https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-352-Moonshadow-Emperor-Old-Monster/12937508/
Chapter 351: The Cycle of Rebirth
Chapter 351: The Cycle of Rebirth
Anxin brought Ye Yan to Gu An's pavilion and went upstairs to ask.
Gu An had already sensed Ye Yan's aura, but he couldn't show it. Only after Anxin knocked did he allow her to bring Ye Yan up.
Looking at the aged Ye Yan, Gu An smiled and said, "Long time no see, come and sit down."
Anxin was curious, but she didn't stay. Instead, she closed the door and left.
Ye Yan came to the table and sat down, looking at Gu An, his heart filled with emotions.
After many years, his master still looked so young, even more radiant.
Gu An wore a crown, and a golden pattern appeared on his forehead, giving him an otherworldly aura.
Ye Yan could sense that his master had also reached the Core Formation Realm, but their essence, energy, and spirit were completely different.
"How did you..." Gu An frowned and asked hesitantly.
Fifty years ago, Ye Yan was in his prime, with a youthful appearance. He was one of Li Xuan Dao's most capable generals.
Now, Ye Yan looked so old.
Gu An could see that Ye Yan had reached the end of his lifespan, but he couldn't reveal this fact, so he could only ask.
In fact, Ye Yan's maximum lifespan had increased slightly over the years, but only by a small amount.
Ye Yan smiled and said, "Everyone has a limited lifespan, and mine is almost up. Before I pass away, I wanted to come back and see you."
After hearing this, Gu An sighed and got up to pour him some tea.
Ye Yan's gaze followed him as he said, "Master, there's no need to sigh for me. I've lived a successful life with no regrets."
He had followed Li Xuan Dao in conquering the world and achieved the unification of the world. Li Xuan Dao had granted him the title of Marquis, and in these decades, he had enjoyed wealth and glory, even having many wives and concubines. He had also experienced the joys of family life, so he truly had no regrets.
"I'm glad you came back to see me," Gu An said as he poured the tea and turned around.
Even if he lectured Ye Yan on the Dao now, it would only extend his life by a few years at most.
Moreover, he wouldn't casually lecture others on the Dao. If he did it too often, it would be easy for his cultivation level to be exposed.
Every year, dozens of disciples graduated from the Third Medicine Valley and Xuan Valley. He couldn't possibly lecture the Dao for every disciple.
"Without your help, Master, I wouldn't have had such a brilliant life. If I hadn't heard from His Majesty that you were doing well, I would have returned to repay you long ago," Ye Yan said as he took the teacup and smiled.
He shed the killing intent from years of battles and became as gentle as a small river.
Gu An sat down and began to ask about his experiences over the years.
Ye Yan didn't hide anything. Starting from when he left the valley, Gu An listened attentively.
They talked through the entire night.
As dawn approached, Ye Yan made a request. He wanted to be buried in the Third Medicine Valley.
Gu An remained silent for a moment, then nodded in agreement.
And so, Ye Yan stayed.
Gu An asked Anxin to find Zhen Qin, and by the evening, Zhen Qin returned. Seeing Ye Yan's white hair, Zhen Qin felt a surge of emotions.
They stood by the wooden railing, watching the snow and reminiscing about the past.
When the Third Medicine Valley was first established, there were only Zhen Qin, Su Han, and Ye Yan in the valley. At that time, Zhen Qin had the most ordinary talent, and her strength was inferior to the other two.
Three hundred years had passed, and Su Han had long passed away. Now, Zhen Qin was about to bid farewell to Ye Yan, and she couldn't help but feel sad.
When Ye Yan mentioned Su Han, Zhen Qin didn't hide anything. Upon hearing that Su Han had already died, Ye Yan also fell silent.
Su Han, who cultivated the Divine Celestial Sword, had once shaken the Taicang Dynasty. Ye Yan heard about his achievements but didn't know his fate.
"The path of life is truly unpredictable," Ye Yan sighed.
As he was about to die, he naturally wouldn't be overly sad.
He looked at Zhen Qin and smiled, "Don't be sad. When I go down there, I'll find him and send your regards."
These words made Zhen Qin's eyes turn red.
Gu An stood by the window, gazing at their backs, lost in thought.
Long Qing came downstairs, picked up a snowball, and wanted to throw it at Gu An. But seeing his solemn expression, Long Qing held it for a while before finally putting it down and throwing it at Blood Prison Great Sage instead.
Blood Prison Great Sage, who was sleeping, was awakened by the snowball. When he opened his eyes, Long Qing had already run away.
"You little rascal!" Blood Prison Great Sage was furious. He immediately got up and chased after Long Qing, his massive bull body stirring up snow as he ran.
The winter snow fell heavier, as if it would fill the entire Third Medicine Valley.
Time passed, and the year came to an end.
On a mountain at the edge of the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An stood in front of Ye Yan's grave. The falling snow melted before it even touched him.
Gu An's expression was calm, without any hint of sadness.
He wasn't too sad in his heart; he was just reflecting on the past.
Ye Yan wasn't the first disciple Gu An had sent off. He was just looking back on the first half of his life, reliving the emotions of the past.
Gu An was thinking about a question.
In the Heavenly Spirit Great World, how did people reincarnate after death?
What rules governed the so-called cycle of rebirth?
Why did so many high-level cultivators choose to reincarnate? Was the purpose of rebirth merely to experience cause and effect and fate?
Gradually, he entered a profound and mysterious state.
Enlightenment.
...
In the scorching summer, the Taixuan Sect held a division ceremony.
