https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-143-A-Touch-from-the-Valley-Master-and-That-s-Not-Enough-/12575497/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-145-Prepare-to-Welcome-the-Arrival-of-the-Immortal-/12575502/
Chapter 144: Are You Truly Pan An?
Chapter 144: Are You Truly Pan An?
As the veiled elder's words fell, the flickering black flames paused momentarily.
The other six elders bowed their heads, their expressions fluctuating between gloom and awe. After the battle at Tai Xuan Gate, their wariness of Fu Dao Jian Zun had intensified further.
The veiled elder continued, "During this period, we have lost twenty percent of our main sect followers, including seventeen Combined Realm cultivators. We cannot confirm the fate of the Deputy Sect Master. I wonder if the Sect Master has a way to ascertain her whereabouts?"
"The Deputy Sect Master is unfettered and free-spirited, even I am unclear of her movements. However, she cannot be dead unless a Great Vehicle Realm cultivator has emerged in the Nine Kingdoms. Even if there is such a cultivator, the commotion caused by their attempt to kill her would be immense. Have you sensed any battle pressure beyond the Xuan Heart Realm?" The voice of Jing Tu Xian, shrouded in black flames, echoed out.
"No, but the sudden disappearance of the Deputy Sect Master has given me much to consider," the veiled elder replied.
"Rest assured, she might be detained by some matter. It's unlikely that she would perish without a trace. Moreover, I have already cast a spell on myself, and there is no turning back. Continue searching for sacrificial offerings, the more the better. I am determined to peer into the Mandate of Heaven!" Jing Tu Xian's voice rang out, and the seven elders chorused their agreement.
...
In the Chen Tang Dynasty, there lay a mountain called San Qing Mountain, nestled within a lake. Its peaks were majestic, appearing only vaguely through the mist, like a mirage.
Under an ancient tree, Li Ya sat cross-legged with his back to the cliff. Beside him stood the Beihai Heavy Sword, while he rested his hands on his knees, his gaze fixed on the chessboard before him, his face etched with a troubled expression.
He let out a howl and rubbed his scalp in frustration.
At that moment, a soul descended from the old tree. It was the soul of the Li family's old ancestor, and it appeared more substantial than before.
"Hahaha, kid, I told you that the assessment of San Qing Mountain is incredibly difficult and requires insight. Your comprehension is still lacking, far from my standards. Back then, I solved the chess puzzle in just three years. Looking at you now, I doubt you could do it even in ten years." The soul of the Li family's old ancestor laughed with schadenfreude.
Li Ya glared and cursed, "What kind of ancestor are you? Do you take pleasure in seeing your descendants fail? I refuse to believe that I am truly inferior to you!"
The Li family's old ancestor chuckled, "My master once predicted that the Li family would give birth to a Mandate of Heaven child, and he helped me through the tribulation. I originally thought it was you, but now it seems there might be another. Child, why don't you give up on cultivation, descend the mountain, marry, and have children. Perhaps the Mandate of Heaven child will be born to you sooner."
Enraged, Li Ya immediately stood up and drew the Beihai Heavy Sword, intending to slash at the soul of the Li family's old ancestor.
"What are you two arguing about now?" A frail, elderly voice interrupted them.
Li Ya turned his head and saw a figure walking out of the clouds and mist. It was a child-faced elder clad in a blue robe, holding a dust whisk that seemed to be carrying strands of cloud, exuding an otherworldly aura.
Li Ya quickly paid his respects, "Disciple's grandson greets Master."
The Li family's old ancestor also bowed to the blue-robed elder, "Disciple greets Master."
This blue-robed elder was known as Tian Shu, and he possessed an ethereal aura, akin to a celestial immortal.
Tian Shu stood atop the cliff and smiled, "Who said that the Mandate of Heaven child has not yet been born? I made some calculations earlier, and the Li family's fortune is already showing signs of taking flight, indicating that the Mandate of Heaven child has indeed been born."
The Li family's old ancestor smiled, "I was just teasing this kid. He's arrogant and conceited, and his pride needs to be tempered. Otherwise, he might cause more trouble after descending the mountain."
With a wave of Tian Shu's dust whisk, the chessboard on the ground turned into flying ash, vanishing without a trace.
Li Ya frowned and asked, "Master, what are you doing?"
He was anxious, wondering if even his master thought he lacked insight.
