https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-73-The-Reincarnation-of-a-Powerful-Being-The-Fame-of-Gu-An-Seventh-Update-/12575214/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-75-Breaking-Through-the-Ninth-Layer-of-the-Fusion-Realm/12575216/
Chapter 74: Perhaps You Are a Genius, Jian Kuang Yu Chuan Fa
Chapter 74: Perhaps You Are a Genius, Jian Kuang Yu Chuan Fa
Is there a problem?
Gu An couldn't help but roll his eyes in exasperation. "Can you please let me finish before making a decision? You're giving me hope and then crushing it with my own hands."
Shen Zhen shook her head. "The problem doesn't lie with the Jian Zong, but with the Dao Tian Jiao. The Hate God Sword is not just a forbidden technique of the Jian Zong; it's a banned technique throughout the Great Yu Empire. Whenever someone practices the Hate God Sword, it inevitably leads to bloodshed and chaos. A hundred years ago, someone mastered this sword technique and killed countless people, amounting to hundreds of thousands. Eventually, they were severely injured by one of our sect elders and fled the Great Yu Empire."
"The Hate God Sword is a sword technique that can break the laws of destiny. The stronger the hatred, the stronger the sword's intent. For those with mediocre talent, cultivating this sword technique can break the limitations of their spirit roots as long as their hatred is great enough. However, as their cultivation level increases and their hatred deepens, they are more likely to go down a path of no return and become bloodthirsty demons. That is why the Jian Zong prohibits anyone from practicing it."
Upon hearing this, Gu An couldn't help but ask, "If that's the case, why did the Jian Zong create such a sword technique in the first place?"
"It was created by a genius from the Jian Zong," Shen Zhen replied. "As he originated from their sect, the Jian Zong naturally took responsibility for the matter. They have destroyed all the manuals, but copies of the Hate God Sword technique keep surfacing. Perhaps the creator distributed them throughout the cultivation world before his death."
Gu An furrowed his brows.
So, this sword technique causes one to lose their rationality as they progress in their cultivation?
If that was the case, Gu An couldn't just let Su Han continue practicing it, even if it meant favoring his disciple. He couldn't bring calamity upon the cultivation world just to show bias towards his student.
Shen Zhen spoke with a solemn tone. "All the sects in the Great Yu Empire are opposed to the Hate God Sword. If you insist on protecting him, you will only bring endless trouble upon yourself. There is another way, though. You can let him abandon the Hate God Sword in front of the Jian Zong. To truly discard a technique, one must not only forget it but also sever their meridians and spirit roots, returning them to an ordinary person."
Gu An nodded. "I understand."
Without further ado, he bowed to Shen Zhen and took his leave.
Shen Zhen watched his retreating figure and gently shook her head. She didn't try to persuade him further, believing that her words had already made her stance clear.
The next day, at noon, Gu An arrived at the outer sect's city. The night before, he had invested a hundred years of his lifespan from ten thousand miles away, resulting in significant progress in his cultivation.
Due to the trouble caused by Su Han, Gu An had increased the amount of lifespan he invested daily, hoping to reach the ninth layer of the Combined Realm sooner.
As he walked towards Ye Lan's mansion, Gu An's thoughts remained on Su Han.
Su Han was his disciple, and he intended to help him, but he wouldn't do so blindly without considering the reasoning. Moreover, from what Shen Zhen had said, cultivating the Hate God Sword didn't seem like a wise choice for Su Han. Eventually, it would drive him insane, and that path was filled with pain.
After much contemplation, Gu An decided to let Su Han choose his own path, and he would help him at most once.
At the same time, he pondered another question.
If he were to invest ten thousand years of his lifespan into the Hate God Sword, could he research and improve upon it to prevent it from driving its practitioners insane?
However, that was a matter for the future. Even if he created an improved version now, the Jian Zong wouldn't believe him, and he certainly wasn't going to demonstrate it himself.
He wouldn't expose himself just for Su Han.
Although they had a master-disciple relationship, he didn't owe Su Han anything.
Half an hour later, Gu An and Ye Lan exited the Enforcement Hall.
"Since he has made up his mind, brother, you shouldn't worry about him anymore," Ye Lan said. "In this world, no one should be responsible for another person's life choices forever. I will arrange for someone to secretly escort him out of Tai Xuan Gate."
