https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-160-The-Power-of-the-Demon-Clan-the-Dao-Monarch/12575528/
Chapter 159: Jiang Qiong Returns, A Helping Hand in the Dark Night
Chapter 159: Jiang Qiong Returns, A Helping Hand in the Dark Night
Is Laozu Kusunoki dead?
Gu An felt dazed when he heard Gu Zong's words.
Although he and Laozu Kusunoki were not very close friends, they had enjoyed each other's company during his visit to the Inner Gate Library.
Hearing the news of Laozu Kusunoki's demise, he felt a sense of loss for which he couldn't quite find words.
"The Grand Elder has fallen. I recall that Laozu Kusunoki had reached the Xuan Heart Realm, right?" Zhen Qin furrowed her brows as she spoke.
During the invasion of the Transient Flower Sect, Laozu Kusunoki had fought a great battle against Chiqian Zun, causing his name to spread throughout the Tai Xuan Gate. He had become the most renowned Grand Master within the sect, second only to the Supporting Sword Venerable.
Even Zhen Qin, who had no interaction with Laozu Kusunoki, felt saddened by the news of his passing.
Gu An raised his eyes to the horizon, where he saw dark clouds looming, signaling the arrival of a torrential downpour.
The death of Laozu Kusunoki shocked the entire Tai Xuan Gate, and the news quickly spread throughout the cultivation world.
Three days later, as planned, Gu An arrived at the Inner Gate City to participate in the memorial ceremony for Laozu Kusunoki. Hundreds of thousands of disciples throughout the city mourned in silence as the elders of the sect recounted Laozu Kusunoki's life and achievements. Even the newest disciples, who had just joined the Tai Xuan Gate, felt a sense of loss.
After recounting Laozu Kusunoki's life, the Tai Xuan Gate also publicly announced, for the first time, the impending demon disaster that would strike in a few decades, causing an uproar among the various cities.
In the following days, the various sects of the Great Cang Empire made similar announcements, shattering the peace within the cultivation world once again. All cultivators felt a sense of crisis looming over them.
With the fall of a cultivator in the Xuan Heart Realm, this disaster seemed even more terrifying than the previous upheaval caused by the Transient Flower Sect.
As autumn turned to winter, snow gradually covered the Mysterious Valley.
One day, Gu An waited early in the morning in the Xuan Valley Pavilion, as he sensed a familiar presence approaching.
At midnight, a figure appeared before Gu An's window.
Gu An went to open the window and invited the visitor in.
It was a white-robed woman wearing a bamboo hat. After entering, she removed her hat and turned to look at Gu An, who was setting up restrictions. With a smile, she asked, "Have you missed me, my dear apprentice?"
After setting up the restrictions, Gu An turned to face her and asked curiously, "Where have you been all these years? Are you doing well?"
He sent a lifespan probe toward Jiang Qiong.
Jiang Qiong (Yuanying Realm, Layer 6): 243/700/5490
Hmm?
A maximum lifespan of 5,490 years!
Gu An recalled that Jiang Qiong's maximum lifespan was a little over 2,400 years.
It seems that she encountered a great opportunity within the Nine Abyss Road!
Jiang Qiong smiled and said, "I went to a mysterious place and gained a great opportunity. What kind of person do you take me for? Do you think I could have fared poorly?"
Seeing Gu An's concerned expression, Jiang Qiong felt a warmth in her heart.
There were still people in this world who cared about her.
Gu An asked Jiang Qiong to take a seat while he prepared tea.
"Apprentice, how have you been these years?" Jiang Qiong asked, her eyes scanning the furnishings in the room.
With his back turned to her, Gu An replied, "Same as always. I tend to the flowers and plants, read books, and oh, during the recent Golden List Assembly, I managed to rank within the top five hundred, thanks to the artifact bestowed upon me by the elders of the sect..."
Talking about the Golden List Assembly, he couldn't help but feel proud and wanted to show off to Jiang Qiong.
If it were in the past, Jiang Qiong might have been surprised, but after experiencing the turmoil with the Transient Flower Sect and venturing into the Nine Abyss Road, her perspective had undergone a profound transformation.
In the face of Gu An's bragging, she could only smile and feel relieved.
Seeing that this young man was doing well, she was truly happy for him.
