Chapter 404: Heavenly Virtue Merit
Chapter 404: Heavenly Virtue Merit
"Is that so? Then I'll wait for your help." Jiang Qiong looked at Gu An and said with a mischievous smile.
Gu An glanced at her and said, "Wait, is your real purpose still related to the Ji Family?"
Jiang Qiong scoffed, "People come and go, aren't you afraid of being overheard by the Ji Family?"
Indeed, there were many people on the street, but there were also plenty who spoke more arrogantly than Gu An, so he wasn't worried.
"Who dares to mess with me in Taixuan Sect?" Gu An boasted, then turned to greet someone approaching from ahead with a smile.
Looking at the versatile Gu An, Jiang Qiong felt like laughing.
After Gu An's acquaintance left, Jiang Qiong teased, "Speaking of which, I heard that Lord Lu wants to groom you as the next Sect Master. I thought he was joking, but now it seems you really have a chance."
Gu An shook his head, "Forget it, he hasn't mentioned it for many years."
Ever since the overseas cultivators integrated, Lu Baitian rarely brought up the position of Sect Master. It wasn't that he was reluctant, but rather, he himself was increasingly losing control. The Sect Master's power was being diluted, and making Gu An the Sect Master would only bring him trouble.
"Who told you not to work hard on cultivation?" Jiang Qiong said irritably.
She had noticed Gu An's extraordinary talent hundreds of years ago, but no matter how she advised him, this guy insisted on indulging in the medicine garden, idling away his days, reading leisurely, and refusing to cultivate diligently.
"What do you know? This is also a form of cultivation. You'll understand soon enough that absorbing Qi for cultivation is the most foolish method."
"Then I'll wait and see?"
"Don't pretend to forget what I said later."
"You're quite good at understanding women."
"I have no choice. Many of my connections are due to this face of mine. With so many women around, I naturally understand."
"I really want to seal you in a coffin for life."
The two chatted as they strolled down the street.
Jiang Qiong's thoughts quickly wandered.
She was here to retrieve someone, but that wasn't her main purpose.
T
...
As night fell, in the forest outside Taixuan Sect.
Jiang Qiong stood under a tree, her brows furrowed, and the gentle breeze blew her robe, but she didn't feel the slightest bit cold.
Her heart was filled with apprehension.
H
T
B
She had anticipated various possibilities and was already planning her responses.
Crunch!
A sound of leaves being stepped on came from not too far away, startling her to turn around. A demonic shadow emerged from the darkness.
The demonic shadow from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion!
J
"
Jiang Qiong remembered this voice; it was the same voice that had sounded when the Autumn Dusk Immortal had attacked.
She took a deep breath and immediately explained the reason for her visit.
The Camellia Ghost Mother had been captured!
One of her disciples had been possessed by the other party's soul imprint and had returned to the Flower-Gathering Sect. When facing Jiang Qiong, the soul imprint revealed itself, and the captor, from the Soul-Binding Demon Palace, wanted to use the Camellia Ghost Mother to force the Flower-Gathering Sect to serve them.
Before Jiang Qiong could agree, the captor presented their demands: the Flower-Gathering Sect must send ten thousand thousand-year-old cultivators to the Soul-Binding Demon Palace every year.
The soul imprint then severely injured the Flower-Gathering Sect's high-ranking members right in front of Jiang Qiong and left arrogantly.
J
"The Flower-Gathering Sect is a righteous sect. How can we do such heaven-defying and immoral things for the overseas demonic path?" Jiang Qiong said in a deep voice.
Seeing her serious expression, Gu An felt like laughing.
She was quite the actress.
Gu An turned and walked towards the darkness, leaving behind a sentence, "I understand. They won't bother you again, and as for the Camellia Ghost Mother, she will return on her own."
H
With this question, the dark cloud that had been hanging over her heart finally dissipated.
Some things must be faced!
A
Gu An didn't turn back, continuing forward, and his voice drifted towards her, "I'm helping you because of my disciple's request. As for his identity, you don't need to worry. Isn't he the one you care about the most in this world?"
As his words fell, Gu An disappeared into thin air.
He knew that Jiang Qiong was always worried about this matter, so he took this opportunity to ease her mind.
Upon hearing this, Jiang Qiong's beautiful eyes widened, and she stood there, stunned.
After a while, she suddenly laughed softly, "You really have connections in Taixuan Sect."
She didn't mind that Gu An had intentionally hidden this matter. After all, her life had already been changed by Gu An, and she owed him. What right did she have to complain? Her heart was filled with more surprise than anything.
W
As he reflected on Gu An's words, he realized that absorbing celestial energy was indeed the most rudimentary cultivation method. Perhaps there were more advanced techniques that Fu Jian Zun had taught him.
Qiong raised her head, and through the gaps in the leaves, the bright moon shone, reflecting her beautiful mood.
