https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-26-The-Grand-Assembly-of-the-Outer-Sect-Disciples/12574043/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-28-The-Flying-Leaf-Slays-the-Enemy-Such-Overbearing-Sword-Qi/12574047/
Chapter 27: The Myriad Yin Sect, Xu Ruyue
Chapter 27: The Myriad Yin Sect, Xu Ruyue
The Inter-Sect Assembly?
A gathering of the top outer sect disciples from various sects, all convening at the Tai Xuan Sect?
Including disciples from the Qian Qiu Pavilion? Gu An listened with keen interest. Such an assembly would undoubtedly be exciting, but he couldn't help but worry if any of the Qian Qiu Pavilion cultivators would take this opportunity to seek him out and force him to provide intelligence on the Tai Xuan Sect.
Chen Li and the others continued their conversation, steering the topic towards the inner sect. Chen Li was curious about the inner sect and wondered what it was like.
Xiao Chunjun briefly described it—the bustling inner sect city, the profound heritage of the various peaks, and the abundant mission rewards. Gu An listened as if he were hearing a fascinating tale.
However, Gu An still did not yearn for the inner sect.
Inner sect disciples had to defend the Great Cang Empire, not only by exterminating demons within their lands but also by aiding the empire in repelling invasions from other empires. It all sounded like a headache to him.
After Gu An finished his work and harvested several hundred years' worth of lifespan, he approached Chen Li, ready to take his leave.
"You're quite meticulous in your work. How about you help me manage my cave abode as well?" Li Xuanyue suddenly spoke up.
Chen Li immediately smiled and said, "This junior is indeed diligent and satisfies me greatly. He's also very obedient and was recommended by Li Ya. He's trustworthy."
Li Xuanyue fixed her gaze on Gu An, waiting for his response.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, Gu An couldn't very well refuse. He nodded in agreement.
"You two continue your chat. I'll take him to get familiar with the place," Li Xuanyue said as she rose to her feet and departed.
Gu An quickly bid farewell to Chen Li and Xiao Chunjun before following Li Xuanyue's pace.
Once the cave abode's gate was closed, Xiao Chunjun smiled and asked, "The grudges within the Li family are indeed intricate. Tell me, do you think Li Xuanyue and Li Ya are truly enemies?"
Chen Li shook his head. "How could they be enemies? If they were, she wouldn't have spoken up for Li Ya back then. Li Ya would've died at Shi Yang's hands long ago. Now that Shi Yang has been missing for years, I even suspect that Li Ya might've killed him."
Xiao Chunjun lifted his teacup, his eyes reflecting a subtle change.
...
After leaving the cave abode, Gu An followed Li Xuanyue. The two rode on the same sword but maintained a certain distance.
Standing behind Li Xuanyue, Gu An could smell a unique fragrance, much more pleasant than the scent that clung to Jiang Qiong.
Although Jiang Qiong had cleaned herself up, the smell of death still lingered faintly.
Along the journey, neither spoke. Li Xuanyue's cold aura made Gu An too lazy to open his mouth.
Her cave abode wasn't too far from Chen Li's, and they soon landed.
Gu An could clearly sense that the restrictions on her cave abode were stronger, and this feeling only intensified once they entered.
Such dense spiritual energy!
Li Xuanyue began to explain the origins of the medicinal herbs in her cave and the cultivation process. Gu An listened attentively.
After the incense stick burned out, Li Xuanyue handed him a token. With this token, he could directly open her cave and had the same access as Chen Li.
For Gu An, being able to harvest the lifespan of these medicinal herbs was enough, but if he could also obtain spirit stones, he wouldn't refuse.
Gu An bowed and bade farewell.
"Wait," Li Xuanyue suddenly called out. "What's your relationship with Li Ya?"
Gu An stopped and turned, replying, "Li Ya is my senior brother, so naturally, we have a good relationship."
He could tell that Li Xuanyue and Li Ya probably had a good relationship. If they were enemies, she wouldn't try to scheme against Li Ya through him, a mere menial disciple, right?
