https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-33-Startling-the-Outer-Sect-Sealing-the-Divine/12574054/
Chapter 32: A Snowy Night of Swordplay, Nascent Soul Battles Nascent Soul
Chapter 32: A Snowy Night of Swordplay, Nascent Soul Battles Nascent Soul
"Is that... Tribulation Lightning?"
Gu An looked at the thunderclouds outside the window, his furrowed brows gradually relaxing as a curious expression appeared on his face.
He wasn't worried because he sensed that the heavenly might was far from Xuan Valley.
Tang Yu, Su Han, and Zhen Qin, who were clearing the snow in the park, turned their heads to look, as did Ye Lan, who had been meditating and training in the mountain forest. She opened her eyes, and Xiao Chuan walked out of her house, gazing up at the rolling thunderclouds.
Wu Xin sat meditating on the mountaintop, his figure visible despite the swirling snow. He gazed toward the horizon, his brow furrowed.
"Such a powerful sword intent..."
Wu Xin murmured to himself. Although his cultivation was low, his experiences from the Qian Qiu Pavilion were extensive.
The entire sky was swiftly covered by thunderclouds, like a boundless ocean stirring up terrifying waves. The snowy forest plunged into darkness as the wind howled, causing the mountains to sway and shake off layers of snow.
Gu An, disturbed by this heavenly might, lost his focus on writing. He stood up and went downstairs, calling out to his disciples to take care of the various parks.
After an hour, several cultivators flew past Xuan Valley, heading toward the source of the heavenly might and disappearing into the boundless snow.
This sight made the disciples in the valley even more anxious, unsure of what was happening.
It wasn't until evening approached that a thunderous roar echoed through the heavens and the earth.
Standing atop the mountain, Gu An gazed into the distance, witnessing the flashing lightning and crackling thunder. The electricity wove toward a point on the ground, forming a gigantic fan shape that was awe-inspiring. The lightning illuminated his face, and his black robe fluttered in the wind.
"The Tribulation Lightning is so terrifying. No wonder I failed so many times in my evolutionary cultivation."
Gu An sighed inwardly, his long-suppressed resentment finally dissipating.
Although the evolutionary cultivation consumed more lifespan than actual cultivation, it was safer. Looking back at his achievements, who else in the Tai Xuan Sect could match a twenty-eight-year-old at the ninth layer of the Nascent Soul realm?
Soon after, he turned and descended the mountain, intending to continue writing his book.
That night, the constant rumbling of thunder prevented everyone in Medicine Valley from cultivating peacefully.
The next day at noon, the thunder continued to roll, and the wind grew stronger, as if a blizzard was approaching. From time to time, Gu An led his disciples out to check on the medicinal herbs.
Only after three days and three nights did the thunder finally cease. As the thunderclouds in the sky parted, sunlight finally shone through, bringing relief to the disciples of Xuan Valley.
However, before they could even rejoice for half a day, a sharp and oppressive aura enveloped the heavens and the earth, making them feel a dullness in their chests and their hearts pound.
In the pavilion.
Gu An put down his brush and looked out the window, his brow furrowed.
He sensed a powerful sword intent approaching from the horizon, but it was too early to determine how far away it was.
"What is he doing?"
Gu An was puzzled. Did he start comprehending the sword right after crossing the Tribulation?
Is he that determined?
Gu An could only pray that the other party wouldn't affect his Medicine Valley.
Although the other party's sword intent was strong, he secretly compared it and felt that it was not as powerful as his Tai Cang Startling God Sword.
After all, the Tai Cang Startling God Sword was something he had achieved by spending two thousand years of his lifespan!
How many people in this world could live to be two thousand years old?
...
Late at night, at the Eight Scenes Cave Heaven.
Gu An came to visit Jiang Qiong. He walked to the wisteria tree and raised his hand to salute Jiang Qiong.
"For the next period of time, don't come in again to avoid being discovered by Zuo Yijian." Jiang Qiong said without opening her eyes.
Zuo Yijian?