After Gu An finished speaking, he brought the hot tea to the table and sat down. As he poured tea, he asked, "What about you? Care to share some details?"
With a mischievous smile, Jiang Qiong said, "I've offended a powerful figure, so I'll have to lay low in the Eight Scenes Cave for a while. Are you sure you want to know the details?"
Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately shook his head and said, "Then I'll pass. As for your desire to hide, go right ahead. I certainly won't sell you out."
In the past, Jiang Qiong had taught him a lot, and the Eight Scenes Cave originally belonged to her. Naturally, there was no problem with offering her shelter.
More importantly, Gu An already knew who was pursuing Jiang Qiong.
Before going to the ancient Haizong, Gu An had discovered Jiang Qiong's whereabouts during a divine sense investigation. The reason he had accepted the Transient Flower Sect's token was that he wanted to leave it for Jiang Qiong.
Fortunately, Jiang Qiong had ambition!
The ones pursuing Jiang Qiong were two great cultivators in the Du Void Realm, but they had already lost track of her and were still wandering around the nearby Great Yu Empire.
Hearing Gu An's words, a smile appeared on Jiang Qiong's face. She waved her hand and took out a white jade bottle, saying, "The spirit juice in this bottle is a precious thing. Drink one mouthful every month, no more, to avoid disrupting your qi and blood. This spirit juice can enhance your root bone talent."
"How can I accept this? You should keep it for yourself."
"I've already consumed quite a bit. This is what's left. It no longer has any effect on me, so you might as well keep it. Don't refuse!"
Jiang Qiong said firmly, leaving Gu An with no choice but to accept.
The two chatted for half an hour before making their way to the Eight Scenes Cave.
Gu An revealed that the Azure Vine tree had already gained sentience, but Jiang Qiong was unimpressed, mentioning that the thousand-year-old Azure Vine tree in the Qianqiu Pavilion had also gained sentience.
Earlier, in the pavilion, Gu An had transmitted a sound to the Azure Vine tree, instructing it on what it could and could not say.
Upon returning to the Eight Scenes Cave, Jiang Qiong could sense that the spiritual energy here was denser than before, which pleased her greatly and made her quite satisfied with Gu An.
"Apprentice, the Qianqiu Pavilion has been disbanded, and my family has perished. From now on, I'll have to rely on you. Won't you reject me?"
Jiang Qiong raised her hand and leaned it on Gu An's shoulder, a smile in her eyes as she asked, "Are you tired of me already?"
Gu An sidestepped, replying, "How could I be tired of you? I still want to learn array formations from you."
Soon after, he arrived at the base of the Azure Vine tree and retrieved the Divine Channel Manual that he had hidden there, handing it to Jiang Qiong.
This manual was something Jiang Qiong had snatched during a banquet at the Ji family many years ago. It contained records of the Heaven, Earth, and Dao Calamity Divine Abilities.
Gu An had long since mastered the Heaven, Earth, and Dao Calamity techniques and had even evolved them into Dao Calamity Primal Qi. Now, even if he was caught off guard, it would be difficult for an opponent of the same level to take him down instantly, as the Dao Calamity Primal Qi could autonomously protect his body.
Looking at the Divine Channel Manual in her hands, Jiang Qiong's expression became complex, and for some reason, she felt a mix of emotions.
Seeing her expression, Gu An secretly thought that things were taking a turn for the worse.
Could she be... touched?
He immediately looked for an excuse to leave.
Watching his retreating back, Jiang Qiong sighed inwardly, "This kid is so foolish. He doesn't even bother to study it."
She could sense that the restrictions on the manual were still intact and hadn't been tampered with, so she assumed that Gu An hadn't looked at it.
Such foolishness would only lead to trouble sooner or later.
She would have to teach him a lesson!
...
Jiang Qiong's return did not bring about any changes to Gu An's life. Every seven days, he would descend to the Eight Scenes Cave once, and he would prepare various medicinal herbs for her in advance, asking her not to pick them herself and instead leave them for him.
Jiang Qiong already knew about his habit, so after returning to the Eight Scenes Cave, she didn't cause any trouble. Since Gu An had prepared the herbs, there was no need for her to do so herself.
