https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-54-Your-Sword-is-Incredibly-Fast/12575106/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-56-Heaven-s-Mandate-Returns-to-the-Princess/12575109/
Chapter 55: The Grand Master of Tai Xuan, Changing the Sect Leader
Chapter 55: The Grand Master of Tai Xuan, Changing the Sect Leader
Seeing Luo Hun's embarrassed expression, Gu An finally realized what he was getting at. So that was his cup of tea! Why didn't he say so earlier?
Gu An patted Luo Hun on the shoulder and laughed, "Brother Luo, I never expected we would have similar tastes. To be honest, instead of the battles and sectarian disputes in The Investiture of the Gods, I prefer the carefree and simple relationships between people and the joy of traveling to see the world. Those are what truly temper the heart of a cultivator!"
His words relieved Luo Hun of his embarrassment, and a smile appeared on his face.
The two began to chat enthusiastically about The Green Hero's Journey, and their relationship grew closer.
However, Luo Hun was still quite reserved and dared not discuss the romantic elements of the story, only chatting about the strange and wonderful sights described within.
Luo Hun's playful seriousness brought Gu An a great deal of amusement.
From now on, there would be less boredom in the Valley of the Faraway!
...
Time flew by, and three years passed in the blink of an eye.
Once again, the hot summer arrived. Gu An was now thirty-eight years old, and starting this year, the Third Herb Valley would welcome its first batch of mature medicinal herbs, which he eagerly anticipated.
As for the Valley of the Faraway, since they cultivated higher-level herbs, they would have to wait a bit longer.
One morning, Gu An was leading the disciples in their morning exercises in Xuan Valley.
Although Zhen Qin and the other two had left for the Third Herb Valley, they had welcomed three new disciple handymen, so Xuan Valley remained lively.
As Gu An twisted his waist, he suddenly sensed something and smiled.
Xiaochuan noticed his smile and asked, "Senior Brother, what are you smiling about?"
"It's nothing. Keep practicing," Gu An said dismissively, leaving Xiaochuan with no choice but to continue.
After a while, the practice session ended, and the disciples dispersed. Gu An also made his way back to his pavilion.
As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a sound of tearing through the air in the distance. He turned his head and saw someone flying toward them on a sword.
It was Li Ya!
After not seeing him for many years, Li Ya still wore a black robe, but his bearing had changed. There was a strand of white hair on his forehead, adding a touch of vicissitude to his appearance.
Li Ya saw Gu An from a distance, and a smile appeared on his cold, stern face, as if an iceberg had melted.
Li Ya's cultivation had reached the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm, and Gu An felt that he was even stronger than Ji Lin back then. He estimated that Li Ya was not far from the Golden Core stage.
After landing, Li Ya opened his arms and hugged Gu An, causing Gu An's body to stiffen.
"Not bad. You've actually reached the Qi Refining Realm. Looks like you haven't slacked off," Li Ya said with a satisfied smile as he pinched Gu An's shoulder.
Gu An naturally broke free from his grasp and smiled, "You're finally back. How have things been?"
Li Ya shook his head. "Not smoothly, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. Let's chat inside."
Gu An nodded and led him upstairs.
One hour later.
Inside the pavilion, Gu An and Li Ya sat across from each other, drinking and chatting. After hearing about Li Ya's experiences over the years, Gu An was full of emotions.
"It feels like your experiences could fill a book," Gu An commented.
Li Ya laughed, "Indeed. Although I've had to escape death many times, those experiences have made me who I am today."
Over the years, Li Ya had ventured south in search of the legacy of a Nascent Soul great cultivator. He had clashed with various geniuses along the way but eventually fought his way out. However, that Nascent Soul great cultivator had tried to seize his body. Fortunately, Li Ya had escaped that crisis, although he didn't mention how he had avoided the body-seizing danger. Gu An guessed that it had something to do with the soul within him.
After the Nascent Soul crisis, Li Ya had learned a sword intent from that cultivator's cave abode, and he had spent the last three years tempering himself with it, undergoing a complete transformation.
After that, he had returned from the southern region of Ji Zhou and encountered other twists and turns on his journey. For example, he had once chanced upon a young woman who was being oppressed by a local aristocratic family. Luckily, he had stepped in to save her. Unfortunately, not long after he left, he heard that the young woman and her family had been brutally killed. This tragic incident had spread far and wide among the common folk, so he had returned and slaughtered that aristocratic family, causing an uproar throughout the entire state.
