Chapter 38: Heaven-Hating Divine Sword, Supreme Sect's Shocking Change
Li Xuandao finished speaking and smiled at Gu An, waiting for him to make a decision.
Gu An was stunned.
The Emperor wanted him to be a spy too?
This was forcing him to be a triple agent!
This was not what Gu An sought, but he found it difficult to refuse since the other party surpassed him in both cultivation level and status.
If he didn't refuse, trouble would incessantly follow.
If he did refuse, then the trouble would start now!
Yet when Gu An thought about the high-tier cultivation herbs Li Xuandao had mentioned earlier, his heart couldn't help but race.
Gu An hesitantly asked, "Do I… have the room to refuse?"
"Yes, if you refuse, I will erase your memory of today, as if we had never met," Li Xuandao said with a light chuckle.
Gu An helplessly inquired, "Why choose me? I am of mediocre talent, and with your status, recruiting a disciple from the Supreme Sect would be easy."
Li Xuandao shook his head, "I'm not specifically targeting a disciple from the Supreme Sect. It just so happens that you have a good relationship with Li Ya and I wanted to support you. Moreover, your mediocre talent assures me more, as I can satisfy your needs."
He paused for a moment and said teasingly, "The world does not wish for an Emperor to live forever, nor do I wish for the master of Medicine Valley to live forever."
You really are quite the humorist!
Gu An could only respond, "If that's the case, then I can only accept."
"Decades later, when you look back, you will not regret today's decision," Li Xuandao said with a laugh, his tone brimming with boldness.
Gu An couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked, "Has Your Majesty always been observing Senior Brother Li?"
"Now that we've finished discussing, there's no need to call me Your Majesty anymore. Call me uncle instead, this way it's like family," Li Xuandao said sternly.
Seeing he was not testing him, Gu An called out "Uncle."
Li Xuandao revealed a smile and shared, "Truth be told, I have quite a few chess pieces in the outer sect of the Supreme Sect, so I am well aware of Li Ya's situation."
Previously, Gu An thought that Li Ya had a poor relationship with his emperor father, but now it seemed that was not the case.
Could there have been a misunderstanding?
He thought about querying on behalf of Li Ya, but he restrained himself.
The Emperor before him wanted immortality, and such an Emperor would have a complex attitude towards his princes. Even if he loved his sons, he would likely harbor wariness.
Which Crown Prince wishes to remain a prince forever, and which prince does not harbor desires for the throne?
Gu An felt a mix of emotions, having previously thought Li Ya and Li Xuanyu's talents were strong until he met Li Xuandao, realizing why their talents were so prominent.
Bloodline inheritance!
Two hundred thirty years old in the 8th Floor of the Divinity Transformation Realm…
Could he have broken through to the Divinity Transformation Realm at over 100 years old?
That's absurd!
And the most crucial part was that this fellow had cultivated a secret technique to conceal his aura; had not Gu An possessed the ability of Life Span Detection, he would not have seen through his true cultivation level.
Perhaps neither the imperial court nor the Immortal Cultivation Realm could see through it, hence he could cultivate in security till now.
Then, Li Xuandao began to inquire about the matters within the valley, curious about the origin of the Spring Festival mentioned by the disciples.
Gu An answered him using the same terms he used with others.
Li Xuandao took an interest in the Spring Festival and decided to join in today; how could Gu An refuse?
An hour later, the two descended from the loft and joined the other disciples in preparing for the Spring Festival. The disciples were overjoyed, their laughter and chatter infectious, even to Li Xuandao.
As night fell, Gu An brought out his homemade firecrackers, and the constant sounds of explosions resonated through Profound Valley, deafening.
The flash of firelight illuminated Li Xuandao's smiling face, and he even drank with Xiaochuan, making it hard to associate him with the Emperor of the Tai Cang Dynasty.
Tang Yu, Su Han, and other disciples prepared various performances including storytelling, sparring, acrobatics, and more, keeping the night lively well into the late hours.
The following noon, Gu An saw Li Xuandao off.
"Only two more years, truly something to look forward to."
Gu An silently thought about how Li Xuandao had mentioned sending someone to take him to Medicine Valley in two years.
He planned to achieve a 100,000-year lifespan within those two years and then break through to the Divinity Transformation Realm.
No, he needed to surpass the Divinity Transformation Realm. If he wasn't stronger than Li Xuandao, he wouldn't feel safe. After all, serving the Emperor was like accompanying a tiger—what if Li Xuandao had a whim to harm him one day?
Gu An watched as Li Xuandao departed and secretly wondered why the Emperor would travel alone to the Outer Sect.
Could it be that his real visit was to see Li Xuanyu?
Li Ya had mentioned that Li Xuanyu was Li Xuandao's favorite child.
Gu An stopped pondering and turned back towards the valley, ready to plant more medicinal herbs.
...
As spring turned to summer, Gu An ushered in his 34th birthday during the summer.
That day, he bid farewell to Du Ye, who came to request medicinal herbs.
At the mouth of the valley.
Du Ye turned around and said, "Over the years, you've supplied many medicinal herbs. Young Master Ji Lin is very satisfied with you. In a while, he will send someone to give you a Foundation Establishment Pill to help you reach the Foundation Establishment Realm early. Once you become a true Outer Sect Disciple, he also plans to let you continue managing this Medicine Valley."
After speaking, he turned and left, soaring over the mountains with his sword.
Gu An shook his head with a wry smile. When he had sent off Li Xuandao at the beginning of the year, Li Xuandao had said something similar.
In the future, he needed to keep his distance from the Ji Family, lest the Ji Family later calculate against the Supreme Sect and need his help.
Although the sect was strong, the influence of the nobility was immeasurable.
