Chapter 327: An Xin's Surprise |
Chapter 327 An Xin's Surprise
Late at night, An Xin knocked on Gu An’s door. With a wave of his sleeve, the door opened automatically.
An Xin stepped in and closed it behind her.
She walked over to Gu An’s desk, looking at her master with curiosity.
Gu An rarely summoned her alone at this hour—it was only natural she’d be curious.
Sensing the subtle shift in the cultivation aura downstairs, Gu An opened his mouth and said, “Yang Jian has left—gone off for training. From now on, I’ll be personally guiding your cultivation. How about it?”
An Xin paused, confused. “Haven’t you always been guiding my cultivation?”
Gu An chuckled. “I’ve just been helping you absorb spiritual energy. Now... I’m going to help you truly become strong.”
An Xin beamed. “If Master is willing to teach, of course I have no objections. Just don’t get frustrated if I’m a bit slow to learn.”
Gu An offered a comforting smile, then they chatted about the affairs of the valley.
The aura downstairs returned to normal. Not a sound was heard the entire time.
After a little while, Gu An dismissed her.
Then he left the Third Medicine Valley and headed to Xuan Valley.
Once there, he stepped directly into the Nianchu Cave Dwelling, ready to spend the night with Tian Yao’er and her two demon companions.
Inside a grand, luminous hall, rows of figures stood in four neat formations, forming two long parallel lines with a wide path in the middle.
A beam of rainbow light shot into the hall and condensed into Zhang Xianwang’s figure.
He strode forward quickly, stopping at the base of the steps and bowing.
Looking up, he saw a towering figure seated on a golden throne—its back formed by stacked golden weapons, fanning out like a huge open fan.
The imposing figure wore a red dragon robe and a beaded imperial crown. Blood-colored dragon qi coiled around him like a pack of circling dragons. His face was stern, and in his eyes swirled galaxies—sharp and unfathomable.
This was none other than the ruler of the Immortal Dynasty—Emperor Yangxian.
Zhang Xianwang relayed everything that had happened during his trip, stirring murmurs among the immortal officials present.
“That Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path actually dared to ignore us? Arrogant!”
“Well, he’s earned that right. He even rejected the Holy Court’s Fate-bestowed title.”
“Sounds like someone who just wants to stay out of the chaos.”
“But in this world, you can’t just hide from the mortal coil. The Holy Court will definitely start suspecting him.”
“With the current Holy Prime Minister controlling everything, I say we don’t even need to do anything. He’ll push the Sword Sovereign to rebellion himself. That Great Ming Saint King is practically his attack dog.”
Once Zhang Xianwang finished, the whispers turned into a full-on commotion.
He ignored the noise, looking straight at Emperor Yangxian, waiting for his decision.
After a pause, the emperor asked slowly, “From what you’ve seen... was he telling the truth?”
The entire hall fell silent at once.
Zhang Xianwang hesitated briefly, then said, “Based on what I learned at the Taixuan Sect, his actions do match his words. He’s only ever made a move when outside threats endangered the sect. Never once did he act on personal vendettas—at least, not that anyone knows of. I even snuck into the Elder Hall. None of them know his true identity.”
Emperor Yangxian narrowed his eyes.
No one dared interrupt his thoughts.
After a long silence, he finally said, “In that case, leave him alone.”
“Yes!” Zhang Xianwang replied, a bit relieved.
They still didn’t know what level the Sword Sovereign had truly reached—but anyone capable of crushing the Grand Cold Demon Sect with ease had to be at least Mystic Celestial Immortal level. If he was even stronger... that would be a disaster waiting to happen.
If they couldn’t be allies, there was no point in making an enemy.
Zhang Xianwang added, “I also encountered Tianzong. He was there looking for someone. I suspect the reincarnation of the Saint King of the Candle World is hiding in the Taixuan Sect.”
“Tianzong? Sounds like the Holy Court’s in trouble again,” Emperor Yangxian said with a mocking laugh.
Zhang Xianwang agreed. “If things really get messy... should we intervene?”
“Intervene? For what? Tianzong and the Saint King—those two have always been too proud. They didn’t need us back then, and they sure as h*ll don’t need us now. They underestimated how benevolent Holy Heaven was. Without him around, the Holy Court’s nothing more than the world’s most terrifying monster.”
Zhang Xianwang fell silent. Thinking of Tianzong’s grandeur, he sighed.
The rest of the immortals in the hall began chatting about old times. Most were downright gloating over the fall of Tianzong and the Saint King.
Autumn winds blew through the woods. The Blood Prison Grand Sage lay sprawled on the ground, silently watching An Xin cultivate, deep in thought.
Gu An sat nearby, flipping through a book, changing positions now and then.
The bull turned his head toward Gu An and asked, “Master, she’s been in a trance for five hours now. Does she have a talent I can’t see?”
Back then, he couldn’t see through Yang Jian, and now this? He was starting to question himself.
Gu An flipped a page and said, “There’s no such thing as that many peerless prodigies. I just wanted her to attain enlightenment.”
The bull’s eyes widened in shock.
