https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-92-A-Lifespan-of-700-000-Years-an-Ancient-Legacy/12575246/
Chapter 93: The Awakening of the Azure Vine, A Realm Beyond Fusion
Chapter 93: The Awakening of the Azure Vine, A Realm Beyond Fusion
In the depths of the mountains, Gu An was leading Yang Ni in planting seeds. As he buried the seeds in the soil, he pointed to the nearby medicinal herbs and explained, "That's the Singing Shy Flower. Its leaves tend to curl up, and when the wind blows through them, they produce a strange sound like singing. When that happens, you'll need to unfold the leaves to prevent it from affecting its growth..."
Yang Ni crouched beside him, listening intently with curiosity sparkling in her eyes.
When Li Yali left, Yang Ni had expressed her desire to stay and tend to the flowers and plants. Gu An had thought she was joking, but she seemed sincere. She actively participated in the gardening tasks and often asked him questions, displaying a humble attitude.
With her change in attitude, Yang Ni began to integrate herself into Xuan Valley and interact more with the other menial disciples.
Gu An wanted to assimilate her fully into their community, to make her truly one of Xuan Valley's own, so he taught her with great dedication.
"From now on, you'll be in charge of taking care of the medicinal herbs in this garden. Let's see if you can apply your protective skills not just to people but also to this garden," Gu An said with a smile as he stood up.
Yang Ni didn't refuse and instead looked at him with eager anticipation.
Soon after, Gu An left, leaving Yang Ni alone to observe the garden.
He returned to Xuan Valley and spotted Chu Jingfeng standing by the wooden fence, lost in thought. It had been like this for many years—when given a task, Chu Jingfeng would do it, but if Gu An didn't assign him any chores, he would just stand there, lost in his own world.
Out of their past friendship, Gu An decided to lend him a helping hand.
"Chu, I've recently obtained a new set of sword techniques. Would you take a look and give me your opinion?" Gu An asked with a pat on Chu Jingfeng's shoulder.
Chu Jingfeng nodded expressionlessly and followed him into the empty woods.
Although his cultivation had been crippled, he was still a swordsman at heart, and his memory of sword techniques remained intact. He believed that he could be of assistance to Gu An.
Despite his usual silence, Chu Jingfeng was truly grateful to Gu An deep down.
When he had first arrived, he had wanted nothing more than to disappear into the ground in shame when facing Gu An. But instead of mocking him, Gu An had treated him exceptionally well all these years. Chu Jingfeng couldn't believe that Gu An was pretending, as there seemed to be no benefit to him in doing so. He couldn't understand what use he could possibly be to Gu An, and so he could only conclude that Gu An was genuinely kind-hearted, especially since all the other disciples in the valley spoke highly of him.
Under Chu Jingfeng's watchful gaze, Gu An demonstrated the basic sword moves of the Great Azure Shocking God Sword technique. Even though his execution was clumsy and lacking in fluidity, it still left Chu Jingfeng impressed.
"Gu... Valley Master, what sword technique is this?" Chu Jingfeng asked, barely containing his excitement.
As a swordsman, how could he not be thrilled to see such a profound sword technique?
Gu An scratched his head and said, "To be honest, I don't know much about it either. I met a senior by chance when I visited the Supplementary Heaven Platform, and he taught me this. He said that if one could master this sword technique, they would become a Sword God among humans."
Chu Jingfeng hesitated, wanting to say something but holding back.
Gu An smiled and said, "What do you think? Do you want to learn it? I'll teach you, but I only have one condition: that you return to being the old you. I miss that Chu Jingfeng who was full of vigor and vitality. Even without your cultivation, you can still practice the sword. Isn't there a legend about someone who never absorbed qi and yet achieved enlightenment through the sword? If others can do it, why can't you?"
As he listened, Chu Jingfeng's face underwent a series of emotions, and he finally agreed.
In truth, he had never wanted to be listless and depressed. He had simply lost his purpose for living.
Now, he suddenly felt that Gu An's words made sense. Just because his cultivation was gone, did that mean he couldn't practice the sword?
