NOVEL NEXT Chapter 124: Two Million Years of Lifespan!
Chapter 124: Two Million Years of Lifespan!
Inside the inn, Gu An and Wu Jue finally managed to squeeze into a seat. As they sat down, they continued discussing the earth-shattering battle they had just witnessed.
Though brief, it had been enough to ignite the passion of all the spectators.
Gu An smiled in agreement, though he felt a slight sense of regret.
Killing the Heavenly Sword Daoist had only granted him ten years of lifespan. The reason was simple—Heavenly Sword Daoist had less than two hundred years remaining, which was why Gu An had described him as withering away.
The Heavenly Sword Daoist had likely reached the Profound Mind Realm a long time ago. Seven hundred years ago, he must have realized that there was no hope for further progress in his cultivation. That was why he chose to live in seclusion deep in the mountains. Unfortunately, after meditating in solitude for seven centuries, he still couldn’t grasp the Dao.
This time, he had come here to seek death!
Gu An didn’t dwell on it too much. His attention was soon drawn to An Hao, standing atop the Heavenly Mending Platform.
An Hao was comprehending the Dao!
The sect’s elders had gathered around him, protecting him as he meditated.Good kid.
Gu An felt gratified. The stronger An Hao became, the happier he was.
An Hao was his true disciple, unlike the ones in Medicine Valley. The more powerful An Hao became, the prouder he would feel.
With so many grandmasters protecting him, Gu An felt reassured.
He withdrew his thoughts and focused on drinking and chatting with Wu Jue.
Before long, a figure approached and sat down beside Gu An. Without a care for anyone else, she placed a sheet of parchment in front of him.
“What do you think? How’s my drawing?” Shen Zhen asked with a smile.
Gu An took a closer look.
The painting depicted the Heavenly Sword Daoist with arms outstretched, enduring a downpour of sword light from above. The style was dark and fierce, exuding a tragic beauty.
“Not bad. As expected of you.” Gu An casually praised.
Shen Zhen pouted, sensing his perfunctory response.
Wu Jue hesitated before asking, “Brother Gu, this lady is...?”
Although Shen Zhen wore a veil, her clothing and bearing made it obvious that she was a beauty of considerable status.
Gu An chuckled. “This is Miss Shen Zhen. You can call her Miss Shen, just like I do.”
Then, he introduced Wu Jue to Shen Zhen.
Noticing Shen Zhen’s indifferent attitude, Gu An reminded her, “My brother here is no ordinary man. He will surely make a name for himself in the Taixuan Sect one day...”
“Don’t spout nonsense!” Wu Jue interrupted hastily, his face turning bright red.
“Oh?”
Shen Zhen couldn’t help but take another look at Wu Jue, making him even more uncomfortable.
Gu An laughed. “Come on, drink with us. We’ll talk as we drink.”
In his eyes, Wu Jue was bound to display his talent sooner or later. And Shen Zhen, as a holy maiden of a great sect, was someone he would inevitably encounter again. It was better for them to get acquainted now so they could look out for each other in the future.
Shen Zhen eagerly talked about the earlier battle, dominating the conversation. Gu An continued to play along, while Wu Jue, feeling uneasy, could only offer polite smiles.
After about an hour, Shen Zhen got up to leave, intending to create more paintings of the battle.
Once she was gone, Wu Jue let out a sigh of relief.
Gu An teased, “Why are you so nervous? Don’t tell me you’ve taken a liking to her?”
“Nonsense! That girl clearly has feelings for you. As your brother, how could I have any improper thoughts? I just don’t know how to talk to women. You should know that by now—I only have one friend, and that’s you!” Wu Jue glared at him, dead serious.
Here we go again!
“I only have one friend!”
Gu An shook his head with a smile and said, “The more friends you have, the more paths open to you. Traveling the cultivation world alone is exhausting.”
“I know... I just don’t know how to make friends.”
