https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-84-Spirit-Gathering-Divine-Finger-You-Are-My-Man/12575225/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-86-The-Initial-Trial-of-the-Divine-Finger-Xu-Lian-the-Demon-Lord/12575227/
Chapter 85: Overshadowing the Sky, the Swallowing Heaven Hellbird!
Chapter 85: Overshadowing the Sky, the Swallowing Heaven Hellbird!
Could learning the Imperial Extremity Sword Art really lead to the position of heir apparent?
Gu An continued plucking the herbs while eavesdropping on their conversation.
He was very familiar with the Imperial Extremity Sword Art!
When he had free time later, he could ask Li Ya about it. If Li Ya wanted to compete for the imperial throne, he could offer a pointer or two.
Wait a moment!
This old man had ulterior motives!
Gu An suddenly felt that something was amiss. He suspected that Li Xuandao had spoken loudly on purpose, as the pavilion did not seem to be soundproof.
He then recalled something else—Li Xuandao's ambition was to become an immortal emperor who lived forever.
For an emperor, the greatest threat was often the crown prince, even if they didn't cultivate. In mortal dynasties, emperors would often grow wary of their crown princes as they aged, and there weren't many crown princes who could smoothly inherit the throne.
Could it be that Li Xuandao wanted to use Li Ya to get rid of the crown prince?
That was indeed possible!
Gu An stopped thinking about it and focused on plucking the herbs, letting the father and son deal with each other.
Because of Li Xuandao's presence, Gu An did not leave immediately after finishing collecting the herbs. Instead, he stayed until early the next morning before departing.
When he left, Li Xuandao was still there, saying that he wanted to stay a little longer. Gu An suspected that he wanted to watch the upcoming battle between the righteous and demonic paths.
...
Upon returning to Xuan Valley, Gu An briefly instructed Wu Xin and the others, warning them that the demonic path would soon be attacking and telling them to stay within the valley and not wander off. This made all the disciples, including Wu Xin, nervous.
Gu An decided that from then on, he would spend his nights in Xuan Valley. The Third Herb Valley was safe with Teacher Tian and fifty Foundation Establishment cultivators there, but Xuan Valley was different, as it only had a group of servant disciples.
Nowadays, the lifespan contributions from Xuan Valley accounted for a smaller and smaller proportion of his total income, but the Eight Scenery Grotto-heavens beneath Xuan Valley were a different story. And even if the lifespan contributions from Xuan Valley weren't much, he couldn't bear to give it up.
Ten days later.
The Foundation Establishment cultivator arranged by Li Xuandao arrived at Xuan Valley.
Gu An stood at the wooden railing, looking into the distance. A woman in green with a bamboo hat approached, her sword at her side. The cold wind blew her clothes, making her seem even more ethereal.
【Yang Ni (Foundation Establishment Stage Nine Layers): 214/780/1360】
A two-hundred-year-old Foundation Establishment cultivator with quite good talent.
Gu An thought to himself as he walked towards Yang Ni.
"I am Gu An, the valley master of this herb valley. May I ask who you are...?" Gu An asked, raising his hand in greeting.
As Gu An approached, Yang Ni suddenly appeared in front of him, causing him to pretend to be startled and take a step back.
"Let me see your other valley master token," Yang Ni transmitted her voice, her tone cold yet pleasant. Just from her voice, one could tell that she was a beauty.
Gu An immediately took out the token for the Distant Valley. Yang Ni snatched it from him, inspected it, and then returned it.
"I was sent by His Majesty to protect you. From now on, I will be your outer disciple," Yang Ni transmitted again.
Gu An nodded and said, "So it was Elder Han who recommended you to come. I've been waiting for you for a long time."
After saying that, he turned around and led Yang Ni towards the pavilion.
Yang Ni followed his steps, and the other disciples in the valley couldn't help but look at her with curious eyes. Yang Ni's appearance made people want to take a second glance.
After entering the room, Gu An closed the door and said, "Everyone here is only at the Qi Refining stage, so there's no need to worry."
Yang Ni raised her hand, and her spiritual power transformed into a blue restriction mark that imprinted itself on the door.
