https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-78-A-Duel-Decided-by-Two-Leaves-/12575219/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-80-Ephemeral-Ghost-Mother-Lu-Xian-s-Return/12575221/
Chapter 79: The Infamous Gu An, Shaking the World
Chapter 79: The Infamous Gu An, Shaking the World
The moon was full on a summer night, but the clouds quickly obscured its radiant light.
Gu An and Zhang Chunqiu sat inside, chatting leisurely. Zhang Chunqiu recounted his experiences over the years, while Gu An listened intently.
Zhang Chunqiu's story sounded like something straight out of a scholar's writing. He left the Tai Xuan Gate for the love of a woman, but she turned out to be a demoness.
Years ago, on his way to seek immortality at the Tai Xuan Gate, Zhang Chunqiu was attacked by demons and fortunately rescued by a female demon named Xiao Lian. Eventually, he successfully entered the Tai Xuan Gate.
He always remembered Xiao Lian's kindness and would go out every year to look for her. The bond between the human and the demoness quickly grew stronger. Years later, when he lost all hope of building his foundation, he chose to leave the sect and spend the rest of his life with Xiao Lian.
After they met, they moved to a nearby town, bought a courtyard, and got married. They even had a son together.
After being with a demoness for so long, Zhang Chunqiu's spiritual power was drained, and even his qi and blood were declining. Xiao Lian, not wanting to burden him, left one morning without saying goodbye.
Hearing this part of the story, Gu An wanted to say something, but he held back.
"You may think that I was deceived by her, but it's not like that," Zhang Chunqiu said with a smile. "When a human and a demon fall in love, this is often the outcome. I left the sect because I knew my path to immortality was hopeless. I don't regret my choice. She has a longer lifespan than me, and I don't have many years left. It's better that she left early to avoid the pain of separation." Zhang Chunqiu's eyes, clouded with cataracts, seemed to have seen through the vicissitudes of life.
Looking at him, Gu An couldn't help but recall how young Zhang Chunqiu was when he first entered the Xuan Valley.
Indeed, people and things change over time.
Gu An sensed that Zhang Chunqiu had only three years left to live, which made him feel a bit melancholy.
Half an hour later, the demonic aura that Gu An had sensed earlier arrived in the courtyard. It was Zhang Chunqiu's son.
Zhang Bukou (Second Layer of the Foundation Establishment): 22/460/2300
At the age of twenty-two, having reached the second layer of the Foundation Establishment, he was undoubtedly a genius!
Do humans and demons bearing children easily result in geniuses?
Gu An suspected that Xiao Lian's extraordinary talent might have had something to do with it.
"Bukou, this is your Senior Uncle Gu An," Zhang Chunqiu said, waving at his son, who had climbed over the wall into the courtyard.
Zhang Bukou looked like a teenager of sixteen or seventeen, except for the thick hair on his cheeks.
"Greetings, Senior Uncle Gu," Zhang Bukou said shyly.
Gu An nodded with a smile and then took out a bottle of pills from his storage bag. "These are high-grade Spirit Qi Pills. Consider them a gift for our first meeting."
"How can I accept this?"
"Senior Brother, are you refusing my gift?"
"Of course not. I just feel that it's too valuable."
After some back and forth, Zhang Chunqiu finally relented, and Zhang Bukou accepted the gift.
Zhang Bukou curiously sized up Gu An, feeling grateful as this was the first time he had received a gift from someone other than his parents. This gesture created a favorable impression of Gu An in his heart.
Zhang Chunqiu then inquired about the situation in Xuan Valley, and Gu An did not hide anything.
Upon hearing that Cheng Xuandan and Meng Lang had passed away, Zhang Chunqiu did not feel sad but sighed with emotion. He advised Gu An to be cautious in the future.
Subsequently, Gu An mentioned that Li Ya had successfully formed his Golden Core, which left Zhang Chunqiu amazed. He remarked that he had always known Li Ya would soar to great heights.
The two men chatted for a long time.
