https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-53-Gu-An-s-Anger-and-Realization/12575105/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-55-The-Grand-Master-of-Tai-Xuan-Changing-the-Sect-Leader/12575108/
Chapter 54: Your Sword is Incredibly Fast
Chapter 54: Your Sword is Incredibly Fast
As Gu An watched, a figure flew by and landed in front of Ye Yan.
Upon seeing him, Ye Yan tensed up and even took two steps back.
Zhou Tongyou (Golden Core Realm, Ninth Layer): 62/900/3100
It was actually him!
Gu An hadn't expected to encounter Zhou Tongyou, who had recently shaken the Tai Xuan Gate with his fame, in this place.
Zhou Tongyou had been challenging the younger disciples everywhere, remaining undefeated, and his reputation had even spread to the outer sect.
Since the Jue Shan Sect, which Zhou Tongyou belonged to, was also a reputable sect and had friendly relations with the Tai Xuan Gate, the senior cultivators of the Tai Xuan Gate dared not target him directly. This allowed Zhou Tongyou to act recklessly within the Tai Xuan Gate for half a year without anyone being able to stop him.
Zhou Tongyou only fought but did not kill, and he proclaimed that he would only challenge those below a hundred years old. The numerous cultivators of the Tai Xuan Gate could only watch and seethe inwardly.
The entire Tai Xuan Gate was suppressed by Zhou Tongyou, and no one dared to question the rules he set forth. Because while his opponents were under a hundred years old, he himself was still thirty-eight years away from that age. When he challenged a ninety-nine-year-old disciple of the Tai Xuan Gate, it was actually to the advantage of the Tai Xuan Gate. But even so, no one could defeat him.
Zhou Tongyou's gaze shifted to Gu An, who was standing on the hillside beside them, and his eyes remained calm.
Gu An tucked the book into his chest, then stood up and walked down the hill.
He walked straight to where Zhou Tongyou and Ye Yan were standing, turned to face Zhou Tongyou, and cupped his hands in greeting, "I am Ye Yan's master, Gu An. I wonder what offense my disciple has caused you, Senior?"
Ye Yan looked at Gu An, who was standing in front of him, and felt deeply touched.
Gu An had mentioned earlier that the cultivators in this place were all inner sect disciples, and being an inner sect disciple implied having the cultivation of the Golden Core Realm.
Gu An, who was only at the first layer of the Qi Refining Realm, dared to stand up to a Golden Core Realm cultivator for his sake. How could he not be moved?
"So you're his master? Your cultivation is rather disappointing," Zhou Tongyou said as he sized up Gu An, his brows furrowed.
Gu An replied, "My disciple is only at the Aura Refining Realm in his cultivation. As his master, how high could my cultivation be?"
Zhou Tongyou humphed, "I'm not bullying your disciple. I think highly of him."
As soon as these words left his mouth, Ye Yan's face turned green, and he wanted to speak but stopped himself.
Gu An stared at him and said, "If you want to give him guidance, then be straightforward about it. My disciple would remember your kindness. But since you didn't say anything and went straight to attacking him, and quite harshly at that, perhaps you truly had the intention to guide him. But deep down, you must look down on him, so you couldn't be bothered to explain yourself."
If Zhou Tongyou were the first genius of the Tai Xuan Gate, Gu An might have considered the situation further. But he wasn't.
For no reason at all, Gu An didn't want to provoke Zhou Tongyou. But if Zhou Tongyou dared to bully his disciple, he wouldn't show any mercy either.
Hearing Gu An's words, Zhou Tongyou's brows furrowed even deeper.
He wanted to refute, but he knew that Gu An hadn't misread him. Deep down, he did look down on Ye Yan, and the reason he often came to give him guidance was just a whim.
"Hmph, it seems you're holding me accountable," Zhou Tongyou glared at Gu An and said coldly, "Fine, let's keep the same rules. No spiritual energy, only martial arts techniques. If you can win against me, I will apologize to your disciple and give him a complete manual of body refinement. What do you say?"
"Master, forget it!" Ye Yan quickly interjected, as he knew Zhou Tongyou's strength better than anyone. Even in a pure contest of techniques, Zhou Tongyou was unfathomable.
