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Chapter 82: The Struggle Between Righteousness and Demons, Protecting the Medicine Valley
🕑 Added 2024-12-16 09:18:53 +0000 UTC[Lü Baitian (Core Formation Stage Level 3): 754/1050/3200]
Core Formation Stage Level 3?
Seeing Elder Tian's cultivation soar to such heights, Gu An was deeply shocked.
He realized that he would need to keep a close eye on Elder Tian in the future. What if one day he surpasses Gu An without him noticing?
Gu An had come to understand that the higher one's cultivation, the more adept one becomes at concealing their true power. It was increasingly difficult to gauge an opponent's strength just by appearances.
In the world of cultivators, it was all about who could hide their true abilities better!
Luckily, Gu An was confident that he was hiding his strength deep enough and was prepared to continue doing so.
Elder Tian seemed to sense Gu An’s gaze and opened his eyes, glancing at him. Gu An nodded slightly before returning to his room.
With the imminent attack from the demonic path, Gu An wasn’t the least bit worried. He continued his usual routine, knowing Tai Xuan Sect was no pushover. Besides, with Elder Tian, the hidden sect master, subtly building his strength in the shadows, all Gu An had to focus on was protecting his Medicine Valley.
As the end of summer approached, the weather cooled.
Walking through the outer sect city, Gu An noticed an increase in the number of Law Enforcement Hall disciples. The city walls were also patrolled by numerous cultivators, many at the Divine Transformation Stage, and the entire city exuded a tense and foreboding atmosphere.
The demonic path was indeed making a move!
As usual, Gu An headed to the Heaven Mending Platform.
The Huangquan Demon Emperor and the Ephemeral Ghost Mother were still there, meditating like monks in deep cultivation, without any other hidden demonic entities in sight.
Gu An suspected that the Huangquan Demon Emperor might be connected to the demonic path, but he hesitated to report it. He didn’t want to involve himself in unnecessary trouble.
After all, Gu An’s goal was longevity. A thousand years from now, would Tai Xuan Sect still exist?
He had no grand ambitions for the world; he was just an ordinary person.
Scanning the area, Gu An didn’t notice any unfamiliar powerful figures, suggesting that Tai Xuan Sect had tightened control over outsiders, only allowing people to leave, but not to enter.
Afterward, Gu An went to visit Jiang Qiong.
Jiang Qiong wasn’t at her residence, and one of her servants asked him to wait in the hall.
Standing in the hall, Gu An observed his surroundings, sensing the intricate formation set up within the building. It was hidden from plain sight, but Gu An, having studied the Ziwei Formation Manual that Jiang Qiong had given him, could detect the sophisticated design.
As he continued to observe, Gu An noticed something peculiar. His expression became strange.
There was a vast space beneath this mansion, akin to the Eight Views Heavenly Cave beneath Xuan Valley!
An hour later, Jiang Qiong finally returned.
She entered the hall and, with a wave of her hand, the doors slammed shut.
Gu An stood up to greet her. She walked to the seat of honor, sat down, and said, "No need for formalities. You may sit as well."
Her face was dark, clearly troubled by something unpleasant.
Gu An took out a storage pouch from his waist and placed it on the table beside her. "This is the first batch of matured herbs. You can count them."
The herbs Jiang Qiong had requested were of high grade, so it had taken this long for the first batch to mature.
Jiang Qiong didn’t reach for the pouch. Instead, she asked, "You must have other matters to discuss, right? Otherwise, you could have sent Hu Mo to handle this."
Gu An nodded. "I’ve heard that the demonic path is planning to siege Tai Xuan Sect. Is it true?"
Jiang Qiong nodded in confirmation. "Indeed, within six months, a major war between the righteous and demonic sects will erupt. The demonic path is alarmed by Tai Xuan Sect’s growth over the years. They’ve also allied with the demon race, making it possible for them to challenge Tai Xuan Sect."