It wasn't until Zhang Chunqiu could no longer keep his eyes open that Gu An took his leave.
As he was about to depart, Zhang Chunqiu turned back with the support of his son and said, "Junior Brother Gu, the fact that you've reached the Foundation Establishment stage means your talent isn't abysmal. Cultivate diligently and, on my behalf, witness the world a few hundred years from now."
Gu An stood at the door, turned back, and nodded slightly.
Throughout their reunion, Zhang Chunqiu never asked anything of him; they simply reminisced about the past.
As Gu An walked out of the courtyard, he couldn't help but glance back. He could hear Zhang Chunqiu and his son whispering. Zhang Chunqiu was asking his son where he had gone off to today, and Zhang Bukou replied that he had met a boy and fought with him.
The boy he encountered was none other than An Hao, and Gu An had sensed their scuffle earlier. Despite the difference in their cultivation levels, Zhang Bukou had no intention to kill, and after a few exchanges, he left.
Perhaps this was fate.
Zhang Bukou had a maximum lifespan of 2,300 years and was likely to become a renowned great demon in the demon race. As for An Hao, he was destined to pursue the pinnacle of the world.
Many years later, when the two meet again, will they recall their childhood encounter in this small town? A smile curved Gu An's lips as he faded into the night.
...
At the break of dawn, in a desolate wilderness by a cliff, An Hao and An Xin sat cross-legged on either side of Gu An, facing the rising sun as they cultivated.
The sunlight bathed them in its warm glow, creating a harmonious scene.
An Hao had three bloody scratches on his left cheek, inflicted by Zhang Bukou. He had spent the entire previous night searching for Zhang Bukou but to no avail. Even after leaving the town and arriving at this uninhabited place, miles away, he still couldn't calm his anger.
Gu An couldn't sit still any longer. He stood up and said, "I have something to take care of and will be back by evening. Hao'er, take care of your sister."
With that, he vanished into thin air on the cliff.
An Hao and An Xin opened their eyes and turned to look, but their master was already gone.
"I wonder who Master really is," An Xin said curiously. "Why can he only stay with us at night?"
An Hao stroked his chin thoughtfully. "Do you remember the story that storyteller mentioned two years ago when he came to our village? I suspect that Master is one of the top demon lords in the world. However, his reputation as a demon lord is probably a misunderstanding. Otherwise, why would he save us? Because of this, he doesn't want us to be implicated by his notoriety."
An Xin stared at him with wide eyes and asked, "If Master really is a demon lord, what is he doing now?"
"I don't know... but regardless, he is our master, and he has always treated us well. We must remember his kindness," Gu An replied.
"Mhm!" An Xin agreed.
...
Gu An, known as the Great Demon Lord by his disciples, returned to Xuan Valley and immediately made his way to the third Medicine Valley via the teleportation formation.
As expected, someone came looking for him after the big battle!
Gu An entered his tower and saw Shen Zhen painting at her desk.
"I say, Saintess Shen, do you think of my place as your home now? You come and go as you please without any regard for manners?" Gu An said helplessly.
Without lifting her eyes from her painting, Shen Zhen said, "Come and take a look at this!"
Gu An walked over and frowned as he looked at her painting.
"Is this Han Ming?" he asked.
"Yes, what do you think? Did I do a good job?" Shen Zhen replied.
"Don't you worry he'll hold a grudge against you?" Gu An asked.
"He wouldn't dare. My father isn't someone to be trifled with!" Shen Zhen huffed, leaving Gu An silent.
Having a powerful backer is indeed impressive!
Gu An examined the painting closely and had to admit that Shen Zhen's painting skills were extraordinary. Han Ming, nailed to the city wall, was depicted with striking clarity, and she had even included the cracks in the wall.
"Well, what do you think?" Shen Zhen asked proudly.
Gu An snatched her brush and added a few strokes to the painting.
Shen Zhen narrowed her eyes, then widened them in surprise.
Gu An had added traces of fierce wind and shadows, giving the scene a more dynamic feel—a technique he had learned from Earth's comic books.
