Chapter 198: Master Understands You

Late at night, the flickering candlelight in the pavilion at Xuan Valley cast a warm glow. A pot of tea simmered softly, its aroma wafting through the room. Zhen Qin sat silently on a small stool, staring absentmindedly at the teapot.

Gu An, engrossed in his writing, paused after completing a page. He leaned back to admire his work, nodding with increasing satisfaction.

"Disciple, come take a look," Gu An called out, breaking Zhen Qin's reverie.

Startled, Zhen Qin quickly stood and approached him. She took the paper he handed her and began reading attentively.

"'The Seven Great Sages…' 'Great Sage Equal to Heaven, Bull Demon King?'"

Her gaze darted toward Gu An as she asked, "Master, isn't the ox downstairs your Bull Demon King? Did you include it in your story?"

Gu An chuckled. "Why not?"

"Of course, you can," Zhen Qin replied, though her expression betrayed a trace of hesitation.

Master has this kind of talent?

She quickly reconsidered. Her master seldom cultivated, and he surely had ample time to indulge in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting.

After finishing the page, she returned it to Gu An, saying, "This is quite good. Just this segment alone feels on par with Investiture of the Gods. Master, are you planning to publish a book? If so, I hope you surpass Pan An…"

Her words trailed off as her eyes widened in shock, and she stared at Gu An with a mixture of disbelief and realization.

"Pan An… Gu An…"

Her expression turned peculiar as she hastily asked, "Master, you… you aren't Pan An, are you?"

Gu An laughed. "This is my greatest secret. I'm telling you alone. Now, can you share what's been troubling you with your master?"

Gu An had sensed her unease from the moment she arrived. She seemed burdened yet hesitant to share, so he revealed his secret identity to ease her mind.

While he already knew the truth of her troubles, he couldn't reveal that outright. She needed someone close to her to confide in.

Zhen Qin bit her lip. "I'm afraid I'll drag you down with me, Master."

"If you don't tell me and something happens, you'll not only drag me down but also become a source of regret for me. That would be truly harmful." Gu An shook his head.

Hearing this, Zhen Qin felt an immense weight lifted off her shoulders. For the first time, a smile graced her face.

At Gu An's gesture, she moved to sit on the other side of the desk and began recounting the events surrounding Su Han's death.

Gu An stood and poured her a bowl of hot tea. As he moved about, Zhen Qin's eyes followed his every step, searching for a reaction from him.

However, she found no visible change in his demeanor.

Could it be that Master has already let go of Senior Brother Su?

Zhen Qin pondered this silently. She couldn't fault her master. She owed Su Han a debt of gratitude for shielding her, but her master owed him nothing.

Gu An placed the tea before her, his calm gaze encouraging her to continue.

When she finished, he said softly, "The departed are gone. You should live according to his wishes, not inherit his hatred."

"But…"

"Think about his last words to you. Do you think he wanted you to act this way?" Gu An interrupted, his tone firm.

Zhen Qin fell silent.

Gu An continued, "Let's not even discuss whether you could defeat the Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother. This world is vast—would you spend your entire life searching for her? Focus on cultivating. Explore the world your senior brother wished to see and accomplish the things he couldn't. That would truly honor his memory.

"Fate has its own way. Your senior brother courted calamity in his life. If you inherit his power, you'll also inherit a portion of his karma. Whether you use it to accumulate virtue or perpetuate sin depends on your choices."

Zhen Qin's mind raced as she processed his words, her expression complicated.

Gu An did not press her further. He had given her guidance, but ultimately, the decision was hers to make.

Looking up at Gu An, she realized that, despite her elevated cultivation—she had already reached the Nascent Soul realm and was continuing to advance—she felt dwarfed by his presence. Her perspective of others had shifted as her power grew, but tonight, she felt a deep sense of inadequacy.

What good was cultivation if her heart was clouded?

Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Master, if I perform good deeds, will it really help Senior Brother Su?"

Gu An replied, "I can't say for certain. But it will, at the very least, bring peace to your own heart and fulfill his wishes."

Zhen Qin smiled, her usual lively and mischievous demeanor returning.

"Master, so you really are Pan An! You hid it so well. I even thought you were the author of Tai Xuan Secrets at one point!"

"Cough, nonsense. How could your master be such a person?"

Wait!

She's read Tai Xuan Secrets too? Gu An's expression grew strange. Shen Zhen's influence was truly pervasive—who knew how many people she had corrupted with that book?

Zhen Qin huffed. "You're one to talk, Master. You're the one who's always reading The Adventures of Green Hero."

"Rumors! Lies! Don't believe them!"

Master and disciple bantered back and forth, their laughter filling the room.

After some time, Gu An spoke again. "I know about the Inverse Life Divine Art. There are those who sought to pass it to me as well. I could put in a word for you, help you become a true disciple, and walk a righteous path of cultivation."

Zhen Qin was stunned, astonished by the revelation of her master's connections and opportunities.

"Master, who was that? Are they powerful?" Zhen Qin asked curiously.

"Lü Baitian, the Sect Master. What do you think?"

Zhen Qin gasped audibly. "Hiss… Doesn't this mean, Master, you'll be a Body Fusion Realm cultivator someday?"

"I didn't agree to anything, and the man has a long lifespan. He'll probably live longer than me. This isn't something we can publicize; it'll only bring trouble."

"Got it, got it. Master, I won't hide it anymore—right now, I'm a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. I've been concealing my cultivation all these years, and it's been so suffocating…"

Zhen Qin started venting her frustrations.

