Chapter 309: The Invincible Demon Emperor |
At the main peak of the Human Realm Peak, in the courtyard at the summit, Gu An gathered with several cultivators of the Celestial Ascension Stage. Everyone present was either the peak master or a head elder of the Human Realm Peak.
The courtyard was simple and unassuming, not particularly spacious. It was filled with various flowers, plants, and trees, with a faint sandalwood fragrance lingering in the air. Gu An was greeting everyone one by one.
No matter how high one’s cultivation, socializing was inevitable.
Gu An didn’t mind. After all, he planned to stay on Human Realm Peak for the long term—this place would be an important source of lifespan for him in the future.
Overall, the atmosphere was harmonious for now, with no signs of intrigue or scheming.
Just as Gu An had guessed, the peak master of the main peak was a cultivator at the Free Soaring Immortal Stage—and not at a low level.
[Dao Lord Yongnian (Free Soaring Immortal Stage, Sixth Layer): 267,907/780,000/1,500,000]
One and a half million years of maximum lifespan!
That surpassed Divine Heart’s 999,999 years. Looks like reaching the Free Soaring Immortal Stage brought about a transformation in one’s lifespan cap.
Gu An had no way to estimate how long Divine Sense Celestial Immortals had lived—they were probably ancient monsters at this point.
Compared to them, Gu An was like a baby.
After he finished exchanging pleasantries with everyone, Gu An quietly switched to being a listener.
The Ten-Thousand-Year Summit would include a banquet, discussions with upper-level leaders from other sects, and inter-peak matches—not only to foster healthy internal competition, but also to demonstrate the strength of the Human Realm Peak to the world. As for recruiting disciples—that was just a side thing. With its current foundation, Human Realm Peak really didn’t care how many new disciples it gained.
After a while, the high-level meeting dispersed, and Gu An flew alone toward Ding Tian Peak.
He spread out his divine sense and soon locked onto the locations of Lu Lingjun and Divine Heart.
Divine Heart was fine—after all, she was at the Ninth Layer of the Roving Immortal Stage and was well-respected wherever she went. But Lu Lingjun, who was only at the Profound Mind Realm, was different. Without the Western Spirit Mother around, she could only stay in her temporary courtyard.
She was living on a mountaintop with a wide view. Along the way, quite a few cultivators and demons looked at her with surprise, which made her expression pretty sour.
Gu An glanced at her but quickly looked away, not paying much attention.
Back at Ding Tian Peak, Gu An strolled around. None of the disciples recognized him, so he moved leisurely.
Ding Tian Peak had many spiral paths up the mountain. Along the way, one could see all kinds of courtyards—some full of flowers, others empty, and still others had people raising demonic beasts or insects. Gu An found it all quite entertaining.
Ding Tian Peak also had a few mountain cities—equivalent to cities within the Taixuan Sect. You could buy pretty much anything there, just without the usual crowd of the main cities.
As Gu An passed by one such mountain city, a surprised voice rang out.
“Master!”
He turned his head and saw Xu Xi walking briskly toward him.
The moment she saw him, her ears turned red, and she shyly lowered her head. It reminded Gu An of An Xin.
But An Xin wasn’t shy—she was gentle.
Gu An smiled and asked, “Where’s your brother? Why are you alone?”
Xu Xi kept her head down, nervously fiddling with her sleeves. “He went to the Dao Discussion Peak to see if he could run into any acquaintances or clansmen.”
Dao Discussion Peak was designated for receiving guests on Human Realm Peak, and with the Ten-Thousand-Year Summit underway, it had become quite lively again after years of quiet.
Seeing her like this made Gu An smile even more. After thinking for a moment, he took out a manual and handed it to her. “Fate brought us together. Consider this technique a gift for entering the sect. You can share it with Xu Ruohai too.”
Xu Xi looked up, instinctively took a step back, and waved her hands. “Master, if it weren’t for you, we probably wouldn’t have been accepted into the Human Realm Peak. We can’t take more from you. We’ll train hard and earn our own techniques.”
Gu An glared at her. “What kind of master would I be then? Take it!”
So Xu Xi had no choice but to accept.
Seeing how flustered she was, Gu An chuckled and said, “If you feel guilty, then help me with something. Are you busy lately?”
Xu Xi quickly shook her head. “Not at all!”
“Then go to the Dao Discussion Peak, to where the Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect is staying. Look for someone named Lu Lingjun. Wherever she wants to go these next few days, you go with her. If she asks, just say your master arranged it—but don’t mention my name. If she needs anything and you can help, then help her. I won’t let you come out of this empty-handed.”
As he spoke, Gu An raised a finger and projected Lu Lingjun’s image into Xu Xi’s mind.
Xu Xi blinked for a moment, then nodded.
Gu An waved his hand, and she bowed before leaving.
Watching her leave, Gu An smiled.
He had two reasons for this: one, to broaden Lu Lingjun’s horizons; and two, to give Xu Xi some experience. It was a spontaneous idea.
Gu An continued walking down the mountain, enjoying the scenery.
In the courtyard.
Lu Lingjun sat at a stone table, bored, flipping through a book. The White Spirit Demon Emperor was sprawled on the table.
A figure descended from the sky. Lu Lingjun instinctively looked up and stood.
“Lu Lingjun?” Xu Xi asked.
Lu Lingjun nodded, slightly tense.
