https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-49-The-Dao-Derivation-Technique-the-Divine-Way-of-the-Bodily-Treasure/12575101/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-51-Zhou-Tong-s-Solitary-Confinement-The-Strongest-in-a-Century/12575103/
Chapter 50: Heavenly Dao Gang, Tianya Valley
Chapter 50: Heavenly Dao Gang, Tianya Valley
Gu An put away the bronze plate into his storage bag and asked, "Are the top ten divine powers of the Ji family very strong? Even a genius like you from the Qianqiu Pavilion is envious."
Jiang Qiong looked at the wooden cabinet next to her and said softly, "They are very strong, and it's not something anyone can cultivate. Within the Ji family, anyone who can cultivate one of these divine powers, regardless of their status, will receive special attention and be moved to the main clan."
"Even if you combine all the sects in the Tacang Empire, it would be difficult to overthrow the Tai Xuan Sect. The same goes for the noble families; the gap is huge. There are three great families that stand above the empire, and one of them is the Ji family."
Hearing her words, Gu An suddenly suspected that the Qianqiu Pavilion might have insiders in the Ji family as well.
No wonder it's the Demon Path!
Following her train of thought, Gu An asked, "Who are the other two families?"
"Zhou and Gu."
"Why isn't the Li family included?"
"Hehe, the Li family is merely a puppet."
The disdain in Jiang Qiong's tone towards the Li family gave Gu An a new perspective on the Tacang Empire.
So the royal family isn't the strongest noble family?
That made sense. While Li Xuandao's maximum lifespan was impressive, it couldn't compare to Ji Xiaoyu.
Ji Xiaoyu was the most terrifyingly talented person Gu An had ever met. As for the Gu family, Gu An estimated that they were related to the Ancient Gu Clan, and their Void Shattering cultivation was a testament to their heritage.
As for the Zhou family, Gu An had not come across them yet.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Gu An continued to ask Jiang Qiong about the cultivation world, and she answered his queries one by one.
After a stick of incense had burned, Jiang Qiong grew impatient.
"Why do you have so many questions? Hurry up and arrange a place for me to stay!" Jiang Qiong glared at him.
This was the first time Gu An had heard her refer to herself as 'this old lady', indicating that her injuries were taking a toll.
So, Gu An led Jiang Qiong downstairs and personally arranged a place for her to stay.
After settling in, Jiang Qiong began to recuperate and no longer left her room.
Zhen Qin found Gu An and curiously inquired about Jiang Qiong's identity.
Gu An only revealed that she was an inner disciple, but that was enough to awe Zhen Qin. News spread quickly throughout Xuan Valley that an inner disciple had arrived, and that she was reportedly very beautiful.
Late at night, Gu An entered the Eight Scenic Grotto alone and buried the bronze plate in the ground.
He planned to explore the Ji family's divine passageway after Jiang Qiong left.
...
As autumn turned to winter, snow began to fall from the sky.
After nearly a month of recuperating in Xuan Valley, Jiang Qiong bid farewell to Gu An. As he watched her fly away on her sword, he noticed that she was heading in the opposite direction of the inner sect. She was probably leaving the Tai Xuan Sect.
Gu An looked towards Zhen Qin's house, sensing that she was cultivating some kind of extraordinary art. This was something Jiang Qiong had taught her.
Before leaving, Jiang Qiong had explained that Zhen Qin had insisted on pestering her.
After watching for a while, Gu An walked into the mountains to check on the demonic goats roaming the forest.
Now that the Demon Path had likely dispersed, it was time to return to the peaceful farming life.
Gu An wasn't going to be complacent just because he had reached the ninth layer of the Void Transcendence. He felt that it wasn't enough, and he was already looking forward to what abilities the million-year lifespan would unlock, hoping for something powerful.
In the following days, he would occasionally leave the valley to tend to the outer disciples' caves and purchase seeds for high-level medicinal herbs.
The winter snow grew heavier, engulfing the world in a wintry haze.
One night, Gu An quietly entered the Eight Scenic Grotto.
