https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-79-The-Infamous-Gu-An-Shaking-the-World/12575220/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-81-Xuanwu-Shockwave-Palm-the-Heavenly-Spirit-Root-Revealed/12575222/
Chapter 80: Ephemeral Ghost Mother, Lu Xian's Return
Chapter 80: Ephemeral Ghost Mother, Lu Xian's Return
Ephemeral Ghost Mother (Combined Realm, Second Layer): 3750/8090/54000
Combined Realm, Second Layer!
What an exaggerated lifespan!
First, it was the Yellow Spring Demon Emperor, and now the Ephemeral Ghost Mother; they both seem to be figures from the underworld.
Gu An marveled inwardly. So even ghosts had lifespans. In other words, even if they died, they couldn't exist forever.
Come to think of it, that made sense. If ghost souls could exist forever, wouldn't the world be ruled by them?
He had only heard of thousand-year-old evil ghosts and not million-year-old ghost emperors. Of course, it could also be that Gu An's level wasn't high enough, and he hadn't come into contact with them yet. But at least, in this mortal world, humans were the dominant race.
Perhaps there was an unseen force in the heavens that suppressed the existence of ghost souls, maintaining balance in all things.
Humans had short lifespans, but they cultivated quickly; each had their strengths and weaknesses.
The Ephemeral Ghost Mother disguised herself as a female disciple of Tai Xuan Gate, and she looked very young. Her cultivation base was suppressed at the Foundation Establishment realm, making it hard for others to detect her abnormality.
Gu An didn't look at her too closely, lest he draw her attention.
There were all sorts of strange and powerful beings within Tai Xuan Gate, and as long as they didn't threaten him, he was too lazy to bother with them.
"Friend Gu," Han Ming suddenly walked over with a smile on his face.
Although he had just suffered a crushing defeat, he didn't feel ashamed. Instead, he felt fortunate.
Being pinned to the city wall by a leaf containing profound sword intent from Sword Venerable Fu Dao had benefited him greatly. It was clear that the venerable had intended to guide him.
With Sword Venerable Fu Dao's capabilities, if he had wanted to kill Han Ming, he wouldn't have survived.
Gu An looked at Han Ming as he approached and immediately raised his hand in a salute. Han Ming walked up to him, enthusiastically grabbing his hand and saying, "Friend Gu, now that you're here, you must spar with me. That disciple you recommended to me is too stupid for words; he's so infuriating that my Dao heart is disturbed."
As he spoke, Han Ming pulled Gu An toward Zuo Lin.
With his cultivation hidden, Gu An couldn't break free from Han Ming's grip and could only reluctantly walk with him.
Han Ming had Gu An sit next to Zuo Lin and then began to impart sword techniques. Zuo Lin was delighted to see Gu An and kept pulling him to chat, which made Han Ming very irritable, and he started scolding Zuo Lin again.
Zuo Yi Jian sat by and watched with a smile as his son was reprimanded. He, too, sized up Gu An.
Aside from being good-looking, Gu An's cultivation was ordinary, and Zuo Yi Jian couldn't fathom what Han Ming saw in him.
Zuo Yi Jian closed his eyes, sensing the sword intent within the characters for "righteous path" while recalling the scene of Han Ming's defeat. In the darkness, he felt as if he had grasped something, or perhaps it was just an illusion. This complex feeling made him fall into a reverie.
A full hour passed before Gu An was finally able to escape Han Ming's hospitality.
Han Ming's sword technique was imparted just once, but Gu An memorized it. However, to keep a low profile, he pretended to listen to it six times, which was truly exhausting.
Gu An left with quick steps amid Han Ming's disappointed gaze.
I'll have to avoid Han Ming on Mount Bounty from now on!
That guy is too draining! Gu An thought to himself. He then proceeded to the Pill Hall and the Library to hand in his tasks before heading to Great Elder Jiang Qiong's residence to visit her.
In the main hall.
Jiang Qiong tossed a storage bag to Gu An and said, "These are all high-grade spirit herbs I've collected. When they mature, you can have twenty percent of them. Your Sect Master hasn't treated you badly, has he?"
