https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-38-Hatred-for-the-Heavenly-God-Sword-A-Shocking-Event-in-the-Tai-Xuan-Sect/12575052/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-40-The-Sound-of-Flying-Leaves-and-a-Ten-Thousand-Year-Lifespan/12575054/
Chapter 39: Nascent Soul Blocks the Path, Despicable
Chapter 39: Nascent Soul Blocks the Path, Despicable
"What's the matter?" Gu An asked with a smile. He had felt that something was amiss when he arrived at the Outer Sect's city earlier in the day; there was an indescribable sense of tension in the air.
"The Sect Master and one of the elders are in a power struggle," Ye Lan began to explain. "Recently, the Holy Emperor of the Dynasty visited Tai Xuan Gate and appointed the personal disciple of that elder as the National Master, granting him a first-rank immortal official position. This proclamation was made to the whole world, greatly boosting the morale of the elder's faction. They have also been spreading unfavorable rumors about the Sect Master."
Lu Jiujia, slightly annoyed that Ye Lan had beaten him to the explanation, quickly added, "The Sect Master has a domineering style and has offended quite a few elders. In recent years, there have been frequent disciple casualties and demonic path invasions outside the Outer Sect's territories. Many elders are dissatisfied with this situation, and now that they have the Emperor's support, the Sect Master's opponents will certainly not hold back. A conflict between them will undoubtedly create chaos."
Gu An curiously asked, "Doesn't the Sect Master have absolute authority? Isn't he the strongest cultivator in Tai Xuan Gate?"
"Of course not," Lu Jiujia replied. "The Sect Master is selected through the joint efforts of the elders, and within Tai Xuan Gate, the one with the highest cultivation level is not the Sect Master but the true disciple. It is said that he is the most talented person in Tai Xuan Gate in a thousand years. He ventures out and rarely returns. Anyway, I've heard a rumor that if he wanted to become the Sect Master today, he would be by tomorrow at the latest." Lu Jiujia's tone became excited as he spoke of the true disciple.
"So powerful? What's his name?" Gu An asked, intrigued.
"Cough, I haven't found out yet," Lu Jiujia coughed lightly, trying to hide his embarrassment.
Ye Lan rolled her eyes at him and then turned to Gu An, speaking softly, "I've also heard a lot of inside information in the Enforcement Hall. The power struggle within the main city of the sect has already spread to the Inner and Outer Sects. Brother, you must be careful in Xuan Valley. Those people will stop at nothing to gain power."
Gu An chuckled and said, "It won't be that bad, will it? Could it be that someone dares to come and slaughter Xuan Valley and then frame the other party?"
As soon as he said this, Gu An felt his own heart tremble. After all, someone had already been feeding the Greed and Hatred Demons outside the Outer Sect. What other impossible things could happen?
Ye Lan sensed his worry and placed her hand on his, comforting him, "Brother, don't be afraid. I'll think of a way to persuade the Enforcement Hall to increase patrols in the various medicine valleys outside the Outer Sect."
Gu An instinctively withdrew his hand. He had only been distracted for a moment, and she had taken advantage of it.
Well, to be honest, he had seen it coming but was afraid that reacting too quickly would arouse his junior disciples' suspicion.
Lu Jiujia secretly laughed at this, only to earn a glare from Ye Lan.
"Compared to me, you two should be more careful," Gu An said earnestly. "This kind of power struggle is more dangerous than going out to slay demons and eliminate evil."
Lu Jiujia was brimming with confidence, certain that he wouldn't die.
Ye Lan, on the other hand, believed that her position in the Enforcement Hall would protect her from any harm.
The Enforcement Hall oversaw all the halls, and those who joined it gained authority over ordinary disciples. However, the cultivation time of Enforcement Hall disciples was shorter than that of ordinary disciples, and they had to manage any issues that arose in the halls.
As Gu An looked at Ye Lan, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
In just a few years since leaving the valley, Ye Lan had transformed. She was no longer the little girl who used to follow him around. Now, she exuded a confident and dependable aura.