The local government had pursued Li Ya for a few days before giving up and even revoking the arrest warrant.
When Li Ya spoke of this experience, his tone was not overly sad, just a bit cold.
Gu An poured Li Ya another cup of wine, and Li Ya suddenly asked, "Junior Brother Gu, why do we cultivate? Is it just to pursue the illusory goal of longevity? But since ancient times, has there ever been anyone who has truly achieved eternal life?"
Upon hearing this, Gu An poured himself a drink and said, "I don't know what cultivators should pursue. I only know that life should be lived with ease. If something can bring you ease, then do it."
"I spend my days planting flowers and herbs, which many people may see as a waste of my cultivation time. But I find this life interesting. The medicinal herbs I cultivate can help our sect, and I think that gives my life some meaning, don't you think?"
He didn't think Li Ya was being sentimental. It was natural to feel lost after going through certain experiences.
After hearing Gu An's words, Li Ya held his cup and fell into thought.
He remained silent for half an hour, and Gu An didn't disturb him. Instead, he took out a copy of The Green Hero's Journey and started reading.
When Li Ya finally spoke, his eyes shone with newfound clarity. He looked at Gu An and said, "True wisdom is not found in the halls of power. Junior Brother Gu, thank you. I think I know what I should do now."
He stood up, took out a small white jade bottle from his storage bag, and said, "This is a pill refined from a thousand-year-old spirit fat. It can temper one's bones and flesh. You shouldn't take more than two pills a year. I need to go back and form my Golden Core."
Without waiting for Gu An to try and stop him, he climbed out the window and left.
Gu An fell silent. Why did this guy always insist on leaving through the window?
His gaze fell on the small white jade bottle on the table.
Why did everyone insist on giving him gifts?
Gu An wore an helpless expression, but he still put the bottle away in his storage bag.
...
The summer nights arrived late, and Gu An made his way to the Third Herb Valley. As he stepped off the teleportation formation, his eyes were drawn to a small pavilion in the distance where Zhen Qin, Su Han, Ye Yan, and Zhou Tongyou were gathered, chatting happily.
Gu An immediately set off.
Zhou Tongyou, who was in the middle of a lively conversation, glanced at Gu An and smiled. The other three followed his gaze, and then quickly got up.
When Gu An arrived at the small pavilion, he asked with a hint of annoyance, "Why are you here again? Haven't you emptied your storage bag yet?"
Three years had passed, and Zhou Tongyou had visited no less than ten times, each time bringing medicinal herbs, pills, and magical artifacts. The last time they sparred, it took Gu An ten moves to defeat him, and even then, it was a close call.
Yes, his performance was also quite lackluster.
Zhou Tongyou smiled and said, "Rest assured, this time I'm not here to spar, but to bid farewell. I'm leaving, and after all these years in Tai Xuan Gate, you're the only true friend I've made, and I truly acknowledge your abilities."
Friend?
Gu An didn't know how to respond.
Ye Yan looked at Zhou Tongyou with a hint of reluctance in his eyes. Over the years, Zhou Tongyou had guided him in his cultivation every time he visited, and to Ye Yan, he was like a half-master.
"What do you mean by 'all these years in Tai Xuan Gate'? Aren't you a disciple of Tai Xuan Gate?" Zhen Qin asked, her eyes widening in surprise.
Su Han and Ye Yan were also deeply moved.
They all shared the same thought.
Could this man be a spy from the Demon Path?
Zhou Tongyou smiled proudly, "Forget it, I intended to keep a low profile because I didn't want to pressure you. But now that I'm leaving, I might as well stop pretending. I am Zhou Tongyou of Jue Shan Zong!"
As soon as these words left his mouth, Zhen Qin, Su Han, and Ye Yan froze, and Zhou Tongyou's ego was further inflated. He even raised his chin and looked at Gu An, expecting to see a look of shock on his face.
Gu An was indeed moved, and Zhou Tongyou's mood instantly soared.
However, Zhen Qin suddenly threw in a cold remark, "Are you very famous?"
Zhou Tongyou's pupils slowly dilated, and his entire body stiffened.
Fearing that he might change his mind and decide to stay, Gu An quickly said, "Indeed, you're extremely famous. Suppressing all the young disciples of Tai Xuan Gate, who would've thought... Please excuse my rudeness."
