“Master, what are you looking at?”
An Xin curiously asked as she too looked up, but there was nothing in the sky.
She would not believe that Gu An was just looking at nothing; he must have seen something. Continue your saga on empire
Gu An withdrew his gaze and said with a light smile, “Another formidable fellow has descended to the Mortal World.”
“How formidable?”
“So formidable that not even the heavens can stop him.”
Listening to his words, An Xin contemplated in silence.
Gu An then looked at An Shengtian. Perhaps it was because there were too many peerless talents around him that An Shengtian’s talent seemed mediocre in his eyes.
However, it didn’t matter. Gu An had taken him in merely wanting to give him a hand, not expecting anything in return.
The younger generations had their own lives to live, he was there to provide help, where they chose to go was not his concern.
Gu An shifted his attention and walked towards the valley, An Xin hurriedly followed.
Jiang Shi turned his head, feeling anxious.
He knew that Gu An was the Sword Venerable Fudao, who had a disciple that was a legend of the Supreme Sect.
It was clear that An Shengtian was far behind An Hao, and Jiang Shi, having heard of An Hao’s deeds, knew how astonishing An Hao’s speed was.
An Hao had that incredible speed because Gu An had personally guided him, which was not a treatment An Shengtian received.
Gu An had watched An Shengtian practice many times, merely observing, which made Jiang Shi anxious.
Without solid fundamentals, the gap with those peerless talents would only grow wider.
“Master, how is my knife technique?”
An Shengtian suddenly turned his head and asked Jiang Shi, his voice excited.
Jiang Shi answered in a perfunctory manner, “You still need to practice more.”
Having said that, he left with a sweep of his sleeve.
An Shengtian was puzzled, why did it seem like his master was in a bad mood?
On the other hand, Gu An took An Xin to Mortal World Peak, where he taught her cultivation.
Gu An spared no effort in nurturing An Xin; she was, after all, his treasured disciple.
He truly planned to train An Xin to surpass An Hao and Yang Jian.
At present, An Xin’s talent was indeed far from those two, but Gu An had resources and could impart teachings, so there was hope to bridge the gap in talent.
An Hao and Yang Jian did not have the guidance of the Taoist Hidden Immortal!
Two ancient hours later.
Gu An was walking down the mountain trail while An Xin stayed on the peak.
As Mortal World Peak changed its criteria for accepting disciples, there were now many below the Nirvana Realm.
Along the way, Gu An encountered disciples greeting him, and he would nod his head with a smile, unlike the ever-changing Supreme Sect, Dingtian Peak hadn’t changed much. Even the flora along the path had stayed largely the same for many years.
After a long time.
Gu An reached the base of Dingtian Peak, where there were more and more disciples, and the noise grew louder.
Here, no disciples recognized Gu An, so no one greeted him.
Gu An made his way to a Medicine Garden. He turned his head and saw a woman sprinkling Spirit Water in the garden.
It was Zhu Xi with the Tai Chu Swallowing Yuan Body!
Recently, Zhu Xi faced a predicament, having offended a disciple of Dingtian Peak, and had been suppressed here for nearly ten years.
In those ten years, Zhu Xi had been very obedient, gradually making the disciple forget about her.
While sprinkling water, Zhu Xi sensed something and looked up, then saw Gu An watching her.
She pretended to be flustered and timidly asked, “Senior, can I help you with anything?”
Such an act!
This individual seemed to be at the Nascent Soul Stage Fifth Level, but in reality, she had once consumed the Spiritual Power of a Unification Realm cultivator, even destroying their soul.
The strength of the Tai Chu Swallowing Yuan Body far exceeded all the physiques of the current age, not even An Hao or Yang Jian could match her.
Zhu Xi’s strength could not be measured by the surface realm, in a sense, she and Gu An were alike; she could consume Spiritual Power and Mana, while Gu An could take Life Span.
“It’s nothing, I just happened to pass by. Why are you the only one in this Medicine Garden?” Gu An asked with a chuckle, his demeanor gentle, easing Zhu Xi’s nervousness.
Zhu Xi replied, “The garden owner has gone to visit a Daoist Friend and I don’t know when he’ll return. Once he’s back, I can leave.”
Gu An beckoned Zhu Xi to come over.
After hesitating for a moment, Zhu Xi still stepped out of the Medicine Garden and approached Gu An, stopping about five steps away, she asked anxiously, “Senior, is there something specific you need me to do?”
Gu An raised his right hand, pinched his fingers, and five secret books appeared in his hands, fanning out to reveal their titles.
“Meeting by chance is fate; you caught my eye, pick one.”
Gu An had calculated that if things continued this way, Zhu Xi would inevitably take a path hostile to Mortal World Peak. After all, he was the Peak Master of Dingtian Peak, and should do something for Mortal World Peak. Besides, he was very much looking forward to Zhu Xi’s future.
Zhu Xi glanced at them, a strange look on her face.
Heaven and Earth Primordial Skill, Stepping Path of Ages Step, Daoist Gang Primal Energy, Primordial Reincarnation Skill, Universe in the Palm!
They all seemed impressive but unreliable!
Since when were peerless secret books inscribed on paper? Immortal Cultivation Sects used Jade Scrolls, read by Divine Sense.
Gu An was not in a hurry, leaving the choice to her.
If she did not fancy any, then so be it.
Gu An didn’t have to resort to this method to resolve potential resentment. If Zhu Xi dared to cause trouble in Dingtian Peak, he could suppress her with a flip of his hand.