Wasn't the path of a swordsman about facing challenges head-on?
And so, Chu Jingfeng began to cultivate the Great Azure Shocking God Sword technique. He memorized the sword moves at an astonishing speed, causing Gu An to exclaim in admiration. This, in turn, boosted Chu Jingfeng's confidence.
...
Late at night, about ten miles away from Xuan Valley, by the river, Gu An moved some stones aside and opened a stone slab, then crawled inside. The stone slab closed again, and the surrounding stones moved back into place as if they had never been disturbed.
Gu An made his way through the underground passage and eventually arrived at the Eight Views Cave Heaven.
A five-zhang long black dragon rushed out from the underground river and swiftly flew towards him.
As always, Gu An took out the corpse of the demon sheep and placed it on the ground. Hao Long opened his mouth and breathed out a fierce flame to roast the sheep.
"In a couple of years, I'll take you out with me. How does that sound?" Gu An asked as he patted Hao Long's head.
Gu An planned to release Hao Long into the North Sea Mountains the next time he broke through.
Previously, he had considered teaching Hao Long the Transformation Technique, but unfortunately, there was no such technique available. Instead, he had imparted the Demon Shadow Divine Art to Hao Long, but despite cultivating it for several years, Hao Long had not mastered it.
Upon hearing that he would be allowed to leave, Hao Long immediately stopped roasting the sheep and excitedly asked where they would be going.
Gu An gave him a brief introduction to the North Sea Mountains, making Hao Long even more eager to go.
Gu An instructed him not to reveal his existence or that of the Eight Views Cave Heaven to anyone, and Hao Long promised to keep their secret.
In reality, even if their existence was exposed, it wouldn't be a problem. By the time Gu An returned from the North Sea Mountains, he would likely have surpassed the Fusion Realm, and at that point, even if the entire Qianqiu Pavilion came after him, they wouldn't be able to take away his Azure Vine Tree.
Of course, he trusted that Hao Long would keep their secret.
"From now on, you need to cultivate diligently. Otherwise, you might get eaten by a demon as soon as you leave," Gu An teased.
Hao Long proudly lifted his head and declared, "How could a dragon ever be eaten by a demon?"
Gu An ruffled his dragon head affectionately before walking towards the Azure Vine Tree.
Concerning the Seventh Rank Spirit Tree, Gu An held it in high regard. Each time he visited the Eight Views Cave Heaven, he would observe it to ensure no problems arose.
Standing beneath the tree, Gu An looked up at the branches of the Azure Vine Tree.
As he gazed, he suddenly frowned.
He noticed one of the branches tremble slightly, a subtle movement but noticeable nonetheless.
It wasn't Hao Long causing mischief, as the dragon was still roasting the sheep some distance away.
Could this tree be becoming sentient?
The more Gu An thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.
After all, it was the sacred tree of the Qianqiu Pavilion, and it was bound to be uncanny, so it becoming sentient wasn't out of the question.
Gu An continued to stare, but the Azure Vine Tree showed no further signs of movement, as if the previous tremor had indeed been his imagination.
He probed with his divine sense but detected nothing amiss, though this action would serve as a warning to the tree, deterring it from acting out.
After staying for half a quarter of an hour, Gu An finally left.
He now had one more matter to keep an eye on. However, regarding the Azure Vine Tree becoming sentient, Gu An felt no worry but instead a hint of anticipation.
...
Time flew by, and two years passed in the blink of an eye.
Gu An's lifespan had reached nine hundred and fifty thousand years, and he felt that he would likely attain a million years of lifespan by the end of the year. This prospect filled him with excitement, and he remained spirited throughout the year.
On this particular day, Ye Lan paid a visit to Xuan Valley to meet with Gu An.
The two of them stood by the window of the pavilion, watching the busy disciples below as they chatted.
Ye Lan spoke of recent major events in the cultivation world, captivating Gu An's attention.
A new sect had emerged in the cultivation world, known as the Ephemeral Flower Sect. No one knew where this sect was located, and its cultivators had been invading various demonic sects, pillaging their techniques, spells, and treasures. This had plunged the demonic path into chaos, while the righteous sects remained unaffected.