Li Xuanyue didn't say more but simply nodded slightly.
Gu An bid farewell once again.
Helping outer sect disciples manage their cave abodes wasn't tiring. It usually only required him to visit once every half a month or once a month. Gu An felt that he could take on a few more such tasks.
His 'business tree' was becoming more and more prosperous, with the Eight Scenery Caves and Xuan Valley as the main trunk, branching out to bring him more and more lifespan.
He aimed to reach a hundred thousand years of lifespan as soon as possible!
...
As the winter snow melted and the new spring arrived, the evening before the Chinese New Year, Xuan Valley began to decorate.
In front of the pavilion, the youngest, Zhen Qin, crouched on the ground, cutting paper while quietly asking, "Master, what does the Spring Festival signify?"
She was nine years younger than Gu An, with a sweet face, large eyes, a petite figure, and a gentle personality. Even Lu Jiujia and Xiao Chuan liked her.
"When I was little, I heard an old man say that the Spring Festival represents the beginning of a new year, out with the old and in with the new. Every year at this time, people would bless each other. Since Medicine Valley doesn't have many festive days to celebrate, let's make the Spring Festival our holiday." Gu An sat nearby, weaving a lantern as he spoke.
Not far away, Wu Xin, Xiao Chuan, and Tang Yu were hanging lanterns and pasting red paper, Ye Lan was preparing vegetables, and Su Han was inspecting the various gardens.
A look of anticipation appeared on Zhen Qin's face after she heard Gu An's explanation.
Gu An had come up with the idea of celebrating the Spring Festival a few days ago when he overheard the Medicine Valley disciples talking about their respective hometowns. It reminded him of his previous life on Earth, where the Spring Festival was celebrated during the new year. Thus, he decided to establish the Spring Festival as the first holiday for Xuan Valley.
In the future, he could also arrange a few other holidays to make life in Medicine Valley less monotonous.
But he wondered if there were any other Earth travelers in this world?
Gu An pondered silently. The reason he said that he had heard about the Spring Festival from an old man was to cover his tracks, just in case.
Just then, Gu An's brows furrowed slightly as he sensed two auras that made him uncomfortable approaching Xuan Valley, less than ten miles away.
Both of these people were at the Foundation Establishment stage, and their auras carried a strong scent of blood.
They had killed many people!
With the Inter-Sect Assembly about to begin, could these be demonic cultivators coming to visit?
Gu An silently prayed that the two cultivators wouldn't enter Xuan Valley.
However, his fears were realized as the pair flew directly towards them and soon appeared atop the mountain, overlooking the valley.
The duo consisted of a man and a woman, both clad in deep purple robes, exuding an aura of sinister charm, resembling malevolent spirits even in broad daylight.
The woman, with her alluring figure and dark makeup, had long nails like claws. She covered her mouth and laughed, "Xu Lang, we're not far from the outer sect of Tai Xuan Gate now. Why don't we rest here for a while and gather some information from the menial disciples?"
Standing beside her was a tall and robust man with a cold and stern face. He wore a purple crown adorned with a blood-red ruby, resembling a vertical eye.
"What information could we possibly gather from a bunch of Qi Refining insects?" Xu Ruyue coldly replied.
He was from the Myriad Yin Sect and was named Xu Ruyue. This time, he had brought his Dao companion, Chan Ji, to participate in the Inter-Sect Assembly.
Chan Ji smiled and said, "You know how the people of Tai Xuan Gate are. They may be weak, but they like to gang up on others. Since we're the first to arrive, we'll definitely be harassed. It's better to wait here for a while."
Xu Ruyue listened and found her suggestion reasonable. He leaped down, with Chan Ji following closely behind.
Gu An looked up and immediately used his Lifespan Probing technique.
Xu Ruyue (Foundation Establishment, Ninth Layer): 67/389/920
Chan Ji (Foundation Establishment, Seventh Layer): 74/370/605
They were both geniuses.