This style didn't necessarily make the painting better, but the key was that Shen Zhen had never seen this style before.
Even though it was just a piece of paper, she could sense the movement and almost see Han Ming being slammed into the city wall.
She turned to Gu An and asked, "You know how to paint?"
"A little," he replied.
"What about poetry and literature?"
"I know a little of everything."
Shen Zhen looked at him with admiration, causing Gu An to raise his chin proudly.
You're putting on a show!
"That's true, after all, you wrote the 'Investiture of the Gods'," Shen Zhen said thoughtfully.
"Why did you paint this?" Gu An asked, wondering if Shen Zhen had a grudge against Han Ming.
"To be honest, I'm very interested in the Sword Immortal Fu Dao. I always imagined him as a handsome and aloof swordsman. With so many people coming to watch the battle, he still didn't show himself, which is truly admirable," Shen Zhen said, her eyes gleaming with a hint of infatuation.
Gu An's mouth twitched as he said, "What if he turns out to be an ugly old man?"
"That's not impossible. Anyway, besides writing, I plan to investigate Sword Immortal Fu Dao and find out who he is," Shen Zhen declared.
"And then what?" Gu An asked.
"Of course, I'll become his Dao companion. Pan An, you don't think I keep coming here because I like you, do you? I may not like cultivation, but my Dao companion must be a top cultivator in the world. Otherwise, when I write books and paint and offend people, my companion won't be able to handle it," Shen Zhen said, giving Gu An a sidelong glance.
Gu An shook his head and chuckled, not pursuing the topic further.
It wasn't until Shen Zhen left Medicine Valley that he went downstairs to check on the medicinal plants.
The miscellaneous disciples were still discussing Sword Immortal Fu Dao, their faces glowing with fervor. Listening to their praises, Gu An felt quite pleased.
Even though he had just shown off his power, Gu An didn't let it get to his head. He remained diligent and earnest in his pursuit of longevity.
The ninth layer of the Combined Realm was not enough to satisfy him!
...
Time passed in the blink of an eye.
A year went by, and summer arrived once again.
By now, Gu An no longer visited An Hao and An Xin every day but only went to see them twice a month. An Hao's cultivation had reached the ninth layer of the Qi Refining Realm and could now protect An Xin adequately.
The previous month, An Hao had passed a test arranged by Gu An, personally slaying the wolf demon that had once pursued them. Gu An had intentionally let the wolf demon escape, leaving it for An Hao to finish off.
Alright, he admitted that when he first saw An Hao's talent, he had immediately started formulating cultivation plans for the boy.
The reason he hadn't returned to Tai Xuan Gate was that An Xin's cultivation was still lacking, and the siblings were still young. They could benefit from learning more from him.
On this day, at noon, Gu An arrived at the outer sect alone. He first went to the Supplementary Platform.
The number of Sword Cultivators on the platform had increased, and many of them weren't disciples of Tai Xuan Gate.
News of Fu Dao Sword Immortal severely injuring the Great Yu Sword Maniac had spread throughout the cultivation world, and Fu Dao Sword Immortal had become the most admired figure among the disciples of Tai Xuan Gate.
Even a year later, whenever Gu An came to the outer sect city, he could hear the disciples discussing the battle.
With the fame from that battle, more and more Sword Cultivators came to visit, and Tai Xuan Gate did not turn them away. Instead, they increased the defensive power of this outer sect city, which also led to a significant increase in Jiang Qiong's authority as the Grand Elder of the city.
From a distance, Gu An saw Han Ming standing next to Zuo Lin, scolding him impatiently while Zuo Lin sat on the ground, his face gloomy.
Gu An was delighted.
This was the scene he had wanted to see, which was why he had recommended that Han Ming take Zuo Lin as his disciple.
Zuo Lin was a genius, but he had a poor aptitude for the sword, despite his love for swordsmanship.
After enjoying the scene for a while, Gu An turned his attention to the other people on the platform, looking for any unfamiliar powerful cultivators.
Indeed, there was one!
...
(End of Chapter)
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