https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-36-The-Profound-Yellow-Dragon-Vitality-Technique-Comprehending-Divine-Power/12575050/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-38-Hatred-for-the-Heavenly-God-Sword-A-Shocking-Event-in-the-Tai-Xuan-Sect/12575052/
Chapter 37: The Emperor's Recruitment
Chapter 37: The Emperor's Recruitment
A limit of three thousand years to one's lifespan?
Gu An was startled by the other party's lifespan information. This was the first time he had encountered someone with such extraordinary talent.
And to think he was only at the eighth layer of the Spirit Transformation realm!
However, this lifespan seemed a bit too short and didn't align with Gu An's expectations for the Spirit Transformation realm. Was it possible to only live up to eight hundred and ninety-nine years in this realm?
Gu An speculated that the other party might have suffered some injury that reduced their lifespan.
Without hesitation, he walked over, his mind racing with thoughts. He guessed that the other party might be a high-ranking member of the Tai Xuan Gate, but he couldn't show too much respect, especially since the other party had concealed their aura.
If he could see through the other party's cultivation, he would undoubtedly be pestered with questions and might even be suspected of being a spy for the demonic path.
As Li Xuandao strolled towards the valley, he surveyed the surroundings and the park along the way.
Gu An approached him, cupped his fist in greeting, and asked, "I am Gu An, the valley master of Xuan Gu. May I ask for your name and the purpose of your visit?"
Li Xuandao fixed his gaze on Gu An, his eyes cold and exuding immense pressure.
However, he soon broke into a smile, the oppressive feeling vanishing like it had never existed. It gave one the illusion that he was a gentle person as he said, "I am Xuandao, and I have come from Cangzhou to visit my child at the Tai Xuan Gate. The journey has been long and tiring, so I wish to rest in your valley for a few days to recuperate my spiritual energy. I hope you can accommodate me."
Gu An couldn't possibly refuse such a request and immediately agreed, calling out to Xiaochuan to arrange accommodations for Li Xuandao.
Gu An did not stare at Li Xuandao, avoiding any potential suspicion.
"Surname Li, visiting his child... Could he be a member of the royal family?" Gu An wondered to himself.
With so many medicinal valleys to choose from, why did he specifically come to Xuan Gu? It was highly likely that this was related to Li Ya.
Gu An continued his inspection of the valley, ensuring everything was in order.
On the other side.
Xiaochuan led Li Xuandao to an uninhabited house and said, "The house is simple, but I hope you don't mind. If you need anything, feel free to let me or any other disciple know."
Li Xuandao nodded and asked, "I saw sheep in the mountains on my way here, and there were disciples taking care of them. Aren't you a medicinal valley? Why do you keep so many sheep?"
Xiaochuan did not hide the truth and replied, "Originally, we only grew medicinal herbs in the valley. However, my spiritual root talent is limited, so I gave up on the idea of going to the outer gate. When my senior brother learned that I liked raising livestock, he indulged my idea and even suggested earning spirit stones this way to help more disciples cultivate and eventually go to the outer gate."
"Oh? Is your senior brother the valley master?"
"Yes."
"Then he must be a truly good person, considering your needs like this."
"Of course, my senior brother is the best person in the world..."
Hearing Li Xuandao's praise, Xiaochuan's face lit up, and he began to enthusiastically boast about Gu An's virtues.
This made Li Xuandao even more curious about Gu An, prompting him to ask more questions. Xiaochuan, without any hesitation, pulled Li Xuandao to sit down and continued speaking with even more enthusiasm.
Gu An, who was inspecting the valley, had a slight smile on his face, thinking that his kindness towards this silly boy wasn't wasted.
Whether Li Xuandao was related to Li Ya or was a high-ranking member of the Tai Xuan Gate, it wouldn't hurt to have a good impression of him.
Could Li Xuandao be a member of the Qian Qiu Pavilion?
Wait!
Qian Qiu Pavilion! Gu An's spine suddenly turned cold, and his smile froze.
Better safe than sorry!
From now on, he would have to be even more cautious when dealing with Li Xuandao. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Li Xuandao's arrival piqued the curiosity of the other disciples, as it was rare for guests to visit Xuan Gu.
