After Li Ya set the paper down, the conversation naturally veered back to the topic of The Sword Master of the Dao. It seemed they could talk endlessly about him.
Zhang Buku mentioned seeing a fleeting shadow when the Sword Master acted previously, speculating that it was none other than the Sword Master himself passing by.
Li Ya agreed, asserting that he, too, had witnessed the figure. The two were adamant in their belief.
Gu An found their assertions amusing. He had intentionally revealed himself to An Hao and the others, making it clear to the Tai Xuan Sect disciples that he had come from their sect.
Using the Infinite Free Step, Gu An could easily traverse great distances and appear directly beside Shenhun True Lord.
The three chatted for another hour before Li Ya and Zhang Buku finally took their leave.
Li Ya was preparing to bring Zhang Buku formally into the sect, and there was much work to be done. Naturally, Gu An didn't insist on their staying.
Watching the two figures vanish into the snowy horizon, Gu An lingered for a moment before finally retreating back indoors.
As the year drew to a close and the Spring Festival approached, the human clans of the Three Dynasties found themselves in celebration. With the Demon Catastrophe officially over, it seemed the world was entering an era of peace. In response, Lü Baitian declared that this year's Spring Festival would be grander than ever before.
Preparations began across cities, and the festive atmosphere quickly spread to Xuan Valley and the Third Medicine Valley.
To usher in this new era, Lü Baitian issued a series of decrees, improving the treatment of disciples at all levels, including the humblest servants. The entire sect was thrilled by the news.
Gu An rode on the Blood Prison Saint, wandering through the outer city. He could feel the presence of many individuals hiding their cultivation. Among them, there were over twenty at the Profound Heart Realm, three at the Mahayana Realm, and one who had reached the Nirvana Realm.
These individuals were from overseas, having spent the past year gathering intelligence—primarily about the Tai Xuan Sect's views on the Seven Stars Spirit Realm and The Sword Master of the Dao.
Since they posed no immediate threat to him, Gu An decided to ignore them.
Along the way, Gu An encountered many familiar faces: disciples who had graduated from the Medicine Valley, old acquaintances from the Scripture Pavilion and Pill Hall, and various fellow sect members. He exchanged pleasantries with them all, finding the conversations refreshing rather than tedious.
Listening to updates on the cultivation journeys of his friends, he felt it was a good way to broaden his own experience.
The festive atmosphere permeated the streets, and even the Blood Prison Saint seemed curious, turning its head to observe the decorations and bustling activity.
Unconsciously, Gu An found himself once again standing before the Heaven Mending Platform.
The expansive platform was crowded with people. The commotion was lively, with numerous outer disciples standing guard along the edges.
Having defeated the Demon Ancestor and subdued the Fierce Demon, the Sword Master's reputation had reached unparalleled heights. Even disciples from other sects visiting the area would ascend the platform to pay homage to the ideals of righteousness.
The entire cultivation world was abuzz with discussions about the Sword Master. Interestingly, the book Sword Master Mythos written by Xuan Tianyi had become wildly popular.
In the story, the Sword Master had a peculiar habit of tapping enemies on the shoulder in the dead of night—a detail that perfectly matched the moment when the Sword Master subdued Shenhun True Lord. This connection led many to wonder if Xuan Tianyi personally knew the Sword Master.
Standing at the base of the platform, Gu An merely observed from a distance. Many others like him were watching quietly, most of them at the Qi Refining Realm or Foundation Establishment Realm. For these cultivators, spectating from afar was satisfying enough.
Eventually, Gu An patted the Blood Prison Saint and directed it down another path.
With the festival approaching, Gu An needed to prepare gifts for the disciples. This year's Spring Festival held special significance; the Tai Xuan Sect was poised for rapid development. The recent Golden Rankings, Pill Refinement Competition, and World's First Sword Dao Tournament had brought enormous wealth to the sect. With peace reigning over the land, it was time for the Tai Xuan Sect to make bold advancements.
Gu An also planned to gather high-grade spiritual herbs for his personal cultivation.
Suddenly, a notification appeared before Gu An's eyes:
[Shenhun True Lord has developed hostility toward you and harbors murderous intent. Would you like to use Lifespan Investigation on him?]