When Gu An helped Zuo Yijian reach enlightenment, he hadn’t thought much of it. Zuo Yijian already had strong sword talent, after all.
But An Xin?
She was just an ordinary girl—no presence, no potential, nothing exceptional.
And Gu An still managed to reshape her completely?
The bull suddenly realized—maybe Yang Jian’s miraculous transformation was also thanks to Gu An rewriting his fate.
His heart burned with excitement.
To follow someone like this—how could you not attain the Dao?
“If Yang Jian comes back and sees An Xin stronger than him... that’s gonna be wild.”
That thought made him believe Gu An might’ve intentionally been cultivating An Xin just for that reason.
Poor Yang Jian!
Still, it confirmed that the bull had made the right choice in following this man. He felt even more thrilled.
Gu An, of course, had no idea the bull was cooking up this whole drama in his head.
He appeared to be reading, but in reality, he was watching Yang Jian’s journey to sea via divine sense.
He noticed Tianzong was tracking him. Other than that, no one else was tailing Yang Jian, which meant the Great Ming Saint King hadn’t discovered his identity yet.
So, for now, he was safe.
After a while…
Gu An extended his divine sense toward the stars. Two Free Soaring Immortals were locked in a fierce battle—something rarely seen.
Clearly sworn enemies, they fought savagely, shaking the void itself.
Gu An could sense several Grandmasters secretly watching. Divine senses overlapped in the shadows—it was a reminder that the Heavenly Spirit Great Realm was truly full of hidden powerhouses.
It wasn’t until dusk that Gu An retracted his divine sense from An Xin and brought her back to consciousness.
An Xin slowly opened her eyes—and found two cultivation techniques already ingrained in her mind:
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Primal Heaven and Earth Art
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Myriad Forms Qi Technique
Though Gu An had upgraded them, they were enough to last her a lifetime of enlightenment.
The Primal Heaven and Earth Art would serve as her foundation, while the Myriad Forms Qi Technique could help her conceal her cultivation. Both could be combined with the Innate Reincarnation Technique.
As her eyes regained focus, her face filled with shock.
“This… this is so profound…”
She looked at Gu An, her gaze complex—surprise, confusion, a bit of anxiety, and joy all mingled in her eyes.
Carefully, she asked, “Master… was that you last time, too?”
Gu An nodded lightly and asked, “How does it feel?”
“Amazing. It’s just…”
She hesitated. She had a question but was afraid of offending him.
How is Master so powerful? Could he be… an Immortal?
Gu An said calmly, “From now on, I’ll train you privately. Don’t tell anyone.”
For some reason, hearing that made An Xin’s heart tremble.
The words felt so familiar…
A figure from deep within her memories surfaced—and overlapped perfectly with Gu An’s current image.
Could it be… no, that’s impossible…
Master’s only a bit over three hundred years old. How could he be this strong?
Gu An closed his book and looked at her. “The ‘Gu An’ of Taixuan Sect is indeed a disguise. You guessed right. I’ve always been your master—since the beginning.”
At that, An Xin shot to her feet, eyes immediately brimming with tears. Her body trembled uncontrollably.
“Mas—!”
Her emotions exploded. She threw herself into his arms and broke down crying.
Gu An sighed. “What are you crying for? It’s not like we’ve been apart for years. I haven’t mistreated you, have I?”
An Xin buried her head in his chest, sobbing. “I’m not crying because I was wronged… I just never imagined… all this time… what I wanted most was happening… I’m so dumb… how could I think there were two people in this world who treated me so well… Master, I missed you so much…”
The Blood Prison Grand Sage looked completely dumbfounded. Aren’t they just master and disciple? Why does this feel like a long-lost reunion?
Gu An gently patted her back. “Alright, get off me. You’re not a kid anymore. Someone might see.”
An Xin let go and knelt on the ground, wiping her tears—but her face was radiant with joy.
“You lied to us, Master! If my senior brother finds out you were our Master all along, he’ll have a meltdown. Wait... did you know him back then because you were protecting him?”
Her tone shifted from respectful to casual—not out of disrespect, but because, in her heart, her master was like a father figure.
And in front of a father, there was no need for formalities.
Gu An replied, “You could say that. From now on, let’s keep things as they appear. Don’t tell your senior brother.”
An Xin nodded quickly. Her eyes were still red, but her energy was through the roof.
She suddenly glanced at the Blood Prison Grand Sage, hesitating. “But Master… he overheard us…”
The bull flared up. What’s that supposed to mean? You trying to leave me out?
I’m Master’s most trusted mount! Closer to him than any disciple!
Gu An laughed. “Don’t underestimate him. Ox Demon King, go ahead and introduce yourself.”
Immediately, the bull jumped up proudly and began boasting about his true identity.
An Ascended One! Grand Ascension Stage!
Just those two titles were enough to leave An Xin stunned, her jaw hanging open. Everything else the bull rattled off after that? She didn’t even catch it.
She turned back to Gu An, wide-eyed. “Master… so Yang Jian really is my junior brother? What’s his cultivation now?”
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