He dug up the bronze plate from the ground and brought it to the base of the azure vine tree. He sat down to meditate, and Hao Long came over to nuzzle him.
Gu An suddenly noticed that Hao Long's body was starting to widen, which wasn't a good sign.
He began to admonish Hao Long, telling him not to be greedy, as he didn't want to end up raising a fat dragon.
After playing with Hao Long for a while, Gu An began to infuse the bronze plate with his spiritual sense.
Jiang Qiong hadn't lied to him; this bronze plate indeed contained a powerful restriction that could only be forcibly broken by someone at the Void Transcendence stage.
Gu An had already decided that if this item could only be passed on to one person, he would learn it first and then pass it on to Jiang Qiong. If it could be reused, he would pretend that he hadn't touched it.
Boom!
The powerful spiritual sense of the ninth layer of the Void Transcendence stage surged into the bronze plate, and the mysterious restriction only held on for a moment. When the restriction was forcibly broken, a vast memory poured into his mind.
This memory was extremely complex and chaotic, with various pieces of information forcibly entering his mind, causing him to frown slightly.
Even after breaking the restriction, he still had to sort through the information, which might be a form of testing.
Gu An's spiritual sense was strong, and he could capture subtle connections. After a while, he had a clear understanding.
This divine power was called Heavenly Dao Gang!
...
The winter snow piled up, and the snowfall this year was much heavier than before, forcing Gu An to lead the disciples in shoveling snow.
As long as it wasn't an emergency, they wouldn't use their spiritual power, as Gu An believed that this was also a form of cultivation.
The falling snow was like a heavy rain, lasting for half a day before finally slowing down.
Gu An stood at the wooden railing, looking at the medicinal herbs he had planted. Not a single herb had been damaged, bringing a smile to his face.
After a while, Gu An's gaze shifted to the valley entrance, where a man wearing a rain hat and a straw cape approached, carrying a long gun wrapped in cloth.
[Luo Hun (Golden Core Layer Eight): 66/400/2803]
A maximum lifespan of two thousand eight hundred years!
Impressive!
Gu An immediately walked over and greeted him. Just as he was about to ask a question, the man spoke first, "Who is Valley Master Gu An?"
Luo Hun's voice sounded young, but it was strong and steady.
"That would be me. And you are?" Gu An replied.
Luo Hun lifted his head, revealing a handsome face beneath his rain hat, marred by a brand on his left cheek—the character for "prisoner."
"His Majesty sent me. You have an hour to prepare, then we leave," Luo Hun said expressionlessly as he strode past Gu An into the valley.
A glint of joy flashed in Gu An's eyes upon hearing this.
So, it's finally here!
He was curious to see the size of the Medicine Valley that Li Xuandao had prepared.
He immediately went to find Wu Xin, who had become the chief disciple of Xuan Valley, with the authority to oversee the entire valley.
The term "chief disciple" referred to a position that didn't necessarily entail being the direct disciple of the valley master. Similar to the Tai Xuan Sect, the chief disciple was the one with the strongest power, but not necessarily the disciple of the sect master.
Upon learning that Gu An would be leaving for a while, Wu Xin grew excited. Gu An couldn't help but give him a few extra instructions, especially emphasizing that the medicinal herbs should be left for him to harvest upon his return.
Wu Xin was well aware of his senior brother's few hobbies, and harvesting was one of them. He assured Gu An that he would never pick the herbs without his permission.
Luo Hun, meanwhile, approached Ye Yan, who was practicing a family spear technique with a long stick in his hand.
Upon seeing Luo Hun approach, Ye Yan hastily paused and anxiously looked up at him.
Luo Hun took out a secret manual from his bosom and tossed it to Ye Yan, saying, "You have good bones. You can practice this."
Ye Yan caught the manual and replied, "But I only have a miscellaneous spirit root..."
"A spirit root only determines one's aptitude for absorbing spiritual energy. There are other aspects to a person's talent, and your bone structure is exceptional, stronger than the average person. You have the makings of a fine spear wielder. Once you master this art, you can join the military in Cangzhou, establish merit, and then exchange it for heavenly treasures to transform your destiny." Luo Hun's words excited Ye Yan, and he hastily thanked Luo Hun.