The three of them chatted while drinking.
Most of the time, Lu Jiujia and Ye Lan did the talking, and through their words, Gu An gained a deeper understanding of the situation in Tai Xuan Gate.
He felt a sense of relief and satisfaction knowing that the junior disciples he had nurtured were now looking out for him.
If the disciples of Xuan Valley were to spread out across the various halls of the Outer Sect and even enter the Inner Sect, his influence would be unparalleled.
Just thinking about it made Gu An excited.
Two hours later, Lu Jiujia took his leave first. Gu An politely declined Ye Lan's invitation to her mansion to taste rare delicacies and then left the Outer Sect's city as she bid him farewell with reluctance.
Stepping on his flying sword and riding the wind, Gu An was in a good mood.
The sky gradually turned crimson as dusk approached.
Gu An's apparent cultivation level had reached the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, so his flying speed was not slow. He admired the continuous ups and downs of the mountains along the way.
In the blink of an eye, half an hour passed.
Suddenly, as Gu An was flying, he saw a figure emerge from the mountains ahead and quickly approach him. He slowed down involuntarily.
A white-robed elder stepped forward, a wine gourd in his hand, his nose red as if he had just gotten drunk.
"Young friend, please stay your step!"
As the voice of the white-robed elder, Lin Futian, reached Gu An, he could sense that the other party's cultivation was at the Foundation Establishment Realm. However, to be safe, he still used his longevity probe.
【Lin Futian (Nascent Soul Realm, Layer 1): 603/800/840】
What a guy! Nascent Soul Realm! Gu An cursed the other party's cunning, having cultivated a secret technique to hide his cultivation level.
The two quickly met in the air, and Lin Futian wore a kind smile as he said, "Young friend, I am Lin Kun, a disciple of the Enforcement Hall in the Outer Sect. There's a matter I'd like to discuss with you. Recently, there have been frequent incidents of spies from the Demon Path. Let's go into the woods to talk, shall we?"
Gu An nodded. At this point, if he refused, it probably wouldn't work, so he might as well go with the flow and see what happens.
The two quickly landed in the woods, and Gu An casually plucked two leaves from a nearby tree.
Lin Futian took a step forward and asked mysteriously, "Young friend, have you heard of Xu Ruyue from the Myriad Yin Sect?"
Xu Ruyue?
He knew that name very well! She was the one he had killed!
Back then, Xu Ruyue and Chan Hui had wanted to stay in his medicine valley, and they had even injured Li Ya. How could he forget that?
Gu An feigned confusion and asked, "I've heard of the Yin Demon Sect, but who is Xu Ruyue?"
"Xu Ruyue is a genius of the Yin Demon Sect, and her father is the sect's deputy leader. He met his end in this area, and recently, there have been Yin Demon Sect spies inquiring about his death." Lin Futian took a step forward as he spoke.
Gu An immediately took a step back to maintain his distance.
Seeing his wariness, Lin Futian let out a mocking laugh. "What's wrong, young friend? Could it be that you suspect I'm a spy of the Yin Demon Sect?"
Gu An shook his head. "I wouldn't dare. I truly haven't heard of Xu Ruyue, and since you're from the Enforcement Hall, why would you need to ask me?"
"Hahaha—"
Lin Futian burst into laughter. He suddenly waved his sleeve, and a surging spiritual power spread out like a mist, quickly covering the area within a few li.
Gu An panicked, his right hand clutching his sword as he eyed Lin Futian warily.
Lin Futian opened the wine gourd, and a foul odor wafted from it. With a sinister smile, he said, "Don't be afraid. There are fifteen of your fellow sect members here to keep you company..."
"Who are you? What is your background? Even if I die, can you at least let me die with a clear understanding?" Gu An asked through gritted teeth.
"Haven't you guessed?" Lin Futian replied with a cold smile. He raised his hand and grabbed at the air, and a powerful spiritual force bound Gu An, pulling him forcefully toward himself.
