Chapter 159: The Rise of the Demon Tribe, Dao Monarch

Ever since the death of Elder Kusong, the impending Demon Catastrophe had drawn closer, and every night Gu An would extend his divine sense over the Nine Dynasties, constantly on guard to prevent any enemy from sneaking in undetected.

One night, as Gu An observed through his divine sense, he saw Di Xie leaving Tai Xuan Sect. Deciding to follow, he witnessed Di Xie meeting with a demon.

When Gu An heard the demon claim that it had killed Elder Kusong, his heart surged with murderous intent.

He had to avenge Elder Kusong!

Although they weren't close friends, Gu An had spent enough time with Kusong in the Library Pavilion, engaging in pleasant conversations, that the news of his death still weighed heavily on him.

Gu An didn't act immediately. He waited until the demon was far from the Tai Cang Dynasty's borders before making his move.

The Black Crow Demon Envoy landed by the river, intending to rest for a moment. He began infusing his demon power into the water, marking the territory as his own.

Before his power could even fully enter the river, a hand suddenly gripped his shoulder.

He had never experienced anything like this. Even in the Demon Realm, no creature had ever approached him unnoticed.

He instinctively tried to escape, but an overwhelming force pressed down on him, immobilizing him completely.

Fear spread across his crow-like face. Glancing sideways, he could barely make out a mysterious shadowy figure.

Gu An initially wanted to taunt the demon, but seeing how terrified it already was, he lost interest. Instead, he struck directly with a soul-piercing attack.

Soul Capture Technique!

The night was silent, broken only by the faint sound of the flowing river.

As the moon sank and the sun rose over the eastern mountains, the first light of dawn fell upon Gu An and the Black Crow Demon Envoy.

Bathed in sunlight, Gu An—clad in his Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body—appeared like a phantom, while the Black Crow Demon Envoy crouched in front of him, eyes rolled back, his body twitching.

Two full hours later, Gu An finally withdrew his divine sense. He took the storage bag and storage ring from the Black Crow Demon Envoy's body before summoning the Taiqing True Fire to incinerate the demon's remains.

In just a few breaths, the Black Crow Demon Envoy's body was reduced to nothing but a demon core and a mystical heart, which Gu An placed into his storage.

[You have successfully obtained 380 years of lifespan from the Black Crow Demon Envoy (Eighth Layer of the Profound Heart Realm).]

With his task complete, Gu An vanished from the scene.

By noon, Gu An had returned to the Third Medicine Valley.

Stepping down from the Transmission Array, he made his way toward the distant garden. Along the path, every servant disciple he passed greeted him warmly, bowing respectfully.

The number of servant disciples in the Third Medicine Valley had now reached four hundred.

Because Gu An wasn't greedy for spiritual herbs, combined with his diligent care in planting, the herb output from the Third Medicine Valley had grown substantially. Even when compared to the inner valley's production, the Third Medicine Valley ranked among the top three in the sect. This achievement earned him great satisfaction from the sect, and more servant disciples were sent to assist him.

As he walked, Gu An noticed An Xin sweeping the courtyard and waved her over.

An Xin, seeing Gu An's gesture, quickly approached and bowed respectfully.

After spending so many years in the Third Medicine Valley, An Xin had successfully reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, thanks to the pills Gu An had secretly given her. She was immensely grateful to him.

Back when An Hao and An Xin had both started training under Gu An, An Hao had already reached the third layer of the Nascent Soul Realm, while An Xin had only just stepped into the Foundation Establishment Realm. Even Gu An couldn't help but marvel at the unfairness of the heavens.

"Walk with me for a bit," Gu An said.

An Xin nodded without hesitation and followed closely behind him.

As they walked through the garden, Gu An occasionally explained the intricacies of cultivating high-level spiritual herbs, and An Xin listened attentively.

She had developed a keen interest in herb cultivation.

After half an hour, Gu An took out a manual and handed it to An Xin.

"This technique can potentially enhance your spiritual roots. Don't let anyone else know about it," Gu An whispered, glancing cautiously into the distance.

