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Chapter 160: The Power of the Demon Clan, the Dao Monarch
Chapter 160: The Power of the Demon Clan, the Dao Monarch
Ever since the demise of the Ancient Pine Ancestor, Gu An had been vigilant, using his spiritual sense to scan the Nine Kingdoms lands every night to guard against invading enemies as the great demon disaster loomed.
On this particular night, he happened to witness Di Xie leaving the Tai Xuan Gate, so he followed discreetly with his spiritual sense and saw Di Xie meeting with a demon.
When Gu An heard the demon claim responsibility for killing the Ancient Pine Ancestor, a murderous intent arose within him.
Vengeance for the Ancient Pine Ancestor must be had!
After all, the Ancient Pine Ancestor had been his friend, despite their age difference.
He did not act immediately but waited until they were far from the Great Azure Empire before making his move.
The Black Crow Demon Envoy landed by the river's edge, intending to rest and infuse his demonic power into the river to mark this land as his territory.
However, before he could even begin, a hand landed on his shoulder.
He had never experienced anything like this, not even in the land of demons. No demon had ever approached him without his awareness.
His instinctive attempt to dodge was futile as an unimaginable suppressive force held him immobilized.
His crow-like face contorted in terror, and he could only catch a fleeting glimpse of a mysterious demonic shadow from the corner of his eye.
Gu An had intended to mock him, but seeing the demon already scared out of his wits, he lost interest and instead struck the demon's soul with his spiritual sense.
Soul-Seizing Art!
In the quiet of the night, only the gentle flow of the river echoed faintly.
As the moon set and the sun rose, the proud sun ascended from behind the eastern mountains, its rays piercing the sky and illuminating Gu An and the Black Crow Demon.
Under the sunlight, Gu An, with his Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body, appeared ghostly, while the Black Crow Demon crouching before him had rolled back eyes and a twitching body.
Only after two full hours did Gu An retract his spiritual sense and then proceeded to take the storage bag and ring from the Black Crow Demon's body before incinerating the corpse with the Tai True Fire.
After a few breaths, the Black Crow Demon perished, leaving only his demon core and the Black Crow Demon's heart, which Gu An stored away.
[You have successfully taken the 380 years of lifespan from the Black Crow Demon Envoy (8th Layer of the Mysterious Heart Realm).]
Gu An then disappeared from the spot.
...
At noon, in the Third Medicine Valley.
Gu An descended from the teleportation platform and made his way towards the distant gardens. Along the path, he was greeted enthusiastically and respectfully by the menial disciples he encountered.
Currently, the number of menial disciples in the Third Medicine Valley had reached four hundred.
Gu An's lack of greed for heavenly treasures and his dedication to diligent cultivation resulted in a considerable yield of medicinal herbs in the Third Medicine Valley. Even when compared to the Inner Sect's medicine valleys, the Third Medicine Valley's annual contribution to the sect ranked among the top three. This outstanding performance earned him the sect's increasing favor, and they continued to dispatch more menial disciples to assist him.
Along the way, Gu An spotted An Xin sweeping the grounds and beckoned her over.
An Xin hurried over and greeted him respectfully.
Having been in the Third Medicine Valley for many years, An Xin had successfully formed her foundation, thanks to the secret gifts of pills from Gu An, for which she was deeply grateful.
Recalling the past, An Hao and An Xin had joined Gu An's tutelage simultaneously. An Hao had now reached the third layer of the Golden Core realm, while An Xin had only attained the first layer of the Foundation Establishment realm. Even Gu An couldn't help but lament the unfairness of heaven.
"Keep me company on a walk," Gu An said.
An Xin naturally had no objections and followed closely.
During the walk, Gu An occasionally explained the cultivation methods of high-grade medicinal herbs, to which An Xin listened intently.
She had also developed a keen interest in herb cultivation.
After half an hour, Gu An took out a secret manual and handed it to An Xin.
"This technique may enhance your natural talent," Gu An whispered, his eyes alert as he glanced towards the distance. "Don't let anyone find out about it."
An Xin's face lit up as she received the manual, and she thanked him profusely.
