Chapter 152: Master, Save Me!
After chatting with Xuanmiao Zhenren for a while, Gu An asked him to lead the way to the herb garden.
Xuanmiao Zhenren had cultivated a large herb garden at the foot of the mountain, watched over by a few small demons. Gu An began picking the ripe herbs while explaining various profound truths to Xuanmiao Zhenren.
Xuanmiao Zhenren listened attentively to every word the Mountain God said, believing each sentence to carry deep truths about the Dao.
After harvesting, Gu An only took half of the herbs, leaving the other half for Xuanmiao Zhenren to use for alchemy and cultivation.
Even though this wasn't the first time, Xuanmiao Zhenren still felt deeply moved every time it happened.
Though he was supposed to be a servant, bound to serve for life, in reality, he was cultivating at the feet of the Mountain God—a tremendous fortune!
Xuanmiao Zhenren felt that the Mountain God had some important mission to pass down to him because Gu An once said: "When heaven is about to bestow a great responsibility upon a man, it first tests his resolve, exhausts his body, starves him, depletes his resources, and thwarts his plans."
The herb cultivation, Xuanmiao Zhenren believed, wasn't something the Mountain God needed—it was likely a trial to temper his character.
He had a bold guess about the mission the Mountain God might give him. Every time he thought about it, his heart raced, and he tried hard not to dwell on it.
…
For now, the herb garden at the Mountain God Temple hadn't become a stable source of lifespan for Gu An. His main sources of lifespan came from Xuan Valley, Eight Views Heavenly Cave, The Third Medicine Valley, Tianya Valley, and Nian Chu Cave Residence. These places gave him close to 200,000 years of lifespan every year, though sometimes with fluctuations.
His lifespan had already exceeded 5.6 million years, and if all went well, he estimated that in twenty years, he would reach 10 million years.
The Great Demon Catastrophe was unlikely to occur within twenty years. According to Tai Xuan Sect's internal estimates, it would be at least fifty years before the calamity struck.
After returning to Xuan Valley, Gu An continued living as an ordinary disciple.
It was worth mentioning that Gu Zong had already promoted Gu An to an inner disciple, but Gu An still preferred to wander around the outer cities.
He had many friends in the outer gates, and he was someone who valued old friendships.
And so, another year passed.
Summer arrived.
Gu An was in his study in Xuan Valley, practicing calligraphy. While practicing, he was also pondering the advanced formations in the Ziwei Formation Manual.
Suddenly, Lu Jiujia came to visit. Hearing the knock, Gu An invited him in.
Closing the door behind him, Lu Jiujia approached the desk and said, "Senior Brother, I've found some information about Wu Xin."
Wu Xin, Gu An's junior brother, had once been a spy from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion. Though he had long since left, he had left behind the Dao Yan Technique.
Gu An, without lifting his eyes, continued staring at the paper, "Go on."
Lu Jiujia immediately said, "After the Ephemeral Blossom Sect was destroyed, the Thousand Autumn Pavilion disbanded. I thought Wu Xin had perished, but recently I heard that a young monk calling himself Wu Xin had appeared under the Emperor's command. This monk is ruthless, and single-handedly slaughtered nine thousand soldiers of the Han Lu Dynasty, refining their heads into a magical artifact. This event has caused a huge uproar in the cultivation world. The Emperor, in his quest to unify the land, has employed many demonic cultivators and ghost cultivators without regard for moral principles."
After listening, Gu An sighed inwardly at how much stronger Wu Xin had become.
As for Wu Xin's actions, Gu An felt it was not his place to comment.
It was worth noting that the Nine Dynasties' cultivation world had tacitly allowed Li Xuandao's ambitions. While the Emperor's wars for unification were underway, all sides had agreed that cultivation sects should remain uninvolved, or at least that conflicts between dynasties should not escalate to involve sects.
Of course, while those were the official rules, Tai Xuan Sect would quietly support Li Xuandao, and Han Lu Dynasty's sects would assist their own rulers.
All cultivators within the Nine Dynasties hoped that the dynasty to unify the world would be the one they belonged to.
Lu Jiujia lamented, "Wu Xin's power now rivals that of the Core Formation Realm. With his talents, he shouldn't have grown this powerful. He must have practiced some demonic arts. Senior Brother, be careful if you encounter him in the future."
Lu Jiujia, having once fallen into demonic cultivation himself, knew all too well the descent into the demonic path—where one would resort to any means to gain power. In that state, only one's self-interest mattered.
