Chapter 160: You're Not Strong Enough

"Leave the Tai Xuan Sect?"

Gu An was stunned for a moment, not expecting Du Ye to approach him about this matter.

How could he possibly leave the Tai Xuan Sect?

His foundation was still here!

And where could the Ji Family possibly go if they left the Tai Xuan Sect?

Gu An frowned and asked, "Why would they want to leave?"

Du Ye replied, "It seems to have something to do with the approaching Demon Catastrophe. The family has found a place to avoid the catastrophe. In any case, the fact that they are willing to take us with them is something we should be grateful for. Be prepared. The exact departure time hasn't been set yet, but when it's time to leave, don't delay."

Gu An shook his head, "I can't leave. Tell the family I appreciate their kindness, but I intend to stay and face whatever comes with the Tai Xuan Sect."

Upon hearing this, Du Ye froze, his brows furrowing deeply.

He said sternly, "Gu An, don't forget where we come from."

"I'm sorry. The Ji Family raised me, and over the years, I've repaid that debt with medicinal herbs. But the Tai Xuan Sect has given me much that I still owe them for. I can't leave. You go ahead. I'll stay behind," Gu An said seriously.

Du Ye was furious, wanting to teach Gu An a lesson, but he held back, worried that other disciples might overhear.

"You still have time. Think it over. When the demons invade the Tai Cang Dynasty, it'll be too late to run!" Du Ye threw out this remark before turning and leaving, his face devoid of the usual cheerfulness.

Despite Du Ye's anger, Gu An actually felt a warmth in his heart. At least this showed that Du Ye cared about him; otherwise, he wouldn't bother about Gu An's survival.

But Gu An truly couldn't leave the Tai Xuan Sect.

If the Tai Xuan Sect couldn't survive the Demon Catastrophe, he could always escape then.

Given Gu An's cultivation, if he truly wanted to flee, who could stop him?

As night fell, Gu An entered the Eight Views Heavenly Cave.

Jiang Qiong was meditating beneath the Ancient Vine Tree, cultivating. In front of her, a large cauldron stood, with its flames still burning under the cauldron.

Sensing Gu An's presence, Jiang Qiong asked nonchalantly, "Why are you here again? Didn't you just come by a few days ago?"

Gu An walked over to the cauldron, gazing at the medicinal brew within. He spoke while inspecting the contents, "Today, someone from the Ji Family came to see me. They said they plan to leave the Tai Xuan Sect and asked me to prepare to leave as well."

Jiang Qiong opened her eyes, her delicate eyebrows furrowing as she asked, "Are you leaving?"

If Gu An were to leave, the Tai Xuan Sect would surely assign a new disciple to take over Xuan Valley. That wouldn't bode well for her.

Moreover, she felt a strange, inexplicable irritation rising in her heart.

"I'm not leaving. I refused. I'm just puzzled about where the Ji Family plans to go to avoid the Demon Catastrophe," Gu An sighed.

He had come to Jiang Qiong seeking answers, wondering if she knew anything.

Jiang Qiong sneered, "They're likely headed to the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. That place is a sacred land, even demons fear to enter. I heard rumors before that the Ji Family was planning to marry off Ji Xiaoya to a talented individual from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. Seems like it's true after all—they've secured themselves a powerful ally."

So it's the Seven Stars Spirit Realm!

Gu An turned to Jiang Qiong and asked, "Is the Seven Stars Spirit Realm really that powerful?"

"Of course, it's powerful. Throughout history, dynasties have risen and fallen, and wars between different races have raged, yet the Seven Stars Spirit Realm has remained untouched. Does that not make it clear how formidable they are? In many ways, they are the true rulers of this land. The people chasing me are cultivators from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm—they want the treasure I obtained before they could," Jiang Qiong said with a touch of sarcasm.

After hearing her explanation, Gu An wanted to say that if she, a Nascent Soul cultivator, could seize something from the hands of Seven Stars Spirit Realm cultivators, then perhaps they weren't as invincible as they seemed.

Jiang Qiong seemed to read his thoughts and added, "The Seven Stars Spirit Realm's foundation runs deep. They possess a world as vast as the Nine Dynasties' lands, filled with powerful clans and countless disciples. When I encountered them on the Nine Nether Path, it was a group of young disciples, all under a hundred years old, yet already at the Nascent Soul stage. The Seven Stars Spirit Realm is terrifying."

Her face showed a flicker of awe. Despite being hunted by their people, she held no thoughts of revenge—the gap in strength was just too vast.

A world as vast as the Nine Dynasties?

Gu An grew more curious about the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.

No wonder the Seven Stars Spirit Realm doesn't involve itself in the conflicts of the mortal realm. Even if humanity here were to be wiped out, the human race would still thrive elsewhere.

After discussing a few more topics, Gu An realized the more he learned, the more he feared the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.

His intuition told him that even if they survived the Demon Catastrophe, the Seven Stars Spirit Realm might trigger the next great disaster.

But Gu An wasn't in a hurry. His approach was simple: act only when fully prepared.

If they could fight, they would. If not, well, as long as the mountain stood, there would always be firewood.

"Your Third Miss is set to marry someone from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. Are you happy or sad about that?" Jiang Qiong teased suddenly.

Gu An casually replied, "The Third Miss is a true prodigy, bound to marry someone equally remarkable. Of course, I'm happy for her."

"Really? No regrets at all?" Jiang Qiong asked with a mischievous grin.

Gu An raised an eyebrow and spread his hands, "Well, perhaps some regret. I did admire her, but knowing my talent is far inferior, I had no right to pursue her. Since it's unattainable, I'll simply wish her happiness."

Jiang Qiong's smile vanished, and she snorted coldly, "It's good that you can accept it. Indeed, when status and talent don't match, feelings will only bring harm. Keep that in mind, and don't get too emotional in the future."

