Over the vast ocean, Shenhun True Lord sat cross-legged on a massive gourd, his arms folded across his chest. The sea breeze stirred his long hair, yet his brows remained tightly furrowed.
The more he thought, the angrier and more restless he became.
This battle had severely undermined the prestige of the sacred lands. How could he not be furious? Yet, he couldn't easily discern The Sword Master of the Dao's true attitude toward the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
So far, The Sword Master of the Dao seemed to harbor no overt hostility toward them. The previous incident where Lin Jingxian died was clearly due to Lin approaching of his own volition. Ji Xuanling had also gone to Tai Xuan Sect without issue.
This time was no different. The Sword Master had only forced Shenhun True Lord to retreat without delivering a killing blow.
The uncertainty gnawed at Shenhun True Lord. Was the Sword Master wary of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm, or was there simply no intention to kill?
In truth, Shenhun True Lord had been aware of the Fierce Demon's breakthrough toward Wandering Immortal Realm, but he had deliberately refrained from intervening.
He allowed the Lin family's Loose Immortal, along with their disciples, to be consumed by the Fierce Demon for two reasons. First, it painted the Fierce Demon as an overwhelming threat, making Shenhun True Lord's eventual triumph all the more glorious. Second, it provided an opportunity to weaken the Lin family, thus severing any cause-and-effect links between the Seven Stars Spirit Realm and The Sword Master of the Dao.
If successful, the Seven Stars Spirit Realm would have preserved its prestige while erasing any grudges with the Sword Master. It was, in theory, a perfect solution.
But things had gone awry.
The Sword Master had acted sooner than anticipated.
"Could the Sword Master have ties to Xuan Tianyi?" Shenhun True Lord mused. "Is he perhaps aligned with the Star Sea Sect?"
The more he pondered, the more plausible this seemed. Before Xuan Tianyi joined the Star Sea Sect, the Tai Xuan Sect lacked such a formidable figure.
He speculated that Xuan Tianyi, aware of the impending demon catastrophe, had sought the Sword Master's aid in advance.
It had to be the case!
Shenhun True Lord recalled hearing rumors of Xuan Tianyi authoring a book titled The Myth of the Sword Master.
Lifting his right hand, he retrieved a token. After hesitating for a moment, he infused his divine sense into it.
Moments later, he received a telepathic response. As he conveyed the events and his suspicions, his expression grew darker. It was evident he had been reprimanded.
Far away, in the forests near the Xuan Valley, Gu An silently observed.
After Shenhun True Lord departed, Gu An had kept his divine sense trained on him, wary of any unexpected developments. Seeing Shenhun True Lord retrieve the token, Gu An immediately surmised he was contacting a higher authority within the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
When Shenhun True Lord stowed the token back into his storage ring, he exhaled deeply, his gaze cold and calculating.
For a brief moment, Gu An hesitated. The Lifespan Investigation could only detect direct hostility toward his true self. However, with the concealment provided by the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body, any karmic link was effectively hidden. Only if someone associated the Sword Master's identity with his true self and harbored enmity would Gu An sense it.
Previously, the Mountain God Avatar had resembled Gu An's true form too closely, making detection possible. Similarly, the hatred from Heaven-Hating Ancestor had stemmed directly from their clash of sword intent.
After about an incense stick's time, Shenhun True Lord descended onto a secluded island. As he entered a mountain cave, Gu An detected the presence of a restriction and refrained from pursuing further.
"Remember the location," Gu An muttered.
He stood and returned to the Xuan Valley.
Within the valley, the disciples were still abuzz, animatedly discussing the celestial projections they had witnessed. The image of The Sword Master of the Dao had left an indelible impression. They firmly believed the mysterious figure who had faced off against Shenhun True Lord was none other than the Sword Master.
Gu An casually joined their discussions, blending in effortlessly.
