The night was dark, with fierce winds sweeping through the forest, causing the trees to sway violently.
The flickering firelight from the temple danced with the wind, while clouds of dust rolled up from the base of the mountain.
Li Ya crashed into the forest, his body smashing through a rocky cliff, with dust rapidly engulfing him. His North Sea Heavy Sword was sent flying hundreds of meters away, embedding itself into a millennia-old tree, splitting its trunk.
Zhang Buku hovered in midair, gripping his stone axe in one hand. Nervously, he called out, "Li Ya, are you alright?"
Li Ya's sword aura had been overwhelming, forcing Zhang Buku to use the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe. When he finally managed to strike Li Ya down, he was initially elated. But his joy quickly turned into concern, fearing he might have killed Li Ya.
They had only just met, and Zhang Buku had no intention of killing someone without grievance or enmity.
Raising his left hand, Zhang Buku dispersed the dust below, revealing Li Ya's battered form lying amidst the shattered cliffside.
Li Ya hung his head, his body covered in blood. The earlier strike had nearly destroyed his body. If not for the protection granted by the Dragon Elephant Divine Energy he had consumed, he wouldn't have survived.
Zhang Buku flew down in a panic, unsure of what to do.
Li Ya struggled to lift his head, one eye shut, and gritted his teeth. "What kind of monster are you...?"
"I'm sorry! I didn't mean it! I really didn't mean it! You were just so strong—I had to go all out..." Zhang Buku stammered in apology.
Hearing this, Li Ya felt a slight sense of relief. At least it wasn't intentional.
But that didn't ease the pain!
If not for the ancestral spirit lingering in Three Purities Mountain, this humiliation would have been unbearable!
With Zhang Buku's help, Li Ya eventually landed on the ground and sat cross-legged to begin healing himself. Meanwhile, Zhang Buku retrieved the North Sea Heavy Sword from the broken tree.
Half an hour passed.
Li Ya opened his eyes, looking at the anxious Zhang Buku beside him. He felt both helpless and exasperated.
If Zhang Buku had gloated or mocked him, he might have gotten angry. But Zhang Buku's sincere and apologetic attitude left him with no grounds to complain—it was, after all, Li Ya who had initiated the spar.
"How old are you?" Li Ya asked.
"Seventy-one."
"..."
Li Ya, at ninety-seven years old, felt as though he had been struck again.
For the first time, he truly understood the saying, there's always someone stronger, and heaven is limitless.
Losing to An Hao was something he could accept—after all, An Hao's reputation shook the heavens. But to lose to a nameless half-human, half-demon in the wilderness? That was a bitter pill to swallow.
Suppressing his frustration, Li Ya asked, "Who is your master?"
Zhang Buku scratched his head. "I don't have a master. I do have a martial uncle, but most of what I've learned comes from a cave I discovered."
A cave?
Li Ya recalled stories from his ancestors about serendipitous encounters. Who would have thought someone could stumble upon such good fortune and surpass decades of his own hard work through sheer luck?
Seeing Li Ya's confused expression, Zhang Buku decided to share his experiences but omitted any mention of Gu An. He had promised not to cause Gu An any trouble.
Listening to Zhang Buku's tale, Li Ya was left speechless.
Where do all these fortuitous encounters come from?
Why couldn't he have such luck?
Everyone said he was the chosen one of the Li family, destined for greatness. But compared to Zhang Buku, he was far from impressive.
Through this exchange, the two became somewhat acquainted and continued their conversation.
Far away, thousands of miles away, Gu An, who was slaying demons, smiled faintly before stepping into the shadows.
Zhang Buku and Li Ya stayed in the temple for two days before heading north together to explore the Demon Lands in search of opportunities.
During this time, Zhang Buku offered to teach Li Ya his axe techniques, a gesture that moved Li Ya deeply.
However, being someone committed to the path of the sword, Li Ya politely declined. He recognized that his loss wasn't due to inferior swordsmanship but because Zhang Buku's physique was overwhelmingly superior.
