https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-32-A-Snowy-Night-of-Swordplay-Nascent-Soul-Battles-Nascent-Soul/12574053/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-34-Three-Millennia-of-Lifespan-the-Purple-Microcosm-Array/12574055/
Chapter 33: Startling the Outer Sect, Sealing the Divine
Chapter 33: Startling the Outer Sect, Sealing the Divine
In the dim snowy night, Zuo Yijian's sword intent formed a shocking and overpowering pillar of energy, stirring up the wind and snow, connecting heaven and earth. Scorching flames rose from within the pillar, transforming into a fiery dragon that soared into the sky.
Zuo Lin stared, dumbfounded, never having imagined that his father's Devouring Flame Sword Technique had reached such a level. It was something he had never heard of before.
Boom!
A huge blast suddenly came from behind Zuo Lin, like a sudden peal of thunder. Startled, he turned instinctively, his face not yet fully turned, when the bright sword light illuminated it. His eyes widened, and his peripheral vision caught a glimpse of a dazzling sword light cutting through the dark horizon.
That sword light was so bright that it defied description. The swirling snowflakes were impacted by the sword light, forming huge waves as if the entire night sky was about to be pierced by it. This scene deeply shocked Zuo Lin.
Zuo Lin's mind went blank, and he didn't have time to think.
The dazzling sword light tore through the night sky, flying over his head. The strong wind it stirred up instantly activated the formation around him, and a protective barrier appeared, violently fluctuating and on the verge of shattering.
Under Zuo Lin's gaze, the dazzling sword light collided with Zuo Yijian's sword intent, crushing it with an irresistible force.
Zuo Yijian reacted faster than Zuo Lin, but even his speed couldn't match that of his opponent.
He didn't even have time to perform a sword technique and could only rely on his own sword intent to forcibly withstand the attack.
Boom!
The terrifying pillar of energy surrounding him was directly dispersed, and the red flame dragon instantly vanished. Zuo Yijian's sword intent was forcibly crushed.
His robe tore, and blood burst from his body.
His eyes widened, and a leaf was reflected in his pupils.
"How is this possible..."
This thought flashed through Zuo Yijian's mind, and he didn't even have time to feel fear before the leaf pierced his shoulder. Terrifying sword energy exploded, forcing him to shoot backward, penetrating through mountain after mountain until he finally crashed into a forest tens of miles away.
A path was blasted into the night sky, and the surrounding snowflakes turned into mist as they approached, hanging between the mountains in a spectacular display.
On the mountaintop, Zuo Lin stood within the formation, staring incredulously in the direction where his father had disappeared.
He fell to his knees, unable to accept what he had just witnessed.
His father, who had never lost a battle, had been defeated...
And he had been completely overwhelmed...
Ten miles away, on another mountaintop.
Gu An maintained the posture of his wave as the cold wind, carrying snowflakes, blew his white clothes violently. His eyes, hidden behind the mask, remained calm.
"How can your hundred years of cultivation compare to my two thousand years of accumulated lifespan?"
Gu An thought to himself, knowing that he had shown mercy. He had aimed not for Zuo Yijian's head but for his shoulder.
He turned and left, disappearing into the boundless snow as if he had never been there.
...
In the early morning, Gu An, as always, led the disciples in their exercises.
As Zhan Qin twisted her waist, she looked up at the sky and said, "It seems like the snow is lighter today."
Wuxin looked into the distance and said, "Not only is the snow lighter, but that powerful sword intent has also disappeared."
As soon as he said this, the other disciples became excited.
"Could it be that the person has left?"
"It's possible. It is said that sword cultivators seek enlightenment in places where the mountains and waters are spiritually vibrant. Our place here can't be considered a blessed land."
"Don't be careless. What if he's just taking a nap?"
"Have you forgotten about the tribulation a few days ago? Do cultivators of that level need to take naps?"
Hearing their discussion, Gu An couldn't help but find it amusing.
He coughed lightly and said, "Focus on your exercises. Whether or not that senior has left, we'll know soon enough."
