Chapter 157: Different Paths, A Fall
Late at night, deep beneath Xuan Valley, inside the Eight Views Heavenly Cave.
Gu An sat under the ancient vine tree, reading a book while leaning against the main trunk. Two branches from the tree gently rested on his shoulders, lightly massaging him.
He suddenly closed the book and sat upright.
"What's wrong, Master? Did I use too much strength?" The ancient vine tree's voice sounded soft and delicate, almost pitiful.
Gu An replied, "No, I have something to take care of. I need to leave."
The tree shook slightly and hurriedly said, "Master, don't forget to bring some lamb when you return!"
Gu An waved his hand and disappeared from the spot.
In an instant, he stepped out of the Tai Xuan Sect's boundary and appeared atop a mountain peak. With autumn nearing its end, the cold night wind blew, fluttering his robes. His gaze stretched toward the distant horizon.
He sensed that Sky Dragon was in danger.
Although they hadn't formed a contract, ever since the Sky Dragon's birth, a subtle connection had developed between them. This bond was similar to the sensation he experienced when the Xuanmiao Zhenren summoned him.
Following this delicate feeling, Gu An extended his divine sense.
Soon, he locked onto a sect. His divine sense pierced through layers of barriers and entered a small world similar to the Xu Xing's Cave Heaven.
Huh?
It's Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother and the Nine Nether Thirteen Fiends!
These fellows were fighting against the great cultivators of the Gu Hao Sect!
Gu An's divine sense locked onto the Sky Dragon, and his expression turned strange.
The one fighting the Sky Dragon was none other than Su Han!
Su Han's aura was already approaching the Nascent Soul Realm, but it was unstable, as if he were on the verge of going berserk at any moment.
Despite the Sky Dragon's laziness and its aversion to cultivation, its powerful bloodline gifted it natural talent. Su Han, even with his relentless efforts, couldn't easily defeat it.
The thirty-meter-long Sky Dragon twisted its body, spitting scorching flames from its mouth. Su Han's figure darted around like a phantom, avoiding the attacks while occasionally striking back with his sword, causing the dragon's blood to splatter.
In one hand, Su Han held a bone sword, and in the other, he carried a bag, collecting the dragon's blood.
After a moment of hesitation, Gu An decided to intervene.
...
In the dim land, the Sky Dragon fled through the wild terrain, with Su Han in close pursuit, his bone sword in hand.
"Damn it... Who are you? I swear I'll never forgive you!"
The Sky Dragon roared, shaking the mountains and forests with its thunderous voice, which still carried the youthful tone of a boy.
From behind, Su Han's cold voice answered, "I am Su Han, wielder of the Heaven-Hating Divine Sword."
The Sky Dragon's eyes widened in fear. Clearly, it had heard of the Heaven-Hating Divine Sword. Terror flashed in its eyes, and it accelerated, slithering through the terrain like a slippery eel.
Su Han leaped into the air, soaring high above. He slashed down with his sword, sending seven waves of sword energy crashing down. Each of the sword shadows was trailed by several ghostly figures, their eerie forms pushing the sword with malevolent intent.
Just as the sword energy closed in, a dark purple demonic figure suddenly appeared above the Sky Dragon's head. With a simple motion, the figure crushed Su Han's sword energy from a distance.
Su Han's pupils dilated in shock.
It was him!
Su Han couldn't forget the mysterious demonic shadow that had killed his master, Zhong Liang, so he recognized it immediately.
Boom!
A terrifying divine sense struck his mind, causing him to lose consciousness and plummet into the forest below.
The Sky Dragon also succumbed to the psychic attack, its massive body crashing down with a thunderous impact, sending dust clouds billowing through the air.
Gu An appeared next to the unconscious Su Han, who lay motionless on the grass.
At that moment, Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother materialized in front of Su Han, kneeling and clasping her hands in respect. "I beg the Sect Master for forgiveness. We didn't know the Sky Dragon was under your protection!"
Her ghostly aura dissipated, revealing a pale woman beneath. Her gaze was filled with joy as she looked at Gu An.
Gu An asked coldly, "Are you Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother?"
Though he had seen her before, Sword Master of Dao had not, so he asked to confirm.
"Yes, I am Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother," she answered with reverence.
Gu An followed up, "The Gu Hao Sect is also under my protection. The Sky Dragon is their sacred beast. You are not permitted to take it."
With this statement, he made it clear that his intervention was on behalf of the Gu Hao Sect, not the Sky Dragon itself.
Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother, realizing the severity of the situation, cautiously asked, "Why do you protect both sects?"
Gu An countered, "Why have you not returned to the Nine Nether Path, given that the Ephemeral Blossom Sect has been destroyed?"
Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother sighed helplessly and said, "We wish to return, but the path to the Nine Nether Path has been blocked by cultivators from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. We had no choice but to escape back here."
The Seven Stars Spirit Realm?
Hearing this confirmed Gu An's suspicion that the upcoming demonic disaster had the backing of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
"Is this boy your disciple?" Gu An asked, his gaze shifting to Su Han.
Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother hesitated for a moment before responding, "He is not my disciple, just a pawn. With the demonic catastrophe approaching, I planned to use him as a weapon to break through the Seven Stars Spirit Realm's blockade on the Nine Nether Path."
She wanted to use Su Han to challenge the Seven Stars Spirit Realm cultivators?
Gu An couldn't help but feel a pang of sympathy for Su Han, but he had no intention of saving him.
Su Han's obsession with power had already consumed him. Even without Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother, he would have strayed down the wrong path. In Su Han's mind, he hadn't done anything wrong. He was simply trying to become stronger.
The only reason Gu An hadn't killed Su Han was that he hadn't heard of Su Han slaughtering innocent mortals. Most of the people who had died at Su Han's hands had wronged him first, and many had sought to destroy the Heaven-Hating Divine Sword, only to be killed in return.