Li Ya began to wonder if accompanying Zhang Buku would lead him to great fortunes.
Sigh, if Gu Shidi knew I was injured again, he'd definitely worry about me.
Time Flies.
A year passed quickly.
In early May of that year, Gu An's total lifespan surpassed ten million years. Meanwhile, the number of demons in the Three Dynasties had dwindled significantly. With fewer reasons to leave the mountain, Gu An returned to his quiet farming life.
Though there was a growing trend of cultivators heading north to seek fortunes, Tai Xuan Sect continued to flourish with an increasing number of new disciples every year. The sect remained vibrant and lively.
This year, the number of servant disciples in the Third Medicine Valley exceeded six hundred, a quarter of whom were new. Those who left had advanced thanks to the Foundation Establishment Pills bestowed by Gu An. This naturally increased Gu An's influence within Tai Xuan Sect.
Now, whenever Gu An visited the outer sect cities, disciples would greet him with respect and enthusiasm.
The number of servant disciples in Xuan Valley alone had reached fifty. Gu An planned to expand the boundaries of the medicine valley. When he proposed this to the outer sect elder Lü Songhan, the elder agreed without hesitation.
The benefits Lü Songhan had gained from Gu An's book, Shattering the Void, along with the Lü family's trust, ensured that he readily supported Gu An's requests.
On this day, Gu An arrived at the North Sea Mountain Range, manifesting as the Mountain God to inspect the progress of Xuanmiao Zhenren over the past few months.
Like Gu An, Xuanmiao Zhenren had recruited several minor demons to assist him. With their help, he could devote more time to cultivation.
As soon as the Mountain God appeared, Xuanmiao Zhenren rose to greet him and accompanied Gu An to gather herbs. During the process, he recounted recent events in the North Sea Mountain Range.
Although the Demon Catastrophe had ended, conflicts among cultivators over treasures and grudges were still common. Acting in the name of the Mountain God, Xuanmiao Zhenren had saved many lives, spreading the renown of the Mountain God further.
It was worth noting that although the name of the Mountain God had become widespread, only Xuanmiao Zhenren could sense Gu An's divine presence.
Gu An surmised that this was because most individuals hadn't encountered him in person. Even disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall, like Zhen Qin, who had seen him before, didn't revere him; their loyalty lay with Tai Xuan Sect and their admiration was reserved for Sword Master of Dao.
"Mountain God, what is your opinion of the Sacred Land?" Xuanmiao Zhenren suddenly asked, his expression tinged with unease.
Gu An continued gathering herbs as he casually replied, "Why ask such a question?"
Xuanmiao Zhenren explained, "I suspect that the Demon Catastrophe may have been related to the Sacred Land. Furthermore, there's a recent surge in rumors about the Fierce Demon(Li Mo). When I researched records in Three Purities Mountain, I discovered that the Fierce Demon appeared only after the birth of the Demon Ancestor. However, there are no clues about its origin or purpose."
"Isn't Three Purities Mountain also considered a Sacred Land? If you suspect something, why not investigate Seven Stars Spirit Realm?" Gu An asked indifferently.
Was Xuanmiao Zhenren trying to incite him to act against Seven Stars Spirit Realm? That wasn't going to happen.
Without fully understanding Seven Stars Spirit Realm, Gu An would never act rashly.
Xuanmiao Zhenren took a step closer and lowered his voice. "We once attempted that, but it nearly led to our annihilation. Since then, Three Purities Mountain has avoided any mention of the Sacred Land. Even my master speaks of them with trepidation."
Gu An wasn't surprised. The Three Dynasties had witnessed countless dynastic changes and the rise and fall of sects, yet Seven Stars Spirit Realm had endured throughout. Surely, others had suspected them before but refrained from provoking them.
"Well, you should be careful tonight. Someone from their sect is coming for you," Gu An remarked with a faint smile.
Xuanmiao Zhenren froze in shock.
The reason Gu An had come to gather herbs today was because he sensed two powerful auras at the Mahayana Realm approaching the North Sea Mountain Range. One of them had departed from Tai Xuan Sect.
