https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-126-The-Golden-Ranking-A-Ghostly-Figure-in-the-Night/12575399/
Chapter 125: A Lifespan of Two Million Years!
Chapter 125: A Lifespan of Two Million Years!
Inside the inn, Gu An and Wu Jue finally found seats. As they sat down, they continued their excited discussion about the earth-shattering battle they had just witnessed.
Though brief, it was enough to stir the blood of all who had watched.
Gu An laughed along, a slight twinge of regret in his heart.
Killing Tian Jiandao had earned him ten years of lifespan, as the man had less than two hundred years left to live. That was why Gu An had used the word 'withered' to describe him.
Tian Jiandao must have reached the Xuan Heart Realm long ago. Seven hundred years ago, he probably lost hope of further progress, which was why he had secluded himself in the deep mountains. Unfortunately, even after sitting in meditation for seven centuries, he still hadn't found the way.
This time, Tian Jiandao had come to his end!
Gu An didn't think much further on the matter as his attention was soon drawn to An Hao, who was cultivating on the supplementary platform.
An Hao was actually cultivating! The elders of the sect had gathered around him, protecting him.
Good lad.
Gu An felt relieved. The stronger An Hao became, the happier he was.
An Hao was truly his disciple in every sense of the word. Unlike the disciples in the medicine valley, An Hao's achievements reflected directly on Gu An, and his brilliance brought Gu An honor.
With so many great cultivators protecting him, Gu An felt at ease.
He refocused his attention and enjoyed drinking and chatting with Wu Jue.
Not long after, a figure approached and sat down next to Gu An. She nonchalantly held out a piece of paper for him to see, regardless of the people around them.
"Well, what do you think of my painting?" Shen Zhen asked with a smile.
Gu An looked at the painting and saw Tian Jiandao with his arms outstretched, bearing the sword light descending from the heavens. The style was dark and sharp, with a touch of melancholy beauty.
"Not bad at all. As expected of you," Gu An praised casually.
Shen Zhen pouted, sensing his perfunctory tone.
Wu Jue hesitated and asked, "Brother Gu, who is this?"
Although Shen Zhen wore a veil, her clothing, demeanor, and eyebrows revealed that she was undoubtedly a beauty and one of high status.
Gu An smiled and said, "This young lady's name is Shen Zhen. Just like me, you can call her Miss Shen."
He then introduced Wu Jue to Shen Zhen.
Seeing Shen Zhen's indifferent attitude, Gu An reminded her, "This brother here is no ordinary man. He will surely shake the entire Tai Xuan Gate in the future..."
"Stop joking!" Wu Jue quickly interrupted, his face turning red.
"Is that so?"
Shen Zhen couldn't help but re-evaluate Wu Jue, making him even more uncomfortable.
Gu An laughed and said, "Come, let's drink and chat."
In his opinion, Wu Jue would definitely showcase his talent, and since Shen Zhen was the saintess of the Great Religion, it was only a matter of time before they met. It would be beneficial for them to become acquainted early on so they could help each other in the future.
Shen Zhen steered the conversation back to the previous battle, and being quite talkative herself, she led the discussion. Gu An played along, while Wu Jue, feeling awkward, could only smile awkwardly.
After a stick of incense had burned.
Shen Zhen got up to leave, intending to paint a few more pictures of the previous battle.
After she left, Wu Jue finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Gu An teased, "Why so nervous? Don't tell me you've taken a liking to her?"
"Don't speak nonsense! It's clear that young lady has her heart set on you. As your brother, how could I have such thoughts? I'm just not good at chatting with women. You know I only have you as a friend," Wu Jue glared at him, his expression serious.
Here it is again! I only have you as a friend!
Gu An shook his head and laughed, "Having more friends means having more paths to walk. It's tiring to go through the cultivation world alone."
"I know, but I'm not good at making friends..."
"Then what are you and I?"
"You and I met and became close friends right away. It's not about making friends, it's about fate!"
"Hey, you little rascal, you sure know how to talk to me."