Gu An chuckled. "Your master understands."

"Do you really understand?"

"Well, maybe not, but your master can hit you, can't he? You're even showing off to me now!"

The master and disciple could barely hold a conversation without breaking into playful banter.

It wasn't until dawn was near that Zhen Qin finally went downstairs.

As she passed by the Blood Prison Great Sage, she squatted in front of him, stroking his head, and whispered with a sly grin, "Little Bull, I'll soon be a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. How amazing is that?"

The Blood Prison Great Sage cracked open an eye and glanced at her.

Sickening.

He'd figured it out—this upper realm was filled with nothing but lunatics.

After rambling a bit more, Zhen Qin leapt into the air and headed toward the Outer Gate City.

By midday, Gu An used his disciple token to contact Lü Baitian to help Zhen Qin officially change her status as a disciple.

Lü Baitian, intrigued by the transmission of the Inverse Life Divine Art, agreed immediately.

…

Night descended once more.

This evening, Gu An left Xuan Valley. With the Infinite Free Step beneath his feet, he moved westward, crossing mountains and plains before reaching the ocean.

Step by step!

The distance that a Wandering Immortal Realm cultivator like Gu An could traverse in one stride was unimaginable.

This time, after a hundred strides, he landed on a small continent surrounded by the vast ocean.

Standing on the sandy shore, his divine sense blanketed the land. He saw countless demonic beasts but not a single human cultivator.

This continent shouldn't be at risk of being sunk by sea monsters.

Gu An ventured into the forest. Instead of immediately searching for a place to break through, he decided to explore the island.

…

Meanwhile, in the Demon Lands.

Deep within a dimly lit cave passage, Xuan Tianyi and An Hao were making their way forward. An Hao appeared tense, frequently glancing behind them.

"Cultivators observe with their divine sense, not their eyes. Didn't Lü Baitian teach you this?"

Xuan Tianyi, walking ahead nonchalantly, posed the question without turning back.

An Hao looked at the elder's back and felt a bit more at ease.

This was Xuan Tianyi, the only publicly recognized Mahayana Realm cultivator in Tai Xuan Sect. Across the lands of the Three Dynasties, he was second only to his master in terms of human cultivation.

Following Xuan Tianyi, even in the face of danger, there should be a chance of escape.

"I can't shake the feeling that this path has been too smooth. There haven't been any demonic obstructions. It's as if they're deliberately letting us in," An Hao said, his voice low and cautious.

"Perhaps," Xuan Tianyi replied absentmindedly.

Soon, they exited the cave tunnel and arrived at a cliff edge overlooking a vast underground space. Below them lay a seething lake of molten lava, radiating blistering heat like an expansive fiery lake.

Xuan Tianyi gazed at the magma below, his face illuminated by the shifting firelight.

An Hao also peered down nervously.

"The demonic aura is so dense. Could the Fierce Demon be hiding beneath this?" An Hao whispered.

Xuan Tianyi spoke calmly. "You've been following for long enough. Why not come out now?"

The moment he spoke, An Hao was alarmed and looked around frantically.

From the distant cave walls, seven mysterious figures cloaked in demonic energy emerged, their auras malevolent and heavy.

Xuan Tianyi said softly, "I didn't mention this earlier because I was worried you'd run off and endanger yourself. Now, watch carefully. See how I deal with these skulking fools."

With that, he stepped forward, walking effortlessly through the air.

An Hao, though tense, unsheathed his sword and maintained vigilance.

…

Under the forest canopy, Gu An sat in meditation, his back against a tree trunk. He had activated his lifespan barrier and was gazing through the leaves at the crescent moon in the sky.

Tonight's weather is quite lovely!

It felt as though the heavens and earth were celebrating with him.

Gu An's lips curled upward as he opened his attribute panel.

[Name]: Gu An

[Lifespan]: 96/10,376,008

[Physique]: Mysterious Sacred Body

[Cultivation]: Wandering Immortal Realm, Ninth Layer

Over ten million years of lifespan!

Due to a failed attempt at breaking through to the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm, he needed to wait 20,000 years before trying again. Thus, he decided to gamble a portion—starting with one million years.

Fifty attempts. One gamble. What if his luck turned extraordinary?

The cultivation simulation began!

[You cultivated for 20,000 years using the Heaven and Earth Primordial Technique. With immense mastery, you attempted to break through to the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm. You faced the Heavenly Fate Great Tribulation but failed to overcome it. Breakthrough failed.]

Failed.

Failed again.

Unfazed, Gu An decided to sacrifice another two million years of his lifespan.

As expected, all attempts ended in failure.

He sacrificed another million.

Lines of identical failure messages filled the screen.

One hundred failures in total!

"Alright, fifty more tries. This time, it's got to work, right?"

More messages flashed on the panel, but none brought success. For the first time, Gu An's composure wavered.

Three million years of lifespan gone without a single breakthrough!

He stared hard at the words "Heavenly Fate Great Tribulation," wondering just how terrifying this tribulation could be.

Someday, someone has to demonstrate how to actually survive this thing. I'd love to see it in action.

Taking a deep breath, Gu An wagered another 500,000 years of his lifespan.

Failure.

Failure again.

The relentless failures began to wear on Gu An's state of mind.

Until—

[You cultivated for 380,000 years using the Heaven and Earth Primordial Technique. With immense mastery, you attempted to break through to the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm. You faced the Heavenly Fate Great Tribulation, overcame it, and successfully ascended to the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm, First Layer.]

Finally, success.