Late at night, An Xin knocked on Gu An’s room door, and with a wave of his sleeve, the door opened directly.
An Xin stepped inside and closed the door behind her.
She approached Gu An’s desk, curiously looking at her master.
Gu An seldom called for her at this time alone, and she couldn’t help but be curious.
Gu An caught the disrupted cultivation aura from downstairs and spoke, “Yang Jian has left to gain experience. How about I teach you cultivation techniques myself from now on?”
An Xin was taken aback and asked, “Haven’t you always been teaching me?”
Gu An chuckled, “Previously, I only assisted you in energy absorption, but now I will truly help you become stronger.”
After hearing this, An Xin smiled brightly, “If Master is willing to teach, naturally I have no objections, as long as you don’t despise me for my lack of insight.”
“Don’t worry.”
Gu An offered reassurance, then began to talk about affairs within Medicine Valley.
The cultivation aura downstairs returned to normal and remained undisturbed throughout.
After chit-chatting for a while, Gu An let An Xin leave.
Then, he left the Third Medicine Valley, heading towards Mystic Valley.
Arriving in Mystic Valley, he stepped into the Nianchu Cave, preparing to spend the night with Tian Yao’er and her three demons.
…
In a bright and magnificent hall, rows of figures stood, forming four long lines, neat and orderly, with the two middle rows spaced wide apart to create a broad aisle.
A rainbow light flew into the hall, swiftly condensing into the form of Zhang Xianwang.
Zhang Xianwang quickly strode forward, reaching the steps, where he bowed in greeting and looked up to see a towering figure seated on a golden throne, the back of which was made of overlapping golden weapons, like an unfurled fan.
The towering figure donned a red dragon robe and a dragon crown with hanging beads, surrounded by whirling blood-colored dragon qi, as if encircled by dragons. His visage was majestic, eyes seemingly containing a sea of stars, piercing and profound.
This person was none other than the ruler of the Immortal Dynasty, the Yang Xian Emperor!
After Zhang Xianwang recounted his mission’s details, the hall erupted with discussion among the Immortal Spirits.
“This Sword Venerable Fudao dares to show no respect to us, arrogant!”
“He indeed has that right, after all, he dared to refuse the divine position offered by the Holy Court.” Enjoy more content from empire
“It seems he is one of those Ascetics who wishes to stay away from conflicts.”
“The world is complex, and one can’t simply hide whenever they wish. The Holy Court will certainly be suspicious of him.”
“Now that the Holy Minister dominates the court, we need not lift a finger; he alone can provoke Sword Venerable Fudao into action, considering that the Great Nether Saint King is his lackey.”
Once Zhang Xianwang concluded his report, the discussions in the hall turned raucous.
Ignoring the surrounding noise, Zhang Xianwang’s gaze was fixed on the Yang Xian Emperor, awaiting his judgment.
The Yang Xian Emperor slowly asked, “From what you’ve seen, is what he spoke the truth?”
Silence fell over the hall upon his words.
Hesitating for a moment, Zhang Xianwang replied, “Based on what I know of the Supreme Sect, his actions are indeed consistent with his character. He only strikes to defend against external threats to the Supreme Sect, never due to personal vendettas—at least, no one knows of any, and even the Hall of Elders seems unaware of Sword Venerable Fudao’s true identity.”
The Yang Xian Emperor listened and narrowed his eyes.
No one dared interrupt his contemplation.
After a while.
The Yang Xian Emperor spoke, “In that case, let’s not disturb him any further.”
“Yes!” Zhang Xianwang replied, relieved.
Although the actual realm of Sword Venerable Fudao was unclear, the mere fact that he could effortlessly crush the Great Cold Demon Sect meant he was at least at the Divine Immortal of Wondrous Dharma Realm. If his realm exceeded that, he would be even more dangerous to provoke.
Unable to ally, it was also needless to make an enemy.
Zhang Xianwang then added, “During this mission, I also encountered someone from Heaven Sect, who went to the Supreme Sect looking for someone. It’s likely that the reincarnation of the Great Nether Saint King is hidden within the Supreme Sect.”
“Heaven Sect? Seems like the Holy Court is in for more trouble,” commented the Yang Xian Emperor, his tone playful.
Zhang Xianwang shared this sentiment. He asked, “If trouble does break out, do we need to intervene?”
The Yang Xian Emperor snorted, “Intervene in what? With the arrogant nature of Heaven Sect and the Great Nether Saint King, they didn’t need our help in the past; naturally, we should not offer it now. They underestimated Shengtian’s benevolence. Without Shengtian, the Holy Court would only become the greatest terror in the world.”
Zhang Xianwang fell silent, reflecting on the majesty of Heaven Sect and sighed.
The other Immortal Spirits in the hall began reminiscing about the past, and regarding the fortunes of Heaven Sect and the Great Nether Saint King, they were mostly schadenfreude.
…
The autumn wind blew through the woods as the Blood Prison Great Saint lay on the ground, pondering deeply as he watched An Xin practice.
Gu An sat nearby, reading a book, occasionally shifting his position.
The Blood Prison Great Saint turned to Gu An and asked, “Master, she has been meditating for five Ancient Hours; does she have a talent that I am unable to see through?”
Back then, he could not see through Yang Jian, and now, faced with An Xin’s transformation, he began to doubt himself.
As Gu An turned the page, he responded, “There aren’t so many extraordinary geniuses in the world; I merely wanted her to achieve Path Enlightenment.”
