu Lingjun to glance at Gu An a few more times, and An Xin completely let down her guard. She felt that she had misunderstood Gu An; he truly was a good person.
Gu An was not only kind to his disciples but also gentle in his speech. He never cursed, rarely frowned, and always wore a smile, making others feel like they were in the warmth of spring.
Sending off his disciple meant that it was time to recruit new ones. Gu An still tasked Xiao Chuan with the recruitment, as it was also a way to increase his authority.
At noon,
Ji Xiaoyu came to visit Gu An. The ten geniuses were still cultivating their hearts in the Pill Valley, but they rarely interacted with the miscellaneous disciples, maintaining their distance.
"I'm preparing to leave to participate in the Holy Land assessment," Ji Xiaoyu said softly after entering the house and taking a seat.
Holy Land?
Gu An poured her a cup of tea and asked curiously, "What is the Holy Land, and where is it located?"
Ji Xiaoyu replied, "The Holy Land is the oldest force on this continent, with a legacy spanning tens of thousands of years. It is located outside the Nine Empires, and they do not involve themselves in worldly affairs or participate in any conflicts. Every hundred years, they recruit disciples. After entering the Holy Land to cultivate, one must leave within a hundred years at most, and how long one can stay depends entirely on one's fortune. The Ji family of old rose to prominence thanks to the Holy Land's legacy."
Gu An's curiosity grew as he listened, and he asked, "What is the Holy Land like that they don't retain disciples?"
Ji Xiaoyu shook her head. "No one knows. Even the elders of our clan who have been there before didn't elaborate much upon their return. They only said that entering the Holy Land is the only way to inquire about the path to immortality."
That's quite mysterious!
"I've heard that a great demon disaster will occur a hundred years from now. Why doesn't the Holy Land take action?" Gu An inquired further.
Ji Xiaoyu picked up her tea cup and said, "In fact, there was also a great demon disaster before the Nine Empires, which caused this continent to be dominated by demons and monsters, with humans barely surviving and becoming livestock reared by demons. Even then, the Holy Land did not intervene. Eventually, humans rose up and established the Nine Empires. According to our clan elders, the Holy Land has seen through the mortal world and what they value is not the safety of a single generation, but the longevity of the path to immortality."
After hearing this, Gu An gained a new level of respect for the Holy Land. It seemed that this Holy Land was truly above the mortal world.
Subsequently, he refrained from asking further questions and instead wished Ji Xiaoyu success in passing the Holy Land assessment and a smooth journey.
Ji Xiaoyu didn't stay long, as she intended to leave that very day.
Gu An escorted her downstairs and saw her off.
Lu Lingjun, who was passing by, approached and asked curiously, "Valley Master, what is the background of this young lady? She seems quite extraordinary."
She had long noticed the ten geniuses cultivating in the Pill Valley and learned that they were arranged by the Sect Master to be personally taught by Gu An. This caused her to view Gu An in a whole new light.
Among the ten, Ji Xiaoyu was the one who piqued her interest the most.
She could sense the aura of the Innate Dao Seal, and she even had the urge to seize it for herself, but she suppressed the thought.
"She's a true disciple of the sect and also Miss Ji Xiaoyu of the Ji family. She's one of the top geniuses in the sect," Gu An introduced.
Indeed, among cultivators, only An Hao had a higher life limit than Ji Xiaoyu.
An Hao had successfully formed his pill, and it was said that he had become a legend in the inner sect, with no one able to rival him. Even Gu Yu compared him to the true disciples who were out on their tempering journeys.
There were many paths in this world, and not all geniuses had to participate in the Hundred Races Assembly or pay homage to the Holy Land.
Lu Lingjun nodded and then asked, "Valley Master, have you read the Great Xuan Secret Record?"
Gu An's smile froze, and he frowned. "How did you come across such a book?"
What a character!
When would the Great Xuan Gate be able to rectify its ways?
Even the newly ascended had suffered greatly from it!
Gu An couldn't help but curse Shen Zhen a few more times in his heart.
"Someone in the outer sect recommended it to me. Could it be that it wasn't written by Valley Master? The protagonist's name is also Gu An..." Lu Lingjun said honestly.
Gu An was infuriated. "Do I look like that sort of person to you?"
"Indeed, you don't, which is why I'm asking," Lu Lingjun replied.
A smile appeared on Lu Lingjun's face, and the grudge in her heart dissipated, making Gu An seem much more pleasing to the eye.
She had held this question in for a long time and could finally no longer resist asking about it today.
"Next time, I'll have to find the Library Pavilion. The supervision isn't strict enough. I didn't expect someone to still be selling this book. It's best if you destroy it."
Gu An spoke sternly, a rare occurrence that left Lu Lingjun feeling inexplicably pleased. With a smile, she asked, "Valley Master, which do you think is better written, the 'Great Xuan Secret Record' or the 'Blue Hero's Adventure'?"
Gu An froze at her question.
Before he could respond, Lu Lingjun turned and left.
