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Chapter 111: The Nine Styles of the Heaven Severing God Axe, A Distant Presence
Chapter 111: The Nine Styles of the Heaven Severing God Axe, A Distant Presence
"Eight hundred years of bitter cultivation, consuming countless pills and medicines, finally achieving the profound heart realm, but even at the end of my life, I cannot escape the heart demon calamity. I, hate... hate..."
Gu An murmured a passage from the anonymous book, his brows furrowed.
The hatred of Xuantian Laozu leaped off the page—a deep resentment toward the heavens.
He hated that the heavens allowed him to achieve the Xuanxin realm, only to have his joy cut short by the birth of a heart demon.
Upon reading this, Gu An immediately thought of the limit of one's lifespan.
It seemed as if some sort of destiny was at play, shackling all living beings. Perhaps Xuantian Laozu's lifespan was only meant to reach the combination realm, but with his vast resources, he forcefully attained the Xuanxin realm. However, his lifespan did not extend, and he ultimately faced chaos from the heart demon, encountering a life-threatening calamity.
The more Gu An thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
For cultivators, the struggle was not so much against the heavens as it was against destiny itself.
Gu An believed that destiny could be defied, and he was living proof of that.
The limit of lifespan that he had seen might have been a reminder of the existence of destiny.
Aside from his ability to take the lifespan of others, there must be opportunities in this world to help break through the limits of lifespan. He just hadn't come across them yet.
It was because of the immense difficulty of achieving immortality that so many people dedicated their lives to this pursuit, undaunted by the risks.
He would have to see if the Dao Derivation Technique was effective. If it was, he could use a portion of his lifespan to enhance the technique.
Gu An felt hopeful, as the lifespan of those who cultivated the Heart Enlightenment technique far exceeded that of their peers.
He continued reading, and the rest of the book recorded the life of Xuantian Laozu, from his initiation into the Tai Xuan Gate to his competition for the position of sect master. It was like reading a novel, with brief descriptions that sparked the imagination.
After finishing the will, Gu An tossed the book into his storage bag and picked up the secret manual for the Heaven Severing God Axe.
The more he read, the more engrossed he became, as if a figure wielding an axe appeared in his pupils.
The Heaven Severing God Axe consisted of nine styles: Severing Life, Severing Demons, Severing Ghosts, Severing Mountains, Severing Seas, Severing Laws, Severing Immortals, Severing Gods, and Severing Heavens! It sounded domineering, but whether it could truly sever immortals and heavens remained to be seen.
The nine styles were not nine levels but nine techniques. Xuantian Laozu had mastered all nine, and before he went berserk, he had never encountered an opponent.
He swept through the cultivation world of the nine dynasties, solidifying the reputation of the Tai Xuan Gate as the orthodox sect. However, he did not leave the Heaven Severing God Axe to the Tai Xuan Gate because it was a legacy of the sacred land and could not be passed on to outsiders. If the sacred land found out, they would strip him of his cultivation, as specifically noted in his will.
After a quick scan, Gu An tossed the manual into his storage bag.
He turned and entered the dilapidated wooden house. Everything inside was worn and old, with weeds growing on the ground. In the center of the room stood an axe, covered in dust.
He walked up to the axe and gently blew on it, causing the dust to disappear and revealing a black axe.
The Heaven Severing Axe, an extremely rare artifact, was also forged from North Sea Dark Iron, but it was a million-year-old North Sea Dark Iron, even heavier than Li Ya's North Sea Heavy Sword, and capable of holding more spiritual power.
Gu An gripped the Heaven Severing Axe, his eyebrows raising in surprise.
It's a bit heavy!
With his Great Vehicle Realm cultivation and his training in the Innate Compliant Art, he possessed tremendous strength. If he could feel the weight, one could only imagine how heavy the axe truly was.
Forget about using the techniques of the Heaven Severing God Axe; it felt like one could simply smash people to death with it.
Gu An lifted the Heaven Severing Axe, and as he focused, the axe felt lighter in his hand, allowing him to wield it with ease.
He wanted to put this treasure into his storage bag, but it was bounced back by the spatial restriction of the bag.
It won't fit!