Tian Shu laughed, "The great tribulation of the Nine Kingdoms is approaching, and the calamity is becoming increasingly dangerous. Even San Qing Mountain may face the threat of destruction. Therefore, I cannot test you further. All three branches of San Qing Mountain must descend the mountain to save the world. Before I leave, I will impart to you a supreme technique to protect this mountain. If San Qing Mountain perishes, I hope that you will be able to carry on the legacy of San Qing in the future."
Descend the mountain!
Li Ya and the Li family's old ancestor's faces paled at the thought.
"Please, Master, impart the technique to me as well. I want to join the battle!" Li Ya said immediately.
Tian Shu shook his head, "Your cultivation is too low, and you won't be able to make much of a difference in this tribulation. If we fail, there will be someone in the mountain who will take you away from the Nine Kingdoms to another world far away. This continent originally belonged to the demon race, and our sect has been established here for many years, reaching its destined end."
He stroked his beard with a smile, appearing to have transcended worldly concerns, his face devoid of any worry.
"But..."
"There are no buts, listen to me."
Li Ya wanted to say more but stopped, his face filled with conflict.
Tian Shu smiled and asked, "Do you have someone you care about?"
The Li family's old ancestor teased, "He's worried about his fellow disciple, Gu Shi Di."
Upon hearing this, Tian Shu said softly, "In life, if one can take control of their own destiny, then they have achieved transcendence. All things are possible, but do not force it."
Li Ya fell silent.
...
At Tai Xuan Gate, in the Third Medicine Valley, the sky was dark and gloomy. The disciples gathered together, gazing upwards at the spectacular scene unfolding above. Gu An was also among the onlookers.
They witnessed bolts of heavenly thunder crashing down, all converging at the same location—the array formed by Lu Ling Jun. Golden lightning bolts, resembling majestic dragons, descended and caused the array to burst forth with rainbow light, sweeping across the sky in a grand display.
In the distance, on the peaks surrounding the Third Medicine Valley, numerous Tai Xuan Gate cultivators stood, including both disciples and elders. The weakest among them was at the Core Formation Realm, and they discussed Lu Ling Jun's tribulation with great interest.
The tribulation covered an area with a radius of a hundred miles. The thunderclouds that gave birth to the heavenly thunder glowed with a red light, resembling a divine eye.
In the face of this divine eye, the Third Medicine Valley seemed insignificant. Fortunately, the heavenly thunder was concentrated on Lu Ling Jun, or else the valley would have faced annihilation.
Ancient Ancestor Gu stood beside Gu An, marveling at the sight, "The Heart of Mystery is truly wondrous beyond words. Merely witnessing her tribulation has left me with much to ponder."
Three days had passed since Lu Lingjun's tribulation, and though the heavenly might had lessened somewhat from its peak the day before, each bolt of celestial thunder was still enough to strike down a Combined Realm cultivator.
Looking up, they could see Combined Realm Grand Masters stationed in every direction, having come to Lu Lingjun's aid upon learning that she was an Inner Sect Elder. The elders of Tai Xuan Gate were overjoyed and even helped Lu Lingjun form an array. Whenever the array was on the verge of collapsing, the Combined Realm elders would lend their spiritual power to maintain it, allowing Gu An to witness the unity of Tai Xuan Gate.
Some still harbored suspicions about Lu Lingjun's identity, until Ancient Ancestor Gu remarked that even if she were a demon cultivator, she wouldn't stand a chance against Fu Dao Jian Zun.
This statement laid all doubts to rest.
Gu An couldn't help but echo the sentiment, "I never imagined that the random disciple Master assigned to me would turn out to be so formidable. I consider myself truly fortunate."
Ancient Ancestor Gu laughed, "Perhaps you're a bearer of great fortune. After all, you were able to write the Investiture of the Gods. Perhaps, in the grand scheme of things, you are the reincarnation of some enlightened being, recalling the experiences of your past life."
Gu An rolled his eyes at the far-fetched conjecture.
"I did have a past life, and I was a proud descendant of Yan and Huang!" Gu An thought to himself.
Ancient Ancestor Gu was merely jesting, but he was genuinely curious about how Gu An's medicine valley had produced a Heart of Mystery cultivator.
Cultivators of the immortal path placed great faith in destiny, especially those who had reached the Heart of Mystery.
Ancient Ancestor Gu thought back to the Divine State Scripture that Gu An had given to the ten genius disciples and wondered if he should attempt to cultivate his heart as well.
Gu An refocused his attention on Lu Lingjun, who had successfully refined her Heart of Mystery and was on the cusp of a breakthrough.
