Chapter 90: The Passage of Time, Ascending to the Supreme Council
Under normal circumstances, Gu An was not interested in demonic cultivators and would avoid them if possible, but there was one exception: Xu Jue!
Xu Jue had led the demonic army to besiege Ji Xiaoyu, allowing Gu An to accumulate more than 50,000 years of lifespan. That left a lasting impression on Gu An.
After leaving Xuan Valley, Gu An flew toward the outer sect city. He flew for quite a distance before using the Grand Yin-Yang Transformation technique, transforming into a shadowy figure. Then, he activated the Infinite Vanishing Celestial Step and disappeared into the forest.
Two hundred miles from Xuan Valley, deep within a dense forest, Xu Jue was sitting cross-legged under a tree. His hair was disheveled, and his black robe was tattered—he looked utterly miserable.
Surrounding him were several small flags, with faint light barriers barely protecting him.
The vice leader of the Wan Yin Sect suddenly turned pale, and he spat out a mouthful of black blood that splattered onto the grass, causing it to wither instantly as black smoke rose from the ground.
"Damn the Ji family..." Xu Jue gritted his teeth, his voice full of resentment.
During his escape from Ji Chen, he had been ambushed by other powerful members of the Ji family and had barely survived. Even thinking back on it now filled him with fear.
The combined strength of the five major demonic sects—the Thousand Autumn Pavilion, Gu Hao Sect, Wan Yin Sect, Tianjue Sect, and the Cold Poison Valley—had been repelled in just a single day. The sheer strength of the Tai Xuan Sect left Xu Jue trembling.
Xu Jue thought of the Ji family members within his own sect and had a sudden urge to return and slaughter every last one of them.
But when he considered the strength of the Ji family, he sighed.
Better to endure for now!
One day, he would annihilate the entire Ji family!
As Xu Jue was lost in thought, a sudden gust of wind swept through the forest. He instinctively looked toward the source of the disturbance.
Boom!
The formation around him shattered, and a shadowy figure, cloaked in a purple-black mist, appeared out of thin air. The figure's finger pressed against Xu Jue's temple, unleashing a terrifying pressure that immobilized him.
"Grand Demon Shadow Technique... Are you from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion?" Xu Jue's expression changed drastically, and he asked cautiously.
Could there be such a powerful figure within the Thousand Autumn Pavilion?
He was a Void Crossing Stage cultivator at the ninth level! Even though he was severely injured, no one below the Void Crossing realm should be able to suppress him like this.
"I need to ask you something," Gu An said in a hoarse voice.
Xu Jue relaxed a little and responded politely, "Please, ask your question, Senior!"
Damn the Thousand Autumn Pavilion!
One day, I'll lead the Wan Yin Sect to destroy you all!
Gu An suddenly remembered that Xu Jue was the father of Xu Ruoye, who had died by Gu An's hand.
"Never mind."
As soon as Gu An spoke, a surge of sword energy pierced through Xu Jue's temple, severely damaging his primordial spirit.
Xu Jue's eyes glazed over, and before his body could hit the ground, Gu An used the Soul Capture Technique to search through his memories.
The techniques of the Jiang Qiong Sect are quite useful—I can see myself using them for a long time.
Xu Jue's memories, especially those related to the techniques of the demonic army, were extensive. Fortunately, the information Gu An sought was from the previous day, making it easy to find.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Gu An withdrew his hand, and Xu Jue's body collapsed to the ground.
[You have successfully extracted 153 years of lifespan from Xu Jue (Void Crossing Stage, ninth level).]
Not bad! The lifespan extracted was quite substantial!
Gu An found himself feeling a bit more kindly toward Xu Jue. He took Xu Jue's storage pouch and burned the corpse to ashes.
After finishing, Gu An didn't return to Xuan Valley but continued toward the outer sect city.
Outside the city, a massive mountain had appeared. Upon closer inspection, Gu An realized it was the corpse of a giant bird.
The Sky-Devouring Nether Bird!
The beast's body lay on the ground, thousands of meters tall, dwarfing the surrounding mountains.
