NOVEL NEXT WORLD Chapter 321 Evil Tree
The events that took place within the Sea Breaking Rift did not spread, and just like that, a Divine Immortal of Wondrous Dharma disappeared without a trace.
Since then, Gu An distinctly felt that the number of people on the continent probing for the Sword Venerable Fudao had sharply decreased; it seemed that the master of the Broken Sea Domain had already made a choice.
If the Holy Court truly stopped scheming against Gu An, he naturally didn't bother to hold a grudge.
Living in peace was what he hoped for!
A period of peace came to the Broken Sea Domain, and despite great talents and powers continuously emerging in the world, Gu An hid within the Supreme Sect and observed the world's vicissitudes with a smile.
In the blink of an eye.
Fifty years swiftly passed.
Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley, and looking at his Attribute Panel, a smile spread across his face.
[Name: Gu An]
[Life Span: 293/470,569,402]
...
Today's harvest from the Outer World Cave had allowed him to gain nearly forty million years of life span in one go!
It was so exhilarating!
This was still the first large-scale herbal harvest from the Outer World Cave. Every year, he would plant high-rank medicinal herbs in the Outer World Cave, and the income from life span would only increase more and more!
Fifty years had gone by, and the Supreme Sect was flourishing. Nowadays, in terms of paper strength, it was one of the top Great Sects on the continent, with only the Seven Stars Spirit Realm comparable.
The Servant Disciples within the Third Medicine Valley had also been largely replaced; some left, and others came. The scene in the Medicine Valley was much the same as it was fifty years ago.
Along the way, Gu An greeted his disciples non-stop.
This scene left Ji Xiaoyu standing before the pavilion feeling somewhat dazed.
After being away for so many years, the fact that the valley remained unchanged made her feel incredibly moved.
Gu An made his way to the pavilion, sizing up Ji Xiaoyu, and smiled, "Many years have passed, yet your aura is even more impressive."
Ji Xiaoyu, dressed in green garments, still had an elegant charm. Her flowing clothes resembled a skirt, creating illusions of drifting clouds as they billowed in the wind.
She fixed Gu An with her gaze and said, "So many years have passed, and you are still at the Core Formation Realm, while I have become a Divinity Transformation Cultivator. Do you regret it?"
Regret?
How could that be possible!
Following you out, always encountering danger?
Gu An mentally complained. Over the years, he had often used his Divine Thought to keep watch over Ji Xiaoyu, and he even acted a few times to ensure she always escaped danger by a hair's breadth. He knew all too well what she had been through.
"I don't regret it at all. I've had a good time these years. As for cultivation level, slow and steady wins the race. I will condense the Nascent Soul sooner or later," Gu An replied casually.
Ji Xiaoyu scrutinized him closely, and upon confirming that he wasn't lying, a smile appeared on her face.
What she admired most was Gu An's temperament; she had never seen him angry or envious, as he always seemed to be smiling.
"Shall we talk upstairs?" Gu An asked with a smile, knowing Ji Xiaoyu had a lot to say.
For Gu An, the journeys Ji Xiaoyu had embarked upon these past years couldn't compare to the distance of a single step for him, but for her, these decades were lengthy, and he would occasionally hear her murmuring to a campfire when alone.
The Stealing the Five Elements, who had been tailing Ji Xiaoyu, had never shown up, merely escorting her in secret for a part of her journey.
Once they were upstairs in the house, Ji Xiaoyu began recounting her experiences throughout the years. Her stories were rich, with demon-slaying, thrilling adventures, and even encounters with old grudges.
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Gu An listened intently, chiming in from time to time, keeping Ji Xiaoyu's desire to share stories high.
After more than an ancient hour, Ji Xiaoyu finally finished telling her tales.
Gu An exclaimed, "How exciting, just like the stories narrated by storytellers."
Ji Xiaoyu laughed, "I obtained the inheritance left by someone from a previous life; the journey was worthwhile, but it's unknown how far I can go."