He couldn't help but feel a sense of awe.
"Tribulations are truly formidable!" Gu An thought to himself.
He doubted that even a ninth-layer Combined Realm cultivator like Lu Lingjun could have survived the tribulation without the aid of arrays and pills.
While the spiritual power of a ninth-layer Combined Realm cultivator was indeed vast, the defense against celestial thunder consumed an enormous amount of it. Gu An didn't dare to calculate how many pills Lu Lingjun had consumed, but he knew it had to be an astronomical number.
At one point, Gu An even considered lending his assistance as Lu Lingjun struggled to hold on, barely managing to take the pills in time. Fortunately, the Combined Realm cultivators of Tai Xuan Gate stepped in to help.
It took the combined efforts of over twenty Combined Realm elders and the Heart of Mystery cultivator, Ancient Ancestor Withered Pine, to protect Lu Lingjun.
As the most challenging part of the tribulation passed, Ancient Ancestor Withered Pine departed at daybreak.
Gu An wondered if it was his imagination, but he sensed a hint of loneliness in the ancient ancestor's departing figure.
"It seems the tribulation has passed, and she has succeeded. I shall take my leave as well. Once her cultivation stabilizes, you must do your best to foster a good relationship with her and try to keep her in the medicine valley until the Sect Master returns and makes further arrangements." With those parting words, Ancient Ancestor Gu took his leave.
He first flew into the air and conveyed a few instructions to the other Combined Realm elders before departing.
Although Ancient Ancestor Gu had only reached the Void Crossing Realm, his status was exceptionally high. This was due not only to his connection with the Gu family but also to his role in managing the affairs of the sect, which had inevitably slowed his cultivation progress.
Upon attaining the Combined Realm, cultivators were mostly hands-off and spent their days in secluded cultivation, no longer involving themselves in sect matters.
Gu An turned his gaze toward Shen Zhen, who was not too far away, diligently sketching a portrait of Lu Lingjun's tribulation.
"What a daredevil!" Gu An thought.
Even daring to offend a Heart of Mystery cultivator!
...
Two days later, the celestial tribulation completely dissipated, marking Lu Lingjun's successful breakthrough into the Heart of Mystery Realm. The Combined Realm Grand Masters of Tai Xuan Gate eagerly gathered around her, offering their congratulations.
Lu Lingjun was grateful for their assistance and reciprocated with a humble and amicable attitude, which pleased the Grand Masters immensely.
Tai Xuan Gate had gained a new Heart of Mystery cultivator!
Especially at such a critical juncture!
It seemed that Heaven itself was smiling upon Tai Xuan Gate!
After a long while, Lu Lingjun finally extricated herself from their flattery and flew toward the medicine valley, only to witness Gu An being accosted by Shen Zhen.
Upon seeing Lu Lingjun's approach, Shen Zhen quickly stored away her sketch.
Lu Lingjun landed before them and directed her gaze at Shen Zhen, inquiring, "Were you drawing me during my tribulation?"
Gu An hastily interjected, "This is Saintess Shen Zhen of the Dao Tian Sect. She meant no offense and only admires your strength."
The emphasis was on the Dao Tian Sect!
Lu Lingjun, noticing the closeness between Shen Zhen and Gu An, immediately frowned and said, "Miss Shen, from now on, please maintain a respectful distance from Gu An."
Shen Zhen, taken aback, asked, "Why? Could it be that a grand cultivator like yourself has feelings for him...?"
Lu Lingjun did not respond but continued to regard her with a calm gaze.
"Have you not heard of the name Gu An?" Shen Zhen asked curiously.
Gu An quickly cut in, "It's all your fault for using my name in that ridiculous book, tarnishing my reputation!"
Lu Lingjun had read the Tai Xuan Secret Manual and once suspected him, so he took the initiative to expose his own secret.
Shen Zhen didn't seem offended and laughed, "What do you mean tarnish your reputation? Didn't you profit from it?"
Lu Lingjun's gaze at Gu An turned strange, and he felt like she was chastising him for his greed.
At that moment, Shen Zhen added, "Senior, Gu An is no ordinary man. He is the author of the Investiture of the Gods, Pan An. You should keep a tight leash on him, as he has quite a fan club among women."
Shen Zhen bowed to Lu Lingjun before turning to leave.
Gu An inwardly cursed his misfortune.
Lu Lingjun paid no heed to Shen Zhen and instead fixed her piercing gaze on Gu An, asking, "Are you truly Pan An?"
(End of Chapter)
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