On the mountain peak, the winds howled, and the grass swayed like rippling green waves.
Long Qing maintained his punching stance, his expression frozen in disbelief.
"How is this possible..."
His eyes widened in shock, his thoughts churning like a raging storm. Following his gaze, one could see that his right fist was effortlessly blocked by a single finger from An Hao.
His fist pressed against An Hao's index finger, yet the sensation was as if he were trying to push a mountain.
No!
Even a mountain wasn't this unyielding!
An Hao's hair fluttered lightly in the wind as he fixed his gaze on Long Qing. The corners of his mouth curved into a smile. "Your reaction was decent, but it seems you still haven't fully mastered your strength. Or perhaps, you don't even realize the extent of the power you currently possess."
With just a slight push of his index finger, An Hao sent a surging force like a tidal wave crashing into Long Qing. Staggering back, Long Qing's expression changed dramatically. He instinctively tried to steady himself but still stumbled several steps before managing to regain his footing.
His gaze toward An Hao now carried a trace of fear. Swallowing hard, he asked, "Who... exactly are you?"
"An Hao," he replied, his tone light and amused. "Does that name sound familiar?"
The overbearing aura from earlier had vanished, replaced by a warm and approachable smile that felt as refreshing as a spring breeze.
"An Hao?"
Long Qing's eyes widened further as he exclaimed, "You're Senior Sister An Xin's senior brother?"
Hearing that name, An Hao's expression softened even more. "How is your senior sister doing?"
He hadn't used his spiritual sense to probe the Third Medicine Valley. For one, it would be impolite, and for another, he felt a twinge of apprehension in his heart.
"She's doing great, of course! She's the top disciple of the Third Medicine Valley—how could she not be?" Long Qing's tone grew more enthusiastic now that he had identified An Hao.
To him, An Xin was more than a senior sister. She was like a mother, having raised him alongside You Yingying since he was young. Having often heard her mention An Hao, Long Qing naturally felt a sense of closeness and curiosity toward this enigmatic senior brother.
An Hao visibly relaxed at Long Qing's response. With a nod, he gestured for Long Qing to lead him to An Xin.
As they walked toward the valley, their conversation flowed naturally. Mostly, it was Long Qing asking questions, and An Hao answering them.
For reasons he couldn't quite articulate, An Hao found himself liking Long Qing. Perhaps it was the young man's extraordinary physique that stirred a sense of anticipation in him.
"Why are there so many high-level cultivators in your valley?" An Hao suddenly asked, curiosity evident in his tone.
He had even detected the presence of cultivators at the Immortal Dao Realm, which piqued his interest.
Long Qing responded with a mischievous smile, "Haven't you heard? My master is Gu An the famed Sword Master of the Dao!"
An Hao paused mid-step, a flicker of confusion crossing his face. "You have two masters?"
"No, I only have one. My master, Gu An, is the Sword Master of the Dao!"
Long Qing quickly clarified. He was careful to speak only of things Gu An had openly acknowledged, avoiding anything inappropriate.
"Gu An is Sword Master of the Dao? That's impossible!"
An Hao frowned, the doubt in his voice unmistakable. He would never forget his first meeting with Gu An, back when they were both young. There was no way that Gu An could be the same Sword Master of the Dao he revered.
His initial instinct was that there had been some sort of misunderstanding. After all, no one in the Tai Xuan Sect would dare impersonate the Sword Master of the Dao.
Long Qing, however, remained unfazed. "My master admitted it himself, and no one from Sword Master of the Dao's lineage has come to trouble him. Doesn't that mean he really is Sword Master of the Dao?"
Unaware of the deeper relationship between An Hao and Sword Master of the Dao, Long Qing had no reason to question his own understanding. He had spent his life in the Third Medicine Valley, and with An Xin deliberately avoiding the topic and the other senior cultivators showing little interest in idle gossip, he simply didn't know the truth.
"He admitted it?"
An Hao's frown deepened, his displeasure evident.
What was Gu An up to?
Did he intend to take advantage of Sword Master of the Dao's name?
An Hao resolved to confront Gu An and get to the bottom of this. Certain lines of cause and effect couldn't be crossed lightly.
Half an incense stick of time later.
An Xin led An Hao into her quarters, closing the door behind them. She gestured for him to take a seat and then began preparing tea.
"Senior brother, I thought you'd forgotten about me," she teased, carrying a tea pot over to the table.
Caught off guard, An Hao glanced around the room and laughed awkwardly. "How could I forget you? I always make time to visit you whenever I'm free."
An Xin chuckled. "You managed to forget your wife and child—forgetting me wouldn't be that surprising."
An Hao's expression turned even more sheepish. Clearing his throat, he replied, "My aspirations lie in traveling the world. Staying with them would only bring them trouble. Keeping our ties would have done them more harm than good."
