Chapter 108: Why Force My Hand?
Gu An had only intended to eavesdrop, but the purple-gowned woman used her divine sense to probe him and radiated hostility so intense that it was clear she wanted to tear him apart.
How could he tolerate that?
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Without hesitation, Gu An captured her.
Before killing her, he used Soul Search to extract information about the Nightshade Sect. The womanâs identity was clearly significant, and she might hold valuable intelligence.
Her name was Su Shan, a former elder of the Thousand Autumn Pavilion who had joined the Nightshade Sect two centuries ago. After the sectâs defeat, she had continued to operate covertly within the Thousand Autumn Pavilion.
Su Shan had personally recruited Yang Ni into the sect. Yang Ni had joined because Su Shan promised to help her find the person who murdered her sister. However, Su Shanâs true motive for recruiting Yang Ni was to monitor Li Xuandao and Li Ya. Su Shan suspected that Li Ya, who had inherited the Tianxiu Sword, might become the heir apparent. Thus, Yang Ni was tasked with observing the father and son while awaiting the Nightshade Sect's resurgence.
What Yang Ni didnât know was that Su Shan herself was the one who killed her sister.
The power structure of the Nightshade Sect was extremely complex, with numerous branches. Each Void Transformation Stage elder sought to distinguish themselves. By achieving significant accomplishments, they could earn the right to walk the Nine Nether Path in pursuit of immortality.
Su Shan had only heard of the Nine Nether Path and never seen it herself. Supposedly, it spanned across an ocean to another continent. This path, created by the Nightshade Sect, connected the realms of yin and yang and passed through a ghostly domain filled with malevolent spirits. It was perilous but also brimming with opportunities.
Despite his efforts, Gu An gleaned no information about the Nightshade Sectâs main bloodline, nor could he determine its strength.
When he finally withdrew his divine sense, an hour had passed.
Looking down at Su Shanâs enchanting face, Gu Anâs eyes filled with disdain. During the Soul Search, he had witnessed many unspeakable scenes.
Demonic cultivators were always demonic cultivators.
Without hesitation, Gu An ended Su Shanâs life and incinerated her corpse to ashes.
Thus, the life of a Void Transformation Stage cultivator ended silently.
Her death also gifted Gu An several decades of lifespan, which he considered an adequate reward.
Afterward, Gu An inspected the contents of her two storage rings.
Meanwhile, in her quarters, Yang Ni struggled to calm her mind for cultivation. Su Shanâs threats echoed persistently in her thoughts.
She felt guilty for implicating Gu An in her troubles. It wasnât that she harbored special feelings for him, but after years of interaction, they had grown close. The thought of someone as kind-hearted as Gu An being targeted because of her weighed heavily on her conscience.
By dawn, Lu Jiu Jia was calling the disciples out for morning exercises. Gu An also descended from his loft.
âStart your day early, Yang Ni! Time to join the exercises!â Gu An called out from outside her courtyard.
Yang Ni emerged shortly after, nodding slightly at Gu An as though nothing had happened the previous night.
Gu An said nothing more, but he felt a bit reassured. The way she had drawn her sword against Su Shanâs threats had left a positive impression on him.
Hmm, perhaps I should allocate her more land for growing flowers and herbs in the future.
Since that night, Yang Ni had been making trips to the outer sect every two days, ostensibly to search for high-grade seeds.
Gu Anâs routine remained undisturbed as he continued managing the affairs of the Three Medicine Valleys.
By late summer, Gu An visited Horizon Valley. Luo Hun and Yi Liuyun were away, taking three monkey demons with them. Only LĂź Xian remained in the valley.
âThey found a grandmasterâs cave dwelling thousands of miles away, along with numerous natural treasures. Yi Liuyun took them to retrieve it, and they wonât be back for a few days,â LĂź Xian explained as he approached Gu An, his gaze intense and unwavering.
Gu An nodded slightly and turned to walk toward the fields.
