“`
Seeing Gu An walking from the valley entrance, Wuxin hurried over.
Lu Jiujia was also practicing drills with the Servant Disciples. Now he was Wuxin’s right-hand man. He just glanced at Gu An from a distance without approaching him.
Although he had returned for several years, Lu Jiujia still dared not face Gu An. If he could avoid it, he would because he felt that he owed Gu An.
Gu An had given him so many Elixirs, but he ended up straying from the path and ultimately became a cripple. Whenever he thought about it, he felt regret.
He even felt he deserved his outcome for all the bad things he had done in the Demon Extermination Hall; it was no more than he deserved.
Gu An, on the other hand, didn’t go out of his way to enlighten Lu Jiujia, letting the young man settle and reflect on his own.
“Senior Brother, last night the Spiritual Energy subsided again. Although it wasn’t as severe as the previous times, you should still be careful when you go out lately.” Wuxin approached Gu An and reminded him.
Gu An nodded and said, “I’ve also sensed this and came back for that very reason. How’s Medicine Valley?”
“It wasn’t affected. By the way, Senior Brother, will you go watch the upcoming duel between the Mad Swordsman of Great Yu and Sword Venerable Fudao?”
“Has Sword Venerable Fudao agreed to participate?”
“Not yet. But the news has been spreading like wildfire. Surely, Sword Venerable Fudao will make an appearance, right?”
The two chatted as they walked toward the attic.
Now that Mystic Valley had recruited a new batch of Servant Disciples, these disciples would frequently glance at Gu An while practicing their drills, curious about the real Valley Master.
It was said that the Medicine Valley could produce an Outer Disciple every few years, how could they not be expectant?
After talking briefly with Wuxin, Gu An went upstairs. He planned to make a few new sets of clothes for An Hao and An Xin.
Half an Ancient Hour later, he proceeded to the Third Medicine Valley to inspect his own valley.
The Third Medicine Valley was so vast that he had to check it personally to ensure there were no oversights.
The death of a single plant meant the loss of his Life Span!
The disciples of the Third Medicine Valley were also discussing the descent of Spiritual Energy the night before, speculating various possibilities. Gu An chatted with them a bit as well.
It wasn’t until dusk that Gu An finally left.
…
The sky was a fiery red, the forests dark and mysterious.
An Hao stood on a tree branch, scanning the distance, hoping to find Gu An’s figure.
Below, with a nervous voice, An Xin asked, “Could it be that Master will not return?”
“No, he won’t. Master said he would come back, so he definitely will!” An Hao said firmly, with a resolute tone.
Truthfully, he was also uncertain but forced himself to appear calm.
Just the thought of Master potentially not returning made him feel indignant, and he really wanted to cry, but he couldn’t shed tears in front of An Xin.
His father once told him that boys could cry but should never cry in front of women.
Suddenly, a hand landed on An Xin’s head, startling her into a shriek, after which she quickly jumped away.
Hearing this, An Hao quickly turned his head and saw the figure he had been longing for all day. He was instantly overjoyed and excitedly shouted, “Master!”
He jumped down and pounced toward Gu An, hugging his waist, just like An Xin had done that morning.
An Xin, seeing clearly that it was Gu An, was also excited and rushed forward to hug him.
Although they had known each other for only two days, Gu An already held an unshakeable position in their hearts.
Gu An pushed one hand on each of their heads, pushing them away gently and said softly, “Practice well. If you’re not diligent in your training, I will leave you behind.”
“If we make a name for ourselves, will you not leave then?” An Hao asked.
Gu An took out two sets of clothes from his Storage Bag and said, “Haven’t I told you? In the future, you’ll have to go to the Supreme Sect. I cannot be with you forever. Once you are capable of protecting yourselves, I will leave.”
Upon hearing this, An Hao’s face immediately darkened, and An Xin pursed her lips, her eyes quickly reddening.
Gu An ignored their emotions, handed them the clothes, and then led them towards the river in the forest.
Half an Ancient Hour later, An Hao and An Xin had changed into new clothes and even had their hair tidied. It cannot be denied, the two looked quite impressive in their new attire, almost like celestial children; no wonder the demon had saved them for last, possibly unwilling to devour them.
Gu An decided he would accompany them every night from then on, returning to the Supreme Sect during the day.
In the surrounding thousand miles, there was no trace of any powerful demon. There were many villages and towns, so they were safe to practice there.
And so the days passed.
The month-long wait eventually came to an end.
The Outer City was packed to the brim, and even the hills outside the city walls were dotted with figures of Cultivators seated in meditation. Many disciples from the seven other Outer Cities, the four Inner Sect Cities, and the disciples from the Main City of the Sect had come to witness the match. Even disciples from other Sects had come to watch.
The Supreme Sect did not suppress the matter, resulting in the entire Immortal Cultivation World of the Taicang Dynasty discussing it.
At the South City Gate, Han Ming stood proudly with his eyes closed, the Sword Box in front of him, his hands resting on top of it as the warm breeze of the late summer rustled his garment.
On the city walls, numerous Cultivators were watching him, chatting incessantly.
“It’s uncertain whether Sword Venerable Fudao will come.”
“I think it’s better if he doesn’t. If he does, his true identity will be revealed, and he will surely face endless trouble afterwards.”
“Of course he must come. He’s so powerful, even if his true identity is uncovered, who in this world can defeat him?”
“It is said that Sword Venerable Fudao is the Sect Leader. He hasn’t shown himself because he wants to cultivate another powerful force for the Supreme Sect that can match the Sect Leader.”
