Chapter 156: Shattering the Void, Betrothal
Chapter 156: Shattering the Void, Betrothal
Zuo Lin's words made Di Xie's expression turn unnatural, but Zuo Lin's next sentence left him in a dilemma:
"You must be a genius. I've never been wrong about judging someone's talent and fortune."
Zuo Lin looked proud, tilting his chin towards Di Xie, indicating for him to look at Gu An. "Don't underestimate this young man just because he's at the Foundation Establishment realm. He's not simple at all, and my instincts are rarely wrong. He's already on the Jin Bang genius list."
Gu An walked over and said helplessly, "What kind of genius am I? Getting on the Jin Bang list was just a stroke of luck."
Zuo Lin pulled Gu An to sit down and then asked Di Xie and Gu An to introduce themselves.
Di Xie remained composed and was very amiable towards Gu An, showing none of the airs of a guest elder.
Zuo Lin was quite interested in Di Xie and, upon hearing that he wanted to learn about Fu Dao Jian Zun, he didn't hide anything, starting to narrate the tales of Fu Dao Jian Zun's heroic deeds.
Di Xie listened intently.
Before coming here, he had already heard that the number one cultivator in the Nine Dynasties was either Chang Sheng Dao Ren from San Qing Shan or Fu Dao Jian Zun from Tai Xuan Gate.
Among them, Fu Dao Jian Zun was the most mysterious. Although he had acted on behalf of Tai Xuan Gate several times, no one knew his true identity.
Gu An found it amusing to hear Zuo Lin bragging about his other identity.
At the same time, he was also observing Di Xie.
In the next half-shichen (a unit of time), Gu An didn't sense any malicious intent from Di Xie, so he could only temporarily suppress his suspicions.
With the Demon Calamity approaching, a powerful demon at the Xuan Heart realm had infiltrated Tai Xuan Gate, but for what purpose, Gu An had no idea.
Fearing that Di Xie might suspect him, Gu An found an opportunity to slip away.
There would be plenty of time to observe Di Xie in the future, as he intended to stay at the Supplementary Heaven Platform to comprehend Fu Dao Jian Zun's sword intent.
From then on, Gu An would use his spiritual sense to observe Di Xie every day.
The more he observed, the more he felt that Di Xie might truly have no malicious intentions; he just seemed to want to learn the sword.
Previously, Di Xie had used his spiritual sense to scan the surroundings, probably searching for Fu Dao Jian Zun.
...
Time flew by, and two years passed in the blink of an eye.
During these two years, Gu An's lifespan increased rapidly. The Innate Abode provided him with a large amount of lifespan, and it had already surpassed six million years, gradually approaching the ten million mark.
On this day, Gu An, under the name of Pan An, arrived at the Outer Gate's library and released a new book called "Shattering the Void."
Elder Liu Chang, who had been in charge of receiving Pan An back then, had already passed away. The one receiving Gu An this time was the grand elder of the library, Feng Shang.
Feng Shang was excited to meet Pan An for the first time and pulled Gu An to say many flattering words, assuring him that he would take good care of the subsequent matters regarding the book.
Gu An spent a full shichen in the library before he could finally leave.
Feng Shang was just too enthusiastic!
In Feng Shang's eyes, Gu An was a huge opportunity. As long as he handled Pan An's new book well, he would have a smooth path to success in the future!
After leaving the library, Gu An wandered around the city. As Tai Xuan Gate became stronger year by year, this outer gate city had become very bustling. Every street was crowded, and there were even stalls on the streets selling all sorts of strange and wonderful things. In the past year, Gu An had taken a liking to strolling in the city whenever he had free time.
As he walked, Gu An spotted a familiar face.
"Du Ye."
Gu An greeted him. They were both servants of the Ji family and had entered Tai Xuan Gate together, so even though they weren't close, they would still chat if they met outside the gate.
Du Ye was playing with a small gourd at a stall when he heard Gu An's voice. He put down the gourd and stood up to face Gu An, a smile on his face.
As Gu An approached, Du Ye asked with a smile, "Are you also here to pick up treasures?"
Gu An laughed, "Where are there so many treasures to be found? I'm just here to stroll and see the sights. How have you been lately?"
At ninety-two years old, Du Ye looked to be in his early forties. Unlike Gu An, he hadn't taken any youth-preserving pills when he was younger.
In the cultivation world, not all cultivators pursued youthful appearances; some believed that a more mature look exuded more power and prestige.
"Ah, don't mention it," Du Ye sighed. "I tried to break through to the Foundation Establishment realm recently, but I failed, and I even wasted a Foundation Pill."
He was the true representation of the bottom rung of the cultivation world—mediocre talent, running errands and doing odd jobs for the sect's disciples to earn cultivation resources.
Gu An consoled him and then took out a pill bottle containing two Foundation Pills.
"This..." Du Ye hesitated as he held the pill bottle. He didn't want to accept Gu An's charity, but he also couldn't bring himself to refuse.
For a cultivator like him at the bottom, reaching the Foundation Establishment realm was a lifelong pursuit.
Gu An smiled and said, "Don't be polite. After all, we grew up together, and I want you to live a few more decades. When we're old, we can reminisce about our childhood."
Hearing this, Du Ye felt a warmth in his heart as he recalled their past. Back then, he had told Gu An that if he ever needed help, he could look for him, and he would do his best to help.
More than half a lifetime had passed, and Gu An had never asked him for help. Instead, it was Du Ye who had started to owe Gu An favors.
Du Ye gently patted Gu An's shoulder and no longer refused. He put the pill bottle into his storage bag.
"By the way, I heard some news not long ago. Our third young miss has gotten engaged," Du Ye said in a low voice as if he had just remembered something.