Gu An asked, "Just a contest of techniques?"
"That's right!" Zhou Tongyou replied.
Seeing that Gu An was tempted, Zhou Tongyou revealed a smile, though it looked somewhat sinister.
Gu An frowned and said, "If I win, you must not tell anyone about it, and you're also not allowed to bother us master and disciple again."
Hah! He actually wants to compete in sword techniques with me! Zhou Tongyou thought with amusement. He laughed and said, "Fine by me. Hurry up and get your weapon."
Gu An raised his right hand and, with a wave of his hand, summoned a branch from the forest. He gripped it as if it were a sword and gestured with his left hand towards Zhou Tongyou.
Zhou Tongyou immediately strode towards Gu An, and the distance between them began to shrink. Ye Yan quickly stepped aside, afraid of obstructing his master.
When the distance between them was less than seven steps, Zhou Tongyou suddenly accelerated, taking one step to arrive in front of Gu An. He threw a punch towards Gu An's abdomen.
Even without the use of spiritual energy, this punch was like the roar of a tiger and leopard combined. Before his fist even touched Gu An, Gu An could feel a fierce and intense force bearing down on him.
Hu—
Zhou Tongyou's fist stopped, and his pupils trembled as he looked at Gu An in shock.
Ye Yan's eyes widened, unable to believe what he was seeing.
He saw Gu An's body lean back slightly, the branch in his hand pressing against Zhou Tongyou's throat, while Zhou Tongyou's fist was still two feet away from Gu An.
"If I had a sword in my hand, I wonder if I could injure you?" Gu An asked calmly, his expression unchanged. Zhou Tongyou's face shifted from surprise to anger and back again.
After a few breaths, Zhou Tongyou retracted his fist, and Gu An lowered his 'sword'.
Zhou Tongyou took a deep breath and turned to Ye Yan, "I apologize. I went too far this time."
He took out a secret manual from his storage bag and threw it to Ye Yan, then turned his gaze back to Gu An.
"Your sword is incredibly fast. Who exactly are you?"
Gu An tossed the branch back into the forest and replied calmly, "I'm just an ordinary cultivator with mediocre spiritual roots. I don't like absorbing spiritual energy, and I usually just practice my sword techniques. My sword techniques may not be exquisite, but they are fast enough. If we were to fight without any rules, I would definitely not be your match."
If Zhou Tongyou didn't acknowledge his loss, Gu An would make him regret it. But since he kept his word and even apologized to the servant disciple, Gu An's impression of him improved.
Zhou Tongyou's expression turned gloomy at these words, and he asked, "You really won't tell anyone about what happened today?"
Gu An countered, "How could I when I don't even know your name?"
Zhou Tongyou heaved a sigh of relief and immediately bowed to Gu An before turning to leave. He departed even faster than when he had arrived.
Ye Yan approached excitedly and said, "Master, I never expected your sword to be so fast! It only took one move to defeat him!"
Gu An glanced into the valley. Zhen Qin was cultivating in the house, and Su Han was practicing his sword techniques in the forest a dozen miles away. Neither of them had noticed the spar that had just taken place.
"Don't tell anyone about this," Gu An instructed Ye Yan. "Let's keep it a secret between the two of us. Don't mention it to your senior martial brothers and sisters either."
Ye Yan nodded vigorously, feeling that his relationship with his master had grown even closer.
The incident with Zhou Tongyou was but a small interlude for Gu An. Afterward, he could venture out with peace of mind, no longer needing to stay put in the Third Medicine Valley.
However...
One month later, when Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley, he saw Zhou Tongyou standing at the valley entrance again.
Ye Yan was practicing his spear techniques, and Zhou Tongyou was watching from the side.
Sensing Gu An's gaze, Zhou Tongyou immediately lit up and enthusiastically waved at him.
A hint of displeasure flashed in Gu An's eyes, and he walked over.
"Why are you here again?" Gu An asked with a frown when he reached the valley entrance.
"I've figured out how to counter your sword technique! Come, let's spar again!" Zhou Tongyou exclaimed excitedly.
"Didn't we agree that you wouldn't bother me anymore? Are you going back on your word?" Gu An questioned.
