https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-174-The-Celestial-Trap-The-Divide-Between-Immortals-and-Mortals/12575749/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-176-Su-Han-s-Envy-the-Demon-Ancestor-s-Resurrection/12575772/
Chapter 175: A Calamity Rarer Than Once in Ten Thousand Years
Chapter 175: A Calamity Rarer Than Once in Ten Thousand Years
Ever since the arrival of the Xuan Qing Tree, the White Spirit Mouse had been napping under it, rarely venturing out. When it did leave, it would be gone for several days, which always left Xiao Chuan worrying about it.
Under An Xin's lead, Xiao Chuan arrived at the base of the Xuan Qing Tree.
The White Spirit Mouse was lying there, belly up, enjoying the sun.
Xiao Chuan crouched down and gently stroked its belly, eliciting a contented expression from the mouse.
An Xin approached and stood behind Xiao Chuan, sighing, "Xiao Chuan, you're spoiling it too much. It's been gone for so long, and you're not going to discipline it at all?"
She couldn't stand the mouse's cocky and lazy attitude. If it didn't belong to Gu An, she would have taught it a lesson long ago.
"Don't underestimate it. It has another name—the Treasure-Seeking Mouse. It rarely ventures out, but who knows, it might bring back treasures one day." Xiao Chuan smiled.
At these words, An Xin couldn't help but crouch down and examine the White Spirit Mouse curiously.
The mouse opened its eyes and, upon seeing her, its beady eyes widened. Suddenly, it spat a pearl at An Xin, catching her off guard.
The pearl struck An Xin's face and instantly transformed into a liquid, seeping into her skin.
It all happened too fast for An Xin to react. By the time she realized what had happened, she let out a scream and jumped to her feet, frantically touching her face. Xiao Chuan was startled as well and didn't know what to do.
The White Spirit Mouse smiled smugly and scurried behind the tree.
Gu An rushed over at the sound of An Xin's scream, and the other disciples followed suit.
"Don't move. Let me take a look."
Hearing Gu An's voice, An Xin immediately calmed down and lowered her hands.
Everyone inspected her face carefully, and aside from a slight flush due to her agitated state, there were no signs of injury.
Gu An examined her closely and then asked Xiao Chuan to invite Lu Lingjun over.
An Xin was unharmed and had even gained a fortuitous opportunity.
However, Gu An couldn't explicitly say that, so he had to rely on Lu Lingjun to convey the message.
Soon, Lu Lingjun arrived and, after assessing An Xin, a smile appeared on her face as she said, "You should thank that fat mouse."
Upon hearing this, An Xin froze, and the people around her were puzzled.
The White Spirit Mouse poked its head out from behind the tree and bared its teeth at Lu Lingjun, looking fierce, but its plump figure made it devoid of any intimidation factor.
"Senior, do you know what that pearl it spat out was?" An Xin asked anxiously.
Lu Lingjun was about to answer when a figure flew in from a distance, causing her to stop and turn to look.
The newcomer was a male cultivator with an extraordinary aura. He landed swiftly behind the group and furrowed his brows as he asked, "Who does that White Spirit Mouse belong to?"
An Xin subconsciously clenched her sleeves.
Gu An stepped forward and said, "It's mine. I apologize, fellow cultivator. The pearl has already been absorbed by my disciple. I am willing to compensate with medicinal ingredients."
An Xin looked at him with gratitude, while Lu Lingjun wore an amused expression.
The male cultivator was at the Nascent Soul stage, and his cave abode was not far from the Third Medicine Valley. He had only joined Tai Xuan Gate in the past two years and was unaware of the valley's importance. Seeing Gu An's low cultivation level, he frowned and said, "Compensate with medicinal ingredients? You're just a temporary valley master; how many medicinal ingredients can you offer? My Water Spirit Pearl is an extremely rare treasure in this world. Your White Spirit Mouse took advantage of my absence, sneaked into my cave abode, and stole the Water Spirit Pearl. It's truly despicable!"
Lu Lingjun chimed in, "The Water Spirit Pearl is indeed rare, and it can improve the perception of water-attributed spiritual energy for all living beings."
The male cultivator glared at An Xin even more angrily, making her feel even more flustered.
