Chapter 92: The Spirit of the Ancient Vine Tree, The Realm Beyond Body Fusion

In the forest, Gu An was guiding Yang Ni through the process of planting seeds. As he buried the soil, he glanced at the nearby medicinal plants and said, "That's the Singing Shame Plant. Its leaves tend to curl up, and when the wind passes through, it produces a strange sound that resembles singing. When this happens, you need to help it unfold its leaves to prevent it from stunting its growth."

Squatting nearby, Yang Ni listened attentively, her eyes filled with curiosity.

When Li Ya left, Yang Ni mentioned wanting to stay and tend to the flowers and herbs. At first, Gu An thought she was joking, but she turned out to be serious. She fully immersed herself in the planting process, often asking Gu An questions, displaying a humble attitude.

After this change in behavior, Yang Ni began to integrate into Xuan Valley, interacting with the other disciples. Gu An saw an opportunity to fully assimilate her into the valley, so he taught her earnestly.

"From now on, you'll be in charge of taking care of this garden. Let's see how well you can protect the garden, not just people," Gu An said with a smile as he stood up.

Yang Ni didn't refuse, and her face even showed a trace of excitement at the challenge.

Gu An left, allowing her to observe the garden on her own.

When he returned to Xuan Valley, he noticed Chu Jingfeng standing by the wooden fence, staring off into space, seemingly lost in thought.

Ever since Chu Jingfeng arrived in Xuan Valley, he had remained like this. If Gu An gave him tasks, he would complete them, but otherwise, he would just stand there, dazed and aimless.

Out of their old friendship, Gu An decided to lend him a hand.

"Brother Chu, I recently obtained a sword technique. How about you help me take a look at it?" Gu An asked with a smile, patting Chu Jingfeng on the shoulder.

Chu Jingfeng nodded silently and followed Gu An to a quiet forest. Despite his cultivation being destroyed, Chu Jingfeng was still a sword cultivator, and his experience remained. He believed he could offer some assistance.

Though he didn't speak much, in his heart, Chu Jingfeng was grateful to Gu An. When he first arrived, he had felt deeply ashamed in front of Gu An, but instead of mocking him, Gu An treated him kindly. Over the years, Gu An's continued care wasn't just an act of charity; it was genuine, and Chu Jingfeng couldn't understand why. The only explanation he could come up with was that Gu An was simply a good-hearted person, as the other disciples in the valley held him in high regard.

In front of Chu Jingfeng, Gu An demonstrated the basic moves of the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword. Though his execution was a bit clumsy and lacking fluidity, it still made Chu Jingfeng's eyes light up.

"Master Gu... What sword technique is this?" Chu Jingfeng asked, barely containing his excitement.

As a swordsman, how could he not be thrilled to witness such a profound sword technique?

Gu An scratched his head and replied, "I'm not too sure myself. I learned it when I ran into a senior by chance at the Heaven Mending Platform. He said that if I mastered this sword technique, I could become the Sword Immortal of the mortal world."

Chu Jingfeng hesitated, as if he had something to say but held back.

Gu An smiled and said, "How about it? Want to learn? I'll teach you, but I only have one request: I want to see you become the old Chu Jingfeng again. I miss the confident, energetic you. Even without cultivation, you can still practice the sword. Haven't you heard the legend of someone who achieved enlightenment by focusing solely on swordsmanship, without ever cultivating qi? If others can do it, why can't you?"

Hearing this, Chu Jingfeng's expression shifted as he wrestled with himself.

In the end, he agreed.

In truth, he had never wanted to sink into despair; he just couldn't find a reason to keep going.

Now, Gu An's words struck a chord with him. Was losing his cultivation really the end? Couldn't he still practice swordsmanship?

Thus, Chu Jingfeng began to practice the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword. His speed in learning the sword moves surprised Gu An, boosting Chu Jingfeng's confidence even more.

...

Late at night.

A few miles outside Xuan Valley, Gu An crouched by a riverbank, clearing away stones. He lifted a stone slab and descended into the ground. The slab quickly closed behind him, and the surrounding stones shifted, returning the area to its untouched state.

Following the underground passage, Gu An soon arrived at the Eight Views Heavenly Cave.

A black dragon, five zhang long, emerged from the underground river and swiftly flew toward him.

As usual, Gu An pulled out a demon sheep carcass and placed it on the ground. The Sky Dragon opened its mouth and breathed out blazing flames, starting to roast the sheep.

"In two or three years, I'll take you out of here. How about that?" Gu An said, stroking Sky Dragon's head with a smile.

He planned to release Sky Dragon into the Northern Sea Mountains when he next broke through in cultivation, allowing it to survive in that environment.

Previously, Gu An had hoped Sky Dragon could learn a transformation technique, but he had been unable to find one. Instead, he had taught Sky Dragon the Demon Shadow Divine Art, but even after years of practice, it hadn't yet mastered it.

Excited by the thought of leaving, Sky Dragon stopped roasting the sheep and eagerly asked where they were going.

Gu An briefly described the Northern Sea Mountains, causing Sky Dragon to long for the journey even more.

Gu An warned it not to reveal anything about the Eight Views Heavenly Cave or their relationship. Sky Dragon promised to keep it secret.

In truth, Gu An wasn't too concerned if it were exposed. By the time he returned from the Northern Sea Mountains, he would likely have surpassed the Body Fusion Realm. Even if all of Thousand Autumn Pavilion's forces came after him, they wouldn't be able to take his Ancient Vine Tree.

Still, he trusted Sky Dragon would keep its word.

"Make sure you train diligently. I wouldn't want you to get eaten by other monsters the moment you leave," Gu An teased.

Sky Dragon lifted its head proudly. "A dragon would never be eaten by mere monsters!"