Xu Xi was dressed in the robes of Human Realm Peak. She was beautiful, graceful, and exuded an immortal aura. Just being near her made Lu Lingjun feel pressure.
There was a fundamental difference between a mortal and an immortal.
Xu Xi might be shy around Gu An, but she was calm in front of Lu Lingjun. Because of that composure, the aura of the Nirvana Stage seeped out, overwhelming the Profound Mind Realm Lu Lingjun.
Lu Lingjun's mind raced—had she offended someone?
“My master asked me to come. Is there anywhere you’d like to go? I can accompany you. If you need anything, you can come to me until the summit ends,” Xu Xi said.
She found it strange. Why would her master go out of his way for such a low-level cultivator?
Then again, to someone like her master, she and her brother were no different than this girl.
Maybe this girl had also caught her master’s eye.
“May I ask who your master is?” Lu Lingjun asked cautiously.
“My master is the Peak Master of Ding Tian Peak,” Xu Xi replied.
Ding Tian Peak’s Peak Master!
Even as an Ascended One, Lu Lingjun couldn’t stay calm, and the White Spirit Demon Emperor's snake eyes widened.
They had heard from the Western Spirit Mother that every Human Realm Peak master was a transcendent being—especially the ones from the Divine Peaks. Ding Tian Peak was one of those.
Why would such a powerful figure know her?
Lu Lingjun suddenly felt nervous.
At dusk, Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley.
Ji Xuanyu came to meet him and asked curiously, “Why have you been heading out so often these last couple of days?”
Gu An replied, “An old friend is hosting a banquet—I have to be a guest.”
Ji Xuanyu nodded and said, “I had another dream while cultivating today. Want to talk?”
Talk? Why me? I don’t want to get entangled in your massive karmic fate!
Gu An sighed inwardly but said quickly, “Sure!”
The two headed upstairs.
Once they were in the pavilion, Ji Xuanyu set a restriction, then sat down at the desk, frowning. “I dreamed I was in a dark space, surrounded by stars. Some were huge. I was fighting off a horde of demons...”
The Outer Void?
Mortal beings in this world had never been to the Outer Void, so they couldn't imagine it. Ji Xuanyu could only describe it as a dark space.
Gu An listened seriously. He quickly concluded that Ji Xuanyu had dreamed of the Sky Demons.
Could she have been to the Domain of Extinction in a past life?
He wasn’t surprised. He’d long suspected Ji Xuanyu had an unusual identity. What puzzled him was that in her past life, not only had she fought the Sky Demon Army, but she'd also mentioned a terrifying being.
That being led the Sky Demons.
“He said, no matter how many times I reincarnate, he’ll wait for me to challenge him...” Ji Xuanyu took a deep breath. Just recalling that brutal battle made her grip her teacup tightly.
Gu An thought for a moment, then comforted her. “Don’t worry. By the time you’re strong enough to challenge him, it’ll probably be thousands of years. Maybe not even this lifetime. I mean, I can’t imagine slashing apart a star with one sword—how’s that even possible?”
His words weren’t exactly pleasant, but they did make Ji Xuanyu feel better.
Just then, a voice rang out:
“That was the Sky Demon Emperor. He once single-handedly suppressed the Heavenly Great Realm.”
It was Qie Wuxing.
As he finished speaking, he appeared in the room.
Ji Xuanyu frowned but didn’t speak.
It was Qie Wuxing who had explained the identity of the Reincarnation Dao Sovereign, so Gu An didn’t stop him.
“He suppressed the Heavenly Great Realm? How strong is that?” Gu An asked carefully.
Qie Wuxing’s face was serious. “Insanely strong. Beyond imagination. The Reincarnation Dao Sovereign once told me her fate was to challenge the Sky Demon Emperor. But she reincarnated quickly, and her fate passed into the cycle of rebirth.”
Gu An asked, “So you’re saying the Sky Demon Emperor won’t attack our world?”
“That’s right. The founding of the Holy Court stopped the Sky Demons’ rampage. As long as Saint Heaven’s Dao still exists, the Sky Demon Emperor can’t come. The being behind me has been to the Demon Realm and was cursed—it’s an unimaginably terrifying place. But from how fast she’s progressing in this life, it’ll be at least 30,000 years before she even gets close to the Sky Demons.”
As he said this, Qie Wuxing glanced at Ji Xuanyu.
Gu An didn’t speak again and kept up his act of being shocked.
It was perfectly normal for mortals to be stunned after hearing about Sky Demons. At least Qie Wuxing thought Gu An should look like that.
Ji Xuanyu, however, remained calm.
Qie Wuxing went on about the Sky Demons for a while longer before finally leaving.
The room fell silent.
Gu An sighed. “He said not even the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path could defeat the Sky Demon Emperor. That’s good news—at least you don’t have to worry right now.”
Ji Xuanyu looked at him with calm eyes and said, “I originally wanted to live a peaceful life this time, but after hearing that, I suddenly don’t want to die anymore. I want to cultivate until I’m strong enough to face the Sky Demon Emperor.”
Gu An blinked. “Having a bigger goal is a good thing.”
Ji Xuanyu stood and headed for the door. Just before stepping out, she turned and said, “Why don’t you keep going too? I’ve dreamed of many people—some started from nothing and ended up shining brighter than anyone. If you could stand beside me and fight the Sky Demon Emperor... wouldn’t that be amazing?”
With that, she turned and walked out the door.