Gu An remembered this person. He was Zuo Lin's father. When they had flown over Xuan Valley before, he had sent out a lifespan probe toward the two of them.
Zuo Yijian's previous cultivation was exactly at the ninth layer of the Golden Core realm.
After crossing the Tribulation, he had become a Nascent Soul cultivator.
Gu An thought quickly in his mind, but his mouth asked nervously, "Who is Zuo Yijian?"
"He's the one who crossed the Tribulation these past few days. According to your master, he has already made a name for himself as the 'Sword Fanatic of Cang Lake,'" Jiang Qiong replied.
Sword Maniac of Cang Lake?
Gu An curiously asked, "Master, do you know him?"
"Mmm, we're acquainted. Back then, he overestimated his abilities and wanted to pursue me as a Dao companion. I humiliated him severely, making him the laughingstock of the inner sect. After that, he focused solely on his sword cultivation and secluded himself. I didn't see him again until I was injured and feigned death,"
Jiang Qiong opened her eyes and looked at Gu An, a playful smile on her face. "Obedient apprentice, don't be swayed by your emotions in the future. It will only bring you suffering."
"Thank you for the advice, Master. I will keep it in mind," Gu An replied.
Subsequently, Jiang Qiong asked Gu An to sit down and began instructing him on the gu techniques of the Ten Thousand Gu Mystical Art
The Ten Thousand Gu Mystical Art included both qi absorption techniques and numerous gu techniques, requiring a lot of time to research and master.
After staying in the Eight Scenes Cave Heaven for two hours, Gu An finally left.
...
Three days later, at dawn.
Gu An was leading his disciples in their morning exercises. They stood on the snow, their thin clothing offering little protection against the biting cold wind.
A piercing sound broke the air, startling everyone. They turned to see a sword qi strike the eastern peak, cutting down two large trees on the hillside. The trees tumbled down the slope, eventually being stopped by a row of trees, sending up a cloud of snow and dust that resembled white mist.
Looking up, they saw a two-zhang-long crack in the mountain wall, as if it had been slashed by a gigantic sword. It was quite a spectacular sight.
Su Han frowned and said, "This isn't the first time. If this continues, it will eventually endanger us."
The other disciples also looked worried, and their training slowed down.
Wu Xin sighed, "When a swordsman comprehends the sword, it can take anywhere from a few days to several decades. Who knows how long that person will take to fully grasp the sword's essence."
For once, Gu An's usually cheerful face was devoid of any smile, his expression somber.
He was concerned about the medicinal herbs in Xuan Valley.
The previous day, he had gone to the outer sect and reported the matter to the Pill Hall, but they had simply advised him that he could choose to temporarily relocate to the outer sect city and forgo the year's harvest. They had also made it clear that the Pill Hall would not bear any losses incurred by Xuan Valley.
But the medicinal herbs in Xuan Valley were like precious treasures to Gu An, and he was loath to give them up.
If Xuan Valley collapsed, the Eight Scenes Cave Heaven might also be exposed.
No, that won't do!
I must think of something! Gu An's eyes flickered with determination. While he could endure humiliation for the sake of his livelihood, he was prepared to fight for his beloved herbs.
"Alright, hurry up with your exercises, then focus on your individual cultivation. If that person hasn't left in another two days, we'll go to the outer sect to lay low for a while." Gu An instructed his disciples.
At his words, the disciples' spirits lifted. They, too, were worried about the potential collapse of Xuan Valley and had been eager to leave temporarily.
The winter days passed quickly.
As night fell...
On top of a mountain, Zuo Yijian sat cross-legged, clad in a gray robe. Five swords of varying shapes and sizes stood before him, their blades shimmering with sword qi. The falling snow melted as it landed on his body, turning into wisps of white mist that made him seem even more formidable.
A hundred zhang away, on another mountain peak, Zuo Lin sat at the edge of a cliff, surrounded by three fluttering flags. As sword qi swept towards him, an invisible barrier formed by the flags deflected the attack, ensuring he remained unharmed.