Gu An frowned as he read the message.
Interesting.
Taking a deep breath, he chose to use Lifespan Investigation on Shenhun True Lord again. Although he had previously checked, he now wanted to revisit the data, focusing on how it connected to his own fate.
[Shenhun True Lord (Third Layer of the Wandering Immortal Realm): Lifespan Remaining—28,098 / Maximum Lifespan—130,000 / Potential Lifespan—180,000.]
With roughly 100,000 years of lifespan remaining, there was ample opportunity to claim a substantial amount.
Gu An made up his mind. He directed the Blood Prison Saint to leave the outer city—not toward the inner sect but into the wilderness, seeking a secluded forest.
In a grand yet eerily quiet palace, the floors gleamed with a strange light, and the walls were adorned with embedded spirit stones. The faint glow from the stones illuminated the entire hall.
At the far end of the hall, Shenhun True Lord sat in the main seat, holding a scroll in his hands. His eyes slowly opened, and he glanced at a black-clad figure kneeling before him.
"You may leave," Shenhun True Lord said coldly.
The figure turned and exited swiftly. Once the grand doors closed again, Shenhun True Lord furrowed his brow, propping his face on his left hand while holding the scroll with his right.
Occasionally, his gaze flickered toward the scroll in his hands.
"Xuan Tianyi…" he murmured.
Since leaving the mainland, Shenhun True Lord had maintained a wary attitude toward the Sword Master but had not ceased his scheming.
He had ordered spies within the Tai Xuan Sect to investigate every detail of Xuan Tianyi's connections. The scroll he held contained a meticulous record of all individuals closely associated with Xuan Tianyi.
His plans were far from over.
The strengthening of the Fierce Demon, Shenhun True Lord reasoned, had to be tied to Xuan Tianyi. The Sword Master's intervention, he believed, was specifically to save Xuan Tianyi.
No matter how Shenhun True Lord thought about it, he laid the blame for the disastrous battle against the Fierce Demon squarely on Xuan Tianyi.
This belief naturally led to his murderous intent toward Xuan Tianyi and those close to him. However, he did not dare act rashly. Among Xuan Tianyi's associates, there was always the chance that one of them might secretly be the Sword Master.
The thought of the Sword Master made Shenhun True Lord's scalp tingle with unease.
Fortunately, the upper echelons of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm hadn't contacted him much in recent years. Otherwise, he wouldn't have known how to account for his failures.
With a heavy sigh, Shenhun True Lord stood and prepared to enter seclusion in the Minor Spirit Realm. The Seven Stars Spirit Realm, in the aftermath of its failure, needed to focus on repairing its reputation and hiding its darker actions from the surrounding major powers. As its lord, Shenhun True Lord merely needed to issue commands; he had no intention of micromanaging.
As he took two steps forward, about to descend the stairs, a hand lightly tapped his shoulder.
Though it was just a gentle pat, his heart froze.
The sensation immediately brought back the traumatic memory of being patted on the shoulder by the Sword Master.
His instincts screamed in fear. Just as he was about to speak, an overwhelming power surged into his body, obliterating him completely. His physical form turned to ash, and even his primordial spirit was annihilated.
The disparity between the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm Ninth Layer and the Wandering Immortal Third Layer was insurmountable.
In Gu An's eyes, Shenhun True Lord was no different from an ant.
The scroll in Shenhun True Lord's hand was also reduced to ashes. The shadow clone of Gu An, wielding the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body, disappeared without a trace, as though it had never been there.
Moments later, Gu An swiftly returned to the Tai Xuan Sect. Emerging from a patch of shrubbery, he casually approached the Blood Prison Saint.
The time he had been out of the Blood Prison Saint's sight was less than ten breaths.
With its cultivation sealed, the Blood Prison Saint had no idea what Gu An had just done. Seeing Gu An return, the beast, which had just settled down, quickly rose to its feet.
Gu An plucked a wildflower from the side of the road and casually placed it on one of the beast's horns. "Head back to Xuan Valley," he instructed.
The Blood Prison Saint, unconcerned, carried Gu An away.
Although Gu An appeared calm, his heart was far from settled.