Standing on his flying sword from a distance, Gu An couldn't help but feel curious. Where did such a colossal creature live?
This bird definitely didn't live within the Tai Cang Dynasty. It must have been brought here by the demonic sects from outside the Nine Dynasties.
After the battle, the gates of the outer sect city were heavily guarded. Every disciple was scrutinized before being allowed in or out.
Once inside, Gu An sought out Ye Lan.
He found her patrolling one of the streets.
"Senior Brother, what brings you here?" Ye Lan smiled warmly when she saw him. Her usually cold face lit up, and her subordinates, already familiar with Gu An, tactfully gave them some space.
"I came to check on you. Did you get injured?" Gu An asked with concern.
Ye Lan shook her head and pulled him aside, recounting the events of the previous day.
The battle had resulted in heavy casualties for the outer sect city, primarily due to an attack by the fearsome Huangquan Demon Emperor, who had broken through the city's defensive formation, plunging the city into chaos.
The Huangquan Demon Emperor eventually left, but the terror he unleashed remained, casting a long shadow over the city's inhabitants.
Gu An sighed, once again reminded of the harshness of the cultivation world.
At least those he cared about were unharmed.
After chatting with Ye Lan for a while, Gu An bade her farewell.
He then made his way toward Heaven Mending Platform. The area had significantly fewer people, and most of those who remained were injured.
The Ghost Mother of the Ephemeral Flower was still there, covered in blood, looking every bit like a Tai Xuan Sect disciple who had fought valiantly.
It seemed she wasn't aligned with the demonic sects or the Huangquan Demon Emperor.
After surveying the Heaven Mending Platform, Gu An went to visit Jiang Qiong.
She was in her residence, looking pale and weak, clearly having sustained injuries during the battle.
"You said the battle wouldn't reach the city, didn't you?" Gu An asked, closing the door behind him.
Jiang Qiong, sitting in a chair, took a deep breath before answering, "Things changed. The information I received was false. It seems the Thousand Autumn Pavilion has begun to suspect me."
Gu An, hearing this, couldn't help but smile. "Well then, why don't you sever ties with the Thousand Autumn Pavilion and switch sides?"
His spy network was becoming too extensive—even Gu An himself felt a little guilty. It was time to cut ties with some of them.
Jiang Qiong shook her head. "It's not that simple."
Instead of offering comfort, Gu An asked, "By the way, did the Sword Master of the Dao reveal himself?"
He was very curious to know who had been impersonating him.
"It's a fake. That person was never the real Sword Master of the Dao. He was a demonic spy who had been hiding in the Tai Xuan Sect for hundreds of years. He claimed to be the Sword Master of the Dao to deceive both the righteous and demonic sides. Once the demonic sects learned the truth about him, they lost their fear, and that's why the war began," Jiang Qiong explained, rubbing her temples in frustration.
Gu An was shocked. "The demonic sects betrayed one of their own? Or did that person become an unwitting pawn for the Tai Xuan Sect?"
Jiang Qiong shook her head. "I don't know. What I do know is that things are chaotic right now. Rumor has it that Chu Tianqi has fled, and that Lü Baitian has returned from the dead to reclaim the position of Sect Master. He's planning to thoroughly investigate the Tai Xuan Sect. You should stay away for a while. There are rumors that the Supreme Council is going to be established soon, a council that will rank above the Elder's Hall. The Sword Master of the Dao is said to be one of its members. The Sect Master will select three elders to join the council."
"The Supreme Council will take charge of Tai Xuan Sect's governance, cleansing it of corruption."
Lü Baitian had truly taken Gu An's advice.
It's good that he listens!
Gu An's suggestion wasn't just a means to placate Lü Baitian—he genuinely hoped for Tai Xuan Sect to improve. If Lü Baitian didn't have time to govern, someone else should.
The Elder's Hall was too large, and by the time their decisions were made, the lower levels would have already been in turmoil. The establishment of the Supreme Council should help alleviate some of the sect's suffering.
