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Chapter 233: The First Celestial Pride
Chapter 233: The First Celestial Pride
Watching the old man ranting about the apocalypse, the cultivators passing by on the street couldn't help but gossip among themselves. Most of them didn't take his words seriously and were only curious about where this old man had come from to dare to be so bold and outrageous in front of the Tai Xuan Gate.
Gu An, however, was skeptical.
"Will the ocean truly swallow everything?"
He had heard similar legends before, and there were quite a few circulating around the ocean. Moreover, the appearance of a massive crack in the ocean in recent years made it hard for him to dismiss these tales as mere fiction.
"I'm only 127 years old. Why am I facing so many disasters?" Gu An thought helplessly. However, the previous Demon-Magic calamity couldn't exactly be considered a disaster for the human world. It was merely a scheme concocted by the cultivation forces, and such occurrences were definitely not rare in this world.
He hoped that this upcoming ocean calamity wasn't specifically targeted at him or the Three Dynasties' continent. Otherwise, he would have to consider the possibility of the Heavenly Dao plotting against him.
Sure enough, he shouldn't have gotten too involved in worldly affairs. His method of rapidly growing stronger without undergoing tribulations might be seen as an aberration, an offense to the Heavenly Dao.
To eliminate this aberration, the Heavenly Dao might have decided to simply bring about an apocalypse, uncaring about the collateral damage that would ensue.
What was a calamity for all beings was merely a grand cleansing for the world itself.
Gu An's thoughts wandered, and not long after, he saw the old man being apprehended by the law enforcement disciples. Before being taken away, the old man was still shouting:
"The ocean will swallow everything..."
Not many people took this little incident to heart. Compared to such crazy talk, the disciples were more concerned about the upcoming Heaven's Board Assembly.
The four characters for "Under Heaven's First" stirred the hearts of countless cultivators, sparking excitement and curiosity.
Gu An, however, wasn't too worried about this old man. He didn't possess an outstanding maximum lifespan, nor did he have a hidden realm. He was merely at the Foundation Establishment realm; there was nothing to fear.
Gu An brought Yang Jian to the Pill Hall and asked him to observe carefully and listen attentively so that he could assist with tasks in the future.
Yang Jian felt a mix of excitement and nervousness about this new responsibility. He was nervous about making mistakes and disappointing Gu An.
It wasn't until dusk that they returned to Medicine Valley.
As spring turned to summer, Gu An crossed the threshold of 128 years of age.
News of the Heaven's Board Assembly had spread throughout the world, but the exact date of its commencement had not yet been decided. Through the efforts of Tai Xuan Gate, nine out of ten cultivators in the Three Dynasties' continent had heard about this grand event.
Who would be the first under heaven? This became a favorite topic of discussion among cultivators during their downtime.
On this day,
Gu An arrived at the Island of Seeking Immortals. As soon as he set foot on the island, he heard people talking about the ten-thousand-year great ocean tide, a legendary catastrophe.
Legend has it that every ten thousand years, the ocean would rise and flood entire continents, lasting for hundreds of years before eventually receding. Not every great ocean tide was the same, and in the most severe cases, the tide would engulf the entire human realm. Such a degree of calamity was a once-in-a-million-years event.
Today's cultivators couldn't calculate how long it had been since the last apocalyptic ocean tide, but precisely because they couldn't pinpoint the timing, they panicked.
All across the ocean, people proclaimed that the apocalyptic ocean tide was imminent. These people came from different sects, and it was said that they had received a heavenly vision. While cultivating, they entered a dream-like state and witnessed apocalyptic scenes. Those with weaker cultivation might even go insane from the experience.
Some even linked this impending disaster to the appearance of the great crack in the ocean. Perhaps that crack was a sign, a harbinger of the apocalyptic ocean tide!
When Gu An found Hu Xiaojian, he also brought up this matter, his face filled with worry.
"The world is truly in chaos now. First, there was the conflict between the Seven Star Spirit Realm and the Star Sea Group Sects, with battles breaking out everywhere. Now, we also have to contend with the apocalyptic ocean tide. We truly live in the worst of times." Hu Xiaojian sighed, his expression grim.