He hoped that no one else would come by to cross tribulations or seek sword enlightenment nearby.
If he accidentally used too much force, things could get ugly!
Over the next two days, the heavens and earth were no longer shrouded by sword intent, and the Xuan Gu disciples could be certain that the visitor had left. From then on, life in Xuan Gu returned to its usual pace.
Occasionally, cultivators flew over Xuan Gu, but the disciples had gotten used to it. Only Gu An knew that they might be investigating Zuo Yijian's injury, as he had detected a cultivator with the sixth layer of the Yuan Ying realm among them.
Night fell.
After being away for several days, Gu An visited Jiang Qiong at the Eight Scenic Wonders.
After exchanging greetings, Gu An said, "It seems like that Senior Zuo Yijian has left."
Jiang Qiong was not practicing cultivation but refining pills. She stared at the flames beneath her pill furnace and said, "He hasn't left. He's either dead or severely injured."
"What? Why do you say that?" Gu An asked, feigning shock.
He even added, "He's a Yuan Ying realm grand cultivator!"
Jiang Qiong gave him a sideways glance and said impatiently, "So what if he's a Yuan Ying realm cultivator? There are realms beyond the Yuan Ying realm. A few days ago, two powerful sword intents clashed, and one of them far surpassed Zuo Yijian's. Moreover, the battle ended in an instant, indicating that the victor's strength far exceeded Zuo Yijian's."
Upon hearing this, Gu An's heart rejoiced, but he frowned and hesitated on the surface, "Then is Xuan Gu in danger?"
"Don't worry. It's been several days already. Would you look at an ant by the roadside and think to step on it?" Jiang Qiong turned her attention back to the pill furnace and spoke softly.
She seemed calm, but her heart was filled with a sense of urgency.
She realized that she might have fallen out of touch with the cultivation world.
Seventy years was enough for a change in dynasties, and it had taken her only forty years to reach the Golden Core realm. Who knew what the cultivation world looked like now?
"In the future, when you're about to break through and cross tribulations, you must be more careful. Don't be like Zuo Yijian, thinking that no one dares to disturb him. You don't know how intense the infighting within the Tai Xuan Sect is." Jiang Qiong spoke with a hint of worry.
Gu An asked in surprise, "Do you mean that the one who made a move against Zuo Yijian is a cultivator from the Tai Xuan Sect?"
"Of course," Jiang Qiong replied. "Other sects' grand cultivators wouldn't dare to intrude so boldly into the Tai Xuan Sect. Moreover, the victor disappeared quickly, and there wasn't a second battle. He must be from the Tai Xuan Sect."
Jiang Qiong nodded. "You guessed it right! Gu An quickly left the scene after taking action last night. As soon as he arrived at Xuangu, he felt several powerful divine senses sweeping over him, scaring him into a cold sweat. Fortunately, his Dragon Vein Divine Origin Skill was powerful enough!"
Jiang Qiong clearly had a lot of emotions, and she began to educate Gu An on how to navigate the cultivation world from then on.
After chatting for a while, Gu An finally managed to extricate himself and went to check on the Hao Long egg.
The Hao Long egg was placed by Jiang Qiong under a tree, surrounded by piles of hay, with rune papers underneath the hay, inscribed with Jiang Qiong's spells to help the Hao Long egg absorb heavenly energy more effectively.
Gu An wondered what the Hao Long would look like when it hatched.
He had already started fantasizing about riding a true dragon and soaring through the human realm.
...
The news of Zuo Yijian's severe injury had an even greater impact than Gu An had anticipated. Even after more than half a month had passed, as he arrived at the outer sect, he frequently heard people along the way mentioning this incident.
In the past, news about Yuan Ying realm cultivators was rarely heard in the outer sect, but now, the entire city was abuzz with talk about Zuo Yijian, perhaps due to his recent tribulation.
Before his tribulation, Zuo Yijian had been an elder in the outer sect, and his strength was among the top tier within the outer sect.
Gu An followed Elder Zhu Qinglu, the head of the Pill Hall, to the library of the outer sect.
The library managed all the book collections in the outer sect, including the scripture pavilions in various places.
