Chapter 144: Prepare to Welcome the Arrival of an Immortal! |
Chapter 144: Prepare to Welcome the Arrival of an Immortal!
Gu An dealt with Lu Lingjun for quite a while before finally sending her off. Of course, there was another reason—she also needed time to adjust to the Profound Mind Realm.
He had a bad feeling. Now that Lu Lingjun knew his identity as Pan An, would she become even more entangled with him?
He remembered that she loved reading Romance of the Gods in her spare time.
In the days that followed, Lu Lingjun’s name spread throughout the Taixuan Sect, thrilling all the disciples.
The mere mention of "Profound Mind Realm" was enough to boost morale across the entire sect!
News quickly reached the Taichen Empire.
All the cultivators in the Taixuan Sect's headquarters were ecstatic upon hearing this.
Lately, they had come to understand the terrifying power of the Profound Mind Realm. It was no exaggeration to say that the only factor determining victory on the battlefield now was the presence of a Profound Mind Realm cultivator!
Lü Baitian was delighted and openly declared that he had personally recruited Lu Lingjun into the Taixuan Sect. This eased the concerns of high-ranking members who were unfamiliar with her.
After all, an unknown and invincible Profound Mind Realm Grandmaster appearing out of nowhere—especially at such a critical juncture—would naturally make the sect leaders suspicious.
They began urging Lü Baitian to summon Lu Lingjun to the battlefield.
With only Ancestor Xuan Quan fighting for the Taixuan Sect, their contribution to the war was barely noticeable. Among the Nine Dynasties Alliance, they had little say, ranking barely within the top five. This was a humiliating reality for the Taixuan Sect, especially after hosting the Golden Ranking Tournament.
Lü Baitian temporarily suppressed these requests, wanting to give Lu Lingjun time to consolidate her cultivation.
Under the leadership of the Cang Heaven Sect, the sects of the Nine Dynasties launched frequent assaults on Silent Desolation Forest.
Grandmasters led the charge, mid-tier cultivators worked to rescue captured prisoners, and lower-tier cultivators handled logistics and supplies.
Yet no matter how hard the Nine Dynasties forces attacked, they could not break through the Sixfold Grand Ascension Array protecting the Nightshade Sect.
Word of the escalating conflict spread, and more people became aware that the Nine Dynasties Cataclysm had arrived. This was a crisis affecting the entire world.
As autumn arrived, Lu Lingjun had been in seclusion for a month. During this time, Gu An refrained from disturbing her.
He continued to manage the Medicine Valley. With Nianchu Cave Dwelling now running smoothly and Tian Yao'er proving more capable than expected, he hadn’t visited the cave dwelling in six days.
Then, one day—
Gu Zong came to visit Gu An.
He had a message for Lu Lingjun: as soon as she exited seclusion, she was to head to Silent Desolation Forest to provide support. Gu An agreed to relay the message.
The battlefield at Silent Desolation Forest had grown even more brutal. When Gu An scanned the area with his divine sense, he saw an ongoing battle.
Every direction was filled with formations of cultivators clashing in an earth-shattering war. The spiritual energy of the entire Taichen Empire was being drawn toward the battlefield.
It was an absolute bloodbath.
Gu An watched for a while before withdrawing his divine sense.
The number of sacrificial offerings continued to rise. It was highly likely that they were preparing for a Grand Ascension Stage cultivator. The death of White Mist Fairy had apparently not disrupted that person’s plans.
Gu An resumed his patrol of the Third Medicine Valley.
By dusk, Lu Lingjun finally stepped out of her courtyard and visited Gu An in his pavilion.
Gu An passed along Gu Zong’s message, but whether she chose to go was entirely up to her. As a Profound Mind Realm cultivator, no one could order her around.
"Hmm, I already heard about it. I'll be heading out soon," Lu Lingjun nodded, her expression cold.
Perhaps this was her true self.