Interesting!
Gu An immediately put down the axe and began inspecting the room, but he found nothing else of value.
Soon after, he stepped out and sealed the crack on the mountain wall. With his Five Elements Divine Body, he now possessed a perfect earth attribute talent, allowing him to gather spiritual power into earth.
Only after completely sealing the crack did Gu An feel relieved.
From now on, this would be his cave abode!
In a cheerful mood, Gu An walked back into the Xuantian Cave Abode with a smile on his face.
Time to cultivate!
...
Towards the end of autumn, in the Third Medicine Valley, the disciples were sweeping fallen leaves.
Lu Lingjun suddenly looked up towards the sky, where a figure was flying swiftly.
Her eyebrows furrowed slightly as she was startled by the visitor's identity.
Combination Realm, Ninth Layer!
The visitor was none other than Lu Baitian.
Lu Baitian quickly flew to the pavilion where Gu An resided and climbed the stairs.
Lu Lingjun retracted her gaze, curious about the identity of this person.
Although Lu Baitian had visited the Third Medicine Valley several times, he had never revealed his true identity. When An Hao and An Xin spoke of him, they only referred to him as a senior disciple of the sect.
Upon entering the house, Lu Baitian closed the door and cast a restriction to prevent anyone from eavesdropping.
Gu An put down his book and asked with a smile, "Sect Master, why have you come?"
He stood up and prepared to make tea.
"No need for the trouble. Sit down, let's talk," Lu Baitian waved his hand and walked to the table. He lifted a hand to pull a chair over and sat down.
Gu An sat down as well and asked, "Talk about what?"
What could I possibly talk to you about?
Don't tell me it's about taking on disciples again!
Gu An inwardly rolled his eyes. As a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator, he certainly wasn't going to take on a master.
"Let's talk about Li Xuandao," Lu Baitian said, his eyes fixed on Gu An.
Gu An asked in surprise, "What about him?"
"Prince Li Dai had his golden core extracted, his infant soul and cultivation ruined. There was also a Crossing Void Realm cultivator by his side who died.
Lu Baitian's words moved Gu An.
He was genuinely surprised.
Had Li Xuandao made his move right after the Enforcement Hall of Tai Xuan Gate left? To be able to kill someone of the same realm right after entering the Void Crossing Realm was no easy feat.
Void Crossing Realm cultivators had countless methods at their disposal. Even if one couldn't defeat an opponent of the same realm, escaping shouldn't be difficult.
Although Gu An made killing Void Crossing Realm cultivators look easy, it was because he was suppressing his own realm. His enemies didn't even have time to flee.
"Are there any Void Crossing Realm cultivators by Li Xuandao's side?" Lu Baitian asked.
Gu An helplessly replied, "Whether there are or not, I can't tell."
Lu Baitian paused, realizing the logic in Gu An's words, and his expression softened.
"With the Crown Prince's death, Tai Xuan Gate can only support Li Ya. The emperor must be someone from Tai Xuan Gate, but it's a pity that Li Ya has been away for many years and hasn't returned," Lu Baitian sigthed.
"If it weren't for the imminent attack from the Epiphyllum Sect, I would have deposed Li Xuandao already."
Gu An asked curiously, "Why depose him?"
Lu Baitian replied, "He has been emperor for almost two hundred years, yet the Great Cyan Heaven has been plagued by constant demonic disasters, evil spirits, and civil unrest. Changing the emperor to appease the heavens might be able to turn the tide of fortune. It's just a pity that he has won over several elders from the Elder Hall, making it difficult for me to force him to abdicate before. And now that I've recovered my cultivation, the Epiphyllum Sect is causing trouble again. Troubles never cease."
As he mentioned the Epiphyllum Sect, his face turned vexed.
Gu An couldn't tell if he truly cared for the people or if he simply disliked Li Xuandao.
Since both parties provided him with high-level medicinal herbs, Gu An couldn't take sides and could only watch their conflict unfold.
Li Xuandao was indeed very capable. To be able to prevent a Ninth Layer Grand Master from acting against him and to continue growing stronger at such a rapid pace was impressive.