On the day of his arrival, Li Xuandao did not leave his quarters, seemingly truly resting and recovering his spiritual energy.
Due to Li Xuandao's presence, Gu An also dared not venture to the Eight Scenery Cave Heaven, instead spending his evenings quietly in the pavilion.
The next morning, as usual, Gu An led the disciples in their morning exercises. Li Xuandao heard the commotion and stepped out to watch, and Xiaochuan enthusiastically greeted him.
Gu An merely nodded at Li Xuandao, not trying to avoid him.
At first, Li Xuandao didn't pay much attention to the exercises, but as he watched, he found them rather interesting.
After the exercises were over, Gu An dismissed the disciples and took out a book from his pocket, flipping through it as he walked towards the pavilion.
At this moment, he had to remain calm and not let Li Xuandao's presence disrupt his daily routine.
However, as he entered the courtyard, Li Xuandao caught up with him.
"Valley Master, what are you reading?" Li Xuandao asked with a smile.
Gu An turned around, raised the book in his hand, and said, "The Investiture of the Gods. Have you read it?"
Li Xuandao's smile widened as he said, "I have, and I can even recite it from memory."
"Oh? So, we share a common interest?"
"Hahaha, I felt a sense of familiarity when I first saw you, Valley Master. Care to discuss The Investiture of the Gods?"
Hearing Li Xuandao's insincere words, Gu An could only smile and agree.
He invited Li Xuandao upstairs and, once he was seated, began to boil water for tea, using his spiritual power to start a fire.
Li Xuandao surveyed the room and asked, "Valley Master, what do you think of King Zhou?"
What a question! Testing me right off the bat?
Gu An's back was turned to Li Xuandao as he placed tea leaves into the cups, and he said, "Based on the story alone, he seems cruel and inhumane. But if you think about it carefully, some of his actions don't seem to make sense."
Li Xuandao sighed and said, "Yes, when I first read it, I thought King Zhou was stupid and cruel. But when I read it again, I felt something was off. In the world of the novel, immortals and gods truly exist, and King Zhou couldn't possibly be unaware of their presence. In such a situation, his actions of desecrating the statue of Nuwa don't seem like something a mortal emperor would dare to do."
"And what about Nuwa? She is so high above, yet when a mortal desecrates her, she doesn't directly punish him. Instead, she sends a vixen to mess with the emperor's heart, causing chaos in the world. Can such behavior truly be considered divine or godly?
Gu An turned around and walked to the table, holding a teacup. He placed it in front of Li Xuandao.
With a smile, he said, "Indeed, there are many unreasonable parts, but after all, it's a fictional story. These contradictions are added to make it more exciting, so it's understandable."
Not knowing Li Xuandao's identity, Gu An spoke ambiguously.
Li Xuandao shook his head and said, "Perhaps the story is fake, but the underlying message is real. It tells us that there are gods above, and man cannot overcome heaven."
Gu An wouldn't have thought he would interpret Investiture of the Gods this way.
"What if King Zhou were powerful enough to surpass the various immortal sects? How would the story be written then?" Li Xuandao asked.
Gu An thought for a moment and replied, "Then the final battle wouldn't be with Tongtian Jiaozhu, but with King Zhou himself."
Li Xuandao paused, a smile tugging at his lips as he held the teacup and blew away the heat.
Unsure of Li Xuandao's expression, Gu An remained silent.
After taking a sip of tea, Li Xuandao began to inquire about Xuan Gu's planting methods and even delved into some of the cultivation details, to which Gu An responded one by one.
"You joined the Tai Xuan Gate, seeking not immortality but instead focusing on tending flowers and plants. Is this out of helplessness or genuine interest?" Li Xuandao asked.
Gu An smiled bitterly, "There is helplessness, but also genuine enjoyment. People have different pursuits. Immortality is not necessarily the only meaning in life. Of course, if I had exceptional talent, I would strive for it as well."
Li Xuandao teased, "You truly are an interesting person, not hiding your thoughts at all."
"In life," Gu An shrugged, "looking back at the past and into the future, there are only four words to describe it: making the best of a bad bargain."