The Heaven-Hating Divine Sword was a family heirloom for Su Han, not something Gu An had passed on to him. Their master-disciple relationship had been severed long ago. Now, Su Han's fate had nothing to do with Gu An.
Gu An was merely interested in seeing where Su Han's journey would lead.
With the Inverse Life Divine Art, Su Han could devour other cultivators' spiritual energy, an ability somewhat similar to Gu An's own life-draining technique.
But Su Han's approach was entirely different. He sought conflict wherever he went, and his reputation as a harbinger of death had spread across the land.
Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother explained the effects of the Inverse Life Divine Art, which matched the version Gu An had mastered, further confirming her honesty.
From her perspective, she had no idea that Sword Master of Dao also knew the Inverse Life Divine Art, so her words were genuine. It seemed she truly wanted to make Gu An the leader of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect.
"In our homeland, the Ephemeral Blossom Sect has stood for tens of thousands of years. The spiritual energy there far exceeds that of the Nine Dynasties. Although the sect was destroyed by the Mountain God, only the traitors who sided with Jing Tu Immortal were wiped out. The true disciples of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect still remain. If you are willing to lead us, within a thousand years, the Ephemeral Blossom Sect will surely return to its former glory," Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother said earnestly.
Gu An asked, "Just because I know the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword? Aren't you afraid I'll sacrifice all of you, just as the Ephemeral Blossom Sect did?"
"Knowing the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword is only part of it. I've spent many years within the Tai Xuan Sect, learning about your character. The fact that you could carve the word 'Righteous Dao' on the Heaven Mending Platform proves your integrity. If you were to take charge of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, you could lead us back to righteousness. The Ephemeral Blossom Tree may be a malevolent entity, but the sect was originally founded to subdue it and protect the land, establishing our lineage in the process."
As she spoke, Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother raised her right hand, producing a token.
"This is the Sect Leader's Token of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. The former leader spent years searching for it but never knew it was in my hands. With this token, you can locate all Ephemeral Blossom Sect members and the hidden sanctuaries of the sect's true disciples."
Gu An extended his hand, sending his divine sense into the token.
Immediately, he felt a powerful array of restrictions. Only a Grandmaster or higher could break them. But to him, these barriers were as weak as paper.
As his divine sense delved deeper, he felt as if he were looking down upon a vast, desolate world. There were no plants, no animals, just barren landscapes.
Through the scenes revealed by the token, Gu An saw the positions of the remaining members of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. Beyond this, the token possessed many other mysterious capabilities, including various arrays and restrictions that piqued Gu An's curiosity.
He withdrew his divine sense and calmly said, "I will take this token for now. From now on, anyone who sees this token will obey me."
Hearing this, Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother was overjoyed. She immediately bowed and thanked him.
Without another word, Gu An disappeared from the spot.
Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother quickly stood up, grabbed the unconscious Su Han, and left as well. As for the Sky Dragon, she no longer dared to touch it.
...
It was late autumn in Xuan Valley.
Gu An watched as his disciples swept away the fallen leaves in the various gardens. His divine sense, however, stretched far away, observing the ongoing war between the Tai Cang Dynasty and the Han Lu Dynasty.
Both Lu Xian and Wu Jue were participating in the battle, each showcasing their extraordinary abilities as they pushed closer and closer to the capital of Han Lu.
But Gu An's focus remained on Ye Yan, who had also emerged from Xuan Valley. After receiving guidance in spear techniques and body refinement from Luo Hun and Zhou Tongyou, Ye Yan had joined the army after achieving Foundation Establishment.
Decades had passed, and Ye Yan was now a general in the Tai Cang Dynasty, his military achievements considerable. Although he had not yet reached the Core Formation stage, his strength on the battlefield was undeniable.
After all, the majority of those who served in the army were at or below the Core Formation level. Most who advanced to Core Formation had already transcended the constraints of mortal dynasties to pursue their own path to immortality.
As Gu An watched the battlefield unfold, he felt as if he were witnessing scenes from the Investiture of the Gods. Cultivators from various sects clashed in the air, hurling spells and techniques at each other, while below, soldiers fought tooth and nail for every inch of ground.
Whenever one side's cultivators were defeated, their troops would face an overwhelming charge from the opposing army, forcing them to retreat.
Just as Gu An was engrossed in the battle, Zhen Qin flew over on her sword and landed beside him. In a hushed voice, she said, "Master, Senior Brother Su Han has been declared a fugitive by the Gu Hao Sect."
Gu An, seemingly unconcerned, replied casually, "I told you before, he's not your senior brother."
Zhen Qin pouted and said, "I know he's not officially recognized anymore, but we grew up together. How can I completely cut ties with him?"
"And what can I do about it?" Gu An responded with a faint smile.
"Master! I'm just feeling frustrated and wanted to talk to you!" Zhen Qin retorted, glaring at him.
Gu An glanced at her with a smirk. "You shouldn't be worrying about him. He's been hunted for years and yet is still alive and well. Instead, you should be more concerned about yourself. I think you've encountered more danger than he has."
He was referring to the time when Xuanmiao Zhenren had saved Zhen Qin and the other disciples from danger. Although Zhen Qin hadn't revealed the presence of the Mountain God, Ye Lan had informed Gu An about the entire incident.
Just as Zhen Qin was about to argue, she suddenly sensed something. She quickly pulled out her disciples' token from her storage bag.
Gu An did the same, retrieving his Valley Lord token. He sent his divine sense into the token and soon heard Gu Zong's voice:
"Elder Kusong has fallen while investigating the demonic regions. In three days, the entire sect will gather in the respective city temples to mourn the elder's passing!"