Gu An chuckled, giving its head a rub before turning to check on the Ancient Vine Tree.

This seventh-tier spiritual tree was of great importance to Gu An. Every time he visited the Eight Views Heavenly Cave, he would inspect it to ensure it wasn't facing any problems.

As he looked up at its branches, he suddenly frowned.

He had noticed one of the branches tremble slightly. It was a subtle movement, but it had definitely happened.

Sky Dragon was still preoccupied with roasting the sheep, so it wasn't responsible for the movement.

Could the tree be... gaining sentience?

The thought crossed Gu An's mind, and the more he considered it, the more likely it seemed.

This was Thousand Autumn Pavilion's sacred tree, after all. It wouldn't be surprising if it developed some strange abilities, perhaps even becoming a sentient being.

Gu An continued to watch, but the Ancient Vine Tree remained still, as if nothing had happened.

Using his divine sense, Gu An scanned the tree but found no anomalies. However, he hoped this act of surveillance would serve as a warning to the tree not to misbehave.

After staying for another half an hour, Gu An left.

While the idea of the tree gaining sentience didn't worry him, it did intrigue him.

...

The seasons passed, and two more years went by.

Gu An's lifespan had now reached 950,000 years, and he felt confident he would hit the million-year mark by the end of the year. This filled him with anticipation, giving him a lively energy all year long.

One day, Ye Lan came to visit him at Xuan Valley.

The two stood by the pavilion's window, watching the busy disciples below as they chatted.

Ye Lan brought up recent events in the cultivation world, which Gu An listened to with great interest.

A new sect had emerged called the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, and no one knew its exact location. This sect's cultivators had been relentlessly attacking demonic sects, seizing techniques, spells, and treasures, plunging the demonic path into chaos. Strangely, the righteous sects were unaffected.

Some speculated that the Ephemeral Blossom Sect was secretly backed by Tai Xuan Sect, especially since a powerful demonic cultivator in the sect wielded leaves as weapons, much like the Sword Master of the Dao.

Hearing this, Gu An frowned. Why do people keep impersonating me?

"You've told me all this, but none of it affects Tai Xuan Sect. It seems like our sect has firmly established its dominance," Gu An said with a smile.

He was genuinely happy. The more peaceful Tai Xuan Sect remained, the better. After all, he could continue to grow stronger by simply tending to his plants.

Give him fifty more years, and there probably wouldn't be anyone in the Nine Dynasties region who could surpass him.

Ye Lan thought for a moment and added, "There is one matter. A cultivator calling himself the Phantom Thief has appeared. He's somewhat of a rogue, sometimes acting righteously and sometimes wickedly. He used to rob the rich to help the poor, but as his fame grew, so did his ambition. Half a year ago, he announced that he would come to Tai Xuan Sect to steal the Mysterious Clear Tree, claiming that the sect hoarded 90% of the Tai Cang Dynasty's resources and was defying the natural order. He wants to take the tree and plant it at the edge of Tianze."

"The Mysterious Clear Tree?" Gu An's brow furrowed deeply.

That was the seventh-tier spiritual tree Tai Xuan Sect had entrusted to him, and it had already grown well. There was no way he'd let anyone steal it.

This Phantom Thief had clearly chosen the wrong path!

Still, considering his supposed righteous nature, I won't kill him. But I must teach him a lesson to prevent him from coming back.

Curious, Gu An asked, "Is this Phantom Thief strong?"

"Of course he's strong! Otherwise, how could he survive after offending so many people and stealing so many treasures?" Ye Lan rolled her eyes at Gu An.

Good point. But why am I even asking her? She doesn't even know what comes after the Divine Transformation stage.

Gu An chuckled, shifting the conversation to ask about her recent cultivation progress, checking whether she had been diligent.

Though they would eventually part ways in life, Gu An hoped to delay that moment of farewell as long as possible.

His concern, however, earned him a scolding from Ye Lan.

It turned out that she shared his sentiment. She wanted him to focus more on his cultivation and increase his lifespan.

The two bantered back and forth.

After a while, Ye Lan suddenly asked, "Senior Brother, do you know the current emperor?"

Gu An raised his brows. "Why do you ask?"

"The emperor recently implemented the Spring Festival. Starting this year, it's been celebrated across all the provinces. The customs are exactly like the Spring Festival you've been hosting for years," Ye Lan said, her expression serious.

Gu An brushed it off, saying, "I heard about it from an old man long ago. Besides, the festival has been around for so many years, it's natural that people would learn about it. It's a good tradition."

Ye Lan nodded, but she still warned him, "Lately, we've been ordered to gather more information about the emperor, Li Xuandao. Additionally, more disciples are being sent to the Cangzhou region on various missions. It seems like the sect has some plans regarding the throne."

"What do you mean? Is the sect planning to seize the throne?"

"Not exactly. The crown prince is a disciple of our sect, but he's been the crown prince for a hundred years now. Naturally, the sect wants to help him ascend."

Gu An glanced toward the forest about a hundred feet away, spotting Yang Ni watering the plants. He couldn't tell if she was eavesdropping.

They continued talking for a bit longer. Eventually, Ye Lan closed the window, hinting at wanting to discuss something more personal. She playfully nudged and teased Gu An, but he firmly reprimanded her.

Flustered and angry, Ye Lan glared at him before storming off.

Watching her retreating figure, Gu An's thoughts drifted toward the Northern Sea Mountains.

He needed to visit the Library Pavilion and find a map to prepare for his breakthrough.

I wonder what realm lies beyond the Body Fusion Realm?

Gu An headed downstairs, ready to leave for the teleportation platform. Just as he reached the door, Yang Ni intercepted him, speaking through a secret sound transmission. "Be cautious of the crown prince. If he learns of your connection with Li Ya, he will definitely come after you and plot against you."