Chapter 126: The Immortal King’s Crown, the Evil Emperor
Gu An cast Lifespan Investigation at the thirteen figures moving through the forest, discovering that all of them were in the Body Fusion Realm, Third Layer, and shared the same last name—Li.
This brought to mind the notorious Nine Nether Thirteen Li's who had once stirred the cultivation world.
What are they doing at the Tai Xuan Sect?
The Gold List Tournament was still years away.
Seeing that their speed wasn't fast, Gu An decided not to intervene immediately, choosing instead to observe their intentions.
The large coffin they carried caught his attention. Probing it with his divine sense, he found a skeleton inside. It emitted an eerie sensation, and atop the skull rested a dark golden crown. Though the gemstones were missing, leaving behind empty sockets, the crown still radiated an extraordinary aura.
After half an incense stick of time, the thirteen figures came to a halt. The leader, Li Shouyou, turned around and gestured for the four carrying the coffin to lower it. They carefully began to open the lid.
Just as the lid started to shift, a hand suddenly pressed down on it.
The thirteen figures turned to look at the coffin's end, where Gu An stood, shrouded in dark purple demonic energy. His right hand was firmly placed on the coffin lid.
A heavy silence settled over the forest.
The thirteen didn't flee, nor did they attack. The other twelve simply turned their gaze toward Li Shouyou.
They were cloaked entirely in black, like shadows, their true faces hidden, making it impossible to discern their emotions.
Li Shouyou nodded slightly, and then, to Gu An's surprise, knelt down. The rest followed suit.
"Nine Nether Thirteen Li's pay their respects to Sword Master of the Dao!" Li Shouyou spoke, his voice calm but clear.
Gu An was stunned—so they came specifically to find me?
No wonder their actions seemed strange, not like invaders at all.
Gu An asked, "Give me one good reason not to obliterate you."
These thirteen were likely ghost cultivators, shrouded in ghostly energy, though they still possessed human blood and vitality.
Li Shouyou replied, "We are the Nine Nether Thirteen Li's, sent by the Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother to present the Immortal King's Crown to you, Sword Master of the Dao, to aid in your return to the land of immortals!"
The Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother?
Gu An was even more surprised. The Ghost Mother's cultivation was a small realm lower than the Thirteen Li's—how could she command them?
"Why?" Gu An inquired.
He didn't feel any hostility from the group, which suggested they might not be lying.
Li Shouyou explained, "The Ghost Mother has studied your sword intent for years at the Tai Xuan Sect and believes you have mastered the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword. This sword art was propagated by the imperial family of the Tai Cang Dynasty, the Li family. However, it did not originate from the Li family's ancestor but from the Immortal King of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, who was the Ghost Mother's ancestor."
"Thus, the Ghost Mother came to the Tai Cang Dynasty, hoping to find her ancestor's legacy before the Ephemeral Blossom Sect annihilates the dynasty. Two hundred years ago, she sought the sword's inheritor, but the Li family descendants were too mediocre to comprehend the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword, so the Ghost Mother had to remain in hiding."
Gu An's Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword had indeed come from the Li family, though he hadn't expected the Li family ancestor to be connected to the Ephemeral Blossom Sect.
"Does your Ghost Mother wish to claim the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword?" Gu An asked.
Li Shouyou answered, "The Ghost Mother wishes for you to return to the Ephemeral Blossom Sect and reclaim the sect master's position using the sword's intent."
Gu An fell silent.
What kind of ploy is this?
Using one power to eliminate another?
With a single push, Gu An slid the coffin lid open. He found the coffin quite sturdy, containing various layers of complex restrictions, likely making it a magical artifact in itself.
His gaze returned to the skeleton within. Though lifeless, the remains felt sinister. To be safe, he cast Lifespan Investigation on the skeleton.
[Evil Emperor (Mahayana Realm, Fifth Layer): 7600/9999/9999]
Good heavens!
It's still alive?
And its lifespan matched An Hao's!
Gu An kept his expression neutral, leaping onto the edge of the coffin to peer down at the Evil Emperor's skeleton.
The Nine Nether Thirteen Li's remained kneeling, silent as ever.
Gu An's eyes suddenly gleamed with a cold light.
Boom!
In an instant, the Evil Emperor's skeleton shattered into dust, leaving only the Immortal King's Crown lying within the coffin. The bottom of the coffin had been pierced by the Path-Crushing Divine Light as well.
The Nine Nether Thirteen Li's lifted their heads, glanced briefly, and then lowered them again.
A notification appeared before Gu An:
[You have successfully claimed 320 years of lifespan from the Evil Emperor (Mahayana Realm, Fifth Layer).]
Gu An let out a quiet breath of relief.
Damn!
That nearly scared me to death!
Who would have thought that skeleton was still alive, and at the Mahayana Realm, Fifth Layer!
In that moment, Gu An imagined countless possibilities, even believing he had just saved the world from a potential catastrophe.
The Evil Emperor—just hearing the name tells you he's bad news.
And hiding in a coffin, clearly planning some world-shattering scheme.
Gu An raised his hand, lifting the Immortal King's Crown with his spiritual energy. He was careful not to touch it directly, using his spiritual power to keep it at a distance.
He turned to Li Shouyou and asked, "Do you know of the Evil Emperor?"
Li Shouyou hesitated, then replied, "Indeed. This is the Evil Emperor's skeleton. Five thousand years ago, there was an internal conflict within the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. The Evil Emperor was betrayed by his own men and poisoned, unable to gather his spiritual energy. In desperation, he donned the Immortal King's Crown, only to have his life force drained instantly, leaving behind only a skeleton. Since then, the crown has been considered a cursed object, and no one has dared to touch it."