Gu An offered him some comfort, "It's not yet certain. Don't worry too much."
The news spread like wildfire, but the sea level remained unchanged. At least, the continent where the Three Dynasties resided was unaffected for the time being.
According to the legends, before the apocalyptic ocean tide struck, there would be a buildup period of hundreds of years, detectable by those in the human realm. During this buildup, spiritual energy would burst forth from the ocean's depths, causing the spiritual energy of the entire world to become denser. The cultivation speed of all beings would also increase, as if the heavens were offering a brief period of mercy. If one could leave this world during this time, they might be able to escape the calamity.
However, this was only a viable option for cultivators of high realms. To reach the Heaven's Flight realm within a few hundred years, one would need to be at least at the Traveling Immortal realm to have a chance.
Gu An and his companion strolled down the street, chatting as they walked.
Suddenly, a figure appeared before them. It was a woman dressed in yellow, with a dignified posture, an extraordinary aura, and a beautiful appearance. Her cultivation had reached the Mystical Heart Realm.
"May I ask if you are Senior Meng Lang? My master, Tang Hai, would like to invite you to be his guest." The woman in yellow spoke respectfully, her posture graceful.
Using a Mystical Heart Realm female cultivator as a maid?
What a grand display of status and power!
As Gu An was thinking this, Hu Xiaojian whispered beside him, "Tang Hai is an honorary elder of the Ocean Protection Mansion on the Island of Seeking Immortals. He is known for his upright and honest behavior and has a good reputation among the cultivators here."
In other words, he could be trusted.
Gu An glanced at Hu Xiaojian and then looked at the woman in yellow, saying, "Lead the way."
He secretly used a lifespan probe on the woman, revealing a maximum lifespan of over two thousand years. On the continent, she would be considered a celestial daughter, a figure of reverence and admiration. But here on the Island of Seeking Immortals, she was reduced to the role of a maid.
The woman in yellow bowed gracefully and then turned to lead the way.
After half an incense stick's worth of time, they entered a grand mansion. Hu Xiaojian didn't go in but chose to wait at the front door instead.
The Tang Hai Mansion was quite large, and there were quite a few servants scurrying about, the lowest cultivation level among them being the Infant Formation realm.
Led by the woman in yellow, Gu An arrived at a courtyard and saw a man in blue sitting at a table, sipping tea. His aura was elegant and refined, reminiscent of a scholar.
[Tang Hai (Scattered Immortal Realm, Layer 5): 8908/27000/27500]
The woman in yellow stopped and, after bowing to True Man Tang Hai, took her leave.
True Man Tang Hai looked at Gu An, stood up, and returned the bow. "Friend, I apologize if my invitation has caused you any inconvenience."
Gu An walked over to the table and raised his hand in greeting. "No worries, I happen to be free."
The two then sat down and began to chat.
After some pleasantries, True Man Tang Hai said, "Friend, the number of heavenly treasures you've acquired over the years is astonishing. Many are curious about you, but rest assured, no one dares to cause trouble on Immortal Island. I've also helped to block some inquiries."
Gu An didn't understand his implication and could only thank him, steering the conversation along.
With the strongest cultivator on Immortal Island being only at the Numinous Realm, Gu An didn't take the people here seriously.
"Lately, there have been rumors of a catastrophic tidal wave that will swallow everything. Whether it's true or not, the world is in turmoil, and it would be best for cultivators like us to stick together. Ten years from now, I plan to hold a private auction here, which will even include a celestial spirit tree. If you're interested, you are welcome to attend. As a token of my appreciation for our acquaintance, the actual transaction price will be calculated at 70% of the final bid." True Man Tang Hai stroked his beard, his smile as warm as spring sunshine.
Hearing this, Gu An smiled and expressed his gratitude once more.
A celestial spirit tree?
He was indeed very interested! The highest-grade spirit tree he possessed was only a ninth-grade one, and he wondered about the wonders of a celestial spirit tree.
Seeing Gu An's agreement, True Man Tang Hai became even more enthusiastic.
The two chatted for a long time, and True Man Tang Hai revealed his desire to form a small group of loose immortals to explore ancient immortal secrets together in the future.