Gu An's face showed despair, his body flying through the air toward Lin Futian.
Lin Futian reached out with his left hand while holding the wine gourd in his right, pouring it into his mouth.
Boom!
Suddenly, Gu An's body erupted with a terrifying aura, instantly shattering Lin Futian's spiritual power.
Lin Futian's pupils dilated, and a leaf was reflected in his eyes.
This leaf was surrounded by fierce sword qi, as swift as lightning, piercing directly through Lin Futian's brow. Blood splattered, and the leaf continued on its path.
Boom!
One after another, the trunks of tall trees were blown to pieces, sending dust and debris flying into the air like a massive gray wall stretching for over ten li.
Lin Futian trembled, his face filled with disbelief. "You... actually hid your cultivation... Despicable..."
Gu An took a step forward, his right hand forming a sword finger and pressing against Lin Futian's chest.
Boom!
Sword qi erupted, shattering Lin Futian's physical body and scattering the dust cloud behind him. The force of the attack was overwhelming, causing the trees on both sides to topple outward, revealing a gorge several li long.
Amid the rolling dust, a figure flew out—it was an infant with an aged face, which looked bizarre. It was Lin Futian's Nascent Soul.
It fled toward the horizon at full speed, but suddenly, a tearing sound reached its ears.
The Nascent Soul turned instinctively to see the leaf speeding toward it, obliterating its existence. A cloud of bloody mist blossomed in the air.
Gu An reached out and grabbed his flying sword, stepping forward with sword qi surrounding his body. He transformed into a sword shadow, speeding through the mountains and quickly disappearing from sight.
Instead of heading toward Xuan Valley, he went in another direction. As he flew, a notification appeared:
[You have successfully taken 25 years of lifespan from Lin Futian (Nascent Soul Realm, Layer 1)]
It was a small amount, but there was nothing he could do. Lin Futian was in the Nascent Soul Realm, but at 603 years old, he only had 197 years left to live.
Gu An didn't dwell on it. He made a large detour before returning to Xuan Valley at top speed.
He climbed through the window into the hall and sat at the table. He raised his hand and summoned a jar of wine from the cabinet, then began to drink greedily.
After a mouthful of wine, he gently put down the jar, his right hand trembling slightly as his heart pounded.
"Huff, huff..."
Gu An struggled to calm himself.
That was too damn scary!
To encounter a demonic spy on his way home!
Gu An worried that the commotion he had caused was too loud, so he decided to stay in the valley for the next month to lay low.
"No, it's too dangerous... If a Nascent Soul realm cultivator blocked my path today, a Spirit Severing realm or even higher cultivator might appear another day..."
Gu An quickly checked his attribute panel, and seeing that he had over 90,000 years of lifespan left, his anxiety eased slightly.
The path of cultivation was indeed full of hidden dangers. Even an ordinary cultivator at the ninth layer of Qi Refining could be intercepted by a powerful cultivator in the first layer of the Nascent Soul realm. How frightening!
Gu An thought of the fifteen souls in the wine gourd and couldn't help but feel sympathy for them.
He planned to forcefully harvest a batch of spirit herbs next to boost his lifespan to 100,000 years and see if he could unlock a new function. After that, he would recharge his account without hesitation!
Gu An took a deep breath and pulled out the 'Green Hero's Journey' to distract himself.
As night fell, cheers and shouts from the disciples outside reached his ears. Gu An used his spiritual sense to probe and found that Tang Yu and Su Han were sparring again, with the other disciples watching excitedly.
If it were any other time, he would have definitely gone down to watch. But he wasn't in the mood right now.
He focused on reading 'Green Hero's Journey', and his heart gradually calmed down, though a hint of worry remained.
After a while, footsteps approached, and the door was pushed open. Zhen Qin hurried in and said, "Master, Senior Brother and Second Senior Brother are fighting!"
Her eyes fell on the cover of 'Green Hero's Journey', and she raised an eyebrow.
(End of Chapter)
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