Saint Who Lay Low

Seeing that the old man was about to destroy his writing, Gu An's expression changed immediately.

What was going on?

Understanding my sword intent, but planning to ruin the words I left behind?

Gu An almost made a move, but thankfully, he didn't have to act.

"How dare you!"

A thunderous shout rang out, and the one who spoke was none other than Yi Liuyun, the first sword attendant of Li Xuandao.

As a Divine Transformation Realm cultivator at the ninth layer, Yi Liuyun's imposing presence was overwhelming. His single shout startled everyone in the entire city.

It wasn't just Yi Liuyun; all the great cultivators meditating around the word "Righteous" stood up one by one, even the Huangquan Demon Emperor, at the Void Crossing Realm, ninth layer, lifted his gaze to the old man in the sky with a look of displeasure.

Gu An immediately used Lifespan Investigation.

[Pang Yu (Void Crossing Realm, second layer): 1279/1720/1770]

He was already near his lifespan limit!

No wonder he was so erratic.

In the sky, Pang Yu sneered at Yi Liuyun, "A mere Divine Transformation cultivator dares to stop me?"

Divine Transformation?

The disciples on Heaven Mending Platform erupted into a panic, quickly retreating to avoid getting caught up in a battle between great cultivators.

"Perhaps you don't respect the Divine Transformation Realm, but do you respect the Void Crossing Realm?"

A cold voice echoed, not from the Huangquan Demon Emperor, but another cultivator. Gu An had already noticed him—an elder of Tai Xuan Sect, a great cultivator at the fifth layer of the Void Crossing Realm, dressed in elder robes.

Pang Yu's face twitched. He withdrew his hand and, with a wave of his sleeve, scoffed, "Fine, your Tai Xuan Sect has many experts. Very impressive. I'm leaving!"

With that, he turned and flew out of the outer city in the blink of an eye.

"Attempting to damage our Tai Xuan Sect's sacred ground for swordsmanship, and you think you can just leave?"

A cold snort followed. Gu An recognized the voice immediately—it was Gu Zong.

Gu An felt Gu Zong's swift movement across the sky, chasing after Pang Yu.

The great cultivator at the fifth layer of the Void Crossing Realm also vanished on the spot.

The tense atmosphere on Heaven Mending Platform gradually eased, and the cultivators there began discussing the previous events, marveling at the strength of Tai Xuan Sect.

Gu An couldn't help but feel that the outer city owed him a great debt. There had never been so many great cultivators in this place before. Now, at least two Void Crossing Realm cultivators kept a watchful eye on the city at all times, providing an overwhelming sense of security.

All thanks to the "Righteous" character he had left behind!

Afterward, Gu An led the servant disciples towards Tian Lao.

The servant disciples were still buzzing with excitement. Having just been promoted and witnessing a clash between great cultivators, the names "Divine Transformation" and "Void Crossing" filled their hearts with awe and wonder.

"Let's go, time to head back," Gu An said as he patted Tian Lao's shoulder.

Tian Lao snapped out of his thoughts and stood up. When their eyes met, Gu An couldn't help but feel that something had changed about Tian Lao.

He instinctively used Lifespan Investigation.

Huh?

Qi Refining Realm, eighth layer?

He had jumped two layers in such a short time?

How could that be?

Gu An was shocked, though he kept his expression neutral. He had long suspected that Tian Lao would return to prominence. After all, Tian Lao hadn't stepped down due to a defeat but because of a mistake. Such individuals often regained their former strength.

An hour later, Gu An and his group returned to the Third Medicine Valley. He asked Xiao Chuan to help arrange tasks for the new disciples.

After visiting the Third Medicine Valley a few times, Xiao Chuan no longer wanted to leave. He even moved all the beasts he had been raising over to the valley. Gu An, fond of Xiao Chuan, naturally didn't object.

Among all his peers, only Xiao Chuan remained by his side.

Though Wu Xin was his junior disciple, having joined later, Xiao Chuan held a more important place in his heart.

Xiao Chuan had followed Gu An from childhood, always obedient and loyal. With a junior disciple like that, Gu An cherished him deeply.

Gu An understood that in two hundred years, when old friends passed away, it would be hard to build such strong bonds with others. He treasured the relationships he had now.

After returning to the valley, Tian Lao quietly went to sit under a large tree, seemingly lost in thought.

As the sun set, casting a golden hue over the mountain peaks, Ye Yan practiced his spear techniques in the fading light, creating a striking scene that drew the admiration of the newly arrived servant disciples.

...

Seasons changed, and two years passed swiftly.

That summer, Gu An, now forty-six years old, stood atop a mountain, gazing out at the landscape. As far as the eye could see, the valley was filled with herb fields, with patches of greenery visible even through the forests.

After more than two years of effort, Gu An had finally covered the entire hundred-mile territory with herbs. As he looked out, a deep sense of accomplishment filled him.

A figure approached him—Xiao Chuan.

"Senior brother, Ye Yan has been gone for several months now. When will we recruit another servant disciple to fill the spot? The valley is so big that without one person, the others have to walk extra distances," Xiao Chuan asked.

Gu An took out the Valley Master Token and handed it to Xiao Chuan, saying, "You go recruit someone. Let's see your judgment."

Xiao Chuan beamed with joy and immediately thanked Gu An before hurrying down the mountain.

Gu An, however, turned his gaze toward the outer city, sensing a powerful sword intent.

Someone else had just comprehended the sword at Heaven Mending Platform.

Over the past two years, four people had already experienced a surge in sword intent at the platform, elevating the reputation of Heaven Mending Platform and the Sword Master of the Dao even higher.

