Gu An brought Jiang Qiong to the Third Medicine Valley, and they made their way to the dojo. Along the way, Jiang Qiong looked around curiously, intrigued by the current state of the Third Medicine Valley. Enjoy exclusive chapters from empire
Since the news about Gu An’s connection with Sword Venerable Fudao had spread, more people had been coming to the Third Medicine Valley, and the Supreme Sect had expanded it, continuously increasing the number of disciples in the valley. Now, the number of Medicine Valley disciples had surpassed four thousand.
At first glance, the Third Medicine Valley seemed like a sect.
Jiang Qiong sensed many cultivators with a stronger presence than herself, which made her even more curious about Gu An’s current status.
Gu An approached a senior disciple from behind and tapped him on the shoulder, signaling him to leave.
The senior disciple, upon seeing him, immediately felt relieved, quickly stood up to salute, then hurried away.
Gu An sat down and looked across at the Yang Xian Emperor, asking, “You’ve been here for a hundred years, aren’t you going back?”
Jiang Qiong stood next to Gu An, casting a strange look towards Yang Xian Emperor.
Could it be that the Emperor of the Immortal Dynasty was him?
Although the Yang Xian Emperor had concealed his cultivation level, the sheer grandeur he emanated was extraordinary.
Yang Xian Emperor looked at Gu An and smilingly asked, “Go back for what? Comprehending the Great Dao here is quite good.”
He had been in Third Medicine Valley for a hundred years. Initially, he was curious why Sword Venerable Fudao would choose to stay hidden in such a modest place, but gradually, he was attracted to the lifestyle here.
The disciples working, cultivating, falling in love—their every action symbolized the laws of the Great Heaven and Earth. Everything in this Medicine Valley seemed to contain some aspect of the Daoist Intent.
His feelings were not a mere illusion but were influenced by Gu An’s Tao Fruit in the surroundings.
The so-called Tao Fruit is also a pathway of Dao, representing the fruits of chasing the Dao by living beings.
Even though Gu An had concealed his cultivation level, the aura of Xuanyuan Zizai Xian still prevailed, and his Xuanyuan Tao Fruit also influenced everything around him. This was why the Medicine Valley disciples’ cultivation speed was increasing, with geniuses emerging almost every year. These geniuses might not stand out in today’s Supreme Sect but would have been famous eight hundred years ago and heavily nurtured by the sect.
Gu An was also aware of his own impact on the surroundings, unable to control it; he only opted to feign ignorance, kind of a care towards the people around.
“Now that the Xuanyou Divine Dynasty and the Sky Demon Great Sect have emerged, the threat to the Immortal Dynasty, the Holy Court, and even the whole world is not small,” Gu An stated, then glanced at Jiang Qiong.
You are normally quite talkative, why the silence now?
Jiang Qiong was skeptical and didn’t just blurt out anything, plus she never really intended to seek out the Yang Xian Emperor—she just wanted a topic to discuss with Gu An.
Yang Xian Emperor replied, “The world is in chaos, it’s normal for variables to emerge, let them be.”
He watched Gu An make his move on the board, his gaze subtly changing.
He was about to win this game, but with Gu An’s move, the situation on the board shifted. Though it wasn’t a resurrection from death, it made him sense danger.
“It seems the Immortal Dynasty is not shouldering the mission of all living beings, rather pursuing the victory of the major trends,” Gu An muttered with a slight smile.
Yang Xian Emperor perceived the implications in his words. He didn’t avoid them but rather said, “In different periods, the targets pursued will vary. Whether it’s the Immortal Dynasty or the Holy Court, when they first rose, they surely won the hearts of the people and shouldered the mission of protecting all living beings. But once you unify the world and become the lord of all, you will become the common enemy of all beings in misery.”
“There’s no power in this world that can satisfy all living beings. From my perspective, the Immortal Dynasty should pursue other things, like the legitimacy of the Great Heavenly Spirit Land.”
Gu An remembered the Immortal Dynasty’s spirits once said that the Holy Court was established by beings from Outer Heaven. For the Immortal Dynasty, no matter how well the Holy Court did, they wanted to overturn it, as it concerned the honor and disgrace of the Immortal Dynasty.
Some things are more important than peace.
After hearing this, Gu An made no comment.
Different stances naturally lead to different perspectives on matters.
Since Yang Xian Emperor was already aware of the chaos in the outside world, that was sufficient.
In Gu An’s eyes, both the Immortal Dynasty and the Holy Court were headed towards destruction.
He could see far into the future; everything has its destiny, including the current Supreme Sect he was in.
Gu An had no intention of making the Supreme Sect last forever, knowing that one day, as old friends departed, the sect would lose its significance to him.
Without the Supreme Sect, he could still flourish elsewhere. He wasn’t worried at all.
The deeper he delved into causality and fate, the fewer burdens Gu An felt.
Of course, Gu An did not resist this change in mentality. To live in this world, one should not be entangled by too many emotions and unnecessary worries.
Jiang Qiong also pondered the words of Yang Xian Emperor, curious about what he meant by the legitimacy of heaven and earth.
Gu An didn’t linger; the current game couldn’t be saved—his moves were just for play.
He stood up and took Jiang Qiong to leave.
Yang Xian Emperor watched the few ingenious moves made by Gu An, contemplative.
A breeze swept into the Medicine Valley, lifting leaves that swirled towards the sky.
Spring had departed and summer arrived, warming the lands of Great Heaven and Earth.
On this day, Gu An rode the Blood Prison Great Saint, bringing An Xin to Immortal Seeking Island.