At the Ye residence, Gu An and Ye Lan sat inside, drinking and chatting. After listening to Gu An's story, Ye Lan remained calm.
"Everyone has to die eventually; it's just a matter of when. I'll have my turn one day, so don't be too sad when that time comes, brother."
Ye Lan looked at Gu An and spoke softly.
Gu An put down his wine cup and asked, "If you were given a chance at eternal life but had to sacrifice a lot and follow certain rules, would you be willing?"
After Ye Yan's death, Gu An felt a sense of unease. He feared that his cultivation would not keep up with the passing of time.
He had indeed helped Ye Lan and others to extend their maximum lifespan through his teachings, but each time, the extension was shorter than the last. In total, he had only helped Ye Lan increase her maximum lifespan by two hundred years, and the last two times combined had only added up to one year.
The days in the mysterious realm were terrifying and merciless.
Ye Lan asked, "Will this rule make me stay away from you?"
Gu An replied, "It's hard to say."
He remembered that the Heavenly Sovereign had once said that after becoming the Heavenly Sovereign, he had to abandon many people, including his wife and children.
"Then forget it. Such eternal life might be a curse. At least, I don't like it," Ye Lan shook her head.
Gu An fell silent.
Ye Lan seemed to notice Gu An's mood, and she reached out to hold his hand, smiling, "Senior Brother, don't forget our promise for the last hundred years. If I can spend the rest of my life with you, then this life will be enough. A hundred years is actually quite long."
Gu An smiled and asked, "Is a hundred years enough?"
"Maybe it is. After all these years of pursuing power, I've grown tired of it. Recently, I've been cultivating, and I've been thinking of finding something else to do, just like you writing books..."
Ye Lan began to tell him about her experiences over the years.
At over three hundred years old, she had her own thoughts and insights about life.
She was already an Incarnation Realm cultivator, and within the Taixuan Sect, she held a high position and power. Her pursuits were also changing.
Listening to her story, Gu An couldn't help but smile, feeling happy for her.
Life shouldn't be just about one thing; Ye Lan's ability to contemplate a fulfilling life was a kind of enlightenment in itself.
"Senior Brother, if you really have such an opportunity, then leave it to those who desperately desire immortality. Now, I feel that the level of cultivation is not as important," Ye Lan said with a smile.
Gu An laughed, "Then if you leave this world, wouldn't Senior Brother be lonely in his pursuit of eternal life?"
Ye Lan blinked and smiled, "I haven't given up. I'm just telling you about it. Some things can't be fought for or forced. If that's the case, don't let it become a burden, including me, Zhen Qin, and your disciples. If we were to die before you, don't be foolish and develop a heart disease."
After hearing this, Gu An couldn't help but reach out to pinch her face, and she didn't dodge.
"In the last hundred years, what do you want to do? Where do you want to go?" Gu An asked.
Ye Lan raised her eyebrows and asked, "Can I daydream?"
"Of course, daytime is the best time to dream."
"Then I want to see how big this world is. I've heard that beyond the sea, there are other continents. I also want to go to the heavens and see how high they are and what lies beyond..."
Ye Lan spoke with great enthusiasm, and Gu An listened attentively, his thoughts following her words to distant places.
Two days later.
Gu An went to the northern mountains to gather medicinal herbs, then returned to Xuan Valley and stayed there for an hour.
When he returned to the Third Medicine Valley, he was in a good mood and challenged Nine-Finger Divine Lord to two games of chess.
As evening approached, Shen Xinzi and Lo Qing walked along the small path between the medicinal gardens. Lo Qing hung his head low, looking dejected, his eyes occasionally glancing at his master ahead, his gaze timid.
Shen Xinzi appeared calm, but inside, he felt lost.
After teaching Lo Qing for so long, Lo Qing still couldn't cultivate even a strand of spiritual power.
Even the most mediocre talent shouldn't be like this...
Could it be that his teaching method was flawed?
"Master, do I still have hope?" Lo Qing couldn't help but ask. He had lost his initial fighting spirit, and even felt a hint of fear towards cultivation, afraid of disappointing his master.
Without turning his head, Shen Xinzi said, "Perhaps your physique is special. Starting tomorrow, I'll teach you body refinement."
"Body refinement?"
"Yes, the path of cultivation is not limited to only one method. Perhaps your physique requires a long period of tempering, a process of accumulating and then unleashing..."
As Shen Xinzi spoke, his tone became increasingly firm.
Whether Lo Qing believed it or not, he chose to believe.
That's right!
Yang Jian, too, had a strong physique, and perhaps Gu An had chosen Lo Qing because the two of them were so similar.
Upon hearing this, Lo Qing immediately became excited and started jumping around.
When they returned to the pavilion area, Anxin approached with a smile and asked, "Senior, why have you been taking this kid around every day?"
Shen Xinzi pressed his palms together and said, "Amitabha. I have a connection with this child, so I'm taking him around to play."
After all, Lo Qing had no cultivation, and no one would notice if he secretly practiced.
"Hey, Sister, why are you meddling so much?" Lo Qing complained.
Hmph, wait until I succeed in body refinement, and you won't be able to control me anymore!
Anxin smiled at Lo Qing and thought to herself, "You little rascal, you've grown wings now. I'll just have to see what you can learn from him."
She said aloud, "Fine, I won't interfere with you."
After saying this, she bowed to Shen Xinzi and took her leave.
Shen Xinzi watched her figure walk away, deep in thought. This woman's cultivation had not improved, but the feeling she gave off was very subtle, and he couldn't quite put his finger on what made it so.
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