The battle's aftermath had left an even greater impact than the Sword Master's previous slaying of the Demon Ancestor. It wasn't just because the Fierce Demon had been vanquished, bringing peace to the land. This time, the sacred lands themselves were involved.
When Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley, the area was bustling like a marketplace. Disciples gathered in groups, the air thick with chatter.
Lu Lingjun had been waiting for him. The moment she spotted him, she grabbed his arm and pulled him into a pavilion, eager to discuss the Sword Master.
Seeing her unrestrained admiration for the Sword Master, Gu An couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction. Outwardly, however, he feigned excitement, playing along to amplify the shared emotion.
For the next month, the Tai Xuan Sect was enveloped in fervor. The entire sect brimmed with enthusiasm as various rumors and accounts spread like wildfire.
Gu An made two visits to the Outer Gate City, each time lingering for a couple of hours to listen to the endless praises for the Sword Master.
Interestingly, during this period, Gu An noticed an influx of cultivators from the sea. Among them were even those at Immortal Dao Realms, scattered across the cultivation world, all seeking information about the Seven Stars Spirit Realm and the Sword Master.
Gu An speculated they might belong to a rival power.
He recalled the enemies of the Heaven-Hating Ancestor originating from the Star Sea Sect. The Star Sea Sect were a colossal force, rivaling the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. At least, in the eyes of Heaven-Hating Ancestor, they were equals.
Could the Star Sea Sect be planning to act against the Seven Stars Spirit Realm?
Though Gu An allowed his mind to wander, he remained unperturbed. Confident in his anonymity as the Sword Master, he continued to live his peaceful, agrarian life.
As winter snow began to fall, cultivators returning from the battle against the Fierce Demon gradually made their way back to Tai Xuan Sect.
Among them were Li Ya and Zhang Buku.
Sensing their auras approaching the Xuan Valley, Gu An decided to wait for them at the valley entrance.
The two arrived together on the North Sea Heavy Sword, Zhang Buku gazing nervously at the snow-covered forest ahead.
Zhang Buku had long been yearning to return to the Medicine Valley where his father once lived. He also wanted to see Uncle Gu again.
The more he thought about it, the more anxious he became. Li Ya noticed this and instructed Zhang Buku sternly, "Don't tell Gu An about any injuries we've sustained. Follow my lead when we speak to him."
Zhang Buku reluctantly nodded. After all, he had hidden many things from Uncle Gu on Li Ya's behalf. Now that Li Ya wanted him to withhold something from Uncle Gu as well, it seemed fair to call it even.
Before long, Li Ya guided the flying sword into the Xuan Valley.
Their arrival quickly attracted the attention of the disciples working in the valley.
"Senior Brother Li!" Lu Jiujia exclaimed as he hurried over, his face full of excitement.
Of all the people who had left the Xuan Valley, Li Ya was undeniably the most accomplished.
Despite losing to An Hao in their previous fight and missing his chance to enter the Golden Rankings, Li Ya's strength was now fully recognized by the Tai Xuan Sect. He was the pride of the Xuan Valley.
Li Ya acknowledged Lu Jiujia with a slight nod, knowing that he was Gu An's junior disciple. "I'm here to see your senior brother," Li Ya stated.
Before Lu Jiujia could respond, Gu An's voice floated out from the pavilion.
"Senior Brother Li, Buku, come on up."
Hearing Gu An's voice, Zhang Buku was instantly overwhelmed with excitement.
Li Ya glanced at him before leading the way upstairs.
Lu Jiujia watched Li Ya's confident stride, his heart filled with envy. Li Ya had become the very image of what Lu Jiujia aspired to be.
Upon entering the room, Zhang Buku was so moved that he dropped to his knees in front of Gu An.
Startled, Li Ya quickly shut the door, his face pale with embarrassment. His sworn brother, kneeling before his junior brother? If this got out, what would people say?
"What are you doing? Get up!" Gu An said with a mix of exasperation and amusement, still seated at his desk.