It should be the second layer of the Immortal Path.
Gu An had seen that secret realm, created by a Loose Immortal, which meant that Ji Xiaoyu's predecessor's highest cultivation realm reached the Loose Immortal Realm.
For the current Ji Xiaoyu, how formidable a Loose Immortal was, practically out of reach.
Gu An asked with a smile, "What are your plans going forward?"
Ji Xiaoyu replied, "Settle for a few decades before considering another journey."
"The ranking competition is about to begin, which is a good opportunity to enjoy the excitement. The Supreme Sect is not what it used to be, and this ranking competition will surely be lively. It's said that a Loose Immortal joined the Supreme Sect in the last couple of years; have you heard about the Loose Immortal?" As Gu An spoke of the competition, he became more talkative.
Ji Xiaoyu watched him with a slight smile on her lips.
This guy still loved to see the world bustling.
Listening to Gu An talk about the highlights of the ranking competition, along with the sounds of insects and voices from outside the window, Ji Xiaoyu's heart fell into tranquility.
Having witnessed the world's turmoil, she now felt a sense of peace inside, free of any pressure or concern.
After spending the afternoon with Ji Xiaoyu, Gu An finally left the Third Medicine Valley and headed to the Mystic Valley's Eight Scenic Caves underground.
He arrived in front of the Green Vine Tree, where a large cauldron was set up, surrounded by various instruments.
Over the past thirty years, he had been studying the art of Artifact Refining. He wasn't after creating any phenomenal Dharma Treasures, but rather, sought realizations through the process of forging.
The Dharma Treasures he had forged by now were coveted by the Supreme Sect, but he didn't hand them over to the sect, instead tossing them to the Immortal Seeking Island for sale, exchanging the Spirit Stones received for seeds and refining materials.
With a cultivation of Divine Thought Immortal status, it wasn't difficult for Gu An to forge Immortal Treasures, but creating Supreme Immortal Path Treasures was still out of reach.
Supreme Immortal Path Treasures could only be created by immensely powerful beings standing at the peak of the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Path, the crystallization of a lifetime's Dao from a major Immortal Path power.
In the entire Great Heavenly Spirit Land, forces that owned Supreme Immortal Path Treasures were territorial overlords, and those who could fully wield the power of such treasures were few and far between – at least Gu An had yet to see such individuals.
Long Zhan had one such treasure; when he reached the pinnacle of the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Path, he could suppress an entire universe with just one treasure, incredibly formidable.
Gu An had just approached the cauldron when it, along with the surrounding instruments, began to blaze with fire.
Two vines stretched from behind, beginning to massage Gu An's shoulders.
"Master, that guy, are you really not going to intervene?" The voice of the Green Vine Tree sounded, still similar to Jiang Qiong, but weaker.
Gu An replied, "It's fine; it's impossible for the other party to step foot here."
Because of the influence of Sword Venerable Fudao, the reputation of the Supreme Sect had far outshone its actual strength; thus, the upcoming ranking competition also attracted a multitude of Overseas Cultivators and Demons.
Among them was a presence that made the Green Vine Tree afraid, and Gu An had already located that presence.
It was a Shape-Shifting Tree Demon, its cultivation having reached the Wandering Immortal stage, who was currently hiding its cultivation level and joining the ranking competition as a Mahayana Cultivator.
A Wandering Immortal posed no threat to Gu An, and therefore, he didn't care.
What he did care about was another individual – someone from the Immortal Spirit Dynasty had arrived at the Supreme Sect, whose cultivation level was that of a Carefree Primordial Immortal, but had hidden it, presenting themselves merely as an ordinary Loose Immortal.
Of course, even a Loose Immortal was enough to be treated as an honored guest by the Supreme Sect.
Gu An was curious about the purpose of the Immortal Spirit Dynasty's visit.
There would be quite a show at this ranking competition.
"Master, can you subdue him?" The Green Vine Tree cautiously asked.
