After hearing the master’s instructions, Yang Jian calmed his mind and carefully sensed the surroundings. His steps didn’t stop as he followed the Blood Prison Great Saint.
Li Lingtian followed behind, secretly curious. He frequently looked back at the thunder clouds in the sky, but he couldn’t feel anything, which made him very frustrated.
Could it be that he didn’t even have as much insight as Yang Jian?
The speed at which the thunder clouds swept across the sky was fast. Before Gu An and the others reached Tianya Valley, the thunder clouds had already swept over their heads, with torrential rain about to pour down.
Yang Jian looked up at Gu An and said, “Master, I feel the breath of destruction; everything in heaven and earth might be annihilated.”
These words made Li Lingtian’s expression strange.
Is it really that mystical?
He suddenly thought that Gu An was not simple, profound and unfathomable. Could Gu An be hiding even greater secrets?
Was it because the emperor and the crown prince knew something that they favored Senior Brother Gu?
Li Lingtian pondered.
Gu An didn’t continue the conversation but patted the Blood Prison Great Saint’s ox back, urging him to sprint.
“Let’s see who gets to Tianya Valley first.”
Gu An left these words, and the Blood Prison Great Saint leapt forward, with the ox hooves creating wind, moving majestically, quickly rushing out of the forest.
Yang Jian and Li Lingtian hurried to catch up.
At the mention of a competition, Li Lingtian got excited, but to his dismay, he found himself indeed the slowest!
Yang Jian was one thing, but what was the background of this uncouth ox-head, and why was it so fast?
…
Inside Tianya Valley, Gu An dismounted from the Blood Prison Great Saint’s back and led Yang Jian towards the cluster of pavilions.
Li Lingtian didn’t follow; his gaze was fixed on the Blood Prison Great Saint, his eyes bloodshot.
The Blood Prison Great Saint raised his ox-head, glanced at him disdainfully, and spat out a word that nearly drove him mad.
“Trash!”
Li Lingtian was livid, watching the Blood Prison Great Saint’s back, wanting to curse back, but the words were stuck in his throat and wouldn’t come out.
He suddenly started doubting his life.
Was he really trash?
Sure, he was stronger than many, surpassing disciples of Medicine Valley and the royal palace, but in the grand scheme of the world, how big were those places?
He remembered Gu An’s words: “There is always someone better out there.”
The more Li Lingtian thought about it, the more bewildered he became, standing dazedly in place.
This time, Gu An brought Yang Jian because Li Xuandao wanted to meet him.
He wasn’t afraid of Li Xuandao scheming, having gotten to know him over the years. He respected Li Xuandao’s character, and since they were like-minded individuals, they always believed themselves to be the strongest.
When Li Xuandao saw Yang Jian, he was amazed by his talent and growing fond of him.
He was very enthusiastic in his questioning, showing extreme concern, which Gu An thought surpassed his previous treatment of himself.
When Li Lingtian entered the courtyard and saw this scene, he felt even worse.
After chatting for over an ancient hour, Li Xuandao decided to give Yang Jian a gift, asking what he wanted.
Yang Jian instinctively looked at Gu An, which intrigued Li Xuandao.
What had Gu An done to enamor Yang Jian like this?
He had always believed that someone more formidable was behind Gu An, and that Gu An was just a guise.
He had suspected Gu An of hiding his strength, but having known him since the age of fifteen, nothing could have been faked.
Knowing Li Xuandao’s identity, Yang Jian said, “I would like a weapon I can wield comfortably, heavier but not too large.”
Li Xuandao laughed, “Are you serious, Yang Jian?”
Yang Jian, showing an embarrassed look for the first time, nodded in agreement.
Li Xuandao immediately agreed, promising to give him a satisfactory weapon within three years.
In the end, Li Xuandao didn’t extend any invitations or try to recruit Yang Jian.
Gu An, who had earlier considered recruiting Yang Jian for the military, realized he had been overthinking.
As Gu An prepared to leave, Li Xuandao instructed Li Lingtian to continue following him.
Gu An didn’t refuse, thinking that in the Third Medicine Valley with so many people, one more mouth wouldn’t matter. Li Xuandao likely didn’t expect him to guide Li Lingtian in anything specific.
…
Cranes flew across the sky in rows, and the sea breeze blew into the Immortal Seeking Island.
Gu An walked through the streets with Yang Jian, and Hu Xiaojian led them beside Gu An.
Today marked Gu An’s first time bringing Yang Jian to Immortal Seeking Island, where Yang Jian looked around in amazement, finding everything novel.
He was curious about how far this island was from the Supreme Sect.
Gu An instructed Hu Xiaojian to introduce Immortal Seeking Island to Yang Jian. Hu Xiaojian enthusiastically complied, leaving a good impression on Yang Jian.
The more Yang Jian learned about Immortal Seeking Island, the more astonished he became.
Compared to the Supreme Sect, Immortal Seeking Island seemed like a place of true immortals, with so many immortals coming and going frequently.
As Hu Xiaojian introduced the island, he also guided Gu An to purchase high-rank medicinal herb seeds.
Two ancient hours later, Gu An brought them to Sage Tang Hai’s residence.
Over the years, Hu Xiaojian had become one of Gu An’s people. During Gu An’s absences, Sage Tang Hai had taken good care of him, so he was familiar with the residence.
Today, many immortal path cultivators were in the residence, with more than ten loose immortals and over forty in the Nirvana Realm.
