Chapter 149: Uniting the World, Striking Back Against Demons Together!

"Li Xuandao!"

How did this guy inherit the power of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect?

Gu An asked, "Inherited power? What power does the Ephemeral Blossom Sect have that can be inherited?"

The Chen Serpent answered with difficulty, "The Ephemeral Blossoms scattered across the world absorb spiritual energy for the Ephemeral Blossom Spirit. The Ephemeral Blossom Spirit is an ancient being, and it can absorb the world's spiritual energy through the blossoms. Once it is integrated with a living being, all Ephemeral Blossoms will lose their life force, leaving only empty shells..."

The figure reflected in its eyes was none other than Li Xuandao, his true form clearly visible. It appeared he was communicating with someone, but there was no sound.

Gu An asked, "Were you injured trying to stop him?"

"Yes, there are Void Crossing Realm supporters behind him, but he didn't kill me..." the Chen Serpent responded.

Gu An continued, "Do you want me to kill him?"

"If possible... it'd be best to cripple his cultivation. The Ephemeral Blossom Spirit is, after all, a cursed being..."

"You should focus on recovering. Once you're healed, you can deal with him yourself. Your poison will be cleared soon."

Gu An replied casually. Whether it was true or not, how could he blindly follow the Chen Serpent's suggestion to cripple someone's cultivation at its request?

The Chen Serpent remained silent for a moment before responding, "I was presumptuous..."

Gu An then disappeared from the snake's forehead.

The Chen Serpent, despite being at the Void Crossing Realm, would be safe once the poison was removed. Even the demons of Tianhuang Mountain couldn't do anything to it.

Sensing Gu An's departure, the Chen Serpent closed its eyes, and its heavy breathing began to calm.

Meanwhile...

Back in Nian Chu Cave Residence, Gu An was surprised to find that Tian Yao'er had drunk herself into a stupor, lying face down on the table.

He picked up the jar, discovering that the entire container of wine had been drained.

This girl...

Gu An chuckled helplessly and carried Tian Yao'er to the bedroom.

"Master... Master... help me... kill the demon mother... avenge my parents..." Tian Yao'er mumbled, clinging to Gu An's neck, her hot breath brushing against his skin.

Gu An didn't tell her that the Tianhuang Demon Mother was already dead.

With a target for revenge, she would be more motivated to continue her cultivation.

...

The next day at noon, Gu An arrived at Tianya Valley.

The night before, he had sensed that Li Xuandao had returned to Tianya Valley.

From a distance, Gu An spotted Li Xuandao sitting at a stone table beneath a tree, holding a book in one hand.

[Li Xuandao (Void Crossing Realm, Stage 7): 271/1599/6050]

Void Crossing Realm, Stage 7!

His cultivation had increased again!

Most importantly, his maximum lifespan had doubled. Gu An remembered that Li Xuandao's maximum lifespan had been just over three thousand years.

Could the Ephemeral Blossom Spirit be so potent?

Gu An suddenly realized that Li Xuandao was no simple figure. Those with longer lifespans than him didn't cultivate as fast, and not even An Hao could match his speed!

The key detail was that no one knew Li Xuandao's true cultivation level. He had cultivated a unique technique that masked his true power, currently displaying only the Foundation Establishment Realm, Stage 1.

Disguising his Void Crossing Realm cultivation as Foundation Establishment Stage 1? How cautious!

As Gu An pondered this, he walked towards Li Xuandao.

"Greetings, Uncle," Gu An said as he reached him, bowing respectfully.

Li Xuandao set down the book he was reading, Investiture of the Gods, and smiled. "Gu An, you've finally arrived. I've prepared a top-tier golden core for you. Its original owner was a genius. Once your cultivation reaches Foundation Establishment, Stage 9, I'll have a great cultivator help you achieve the Core Formation Realm."

Gu An immediately bowed in gratitude.

Li Xuandao motioned for him to sit, then began speaking as if to himself, "Recently, I've been re-reading Investiture of the Gods. The insights I've gained are profound. What do you think would've happened if King Zhou had allied himself with Chan Sect from the start?"

Gu An replied, "There are no 'ifs'. Different natures lead to different choices, and many things are bound to happen. King Zhou was tyrannical, and Chan Sect likely would not have approved of his methods."

Li Xuandao shook his head. "That's too one-sided. I think there's more depth hidden in the story."

Is he obsessed with this book?

Gu An suddenly wasn't sure how to respond. He focused on sensing Li Xuandao's aura and found no trace of the Ephemeral Blossom energy.