Any books that flowed into the Tai Xuan Gate had to be registered in the library.
"Little brother, the idea of writing a book is excellent, and I support you. If it passes the review, I'll put in a good word for you to increase the scale of your first batch of books."
Zhu Qinglu walked ahead, turning back with a smile.
Ever since he gained the benefit of the Cangteng Fruit, he had treated Gu An like his own junior. At least, that was how he appeared on the surface.
Gu An smiled and said, "Then I thank Senior for your support. I will never forget your kindness."
"Hahaha, now you're being too formal."
Zhu Qinglu stroked his beard and smiled, but the smile on his face only grew brighter.
The library was massive, no smaller than the Pill Hall. After walking through several corridors, the two men arrived at a large hall where an elderly man sat drinking tea, and rows of bookshelves could be seen in the side hall.
"Elder Liu, long time no see. How have you been?" Zhu Qinglu stepped over the threshold, cupped his hands, and said with a beaming smile.
Gu An immediately sent out a lifespan probe.
Liu Chang (Foundation Establishment, Ninth Layer): 226/270/340
Upon seeing Zhu Qinglu, Liu Chang immediately put down his teacup and stood up to greet him.
After exchanging a few pleasantries, Liu Chang pulled Zhu Qinglu to sit down, and they reminisced about the last time they met and even chatted about the past when they joined the Tai Xuan Gate two hundred years ago.
Gu An stood behind Zhu Qinglu, feigning an attentive and curious expression. Liu Chang occasionally glanced at him, feeling quite satisfied.
After chatting for about half an hour, Zhu Qinglu finally stated his purpose for the visit.
"Of course, of course, junior. Give me your book, and I'll take a quick look. If it's suitable for distribution, then it's settled." Liu Chang turned to Gu An and said with a smile, his tone very generous.
Gu An immediately took out the book he had written.
Liu Chang took it and glanced at it. "The Investiture of the Gods? That's a good title."
He began to flip through the pages, while Zhu Qinglu stood up and walked towards the bookshelves beside him.
Gu An stood obediently by his side.
Initially, Liu Chang wasn't paying much attention and was flipping through the pages casually. However, as he continued reading, his back gradually straightened.
At that moment, a young man in white walked in and said loudly, "Elder Liu, do you have any books about sword cultivation? I want to see who in this vast world can defeat the Canghu Sword Maniac with just a leaf!"
Liu Chang raised his hand, signaling for him to be quiet.
Gu An turned his head to look and subconsciously sent out a lifespan probe.
Gu Yu (Foundation Establishment, Eighth Layer): 34/291/1402
A genius!
This wasn't the first time Gu An had encountered such a genius, so he didn't pay much attention to Gu Yu.
Gu Yu leaned over to Liu Chang's side and peered at the Investiture of the Gods in his hand.
Before long, Gu Yu also became engrossed in the book.
Half an hour passed.
Zhu Qinglu walked over, looking puzzled. "Elder Liu, I thought you were just going to skim through it. Why are you taking so long?"
He glanced at Gu An.
What did this kid write? Could it be that he crossed a line?
Liu Chang looked up, hesitated for a moment, then stood up and stared intently at Gu An. "Did you really write this yourself?"
Gu An nodded, thinking, "Of course, it was written by one of my ancestors from Earth."
Zhu Qinglu frowned and asked, "Is there a problem? If it's not suitable, I'll ask him to rewrite it."
"No problem, it's excellent," Liu Chang shook his head. He looked at Gu An again and said, "This book can be distributed. Your talent is remarkable. I'll give you a three-percent profit margin. For each book sold, fifty percent of the spirit stones will be handed over to the sect, and twenty percent will go to the library."
Gu An naturally didn't dare to object and quickly thanked him.
Zhu Qinglu nodded slightly, feeling that Liu Chang was giving him face.
Liu Chang smiled and asked, "Should we use the author's real name?"
Gu An shook his head. "In that case, forget it. I'm afraid of causing trouble in the future."
"Then let's use the name Pan An for the author."
(End of Chapter)
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