Chapter 225: The Hidden Paradise

Jiang Qiong gave a brief introduction to the power of the Blood Domain Soul-Suppressing Tower. She explained that the tower could imprison enemies, trapping them in an endless maze of torment. Once inside, escape was nearly impossible, as the blood flames within constantly burned the trapped souls. For disembodied spirits, survival was utterly hopeless.

According to Mysterious Divine Celestial Spirit, the Blood Domain Soul-Suppressing Tower ranked among the top three treasures within The Mysterious Divine City. This was also why the cultivators of the Seven Star Spirit Realm had been searching so fervently for it.

Most treasures in The Mysterious Divine City had been acquired through plunder—either by its former owner killing enemies and taking their treasures or from the remains of adventurers who perished there. The Blood Domain Soul-Suppressing Tower was particularly renowned, having long been a legendary supreme Immortal Treasure in the vast oceans.

Gu An exclaimed in awe every so often, which brought a pleased smile to Jiang Qiong's face.

Though Gu An's naïve reactions might seem unsophisticated to others, Jiang Qiong found them endearing. In other places, her cultivation level was negligible, but in Gu An's eyes, she was a revered cultivator.

While many people dismissed her worth, as long as Gu An admired her, it was enough.

Jiang Qiong began recounting her past years, including how she founded the Gathering Flower Sect. Gu An listened attentively, captivated. Despite having occasionally used his divine sense to observe Jiang Qiong's experiences, hearing her recount them herself was much more engaging.

The night passed quickly.

By noon the next day, Gu An leaped out of the medicinal cauldron and hurriedly dressed.

Jiang Qiong approached, scrutinizing him with a curious look before clicking her tongue. "Not bad. I didn't expect your absorption rate to be this fast."

Gu An carefully regulated his qi and blood, ensuring no anomalies would give away his hidden strength. He replied earnestly, "Thank you!"

Jiang Qiong thought to herself, This brat still refuses to call me 'master.' She would have been annoyed in the past, but now she found herself oddly pleased.

With her chin raised, she said, "Focus on practicing your swordsmanship. Your aptitude for the sword is exceptional. As for your cultivation level, I'll figure out a way to help you improve."

"This… seems a bit too much. You should keep those resources for yourself. Giving them to me would just be a waste," Gu An replied, genuinely touched by her concern.

Her intentions alone meant a lot to him. There was no need for her to follow through.

If strength were quantified numerically, Jiang Qiong's assistance last night had increased Gu An's combat power from one hundred billion to one hundred billion and one. While the improvement was real, that slight increase would be far more valuable in Jiang Qiong's hands.

Jiang Qiong scoffed, "Don't worry. Helping you won't hinder my cultivation."

Left with no choice, Gu An accepted her aid.

Jiang Qiong inquired about Gu An's experiences over the years. He didn't hold back, though as she listened, she began to lose patience.

"Planting herbs, planting herbs… All you ever do is plant herbs?" Jiang Qiong exclaimed, her eyes wide with frustration.

Gu An shrugged. "That's exactly it. All I do is plant herbs. Don't underestimate herb cultivation. The variety of herbs makes it a completely unique experience each time—"

He launched into a detailed and enthusiastic explanation of his planting methods and insights.

Jiang Qiong suppressed her growing irritation and forced herself to listen. Slowly, her frustration faded. Oddly enough, hearing Gu An talk about his farming life had a soothing effect, reminiscent of the carefree days of her childhood.

Time flew by.

By nightfall, Jiang Qiong bid her farewell and left.

Gu An, however, decided to remain in the Eight Views Heavenly Cave for the night, planning to leave the next morning.

Throughout the winter, the name Li Ya was on everyone's lips within the Tai Xuan Sect and beyond. Discussions about The Mysterious Divine City abounded, and Li Ya's fame spread like wildfire across the cultivation world. His renown even overshadowed the Sword Master of Dao and Gu An's other monikers, such as Pan An.

Many believed that with The Mysterious Divine City under his control, Li Ya was destined to ascend to immortality. Given his youth, some had already crowned him the number-one genius of his generation, surpassing even An Hao.