Gu An hesitated for a moment before asking, "I heard that in a hundred years, the demons beyond the Nine Dynasties will invade. Shouldn't everyone focus on cultivating and preparing for that instead of fighting among ourselves? How can they trust the demon race so easily?"
Jiang Qiong glanced at him and snorted. "Do you really think the demon race is unified? The demons beyond the Nine Dynasties aren’t the same as the ones we deal with here. When they invade, they’ll slaughter both humans and demons alike. And as for the humans—when have we ever been truly united? In fact, the more dire the situation, the more fiercely people will compete."
"The cultivation resources within the Nine Dynasties are limited. The stronger Tai Xuan Sect grows, the more it deprives other sects of resources. In reality, the so-called battle between righteousness and demons is just a struggle for resources under a noble pretext. This time, the demonic sects are accusing Tai Xuan Sect of heinous deeds. You’ll soon hear about it. When people within Tai Xuan Sect start to waver, the demonic path will strike. If they succeed, the roles of righteousness and demons will reverse. If they fail, Tai Xuan Sect will be too weakened to completely eradicate the demonic sects."
Hearing this, Gu An fell silent.
He had firsthand experience with this. Every time he broke through, he absorbed vast amounts of spiritual energy, indirectly affecting Tai Xuan Sect’s cultivation resources.
If all the spiritual energy and spirit stones of the dynasty were concentrated within one sect, the chances for the sect’s leaders to break through would increase. So even with the Great Demon Catastrophe only a hundred years away, the struggle continued.
Perhaps these high-ranking cultivators didn’t care about the rest of the world. Their primary concern was their own cultivation. If they became strong enough, they could always sail south, seeking immortal fortunes.
After some thought, Gu An asked, "What side are you on, Grand Elder?"
Jiang Qiong smiled. "I stand with the victors. You needn’t worry. I can protect this outer sect city, and with so many powerful cultivators here, the demonic path won’t attack from this direction."
Hearing this, Gu An breathed a sigh of relief and chuckled. "As long as my Medicine Valley is safe, that’s all that matters."
"Afraid now, are you? I’ve told you to cultivate more, but you never listen."
"Progress in cultivation can’t be rushed."
"Hmph, you’re just lucky to have me as your Grand Elder. Before you leave, go find Hu Mo. I’ve already told him to prepare a batch of cultivation pills for you. You’re fifty now and still haven’t formed a core. What a disgrace. Don’t tell anyone you’re my grand-disciple."
"Thank you, Grand Elder!"
Gu An said with a big smile, but inwardly, he was grumbling.
A fifty-year-old at the Body Fusion Realm, have you ever heard of that?
It would scare you to death if you knew!
After that, Gu An inquired about the highest cultivation level among the demonic path, but Jiang Qiong didn’t know. She said that if Lü Baitian were still around, the demonic sects wouldn’t dare invade. However, now that the sect master was Chu Tianqi, the outcome of a battle between the strongest from both sides would be hard to predict.
That statement made Gu An feel pity for the demonic path.
Lü Baitian wasn’t dead yet!
"By the way, Grand Elder, have you ever heard of the Huangquan Demon Emperor?" Gu An suddenly asked.
Jiang Qiong thought for a moment and shook her head. "No, why?"
"Nothing, I just read about him in a book. It said he’s powerful. Since you haven’t heard of him, I’ll drop it. I should be leaving now."
Gu An stood, saluted, and turned to leave.
Jiang Qiong watched his departing figure, lost in thought.
After his conversation with Jiang Qiong, Gu An felt less anxious about the upcoming war between righteousness and demons. Life returned to its usual peaceful rhythm.
Three months later.
As autumn drew to a close, the Third Medicine Valley was still covered with piles of fallen yellow leaves.
In the early morning, Gu An led the disciples in their daily exercises, with Elder Tian also participating. Only Gu An noticed how much stronger Elder Tian seemed.