The Island Master, Xun Hanfeng, personally greeted him, and soon, Hu Xiaojian arrived too.
With Gu An’s support, Hu Xiaojian, now a cultivator of the Void Crossing Realm, despite years having passed and their relationship deepening, struggled to hide his excitement and joy in front of Gu An, making it difficult for Gu An to discern if it was an act.
Gu An asked Hu Xiaojian to take An Xin and the Blood Prison Great Saint for a stroll, while he discussed matters privately with Xun Hanfeng.
With them gone, Xun Hanfeng finally said, “Master, demon cultivators from the Sky Demon Great Sect have been infiltrating Immortal Seeking Island frequently lately, I sense trouble brewing.”
Only places like the Taicang Continent, protected by mighty beings, were relatively safe; Immortal Seeking Island, despite its strong foundations, inevitably attracted covetous eyes.
Gu An had foreseen a tribulation awaiting Immortal Seeking Island, which was why he had chosen to come.
“Do not worry, just manage the island calmly, no one will disturb Immortal Seeking Island,” Gu An, holding his teacup, replied softly while blowing on the steam.
Hearing this, Xun Hanfeng smiled; he was a disciple of Mortal World Peak, arranged by Gu An to oversee Immortal Seeking Island, and treated well by Gu An. The benefits he reaped each year were not small, and now he truly valued Immortal Seeking Island, not wanting mishaps to befall it.
Shortly after, Xun Hanfeng brought up various other issues, mostly regarding internal disputes or power struggles on the island.
Gu An spent most of the time listening, and when Xun Hanfeng asked for advice, he did not hold back his opinions.
When Xun Hanfeng finished, Gu An gestured for him to leave.
After Xun Hanfeng departed, Gu An remained seated, looking out toward the blue sky, his gaze reaching beyond the heavens and earth.
He was looking at an old friend!
…
Tattered clouds hung like torn fabric across the sky, and figures exuding Demonic Qi hovered in midair. Among them, one with the most intense Demonic Qi had a giant red fireball and deep red chains wriggling like snakes behind him.
Their eyes were all fixated on a ruined and solitary island below, where trees were toppled and the ground upheaved, creating a pockmarked landscape.
Dressed in black, Li Ya stood atop a pile of rubble, with a sword in his right hand and Divine Exotic City in his left, while Divine Exotic Immortal Spirit perched on his shoulder.
“Zhao Xuehe, is that all the capacity you have? Capturing me won’t be that easy,” Li Ya taunted loudly, a cold expression between his brows.
Zhao Xuehe stood in front of the red fireball, toying with the chains around him, an indifferent expression on his face, as he looked down at Li Ya, “Li Ya, how long can you last relying on the power of Divine Exotic City? Join the Sky Demon Great Sect. Holy Court is not for you. You must sense the weariness of Holy Court; without Shengtian, the chaos in Holy Court holds no merit for nurturing you.”
Li Ya frowned slightly upon hearing this.
He had been in the holy position within Holy Court for many years but had not reaped significant benefits. Recently, the Qi Fortune of his position was extracted, making his cultivation unstable; he had no choice but to venture out, partly to clear his mind.
As Zhao Xuehe raised his right hand towards the sky, he said, “The Sect Hierarch of Sky Demon Great Sect has yet to arrive here. When he does, he will transform this realm. There’s not much time left for you. If you don’t leave Holy Court soon, you’ll perish along with it.”
Li Ya, frustrated, retorted, “So? Is living a lowly life really better than death?”
At this, a fierce light flashed in Zhao Xuehe’s eyes.
Li Ya said no more and tossed Divine Exotic City upwards. Quickly enlarging, it enveloped the whole island, emitting black mist from which divine souls and peculiar ghosts emerged, even revealing a colossal figure wielding an axe, instantly suppressing the momentum of the Sky Demon Great Sect’s side.
Divine Exotic Immortal Spirit stood on Li Ya’s shoulder, howling as if taunting the enemy.
Zhao Xuehe huffed coldly, placing his right hand to his mouth, beginning to chant a spell.
As he chanted, his own mana surged out, entering the red fireball behind him, which spouted explosions of intense flames and weird black spots wriggling on its surface.
Just as the ghostly army burst forth from Divine Exotic City, the red fireball suddenly opened a chilling eye, freezing the whole realm as everything came to a standstill.
…
While sipping tea, Gu An observed that the Sky Demon Great Sect indeed possessed something powerful, utilizing the power of the Silent Destruction Domain.
He secretly passed mana to Divine Exotic Immortal Spirit, the stronger it became, the stronger Divine Exotic City would be, leading both parties into a stalemate.
He had noticed some mighty beings stirring within the Silent Destruction Domain, eyeing the Great Heavenly Spirit Land.
These entities only dared to peer and feared to step into Great Heaven and Earth; this disappointed Gu An.
The Sky Demon Great Sect borrowed the power of the Silent Destruction Domain, while Xuanyou Divine Dynasty tapped into the power of the Reincarnation Vortex.
Both forces still tested the waters, uncertain whether they feared him or Shengtian.
Gu An indeed looked forward to their descent; if they provoked him, it would be the perfect time to harvest life spans.
Time swiftly passed.
After battling for two ancient hours, Li Ya had escaped the encirclement, barely surviving this tribulation.
However, Gu An foresaw that Li Ya would be entangled in vendettas for many years to come.
“Senior Brother Li, the next millennium won’t be easy for you,” Gu An murmured to himself, then stood up and walked outside the hall.