Gu An said helplessly, "How about twenty sixth-grade medicinal herbs?"
Upon hearing this, the male cultivator's expression changed. He hadn't expected Gu An to offer such a generous compensation.
The disciples were also shocked. The value of sixth-grade medicinal herbs was extraordinarily high, and they had to be extremely careful when planting them. A single seed of a sixth-grade medicinal herb could buy their lives several times over.
Seeing the male cultivator hesitate, Gu An continued, "This disciple of mine is An Hao's sister. Her talent is mediocre, so she can only temporarily stay here. If you can let this matter go, An Hao will also remember your kindness."
"An Hao? Which An Hao?" The male cultivator asked, his brows furrowed.
Gu An smiled and said, "Naturally, it's the one who topped the Immortal Roll."
The disciples were not surprised, as this was no longer a secret. An Xin opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something but ultimately remained silent.
The male cultivator's expression changed upon hearing this, and he coughed lightly before saying, "In that case, I'll let it go this time, considering An Hao's face. I'll accept your offer of twenty sixth-grade medicinal herbs, but make sure to keep a better eye on your White Spirit Mouse from now on."
"Thank you, Brother, for your magnanimity. I'll take you to get the medicinal herbs."
Gu An led the male cultivator away, leaving the disciples to discuss the matter among themselves.
Xiao Chuan began to comfort An Xin, who didn't feel wronged but ashamed. She had gained this opportunity for no reason, and now Gu An and An Hao had to deal with this trouble because of her. She felt guilty about it.
Lu Lingjun humphed, "That little rascal is something. He didn't even let me help."
As a member of the Elder Hall, she could have easily made the male cultivator back off with a single word.
This incident also made her view Gu An in a new light.
Aside from her, Gu An had also sworn brotherhood with Xuan Tianyi and had a close relationship with the sect master. Yet, despite all this, Gu An didn't take advantage of his connections and still offered sincere compensation.
Such a character was indeed rare and admirable.
After the incense stick burned out, the male cultivator left.
Gu An turned back and sighed.
Was this a case of good fortune arising from a crisis?
If Xiao Chuan hadn't been so fond of the White Spirit Mouse, would it have spat the pearl on his face instead?
...
Xuan Tianyi's lecture commenced as scheduled, and Gu An, along with An Xin and Xiao Chuan, went to the Inner Sect city to listen. While Gu An didn't gain much from it, An Xin and Xiao Chuan benefited immensely, as did all the other Inner Sect disciples.
As the lecture concluded successfully, Xuan Tianyi's prestige swelled, surpassing even that of the Sect Master, and he became an object of reverence for all within the sect.
During the early summer, Xuan Tianyi ventured to the borderlands and slew a Great Demon King of the Grand Ascension realm and three Demon Kings of the Mysterious Heart realm, shocking the lands of the Five Dynasties.
With that, the title of the strongest under the heavens was firmly placed upon his head, although many still believed that the Sword Venerable of Fudao was the stronger of the two.
As for the Daoist Lord of the Cangtian Sect, he had shown no activity since his return.
Xuan Tianyi's actions served as a tremendous deterrence to the Demon Region, giving hope to the people of the world.
And so, two years passed.
Gu An's lifespan had reached over two million and five hundred thousand years. During this time, he would still occasionally descend from the mountain. When he learned that the common folk referred to him as the Green Hero, he was left stunned.
What was this all about?
That night.
Jiang Qiong left, intending to retrieve something from a place, and Gu An could only wish her well as he was unable to persuade her otherwise.
After traveling a thousand miles away from the Tai Xuan Gate, Jiang Qiong walked through the mountains, her figure cloaked in a black shirt and long robe, appearing ghostly.
Suddenly, she halted, her brow furrowed.
Following her gaze, a dark figure appeared in the distance, surprising her.
Demon Shadow Divine Ability!
Could there be another expert in the Qianqiu Pavilion?
Wait!
Near the Tai Xuan Gate, a cultivator skilled in the Demon Shadow Divine Ability...
Jiang Qiong immediately took out her artifact and prepared for battle.
"If I wanted to kill you, do you think you could resist?" A cold and hoarse voice echoed from the figure shrouded in darkness.