Xuanmiao Zhenren wanted to ask more, but Gu An wouldn't elaborate. After gathering his herbs, Gu An took some for himself and left the rest for Xuanmiao Zhenren before disappearing into the forest.
The thought of facing members of Seven Stars Spirit Realm that night left Xuanmiao Zhenren deeply uneasy.
At dusk, the North Sea glimmered under the setting sun.
Ji Xuanling stood on the shore, holding a book titled The Myth of the Sword Master.
A figure appeared beside him without warning—a man clad in a crimson robe embroidered with golden threads. A ruby sat on his crown, glowing with a fiery brilliance. His right hand rested behind his back, and his gaze was one of haughty disdain.
"You're slower than me?" Ji Xuanling asked nonchalantly.
Lin Chen glared at him and snorted. "That's a question I should be asking you."
Switching topics, Lin Chen asked, "After spending a year at Tai Xuan Sect, do you have any intelligence on Sword Master of Dao?"
Ji Xuanling raised the book in his hand and smiled. "The intelligence is right here. Would you like to see?"
Lin Chen snatched the book, scanning it with his divine sense. After a brief glance, his face darkened. "Are you mocking me?"
Ji Xuanling tilted his head slightly. "Lin Chen, who told you I came to Tai Xuan Sect to investigate Sword Master of Dao?"
Lin Chen frowned.
Ji Xuanling continued, "The Sacred Land's stance on Sword Master of Dao is to maintain a cordial relationship. Sword Master of Dao is likely at the Ninth Level of the Loose Immortal Realm, if not higher. Such a cultivator doesn't appear out of nowhere. He could be from an overseas sect. Lin Senior's death is indeed regrettable, but if he was that weak, there's no one else to blame. Even a Loose Immortal fell before him. I suggest you give up this notion."
Lin Chen sneered. "So, your sect just enjoys groveling? Sword Master of Dao killed my father, and you think he holds respect or goodwill towards Seven Stars Spirit Realm?"
Ji Xuanling shrugged. "Why don't you ask him yourself? I have no intention of seeking death. To be honest, my family sent me here to win over Tai Xuan Sect and, by extension, Sword Master of Dao."
Rage flickered in Lin Chen's eyes.
He threw the book at Ji Xuanling's chest before turning away.
Catching the book, Ji Xuanling smirked and teased, "It's getting dark. Be careful not to let Sword Master of Dao tap you on the shoulder."
Lin Chen paused, glaring back. Ji Xuanling raised the book in response.
Without another word, Lin Chen vanished into thin air.
Ji Xuanling chuckled, sat down cross-legged, and resumed reading.
Nightfall.
Lin Chen arrived at the Mountain God Temple, where Xuanmiao Zhenren resided, seeking information about the Mountain God. He suspected that the Mountain God was none other than Sword Master of Dao. How could two supreme cultivators exist simultaneously in the Three Dynasties?
As a disciple of Seven Stars Spirit Realm, Lin Chen had never encountered any ancient texts mentioning a Mountain God.
Lin Chen stated that the Sacred Land wished to recruit the Mountain God and that he was sent to extend the invitation.
Xuanmiao Zhenren, cautious, claimed that the Mountain God was elusive and that even he sought an audience, which was why he had established the temple.
After a prolonged interrogation without uncovering anything useful, Lin Chen's patience wore thin. However, fearing the Mountain God might be nearby, he suppressed his murderous intent.
He noticed a small wooden figurine in Xuanmiao Zhenren's hand and asked, "Is that a carving of the Mountain God? May I have it?"
Xuanmiao Zhenren, who often carved small statues of the Mountain God in his spare time to spread the deity's fame, casually tossed it to him.
Saying no more, Lin Chen departed with the figurine.
As he walked through the dark forest, clutching the wooden figure, his mind swirled with thoughts. The more he considered, the more convinced he became that the Mountain God and Sword Master of Dao were the same. The killing intent in his eyes grew uncontrollable.