Only after a full hour had passed did Gu An leave True Man Tang Hai's residence.
Hu Xiaojian followed him quietly, understanding that it wasn't his place to ask questions.
...
The first breeze of autumn blew into the Third Medicine Valley.
Yang Jian stood by the wooden fence, gazing at the pavilion where Gu An resided, lost in thought.
It had been some time since he became Gu An's disciple, yet his life remained unchanged. Gu An showed no signs of teaching him any cultivation techniques or spells, which left him in torment.
He was already 21 years old, and his cultivation was still stuck at the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm—a fact that worried him greatly.
He had heard that the top genius of Tai Xuan Gate, An Hao, had already reached the Foundation Establishment Realm at his age.
Time slipped by as Yang Jian stood there, deep in thought.
As dusk fell, Yang Jian cleaned a batch of fruits and placed them on a large wooden plate, bringing them to Blood Prison Great Sage.
Just as he was about to leave, a voice called out from the pavilion, "Jian'er, wait for me downstairs after dark."
Yang Jian's heart leaped with excitement at these words. He quickly bowed in the direction of the pavilion, refraining from shouting out loud as he didn't want the other disciples to hear.
An hour later, Yang Jian, dressed in clean robes, stood at the stairs, his eyes frequently glancing at the window of the pavilion.
Blood Prison Great Sage found his behavior amusing and teased him from time to time, leaving Yang Jian flustered and not knowing how to respond.
Suddenly, the door of the pavilion opened, and Yang Jian quickly straightened up.
Gu An descended the stairs and made his way towards the teleportation formation, with Yang Jian and Blood Prison Great Sage following closely behind.
The two of them, along with the ox, passed through the teleportation formation and arrived in Xuanwu Valley, then continued on towards an uninhabited mountain forest.
Seeing Gu An riding on the ox's back, Yang Jian felt nervous. He wanted to ask when his master would teach him a cultivation technique, but he was also afraid of offending him.
They walked through the entire night.
By the time dawn broke, Yang Jian felt dazed.
Gu An asked Blood Prison Great Sage to stop by a river, its water clear enough to see small fish and crabs swimming within.
Looking at the rising sun, Gu An asked, "Jian'er, do you desire an advanced cultivation technique?"
Yang Jian scratched his head awkwardly and replied, "Of course I would want one if it's available..."
Gu An didn't find his ambition offensive.
He looked at Yang Jian and asked, "What are you willing to give up for the path of cultivation?"
He intended to nurture Yang Jian well and keep him by his side—a treatment that even An Hao didn't receive.
Yang Jian paused for a moment, then said, "I have nothing, but I am determined to pursue the path of cultivation until the end of my life."
Gu An spoke calmly, "Your root bone is special, and you have difficulty absorbing qi. You must be able to sense this."
At these words, Yang Jian's face fell.
His talent was not only ordinary but placed at the bottom layer of the Third Medicine Valley. Despite his years in the valley, he had yet to break through even a minor boundary, which was why he longed for a more profound cultivation technique.
"I can help you transform into a genius, but you will have to endure pain that ordinary people cannot even imagine. It can be described as bone-crushing pain. Are you willing to take this risk?" Gu An fixed his gaze on Yang Jian, his tone indifferent.
Under his stare, Yang Jian's heart palpitated with unease.
"Master, you're not just scaring your disciple, are you?" Yang Jian asked cautiously.
The phrase "bone-crushing pain" sounded terrifying.
"Defying the heavens and changing one's fate is never easy," Gu An said. "If you're afraid, I won't force you. I will still teach you the cultivation techniques and spells that you should know, but your progress will be slow."
Yang Jian asked, "Master, have any other senior brothers or sisters succeeded in this before?"
Gu An shook his head. "I've only taken on two formal disciples. The others only received pills from me. And your senior brother is already a heaven-shaking genius renowned throughout the world."
Renowned throughout the world?
Yang Jian's mouth hung open, his mind filled with questions.
His master was only at the Golden Core Realm. How could he have such an outstanding disciple?
Renowned throughout the world?
Could he be compared to the legendary number one genius of Tai Xuan Gate, An Hao?
(End of Chapter)
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