Upon hearing this, Zhou Tongyou's expression softened, and at Gu An's subtle signal, Zhen Qin, Su Han, and Ye Yan exclaimed in surprise.
"My heavens! Did I hear that right?"
"It's actually you..."
"How is this possible!"
Zhou Tongyou's face twitched, and for some reason, hearing these words felt grating to his ears.
He took a deep breath and said, "Tai Xuan Gate is about to undergo great changes, so be careful in the days to come. Farewell, and may we meet again in a world of green mountains and clear waters."
With that, he leaped into the air and transformed into a rainbow light, flying towards the horizon.
The three disciples were stunned by his movement technique, and they stood there, staring at the direction of his departure.
Gu An waved his hand and said, "Alright, disperse. Cultivate diligently and strive to form your core as soon as possible, so you won't lose the qualification to meet him again in the future."
The three of them quickly bid farewell and left.
Gu An, on the other hand, pondered Zhou Tongyou's words. Was Tai Xuan Gate about to undergo major changes? He hoped that his herb valley would not be affected.
He turned and walked towards his tower. After climbing up to his room, he closed the door and walked over to his desk. He took out some paper and a brush and began to contemplate the book by the ancient patriarch.
The final volume of "The Investiture of the Gods" had already been sent to the library, and now it was time to start writing a new book.
After "The Investiture of the Gods," he would naturally write "Journey to the West," but he was afraid that it would be too influential, so he decided to put it on hold for now. Instead, he would write a novel about the ancient patriarch and his son to reduce the heat on Pan An, so that he wouldn't seem so divine.
Recently, the outer disciples had been praising Pan An as a living immortal, which made Gu An feel a little uneasy.
He intended to use classic plotlines from web novels he had read in his previous life to write the second book.
The ancient patriarch cultivated for five hundred years and became renowned in the cultivation world. He was the strongest elder in Tai Xuan Gate. In the year his partner gave birth to their second son, the Demon Path invaded, and Tai Xuan Gate faced imminent destruction. The ancient patriarch used his divine abilities to invoke the power of heaven and earth, annihilating the Demon Path. However, he himself fell into a spatial fissure caused by his own powers.
Everyone believed he had perished, but unbeknownst to them, he had fallen onto a solitary island in the distant seas and accidentally discovered the legacy of an immortal.
Twenty years later, the ancient patriarch returned, only to find that his son, Gu Yu, had been demoted to a menial disciple because someone had stolen his celestial root!
Zhou Tongyou and Gu Yu were of the same age, and the two had been close since childhood. Even after Gu Yu's demotion, Zhou Tongyou still hoped for his friend's rise. After hundreds of years of subsequent enmity, the two became the pillars of Tai Xuan Gate, safeguarding peace in the cultivation world.
Gu An pondered, and his eyes lit up with inspiration.
He dipped his brush and began to write.
Chapter One: The Fallen Genius!
...
In the spring of the second year after Zhou Tongyou's departure, Gu An went to the outer gate to submit his book, "The Grand Master of Tai Xuan." Liu Chang was very interested in the book and chatted with Gu An for a long time.
As Gu An was leaving the library, he overheard the disciples discussing that the sect leader, Lu Baitian, had gone mad during his cultivation and accidentally perished. The elder Chu Tianqi had taken over as the new sect leader.
Gu An was secretly shocked. Had the sect leader been killed? He quickly left the outer city and hurried towards the Third Herb Valley.
Upon entering the valley, he saw Gu Yu waiting for him. Standing behind Gu Yu was a stooped old man with a hunched back, thin as a stick, and white hair. He wore tattered cloth and was surveying the various gardens with his eyes.
When Gu Yu saw Gu An flying over, he smiled and stood up, saying, "You're finally back. This is my father's distant relative. You can call him Old Tian. He has mediocre spiritual roots and no hope of forming a core in this lifetime. From now on, he will assist you in the herb valley, and you can assign him any tasks."
Gu An's gaze shifted to the old man, and his expression changed slightly.
【Lu Baitian (Qi Refining Realm Layer 6): 742/850/3200】
Thanks to the book friend 20231025203409421 for the reward of 100 starting coins~~
Today, there was a dramatic increase in monthly votes. Thanks to everyone for their support!
(End of Chapter)
Chapter end
Report