The old man had already reached the ninth level of the Core Formation Stage.
How was he cultivating so fast? Gu An never noticed any fluctuations in spiritual energy when he was around.
After finishing the exercises, Gu An dismissed the disciples and headed toward his pavilion. Sixteen Ancient Gold-Swallowing Insects swirled around him, making it seem as if golden stars were twinkling in his wake.
As he approached the pavilion, he stopped abruptly.
Two figures were speeding toward him from the horizon—Ji Hantian, the vice sect master, and Gu Zong, one of the elders.
Elder Tian, who was inspecting the herb fields, glanced at them, but after a quick look, he turned back to his work.
Ji Hantian and Gu Zong landed and beckoned Gu An to follow them upstairs for a conversation.
Once inside, Gu Zong set up a barrier, as usual.
Bang!
Ji Hantian slammed the table, causing Gu An’s heart to skip a beat.
Damn it!
Why do you always have to slam the table?
Gu An had half a mind to use the Grand Yin-Yang Transformation, take on the form of a demon cultivator, and give Ji Hantian a good beating.
These tables and chairs were made of high-quality wood. If you break them, I’ll be heartbroken.
"Chu Tianqi has gone too far! I didn’t expect the entire Chu Family to be this rotten. Pan An, you must write a book exposing this, letting the world know. Tai Xuan Sect, as the leading orthodox sect, must be held accountable by the world!" Ji Hantian fumed.
Here we go again.
Gu An remained silent, regretting that he hadn’t taken the opportunity to get rid of Ji Hantian earlier.
Gu Zong sat down, clearly irritated. "Calm down. Don’t act like you don’t know what’s going on. I think you just want to be sect master. This time, don’t use Pan An as a pawn. He’s already a symbol for recruiting new disciples to Tai Xuan Sect. This symbol shouldn’t be used as a tool in internal power struggles."
Gu An looked at Gu Zong. Now, he was making sense.
Ji Hantian sighed. "I do want to be sect master. I believe if I take over, Tai Xuan Sect will thrive. Look at the mess Chu Tianqi has made. His people are crafting The Demon of Greed and Rage, and some even plan to sacrifice an entire outer sect city. I once thought he was the Sword Master of the Dao, so I trusted him. But now, I know he’s not. The demonic path is rising, and with all the negative rumors circulating about Chu Tianqi, Tai Xuan Sect is in grave danger!"
Crafting The Demon of Greed and Rage?
Gu An was shocked. Previously, when Chu Jingfeng had mentioned it, Gu An thought it was some external foe targeting the Chu family.
But now, it seemed there was more to the story.
Was this internal strife within the family, or a self-directed scheme?
"Chu Tianqi has truly been a disappointment. When he punished the descendants of Chu Xian, I thought he was taking a stand for justice. But now, it seems it was just self-preservation. Unfortunately, it won’t be easy to bring him down. Many in the elders' council owe their positions to him, and his ties to the Daotian Sect are strong," Gu Zong said, shaking his head.
At this point, Gu An was utterly confused.
What game were these two playing?
Why were they discussing such matters with him, a mere outer sect disciple?
Perhaps they were putting on a show, trying to stir his emotions and make him willingly expose Tai Xuan Sect’s secrets.
The two continued to lambast Chu Tianqi, revealing all his wrongdoings. The more Gu An listened, the angrier he became.
If Chu Tianqi was truly guilty of these atrocities, he deserved to be damned.
But Gu An remained calm, refusing to be swayed.
Gu Zong turned to Gu An and said, "Tai Xuan Sect is facing a crisis. Your Third Medicine Valley has produced a great quantity of herbs, and it must be protected. We plan to send fifty Core Formation cultivators to guard the valley. What do you think?"
Ji Hantian added, "The Gu Family and the Ji Family will each send twenty-five. Ji Xiaoya will be among them. She can help protect the valley and also stay away from the major battles."
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