These cultivators were Sage Tang Hai’s friends, who were all familiar with Gu An. Not only was Gu An a loose immortal, but his wealth was also astonishing. When discussing medicinal herb transactions on Immortal Seeking Island, Meng Lang’s name often came up, making many speculate he had a powerful force behind him. Otherwise, why would he need such a vast amount of medicinal herbs?
The great cultivators were very enthusiastic toward Gu An’s disciple, offering various meeting gifts.
Gu An had Yang Jian accept them all, as he was equally generous when these cultivators brought their disciples to visit, reciprocating the gesture.
Soon, the three of them sat down at their own table.
Hu Xiaojian whispered, “The Sea Breaking Rift has brought calamity; it is said that a peerless evil demon is hidden within. Countless cultivators have perished in the seabed, and its true identity remains unknown.”
Gu An asked, “Have the great sects taken any action?”
He could see the situation at the Sea Breaking Rift, where many cultivators and demons were heading right now.
The Sea Breaking Rift, known as the sign of the World-Destroying Sea Tide, is also believed by many to hold opportunities since heaven and earth had been submerged by the ocean numerous times. Each time, an era’s immortal cultivation civilization sank to the seabed.
“Yes, there’s action from the Star Sea Congregations and other great sects, but there’s been no success. Instead, more people are dying…” Hu Xiaojian continued.
Yang Jian sat on the side, listening attentively.
After chatting for a while, Hu Xiaojian began discussing the sea’s happenings.
To Yang Jian’s surprise, he heard a familiar name from his mouth.
An Hao!
Having cultivated the Flame Primordial Treasure Body, An Hao’s reputation soared, with everyone in awe of his incredible talent.
Yang Jian had heard that An Hao had gone to the Star Sea Congregations to cultivate; he didn’t expect him to become so renowned at sea.
As a servant disciple of the Third Medicine Valley, Yang Jian knew little about An Hao, only that he was the strongest talent in the Supreme Sect’s history and the Sect Leader’s disciple.
To Yang Jian, An Hao was always a legendary figure.
He wondered what An Hao’s elegance was like.
Yang Jian suddenly felt curious; could it be that his master knew An Hao?
An Hao was so powerful; it didn’t seem like someone the Supreme Sect could cultivate.
He had researched the Supreme Sect, and before Sword Venerable Fudao’s rise, there wasn’t even one Mystic Heart Realm member.
There were rumors about An Hao being Sword Venerable Fudao’s disciple, but they were mostly speculations. Such rumors weren’t uncommon; the immortal cultivation world was full of those suspected to be the sword venerable’s disciples.
If An Hao was indeed his unseen senior brother, he would be convinced because An Hao was the most brilliant talent he had heard of.
The master must be extremely fond of the senior brother!
Yang Jian thought silently as he looked at Gu An .
Although he had been transformed now, deep down, he still harbored an inferiority complex. He wasn’t born a genius; his talent was crafted by his master changing his fate against heaven, so he always feared that everything he had could disappear.
His mentality was quite similar to Tian Yao’er.
Noticing Yang Jian’s gaze, Gu An didn’t respond.
After a while, Sage Tang Hai appeared, greeted everyone, and began explaining the purpose of the gathering.
It concerned the Sea Breaking Rift!
Upon hearing these five words, the cultivators began discussing fervently.
Sage Tang Hai scanned the room and said in a low voice, “I received information that at the bottom of the Sea Breaking Rift lies a hidden world, dangerous yet containing the cave of an ancient immortal king. In the Deep Sea Spirit Palace, someone obtained the immortal king’s true blood, transforming their body and comprehending divine skills, and it was by these skills they fought their way out.”
The cultivators couldn’t help but be moved.
No one knew the realm of an immortal king, but throughout history, they were always the zenith of the immortal path, with only the greatest of each era qualifying to become immortal kings.
Such an opportunity, how could they not be tempted?
The higher the cultivation, the more one needed such opportunities. The loose immortals present may be high and mighty on Immortal Seeking Island, but when it came to higher realms, they had no direction. Not just breaking major realms, even breaking a minor realm depended on fortune and opportunity.
“I plan to explore it, and those willing to join may sign up. I will share the information when we depart. This is extremely dangerous, and I can’t guarantee safety. Think it over carefully; there is no obligation based on our relationships.” Sage Tang Hai spoke sincerely.
Over the years, besides holding auctions, he had occasionally organized such expeditions. Though not always successful, there were no bad rumors about him, and his character was trustworthy.
The cultivators began discussing among themselves.
Sage Tang Hai did not specifically invite Gu An, as every attendee was personally invited. Once inside, Gu An wasn’t particularly significant; in fact, everyone was equally important.
Ultimately, Gu An didn’t sign up, while a third of the attendees did, while more chose to avoid the risks due to their long life spans.
After the gathering concluded, Gu An led Yang Jian back.
Returning to the Third Medicine Valley, Yang Jian still felt like it was a dream.
This journey had been too surreal, broadening his horizons. This world was vast, and the Supreme Sect was just a drop in the ocean.
Gu An began to patrol the Medicine Valley, picking the matured herbs.
He wondered if he could accumulate one hundred million years of life span before the calamity struck.
From his current perspective, the Sea Breaking Rift wasn’t enough to shake the Great Heavenly Spirit Land, which harbored many terrifying forces.