An Xin's face lit up as she received the manual. "Thank you, Master!"

After so many years of interaction, An Xin fully trusted Gu An. Like the other servant disciples, she had started referring to him as 'Master.' But unlike the others, Gu An had truly become a master figure in her heart, second only to the mysterious master who had once saved her life.

Gu An smiled, ruffling her hair before sending her off.

Watching her retreating figure, Gu An's smile lingered.

He hoped the Innate Reincarnation Technique would be of help to An Xin. Even if it didn't change her fate completely, extending her lifespan would be a small victory.

Life in the Third Medicine Valley wasn't boring. Gu An had built a Library, a Tavern, and had even bought various instruments for the disciples to enjoy.

He had also introduced chess, which had quickly become a favorite pastime.

After some time, Gu An headed towards the inner sect city. Having avenged Elder Kusong, he wanted to visit Elder Xu Lu of the Library Pavilion for a chat. Of course, he wouldn't mention what had happened earlier that morning; he simply wanted to talk.

The Black Crow Demon Envoy's memories had shown him Kusong's tragic end, and the memory weighed heavily on his heart.

Meanwhile, back at Nian Chu Cave Residence on Tianhuang Mountain, Tian Yao'er curiously watched Gu An as he planted a tree. This tree stood two meters tall, its leaves bright red, with tendrils that resembled flames.

This was a seventh-level spiritual tree, the Sun Tree, which Gu An had transplanted from Xu Xing Cave Heaven. It was still just a sapling. The trees in the Xu Xing Cave Heaven could grow to over a thousand meters tall, bearing Sun Fruits, which could strengthen one's qi and enhance perception of fire-attribute spiritual energy.

After planting the tree, Gu An nodded in satisfaction, admiring its vibrant form.

He turned to tap Tian Yao'er's forehead, snapping her out of her daze.

"Come on, I'll teach you a demon tribe technique," Gu An said.

Tian Yao'er's eyes lit up with excitement as she quickly followed after him.

Gu An had learned many spells and techniques from the Black Crow Demon Envoy's memories, and now he planned to teach Tian Yao'er the spell that allowed the demon to transform into a flock of black crows.

It didn't take long for Tian Yao'er to grasp the basics. Within an hour, she could already transform into several flame crows.

Yes, flame crows, not black ones.

Seeing her mastery of the fiery transformation, Gu An grew more certain that she possessed phoenix bloodline.

The technique was less about transformation and more about speed, though. For Tian Yao'er to fully master it, she would need a lot more time.

As he watched her practice, Gu An's thoughts drifted.

The Demon Emperor, the Demon Master, the Seventy-Two Great Demon Kings, and the soon-to-be-revived Demon Ancestor…

Even with Gu An's Nirvana Realm ninth-layer cultivation, he felt the looming pressure.

The Seventy-Two Great Demon Kings were at least in the Profound Heart Realm, with the top three reaching the Mahayana Realm. This was why the remnants of Ephemeral Blossom Sect dared not venture into the Demon-Infested Territories.

The demon tribe had not yet marched south because they were waiting for the Demon Ancestor's revival. Once revived, the Demon Ancestor would need vast amounts of blood and flesh to restore its physical form, and the Nine Dynasties were the human domain that the Demon Emperor had marked for consumption.

Of course, the Nine Dynasties were not without their protectors. Two thousand years ago, when the Demon Emperor first ventured south, a Mahayana Realm cultivator had grievously injured him, nearly killing him.

But that powerful cultivator had since sailed across the southern seas, leaving the fate of the world uncertain.

That cultivator was known as Dao Monarch, the highest figure in the Cang Tian Sect of the Great Jiang Dynasty. Though two thousand years had passed, no one knew whether the Dao Monarch was still alive.

The Great Jiang Dynasty was the strongest of the Nine Dynasties, standing tall amidst the chaos. And the Cang Tian Sect's leadership in resisting the Ephemeral Blossom Sect had solidified its status as the foremost sect in the world.