Gu An swept the bag with his divine sense, and his expression brightened.
There were so many seeds, and the lowest grade was four!
"Thank you, Sect Master!" Gu An said sincerely.
Jiang Qiong could have easily found someone else to plant the seeds. As the Great Elder, her authority was immense.
Hearing this, Jiang Qiong smiled in satisfaction. She loved seeing Gu An express gratitude toward her.
"Try not to sell the Blue Vine Fruits. This thing has a great effect on improving your qi and blood and strengthening your roots. It's a treasure that cannot be measured with spirit stones," Jiang Qiong said earnestly.
It was clear that she had found out about Gu An selling the Blue Vine Fruits.
Gu An nodded. He didn't need spirit stones to buy seeds now, so he naturally wouldn't sell them.
"Next, I plan to continue striving for improvement. Since your Medicine Valley can be partly credited to me, I'll help you cultivate it well. In the future, I'll find a Golden Core cultivator's pill for you and use secret techniques to help you become a Golden Core cultivator yourself," Jiang Qiong continued.
Gu An quickly thanked her again.
Then, Jiang Qiong waved her hand, indicating that he could leave.
Gu An turned and took two steps before Jiang Qiong's voice floated over from behind, "Gu An, do you write books?"
Upon hearing this, Gu An's heart trembled.
What did this mean?
Had Jiang Qiong found out?
Or was this a test?
Gu An turned back, a confused expression on his face, and asked, "What kind of books?"
Jiang Qiong looked at his face. He didn't seem guilty, so she shook her head and said, "Never mind. Go back."
Gu An scratched his head, his face filled with bewilderment, and then he left.
Jiang Qiong sat in her chair, deep in thought. After a while, she took out a book from her storage bag and began to browse through it.
On the cover were four words: Tai Xuan Secret Manual!
...
On a scorching summer day, thirteen-year-old An Hao lay by the river, his face toward the sky, his head submerged in the water. Bubbles continuously emerged from his mouth.
Not far away, An Xin was sitting under a tree, meditating and cultivating. Her eyebrows were furrowed, indicating that her practice wasn't going smoothly.
A figure blocked the sun from An Hao, causing him to open his eyes. When he recognized the person, he quickly flipped over and got up.
"Master!"
An Hao quickly scrambled to his feet, rubbing his wet hair. Then he channeled his spiritual power, drying his hair, causing wisps of white smoke to rise from his head.
Gu An, wearing a mask, said in a hoarse and deep voice, "Today, I won't teach you sword techniques, but instead, I'll teach you a leg technique."
Upon hearing this, An Hao's eyes lit up, and he became excited.
Finally, he wouldn't have to learn sword techniques anymore!
Not only did An Hao possess strong spiritual roots, but he also had a high aptitude. After practicing the Tai Cang Jing Shen Sword for a year, he had completely mastered the moves and mental techniques and was now working on cultivating his own sword intent.
Gu An lifted his leg, standing on one foot like a golden rooster. This stance immediately stunned An Hao, and even An Xin, who was in the midst of breathing exercises, was drawn to look.
"This leg technique is called the Crazy Wind Absolute Shadow Leg. Watch closely."
Gu An spoke in a low voice. Currently, Ye Lan was the only one who had inherited this move in its entirety. Others practiced the Remnant Wind Leg, which served as the foundation for the Crazy Wind Absolute Shadow Leg. However, when the two were compared side by side, it was challenging to see their close association.
He also wasn't worried about Ye Lan and An Hao recognizing each other's leg techniques in the future. If they could identify each other's moves, it would mean they were in combat, and it would be an opportunity for An Hao to show mercy.
After spending more than a year together, Gu An had come to regard An Hao as his own child. An Hao was inherently good-natured, and deep down, he possessed a sense of chivalry. He was just a little too carefree.
Gu An extended his leg, and in that instant, countless leg shadows burst forth. A wild wind picked up, splashing water, and the trees across from them toppled over. The mountain wall a hundred meters away cracked, revealing a series of footprints—dense and spectacular. Even the cloud sea in the sky was scattered.