He was becoming more and more suspicious that Li Xuandao was indeed from the Qian Qiu Pavilion, and he wanted to test his attitude towards Xuan Gu.
Li Xuandao put down his teacup and asked, "What do you think of the current emperor? Do you think he's like King Zhou?"
Gu An was stunned.
What a sudden shift in topic!
How did the conversation turn to the emperor of the Great Cang Dynasty?
Unless he wasn't from the Qian Qiu Pavilion and was indeed a relative of Li Ya?
Gu An's thoughts raced, "I don't know much. After all, before I joined the Tai Xuan Gate, I was just a servant. Now, living in this medicine valley, I rarely hear any outside news. Why do you ask? Has the emperor done something?"
Li Xuandao smiled, "Not particularly. It's just that he has been in power for a long time, and there are many discussions about him in the court and among the common folk. It seems that the people believe an emperor shouldn't rule for too long. If he stays in power for an extended period, he will inevitably become incompetent. And the cultivation world fears that the emperor will attain immortality, causing imperial power to surpass that of the cultivation world."
Gu An grew tense.
This conversation involved too many sensitive topics, and he dared not speak carelessly.
Seeing Gu An's hesitation, Li Xuandao jested, "What do you think? Is it better for an emperor to rule for a long time or to change every few decades?"
Knowing that Li Xuandao was at the eighth layer of the Transformation Realm, Gu An couldn't afford to remain silent.
After a moment's thought, Gu An replied, "In my opinion, it depends on the emperor's character. If he is wise and capable of governing the country well, there's no issue with a long reign. However, if the emperor is virtuous and has many years left to live, but abdicates in favor of an incompetent son, it would be a disaster for the people. The common folk only live for a hundred years or so. If their lives are filled with hardship, they will blame the emperor for abdicating."
Li Xuandao smiled again, and Gu An clearly felt his mood improve.
Wait!
A relative of Li Ya, with the surname Li, first talking about King Zhou and now asking about the current emperor...
Gu An recalled that he had heard about the emperor of the Great Cang Dynasty while he was still with the Ji family. It was said that the emperor also cultivated immortality and had been in power for two hundred years.
"You speak reasonably," Li Xuandao said with a smile. "I shouldn't listen to those voices. I should go and see the lives of the common people for myself."
Upon hearing this, Gu An's expression changed drastically, and he exclaimed, "You... Are you the current emperor?"
As he spoke, Gu An started to stand up.
Li Xuandao raised his hand, and a powerful oppressive force pushed Gu An back down. Gu An did not resist, lest his cultivation be discovered.
"Lower your voice," Li Xuandao said with a smile, his hand still raised. "You don't have to treat me as the emperor. Just call me Uncle, as I am Li Ya's father." His smile was gentle, devoid of imperial majesty.
Gu An, however, was at a loss for words.
An emperor at the eighth layer of the Transformation Realm!
This was going to be troublesome!
Li Xuandao spoke, "Bring out the Sky Lodestar Sword."
Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately took out the Sky Lodestar Sword from his storage bag.
As soon as Li Xuandao laid eyes on the sword, his expression became complex. He picked up the sword sheath and gently caressed it.
Gu An thought of Li Ya's words—the Sky Lodestar Sword had been a gift from the emperor to his mother. After his mother's death, the sword had been passed down to him...
Now, seeing Li Xuandao's expression, Gu An began to speculate about the relationship between Li Xuandao and Li Ya's mother.
After a long while, Li Xuandao put down the sword and pushed it towards Gu An. "Within the Tai Xuan Gate, Li Ya is closest to you, and I've heard that you even saved him. Take this sword; I bestow it upon you. From now on, you are the master of the Sky Lodestar Sword."
"Additionally," Li Xuandao continued, "I plan to establish a medicine valley near the Tai Xuan Gate. It will be filled with many high-grade medicinal herbs. I want you to help me manage it. I won't mistreat you. In the future, I can help you build your foundation and even form your Core. It won't be difficult, but you must understand that while you are outwardly a disciple of the Tai Xuan Gate, your loyalty belongs to me."
As always, seeking your monthly tickets and recommendations!
(End of Chapter)
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