He became even more curious about Li Xuandao's technique. His intuition told him that Li Xuandao's cultivation method was incredibly powerful—possibly even stronger than Lü Baitian's Inverse Life Divine Art.

Li Xuandao was secretly recruiting talented individuals, and he even had support from Void Crossing Realm cultivators!

Gu An was curious how Li Xuandao managed this. Was it by offering enticing benefits to noble families, or had he apprenticed under a powerful figure?

It was likely the latter. How else would a Void Crossing Realm cultivator take an emperor seriously?

Li Xuandao continued discussing his insights from Investiture of the Gods, going deeper and deeper into the character motivations.

Gu An noticed that Yi Liuyun and Lü Xian had not returned. He suspected that Li Xuandao's acquisition of the Ephemeral Blossom Spirit was linked to Lü Xian.

After a lengthy conversation, Li Xuandao finally finished speaking and allowed Gu An to leave and collect some herbs.

When Gu An was done, he returned to Li Xuandao to take his leave. Before departing, he asked out of curiosity, "Uncle, what brings you here this time?"

Li Xuandao, still reading, answered absentmindedly, "I'm waiting for Tai Xuan Sect's Grand Hall to seek me out."

Tai Xuan Sect?

Gu An was even more curious now. Had Li Xuandao already drawn in one of the three great noble families?

He didn't ask further, figuring that as long as it didn't affect him, he'd let them fight it out.

With his current cultivation, while not invincible, no one in the Nine Dynasties could threaten him.

His curiosity was mainly for entertainment.

Standing high above, watching the struggles of those below... it was surprisingly amusing.

...

After the world had calmed, Gu An's days returned to normal. He roamed between various herb valleys, occasionally visiting the outer city to meet with friends. To him, every day was enjoyable and far from dull.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, five years had passed.

That summer, Gu An turned seventy-nine. His lifespan had surpassed five million years, getting closer to his goal of ten million years.

The existence of Void Crossing Realm cultivators was no longer a secret. In fact, in the inner cities, there were even discussions about the stories of these high-level cultivators.

One day, Gu An visited the inner city and invited Wu Jue to a tavern for drinks.

Wu Jue was delighted to see him.

After drinking a jar of wine each, Wu Jue said, "Brother Gu, next month, I'm leaving. I likely won't be back for ten years."

These past years, Wu Jue's maximum lifespan had not increased, perhaps due to the peaceful life he had been living.

Gu An asked out of curiosity, "Where are you going?"

Wu Jue replied, "The current emperor has declared his ambition to unite the Nine Dynasties and gather the strength of the world to fight against the impending demon catastrophe in a few decades. My master has sent me to support him."

The Zhou family!

Five years ago, Gu An had spied on the meeting between Li Xuandao and the "Grand Hall" figure out of curiosity, only to discover that it was Wu Jue's master, Zhou Yu.

After their meeting, Li Xuandao returned to the imperial court and made the statement that shocked the world:

"Unite the World, strike back against the demons!"

Such an audacious claim even stirred controversy within Tai Xuan Sect. Yet, to everyone's surprise, Tai Xuan Sect had sent disciples to support the emperor in his endeavor.

This clearly wasn't Lü Baitian's idea. Gu An could sense a tense atmosphere in the inner sect, and it was worth noting that Lü Baitian had not sought him out in the past five years.

If Gu An hadn't used his divine sense to confirm that Lü Baitian was alive and well, currently in closed-door cultivation, he might have thought that Lü Baitian had gone mad again.

"I have a disciple named Ye Yan. He joined the army many years ago. If you encounter him, take good care of him for me," Gu An said with a smile.

Wu Jue pounded his chest and laughed, "Of course! Your disciple is my disciple."

Gu An raised his bowl, clinking it against Wu Jue's once more.

They continued chatting, and Wu Jue, in high spirits, began talking about his cultivation progress. He spoke of his further understanding of the Sunset Fist and Gale Phantom Kick, having developed even stronger techniques.

Suddenly...

Gu An's gaze shifted towards the stairwell of the second floor, where he noticed a figure approaching.

[Wei Tiangong (Profound Heart Realm, Stage 3): 3889/4500/4600]

Profound Heart Realm, Stage 3!

Gu An only glanced for a moment before retracting his gaze, curiosity building in his mind.

Who was this man?

He had lived for over 3,800 years, far longer than even the late Xuantian Ancestor, who would be considered a junior compared to this person.