Gu An nodded. He had negotiated with Su Han for a long time, but Su Han refused to give up on the Hate God Sword, even when Gu An promised not to let him disable his own cultivation. Su Han remained adamant about not giving up the sword technique passed down by his father. It was the only connection he had with his father, and he also wanted to use it to take revenge for his father.
When the conversation reached this point, Gu An could only give up.
"Okay, thank you for your help," Gu An said to Ye Lan.
After a brief exchange, Gu An left.
As Gu An walked down the street, observing the bustling crowd, he couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion.
Lu Jiu Jia had strayed onto the wrong path for the sake of his own cultivation and ended up a crippled man, now spending his days in the Xuan Valley with Wu Xin, cultivating the Dao Yan Gong technique in the hopes of making a comeback someday.
Su Han, driven by his desire for revenge, was willing to go against the entire cultivation world without any regrets.
Gu An was powerful, but he couldn't dictate the path of everyone around him, nor could he change their minds.
The mortal world was filled with complexities driven by gratitude, grudges, love, and hate.
As Gu An's thoughts wandered, a sense of enlightenment seemed to wash over him, and he entered a peculiar state of mind.
Unconsciously, he found himself climbing the steps of the Butian Platform.
He accidentally bumped into someone and immediately snapped out of his trance.
"Sorry," Gu An quickly apologized, feeling surprised at himself.
It was the first time he had ever been so engrossed in his thoughts that he lost awareness of his surroundings. Even when he had previously inherited techniques and spells, he hadn't experienced such a state.
He tried to recall what had happened, but it was vague and unclear. Yet, he felt that something within him had subtly changed.
"Were you in a state of enlightenment just now?" The person whom Gu An had bumped into asked coldly.
Gu An turned to look at the speaker. He was a man dressed in a blue robe, his face weathered, with a sword case on his back from which three sword handles protruded.
Gu An subconsciously probed with his lifespan.
[Han Ming (Duxu Realm, Layer 5): 587/1902/2780]
This person was also practicing a technique to conceal his aura!
It seemed like everyone in the cultivation world was doing the same these days.
Gu An asked in surprise, "What is enlightenment? I was just thinking about something."
He inwardly cursed himself for his lack of awareness. From now on, he would need to be more careful and not let his thoughts wander while walking, or he might attract unwanted trouble.
Han Ming stared at him and said, "Enlightenment is indeed a state of deep thought, where one resonates with the natural laws of heaven and earth, entering a peculiar state. You don't need to apologize. I deliberately stood in your way because if you had continued walking, you would have crashed into those grand cultivators up ahead."
"Is enlightenment very powerful? I don't feel any change in my cultivation," Gu An asked, feigning ignorance. While he was indeed clueless about the concept of enlightenment, he pretended to be more naive than he actually was.
Han Ming turned around and looked towards the distant characters for 'righteousness'. He said, "Enlightenment is rare and cannot be taught or anticipated. It depends entirely on one's own understanding and blessings. Some people break through their cultivation levels through enlightenment, while others create earth-shattering techniques. I, too, have experienced enlightenment, leading me to develop my own sword techniques. Although I'm not sure what you are enlightened about, you will surely reap its benefits in the future."
"Thank you for your guidance, Senior. May I ask your name?" Gu An asked, raising his hand in salute.
"My name is Han Ming, from the Great Yu Empire. I have come to seek guidance from Fu Dao Jianzun," Han Ming replied.
"How do you intend to seek guidance from me, Senior?" Gu An inquired, intrigued.
Han Ming took a deep breath and suddenly shouted, "I, Han Ming, a sword cultivator from the Great Yu Empire, have come to challenge Fu Dao Jianzun's swordsmanship. In one month, we shall duel outside the city. If Fu Dao Jianzun wins, I will inscribe my sword techniques on the city walls for the disciples of Tai Xuan Gate to cultivate. But if Fu Dao Jianzun loses or dares not show up, I will add two more characters next to the 'righteousness' sign!"
His voice reverberated through the city, startling everyone within earshot, including the disciples of the Third Medicine Valley, who looked up curiously.
Countless gazes fell upon Han Ming, who stood tall on the Butian Platform.