An Xin didn't bring up the hardships of the An family. If An Hao truly cared, he would visit on his own. If he didn't, telling him wouldn't serve any purpose.
Besides, the An family was now under Gu An's protection. As long as Gu An remained, they wouldn't face any major troubles again.
Thinking of this, An Xin suddenly felt that while An Hao was strong, there were still many lessons he could learn from her master about being a person.
When it came to matters of sentiment, Gu An wouldn't act rashly. However, anyone connected to him would always be under his care and consideration.
An Hao, oblivious to her thoughts, after a few concerned inquiries, directly voiced his biggest question:
"I heard Gu An claims to be the Sword Master of the Dao? What's that all about? How does he dare?"
Hearing this, An Xin's beautiful eyes widened as she retorted, "Why? Isn't he worthy?"
"No... that's not it! The Sword Master of the Dao is our master!" An Hao exclaimed anxiously, a rare show of emotion only in front of An Xin.
An Xin replied calmly, "Well, he's my master too. I have two masters."
"That's not the same thing!" An Hao frowned, clearly struggling to articulate his thoughts.
An Xin smiled mischievously. "What if Gu An is the Sword Master of the Dao? And what if our first master wasn't the same person? Has your master ever met you in the guise of the Sword Master of the Dao? Maybe Gu An received teachings from our first master as well? Or perhaps they share a common teacher, which is why they both know the Demon Shadow Divine Art."
Having spent so much time with Gu An, she too had become adept at playful banter, intentionally leaving An Hao in the dark.
This was fun!
An Hao hesitated. "You mean we might actually be fellow disciples?"
"Who knows? Either way, he's calling himself the Sword Master of the Dao and hasn't run into trouble for it," An Xin replied with a shrug.
Compared to this discussion, she was more curious about An Hao's strength. Her competitive nature had been stirred, and she now harbored ambitions to surpass him.
An Hao, however, seemed lost in thought.
The idea that Gu An might truly be the Sword Master of the Dao, and that their master hadn't clarified the matter, left him feeling uneasy.
No, he had to confront Gu An directly!
If their master wasn't the Sword Master of the Dao, why hadn't he refuted the claim?
Could it be that their master wanted to support Gu An's claim to the title?
Wouldn't that mean Gu An held a more significant position in their master's eyes?
Such thoughts spiraled through An Hao's mind, leaving him unsettled in a way he hadn't felt in years.
No matter how dire the challenges he faced, he had never been plagued by this kind of doubt. His unwavering pursuit of strength had always been driven by his desire to meet his master's expectations.
Sensing his distraction, An Xin tactfully changed the subject, asking about his experiences over the years. An Hao, eager to impress, recounted his adventures, starting from his departure from the Star Sea Sect.
Wanting to leave a strong impression on his junior sister, An Hao spoke with passion and flair, but unfortunately, An Xin, still lacking Gu An's emotional intelligence, didn't offer the responses he hoped for.
Time passed swiftly.
As dusk approached, Gu An leisurely returned to the valley, riding on the back of the Blood Prison Saint.
Even with both An Hao and the Sword Master Jue Luo in the valley, Gu An didn't appear the least bit concerned. He went about his day as usual.
Earlier in the afternoon, Jue Luo Sword Master had already honed in on the Sword Master of the Dao as his target.
Soon, he would come to the Third Medicine Valley.
Gu An could sense the battle intent radiating from Jue Luo Sword Master's sword aura, making it clear that this wasn't a visit of goodwill.
He was curious to see just how strong this so-called prodigy of the Grand Sword of the Great Hong truly was.
Upon entering the valley, Gu An dismounted and walked alone toward the direction of Myriad Sword Mountain.
Meanwhile, Jue Luo Sword Master appeared out of nowhere before the stone tablet at Myriad Sword Mountain. Gazing at the mountain, he fell into contemplation.
The mountain exuded a faint trace of sword intent, elusive and hard to capture. Though he didn't sense any immediate danger, he couldn't quite decipher the nature of this sword intent.
It didn't resemble the Sacred Heart Sword Dao. Having visited the River of Sword Dao, Jue Luo Sword Master was well-acquainted with its essence and knew this was something different.
A few disciples passing along a nearby path cast curious glances at him. However, noticing that he didn't step onto Myriad Sword Mountain, they refrained from approaching or intervening.
From a distance, Gu An spotted Jue Luo Sword Master. With a casual gesture, he activated his lifespan investigation ability.
[Jue Luo Sword Master (Free Immortal Realm Ninth Layer): 29,769,870/500,000,000/500,000,000]
If I kill him, I'll get forty million years of lifespan, huh?
This thought crossed Gu An's mind as he strolled leisurely toward the mountain, his pace unhurried, as if he were out for a casual walk. Along the way, he greeted the disciples he encountered, appearing utterly at ease.