Very cautious!
After doing all this, Yang Ni walked to the table, placed her sword down, and took off her bamboo hat. Her hair, like a waterfall of silver, flowed down her shoulders. She turned her head to look at Gu An. Her appearance was very young, and she looked to be in her early twenties.
Her facial features were exquisite and delicate, but her eyebrows and eyes exuded a coldness that gave people an icy beauty vibe. That coldness made it easy to overlook her beauty, and one couldn't help but feel hesitant to look directly at her.
She sized up Gu An and asked, "I heard that you have a good relationship with Li Ya?"
"Yes, Senior Brother Li used to be a servant disciple here as well. We entered on the same day," Gu An replied.
Upon hearing this, a smile appeared on Yang Ni's face, and that smile was captivating, like a hundred enchanting charms.
But Gu An didn't think much of it, as he knew that Xi Xiao Yu was even more beautiful.
"That kid has always been stubborn and never got along with his brothers and sisters. I never expected him to form a friendship with a servant disciple like you," Yang Ni praised.
The way she phrased that...
Yang Ni took out a green jade bracelet from her storage bag and said, "This is a high-grade spiritual tool that can store spiritual power. Consider it a greeting gift."
Store spiritual power?
That was quite rare.
Gu An quickly waved his hands and said, "I can't accept this. You're already here to protect me, so how could I dare to receive a gift from you?"
"Just take it. Li Ya's mother is my sister, so since you're close to Li Ya, you're naturally my junior. Don't refuse!" Yang Ni said impatiently. She directly threw the jade bracelet to him and then turned around to browse the bookshelf.
"You can do your own thing. Don't mind me."
Gu An caught the jade bracelet and wanted to say that it might be inconvenient since this was his pavilion, but seeing Yang Ni's attitude, it was clear that she intended to stay here, so he could only give up.
Ever since meeting Shen Zhen, Gu An would no longer leave anything invisible in the pavilion, so he hesitated for a moment before turning around and leaving to not disturb Yang Ni.
Yang Ni's arrival did not disrupt the rhythm of life in Xuan Valley, as she rarely left the room and did not interact with the other disciples.
When Gu An was about to go to the Third Herb Valley, she insisted on following him, so he had no choice but to bring her along.
Upon arriving at the Third Herb Valley, she was shocked and began to reevaluate Gu An.
This servant disciple was not simple!
Gu An wasn't worried that she would tell Li Xuandao, and perhaps Li Xuandao had already found out about the Third Herb Valley. It would be difficult to keep it a secret.
Gu An felt no guilt in his heart.
If Li Xuandao became suspicious of him because of this, he wouldn't fear it.
In his heart, his wariness of Li Xuandao was far less than that of Tai Xuan Gate.
And so, Yang Ni followed Gu An as he inspected the herb valley, watching as he harvested the herbs and then replanted them.
A month passed, and Yang Ni developed a favorable impression of Gu An.
Gu An was too honest and gentle towards the servant disciples. Such a person posed no threat to anyone, and this was why she understood why Li Ya could get along with Gu An.
Days passed, one after another.
Winter snowflakes fell, covering every inch of Gu An's herb valleys.
As Li Xuandao had mentioned, the Demonic Path would invade Tai Xuan Gate at the end of the year. This made Gu An anxious every day, as the forces of the Demonic Path could attack at any time.
One day.
At Xuan Valley.
Gu An and Wu Xin were leading the disciples in shoveling snow. Yang Ni stood at a distance, leaning against the wooden railing and holding her sword.
"Senior Brother, what's the cultivation level of this outer disciple?" Wu Xin asked in a low voice, his curiosity getting the better of him as he stood next to Gu An.
The way Yang Ni stood there, she looked very strong.
"It's none of your business. She's my disciple, so don't even think about it," Gu An replied irritably.
Wu Xin chuckled and said, "Senior Brother, you understand me so well. When will you arrange a Foundation Establishment disciple to be my assistant? I'll look so cool wherever I go."
"If I really arrange one for you, would you dare to accept it?"
Hearing this, Wu Xin seemed to think of something, and a embarrassed smile appeared on his face as he stopped talking.