Gu An stood up, and Zhen Qin involuntarily followed his gaze. When she saw Xu Ruyue and Chan Ji, she was so scared that she immediately hid behind her master.
Wu Xin, Xiao Chuan, and Tang Yu also noticed the arrival of the two Demon Cultivators and ran towards Gu An.
Xu Ruyue and Chan Ji landed in the park, their eyes scanning the medicinal herbs. This caused Gu An's heart to tighten.
The security of Tai Xuan Gate was terrible!
With such a grand assembly approaching, they didn't even dispatch disciples to patrol the area? Gu An cursed inwardly. Of course, he also understood that Xuan Valley's value to Tai Xuan Gate was limited. The valley was only for growing low-level herbs to serve the outer sect.
Chan Ji turned her head and looked at Gu An and the others. She asked, "Who is the valley master here?"
Gu An stepped forward and cupped his fists. "That would be me. May I ask what brings the two seniors here?"
Chan Ji threw a flirtatious glance at Gu An and smiled. "Little brother, my husband and I are here to attend the Tai Xuan Gate's assembly. We wish to rest in your valley for a few days. What do you say?"
Xu Ruyue's gaze shifted to Ye Lan and Zhen Qin behind Gu An, his cold eyes making the two women uneasy. Ye Lan frowned and stood in front of Zhen Qin protectively.
Gu An's heart sank, but he sensed a familiar aura approaching.
He asked, "May I ask which sect the two of you are from?"
Chan Ji's eyes turned cold, and she was about to speak.
"Why bother talking to him? If we want to stay, what can he do to stop us with his mere fifth layer of Qi Refining cultivation?" Xu Ruyue interrupted impatiently.
A terrifying killing intent burst forth from his body, causing everyone present to shudder as if they were in an ice cave.
"Are the two from the Myriad Yin Sect planning to be enemies of Tai Xuan Gate?"
A cold and clear voice rang out from the sky, and everyone looked up to see Li Xuanyue standing on a flying sword, graceful and ethereal like an exiled immortal.
"Li Xuanyue!" Chan Ji said through gritted teeth, emphasizing each word.
Li Xuanyue spoke, "Follow me."
With that, she turned and left, quickly disappearing beyond the mountain peaks.
Xu Ruyue leaped up, and a gourd flew out from his waist, quickly enlarging and landing beneath his feet. Chan Ji jumped onto it, and the two of them rode the gourd away.
The people of Xuan Valley breathed a sigh of relief.
"Were those two Demon Cultivators?" Su Han asked, unable to hide his curiosity. He was so scared by Xu Ruyue's killing intent that his face had turned pale.
Wu Xin replied, "Yes, the Myriad Yin Sect is a powerful Demon Dao sect."
Ogawa complained, "I thought Tai Xuan Gate was a righteous sect. Why are they inviting Demon Dao sects to the assembly?"
The disciples began to discuss the matter, all of them still shaken by the close call. If it weren't for Li Xuanyue's arrival, they might have faced disaster that night.
Gu An turned his head towards the horizon and frowned slightly.
After that, he asked everyone to continue with the Spring Festival preparations while he returned to his room to rest for a while.
As dusk fell, the sky turned crimson.
Gu An stood by the side window of the pavilion. He had already sensed signs of a distant battle, faint and about thirty miles away from Xuan Valley.
Suddenly, he sensed something and immediately climbed over the windowsill, vanishing into the forest.
In the distant forest, trees were toppled, and the ground was covered in shocking cracks. Xu Ruyue and Chan Ji stood side by side, a mocking smile on their faces.
Opposing them were not only Li Xuanyue but also Li Ya.
"The Li family's Astonishing Nine Swords are indeed powerful, but your cultivation is insufficient." Xu Ruyue's voice was cold, and his right hand twitched as purple qi swirled around his fingertips.
Blood stained the corners of Li Ya's mouth, and his right hand, which held the sword, was trembling. Beside him, Li Xuanyue was in a similar state, although her injuries were not as severe as Li Ya's.
...
(End of Chapter)
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