Li Ya's meteoric rise didn't disrupt Gu An's life.

With the capture of The Mysterious Divine City, many powerful overseas cultivators departed the mainland. Some, however, chose to remain and joined various sects, with the Tai Xuan Sect attracting the most recruits.

After all, Li Ya hailed from the Tai Xuan Sect.

Now wielding The Mysterious Divine City's power, Li Ya no longer needed to wait for his future potential to bloom. Even as a current cultivator, his power surpassed that of Loose Immortals and rivaled even Wandering Immortals.

Another year passed, and the New Year arrived once again.

This year, the Tai Xuan Sect's Spring Festival was livelier than ever. Rumors circulated that the sect planned to expand southward, seeking to establish a city on a remote island with the support of the Star Sea Sect, a move guaranteed to succeed with half the effort.

After the festival, the Tai Xuan Sect began recruiting disciples for the southward expedition, offering ten thousand spots with highly favorable terms. Enthusiasm surged across the sect, with disciples from every city eagerly signing up.

Meanwhile, Gu An remained focused on his herb cultivation. Occasionally, he worried about the Seven Star Spirit Realm's next move.

The chaos surrounding The Mysterious Divine City had hit the Seven Star Spirit Realm hardest, yet they remained unusually quiet. The calmer they seemed, the more Gu An suspected they were planning something.

By March, the buzz surrounding The Mysterious Divine City began to fade within the Tai Xuan Sect.

One day, Gu An visited the Outer Gate Library Pavilion to hand over the final volume of Journey to the West.

Despite Elder Feng Shang's earnest pleas for him to stay, Gu An found an excuse to leave.

Not long after Gu An left the Library Pavilion, a figure blocked his path. It was none other than You Yingying from the Star Sea Sect, disguised as a plump man with a jovial demeanor.

"Gu An, how have you been lately?" You Yingying asked, her tone playful. She used a voice transmission technique to reveal her true identity beforehand.

Gu An smiled. "Not bad. And you?"

He couldn't understand why You Yingying always enjoyed transforming into different forms. What was the fun in it? In the Tai Xuan Sect, her reputation wasn't even significant enough to warrant such efforts.

"I'm doing alright too. Life's been dull, though. I was thinking, how about I help you out in your Medicine Valley?" You Yingying suggested.

Gu An hesitated briefly before agreeing. He led her toward the Third Medicine Valley.

Hearing this, You Yingying beamed with excitement and dragged Gu An toward her own residence, saying she needed to pack some things.

As they walked, she remarked, "Your Tai Xuan Sect produced someone like Li Ya. Your sect is bound to rise in prominence now, especially with the support of the Star Sea Sect."

Her tone was tinged with admiration. She hadn't expected someone as obscure as Li Ya to gain The Mysterious Divine City's recognition, especially in a competition with so many powerful cultivators.

Coming from the Star Sea Sect, You Yingying was well aware of how terrifying a pseudo-Immortal Treasure like The Mysterious Divine City could be. With such a treasure in hand, Li Ya was destined to become a significant figure in the seas.

"That's fantastic news," Gu An replied, feigning delight. Internally, however, he was far less impressed.

You Yingying then began recounting stories about other legendary Immortal Treasures.

For instance, the Star Sea Sect possessed the Star Sea Primordial Flag, capable of inverting the heavens and oceans within its formation, trapping anyone who entered and drawing power from the stars and sea to reshape reality.

Meanwhile, the Seven Star Spirit Realm's Seven Star Mirror was said to contain ancient powers, rendering nothing hidden under its divine light.

Gu An listened attentively, genuinely curious about such treasures.

He wondered what kind of cultivation level was necessary to craft an Immortal Treasure. Once he reached that stage, he too wanted to forge one for himself. Planning early would save him from being overwhelmed when the time came.

Five Years Later

Spring turned to autumn, and five years passed in the blink of an eye.