The platform had become a sacred ground for sword cultivators across the Tai Cang Dynasty. Sword cultivators from various sects and factions came to pay their respects, and Tai Xuan Sect, displaying the demeanor of the top righteous sect, allowed disciples from other sects to study the sword intent.

This open attitude, combined with the spread of Righteous and Demonic, had not harmed Tai Xuan Sect's reputation at all. Instead, it had bolstered it even further.

Whenever Gu An thought about this, he couldn't help but admire the members of the Elder's Hall.

They were truly skilled not only in power struggles but also in handling crises. It was no wonder they had become elders.

After standing atop the mountain for a while, Gu An made his way down.

Two years had passed, and most of the herbs were still in the growth stage. However, his lifespan had been increasing steadily.

It was time to restart his daily cultivation plan.

Every night, he would devote five years of lifespan to enhancing his cultivation. Slowly but steadily, his cultivation would improve.

His current Body Fusion Realm, first layer, felt somewhat insecure. With more and more great cultivators coming to Heaven Mending Platform, it was only a matter of time before an even more powerful Body Fusion Realm cultivator appeared.

As he walked down the slope, heading towards his pavilion twenty miles away, Gu An took his time, enjoying the sights of his hard-earned success, feeling no fatigue at all.

He walked along the riverbank for half an incense stick's time when a figure descended from the sky, landing behind him.

"It's been a while," Li Ya said, clapping Gu An on the shoulder in an attempt to startle him.

Gu An pretended to flinch, knowing that Li Ya had mastered some stealth technique that allowed him to land silently.

"What brings you here? How have you been?" Gu An asked, feigning surprise.

Li Ya grinned smugly. "I've been great! Ever since that incident with the demonic cultivators, I've been training hard and have come a long way."

"Really? I don't believe it."

"Then let's spar!"

"Let's not. The difference in our cultivation levels would make it unfair."

"Good that you know," Li Ya said, his pride showing.

"Heh."

Gu An chuckled inwardly, thinking, Brother, I'm afraid it wouldn't be fair for you!

As they walked and talked, Li Ya shared stories of his time in the inner sect. When he first arrived, he went straight to the Elder's Hall for guidance, but before he could receive any instructions, disaster struck the outer sect. He had been terrified, fearing for Gu An's safety.

He had even taken a day off to visit Xuan Valley to check on Gu An, only to find him absent.

After learning that Gu An was safe, he returned to the inner sect to focus on his training.

He didn't want to be defeated again, nor did he want to constantly fight above his level.

"What brought you here today?" Gu An asked curiously.

Li Ya smirked. "My father instructed Li Xuanyu and me to attend the Hundred Tribes Assembly. It's a major event where the top talents from a hundred clans in nine dynasties compete in duels. There's even a ranking system that will be recorded and circulated throughout the cultivation world. The rewards for winning are incredible—not only does it bring honor to your family, but it also elevates your personal status."

"By the way, your Third Miss, Ji Xiaoya, will also be attending."

Gu An couldn't help but imagine various scenarios, his interest piqued.

Still, he didn't qualify to attend. Even if he did, he wasn't keen on going.

It was enough for him to hear about it from others.

"Do you think you can defeat our Third Miss?" Gu An teased.

"In the past, I couldn't, but now... who knows?"

Li Ya's confidence shone through, and Gu An glanced at him curiously.

This kid's blood energy felt a bit off.

Was that the bloodline of a beast?

The two continued their conversation as they returned to the valley. That evening, they drank late into the night, with other disciples gathering around to hear Li Ya recount the details of the Hundred Tribes Assembly. Even Tian Lao joined in on the fun.

"By the way, Lü Baitian, the former sect leader, won the top spots on the Hidden Dragon Ranking, Dragon-Phoenix Ranking, and Immortal Fate Ranking during his prime. He was an unstoppable force at every stage, and many consider him the greatest sect leader Tai Xuan Sect has had in three thousand years. Sadly, he went mad and perished," Li Ya said, reminiscing.

Gu An raised an eyebrow.

Tian Lao was that powerful?

He avoided looking at Tian Lao directly to avoid revealing that he knew his true identity.

Tang Yu couldn't help but ask, "Li Ya Shibo, do you think Zhou Tongyou will win the top spot on the Hidden Dragon Ranking this time?"

The Hidden Dragon Ranking was a list of geniuses under a hundred years old from the various clans.

Zhou Tongyou was already known as the strongest of the younger generation. The book Tai Xuan Immortal Lord had made him even more famous, and many believed that the character in the book was based on him. He had even visited Tai Xuan Sect and defeated every young disciple he faced before leaving with his head held high.

Li Ya scolded, "Nonsense! The top spot will naturally go to me, your Shibo. As for Zhou Tongyou, watch closely—this time, I'll make him taste defeat!"

His bold words earned him the admiration of the surrounding disciples, who looked up to him even more.

Tian Lao chuckled, "Actually, Zhou Tongyou isn't your biggest rival. There's someone even more talented hidden within Tai Xuan Sect, someone far beyond Zhou Tongyou. He's been in seclusion for a long time, so no one knows of him yet."

Li Ya turned to Tian Lao, intrigued. "Who?"

"Lü Xian. He reached the Core Formation Realm at the age of thirty."

"What?!"

Li Ya was visibly shaken, and the others were equally stunned.

Most of those present were over thirty, making it hard to comprehend how someone could form a core so young.

Gu An's expression became somewhat odd. Over the past two years, someone named Lü Xian had arrived in Tianya Valley.

He hadn't previously connected Lü Xian with Lü Baitian, but now it seemed likely they were related.

Li Xuandao sure had a knack for poaching hidden talents. Snatching away Tai Xuan Sect's top prodigy seemed almost unbelievable.