Gu An was happy. Facing him, Wu Jue was always straightforward and never nervous.
The two chatted until dusk before parting ways.
Gu An returned to Xuan Valley and decided to visit his disciples. He noticed Chu Jingfeng sitting in meditation on the mountaintop but chose not to disturb him.
If Chu Jingfeng could gain enlightenment, it would be a good thing.
However, enlightenment was not easily attained. Both An Hao and Wu Jue were once-in-a-millennium geniuses, and not everyone could compare to them.
After spending half an hour in Xuan Valley, Gu An finally arrived at the Third Medicine Valley.
The Third Medicine Valley was much livelier than Xuan Valley, as the number of disciples here was ten times that of the latter.
Gu An chatted with his disciples for a while before returning to his pavilion to read and calm his mind.
When the night grew deep, footsteps approached from outside, and soon, a voice entered through the door.
"Valley Master, I have something to tell you."
Lu Lingjun! And she's still using the sound transmission technique!
Gu An put down the Tai Xuan Secret Manual he had been reading and covered it with the Investiture of the Gods. He said, "Come in."
Lu Lingjun pushed open the door and entered. After closing the door, she turned to the room and cast a spell, setting up a restriction.
Gu An was moved, and he looked at Lu Lingjun in astonishment.
Lu Lingjun turned around, walked to the table, and saluted Gu An, saying, "Valley Master, I am truly sorry for hiding something from you."
"Your cultivation..." Gu An asked anxiously.
Lu Lingjun said, "To be honest, I am actually at the Crossing Void Realm."
Crossing Void Realm!
Gu An jumped to his feet.
Lu Lingjun quickly said, "Valley Master, I mean you no harm. Please let me explain!"
Hearing this, Gu An's expression changed from dark to light, and he finally sat back down.
Seeing Gu An sit down, Lu Lingjun smiled and said, "I hid my cultivation because I didn't know much about the Great Cang Empire. I'm from a faraway place, and when I was exploring a powerful cave, I encountered a mysterious formation that transported me here. I couldn't find my way back, so I decided to take root in Tai Xuan Gate. I hope Valley Master can help introduce me."
Gu An looked surprised and asked, "With your cultivation, if you wish to join Tai Xuan Gate, you could do so openly and righteously. Why do you need me to refer you?"
"The rules of Tai Xuan Gate are strict. With my cultivation, I can only become a guest elder and would have to endure many years of waiting. But with your connections, Valley Master, wouldn't it save me decades of hardship?" Lu Lingjun said seriously.
As she spoke, she took out three bottles from her sleeve and said, "These are bottles of Celestial Spirit Water. I hope you like them."
Gu An's expression turned stern at the sight, and he said, "Nonsense! By doing this, it's as if I'm accepting your gift in exchange for my help. What would people think of me if word got out?"
He swept the three bottles off the table towards himself.
Lu Lingjun smiled and said, "How could that be? I'm expressing my gratitude for your care during this time, and it has nothing to do with your help."
"Mmm, you're thoughtful." Gu An smiled in satisfaction and then gestured for Lu Lingjun to sit down.
He began to instruct her on some matters, mainly explaining the structure of Tai Xuan Gate and pointing out the role of the influential families to prevent Lu Lingjun from making enemies unnecessarily.
Initially, Lu Lingjun didn't take it to heart, but as she listened, she realized that Gu An was indeed considering her best interests, so she started to pay attention.
...
As autumn turned to winter, heavy snow covered the Third Medicine Valley.
One day, Lu Baitian came to visit Gu An, and when Lu Lingjun saw his silhouette, she knew that her opportunity had come.
Gu An did not disappoint her. After half a period of time, Gu An and Lu Baitian descended from the building, and Gu An waved to Lu Lingjun from a distance.
She quickly walked towards the two, and Lu Baitian appraised her before saying, "Gu An has already told me about you. Come with me, and I'll get you a new disciple token."
Lu Lingjun immediately thanked Lu Baitian and also bowed to Gu An.