“Then what am I to you?”
“You and I got along at first sight. This isn’t friendship—it’s fate!”
“Heh, you little brat, you sure know how to talk when it comes to me.”
Gu An laughed. Unlike with others, Wu Jue was completely at ease around him.
The two of them chatted until dusk before finally parting ways.
Gu An returned to Xuanrong to visit his disciples.
He noticed Chu Jingfeng sitting motionless atop a mountain peak but decided not to disturb him.
If Chu Jingfeng could comprehend the Dao, it would be a great thing.
However, enlightenment wasn’t so easily attained. An Hao and Wu Jue were once-in-a-millennium prodigies—not just anyone could compare to them.
After spending half an hour in Xuan Valley, Gu An headed to the Third Medicine Valley.
The Third Medicine Valley was far livelier than Xuan Valley. After all, it housed ten times as many disciples.
Gu An chatted with the disciples for a while before returning to his pavilion to read and relax.
Late at night, the sound of footsteps echoed outside his door.
Soon, a voice came through.
“Valley Master, I have something to discuss with you.”
Lu Lingjun!
And she was using voice transmission!
Gu An set down the Secrets of Taixuan and covered it with Romance of the Gods.
“Come in,” he said.
Lu Lingjun pushed the door open, entered, and sealed the room with a barrier.
Gu An was startled and looked at her in surprise.
Lu Lingjun turned around, walked to the table, and bowed deeply. “Valley Master, I must apologize. I’ve been hiding something from you.”
“Your cultivation...” Gu An asked cautiously.
Lu Lingjun replied, “To be honest, I am actually at the Void Transformation Stage.”
Void Transformation Stage!
Gu An shot to his feet.
Lu Lingjun quickly reassured him, “Please, Valley Master, I mean no harm. Let me explain!”
Gu An hesitated, his expression shifting, but eventually, he sat back down.
Seeing this, Lu Lingjun smiled and continued, “I concealed my cultivation because I was unfamiliar with the Taicang Empire. I come from a distant land. While exploring the cave of a powerful cultivator, I was caught in a mysterious formation and transported here. Unable to find my way back, I decided to settle in the Taixuan Sect. I hope the Valley Master can help introduce me.”
Gu An frowned. “With your cultivation, you could openly join the Taixuan Sect. Why do you need me to vouch for you?”
“The Taixuan Sect’s rules are strict. Someone of my level would only be accepted as a guest elder, and I’d have to spend decades waiting. But you, Valley Master, have connections. With your help, I could skip those years of waiting,” Lu Lingjun explained earnestly.
As she spoke, she took out three bottles from her sleeve. “These contain Heavenly Spirit Water. I hope you will accept them.”
Gu An’s expression darkened. “Nonsense! You make it sound like I’m only helping you because of a bribe. What would that make me?”
Yet, as he spoke, he pulled the bottles toward himself.
Lu Lingjun chuckled. “Of course not. This is separate. These are simply a token of my gratitude for your care these past days.”
“Hmm, you’re thoughtful.”
Gu An smiled in satisfaction and gestured for her to sit.
He then started advising her on the Taixuan Sect’s structure, particularly on the influence of aristocratic families, so she wouldn’t unknowingly make enemies.
Initially, Lu Lingjun didn’t pay much attention, but as she listened, she realized Gu An was genuinely looking out for her. She soon became serious.
...
Autumn faded into winter, and snow blanketed the Third Medicine Valley.
When Lü Baitian arrived to see Gu An, Lu Lingjun immediately knew her opportunity had come.
Gu An didn’t disappoint her. Half an hour later, he and Lü Baitian descended the stairs together, and Gu An waved at Lu Lingjun from afar.
She quickly walked up to them.
Lü Baitian scrutinized her and said, “Gu An has already told me everything. Come with me, I’ll take you to get your new disciple token.”
Lu Lingjun immediately bowed to Lü Baitian and also saluted Gu An.