Due to the death of Laozu Kusunoki, the atmosphere in Tai Xuan Gate during this winter was colder than in previous years.
At the end of the year, a major event occurred: the Han Lu Empire surrendered to the Great Cang Empire, thus unifying the two empires and breaking the nine-empire structure that had existed for a thousand years.
Li Xuandao's prestige soared, and even those outside Tai Xuan Gate discussed him.
If he could truly unify the world, he would surely leave his mark in the history books!
Gu An heard from outsiders that Li Xuandao had started sending troops to the Wu Zhen Empire. This time, there were no complaints from the common folk; instead, they praised Li Xuandao.
Rumor had it that the distant Tian Wei Empire was also at war, and their emperor had ambitions that were no less than those of Li Xuandao.
It was worth mentioning that the death of Xing Yan Laozu had not been publicized, and Tian Wei had not questioned Tai Xuan Gate regarding Si Zong's death, clearly choosing to swallow this silent grievance.
These matters had nothing to do with Gu An, and he merely listened to the gossip as entertainment.
With the arrival of the new year, Ye Lan and Zhen Qin came to visit Gu An for the holidays.
Gu An divided the spirit juice that Jiang Qiong had given him into three portions, giving one each to Ye Lan, Zhen Qin, and Xiao Chuan, and asked them not to tell anyone about it.
Soon after the Spring Festival, Tai Xuan Gate began recruiting disciples to investigate the land of demons and monsters.
Faced with the impending calamity, Tai Xuan Gate did not want to sit idly by and wait for their doom, so they offered generous rewards to attract disciples to venture forth and gather information.
Many disciples whose lifespan was nearing its end or who were facing difficulties in their cultivation eagerly signed up. Gu An asked Ye Lan and Zhen Qin not to participate, and fortunately, the two girls listened to him.
In the following months, news about the demons and monsters continued to reach Tai Xuan Gate.
The number of demons and monsters in the Nine Empires was increasing, which was clearly a sign of the impending demon calamity.
Time flew by, passing like white horses in the wind.
Two years later, in the depths of autumn.
Under the cover of night, Di Xie walked through a mountain forest.
He paused in his tracks as a flock of black crows flew out of the darkness ahead, passing over him and landing on a large tree behind him, coalescing into a human figure. The figure was shrouded in darkness, its true form hidden.
"His Majesty is looking for you. Are you not going back?" the mysterious figure asked.
Di Xie countered, "Why should I go back? Aren't we going south eventually anyway?"
His tone was filled with sarcasm.
"Why are you so opposed to His Majesty's plan?" the mysterious figure asked in a deep voice.
Di Xie scoffed, "Isn't this world big enough? Even in the land of demons and monsters, there are countless territories that don't fall under his rule. Why is it necessary to exterminate the human race?"
The mysterious figure snarled, "The demon race and the human race are sworn enemies. Only by eradicating the humans can we ensure our own safety."
"But there are still humans overseas. How long do you intend to keep killing? I believe he's been bewitched by the Demon Master!"
"Do not speak ill of the Demon Master!"
"Whatever. I don't care. I'm not going back. I intend to cultivate in Tai Xuan Gate, and you'd best not come looking for me again. If you're seen by the Sword Venerable, I won't lift a finger to help even if you die!"
After saying his piece, Di Xie turned and strode away.
The mysterious figure coldly replied, "Sword Venerable? The last time, the Kusunoki Laozu of Tai Xuan Gate died by my hand. If I were to come across the Sword Venerable, I would make him suffer the same fate as Kusunoki Laozu, boiling him into soup!"
Without turning back, Di Xie vanished into the darkness.
The mysterious figure let out a cold huff and transformed back into a flock of crows, taking flight and heading north.
These crows flew at an incredible speed, and it didn't take long for them to leave the Great Cang Empire behind.
Half an hour later, the crows flew past the Beihe Mountain Range and entered the lands of the Tai Chen Empire.
Diving into the wilderness, the crows landed next to a small river and reformed into the mysterious figure. This time, he revealed his true form—a man with a crow's head and a body covered in black feathers, his wings folded across his back. He crouched down, his hands dipping into the river water.
The night was cool, and the river's surface shimmered with a soft glow.
Slap!
A hand suddenly clamped down on his shoulder, causing his face to twist in shock.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