She was the strongest cultivator of the lower realms. Now that she no longer needed to hide her cultivation, she no longer needed to conceal her true nature either.
Gu An looked at her, puzzled as to why she hadn’t left yet.
Lu Lingjun locked eyes with him and said, "I can sense many Profound Mind Realm auras in Silent Desolation Forest. There's even one that makes my heart tremble. This trip will be extremely dangerous."
Her gaze was deep and piercing, as if hardened by countless trials. The way she looked at Gu An made him inexplicably nervous.
Gu An responded, "Do what you can. If the situation is beyond saving, prioritize your own survival."
Lu Lingjun smiled. "Of course. I wouldn’t sacrifice myself for the Taixuan Sect. But since I'm about to enter such a perilous battle, don’t you have anything to say to me?"
Gu An cleared his throat and spoke seriously, "Miss Lu, I truly didn’t mean anything when I held your hand before. Don’t overthink it. As for romantic matters, they should be built on mutual feelings, not just a simple touch."
"And, to be honest with you, Romance of the Gods wasn’t written by me. I merely heard it from a Daoist named Xu Zhonglin."
Lu Lingjun chuckled. "If it truly wasn’t written by you, then why have you been basking in its fame for decades?"
Gu An was speechless.
He couldn’t exactly say that the original author didn’t exist in this world, could he?
"Honestly, whether or not you wrote Romance of the Gods doesn’t matter," Lu Lingjun continued. "Over the years, I’ve come to know your true nature. You’re greedy, yes, but only in mutually beneficial ways. You’re always polite, never arrogant toward those above you, nor condescending toward those below."
Gu An couldn't help but feel a little pleased with himself.
So I’m actually such a great person?
But then, Lu Lingjun’s tone shifted.
"You're good in every way... except for your weak cultivation. If you want to be my Dao companion, reach the Void Transformation Stage first. Until then, I’ll be keeping an eye on you. And once you do reach that level, I have a cultivation technique we can practice together."
Together?
Gu An suddenly recalled certain scenes from The Secrets of Taixuan.
A surge of heat rushed through him.
Something wasn’t right!
Is she trying to shake my Dao heart?
Gu An glanced at Lu Lingjun again, feeling as if her smile concealed hidden danger.
A two-thousand-year-old woman trying to seduce a seventy-year-old man like me?
"Forget it," Gu An said solemnly. "In this lifetime, I will never reach the Void Transformation Stage."
Lu Lingjun simply smiled, then stood up. She placed a ring with a red gemstone on the table and said, "This is the Twin-Heart Ring. If you refine it, I’ll be able to sense whenever you're in danger. Who knows? I might even be able to save your life."
Before Gu An could respond, she vanished from the room.
Gu An stared at the Twin-Heart Ring in silence.
He turned to the Qinghong Sword lying on the table beside it.
This scene felt... strangely familiar.
Damn it, Heavens! Why do you keep making women fall for me?
Are you that afraid I’ll keep lying low?
The next day at noon, Gu An visited Horizon Valley, only to find that Luo Hun was the only one left.
When he asked about Lü Xian and Yi Liuyun, Luo Hun replied, "They’ve joined His Majesty’s expedition to the Taichen Empire. He said that as the emperor, he must do his part in this crisis."
Gu An was surprised by Li Xuandao’s sense of duty but made no comment.
Instead, he simply nodded and left.
Two weeks passed.
Standing at the window of Xuan Valley Pavilion, Gu An extended his divine sense toward Silent Desolation Forest.
Lu Lingjun was battling a Profound Mind Realm cultivator, while several others fought nearby. The surrounding mountains had been reduced to ruins, corpses littered the battlefield, and dust filled the air.
And yet...
The Grand Ascension Stage cultivator had yet to appear!
Gu An couldn’t believe it. Is he really planning to hold back forever?
If the sacrificial array activated before that cultivator showed up, Gu An would have no choice but to step in.
After all, there was still the impending Demon Cataclysm to deal with.
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