“`
“I heard that the Mad Swordsman of Great Yu has surpassed the Divinity Transformation Realm for many years. If this battle really breaks out, his name will surely go down in history,” said someone.
Zuo Lin and his father Zuo Yijian also stood atop the city wall, looking down at Han Ming’s figure.
Anxiety was written all over Zuo Lin’s face. Having taken Han Ming as his master, he was naturally concerned about Han Ming’s safety.
Jiang Qiong and Hu Mo, who had reached the ninth layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm, were floating in the air on a huge gourd, discussing the upcoming battle.
Ye Lan stood on the top of a tall building, gazing toward the South City Gate from afar. The sky was azure and cloudless, the mountains outside the city were rugged, and the figure of Sword Venerable Fudao was nowhere to be seen.
She was accompanied by a dozen disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall, all of whom were her subordinates, including Zhen Qin. They all looked very excited.
Five miles away, Shen Zhen, who wore a black veil, stood on top of the Treasure Pagoda, also gazing in the direction of the South City Gate with an expectant look in her eyes.
The sword cultivator duel that had been brewing for a month had captured the attention of the entire Supreme Sect, and even the Immortal Cultivation World was waiting for the outcome of this battle.
Under the watchful eyes of tens of thousands, Han Ming remained with his eyes closed, patiently waiting.
Meanwhile.
Fifteen thousand miles away.
In a spacious forest, Gu An was giving swordsmanship guidance to An Hao.
An Hao reached the second layer of the Energy Cultivation Realm after absorbing energy for three days, and now, having reached the third layer, Gu An was imparting to him the techniques of the Taicang Divine-Shocking Sword, giving him a means to fight.
Meanwhile, An Xin was still cultivating, trying to gather her first strand of Spiritual Power.
The gap in their talents was like a chasm!
Gu An taught only once, and An Hao memorized the sword moves immediately, making it very smooth for him to teach.
Is this what it feels like to teach a genius?
No wonder Great Cultivators dote on geniuses so much. Even he was starting to favor An Hao a bit.
An Hao practiced swordsmanship while curiously asking, “Master, what is the name of this sword technique?”
He held a wooden sword, but even so, there was a sharpness in the air as he swung it.
“Taicang Divine-Shocking Sword. You are the only one who has learned my sword technique. Do not dishonor this technique in the future,” Gu An said.
With An Hao’s talents, once he entered the Supreme Sect, he would surely be highly valued. If he additionally became an inheritor of Sword Venerable Fudao, that would be even more extraordinary.
In the future, if the Supreme Sect wanted to suppress An Hao, they would have to consider whether it was worth opposing Sword Venerable Fudao.
“Taicang Divine-Shocking Sword…” An Hao murmured to himself, his eyes shining brightly. He could feel the intricacy of this set of sword moves. Every time he practiced the movements, he gained new insights, which made him addicted.
In the forest, the sound of the sword cutting through the air echoed. Gu An stood to one side, quietly watching, his wooden mask hiding his expression from An Hao’s curious gaze.
In the distance, An Xin opened her eyes and looked with a face full of envy.
She too wanted to practice swordsmanship.
An hour later.
An Hao had actually cultivated Sword Qi. As the sword sliced through the air and the Sword Qi swept across, it passed by Gu An and struck the trunk of a tree behind him, leaving a subtle sword mark.
After producing the Sword Qi, An Hao was like a conduit opened between heaven and earth, moving with greater speed, his swordplay fluid and graceful, swift as a startled swan. The Spiritual Energy of the forest started to gradually converge toward him.
Gu An watched with a taut nerves.
What kind of monster is this?
He felt he had opened a can of worms. If he had not saved An Hao, An Hao would have already been buried in a demon’s belly, and the world would not have such a monstrously talented individual.
He began to mourn for the likes of Li Ya and Ji Xiaoyu, Lv Xian, Zhou Tongyou, and other peerless geniuses, sorry, but from now on, the top spot in the world belongs to my disciple.
Gu An himself was not interested in being the number one in the world. After all, one might encounter an enemy from heaven even when invincible on earth. What he pursued was the end of the Immortal Cultivation Path, he believed that there was more than this one world.
At noon, Gu An said, “Stop now.”
Upon hearing his instruction, An Hao immediately ceased, his forehead drenched with sweat and panting heavily, but his face was spirited, his eyes shining brightly.
“Master, how did I do?” asked An Hao proudly, feeling his spirits rise at the age of twelve.
Gu An spoke, “You care too much about the sword in your hand. Remember, the sword does not lie in the hand, but in the heart. Whatever the heart desires, everything can become your sword. Go pick a leaf.”
Hearing this, An Hao scratched his head, then walked over to the side.
Gu An then gestured to An Xin, who, full of anticipation, immediately ran over with a smile on her face.
“Xin’er, you go pick a leaf as well,” Gu An said softly.
An Xin did as she was told without delay.
Moments later, both disciples returned to Gu An, curious about what he was going to do next.
Gu An took the leaf from An Hao’s hand first, saying, “A true sword cultivator, even with a mundane leaf, can exhibit the power of a formidable divine sword.”
He pinched the leaf between two fingers of his right hand and flicked it gently toward the distance. An Hao and An Xin watched intently.
Boom!
A sudden gust of wind arose, tangling their hair. The two of them widened their eyes in disbelief.
The leaf suddenly unleashed a terrifying Sword Qi, shattering the forest ahead and charging towards the horizon with an unstoppable force. It vanished in the blink of an eye.
A swath of forest had been cleared, ten meters across, with dust billowing, creating a sight to behold.
And that direction, was precisely toward the Outer Sect of Supreme Sect!