Luo Hun nodded slightly and then walked away to explore other parts of the Medicine Valley, observing the medicinal herbs that were being cultivated there.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Gu An found Luo Hun and told him they could leave.
Luo Hun raised his hand, and the long spear behind him flew into his grasp. A dazzling golden spear appeared in his hand, attracting the attention of the valley's disciples.
What a show-off!
Gu An scoffed inwardly.
Luo Hun leaped into the air, standing atop the long spear. He glanced at Gu An, who was standing on the snowy ground, and said, "Come up."
Gu An jumped up immediately, landing behind Luo Hun on the spear shaft.
Luo Hun urged his spiritual power, and the long spear carried them away at a rapid pace, soaring over the mountain peaks and cutting through the white misty sky, leaving a long trail in their wake.
The valley's disciples gathered together, curiously discussing Luo Hun's identity.
The sky was cold and vast, and Gu An's black hair was blown backward, revealing a fair and delicate face.
"Not bad. Your control over spiritual power is quite refined, and you stand very steadily," Luo Hun's voice sounded, his back still turned to Gu An as he praised him.
"I like sword-riding techniques, so I've practiced them a lot," Gu An replied casually.
"Although your cultivation is low, the fact that His Majesty values you means you must have something extraordinary about you. Once we reach that Medicine Valley, go all out. I will safeguard the valley's safety..." Luo Hun began to talk about the Medicine Valley, and Gu An listened intently.
According to Luo Hun, the Medicine Valley was of great importance to His Majesty. The Emperor intended to cultivate a group of talented individuals there for future use. If Gu An performed well, he would even be rewarded with a batch of precious medicinal herbs.
Gu An could sense the genuine respect Luo Hun held for Li Xuandao, which piqued his interest in the "prisoner" character branded on Luo Hun's face.
Li Xuandao's Medicine Valley was named Tianya Valley, and while it was located near the Tai Xuan Sect, it was still thousands of miles away from Xuan Valley, nestled within a mountain range infested with rampaging beasts.
Gu An suggested setting up a teleportation formation in Tianya Valley for easy connection with his Xuan Valley, but Luo Hun vetoed the idea, explaining that the existence of Tianya Valley must not be known to the Tai Xuan Sect.
This made Gu An want to scoff.
How can you keep it a secret when you've placed it so close to the Tai Xuan Sect?
However, he thought of the Eight Scenic Grotto and wondered if Li Xuandao had arranged a high-level formation there.
Out of consideration for Gu An, Luo Hun kept their flying speed relatively slow. As night fell, they were still in the air.
Gu An sensed the dense demonic aura permeating the mountains and forests, and there were even beasts that rivaled the power of the Core Formation realm.
As expected!
Suddenly, a third-rank demon bird pounced at them from behind, but Luo Hun punched out, his spiritual power condensing into a golden spear shadow that tore the demon bird to shreds. He even casually captured its demon core.
After this display of power, no other demons dared to obstruct their path.
It wasn't until the next morning that Gu An finally caught sight of Tianya Valley.
The earth and mountains ahead were enveloped in a blanket of white mist, and within the swirling white snow of the mountains, there was a vortex where white cranes circled in the sunlight, creating a scene akin to a fairyland.
Gu An's gaze penetrated the mist, and when he saw Tianya Valley, his expression turned strange.
Tianya Valley was indeed twice the size of Xuan Valley, nestled among the mountains. Moreover, there were stone tablets erected on the surrounding mountains, indicating some sort of formation, though it hadn't been activated yet.
What was concerning was the rampant growth of weeds in the valley. It was a wild mess!
In other words, he had to start by clearing the land!
Gu An asked, "For now, is it just you and me in Tianya Valley?"
Luo Hun kept his eyes fixed on the front as he began to descend with the long spear. "Don't worry. I'll go catch a few demons to help you. We can't recruit people indiscriminately. We have to wait for His Majesty to send people."
(End of Chapter)
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