âWho exactly are you, Gu An?â LĂź Xianâs voice rang out from behind him, his tone suddenly brimming with hostility.
Gu An stopped and turned slightly, smiling as he said, âWho am I? Iâm just an ordinary cultivator who enjoys gardening.â
Somethingâs not right.
Why did LĂź Xian seem like a different person entirely?
Could it be that one of the residual souls in his body had taken over?
Gu An pondered silently, his thoughts churning.
LĂź Xian let out a cold laugh, his expression twisting into something feral. âIâve only taught you a few times, yet your mastery of the Black Tortoise Tidal Palm already surpasses what Iâve achieved in ten years of practice.â
Gu An raised an eyebrow. He hadnât expected that even though he had deliberately held back, LĂź Xian had still noticed something was off.
This is troublesome.
LĂź Xian stepped forward, and his cultivation at the Ninth Level of the Core Formation Stage erupted. The force lifted fallen leaves from the ground, creating a whirlwind that surged violently around him.
Despite being in the Core Formation Stage, his aura was comparable to that of a lower-level Nascent Soul cultivator.
Truly worthy of the title Taixuan Sectâs former top prodigy.
âIâve known about that cave dwelling for a while. I calculated the day youâd arrive and sent everyone else away in advance. Today, itâs just you and meâletâs settle this!â LĂź Xian sneered.
He raised his right hand, gathering spiritual energy in his palm. The space around his hand rippled violently, like turbulent waves.
Gu An raised his hand, gesturing for calm. âDonât do anything rash. Iâm no prodigy. Why focus on me? I pose no threat to you.â
If you force my hand, Iâll have no choice but to kill you.
LĂź Xian licked his lips and said, âRelax, I wonât kill you. I just want to test your limits. But if you keep hiding your strength, you might end up like Li Ya.â
At those words, Gu Anâs expression turned cold.
âTry my Black Tortoise Tidal Palm!â LĂź Xian roared, striking out with his palm.
The resulting windstorm shook the heavens and the earth, surging forward like a tidal wave. The grass was uprooted, and dust flew into the air as the oppressive force bore down on Gu An.
Boom!
The palm wind soared into the sky, creating a wave of spiritual energy nearly a hundred feet tallâa truly spectacular sight.
LĂź Xianâs smug grin froze. Following his line of sight, the spiritual energy wave had been completely blocked, leaving Gu An standing unharmed.
Behind Gu An, the herbs in the gardens swayed gently in the breeze but remained rooted, untouched by the attack.
In that moment, Gu Anâs expression became inscrutable, his entire aura transforming into something unfamiliar.
âYouâŚâ LĂź Xian stammered, his voice trembling as he saw Gu An take a single step forward.
In that one step, Gu An closed the distance of several meters in an instant, appearing right in front of LĂź Xian.
Boom!
LĂź Xianâs imposing aura was instantly shattered, and the terrifying power forced him to stumble backward, collapsing onto the ground in a seated position, utterly stripped of his usual demeanor as the Hidden Dragon Ranking Champion.
Gu An raised his right hand, palm aimed at LĂź Xianâs head, looking down on him with cold indifference.
LĂź Xian was horrified to find himself unable to move. A spiritual force he couldnât resist completely suppressed him.
âNascent SoulâŚâ LĂź Xian gritted his teeth.
His assessment was correctâGu An had indeed been suppressing his cultivation at the Nascent Soul Stage, a realm far above LĂź Xianâs.
âWhy do you insist on forcing my hand?â Gu An asked softly, staring down at LĂź Xian.
His gaze carried a killing intent so tangible that LĂź Xian could feel death looming.
Gu Anâs expressionless face was terrifying. LĂź Xian had never seen such a frightening demeanor before.
âWait!â LĂź Xian cried out, panic breaking across his features for the first time.
Gu An continued to silently stare at him.