Gu An instinctively took a step back, not wanting to be associated with Han Ming.
However, Han Ming turned and walked towards Gu An.
Please don't come over here! Gu An felt helpless.
"Young friend, may I ask you to invite me to your residence? We can discuss our enlightenment experiences and learn from each other. To be frank, I also wish to experience enlightenment again. Whether I succeed or not, I will impart my sword techniques to you," Han Ming said with a kind smile.
In the distance, Zuo Lin, who was meditating next to Zuo Yi Jian, spotted Gu An and his eyes lit up.
As I thought!
This kid is not simple; my initial instinct was correct!
Zuo Lin started to get up, but Zuo Yi Jian pulled him back.
"Don't go looking for trouble. That Han Ming is not someone to be trifled with. He once defeated a Nascent Soul realm cultivator with just his Golden Core cultivation, shocking the world. He is known as Sword Mad," Zuo Yi Jian said in a low voice, his eyes fixed on Han Ming with a sharp gaze.
Upon hearing this, Zuo Lin was stunned.
Under the watchful eyes of the crowd, Gu An felt the pressure and could only nod, before quickly walking away. Han Ming followed closely behind.
The cultivators on the Butian Platform began discussing Han Ming, and many had heard of his reputation. His story quickly spread.
The Crossing Tribulation Realm elder on the platform merely glanced at Han Ming and did not intervene.
Gu An thought for a moment and decided to take Han Ming to the Third Medicine Valley.
He wanted to see what would happen when Han Ming and Old Man Tian met.
Along the way, Han Ming remained silent, deep in thought.
When they arrived at the Third Medicine Valley, Han Ming couldn't help but ask, "Do you own this land that spans a hundred li?"
"Yes, why do you ask?" Gu An countered.
Han Ming paused for a moment, then sighed, "I had thought of accepting you as my disciple, but seeing that Tai Xuan Gate values you so highly, giving you such an extensive herb garden, I can't help but feel a bit disappointed."
You wanted to accept me as your disciple after challenging me? Gu An thought sarcastically, but he smiled and said, "Thank you for your kind offer, Senior. I'm not one for fighting and killing, nor do I pursue higher cultivation levels, so I will decline your offer."
As the two landed, they attracted the attention of many disciples.
In the distance, under a tree, Old Man Tian opened his eyes. He recognized Han Ming, and his expression changed slightly.
However, Han Ming did not seem to recognize him.
The two of them went upstairs and took their seats. Han Ming began to recount his enlightenment journey, and Gu An listened intently.
Han Ming had experienced enlightenment at the age of two hundred. Back then, he was unable to break through the ninth layer of the Golden Core realm and felt that his cultivation would forever stagnate. So, he sat beneath a waterfall for seven days and seven nights, his spirits low. Finally, he achieved enlightenment, and his understanding of the sword transformed overnight.
As he listened, Gu An couldn't help but think about lifespan limits.
He wondered if enlightenment could change one's lifespan limit.
So far, Gu An had not encountered anyone who had broken through their lifespan limit, but he had seen how one's current lifespan could fluctuate.
The current lifespan of cultivators could increase with their cultivation level, but there was no standard lifespan limit for each major realm. After all, lifespan was influenced by one's state, cultivation technique, heavenly materials, and earthly treasures.
For example, Li Xuandao was at the Nascent Soul realm, but some Golden Core cultivators had similar lifespans to him.
Similarly, Qi Xioyu had an eight-hundred-year lifespan at the ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment realm, comparable to Li Xuandao at the eighth layer of the Nascent Soul realm.
Injuries could also affect one's lifespan, as seen with Old Man Tian and Lu Jiujia.
People were not mere data points; their lifespans were not static values. Gu An knew he had to observe and study further.
After Han Ming finished speaking, he asked Gu An to share his enlightenment experience. This time, Gu An did not hold back and honestly expressed his worries, though he omitted the part about the Hate God Sword.
When Gu An finished, Han Ming pondered for a moment and said, "Worrying about your disciple's safety and realizing that you cannot control others' destinies—this enlightenment of yours suggests that you may be a genius."
"In a month, I will duel with Fu Dao Jianzun, and I may die. So, within this month, I will impart all my sword techniques to you. What do you say?"
(End of Chapter)
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