Some speculated that the Ephemeral Flower Sect was supported by the Tai Xuan Gate, as a demonic cultivator from the sect resembled Tai Xuan Gate's Sword Sage, renowned for his leaf-slaying abilities.
Hearing this, Gu An scowled. How dare someone else try to usurp his fame?
"You've told me about so many events, but not a single one concerns the Tai Xuan Gate. It seems our sect has established an absolutely formidable reputation." Gu An said with a smile.
He was genuinely pleased, as peace within the Tai Xuan Gate was ideal. After all, he could continue to grow stronger through his gardening endeavors.
With another fifty years of cultivation, perhaps no one in the Nine Continents would be able to match his strength.
Ye Lan thought for a moment before replying, "Actually, there is one matter. A self-proclaimed 'Ghost Thief' has appeared in the cultivation world. He walks the line between righteousness and evil. In the past, he liked to rob the rich to help the poor, but as his reputation grew, he made a bold declaration six months ago. He intends to steal the Xuan Qing Tree from the Tai Xuan Gate, claiming that our sect has gathered ninety percent of the resources of the Great Qing Empire, going against the will of Heaven. He plans to take the Xuan Qing Tree and plant it at the edge of Tianze."
The Xuan Qing Tree?
Gu An's eyebrows furrowed deeply as he heard this.
This was the Seventh Rank Spirit Tree bestowed upon him by the Tai Xuan Gate, and now that it had grown, how could he let someone steal it? This Ghost Thief was truly asking for death!
Never mind, as long as his actions align with the spirit of chivalry, I won't kill him, but I must teach him a lesson to deter him from trying this again in the future.
Gu An asked curiously, "Is this Ghost Thief powerful?"
"Of course," Ye Lan rolled her eyes at Gu An. "Otherwise, how could he have offended so many people, stolen so many treasures, and still be alive today?"
That made sense. Why bother asking her when she didn't even know about the realms above the Fusion Realm?
Gu An smiled and then inquired about her recent cultivation progress, asking if she had been diligent.
Although they would inevitably part ways one day, he hoped that day would come as late as possible.
His question earned him a lecture from Ye Lan.
She shared his sentiment and hoped that he would cultivate diligently to extend his lifespan.
The two of them bickered playfully.
After a while, Ye Lan suddenly asked, "Senior Brother, do you know the current emperor?"
Gu An raised an eyebrow and asked, "Junior Sister, why do you ask?"
"The emperor has implemented the Spring Festival, which has now spread across all the states since the beginning of this year. The rituals and customs are identical to the Spring Festival you created." Ye Lan said with a solemn expression.
Gu An waved his hand dismissively. "I also heard about it from an unknown elder. Besides, it's normal for the Spring Festival to gain recognition over the years, given its auspicious meaning."
Ye Lan agreed but added, "Recently, we received instructions from above to gather more information about Emperor Li Xuandao. They have also increased the number of disciples sent to Cangzhou. It seems like the higher-ups have their eyes on the imperial throne."
"What do you mean? Does the sect want to seize the throne?"
"Not exactly. The crown prince is a disciple of our sect, and he has been the crown prince for a hundred years. Naturally, the sect wants to lend him a helping hand."
Gu An glanced towards the woods a hundred meters to the west, where Yang Ni was watering the flowers and plants. He wondered if she was eavesdropping.
The two of them chatted a while longer before Ye Lan closed the window, intending to speak with Gu An about something else. She even made a bold move, which earned her a stern rebuke from Gu An.
Ye Lan glared at him with a mix of shyness and anger before leaving.
Gu An watched her departing figure, his thoughts drifting to the North Sea Mountains.
He needed to visit the library to find some maps to prepare for his breakthrough.
I wonder what realm lies beyond the Fusion Realm? Gu An headed downstairs, intending to go to the teleportation formation, when Yang Ni suddenly blocked his path. She transmitted her voice to him, "Be careful of the crown prince. If he finds out about your connection with Li Ya, he will definitely come after you and scheme against you."
(End of Chapter)
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