Upon hearing this, Gu An paused for a moment, a ripple forming in his heart as he asked curiously, "Engaged? To whom?"
Hearing that Ji Xiaoyu was betrothed stirred up emotions within him.
Perhaps, Ji Xiaoyu had saved him when they were young.
Even after they grew up, Ji Xiaoyu treated him kindly, not like a servant, and even gave him many things to aid his cultivation.
Even a proud daughter of heaven like her couldn't escape an arranged marriage? This thought left Gu An feeling rather emotional.
Du Ye shook his head and said, "How would I know? But it seems like they've only just gotten engaged, and the wedding date hasn't been set yet. The young master and the others seem pretty happy, so I guess the other party must be quite something."
"That's for sure. To be able to marry into the Ji family is certainly beyond our imagination," Gu An laughed.
The two chatted for a while longer before Gu An bid farewell to Du Ye.
Instead of returning to the Medicine Valley, he continued wandering around the city.
...
The libraries acted quickly, and within less than a month, the book "Shattering the Void" appeared in the libraries of various cities.
Riding on the success of his previous works, "The Investiture of the Gods" and "The Grand Master of Tai Xuan," Pan An's new book created a storm, sweeping through the Tai Xuan Sect.
A month later, the name "Shattering the Void" spread throughout the Tai Cang cultivation world and beyond, reaching the other eight dynasties.
Lu Lingjun also bought the book, and after finishing it, she immediately sought out Gu An.
"It's pretty well-written. The male lead has a powerful demon sealed within him, and despite his mediocre talent, he embarks on the path of cultivation. However..." Lu Lingjun frowned as she spoke.
"However, what?" Gu An asked.
"Why is it called 'Shattering the Void'?"
She stared intently at Gu An, as if trying to see through him.
Gu An asked in confusion, "Didn't you say that in your homeland, ascension is what you strive for? Isn't shattering the void an attractive concept?"
Upon hearing this, Lu Lingjun nodded and said, "It's indeed very attractive. Then keep up the good work."
She mocked herself inwardly. How could this kid possibly guess that she was an ascender? Following this, the two of them discussed the book "Shattering the Void," with Lu Lingjun making many requests, to which Gu An initially refused. However, when she took out a pile of heavenly treasures, he changed his tune and said he would consider them.
Lu Lingjun was amused by his greed.
After Lu Lingjun left, he finally took out "The Taoist Priest Seeking Spring" and began to read it.
"Shattering the Void" was only written at someone's request; the real masterpiece worth savoring was "The Taoist Priest Seeking Spring"!
With the release of Pan An's book, the miscellaneous disciples of Xuan Gu and the Third Medicine Valley also began to discuss the book, and Pan An's influence was greater than Gu An had imagined.
Half a month later.
When Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley, he sensed Lu Baitian's presence.
It had been over a decade since they last met.
Gu An went to the pavilion to meet Lu Baitian, who had been waiting for a long time. He closed the door and came behind Lu Baitian, raising his hand in salute.
Lu Baitian looked the same as he had many years ago, and he gestured for Gu An to sit down.
After Gu An sat down, Lu Baitian asked, "Why did you suddenly think of publishing a book?"
"It was a whim," Gu An replied. "Have you read it?"
"Yes, it's not as good as 'The Investiture of Gods.'"
"That's true."
Gu An spoke sincerely, as he himself held the same opinion.
Lu Baitian changed the subject and asked, "Is Su Han your disciple?"
Upon hearing this, Gu An pretended to be nervous and asked, "He used to be, but what's wrong?"
Lu Baitian stared at Gu An and said, "He's also cultivated the 'Defying Fate Divine Art.'"
"What?" Gu An's expression changed.
He quickly explained, "It wasn't me who taught him. I haven't even seen him in person these past few years."
Ever since Lu Baitian passed on the Defying Fate Divine Art to Gu An, he hadn't practiced it much because he couldn't just abandon his current cultivation and start over.
Lu Baitian humphed and said, "Of course I know it wasn't you who taught him. In fact, the Defying Fate Divine Art wasn't created by me either; it was passed down to me."
"I can tell you directly that the Defying Fate Divine Art originated from the Ghost Mother of the Tenth Heaven, and now that Su Han has also learned it, it means that the remnants of the Tenth Heaven haven't been completely eradicated."
Gu An widened his eyes, his face filled with disbelief.
He thought of Jiu You and the Ghost Mother of the Tenth Heaven. Could it be that they had found Su Han?
"Master, you..." Gu An looked at Lu Baitian, unsure of what to say, his face a mix of emotions.
He really wanted to say, "I also have an identity related to the Tenth Heaven."
"I am the leader of the Tenth Heaven!" Lu Baitian laughed and said, "Rest assured, I'm not really from the Tenth Heaven, but I do have a connection to them. When I was younger, I had a Daoist partner who was from the Tenth Heaven. Before she died, she passed on the Defying Fate Divine Art to me, and it is because of this art that I've achieved my current level of cultivation."
"Don't tell anyone about this past. If you do, I definitely won't be able to keep my position as the sect leader. Ever since the return of the Supreme Elders, my position has become increasingly unstable."
At the end, he gave a self-deprecating smile.
Gu An immediately said, "I won't tell anyone, as long as you don't harm the interests of the Tai Xuan Sect."
Lu Baitian glared at him, pretending to be angry, but he was actually very pleased.
As expected of the sect leader I chose! Lu Baitian continued, "Su Han has learned the Hate God Sword and inherited the Defying Fate Divine Art. From now on, his growth will be rapid. How close are you to him? If you're very close, then you should be careful. There's obviously a powerful figure backing Su Han, and I'm afraid that person will come after you and force Su Han to hate this world even more."
Third watch!
(End of Chapter)
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