"Then why did you bring it to me?" Gu An's voice grew cold, radiating a murderous intent.
Li Shouyou remained calm. "If one masters the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword, the Immortal King's Crown will recognize its sword intent and submit to its wielder. After all, the creator of the crown was also the creator of the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword."
Gu An continued, "And what is the relationship between the Ghost Mother and the Evil Emperor?"
"The Ghost Mother is a descendant of the Evil Emperor."
"Then why would she send her ancestor's remains to me? Isn't she afraid of offending her own bloodline?"
"The Ghost Mother despises her bloodline. When she was young, her father used her as a sacrifice to create an evil ghost. That's why she sought out the Li family's descendants, who have no connection to her bloodline. The Li family ancestor was merely a disciple of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. The Ghost Mother hopes that the one who inherits the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword will take the sect master's position and avenge her."
"And how were you so sure you would find me?"
"The Ghost Mother predicted that if we approached the Outer Sect City where the Heaven Mending Platform is located, even if we concealed our cultivation, you would detect us due to the vast difference in our power."
The Nine Nether Thirteen Li's indeed had a powerful aura-concealing technique, one that only Gu An could have seen through.
So far, they had not revealed the slightest hint of their presence.
Gu An continued to ask questions, which Li Shouyou answered one by one.
After an incense stick of time, Gu An finally spoke. "I'll keep the Immortal King's Crown. You may leave."
Li Shouyou produced a small flute from his sleeve and said, "This is the Nine Nether Flute. As long as you play it, we will come at once and follow your commands. From now on, you are the rightful sect master of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, at least in our eyes."
Gu An took the flute, scanned it with his divine sense to ensure it wasn't a tracking or spying tool, and then stored it in his bag.
He leaped down from the coffin, signaling for the Nine Nether Thirteen Li's to depart.
They bowed deeply, then lifted the coffin and left in silence.
Gu An didn't return to Xuan Valley right away. Instead, he sat down under a tree to meditate, placing the Immortal King's Crown in front of him.
According to Li Shouyou, tens of thousands of years ago, there had been an immortal dynasty where everyone could cultivate. The ruler wasn't called an emperor but an Immortal King, who governed the land's immortals. However, the dynasty eventually faced calamities: constant disasters, cultivators falling to heart demons, and plagues ravaging the land. In just ten years, the once-great dynasty collapsed.
The Immortal King survived, but his kingdom was no more. He no longer dared to call himself an immortal, fearing heavenly wrath.
Generations later, his descendants founded the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. One of the sect masters created the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword, whose sword intent shook the heavens and brought a tribulation upon him, thus giving the sword its name. The sect master believed he had reached the same realm as his ancestor, the Immortal King, but he still could not attain immortality. As his end drew near, he poured his cultivation into forging the Immortal King's Crown, which contained the power of the Immortal King. But every subsequent sect master who tried to harness its power met with misfortune.
Gu An used his divine sense to probe the Immortal King's Crown, but even with his cultivation at the Ninth Layer of the Mahayana Realm, he couldn't penetrate its mysteries.
He dared not test it with his own sword intent. Even if Li Shouyou had told the truth, the method might not work, and no one had ever succeeded before.
After considering his options, Gu An decided the crown was too dangerous to keep near him.
He stood, using the Infinite Free Step to swiftly reach the mountains of the Northern Sea.
Diving to the bottom of the sea, he buried the crown and the flute deep in the mud and sealed them with layers of restrictions.
Once I've advanced several more realms, I'll return and study them again.
For now, Gu An had no need to rely on the crown's power.
With that settled, Gu An quickly returned to Xuan Valley to continue celebrating the festival with his disciples.
…
After the Nine Nether Thirteen Li's left, Gu An's life returned to normal. No one disturbed him again.
Three years passed swiftly.
Gu An turned seventy.
That day, in Tianya Valley.
Gu An had just finished harvesting herbs and was in a good mood. He personally delivered the herbs to the storehouse.
As he stepped outside, he saw Lü Xian approaching.
Upon seeing Gu An, Lü Xian's expression turned slightly awkward.
Since Gu An had defeated him, Lü Xian had thrown himself into cultivation, his strength growing rapidly. He was now at the Sixth Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm.
Ninety-nine years old and already at the Sixth Layer of the Nascent Soul Realm—an impressive feat!
However, Lü Xian felt a sense of defeat. Despite consuming countless pills, he had failed to reach the Divine Transformation Realm before turning one hundred.
"Are you participating in the Gold List Tournament?" Lü Xian asked as he approached.
Gu An smiled. "Why would I? With my talent, I'd just embarrass myself."
Lü Xian's mouth twitched. Taking a deep breath, he said, "I plan to participate. Three years ago, one night, I suddenly felt a great weight lift off my shoulders. These past three years, I haven't been plagued by heart demons or nightmares, so I figured I'd enter the tournament to relax."
"Relax?"
Other people are probably in for a hard time.
Gu An silently mocked, while also sensing the remnants of a soul inside Lü Xian's body.
Huh?
One soul is missing. It used to be seven remnants; now there are only six.
Three years ago, at night…
Gu An's mind raced, thinking of the Evil Emperor.
Could the Evil Emperor have left a remnant soul inside Lü Xian as well?
That doesn't make sense.
What connection could there be between Lü Xian and the Evil Emperor?
The Evil Emperor was a long-dead sect master of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, and Lü Xian is the son of Lü Baitian…
Wait!
Could Lü Baitian have ties to the Ephemeral Blossom Sect?