If Lu Baitian knew that Li Xuandao had already reached the Void Crossing Realm, he would probably go and kill Li Xuandao right away.
Lu Baitian began to talk about the Epiphyllum Sect. The Honored Pavilion had gathered numerous clues about the sect, and there were even spies from the Epiphyllum Sect within the Elder Hall, and not just one.
This made Lu Baitian very angry. A few years ago, he had just cleaned up a batch of demonic spies, and now there were still spies among those who remained, and they were from the Epiphyllum Sect, the sect he hated the most.
"I received intelligence that the leader of the Epiphyllum Sect, Zhong Liuli, is dead, killed by someone unknown. The Epiphyllum Sect has been keeping a low profile lately, waiting for the arrival of their main sect disciples. They suspect that Zhong Liuli was killed by me, which is laughable. I, on the other hand, suspect that they are engaging in internal strife," Lu Baitian said mockingly.
Gu An asked curiously, "Why is the battle between the Epiphyllum Sect and the demonic path focused on the North Sea Mountains?"
Lu Baitian answered, "Because most of the high-ranking members of the Epiphyllum Sect are in the North Sea Mountains. They are searching for an opportunity, an opportunity related to our sect."
"What opportunity?"
"Our sect has a Grand Elder who attained enlightenment in the North Sea Mountains a thousand years ago and transcended the Combination Realm. Later, he disappeared, but there are records that say he did not take the sect's treasure, the Heaven Severing Axe, with him when he left. The Heaven Severing Axe cannot be stored in a storage artifact. It is linked to a great legacy, and the Epiphyllum Sect has been searching for this legacy."
As expected!
Gu An secretly felt proud. The Epiphyllum Sect had been searching for so many years and hadn't found it, but he had stumbled upon it by accident.
It seemed that there were indeed benefits to the sinking of spiritual energy.
"The Heaven Severing Axe is no ordinary artifact. It is said to be related to a sacred land. In the past three thousand years, only that Grand Elder was able to inherit such a high-level legacy from the sacred land. He was also my master's master," Lu Baitian said with emotion.
So Grand Elder Xuan Tian was that formidable.
Gu An thought of the weight of the Heaven Severing Axe and felt that it made sense.
Lu Baitian obviously admired Grand Elder Xuan Tian very much and began to recount his deeds. Although he had never met Grand Elder Xuan Tian, he had heard his master mention him often.
His master said that Grand Elder Xuan Tian had never tasted defeat in his life. No matter how many enemies he faced, he could always fight his way out. Grand Elder Xuan Tian even ventured south once and was said to have obtained a celestial technique before returning to seclude himself.
However, Gu An knew that Grand Elder Xuan Tian had not obtained any celestial technique at all. He had ventured out to sea for many years and almost got killed by a Demon King, so he fled back, intending to wait until he reached the Xuanxin Realm before venturing out again. Unfortunately, he never got his wish before his death.
Gu An suddenly thought of the true disciple who had gone out to gain experience. Could it be that he had also gone to sea? It was said that this true disciple was even more powerful than Lu Baitian and might have already reached the Xuanxin Realm.
However, when Gu An brought up the true disciple, Lu Baitian became displeased and didn't want to talk more about it.
It was obvious that the relationship between the two of them was not good.
Just as Lu Baitian was speaking, he suddenly stopped.
Gu An also sensed a strong aura coming from the north, but he pretended not to notice, especially with Lu Baitian right in front of him.
Lu Baitian turned his head and looked towards the sky outside the window, murmuring, "So it has finally come?"
Gu An asked in confusion, "What has come?"
Lu Baitian stood up and said, "It's nothing. I have something to attend to, so I'll take my leave first."
He quickly left, and Gu An hurriedly stood up to see him off, escorting him to the door and the platform outside.
Gu An saw that Lu Lingjun had also sensed the distant powerful aura and was frowning deeply.
As if sensing Gu An's gaze, Lu Lingjun glanced at him and then continued sweeping the leaves.
Gu An looked towards the direction Lu Baitian had left in and wondered to himself about the origin of that aura. It didn't feel like a cultivator's aura; there was something strange about it that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
(End of Chapter)
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