Saint Who Lay Low

Gu An had originally planned to merely eavesdrop, but the woman in the purple dress, Su Shan, used her spiritual sense to probe him. Her intent was clear—she wanted to tear him apart.

How could he tolerate that?

Gu An immediately captured her!

Before killing her, he needed to extract information about the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. This woman's identity was clearly not ordinary, so she might hold valuable intelligence.

Su Shan, a former elder of the Thousand Autumn Pavilion, had joined the Ephemeral Blossom Sect two hundred years ago. After the sect's defeat, she remained hidden within the Thousand Autumn Pavilion.

It was Su Shan who personally recruited Yang Ni into the sect. Yang Ni joined because Su Shan promised to help her find the person who had murdered her sister.

Su Shan's purpose in recruiting Yang Ni was to keep an eye on Li Xuandao and Li Ya. Since Li Ya had inherited the Heavenly Solemn Sword, Su Shan suspected he might become a key figure in the future. Therefore, she tasked Yang Ni with monitoring the father and son, awaiting the Ephemeral Blossom Sect's resurgence.

However, Yang Ni didn't fully trust Su Shan; she simply saw it as a means to uncover the truth about her sister's death.

Little did she know, the one who killed her sister was Su Shan herself!

The power structure of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect was incredibly complex, with many branches. Each Void Crossing Realm elder sought to build their own merit. The greater their contribution, the more likely they could walk the Nine Nether Path and pursue the Immortal Dao.

As for the Nine Nether Path, Su Shan had only heard of it. She had never seen it herself. It was said to be a path that could cross the sea and lead to another continent, passing through the Yin-Yang Convergence Ghost Realm. This place was filled with malevolent spirits and extreme dangers, but also with tremendous opportunities.

Gu An searched for a long time but found no substantial information about the main lineage of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, leaving him uncertain of its true power.

By the time he retracted his spiritual sense, an hour had passed.

Looking down at Su Shan's seductive face, Gu An's eyes filled with disdain. During the soul-searching, he had witnessed countless immoral scenes.

Demonic cultivators will always be demonic cultivators!

Without hesitation, Gu An ended Su Shan's life and burned her body to ashes.

Just like that, a powerful Void Crossing Realm cultivator was killed in complete silence.

At least she had contributed a few decades of life force to Gu An—still somewhat useful.

Afterward, Gu An began inspecting the two storage rings Su Shan had left behind.

Meanwhile, Yang Ni sat in her room, unable to calm her mind for cultivation. Su Shan's threat echoed in her thoughts repeatedly.

The fact that Gu An might be implicated because of her filled her with guilt.

It wasn't that she harbored any special feelings for him. After all these years, the two had grown close, and the idea that someone as kind-hearted as Gu An might suffer because of her left her restless.

As dawn broke, Lu Jiujia summoned the disciples for their morning exercises. Gu An also came downstairs.

"Morning is the best time for practice. Yang Ni, it's time to come out and train!" Gu An called from outside Yang Ni's courtyard.

Yang Ni soon emerged, merely nodding at Gu An as if nothing had happened the previous night.

Gu An didn't say much, though he was somewhat comforted by the fact that Yang Ni had dared to draw her sword in the face of Su Shan's threat. It showed some bravery.

Hmm, perhaps I should allocate her more land for growing additional flowers and herbs.

...

Since that encounter with Su Shan, Yang Ni began visiting the outer sect every few days, under the pretense of searching for high-grade seeds.

Meanwhile, Gu An's life continued undisturbed, as he regularly moved between the various medicine valleys.

By late summer, Gu An arrived at Tianya Valley. Luo Hun and Yi Liuyun had left, taking the three demon monkeys with them. Only Lu Xian remained in the valley.

"A cave dwelling of a powerful cultivator has been discovered thousands of miles away, along with many heavenly treasures. Yi Liuyun took them to gather the resources and won't return for a few days," Lu Xian explained, his gaze fixed intensely on Gu An.

Gu An nodded slightly and turned to walk toward the garden.

"Who exactly are you, Gu An?"

Lu Xian's voice echoed behind him, filled with a venomous edge, completely different from his usual tone.

Gu An paused and turned slightly, smiling. "I'm no one special, just an ordinary cultivator who enjoys growing plants."

Something's off!

He feels like a different person!

Could one of the other lingering souls in his body have taken control? Gu An wondered.

Lu Xian sneered, his face twisting with malice. "I've only taught you a few times, yet your mastery of the Xuanwu Tempest Palm has already surpassed my decade of practice."

Gu An raised an eyebrow. He had deliberately held back, yet Lu Xian had still noticed something unusual.

This is trouble.