He reread the notification in his mind. Slaying Shenhun True Lord had earned him an additional 10,500 years of lifespan.
The Wandering Immortal Realm was indeed powerful, no longer as insignificant as weaker cultivators.
When he killed Shenhun True Lord, Gu An hadn't dared to use soul-searching techniques. He was well aware that Shenhun True Lord likely knew many high-level immortals. The act of probing his soul could risk attracting their attention.
Gu An had long gained insight into the workings of karma. A deep understanding of karma could act as a precursor to his Lifespan Forewarning ability, allowing him to anticipate threats.
He had even refrained from looting Shenhun True Lord's lair.
For a cultivator of Shenhun True Lord's level, disappearing for decades or even centuries was hardly unusual. The only potential risk was whether the Seven Stars Spirit Realm had any tools to track their disciples.
Gu An had once read a book describing how certain overseas sects used unique artifacts that could instantly detect the death of their disciples.
Whatever the case, Gu An decided to take the risk. Allowing someone with murderous intent toward him to live was simply too dangerous. The longer they were allowed to exist, the greater the threat would become.
After the Lunar New Year, the Tai Xuan Sect began promoting the World's First Cultivation Assembly.
What exactly was the Cultivation Assembly?
Inspired by the Heaven-Sundering Axe, Lü Baitian envisioned an event where participants would manipulate a single heavy artifact with their spiritual power. The announcement of the event caused a stir throughout the cultivation world.
Never before had there been such a competition. Lü Baitian planned to spend five years preparing for the event, even extending invitations to overseas cultivators.
Since eliminating Shenhun True Lord, Gu An had made it a habit to observe the lands of the Three Dynasties with his divine sense. To his relief, everything seemed peaceful, and the Lifespan Forewarning ability had not been triggered.
In mid-March, Lü Baitian paid a visit to Gu An.
The two shared drinks in Gu An's room, with Gu An listening attentively to Lü Baitian's ambitions and occasionally offering comments.
While Gu An had no expertise in sect management, he was able to provide valuable suggestions. He found himself agreeing with most of Lü Baitian's ideas.
Under Lü Baitian's leadership, the sect was thriving. With everyone working toward the sect's expansion, internal conflicts had greatly diminished, leading to an unprecedented era of harmony within the Tai Xuan Sect.
"Although the world is at peace now, I can't help but feel uneasy. It's like during the battle against the Fierce Demon six months ago—that mysterious cultivator, their power was beyond comprehension."
Lü Baitian set his wine bowl down, a hint of worry in his tone.
That person is already dead, Gu An thought to himself. Out loud, he replied, "Wasn't it said that the individual was an immortal senior from the Sacred land? The Sacred land shouldn't pose a threat to us, right?"
Lü Baitian smirked. "Who can say for sure? Let's not dwell on it. My only wish is that during my lifetime, the Tai Xuan Sect will produce someone who can surpass the Mahayana Realm. For that, I'll spare no effort."
Gu An nodded. "An Hao has exceptional talent. He's the best candidate."
"Indeed," Lü Baitian agreed, a smile spreading across his face. After the ordeal with the Fierce Demon, his view of An Hao seemed to have changed for the better.
Which was just as well. Gu An preferred Lü Baitian focusing his ambitions on An Hao. He had no interest in becoming sect leader himself.
The two talked late into the night before Lü Baitian finally took his leave.
Lü Baitian left with fresh inspiration, already planning his next grand event before the first Cultivation Assembly had even begun.
After Lü Baitian departed, Gu An didn't linger long in the Third Medicine Valley. He returned to Xuan Valley, then quietly left again.
Using Infinite Free Step, he swiftly traveled far from the mainland.
In just a few steps, he reached a vast island—one of the most prosperous in the surrounding seas. The island was home to over five million cultivators, with people constantly coming and going.
Gu An made no effort to disguise himself. The island was so distant from the Tai Xuan Sect that even a Mahayana Realm cultivator would require significant time to traverse the distance. Moreover, the sea was teeming with powerful aquatic demons.
Here, no one recognized him.
His purpose for coming was simple: to purchase high-grade medicinal herb seeds. His Cave Heaven only cultivated herbs of the seventh grade or higher.