Gu An nodded, "There's no need for me to get emotional. There are plenty of female disciples in the valley."

"Oh? So this is why you're so reluctant to cultivate seriously?" Jiang Qiong remarked with amusement.

"What I meant was, if I wanted to find a Dao companion, it wouldn't be difficult. But I don't want to."

"Good. Dao companions are unreliable. How many have abandoned their partners in times of life and death? How many have schemed against their other half for personal gain? I hope you stay vigilant and don't get swept away by emotion. It's for your own good," Jiang Qiong said earnestly.

"Did you ever have a Dao companion?" Gu An asked curiously.

"If I had, I'd be dead by now," Jiang Qiong replied coldly.

She continued giving Gu An sincere advice, while Gu An responded playfully, asking her more questions in return.

After more than an hour, Gu An finally took his leave.

As she watched him walk away, Jiang Qiong thought to herself, "This brat doesn't even call me 'Master,' his thoughts are getting too wild."

The last traces of summer finally faded away, giving way to the arrival of autumn once more.

Gu An arrived at Tianya Valley and noticed an unfamiliar person there.

Since Lu Xian and Yi Liuyun had left, only Luo Hun and the three Demon Monkeys had remained in Tianya Valley. Out of consideration, Gu An had brought numerous books for Luo Hun, including chess sets.

Truth be told, Luo Hun didn't really mind the solitude. After all, he was a cultivator.

But since Gu An had brought these things, Luo Hun found himself easily distracted. He often cursed Gu An for being devious, but the allure of the Daoist Xunchun's tales was too much for him to resist.

As Gu An descended from the slope, he spotted a figure standing by the wooden fence.

Ji Ruolai?

Gu An was surprised. He had heard this name before—Ji Ruolai was the elder brother of Ji Xiaoya. Taken to the main family for cultivation at a young age, Gu An had never met him in person but had heard others mention him.

It seemed that Li Xuandao had successfully recruited even Ji Xiaoya's brother.

Luo Hun descended from the sky, landing beside Gu An, introducing Ji Ruolai and asking, "You've heard of him, right? After all, you're from the Ji Family too."

Gu An nodded.

The two approached Ji Ruolai from behind. The latter was staring at the flowers and plants in the valley with a dazed expression. When Luo Hun called out to him, Ji Ruolai finally snapped out of his trance.

He turned around and looked at Gu An and Luo Hun, then said, "So, you must be the Valley Master, Gu An?"

Gu An raised his hand in greeting and replied, "Greetings, Second Young Master."

Ji Ruolai waved it off, "Here in the valley, I should be addressing you as Valley Master. His Majesty has already told me that I'll be assisting you from now on."

Though the talented individuals who arrived at Tianya Valley had to assist Gu An in their capacity, they were also allowed to freely harvest the herbs they needed from the valley. Because of this arrangement, Ji Ruolai treated Gu An courteously.

However, Gu An didn't really need their help, preferring to extend them a small favor instead.

"Second Young Master, please feel free to cultivate. The trivial matters in the valley are handled by Sun Da and the others," Gu An said with a gentle smile.

Ji Ruolai nodded, engaging in some polite conversation with Gu An.

As they spoke, Gu An's spiritual sense detected an unusual cold energy lingering within Ji Ruolai's body—an eerie, ominous chill that seemed to circulate around his Golden Core.

After exchanging pleasantries for a while, Gu An excused himself, as he still had herbs to harvest.

Ji Ruolai watched Gu An's retreating figure with a thoughtful expression, while Luo Hun quickly caught up with Gu An, speaking in a low voice, "About the Tai Xuan Secrets I asked you to find, did you have any luck?"

Gu An resisted the urge to roll his eyes, lowering his voice, "I couldn't find it. That book has long since vanished. You should give it up. Isn't Daoist Xunchun's tales and The Adventures of the Green Hero enough for you?"

Luo Hun sighed in disappointment before turning and walking away.

Gu An chuckled softly to himself, wondering where Luo Hun had even heard of the Tai Xuan Secrets in the first place. He had no intention of indulging Luo Hun's idle distractions; after all, it might affect his cultivation. Gu An hadn't even bothered searching for the book in the first place.

It was all because of Shen Zhen, spreading such whimsical distractions that had disrupted the peace of the cultivation world.

Late at night, in a dilapidated temple.

With a heavy thud, a man dressed in commoner's clothes collapsed to the ground. His right leg twitched a few times before his body went completely still, lifeless.

Standing beside him was a man dressed in black—Su Han.

Su Han had just finished draining the man's spiritual power. His hands glowed as he circulated his energy, trying to balance it within his body. Judging from his deeply furrowed brows, the process was not going smoothly.

Several corpses lay scattered around them—men and women alike, all dead.

A dark mist seeped in through a hole in the roof, slowly taking the form of Ghost Mother of the Ephemeral Flower.

Under the light of the full moon, the Ghost Mother's pale, ghastly face looked even more eerie. She stood silently to the side, watching Su Han intently.

After a long while, Su Han finally opened his eyes and exhaled deeply, releasing a cloud of foul air.

The Ghost Mother spoke in a calm, eerie voice, "I've leaked your whereabouts. Within seven days, a large group of cultivators will be hunting you. I'll have the Nine Nether Thirteen Fiends hold off the stronger ones. You should use this opportunity wisely—don't let any of them escape."

Su Han nodded, then asked, "Ghost Mother, why are so many people eager to die? I have no grudge against them."

The Ghost Mother's expression didn't change as she replied, "Some want to kill you to make a name for themselves. Others do it for the Sword Sect's bounty. The real reason they hunt you is simple—you're not strong enough. They believe they can kill you."