The Blood Prison Great Saint’s eyes widened, shocked.
He had not given it much thought when Gu An asked Zuo Yijian to seek Path Enlightenment, as Zuo Yijian already had remarkable Achievement in the Sword Dao.
But An Xin was different.
She was just an inexperienced girl, lacking the demeanor and potential of a powerful being.
Could someone so ordinary really be transformed?
The Blood Prison Great Saint suddenly felt that Yang Jian’s current fate was perhaps truly shaped by his master’s defiance of the heavens.
His heart ignited with excitement; how could one not achieve greatness following such an entity?
“If Yang Jian comes back and sees An Xin surpassing him, that would be interesting.”
The Blood Prison Great Saint entertained this thought, suddenly feeling that Gu An might actually have nurtured An Xin intensively for this very reason.
Poor Yang Jian!
Nevertheless, it proved that the Blood Prison Great Saint’s choice was correct, and his mood became even more joyful.
Unbeknownst to Gu An, the Blood Prison Great Saint had conjured up so much in his mind.
While he appeared to be reading, he was actually watching over Yang Jian as he ventured to the sea.
He saw Heaven Sect tracking Yang Jian, and apart from them, no one else was watching him, which meant that the Great Nether Saint King had not yet realized Yang Jian’s identity.
This indicated that no trouble would come his way for the time being.
After a while.
Gu An’s Divine Sense traveled to Outer Heaven, where a Carefree Primordial Immortal was engaged in Combat—quite a rare sight.
The adversaries were clearly mortal enemies, striking fiercely, shaking the void.
Gu An sensed many Great Cultivators secretly watching the battle, with various Divine Senses weaving through each other, making him muse that Great Heaven and Earth was indeed full of hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
As evening approached, Gu An finally withdrew the Divine Sense that had been focused on An Xin, bringing her back to awareness.
An Xin slowly opened her eyes to find two new Cultivation Techniques in her mind!
Heaven and Earth Primordial Skill and All Things Form and Energy Art!
Though these techniques were already enhanced by Gu An, they were enough for An Xin to ponder for a lifetime.
Heaven and Earth Primordial Skill was the foundation of her cultivation, while All Things Form and Energy Art could conceal her Cultivation Level, both complementing the Primordial Reincarnation Skill.
Once she regained her composure, a look of shock flashed across her face.
“So… so profound…”
Instinctively, An Xin looked towards Gu An, her eyes filled with surprise, confusion, unease, and joy.
She cautiously asked, “Master, was it because of you last time too?”
Gu An, with a book in hand, nodded lightly, “How does it feel?”
“Good, but…”
An Xin stopped mid-sentence, hesitant to ask a lingering question, afraid of offending Gu An.
How could Master be so powerful?
Could Master be an Immortal?
Gu An calmly said, “From now on, I will teach you cultivation in private, and you mustn’t tell anyone.”
For some reason, upon hearing these words, An Xin’s heart quivered.
It sounded so familiar…
A figure from deep within her memory emerged, coincidentally overlapping with Gu An at this moment.
Could it be…
Impossible…
Wasn’t Master just a little over three hundred years old?
How could he be so formidable?
Gu An put away his book, looking at An Xin, “The identity of Supreme Sect’s Gu An is indeed my disguise. You guessed it right, I am him. From the very beginning, you’ve only had me as your master.”
With these words, An Xin immediately stood up, her eyes welling up and her body trembling uncontrollably.
“Master…”
Overwhelmed by emotions, An Xin burst into Gu An’s arms and began to sob uncontrollably.
Gu An, helpless, said, “Why are you crying? You’re making it seem like we haven’t seen each other in ages, and I haven’t mistreated you these years, have I?”
An Xin buried her head in his chest, sobbing, “I haven’t been mistreated… It’s just… I never expected that, after all these years, what I’ve wanted most is actually happening… I’m so foolish, how could there be two people in this world who are so good to me… Master, I’ve missed you so much…”
The Blood Prison Great Saint was utterly confused. Weren’t these two just master and disciple?
Why the emotional reunion?
Gu An patted An Xin’s back, “Let go of your master, you’re grown-up now. Don’t let others see this.”
An Xin released Gu An and then knelt on the ground to wipe her tears, her face radiating with a smile.
“So, Master, you tricked us. If my senior brother knew you were our Master, he would probably be devastated. Wait, does that mean you knew him because you were looking out for him back then?”
An Xin asked wide-eyed, her shift from formality to familiarity not out of disrespect, but because the master who saved her and led her on the Immortal Cultivation Path was like a father to her.
In front of her father, she had no apprehensions.
Gu An said, “You could say that. However, our relationship should stay as it appears on the surface, and don’t tell your senior brother.”
An Xin immediately nodded, her eyes still red, but now she was excited.
Suddenly, she glanced at the Blood Prison Great Saint, hesitated, and said, “Master, but he heard us…”
The Blood Prison Great Saint bristled, what do you mean, behind my back?
I am the master’s most trusted mount, even closer than you disciples!
Gu An smiled, “Don’t underestimate him. Bull Demon King, feel free to share your story with her.”
With that, the Blood Prison Great Saint stood tall, filled with pride, and began to reveal his true identity.
Ascender!
Mahayana Realm!
Just those two aspects were enough to shock An Xin; her mouth agape, and as for the long list of titles that followed, she had already tuned out.
She turned back to Gu An and asked, “Master, does that mean Yang Jian is really my junior brother? What is his Cultivation Level now?”