After The Mysterious Divine City was taken by Li Ya, the mainland enjoyed a rare era of peace. The Tai Xuan Sect successfully established its offshore city, complete with teleportation arrays connecting the outer gate to the southern sea settlement. More disciples began venturing into the sea for training, bringing back stories of the ocean's wonders to the sect.

The completion of the teleportation array made every visit to the outer gate cities an exciting experience for Gu An. New and exotic goods filled the markets, creating a lively atmosphere that felt like a bustling festival.

In early summer, Gu An arrived at Xunxian Island.

Guided by the servant boy Hu Xiaojian of the Sea Protectorate, Gu An strolled across the island, taking in its sights while listening to tales of maritime intrigue.

"Conflicts between the Star Sea Sect and the Seven Star Spirit Realm are escalating," Hu Xiaojian explained. "The Seven Star Spirit Realm has been launching relentless invasions into the Star Sea Sect's waters. Rumor has it that this all stems from an Immortal Treasure incident five years ago. Supposedly, the Seven Star Spirit Realm released an Immortal Treasure on a distant continent, sparking a frenzied competition. Ultimately, a small-time cultivator obtained it, and the Star Sea Sect brought that cultivator into their fold, enraging the Seven Star Spirit Realm."

Gu An asked, "Why would the Seven Star Spirit Realm release an Immortal Treasure like that?"

This question had puzzled Gu An for years. Even Mysterious Divine Celestial Spirit hadn't been able to provide an answer, attributing it to his own overwhelming brilliance that had confounded the Seven Star Spirit Realm cultivators, forcing them to abandon The Mysterious Divine City.

Still, from the Seven Star Spirit Realm's perspective, even if they couldn't control The Mysterious Divine City, why give other factions the opportunity to seize it?

Hu Xiaojian thought for a moment before replying, "It doesn't make much sense, does it? Maybe they needed a pretext to go to war with the Star Sea Sect? But using an Immortal Treasure as bait seems a bit excessive."

The two continued their conversation as they wandered through Xunxian Island.

Gu An wasn't worried about attracting trouble, as the surrounding cultivators were all engrossed in discussing the ongoing rivalry between the two maritime powerhouses.

Half a day later, Gu An left Xunxian Island and arrived at Tianhuang Mountain's Nian Chu Cave Residence. He brought Tian Yao'er, Tianqing, and Tianbai into the hidden paradise.

Taking out the seeds he had purchased that day, Gu An instructed the three demons to plant them. Despite not yet having fully transformed, Tianqing and Tianbai's nimble claws were already adept at sowing seeds.

While they worked, Gu An approached the cave's entrance. Using his own spiritual power, he condensed a stone tablet and carved three words into it with his sword energy:

Hidden Paradise.

The name symbolized a space completely secluded from the world.

Gu An decided he would no longer bring anyone else to reside here. This place would forever remain his secret Medicine Valley, reserved for cultivating plants that would extend his lifespan.

The seeds planted here were all seventh rank or higher, meaning no herbs had matured yet. However, Gu An wasn't impatient. He was content to wait, knowing that the first harvest would yield a massive boost to his lifespan.

Two hours later, Gu An led the three demons out of the Hidden Paradise and through a series of underground tunnels back to Nian Chu Cave Residence.

"I've prepared some transformation pills for you," Gu An said as they walked. "You should be able to transform within the next few days."

Upon hearing this, Tianqing and Tianbai's eyes lit up with joy. They rushed to Gu An's side, expressing their gratitude.

For demons, transforming could be achieved through cultivation alone. However, transformation pills greatly accelerated the process and significantly increased the chances of success. Attempting to transform without external assistance was fraught with danger; failure often resulted in death or severe injury, akin to enduring a tribulation.

"Master, what about me?" Tian Yao'er, cradling Tianbai in her arms, managed to squeeze her way to Gu An's side. She looked up at him with a pitiful expression.

"I've prepared a batch of qi and blood-enhancing pills for you," Gu An replied calmly.

The pills for Tian Yao'er were not personally refined by Gu An but purchased from Xunxian Island at great expense. They were crafted by the Purple Pill Palace, the premier alchemy sect on the seas.