Could the Tai Chu Swallowing Yuan Body consume the immense mana of a Great Cultivator who cultivates the Mixed Yuan Refining Void Physique?
Zhu Xi, though skeptical, had a second thought – choosing a book wouldn’t be a loss, and what if the person became furious if she declined?
Having cultivated for many years, Zhu Xi had encountered various troubles and had experience in dealing with them.
She pulled a secret book and then bowed in thanks to Gu An.
Stepping Path of Ages Step!
Gu An gazed deeply at her for a moment, then smiled, turned, and left.
Zhu Xi didn’t expect him to just walk away. She watched as Gu An’s figure vanished around the bend of the mountain path before returning to the garden.
She didn’t continue sprinkling water but sat down at the wooden table to read the Stepping Path of Ages Step.
Before long, her expression grew solemn, her hands clutching the secret book even trembled.
“This Divine Skill…”
Zhu Xi looked up, no longer sensing Gu An’s presence.
But she remembered Gu An’s face, her heart full of complex emotions.
After reading the secret book, she confirmed the Divine Skill was authentic and extremely powerful, and that he had not deceived her, which made her wildly speculate.
Why had he taken a liking to her?
It certainly wasn’t because she was easy on the eyes.
Could he have seen through to her physique?
Zhu Xi might not understand the origin of her physique, but she knew that once news of it spread, she would become everyone’s enemy.
No!
She must leave Mortal World Peak!
This thought cemented in Zhu Xi’s mind with resolve.
…
Days later.
Third Medicine Valley, inside an attic.
Gu An was chatting with Shen Zhen, his Divine Sense locked onto Zhu Xi.
He hadn’t anticipated his well-intentioned action would scare Zhu Xi away, which made him even more curious about her.
She was too cautious, eerily reminiscent of his own self!
He wasn’t upset; on the contrary, he looked forward to Zhu Xi’s future even more, considering her disposition made her more likely to survive.
“I dream less frequently now, do you think I’ve lost my talent?” Shen Zhen said, worried.
Her consciousness had dwelled in dreams while Demon Shore possessed her body, so she was utterly unaware of its existence, let alone its death.
Gu An laughed, “The way you used to dream was already extraordinary – akin to Path Enlightenment. You can’t be expecting that to happen all the time. What you should do now is reflect on your past insights, consolidate your Daoist Heart. Sooner or later, there’ll be a next time. Do you know of Wu Jue?”
He began telling her about Wu Jue’s experiences with Path Enlightenment, omitting the part about life span limits, but Wu Jue indeed had multiple bouts of enlightenment.
Shen Zhen had not expected Wu Jue to have such a background, which explained his sudden rise.
“Eh? Now that I think about it, why does everyone associated with you seem to encounter all sorts of fortunes?” Shen Zhen suddenly asked.
Gu An raised an eyebrow, “Could it be my doing? Shouldn’t you be kneeling and thanking me?”
Shen Zhen rolled her eyes in response, “How could that be? You wish. I just think it’s a bit coincidental, maybe there’s something common among us – perhaps it’s Qi Fortune. There was a Great Cultivator who came to the Supreme Sect to teach, I listened to his lecture about Qi Fortune…”
Gu An had not attended the lecture because the speaker was just a Loose Immortal.
Now, hearing Shen Zhen, he listened attentively.
A person with Great Fortune of Energy Movement would always turn danger into safety and break through limits, and they also seemed to attract each other.
Given this explanation, it indeed seemed reasonable to attribute it to Qi Fortune.
After chatting with Gu An, Shen Zhen’s worries dissipated. She felt that Gu An was right. There was no need for overthinking; the gains she had already made were plenty.
As long as she maintained equanimity, she would eventually find enlightenment through music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.
“I am a Mortal World Immortal. All beings speak my name with devout faith and shall receive the protection of my Divine Power!”
A loud and authoritative voice rang out, startling the entire world and interrupting Shen Zhen’s speech.
Shen Zhen, struck with astonishment, said, “I coined the name ‘Mortal World Immortal’ when I was writing and even came up with a scenario. After I drew it, the picture somehow disappeared.”
Gu An immediately knew it had been destroyed by Demon Shore, fearing it would alarm the Mortal World Immortal.
This Mortal World Immortal was also of the Ninth Level in the Free Immortal Realm!
He lacked the Qi Fortune of the Holy Court but was entangled in intricate karma with it. His arrival was likely at the Holy Court’s behest.
“Should I redraw it for you?” Shen Zhen offered, standing to grab pen and paper.
“Wait, with him now descended to the Mortal World, you dare to draw? Aren’t you afraid he might suddenly appear before us right now?”
Gu An glared at her, irritated.
Shen Zhen realized the logic and opted to sit back down.
“He claims divinity; could he be an actual Immortal?” Shen Zhen asked, curious.
Before the conflict between the Immortal Dynasty and the Holy Court, people thought they were Immortals. But as the world plunged into chaos, the fantasy shattered, and they came to be seen simply as powerful forces.
Gu An shook his head, “How would I know?”
Shen Zhen’s eyes widened, “But you wrote ‘Investiture of the Gods,’ ‘Journey to the West,’ ‘Romance of the Three Kingdoms’ – surely in dreams, an Immortal graced you. You must know more than I do.”
She was convinced those three books weren’t fabrications; they must represent some part of immortal history.
Not just her, many people believed the same, which is why Pan An was still remembered.