After so many years together, she had come to trust Gu An completely. Like the other menial disciples, she addressed him as Master, but what set her apart was that in her heart, Gu An had become her true master, second only to the mysterious master who had saved her years ago.
Gu An ruffled her hair affectionately, indicating that she could return to her tasks.
An Xin bowed and turned to leave.
Watching her departing figure, a smile graced Gu An's face.
He hoped that the Pre-heaven Life Wheel function would benefit An Xin. Even if it didn't bring about a complete transformation, allowing her to live a few more years would still be a good thing.
Life in the Third Medicine Valley was far from dull. Gu An had constructed a library, an alcohol tower, and even purchased some equipment for the attic area to provide entertainment for the disciples.
He had also invented chess, which became wildly popular in the Third Medicine Valley.
Subsequently, Gu An flew towards the Inner Sect city. Having just avenged the Ancient Pine Ancestor, he wanted to chat with Elder Xu Lu from the Inner Sect's library. Of course, he wouldn't tell Xu Lu about the morning's events; he simply wanted to talk.
He had witnessed the Ancient Pine Ancestor's tragic end in the Black Crow Demon Envoy's memories, and his heart felt heavy.
...
In the Nie Chu Cave Abode within Tianhuang Mountain.
Tian Yao'er curiously watched Gu An plant a tree. This tree was already twenty feet tall, with fiery red leaves and long vines dangling from its branches. At first glance, it resembled a tree ablaze with flames.
This was a seventh-grade spirit tree, the Raising Sun Tree, which Gu An had transplanted from the Su Xing Cave Heaven. It was still a sapling, as the mature trees in the Su Xing Cave Heaven reached a thousand feet in height and bore fruits that enhanced one's vitality and perception of fire-attributed spiritual energy.
After finishing the planting, Gu An surveyed the Raising Sun Tree with satisfaction.
He turned and patted Tian Yao'er on the head, snapping her out of her daze.
"Come, I'll teach you a demon clan spell."
Upon hearing Gu An's words, Tian Yao'er immediately became excited and hurried to follow him.
Gu An had acquired numerous spells and cultivation techniques from the Black Crow Demon Envoy's memories, and he intended to impart to Tian Yao'er the technique of transforming into a flock of black crows, which was the Black Crow Demon Envoy's signature ability.
It must be said that Tian Yao'er possessed exceptional talent and comprehension.
After just one hour, she was already capable of transforming into several fire crows.
Indeed, they were fire crows, not black crows.
The crows burned with fierce flames, further fueling Gu An's suspicion that she carried phoenix blood within her veins.
The most crucial aspect of this spell was not the transformation but the speed of flight it granted. For Tian Yao'er to perfect this art, she would need to dedicate a significant amount of time to practice.
As he watched her silhouette practicing the spell, Gu An's thoughts wandered.
The Demon Emperor, the Demon Master, the seventy-two Great Demon Kings, and the soon-to-be-resurrected Demon Ancestor...
Even for Gu An, who had reached the ninth layer of the Nirvana Realm, the sheer might of the demon clan was overwhelming.
The lowest cultivation level among the seventy-two Great Demon Kings was the Mysterious Heart Realm, and the top three Demon Kings had even entered the Great Vehicle Realm. This was the very reason why the Tranquil Flower Sect dared not set foot in the demon lands.
As for why the demon clan had not ventured southward, it was not out of fear of the Nine Kingdoms, but because they were awaiting the resurrection of the Demon Ancestor. Upon the Demon Ancestor's revival, he would require a vast amount of flesh and blood to restore his physical body, and the people of the Nine Kingdoms would serve as his feast, as decreed by the Demon Emperor.
Of course, the Nine Kingdoms were not without their protectors. Two thousand years ago, a mysterious Great Vehicle Realm cultivator from the Nine Kingdoms had inflicted a devastating injury on the Demon Emperor, nearly causing her demise.
However, that Great Vehicle Realm cultivator had since departed for the southern seas, and the Demon Emperor's subordinates had discovered this fact and reported it to her.
That cultivator hailed from the Grand Jia Empire's Celestial Sect, and he was known as the Dao Monarch. Whether he still lived after two millennia had passed remained a mystery.
