Chapter 592: Chapter 585: The World’s Number One
Sage Su really didn’t want to look at the young lady Xiao Lan’s posture, her eyes fixed on the great river ahead, her brows slightly furrowed.
She sensed a faint trace of demon qi, enigmatic even to her realm of existence, the opponent’s cultivation level was likely higher than hers.
Xiao Lan had clung to Gu An for quite some time before she finally, reluctantly, came to Sage Su’s side, asking with curiosity, “Master, since just now, you have been furrowing your brows. What are you looking at?”
Sage Su turned her head to look at her, thinking, have you finally remembered your teacher?
“There seems to be a Great Demon hidden in the river ahead, and I’m hesitating whether to change our course,” Sage Su replied softly.
Xiao Lan’s eyes immediately lit up and she said, “What kind of Great Demon? Compared to the Endless Flood Dragon we encountered before, which one is stronger?”
…
“This demon is probably stronger than your teacher.”
Sage Su shook her head, unafraid to show weakness in front of her disciple.
Hearing this, Xiao Lan subconsciously looked at Gu An, then turned back to Sage Su and frowned, “Then we should change routes.”
Sage Su felt both relieved and helpless.
Relieved because Xiao Lan wasn’t so reckless, but helpless because the girl considered everything with Gu An as the primary factor.
Gu An’s gaze drifted to the distant Great Demon. Downstream in the great river was a vast lake that resembled a boundless ocean, where a demon and a Great Cultivator were engaged in combat, vying for the Battle Court’s legacy treasures.
That Great Cultivator was adept in the Qi Concealment Technique, not revealing the slightest trace of his aura, making the battle not earth-shatteringly noticeable.
The Great Demon was likewise afraid of the treasure’s qi leaking out, endeavoring to contain its demon qi, but still leaking quite a bit.
Watching their combat, Gu An also got some ideas.
What kind of Dao Treasure should he refine for Xiao Lan?
…
When autumn came, the Third Medicine Valley gradually took on a withered yellow hue.
Under an ancient tree, Long Teng sat in meditation, his robe fluttered slightly, with jin qi swirling around him like various strands of dragon qi.
Long Qing approached him with someone in tow, none other than the Emperor of the Tai Cang Dynasty, Li Xuandao.
Dressed in a golden robe and topped with a Dragon Crown, Li Xuandao’s imperial presence was unmistakable, drawing frequent glances from Medicine Valley Disciples along the way.
Ever since his Nirvana, Li Xuandao had truly displayed his dominance. Reigning for twenty thousand years, he had become the god in the hearts of Tai Cang Imperial Dynasty’s people.
He and Long Qing were the two most powerful individuals in the Tai Cang Continent. Many feared that a rift between them would lead to chaos, yet their relationship had always been amiable. This cordiality allowed the Supreme Sect and Tai Cang Imperial Dynasty to interact harmoniously, resolving any conflicts by discussion.
Li Xuandao’s eyes shone the moment he saw Long Teng.
He had always harbored a bold hunch. The enigmatic Outer Heaven Power had previously sought Long Qing, and the emergence of the Dragon Battle Dharma Aspect had strengthened his conviction.
He thought Long Teng bore a resemblance to Gu An the first time he saw him.
His features had a sharper edge than Gu An’s, but their facial structures were highly similar.
Upon reaching Long Teng, Long Qing spoke, “Teng’er, this is His Majesty of the Tai Cang Imperial Dynasty, an old friend of my master. Pay your respects quickly.”
Hearing this, Long Teng immediately stood up to salute Li Xuandao.
Li Xuandao smiled, saying, “Seeing you reminds me of the first time I met Yang Jian.”
Yang Jian!
Long Teng had, of course, heard the name. He was a legend of the Supreme Sect, a senior brother to his father, who had made great contributions to the Tai Cang Imperial Dynasty. He was currently the strongest in the dynasty.
Before the Ancestor made his presence known, he had admired Yang Jian the most.
In the Tai Cang Continent, anyone over the age of six knew Yang Jian’s tales, which had spread Journey to the West far and wide, turning it into an enduring classic. It had been canonized by the dynasty, despite some content being subversive.
“Follow me from now on. I will not treat you poorly. I’ll enable you to become another Yang Jian, or even surpass him,” said Li Xuandao, filled with boundless aspiration.
After hearing this, Long Teng did not respond right away but looked towards Long Qing.
Long Qing nodded, saying, “I do not wish the Long Family to be too closely tied to the Supreme Sect. Following His Majesty to establish some achievements is quite good. Once you get established, the Long Family will move out.”
Long Teng had long been aware of the Long Clan’s destiny, so he had no doubts. He gave Li Xuandao a fistful salute in acceptance, which pleased Li Xuandao even more. Pulling him to sit down, they reminisced about the old times.
Upon hearing Li Xuandao mention his Ancestor Gu An, Long Teng became interested.
Now, what he was most curious about and aspired to know was what kind of person Ancestor Gu An really was.