Gu An nodded with a smile and then watched as the two of them flew away.
Xiao Chuan came over, his face full of surprise. “Lu Lingjun left?”
“Didn’t you notice how fast she flew?” Gu An asked casually before turning to leave.
Xiao Chuan was momentarily stunned, then hurried to catch up. “What do you mean? Wasn’t that senior leading her?”
“Xiao Chuan.”
“What, Senior Brother?”
“Sometimes, being carefree is a good thing. Keep it up.”
“Huh?”
Gu An ignored him and continued walking toward the Heavenly Spirit Pool.
Watching the koi in the pool had become one of his favorite pastimes.
Just now, Lü Baitian had come to discuss the Golden Ranking Tournament and the World’s Number One Sword Tournament with him. But Gu An had no interest in becoming a strategist, so he didn’t offer much input, and Lü Baitian soon left.
It seemed the coming years would be peaceful.
Gu An thought to himself.
As winter settled in, the news of the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path slaying the Heavenly Sword Daoist in a single strike finally spread across the Land of the Nine Dynasties. Seizing this momentum, Taixuan Sect began negotiations with various empires, preparing to establish a presence in new territories.
The process was arduous, but the high-ranking members of Taixuan Sect showed no signs of exhaustion. From the top down, everyone felt a surge of ambition—Taixuan Sect was about to soar to new heights.
With the world's top cultivator backing them, how could Taixuan Sect not dominate the Nine Dynasties?
Time flew by.
Five years passed in the blink of an eye.
Sixty-seven-year-old Gu An stepped out of the Alchemy Hall.
Stopping at the doorway, he turned back and sighed softly.
Zhu Qinglu was no longer there—he had retired and returned home. The new elder treated Gu An with great respect, but it still felt unfamiliar.
Old friends had left, and a new era had arrived.
Gu An turned away and merged into the bustling streets.
Over the past five years, Taixuan Sect had truly taken off. The exponential growth in the Outer Sect City’s disciples was proof enough.
The Golden Ranking Tournament had spread across the land, and in five years, Taixuan Sect would host it. Rumor had it that the sect had invited over a hundred aristocratic families, each spread across the Nine Dynasties. With their influence, the tournament would attract even more geniuses in the future.
Gu An speculated that the Ji Family and Gu Family had played a major role in this endeavor. Of course, other noble families were also eager to invest in Taixuan Sect—it never hurt to have another path forward.
As Gu An walked through the streets, he overheard many disciples chatting. The names of many young prodigies reached his ears, but the one mentioned most often was An Hao.
Last year, An Hao went on a training journey, clashed with the demonic sects, and, as a Core Formation cultivator, slew a Nascent Soul grandmaster, shaking the cultivation world.
Now, the title of Taixuan Sect’s Greatest Genius belonged solely to An Hao—no one could challenge it.
As for Lü Xian, although he had won the Hundred Clans Conference, those high-ranking clans were too detached from the cultivation world.
For the past five years, Gu An’s days had been uneventful, but his lifespan had increased by over 700,000 years.
His total lifespan had now surpassed two million years.
The ten-million-year milestone no longer seemed so distant, filling him with endless motivation. He never felt tired or bored.
“Brother Gu, long time no see!”
A voice called out from the street corner.
Gu An turned his head and saw Zhou Tongyou, a genius from Absolute Mountain Sect, walking toward him.
Behind Zhou Tongyou was an elderly man—plump, with a feather fan in hand, exuding a foolishly innocent demeanor.
Before Zhou Tongyou could reach Gu An, Lu Lingjun suddenly appeared beside him out of thin air.
Back then, after Lu Lingjun had left with Lü Baitian, she returned the very next day.
Now, she was an Inner Sect Elder—but her main duty was protecting Gu An.
This had frustrated her for a long time.
If not for her fear of the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path, she would have drawn her sword and cut Lü Baitian in half.