Afterward, Jiang Qiong handed Gu An a storage pouch, explaining that it contained high-level seeds she had acquired at the cost of 80% of her savings. All of the seeds were ranked at the fifth tier or higher. She told him to plant these herbs and return to see her once they matured.
This meant they likely wouldn't see each other for several years.
It seemed Jiang Qiong was facing serious danger. Not only was the Thousand Autumn Pavilion losing trust in her, but the Tai Xuan Sect might soon investigate her as well.
She was truly walking on a knife's edge.
Gu An could only wish her luck in his heart as he left with the storage pouch, feeling pleased.
...
The news of the demonic sects' attack on the Tai Xuan Sect spread like wildfire, shaking the entire Tai Cang Dynasty.
Tai Xuan Sect's immense strength struck fear into the hearts of the demonic sects, and the cultivation world entered a strange period of calm.
After Lü Baitian regained his position as Sect Master, he made sweeping reforms, establishing the Supreme Council and curbing the power of the Elder's Hall. He also ordered a thorough investigation of the demonic spies within the sect, resulting in the execution of over a thousand spies.
Following Chu Tianqi's escape, the Chu family became the target of Lü Baitian's ruthless revenge. Every member of the Chu family within the sect was suppressed—many were killed or imprisoned. The younger disciples who had a better reputation were stripped of their cultivation, branded with seals, and sent to the outer sect to serve as laborers.
Xuan Valley soon welcomed a new laborer from the Chu family.
It was someone Gu An knew.
Chu Jingfeng!
Back when Gu An had first entered the Tai Xuan Sect and his herb valley was attacked by the Greed and Rage Demon, it was Chu Jingfeng, an inner sect disciple hired by Cheng Xuandan, who had come to his aid. Though Chu Jingfeng lost an arm in that battle, he had later helped Gu An rid the valley of evil cultivators linked to the Greed and Rage Demon.
Now, Gu An sat across from a weary and disheveled Chu Jingfeng, his heart heavy with emotion.
The last time they had spoken, Chu Jingfeng had promised that Gu An could turn to the Chu family if he ever needed help.
How things had changed! The Chu family was now in ruins.
Chu Jingfeng still had only one arm. He wore tattered clothes, his hair was a mess, and his face was unshaven and gaunt.
"Brother Chu, as long as you're alive, there's still hope. Work hard, and if you perform well, they'll lift your punishment," Gu An said, trying to comfort him.
Wuxin had quietly left the sect, and now that Gu An was in charge of Xuan Valley again, he needed to cultivate new talent.
He felt that Chu Jingfeng might just be the right candidate.
If Chu Jingfeng performed well, Gu An would consider teaching him the Dao Yan Technique that Wuxin had passed down.
The Dao Yan Technique relied on accumulating spiritual energy to break through limits—it might be able to save Chu Jingfeng, whose cultivation had been crippled.
Chu Jingfeng nodded numbly, saying nothing.
Gu An didn't push him further, simply giving him some instructions before dismissing him.
As Chu Jingfeng left, he carefully closed the door behind him, showing deference in his posture. But Gu An could see no respect in his demeanor—only despair.
Sigh. Poor fellow!
Gu An shook his head and picked up a pen, beginning to write.
It had been half a year since the war between the righteous and demonic sects. Winter had passed, spring had come and gone, and it was now summer once more. He was now fifty-one years old, and with that came new insights into life. He intended to express these thoughts in his writing.
By late afternoon, Gu An stepped out of his study and used the teleportation array to travel to the Third Medicine Valley.
He sensed that Shen Zhen was inside his residence.
Since the time he had threatened to write her into his stories six months ago, they hadn't spoken.
Now that she had returned, was she here to settle the score?
After all, as a Saintess, she surely valued her dignity.
As these thoughts ran through his mind, Gu An climbed the stairs to meet her.
Entering the room, he found Shen Zhen seated at the table, her face veiled. She sat quietly, watching him intently.
Something's not right!
This isn't like her!
Could she be planning something?
Quickly, Gu An shut the door and turned to face her, just as she spoke.
"Have you started writing the Adventures of the Medicinal Knight yet?"