Gu An smiled and nodded before seeing them off with his eyes.
Xiao Chuan approached, looking astonished, and asked, "Why is Lu Lingjun leaving?"
"Haven't you noticed how fast she's flying?" Gu An asked, then turned and left.
Xiao Chuan hesitated before catching up with his steps and asking, "What do you mean? Wasn't she flying with the help of that senior?"
"Xiao Chuan," Gu An said.
"Yes, Brother Gu?"
"Sometimes, having a carefree attitude is a good thing. Keep it up."
"Huh?"
Gu An no longer paid attention to Xiao Chuan and instead made his way towards the Celestial Spirit Pool.
Watching the koi fish in the pool was one of his simple pleasures these days.
Lu Baitian had come to discuss the Golden Roll Assembly and the Heaven's First Sword Convention, but as Gu An had no desire to become a strategist, he didn't offer many opinions, so Lu Baitian didn't stay long.
The coming days should bring about a long period of peace.
Gu An thought to himself.
It was only during the cold winter that news of Fu Dao Jian Zun's single strike killing Tian Jian Dao Ren began to spread throughout the Nine Dynasties, and Tai Xuan Gate also took this opportunity to negotiate with other empires to expand their influence into other realms.
This process was challenging, but the higher-ups of Tai Xuan Gate felt no fatigue. From top to bottom, everyone felt a surge of momentum, a sense that Tai Xuan Gate was about to soar to new heights.
How could Tai Xuan Gate not dominate the Nine Dynasties with the backing of the number one cultivator in the world?
...
Time flew by.
In the blink of an eye, five years passed, and sixty-seven-year-old Gu An walked out of the Pill and Elixir Hall.
He paused at the front door and turned back, letting out a soft sigh.
Zhu Qinglu was no longer around, having retired and returned to his hometown. Although the new elder treated him with respect, Gu An still felt a bit uncomfortable with the change.
The old friends were gone, and new faces had arrived.
Gu An turned back and merged into the stream of people on the street.
In these five years, Tai Xuan Gate had taken off, and this was evident from the number of disciples in the outer city.
News of the Golden Roll Assembly had spread throughout the world, and in five years, it would be held in Tai Xuan Gate. It was said that Tai Xuan Gate had invited the hundred influential families, and these families, scattered across the Nine Dynasties, would encourage more talented individuals to participate in the assembly.
Gu An guessed that the Ji and Gu families had put in a lot of effort, and of course, other influential families also wanted to invest in Tai Xuan Gate. Having more connections was undoubtedly beneficial.
As Gu An walked down the street, he could hear disciples discussing various geniuses, and many names filled his ears, among which An Hao was mentioned the most.
Last year, An Hao had gone down the mountain to gain experience and had developed a grudge with the Demon Path. By killing a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator while only in the Golden Core Realm himself, he had shocked the entire cultivation world.
The title of Tai Xuan Gate's number one genius had been firmly secured by An Hao, and no one could shake his position.
As for Lu Xian, although she was the champion of the Hundred Races Assembly, the Hundred Races were aloof and did not interact much with the cultivation world.
These past five years had been rather uneventful for Gu An, but his lifespan had increased by over seven hundred thousand years. His lifespan had now broken through the two-million-year mark, and the ten-million mark no longer seemed so distant. So, he felt motivated every day and never tired or bored.
"Brother Gu, long time no see!"
A voice rang out from the corner of the street, and Gu An turned to see Zhou Tongyou, the genius of Jue Shan Zong, walking towards him.
Behind Zhou Tongyou was an elderly man with a plump figure, holding a feather fan and looking amiable.
Before Zhou Tongyou could reach Gu An, Lu Lingjun appeared in front of him out of thin air.
Back then, after Lu Lingjun had left with Lu Baitian, she had returned the next day. Her current position was an inner elder, but her task was to protect Gu An, which had left her feeling depressed for a long time. If not for her fear of Fu Dao Jian Zun, she would have drawn her sword against Lu Baitian.
(End of Chapter)
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