"It's not bothering you; it's just that I've been thinking about how to counter your sword technique. Tell me, what do you want? I'll give it to you. I'm not here for victory; I want to learn from you," Zhou Tongyou explained hastily.
Ye Yan, who was standing nearby, spoke up, "Master, he's been waiting here for four days."
Gu An frowned, looking hesitant.
Zhou Tongyou thought of something and took out a small cloth bag from his storage bag. "These are seeds of fourth-grade medicinal plants. They're all for you. Please spar with me. I'm not here for victory. I want to learn from you."
Gu An took the bag, weighed it in his hand, and sighed, "Just this once."
"Definitely no more after this!" Zhou Tongyou vowed excitedly. This time, he was determined to make Gu An lose thoroughly and acknowledge his defeat.
He took out a sword from his storage bag and threw it to Gu An. "This is a mid-grade flying sword, perfect for Foundation Establishment cultivators. It's yours. Use it and fight me!"
After saying this, he took out a long spear for himself.
Wow! The longer, the stronger?
Gu An held the flying sword, feeling both amused and helpless.
Seeing the look in Gu An's eyes, Zhou Tongyou felt a little embarrassed and quickly explained, "Let's stick to the old rules. No spiritual energy, only techniques!"
"Let's begin!"
This time, Zhen Qin and Su Han also heard the commotion and quickly ran over. However, before they could reach the valley entrance, Gu An had already made his move.
He directly threw the flying sword in his hand, aiming it at Zhou Tongyou!
Zhou Tongyou's pupils dilated as he exclaimed, "So fast!"
"No, his strength is incredible!" Zhou Tongyou realized as he dodged to the side and thrust his spear forward. He saw Gu An following closely behind the flying sword.
In the blink of an eye, Gu An tilted his head, grabbed the spear with his left hand, and pulled it backward while his right hand formed a sword with two fingers, aiming at Zhou Tongyou's throat.
Everything happened too fast for even Ye Yan's eyes to keep up.
When the two finally stopped, Gu An's fingers were pressed against Zhou Tongyou's throat.
Zhou Tongyou was still holding the long spear, but his body had stiffened.
"How... How are you so fast... Are you really just at the first layer of the Foundation Establishment stage?" Zhou Tongyou asked through gritted teeth, his forehead covered in cold sweat.
Gu An replied, "If we used spiritual energy, you would be faster than me. It's your rules that gave me the advantage. I'm not your match at all. Why do you insist on using such rules to defeat me? We ordinary cultivators also have our pride."
As Gu An released his hands, Zhou Tongyou's face turned red, and he said bitterly, "I didn't mean to trample on your dignity."
"Goodbye!"
He turned and left in a hurry.
At that moment, Zhen Qin and Su Han arrived, but Gu An ignored them, picked up his flying sword, and walked back into the valley.
In the eyes of the three disciples, his departing figure exuded the aura of a master.
Another month passed, and Zhou Tongyou returned once more. This time, he came prepared with even more medicinal plant seeds, and Gu An reluctantly agreed to spar with him again.
This time, Gu An defeated him in three moves, leaving Zhou Tongyou feeling both frustrated and hopeful.
Zhou Tongyou's generosity made it hard for Gu An to turn him away.
Time flew by, and the end of the year arrived, covering Tianya Valley in a blanket of snow.
Gu An patrolled the Medicine Valley with the three monkey demons. After finishing his inspection, he headed toward the pavilion. As he walked, he checked his lifespan. Although he had been busy with planting this year, his lifespan had still increased at a decent rate, thanks to the outer sect disciple's cave abode and the Xuan Valley. He had also gained quite a bit of lifespan from them.
In a few more years, when the Tianya Valley and the Third Medicine Valley were ready for harvest, his lifespan would soar.
As Gu An reached the pavilion, Luohun approached him, looking rather awkward. "Lately... you haven't been bringing any books, have you?"
"You want to read books? I thought you didn't like them," Gu An said.
"It's boring here in the Medicine Valley. I need something to relax my mind," Luohun explained.
"Alright, I'll bring you the latest volume of 'The Investiture of the Gods' next time," Gu An said with a smile.
"Cough, cough. It would be great if you could bring a few volumes of 'The Green Hero's Adventures' as well," Luohun added.
(End of Chapter)
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