Gu An nodded and said, "Don't worry. I rarely leave the confines of Tai Xuan Sect. He wouldn't dare come here."
The Tai Xuan Sect was thriving, especially after the Golden Ranking Tournament and the success of Pan An's works, which had attracted more and more disciples, as well as powerful rogue cultivators. Every year, Tai Xuan Sect's strength increased noticeably.
The most obvious sign was that Gu An rarely saw demonic cultivators infiltrating Tai Xuan Sect anymore.
After reporting the matter, Lu Jiujia took his leave, not wanting to disturb Gu An further.
Gu An resumed practicing calligraphy. He was already thinking that in his next book, he could showcase his penmanship.
Such elegant script—how could it be hidden away for only personal enjoyment?
"I may not be a cultivation genius, but I'm certainly a calligraphy genius!" Gu An praised himself inwardly, his mood lightening as he continued.
But then—
Suddenly, he felt someone calling out to him. At first, he thought it was Xuanmiao Zhenren, but when he extended his divine sense, he saw Xuanmiao Zhenren deep in meditation.
Upon closer examination, he realized that the call wasn't directed toward the Mountain God.
Instead, the plea was: "Master, save me!"
Hmm?
…
Beneath the blue sky and white clouds, several hundred cultivators floated among the mountains, their gazes fixed on a particular mountain wall, attacking it with continuous spells.
No matter how much spiritual energy they unleashed, the wall stood firm. Each time it was struck, a faint green light would flash, deflecting the attacks.
An elderly man flew over to a purple-robed youth, the only person not attacking. In a deep voice, he said, "Your Highness, the restriction here is far too strong. Even I, at the Void Crossing Realm, cannot break through it!"
The purple-robed youth was none other than Prince Si Zong of the Tian Wei Dynasty, a cultivator at the first level of the Divine Transformation Realm.
Si Zong's expression remained indifferent as he replied, "Keep attacking. Even if we can't break through, we need to shake that brat up a bit. My master will be here soon. And send out a group to spread out—don't let that kid escape. He's the Golden Ranking Champion of Tai Xuan Sect. If he slips away now, he'll be hard to catch again. Once he's grown stronger, he'll be a great threat to Tian Wei."
"Understood!"
The old man immediately obeyed and flew off.
Meanwhile…
Deep inside the mountain wall, through a winding tunnel, there was a spacious chamber where An Hao sat cross-legged, healing his injuries. Beside him stood a young woman in a luxurious yellow dress with a delicate and pretty face.
"Hey, my second brother's master is at the Profound Heart Realm and is the Grand Elder of the Tian Wei Dynasty's first sect, Zhu Tian Peak. Whatever he desires, he will get. You'd better open the gates, let him in, and apologize. I'll speak on your behalf to my second brother," the young woman, Si Yan'er, said.
She was the princess of Tian Wei, but at this moment, she was bound by a talisman on her shoulder, immobilizing her.
An Hao remained silent, ignoring her as he continued healing. His face was pale, and he knew his situation was dire.
He had little hope of escaping alive.
As he cultivated, his mind couldn't help but wander to thoughts of his master.
He had never known his master's true identity, even though he had long suspected that the one he called master was none other than the famed Sword Master of Dao.
No one in Tai Xuan Sect knew Sword Master of Dao's true identity—not even his second master, Lü Baitian.
This mystery made An Hao even more determined to train hard.
His master was stronger than the entire Tai Xuan Sect. If he didn't cultivate diligently, how could he make his master proud?
An Hao felt both frustration and a strange desire in his heart.
He wanted his master to come and save him in this moment of danger.
Though Si Zong's Divine Transformation cultivation was already a threat, the real problem was that he had summoned so many high-level cultivators.
This left An Hao feeling both helpless and enraged.
He, too, had powerful connections!
If only his master could come, Si Zong could summon all the help he wanted—it wouldn't make a difference.
Si Yan'er's incessant talking grated on his nerves, and he couldn't help but open his eyes, glaring at her. He snapped, "If you keep talking, I'll strip you down and have my way with you before we die!"
Upon hearing this, Si Yan'er's face turned pale with fright. She immediately shut her mouth, her big eyes filled with both fear and indignation as she stared at him, but she dared not utter another word.
Cough, cough…
An Hao, still agitated, felt a surge of blood rising within him. He began coughing violently but, unwilling to show weakness, swallowed the blood back down.