Gu An, thinking it was worried, grunted in affirmation.
He felt the vines on his shoulders tremble, followed by the voice of Green Vine Tree, "Then can you capture him and let me eat him?"
Gu An was taken aback and turned to look at the Green Vine Tree in surprise. It had been so afraid moments ago, and now it wanted to eat someone?
He had almost forgotten that the Green Vine Tree came from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, a Demon Path sect, so naturally, it could be an Evil Tree.
"Don't get any funny ideas, or watch out, I might eat you instead!" Gu An said, in no good mood.
The Green Vine Tree used to love eating lamb; if its murderous nature wasn't restrained, Gu An feared for his disciples' safety.
He kept the Green Vine Tree mainly for the production of the Green Vine Fruit; to him now, the Green Vine Tree was not indispensable.
Seemingly sensing Gu An's displeasure, the Green Vine Tree fell silent, and the two vines massaging his shoulders became even more careful.
The next day at noon, Gu An arrived at the Outer Gate City riding the Blood Prison Great Saint.
The city was overcrowded, and even the air was bustling with a multitude of Cultivators and Demons.
Fifty years had passed, and Gu An had even more acquaintances in the city; wherever he went, people greeted him.
He also encountered the son of Zuo Yijian, Zuo Lin, who was also Li Ya's childhood friend. Not practicing the Sword Dao, he was a genuine prodigy.
Now, Zuo Lin had completely abandoned the Sword Dao and become a modestly famous talent.
The two would meet every year, and their relationship remained strong. Zuo Lin began to complain about his father straight away.
It was once again because of Sword Venerable Fudao that he'd offended a Great Cultivator.
Day and night, he guarded the Heaven-Cutting Axe; despite this, Zuo Yijian had offended quite a few, resulting in frequent intrusions and investigations into the Zuo Family. Luckily with Sword Venerable Fudao around, no one dared make a move. Still, the Zuo Family lived in constant fear of a catastrophe befalling them.
Suddenly, Gu An thought he should probably give Zuo Yijian some advice. To be honest, he clearly saw the devotion in Zuo Yijian's attitude and felt it deserved recognition.
Hmm, he should take the opportunity to guide him, not letting Zuo Yijian's efforts go to waste.
After chatting for a while, they parted ways. Gu An, using his mind, communicated with the Blood Prison Great Saint, who changed direction.
The crowd surged, vendors on both sides shouted continuously, and Gu An rode on the back of the Blood Prison Great Saint, looking curiously at everything along the way.
This feeling was much like attending a fair.
Unlike other meetings, the ranking competition was held every hundred years, making it the most important event for the Supreme Sect and even the entire Taicang Continent, with a liveliness that couldn't be compared to any other time. The arrival of many sects also brought many new items.
After 30 minutes, the Blood Prison Great Saint stopped in front of a pavilion, and Gu An dismounted, entering a store named the Pavilion of Wonders.
Once inside the hall, his vision was filled with numerous treasures, and his gaze fell upon an individual.
[Zhang Xianwang (Carefree Primordial Immortal Realm, Level 7): 359098/700000/2500000]
Two and a half million years of ultimate life span!
Gu An estimated he had the potential to reach the Dao Void Mysterious Immortal level.
This person was the Carefree Primordial Immortal from the Immortal Spirit Dynasty, standing in front of a shelf, toying with a broken flute.
Gu An stepped forward, passing by his side.
Zhang Xianwang didn't pay him any mind, and both stood in front of the same shelf, admiring treasures.
After a while, Zhang Xianwang glanced at Gu An, and at that glance, his eyebrows suddenly raised.
"Young man, where do those gold patterns on your forehead come from?" Zhang Xianwang asked, his tone gentle and devoid of any Great Cultivator's assertiveness.
Gu An touched his forehead and smiled, "One night, when I woke up, this gold pattern had appeared. Does Daoist Friend know its origin?"