Jiang Qiong took a deep breath and asked, "May I ask if you are the Sword Venerable of Fudao?"
Gu An waved his hand and tossed the token of the Master of the Mize Teaching toward her. She did not catch it but instead took a step back, lowering her head to look at the token on the ground.
The three words, "Mize Teaching," caused her expression to change drastically.
"Are you from the Mize Teaching? How is that possible?" Jiang Qiong looked at Gu An in disbelief.
The Sword Venerable of Fudao, who had blocked the Mize Teaching, actually came from the Mize Teaching?
Gu An calmly said, "This is the token of the Master of the Mize Teaching. From now on, you are my messenger, and you will manage the Mize Teaching in my stead. You can do as you please, but do not let the Mize Teaching continue its evil ways."
Hearing these words, Jiang Qiong immediately understood.
The Sword Venerable of Fudao must have taken over the position of Master after the destruction of the Mize Teaching, intending to reform it.
She heaved a sigh of relief.
As long as the Sword Venerable of Fudao was truly a good person, she had no reason to fear.
"Why did you choose me?" Jiang Qiong asked.
"You have stayed in the Great Mystery Gate for over a hundred years, coming and going as you please. I also saw you in front of the Nine Abyss Road back then. Later, you returned to the Great Mystery Gate, and you have not harmed any of its disciples. This at least shows that you are not inherently evil. It seems that you are stuck in a predicament, perhaps because there is someone you care about in the Great Mystery Gate, or maybe you are hiding from an enemy." Gu An said nonchalantly.
Jiang Qiong's expression changed, and her eyes turned icy.
She thought that the Sword Venerable of Fudao was using Gu An to threaten her.
"None of that matters," Gu An continued in a cold tone. "What's important is whether or not you are willing to take over the Mize Teaching. With this token, the Mize Ghost Mother and the Nine Abyss Thirteen will obey your commands as if they were mine. You can now spread your wings and soar."
Jiang Qiong took a deep breath and said, "To be honest, I have offended the Seven Star Spirit Realm..."
"That is also one of the reasons."
"What?"
Jiang Qiong's face changed, and she looked at Gu An in shock.
Moonlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, illuminating her, while Gu An remained in the shadows.
...
Jiang Qiong left for three months and then returned.
It was autumn, and the night was cool.
Gu An and Jiang Qiong arrived at the Eight Scenery Cave Heaven.
"Grand-disciple, I have returned to bid you farewell," Jiang Qiong said, gazing up at the creeping vine tree.
Gu An feigned confusion and asked, "Where are you going?"
Jiang Qiong smiled and said, "During this time, I've thought a lot, and I feel that constantly hiding is not a solution, and it may even bring trouble to you. The Seven Star Spirit Realm is indeed powerful, but it is not necessarily the ruler of the world. I intend to establish my own power and continue climbing upward."
Gu An wanted to say something but stopped, his face a mix of emotions.
Jiang Qiong noticed his expression from the corner of her eye, and her mood improved. She smiled and said, "With the Demon-Monster Calamity imminent, the more chaotic it becomes, the greater the opportunities. Perhaps a hundred years from now, I can come to the Tai Xuan Gate openly and proudly. At that time, I will appoint you to receive me. How about that?"
Gu An opened his mouth to speak, "Must we fight?"
"In the cultivation world, if you don't fight, you will eventually be trampled underfoot. Even if you are safe in the Tai Xuan Gate now, what about the future? What will you do if someone wants to kick you out and take over your achievements in the Medicine Valley?" Jiang Qiong pressed.
Facing Jiang Qiong's questioning, Gu An fell silent.
Fearing that he would become timid and fearful, Jiang Qiong smiled and said, "If you don't fight, then I will have to do it. Rest assured, as long as I'm alive, there will always be a place in this world for you to live peacefully. Unless I die."
Gu An's expression shifted, and he looked at her with gratitude.
Jiang Qiong was pleased with the look in his eyes and continued, "According to the intelligence I've gathered, the Demon-Monster Calamity is about to erupt completely. Prepare yourself to face this once-in-a-million-years catastrophe."
(End of Chapter)
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