Gu An returned to the attic in the Third Medicine Valley, where his main body and clone exchanged places. Below, Ji Xiaoyu didn't notice a thing, and the Dayun Ming Emperor would never suspect a thing.
Gu An picked up the Destiny Pen from the table.
Before Qiong arrived, he had already probed the Soul-Binding Demon Palace. It was an evil sect through and through, and its leader was the reincarnation of a Heaven Demon with awakened memories. He was also investigating Fu Jian Zun, preparing for a possible Heaven Demon invasion of the Heavenly Spirit Great Heaven.
Every member of the Soul-Binding Demon Palace was steeped in heinous crimes.
Killing them would be ridding the world of great evil!
Gu An waved the pen in the air, writing the name 'Soul-Binding Demon Palace'. Then, with the Longevity Mantra, he sealed their fates.
Anyone who gains the celestial providence of the Soul-Binding Demon Palace will turn to ashes!
The leader of the Soul-Binding Demon Palace was a Wonderful Spirit Immortal, and the rest of the sect was similar in strength to the Star Sea Congregation, though their numbers were far fewer.
As Gu An put down the pen, prompts appeared before him:
[You have seized Yin Tribulation True Person (Dispersed Immortal Realm, 7th Layer) with 700 years of lifespan.]
[You have seized Lin Gexuan (Roaming Immortal Realm, 2nd Layer) with 217 years of lifespan.]
[You have seized Yang Fu (Nirvana Realm) with 624 years of lifespan.]
...
Gu An looked at the prompts expressionlessly.
The Soul-Binding Demon Palace, which had once seemed so formidable, was now no more than dust compared to the table before him.
But as the prompts continued to appear, Gu An felt a special providence drawing closer to him. It felt familiar, and he instinctively wanted to accept it.
This was the Heavenly Dao's reward for his actions. By slaying those with heavy sins, he had earned this providence.
To be precise, it wasn't providence, but something like it, invisible and intangible.
Merit!
Gu An suddenly understood.
The concept of merit had long been rumored among mortals, and it wasn't just a myth. The Heavens were indeed watching and judging.
Unlike the Great Cold Demon Sect, which could rely on the Holy Court's providence to wash away their sins, the Soul-Binding Demon Palace acted with impunity, their sins piling up. Their crimes were among the heaviest in this era.
The merit Gu An gained from annihilating the Soul-Binding Demon Palace was immense. All he had to do was accept it, and it would be his.
But Gu An did not accept the merit. He decided to maintain his distance from the Heavenly Dao.
Finally, all the prompts settled.
He gained over seven hundred million years of lifespan!
For a moment, Gu An felt an impulse to purge all evil sects, but he remembered Long Zhan's fate and restrained himself.
No matter how he justified it to himself, he knew his actions were driven by personal desires. The more he killed, the greater the impact, and he couldn't afford to act recklessly.
Gu An checked his attributes, seeing that his lifespan had surpassed twenty billion years. His Dao heart calmed.
With a few more years, he could break through! He had no worries about time, but he must continue to strive for strength, preparing for any overwhelming power that might appear.
The moon set, and the sun rose.
The next day at noon, Ji Xiaoyu came to Gu An.
"The Flower-Gathering Sect disciples have been released," she said, looking at Gu An.
Gu An put down his book and smiled, looking up at her.
"What's your relationship with the Flower-Gathering Sect leader?" she asked.
Gu An didn't hide anything. He briefly explained how he met Qiong.
"She helped me greatly in my cultivation. Without her guidance, I wouldn't be where I am today," Gu An said sincerely.
Ji Xiaoyu asked, "Is that all?"
Gu An was surprised. "What else do you want to know?"
Ji Xiaoyu was about to say something, but her expression changed, and she said, "I have my destiny in this life. I may not achieve longevity, but seeing how many people care for you, I can rest easy, even if I return to my main body."
"Don't worry," Gu An reassured her. "You are who you are, and your soul remains unchanged."
Ji Xiaoyu shook her head. "You don't understand this feeling."
With that, she turned and left.
Gu An watched her, thinking of the Third Miss from her past life.
Suddenly, he felt a twinge of regret.
Perhaps due to his childhood experiences, he had complex feelings for the Third Miss, a mix of gratitude and affection.
Maybe Ji Xiaoyu was right. At least, in this life, she and the Third Miss were like two different people.
By this calculation, he and the Third Miss hadn't even had their final meeting.
Perhaps, even on her deathbed, the Third Miss wouldn't have imagined this outcome.
Gu An shook his head, scolding himself for being sentimental. He picked up the 'Green Hero Chronicles' and began to cultivate his heart.
It was all thanks to Mystik Heavenly Will's influence that Gu An could maintain his composure. Mystik Heavenly Will's carefree writing style had helped Gu An many times, reducing his unnecessary worries.
The past was past, and the living must be cherished. Life goes on!
Gu An's thoughts soon turned to an intriguing plotline in the novel.
(End of Chapter)
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