Gu An continued shoveling snow.
After a while, he seemed to sense something, and his eyebrows furrowed slightly, but he didn't stop his work.
Yang Ni, who was in the distance, also seemed to sense something. She leaped into the air and flew to the top of the southern mountain. Her actions caused everyone in the valley to look up.
The heavy snowflakes filled the sky and earth, and from within the valley, the figure of Yang Ni standing on the mountaintop appeared very blurry, as if she could be swallowed by the snowstorm at any moment.
"What's wrong with her?" Wu Xin couldn't help but ask Gu An.
Gu An looked up and said, "I don't know either. We'll ask her when she comes down."
Gu gu—
A light and clear birdcall rang out, echoing through the heavens and earth, its sound even drowning out the wind.
The sudden birdcall caused everyone to frown and look around, trying to locate the direction of the sound.
Wu Xin seemed to think of something, and his face changed as he hurriedly shouted, "Everyone, get back to the house! Quick!"
As he spoke, he pulled Gu An towards the pavilion.
Gu An broke free of his grasp and said, "You guys go first. I need to watch over the herb valley."
Wu Xin turned his head and said urgently, "That's the Thousand Autumn Pavilion's magical beast, the Heaven Swallowing Hellbird! It's not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator can deal with!"
"You go back first. I'm not going to fight it! Don't forget your identity!" Gu An said in a low voice.
Hearing this, Wu Xin could only turn and run back.
Soon, only Gu An was left in the valley, and the other disciples peered out from the windows, their eyes filled with tension.
Gu An had already sensed the aura of the Heaven Swallowing Hellbird.
It was strong!
Comparable to the Void Crossing realm!
Whoosh—
A gust of wind blew from the south, stirring up rolling waves of snow that swept through the herb valley. Gu An watched the swaying herbs with a pained expression, but since Yang Ni and the other disciples were there, he didn't dare to reveal his true cultivation level. He could only walk to the area with the highest-grade herbs and protect them with his Foundation Establishment spiritual power.
At this moment, Yang Ni appeared beside him out of thin air. She took out a large flag and planted it into the ground, then raised her palm and injected spiritual power into the flagpole.
The flag fluttered, creating a light barrier that shielded them from the wind and snow.
Yang Ni breathed a sigh of relief and turned to look at Gu An, scolding him, "Are you crazy? What do these herbs have to do with you? Didn't you sense that demonic aura?"
Gu An replied, "I did, but if I can sense it, then the major cultivators of Tai Xuan Gate must be able to sense it as well..."
Boom—
A terrifying gust of wind pressed down on them, causing Gu An and Wu Xin, along with the other disciples, to look up with wide eyes.
The swirling snow was blown away, revealing a terrifying giant bird that blotted out the sun and sky. It was passing by Xuan Valley, and because of its massive size, the valley was plunged into darkness, unable to escape its shadow for a short time.
Even Gu An was shocked by the size of the Heaven Swallowing Hellbird. With his eyesight, he could see that its wingspan exceeded a hundred li, which was extremely exaggerated.
On the back of the Heaven Swallowing Hellbird were the auras of countless Demon Cultivators, numbering at least tens of thousands.
The direction it was heading in was towards the outer city of Tai Xuan Gate!
"The Heaven Swallowing Hellbird of the Thousand Autumn Pavilion, a sixth-rank magical beast with the might to destroy a dynasty. This is the first time I've seen it," Yang Ni murmured as she gazed at the magical beast in the sky, her eyes reflecting her fear.
Gu An didn't respond. He was staring at the Heaven Swallowing Hellbird, hoping that it wouldn't take notice of his herb valley.
After the Hellbird passed over Xuan Valley, the sunlight shone down once more, illuminating the herb valley. Soon after, the snowflakes fell again, like a vast white mist descending.
This scene caused everyone in the valley to breathe a sigh of relief.
Gu An could sense the auras of powerful cultivators fighting in the distance.
They were in the Void Crossing realm!
And there was more than one of them!
They were quite far away, and the battle seemed to be taking place in another outer city of Tai Xuan Gate.
(End of Chapter)
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