Li Ya hurriedly pulled Zhang Buku to his feet, glaring at him in frustration. "Are you trying to embarrass us?"
Zhang Buku ignored Li Ya's scolding and instead looked at Gu An with a silly grin.
Gu An motioned for them to sit down before getting up to pour tea.
"How have you been these past years, Senior Brother Li?" Gu An asked as he handed them each a cup.
Li Ya immediately launched into a boastful account of his adventures, detailing the opportunities he had seized and the progress he had made in his cultivation.
Throughout the conversation, Zhang Buku appeared hesitant to speak.
Gu An placed the tea in front of them, and when Zhang Buku attempted to stand to express his gratitude, Gu An stopped him with a single look.
Seeing how easily Gu An subdued Zhang Buku with just a glance, Li Ya couldn't help but feel a pang of jealousy.
"By the way, Gu An," Li Ya suddenly remembered something, "when did you leave the mountain? You didn't even tell me! If I'd known you were going to see Zhang Chunqiu, I would have joined you."
Gu An rolled his eyes at him. "At the time, Buku wasn't even of age. Could you have come with me? You were too focused on proving yourself back then."
Li Ya scratched his head sheepishly. He wasn't particularly close to Zhang Chunqiu, and even if Gu An had invited him, he likely wouldn't have gone.
Turning to Zhang Buku, Gu An asked, "How has it been traveling with Senior Brother Li? Have you been injured?"
Zhang Buku opened his mouth to answer, but Li Ya cut him off with a glare. "Injured? Impossible! With the two of us working together, we've been unstoppable. We've had everything we needed, and our cultivation has advanced rapidly."
Forced to remain silent, Zhang Buku could only nod in agreement.
The conversation soon shifted to The Sword Master of the Dao. Both Li Ya and Zhang Buku spoke enthusiastically, their admiration evident.
Gu An listened with a faint smile, occasionally chiming in.
Watching Li Ya speak so passionately about the Sword Master, Gu An couldn't help but find it amusing. Did Li Ya truly believe the Sword Master was their ancestor?
Zhang Buku, while equally impressed, was not as exuberant as Li Ya.
Hearing Gu An praise the Sword Master as well, Li Ya was deeply satisfied.
He had often wanted to tell Gu An the truth—that the Sword Master was indeed the ancestor of the Li family. However, he remembered the ancestor's warning and kept quiet.
Still, he couldn't help but wonder: what had the Sword Master been up to?
Could he be busy training An Hao?
During their return journey, Li Ya had exchanged notes with An Hao, only to realize that his own progress paled in comparison.
The thought left him disheartened.
While the Sword Master had likely taken An Hao under his wing because of his potential, Li Ya couldn't shake the feeling that his own training had been a mere obligation born of family ties.
Unaware of Li Ya's inner turmoil, Gu An noticed his sudden shift in mood but chose not to comment. Instead, he turned his attention to Zhang Buku.
"How are you, Buku? Has Li Ya been treating you well?"
"I'm fine," Zhang Buku replied earnestly. "Senior Brother Li has been very good to me."
Hearing this, Li Ya's blood pressure spiked.
Gu An's smile widened. "Senior Brother Li, huh?"
"Yes!" Zhang Buku declared confidently. "We're sworn brothers. We promised to live and die together."
Li Ya's face turned crimson with embarrassment.
In an attempt to change the subject, Li Ya reached for a piece of paper on Gu An's desk and asked, "What are you writing, Gu An?"
"Just a book," Gu An replied casually. "It's called Journey to the West."
"Journey to the West? Never heard of it."
"I just started it."
"Well, here's hoping you become as famous as Pan An," Li Ya quipped, glancing at the manuscript briefly before setting it aside.
Despite his curiosity, Li Ya showed little interest in the story's content. "A pig carrying a bride?" he muttered. "What nonsense!"
The concept seemed utterly unremarkable to him.