Truthfully, Gu An didnât want to kill him. After all, LĂź Xian was LĂź Baitianâs son, and he hadnât shown any real hostility toward Gu An. It was evident he simply wanted a duel.
To avoid further entanglement, Gu An decided to terrify him by unleashing the full might of the Nascent Soul Stage, enough to crush his spirit.
âI was wrong⌠please donât kill meâŚâ LĂź Xian gritted out, lowering his once-proud head, unable to meet Gu Anâs gaze.
Still sitting paralyzed on the ground, LĂź Xian felt humiliated in this submissive posture.
âBut you forced me to reveal my true cultivation level. Now Iâm bound to face endless trouble. It troubles me greatly. All I want is to grow flowers in peaceâwhy must you insist on making things difficult for me? Why?â Gu An said coldly.
As he spoke, his voice grew into a low roar, and his face contorted in frustration, as if on the brink of madness.
LĂź Xian, startled by his outburst, hurriedly replied, âI swear I wonât tell anyone⌠I promise!â
Gu Anâs right palm began to gather spiritual energy, the terrifying power of the Nascent Soul Stage making LĂź Xian tremble in fear.
âWait! I know the whereabouts of an Eighth-Grade Spirit Flower! Itâs been growing for hundreds of years and hasnât gained sentience yet. You love cultivating flowers, donât you? You can have it!â LĂź Xian blurted out, his voice shaking.
Gu Anâs interest was piqued. He narrowed his eyes and asked, âWhere?â
Feeling the suppressive force weaken slightly, LĂź Xian hurriedly pulled out a map from his storage pouch. âHere! This map was given to me by an elder I met during the Hundred Clans Conference.â
Gu An took the map, scanned it briefly, then stored it in his storage ring.
Looking back at LĂź Xian, he frowned and asked, âAre you sure you wonât spread word of my cultivation level?â
âIf I reveal your cultivation level, I swear my tribulation will be plagued by inner demons, leading to my death and the destruction of my dao!â LĂź Xian swore earnestly.
Hearing this, Gu An withdrew his aura, suppressing his cultivation back to the Foundation Establishment Stage.
The swaying herbs in the Medicine Valley calmed, and LĂź Xian let out a deep breath of relief. Sweat poured down his face as he gasped for air.
Gu An returned to his usual gentle demeanor. He helped LĂź Xian to his feet, brushing off the dirt on his robes. âBrother LĂź, my apologies for offending you. But promise me thisâdonât joke around like that again. Itâs not funny.â
LĂź Xian forced a wry smile in response.
With that, Gu An turned and walked away, heading back to his original spot.
LĂź Xian remained silent, watching his retreating figure.
Half an hour later, Gu An bid LĂź Xian farewell and departed.
LĂź Xian stayed behind, sitting on the grass and staring blankly at the sky.
From sunrise to sunset, and through two nights, he didnât move.
When Luo Hun, Yi Liuyun, and the three monkey demons returned with smiles on their faces, clearly having had a fruitful trip, Yi Liuyun noticed LĂź Xian sitting dazedly on the ground.
âLĂź Xian, why arenât you cultivating?â Yi Liuyun asked with a laugh.
LĂź Xianâs body trembled slightly. Turning to Yi Liuyun, he asked, âDo you think I can reach the Nascent Soul Stage before I turn one hundred?â
LĂź Xian knew Gu Anâs ageâhe was roughly the same age as Li Ya.
Yi Liuyun frowned and replied, âIf you hadnât wasted time in the past, you definitely could have reached the Nascent Soul Stage before a hundred. But now, youâre already ninety. Advancing from the Ninth Level of the Core Formation Stage to the First Level of the Nascent Soul Stage in just ten years? Thatâs tough.â
Luo Hun added, âThe Emperor values you greatly. If you ask, Iâm sure heâd provide you with plenty of pills to help you advance.â
LĂź Xian remained silent.
He fell into deep self-doubt.
Was he ever truly a genius?