An Hao was stunned, his whole body trembling, and An Xin watched with wide eyes.
What a domineering leg technique!
"I want to learn it! I want to learn it! It feels even more majestic than the Tai Cang Jing Shen Sword!"
An Hao exclaimed excitedly, even mimicking the move by kicking a few times on the spot.
Gu An said, "The Tai Cang Jing Shen Sword is stronger than the Crazy Wind Absolute Shadow Leg. I just haven't shown you its full power yet."
"Hehe, I understand. I won't forget to cultivate the Tai Cang Jing Shen Sword from now on!" An Hao quickly assured him.
Gu An began teaching him the moves, and as always, An Hao only needed to see it once to memorize the leg technique. Then, he started practicing on his own.
Again and again, he practiced, becoming increasingly proficient.
Suddenly, Gu An felt that it was time to send An Hao to the Tai Xuan Gate.
This kid's talent was too frightening. If he could join the Tai Xuan Gate earlier, perhaps he could lay a better foundation. As for Gu An, he could only teach him techniques and ultimate moves.
However...
Gu An thought of An Xin. That girl's talent was too mediocre.
Forget it, let's send them both there. Talent was something he couldn't change for now, so why worry about it? Gu An decided to wait another six months before sending the two children to the Tai Xuan Gate.
In ten years, An Hao would probably make a name for himself.
He wondered how long it would take for An Hao to catch up with Li Ya and Ji Xiaoyu.
Gu An even started looking forward to a confrontation between Li Ya and An Hao. Li Ya was strong-willed, and sooner or later, he would face off against An Hao.
There were indeed intra-sect fights within the Tai Xuan Gate, and the two of them, with a gap of over thirty years, could still be considered peers.
On a scorching summer day, An Hao was soon drenched in sweat, but he showed no signs of fatigue. Excitedly, he continued to practice his leg technique. Though still young, his sweat-soaked clothes outlined his muscular build, giving him a sense of power.
Gu An stood by and quietly watched.
...
At the ends of the earth, in Tianya Valley.
Gu An was sowing seeds, and Sun San was by his side, carrying a basket and following his every step.
To prevent others from finding out, Gu An didn't just pick herbs; he occasionally did other tasks as well.
"I'm back!"
A voice rang out from the valley entrance, and Gu An knew without turning his head that Lu Xian had returned.
Dressed in blue, Lu Xian strode in from the valley entrance, holding a folding fan in his hand. He exuded a handsome and graceful aura, and compared to when he wore red, he now seemed to possess a more masculine charm.
"How did it go?"
Yi Liuyun, seated in meditation on the mountaintop, asked, his voice echoing throughout Tianya Valley.
Luo Hun appeared in front of the pavilion, holding a long spear, to welcome Lu Xian back. Gu An also had no choice but to pay his respects.
Compared to Lu Xian, Gu An was more concerned about Li Ya's situation at the Hundred Races Assembly.
Lu Xian wore a light smile on his face as he replied, "It went smoothly, although there were some bumps along the way. But as expected, I secured the top spot."
Hearing this, Luo Hun and Yi Liuyun both smiled. They both served under Li Xuandao, and in the future, they would face life and death situations together. The stronger Lu Xian was, the happier they felt.
Yi Liuyun asked again from across the medicine valley, "Didn't the geniuses of the Ji, Gu, and Zhou families pose any threat?"
Lu Xian answered, "A girl named Ji Xiaoyu from the Ji family gave me some trouble, but unfortunately, she withdrew midway. I didn't get to defeat her fairly, which is a bit regrettable. Aside from her, there were fewer than five people who could be considered my opponents."
"Were there any of His Majesty's children who impressed you?" Luo Hun asked, his tone somewhat anticipatory.
Lu Xian shook his head and scoffed, "Although I admire His Majesty, his children are truly disappointing. They don't come close to him at all. Oh, there was a prince named Li Ya who displayed a valiant spirit that made me view him with new respect. To defeat him, I had to break his arms and legs, and it looks like he'll need a year or two to recover."
As soon as these words left his mouth, Luo Hun's expression changed drastically.
Gu An also frowned.
(End of Chapter)
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