Li Xuandao started from his first encounter with Gu An, and learning that the Ancestor had once posed as a Menial Disciple made Long Teng even more intrigued.
When Long Teng found out that historical texts like “The Investiture of the Gods” and “Journey to the West,” and writings by the Supreme Immortal Venerable were all authored by his Ancestor, his eyes widened. No wonder these texts were must-reads for disciples and even studied as history.
Now he believed it.
Perhaps it was truly trials his Ancestor lived through.
Long Qing watched Long Teng’s expressions and smiled.
Even though he planned to sever the Long Clan’s ties with the Supreme Sect, he didn’t wish his descendants to drift apart from the Primordial Ancestor.
Without the Primordial Ancestor, there would be no Long Family. This was something that must not be forgotten.
An hour swiftly passed.
Li Xuandao, props himself up on his knees, laughs, and says, “I intend for you to train at the Dao Court for some time. Upon your return, I will declare you Great General. What follows will be an era unlike any before, as we intend to sweep across all Imperial Dynasties and establish a unified Imperial Dynasty, creating merits for the common people. I need you for this. It will be a long and arduous task. You will face countless battles.”
Hearing this, Long Teng’s eyes immediately burn with passion, even his breathing becomes rapid.
“Is the Dao Court really that impressive?” Long Teng asks curiously.
“In today’s world, it is considered a top-tier Dao Court. Of course, if your Ancestor were still with the Supreme Sect, the Dao Court wouldn’t even be worthy of carrying his shoes. I’ve arranged everything, and upon your arrival, you just need to cultivate. I’ll have someone accompany you to handle everything.”
“Thank you, Your Majesty!”
Long Teng responds excitedly, his favor toward Li Xuandao growing significantly.
For Long Qing, this is the first time he truly senses Li Xuandao’s charismatic personality. No wonder Brother Yang Jian has willingly served him for so many years.
Serving the imperial power is well and good, it meant that, however strong the Long Family became, there would always be someone above them.
That’s what Long Qing thought as he looked at Li Xuandao and Long Teng.
He started to look forward to Long Teng’s performance in the years to come.
…
Eighty years had passed since Xiao Lan left Xiao Manor. Sage Su finally prepared to return to the Dao Court, and before leaving, Xiao Lan wanted to visit Xiao Manor one last time. Sage Su agreed.
This time, Sage Su didn’t travel on foot; she directly cast a spell, taking Xiao Lan and Gu An with her, and within half an hour, they were back at Xiao Manor.
The trio stayed for two days before departing. Before leaving, Xiao Lan left behind plenty of cultivation resources for Xiao Manor to soar. Many of these resources came from Sage Su herself.
Sage Su understood Xiao Lan’s intentions very well—it was normal for the entire household to ascend to heaven when one person achieved Immortal Cultivation.
She also wanted Xiao Lan to cultivate without any concerns.
The three of them took to the clouds and headed for the Dao Court.
As they neared the Dao Court, Sage Su turned to look at Xiao Lan wanting to say something, but seeing Xiao Lan holding tightly to Gu An’s arm, she swallowed her words.
Never mind!
It wasn’t like the girl was neglecting her cultivation.
Once her feelings for Gu An faded, everything would return to normal.
Gu An was also full of interest in the Dao Court as many old acquaintances had joined its ranks.
In the previous crisis from Outer Heaven, the Dao Court had demonstrated the responsibility and ambition befitting the world’s number one Sect. Their reputation soared after that battle, and more and more sects believed the Dao Court to be worthy of leading them, trustworthy to hold the position of Alliance Hierarch.
The Dao Court was not stingy either. They did not require other sects to submit but simply to form an alliance. For each ally, they provided opportunities to cultivate Daoist Techniques. As disciples from other sects returned from training, the Dao Court’s reputation continued to grow.
Xiao Lan, too, eagerly anticipated the Dao Court. She said she wanted Gu An to stay in her Cave Mansion. According to Sage Su, with her talent, she was entitled to a high level of treatment, and her Cave Mansion was rich with Spiritual Energy.
Facing her anticipation, Gu An agreed, causing Sage Su to shake her head but say no more.
Before long, the magnificent sight of the Dao Court appeared before them.
The Dao Court occupied an entire continent, and above that continent, a layer of cloud seas had formed. On these cloud seas were built dojos and cities, with the higher the Cultivation Level, the higher the residence. Even before setting foot on the continent, one could feel its magnificent Destiny, something neither the former Immortal Dynasty nor Holy Court could compare with.
Gu An detected the presence of the Saint Minister and other high-ranking officials of the Holy Court. The Dao Court’s swift growth had much to do with the contributions of former members of the Holy Court and Immortal Dynasty.
Precisely speaking, the Dao Court was an amalgamation of the former overlords of the Great Thousand World before its reconstruction, with a complex interweaving of factions. This was why the Dao Court did not annex other sects but chose to form alliances. Their essence, too, was an alliance of sects.