Wei Tiangong was dressed in a plain green robe, holding a horsetail whisk, with a beard that extended past his chin. His hair was tied up in a topknot, giving him the appearance of a wandering Daoist. His aura was masked, making him appear no different from a cultivator at the Core Formation Realm, which failed to draw attention from other disciples in the tavern.

This type of attire was not uncommon in the cultivation world. In fact, there were two other people on the second floor with similar appearances.

Wei Tiangong scanned the room, his eyes settling on Wu Jue. He walked over with deliberate steps and, upon reaching their table, smiled warmly.

"Gentlemen, may I join you for a drink?" he asked.

Wu Jue frowned, glancing at Gu An for guidance.

Gu An smiled and replied, "Since we are all fellow cultivators, how could we refuse? Please, Daoist, have a seat."

Wei Tiangong chuckled, stroking his beard before taking a seat. "I am Wei Tiangong, not a disciple of Tai Xuan Sect, but I am currently visiting. Seeing the two of you, I felt an instant connection and thought to join you for a chat."

His words made Wu Jue's frown deepen further. Wu Jue had spent much of his life in Tai Xuan Sect, a sect that had faced numerous infiltrations and betrayals. As a result, he was naturally cautious of outsiders.

Gu An asked, "May I ask, Daoist Wei, from which sect do you hail?"

Wei Tiangong smiled knowingly and said, "I am from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. Have you heard of it?"

Gu An shook his head, while Wu Jue's expression grew increasingly impatient. "Whatever you've come to inquire about, just say it plainly. Don't interrupt our drinking."

Wei Tiangong, still smiling, reached into his sleeve and pulled out a jade slip, placing it on the table and pushing it toward Wu Jue. "I could sense from your spiritual foundation that you possess great potential. Your forehead emanates with spiritual light. I would like to invite you to join the Seven Stars Spirit Realm for cultivation."

Then, turning to Gu An, Wei Tiangong gave him a polite nod and said, "You too, young friend, have a unique aura. You are also most welcome to join us."

But Gu An merely smiled in return, maintaining his silence.

Wu Jue, on the other hand, scoffed, "Seven Stars Spirit Realm? Never heard of it. I'm not going."

Wei Tiangong continued to smile, shaking his head slightly as if amused. "Young man, you are still unaware of the value of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. People from across the Nine Dynasties would compete for the chance to enter and cultivate there, even if only for a few years."

Upon hearing this, Gu An's thoughts drifted to Ji Xiaoya, who had left for a so-called Holy Land. Could this Seven Stars Spirit Realm be one of those legendary places?

Wu Jue remained unimpressed. He sneered, "Never heard of it, and I'm not interested. I'm staying where I am."

Wei Tiangong stroked his beard, laughing lightly as if Wu Jue's response was an amusing trifle. His calm demeanor only seemed to irk Wu Jue more, who clenched his fists, his temper rising.

"Young man," Wei Tiangong said, "you may not know it, but those who enter the Seven Stars Spirit Realm gain access to unparalleled knowledge and resources, far beyond what you could imagine."

Gu An, still watching from the side, now fully understood. This Seven Stars Spirit Realm might indeed be one of those secret cultivation realms, likely a powerful force outside the Nine Dynasties. Still, he wasn't inclined to respond to the invitation. His current life, enjoying cultivation, his long lifespan, and his leisurely adventures, was exactly how he liked it. There was no need for external distractions.

Wu Jue, however, slammed his hand on the table and snapped, "I said no! Now leave us be!"

Wei Tiangong chuckled softly, clearly not offended. Instead, he stood up, retrieved the jade slip from the table, and said, "Well, perhaps you'll change your mind someday. If that happens, this slip will find its way to you again."

With that, he gave a slight bow, turned, and left the tavern without a backward glance.

As Wei Tiangong disappeared, Wu Jue still seemed riled up, grumbling under his breath, "What nonsense... Seven Stars Spirit Realm... never heard of it."

Gu An laughed, taking another sip of his drink. "It seems you attract all sorts of strange invitations."

Wu Jue huffed, shaking his head. "Who knows what he's after. Let's just forget about it and drink."

The two continued to chat, the atmosphere gradually lightening. Yet Gu An couldn't help but store this encounter in his memory. Who knew when or if they would cross paths with Wei Tiangong and the mysterious Seven Stars Spirit Realm again?

...

The world had entered a state of relative peace, and Gu An's life continued to drift by smoothly. His cultivation had steadily increased, and his lifespan had surpassed five million years. He remained calm, patiently watching the rise and fall of powers around him, waiting for the next major event that would stir the world.