The Demon-Infested Territories were vast and mysterious. Beyond the obvious threats of the Great Demon Kings, who knew what other dangers lurked in the shadows?

This only made Gu An more eager to reach a lifespan of ten million years.

If he could, Gu An did not want to flee. He wished to remain with the Tai Xuan Sect and live on this land for as long as possible.

The death of the Black Crow Demon Envoy caused no visible ripple in the world. Meanwhile, Di Xie continued his daily practice at the Heaven Mending Platform, focusing on understanding the sword intent.

However, as time passed, the demon threats across the land grew more frequent, and the common people suffered greatly. The Tai Xuan Sect responded by dispatching more disciples to carry out demon-slaying missions. Even Ye Lan and Zhen Qin had to participate.

Since their missions remained within the boundaries of the Tai Xuan Sect, Gu An felt no particular worry for their safety.

Two years slipped by.

Gu An's lifespan had now reached over 7.4 million years, bringing him closer to the coveted 10 million year mark. Each day, he extended his divine sense to monitor the Demon-Infested Territories, wary of the Demon Catastrophe arriving sooner than expected. If it did, he was prepared to advance early.

He had already chosen the perfect place for his breakthrough: the southern seas.

One day, An Hao and Si Yan'er emerged from the Xu Xing Cave Heaven.

After exiting the mountain, the two turned back to see the cave entrance slowly disappearing, vanishing into the cliffside.

"Where is your master? I haven't seen him in all these years," Si Yan'er asked, her curiosity piqued.

An Hao replied, "My master is like a dragon: you never know where or when he'll appear. But one thing is certain: if I ever find myself in danger, he'll definitely show up to save me!"

He spoke with pride, a confident smile spreading across his face.

Si Yan'er pursed her lips, holding back the urge to mock him, though she clearly wanted to.

She couldn't forget the moment when Gu An had wiped out a Profound Heart Realm expert with a mere wave of his hand. Someone of his caliber was not to be trifled with, not even by Tian Wei Dynasty.

Just then, a figure leaped out of the forest and landed in front of the two of them. An Hao frowned, assuming it to be an ambush, and immediately readied himself for battle.

The newcomer was a man dressed in Tian Wei imperial robes. He cupped his hands and greeted them respectfully. "Your Highness, I come bearing an imperial edict from His Majesty. His Majesty has decided to betroth you to the Golden Ranking Champion, An Hao."

Hearing this, Si Yan'er's expression darkened instantly. She shouted angrily, "Has my father lost his mind? How could he even consider marrying me to this man?"

An Hao had been ready to refuse, but upon hearing her disdainful words, his mood turned foul. "What do you mean 'this man'? You think I'm not worthy of you? Well, now I've made up my mind—I will marry you!"

The two began to argue.

The imperial envoy stood off to the side, smiling as he watched them bicker.

Meanwhile, back in Tai Xuan Sect, Gu An was keeping a close eye on the situation. He didn't oppose the idea of An Hao and Si Yan'er getting married, having long observed the budding affection between them.

However, Gu An remained cautious of Tian Wei Dynasty.

If the Tian Wei Dynasty ever tried to manipulate An Hao, Gu An wouldn't hesitate to take action, even if it meant allowing the Tai Cang Dynasty to annex Tian Wei's lands.

Once the trio began their journey back, Gu An closed the Daoist Xunchun's book he had been reading.

Someone was approaching Xuan Valley.

He stood up and left the building, descending to the valley floor.

Half an hour later, Du Ye flew into the valley on his sword. From afar, he spotted Gu An and waved to him.

The valley disciples, recognizing Du Ye's familiarity with Gu An, did not attempt to stop him.

Upon landing, Du Ye stored his flying sword and pulled Gu An aside into a secluded area.

"My family has sent word. They plan to leave the Tai Xuan Sect, and the Third Lady specifically requested that you and I join them," Du Ye said in a low voice, his excitement evident.

Clearly, he was elated that the Ji Family had not forgotten about him, and he felt honored to be chosen by them.