On this land, dynasties changed and sects rose and fell, but some noble families managed to endure, and the Ji Family was among them.
Sigh!
I just wanted to pick herbs and flowers peacefully. Why are so many people trying to win him over?
As Gu An thought this, he walked into the nearby woods.
In the woods, there was a person practicing swordsmanship. It was Su Han.
Su Han had now reached the 7th level of the Qi Cultivation Realm, ranking just behind Gu An and Tang Yu within the valley.
Tang Yu practiced leg techniques, while Su Han practiced swordsmanship. However, the sword techniques he usually practiced, taught by Li Ya, were not profound.
Gu An watched him from afar, hesitating whether or not to give him any pointers.
Su Han was diligent in his work and cultivation. Gu An could not find any faults in him.
Eh?
Something wasn't right. He wasn't practicing the Seven Swords of the Li Family.
Looking carefully, the sword techniques he was using were unfamiliar to Gu An.
Did this kid also have a miraculous encounter?
When did this happen?
Curious, Gu An deliberately stepped on dry leaves, making a noise.
Su Han, who was practicing swordsmanship, noticed Gu An's arrival and immediately stopped and turned to salute him.
"Little Han, entry to the Outer Sect depends on cultivation level. Why do you practice your sword techniques so diligently?" Gu An asked with a smile.
Su Han scratched his head with his left hand and said, "I'm not in a hurry to join the Outer Sect. I want to master my sword techniques first."
"Why do you think that way?"
"Upon entering the Outer Sect, one must undertake missions. If my strength is insufficient, it would only hinder my future."
Su Han's response made Gu An laugh.
This boy really suits his taste.
Curiously, Gu An asked, "Are these sword techniques passed down from your family?"
Su Han nodded, "Yes, it's my father's sword technique. Although it's profound, I've only recently begun to grasp it."
"Your father must have been very powerful. Although I'm not fond of sword practice, I've seen many exquisite sword techniques within the Outer Sect, none of which compared to what you just demonstrated," Gu An inquired with interest.
Su Han shook his head, "My father was a disabled man. As long as I can remember, he was blind, and had no magical abilities. He passed away from illness when I was seven. Later, I found this sword manual in his belongings."
Saying so, he took out a sword manual from his chest and handed it directly to Gu An.
Gu An took it and slightly raised an eyebrow.
Heaven-Hating Divine Sword!
What a peculiar name!
Seeing this name, Gu An immediately wanted to expel Su Han from the Profound Valley.
Clearly, this guy was carrying a grudge!
Gu An briefly skimmed through the manual. Being at the 9th level of the Nascent Soul Realm, he could memorize instantly. However, mastering it would depend on his own swordsmanship comprehension.
He handed the sword manual back to Su Han and pondered, "This sword technique is indeed exquisite, but its mental method seems somewhat sinister. Do you really have to practice it?"
This sword technique required refining the organs with sword qi, causing sword practitioners unbearable pain, and some sorcery within it was even beyond Gu An's understanding.
With his swordsmanship achievement, he could assert that this sword technique was indeed sinister!
Su Han was stunned, then asked, "Master, do you think I shouldn't practice it?"
Gu An shook his head, "I only feel that this sword technique might bring you pain, but I don't know your history or your feelings. Whether you practice it or not is up to you. If you decide not to, you can stay in the Profound Valley as long as you want. You'll always be my disciple."
After hearing this, Su Han was moved. He tucked the Heaven-Hating Divine Sword back into his chest and nodded firmly.
Gu An took out a book from his chest, which was the latest volume of The Investiture of the Gods, given to him by Du Ye. Du Ye mentioned that Ji Lin was obsessed with the book, causing their attendants to follow suit.
"Here's the book you wanted." Gu An handed The Investiture of the Gods to Su Han and then turned away.
Holding The Investiture of the Gods, Su Han's face lit up with a smile.
Returning to Medicine Valley, Gu An began observing the other Menial Disciples.
First was Li Ya, then Wuxin, and now Su Han. Each had an extraordinary background. The Profound Valley was too mysterious!
Something felt off!
An hour later, Gu An finally walked back to his own loft.
He couldn't find obvious faults with the other Menial Disciples, which settled his mind.
On second thought, it made sense. Those who could enter the Immortal Cultivation Realm were all individuals with extraordinary backgrounds or experiences. In their eyes, he was the main character.
Until late at night, Gu An sneaked into the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven.
He played with Hao Long for half an hour, then took out the Celestial Star Sword and began practicing the Heaven-Hating Divine Sword.
It's good to have multiple skills. First, he'd master it enough to enter it into the Attribute Panel!
For a while, whooshing sounds filled the air under the Cang Teng Tree. These were the noises made by the swinging sword blade, as Hao Long watched curiously from a few meters away, his dragon eyes reflecting Gu An's sword practicing figure.
…
In late summer.
Gu An went to the Outer Sect City. First, he went to the Elixir Hall to submit the annual medicinal herbs harvest, then went to the Library Hall to submit his manuscript.
Since The Investiture of the Gods had become a hit, Elder Liu Chang valued him highly, always receiving him personally for fear of leaks.
Liu Chang explicitly expressed concern that if Gu An's fame was exposed, he might be kidnapped by the Demon Dao. That would result in the Library Hall losing a lot of Spirit Stones, making Gu An even more cautious.
After finishing official business, Gu An visited Lu Jiujia. Lu Jiujia was very pleased and invited him to meet Ye Lan, who happened to be in the city.
Not all Outer Disciples built Cave Mansions outside the city as the construction was expensive. Many disciples chose to live within the Outer Sect to enjoy its Spiritual Energy.
In the courtyard, the three sat down.![
Lu], Jiujia poured wine for Gu An while mysteriously saying, "Something big has happened at the Supreme Sect!"