After a moment, he calmed himself and resumed cultivating, trying to suppress the injuries that tormented his body.
About an hour later.
Si Yan'er couldn't contain herself any longer and asked, "Hey, An Hao, do you think that statue might be the one of the ancient master who built this cave?"
She gestured toward a stone statue in the middle of the cave chamber—a depiction of an old man standing on the back of a turtle, holding a wooden staff, and slightly hunched over with a kind and gentle face. The statue, though made of stone, gave off an eerie lifelike aura, as though it could come to life at any moment.
An Hao, eyes still closed, replied indifferently, "Perhaps."
But an idea struck him. His eyes opened abruptly, and he quickly stood up, making his way toward the statue.
He began circling it, inspecting every detail.
"What is it? Did you discover something?" Si Yan'er asked, her curiosity piqued.
An Hao didn't answer her, continuing his examination of the statue in silence.
Just then—
An overwhelming pressure suddenly descended upon the cave, causing An Hao to freeze in place. His expression changed drastically. Si Yan'er, too, was visibly startled, her face growing even paler than before.
Outside, the voice of Si Zong rang out with excitement, "Master! You've finally arrived!"
The next moment, another voice, cold and indifferent, echoed through the air. "I didn't expect to find an ancient master's cave here. Stand aside."
An Hao's face darkened even more. He could feel the oppressive might of a Profound Heart Realm expert enveloping the cave.
Si Yan'er, sensing his fear, couldn't help but mock him. "You're doomed now! Better release me quickly, or you'll die for sure when they break through the barrier!"
Rumble—
The cave began to shake violently. Stones and dust fell from above as if the entire cave would collapse at any moment.
The terrifying spiritual pressure of a Profound Heart Realm cultivator seeped into the cave, causing An Hao's heart to race, his palms to sweat.
He knew it now: even though his talents were extraordinary, there was no way he could stand against a Profound Heart Realm expert!
It wasn't just fear—An Hao now felt powerless, unable to come up with any solution. His fists clenched tightly, and all he could think of was one name: Master.
"Dammit…"
"Master… save me…" An Hao muttered under his breath, barely audible but full of desperation.
Si Yan'er, hearing his plea, broke into laughter. "Your master? Isn't your master Lü Baitian, the leader of Tai Xuan Sect? From what I've heard, he's only at the Body Fusion Realm. He's no match for my brother's master. And Tai Xuan Sect is far away—you'll die long before anyone arrives to help!"
An Hao shot her a vicious glare and growled, "The one I'm calling isn't Lü Baitian!"
Si Yan'er pouted, raising an eyebrow. "What? Do you mean to tell me you've got a Profound Heart Realm master? Ha! Even if you did, no one could save you now!"
"I…" An Hao hesitated. He had promised his master he would never reveal his existence. Even now, he wasn't sure how to explain.
Suddenly—
A hand landed gently on An Hao's shoulder, startling him. His entire body froze in place.
Before he could react further, he heard a familiar voice that instantly brought tears to his eyes, "Silly disciple, it's only been a few years, and you're already crying for me to save you?"
An Hao's eyes widened in shock, disbelief flooding his entire being. His heart raced as he turned his head slowly, only to see the figure of his master, standing calmly behind him, as if he had always been there.
Gu An, his master, had arrived.
The pressure An Hao had felt earlier vanished in an instant, replaced by a feeling of safety so overwhelming that he could barely contain himself. His eyes reddened, tears threatening to fall.
"Master…" An Hao whispered, his voice trembling with emotion.
At this moment, Si Yan'er, still bound and unable to move, was utterly stunned. She had expected An Hao to be bluffing. But now, she saw with her own eyes that a mysterious figure had appeared—an enigmatic, calm figure who radiated an air of absolute power.
Gu An patted An Hao's shoulder and smiled. "Don't worry, your master is here now."
The warmth and reassurance in his voice soothed An Hao's nerves like nothing else could.
Outside the cave, the Profound Heart Realm expert, Si Zong's master, suddenly stiffened. He sensed something—or rather, someone—inside the cave who shouldn't be there. A presence that was not inferior to his own, perhaps even stronger.
"Who's in there?" the expert demanded, his voice echoing throughout the mountains.
Gu An glanced upward, his expression still serene, and said softly to An Hao, "Stand back, disciple. Let me handle this."