Gu An watched her retreating figure, unsure of what to say. Finally, he sighed.
His reputation was ruined!
Shaking his head, he turned toward the loft and pulled out a copy of the 'Blue Hero Adventure' from his pocket.
Since his reputation was already in tatters, he might as well stop pretending!
...
Under the starry night sky, within the Xuan Valley.
Gu An was in the loft, perusing through a secret manual of martial arts. It was a basic fire-attributed technique, and since there didn't seem to be any five-elemental techniques in this world, he intended to create one himself.
After all, he didn't cultivate daily, so who knew, maybe he would stumble upon a breakthrough?
Although his comprehension was lacking, he had ample time to figure it out.
Deep into the night, Gu An suddenly sensed a presence entering the vicinity of the Xuan Valley.
An immortal in the Void Traversing Realm!
The stealthy approach of such a powerful cultivator could only spell trouble.
However, Gu An didn't immediately take action because he suspected someone.
As expected, after a while, Yang Ni emerged from her courtyard and quietly left the Xuan Valley, hurrying toward the direction of the Void Traversing Realm cultivator.
Eventually, the two met in a forest over thirty miles away.
In the dim forest, Yang Ni halted and looked toward a figure sitting under a tree, illuminated by the moonlight. It was a female cultivator.
"You're a bit slow, Yang Ni. Why have you been staying in the outer sect? Didn't Li Xuandao assign you to the inner sect?" The female cultivator asked in a cold voice.
The woman in the purple skirt had her long hair pinned up with several jade hairpins, exuding an air of elegance and beauty. Even her cold eyes held a bewitching allure.
Yang Ni replied, "No, Li Xuandao asked me to protect an outer sect disciple who has a close relationship with his son, Li Ya."
"Has Li Xuandao discovered your true identity?"
"I don't think so, or he wouldn't have asked me to protect Li Ya."
"The Mirian Tree was destroyed by a mysterious cultivator, and even the Sect Leader died. The only possibility is that a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator from the Great Xuan Gate took action. You must find a way to investigate if there are any other Great Vehicle Realm cultivators in the Great Xuan Gate besides the Sect Leader."
Great Vehicle Realm! Yang Ni's expression changed as she hurriedly asked, "How can I possibly come into contact with a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator with my cultivation level?"
"According to our informant in the Elders' Hall, Lu Baitian has already failed his tribulation, so he couldn't be the one who killed the Sect Leader. The culprit is most likely the Sword Venerable of Fudao. Ever since Fudao Sword Venerable became famous, our sect has been investigating him. After excluding all other possibilities, we can only speculate that the Fudao Sword Venerable is a hidden cultivator, and he may even be hiding in the outer sect where the Buting Platform is located."
Yang Ni's eyebrows furrowed at the purple-skirted woman's words.
"Of course, Fudao Sword Venerable is just a guess. In any case, you need to find a way to investigate the outer sect."
Yang Ni hesitated and said, "I've been busy cultivating the Mirian Flower recently, so I can't leave."
"You can't leave?"
The woman in the purple skirt frowned and then extended her spiritual sense to scan the distant Xuan Valley.
After a few breaths, she coldly humphed, "That boy has quite a handsome face."
Yang Ni's face changed, and she quickly said, "Don't you dare harm him!"
"What is your relationship with him?"
"He's not only the one Li Xuandao wants to protect, but he's also my newly accepted disciple!"
"Your disciple? What if I want him for myself?"
"Shut up!"
Yang Ni flew into a rage and even drew her sword.
The purple-skirted woman glanced at her with contempt. "I'll come again next year. If you don't provide me with information that satisfies me, that boy will be mine. After draining his yang energy, I'll turn his bones into a pendant and give it to you. You can look at it whenever you think of him."
With that, she turned and left.
Yang Ni watched the purple-skirted woman's departing figure, her eyes filled with anger. However, her hand on the sword hilt couldn't bring herself to draw the sword.
She took a deep breath and turned back toward the valley, her movements quick as if afraid that something would happen to Gu An.
As Yang Ni rushed back to the Xuan Valley, the purple-skirted woman walked through the forest, a mocking smile on her face as she thought of Yang Ni's reaction.
Slap!
A hand suddenly landed on the purple-skirted woman's shoulder, causing her to stop in her tracks, her pupils dilating.
She instinctively tried to turn, and her peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a deep purple demonic shadow.
"Tho..."
Boom!
A terrifying spiritual sense forcefully entered her mind, leaving her eyes hollow and vacant.
On the other hand.
Yang Ni returned to the Xuan Valley and saw that the lamp in Gu An's loft was still lit, and his aura was still present, which eased her worries.
Inside the room, Gu An sat at the table, with the purple-skirted woman kneeling in front of him. He was pressing her head with his right hand, performing the Soul-Seizing Technique.
His spiritual power enveloped the woman, and the creation of the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body concealed her. Unless someone entered the room, even spiritual sense scans wouldn't be able to detect her or sense her aura.
...
(End of Chapter)
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