The Grand Jia Empire was the strongest among the Nine Kingdoms, and even amidst the current chaos engulfing the world, it remained unshaken. Meanwhile, the Celestial Sect had solidified its position as the foremost sect among all cultivation sects through its battles against the Tranquil Flower Sect.
The demon lands were vast and boundless, and who knew what other powerful beings lurked in the shadows besides the openly acknowledged Great Demon Kings.
This only served to heighten Gu An's anticipation for achieving the lifespan of ten million years.
If possible, he didn't want to flee but instead wished to remain with the Tai Xuan Gate and continue their existence on this land.
...
The death of the Black Crow Demon Envoy had no noticeable impact, as Di Xie continued to spend his days in the Supplementary Platform, immersed in his comprehension of sword intent.
However, as time went on, the number of demons and monsters wreaking havoc across the world steadily increased, causing great suffering to the common folk. In response, the Tai Xuan Gate dispatched even more disciples on missions to slay demons and eliminate evil, and even Ye Lan and Zhen Qin had to participate.
Since their tasks were within the Tai Xuan Gate's territory, Gu An felt relieved about their safety.
Two years passed in the blink of an eye.
Gu An's lifespan had now reached over seven million four hundred thousand years, bringing him ever closer to the ten million-year milestone.
Every day, he would use his spiritual sense to scan the demon lands, and if the great demon disaster seemed imminent, he would choose to break through his cultivation early.
He had already decided on the location for his breakthrough.
He would do it above the southern ocean!
One day, An Hao and Si Yan'er left Su Xing Cave Heaven.
As they walked out of the mountain wall, they turned back to see the cave entrance gradually disappearing from view.
"Where's your master? Why haven't I seen him in all these years?" Si Yan'er asked curiously.
An Hao replied, "He's like a mythical dragon, appearing and disappearing as he pleases. I'm not sure where he is, but one thing's for certain: if I'm ever in danger, he won't stand idly by!"
As he spoke, a proud smile appeared on his face.
Si Yan'er pouted, feeling like mocking him, but she held back.
She couldn't forget the scene of Gu An effortlessly erasing a cultivator of the Mysterious Heart Realm with a wave of his sleeve. Such a formidable cultivator was not someone Tian Wei could afford to offend!
Just then, a figure leaped out from the forest and landed swiftly in front of them. An Hao frowned, thinking that they were under ambush, and prepared for battle.
The newcomer was a man dressed in the official robes of Tian Wei. He raised his hand in a salute and said, "Your Highness, I have been sent by His Majesty to escort you back. His Majesty intends to betroth you to the top scorer of the imperial examinations, An Hao."
Upon hearing this, Si Yan'er's face paled, and she exclaimed angrily, "Has Father lost his mind? How could he betroth me to someone like that?"
An Hao had been planning to refuse, but upon hearing Si Yan'er's words, he became annoyed and said, "What do you mean, someone like me? Do you think you're too good for me? Then I'll definitely marry you!"
The two of them started bickering.
The official in Tian Wei's robes maintained a smile as he watched their exchange.
Far away in the Tai Xuan Gate's Xuan Valley, Gu An was observing them. Regarding the marriage between An Hao and Si Yan'er, he didn't object, as he had long ago discerned the mutual affection between the two.
However, he remained vigilant towards Tian Wei.
If Tian Wei dared to scheme against An Hao, he would show no mercy and instead use it as an opportunity for the Grand Wei Empire to annex Tian Wei's territory.
After the three of them set off, Gu An closed the book, 'Seeking Spring'.
Someone was approaching Xuan Valley.
He stood up and walked out of the house, descending the stairs.
Half an hour later, Du Ye flew into Xuan Valley on his sword. From a distance, he spotted Gu An and waved to greet him.
The disciples in the valley, seeing that he was acquainted with Gu An, did not stop him.
After Du Ye landed, he sheathed his flying sword and pulled Gu An to a secluded area.
"News from the family says that we're preparing to relocate out of the Tai Xuan Gate," Du Ye said in a low voice, his expression excited. "The Third Miss specifically requested that you and I be brought along." He felt honored that the Ji family had not forgotten about him.
(End of Chapter)
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