Although he was protected, the deafening sound of the sword qi crashing into the barrier startled Zuo Lin awake.
He lifted his eyes to his father, his brow furrowed, and a hint of envy flashed in his gaze.
They say that dragons give birth to dragons, and phoenixes give birth to phoenixes. Why didn't he inherit his father's innate talent for the sword?
As he sensed his father's powerful sword intent, Zuo Lin's heart yearned to reach such heights himself.
Even though he possessed an excellent spiritual root and absorbed qi at a rate far surpassing his peers, he longed only to become a powerful swordsman like his father.
If it hadn't been for his focus on comprehending the sword, his cultivation base would have far surpassed the second layer of the Qi Refining realm.
"Sigh!"
Zuo Lin sighed and prepared to continue his sword comprehension. He refused to believe that he couldn't achieve some level of proficiency in the sword path. Just as he was about to close his eyes, he suddenly saw his father stand up, which startled him.
Is it over?
Zuo Yijian stood atop the mountain, facing the direction of Zuo Lin, but his gaze was fixed on a higher mountain in the distance. The night veiled everything in darkness, but he could sense a sword intent locking onto him.
The five swords before him began to vibrate as if facing a formidable foe.
Zuo Lin, noticing his father's movement, also stood up and asked anxiously, "Father, what's wrong? Did you succeed?"
Zuo Yijian didn't answer his son. Instead, he asked aloud, "I wonder which fellow daoist has arrived. Why not show yourself?"
Ten li away...
Gu An stood atop a mountain, clad in white. He wore a wooden mask that concealed his face, and his spiritual energy veiled his features, preventing anyone from probing his identity with divine sense.
His white clothes fluttered in the wind, blending with the snow-covered landscape.
In his right hand, he toyed with a leaf, tendrils of sword qi swirling around it.
From his vantage point, he could see both Zuo Yijian and Zuo Lin.
Before unleashing his sword intent, he had carefully scanned the area within a hundred li, confirming that no other powerful cultivators were present, before making his way to this mountain peak.
Gu An disliked killing indiscriminately, but since Zuo Yijian's actions threatened his Medicine Valley, he had no choice but to expel him.
"Blame yourself for picking the wrong place."
Gu An muttered to himself. As he spoke, he channeled his spiritual power into the leaf in his hand.
At the same time...
Upon hearing his father's words, Zuo Lin turned around anxiously. However, with his Qi Refining realm cultivation base, he couldn't see anyone within ten li, especially in the darkness of night with the snow obscuring his vision.
Not being able to see the intruder made him nervous.
Zuo Yijian sensed the other party's rising sword intent and knew that the impending battle could not be avoided.
"A demonic path spy? Or... could it be them?"
Zuo Yijian's eyes flickered, and he gripped one of the swords before him. This particular sword was slender and long, its blade a fiery red. As he held it, the sword blade ignited with flames, becoming the brightest object in the night sky.
He drew his sword and slashed through the air, creating a fiery wave that hung in the night sky.
"To use the Fire Devouring Sword Art in such cold weather... it seems that Father's sword path has improved greatly during these past few days of comprehension." Zuo Lin turned his head, admiration filling his eyes as he witnessed the flames in his father's hand.
No matter who the intruder was, Zuo Lin believed that his father would emerge victorious.
"Since you refuse to identify yourself, fellow daoist, I can only assume that you intend to disrupt my cultivation. Let this icy world bear witness to whose sword intent is stronger!"
Zuo Yijian's icy voice reverberated through the heavens and earth. As his words fell, a surging sword intent erupted from his body, causing the mountain beneath him to tremble violently. The accumulated snow collapsed, and even the mountain where Zuo Lin stood began to shake.
Ten li away...
"Loquacious."
Gu An murmured softly, his voice so low that only he could hear it. As his words faded, he abruptly threw the leaf in his hand.
But it wasn't just a leaf that flew through the air; it was a divine sword that pierced through time and space!
(End of Chapter)
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