Lu Xian took a step forward, and the overwhelming pressure of a Foundation Establishment, Ninth Layer cultivator surged, kicking up leaves from the ground in a whirlwind, a storm-like force rising from him.

Though he was only at the Foundation Establishment, Ninth Layer, his aura was on par with a lower-level Nascent Soul cultivator.

No wonder he was once Tai Xuan Sect's greatest prodigy.

"I discovered that cave dwelling long ago and calculated the day you would come. I sent them away ahead of time. Today, let's finally see which of us is stronger," Lu Xian said, his smile cold and cruel.

His right hand began gathering spiritual energy, causing the space around his palm to ripple as if it were an ocean wave.

Gu An raised his hand, trying to defuse the situation. "No need for this. I'm truly not some hidden genius. Why focus on me? I pose no threat to you."

But if you force my hand, I'll have no choice but to kill you.

Lu Xian licked his lips. "Don't worry, I won't kill you. I just want to test your true abilities. If you keep hiding your strength, you might end up like Li Ya."

At that, Gu An's gaze turned icy.

"Take this! My Xuanwu Tempest Palm!" Lu Xian roared, sending out a massive palm strike.

The fierce wind howled, shaking the earth as the immense pressure bore down on Gu An. The ground beneath him was uprooted, and dust filled the air.

Boom!

The palm force shot into the sky, creating a towering wave of energy nearly a hundred feet high, an awe-inspiring sight.

Lu Xian's smile froze. Beyond the massive wave of energy, Gu An stood utterly unmoved. His palm strike had been completely blocked.

Behind Gu An, the plants in the various gardens swayed gently in the wind, unharmed and still rooted firmly in the soil.

In that instant, Gu An's demeanor shifted, his expressionless face and aura becoming unfamiliar to Lu Xian.

"You…" Lu Xian stammered, his voice trembling as he watched Gu An take a single step forward.

With just one step, Gu An crossed the several meters between them, appearing directly in front of Lu Xian.

Boom!

The powerful aura that had surrounded Lu Xian dissipated, and the overwhelming force caused him to stumble backward, landing on the ground, completely stripped of his previous might.

Gu An raised his hand, palm facing Lu Xian's head.

Panic washed over Lu Xian as he realized he couldn't move. An immense spiritual energy pinned him down, leaving him completely helpless.

"Nascent Soul…" Lu Xian whispered through gritted teeth.

He wasn't wrong. Gu An had indeed suppressed his cultivation to Nascent Soul level, more than enough to overpower Lu Xian.

"Why are you forcing me?" Gu An asked softly, looking down at Lu Xian.

The murderous intent in Gu An's eyes was palpable, making Lu Xian feel the icy grip of death.

The expressionless face in front of him was terrifying. Lu Xian had never seen such a frightening sight.

"W-Wait!" Lu Xian hurriedly pleaded, terror breaking through his usually proud demeanor.

Gu An stood silently over him.

In truth, Gu An didn't want to kill him. After all, Lu Xian was Lü Baitian's son, and he didn't harbor any true malice toward Gu An, only wanting to test his strength.

To avoid further trouble, Gu An decided to frighten him enough to break his will.

"I… I was wrong… Please don't kill me…" Lu Xian gritted his teeth, bowing his head, too afraid to meet Gu An's gaze.

Still sitting on the ground, Lu Xian was soaked in sweat, humiliated by his helplessness.

"But now that you've forced me to reveal my true cultivation, I'll likely face endless troubles. I just wanted to peacefully grow my plants. Why did you have to push me? Why?" Gu An said coldly. His voice rose in frustration, his expression twisting as if he were on the verge of madness.

Lu Xian raised his head, horrified by Gu An's crazed expression. "I swear… I won't tell anyone… I swear!" he stammered.

Spiritual energy surged in Gu An's right palm, and the terrifying power of a Nascent Soul cultivator made Lu Xian's heart race in fear.

"Wait, wait! I know the location of an eighth-grade spirit flower. This flower has been growing for hundreds of years and has not yet become a spirit. Don't you like to grow flowers? You can take it!" Lu Xian quickly offered, his voice trembling as he desperately searched for something to appease Gu An.

Gu An's eyes flickered with interest. He narrowed his gaze and asked, "Where is it?"

Sensing the pressure on him lessen, Lu Xian quickly retrieved a scroll from his storage bag and said, "This is a map. An elder I met during the Hundred Tribes Assembly gave it to me."

Gu An took the map and gave it a quick glance before storing it in his own storage pouch. He then looked back at Lu Xian, frowning slightly. "You really won't tell anyone?"

"I swear, if I reveal your cultivation level, I will be plagued by heart demons and will die during my tribulation!" Lu Xian swore immediately, not daring to hesitate.

After hearing this, Gu An finally retracted his aura, returning to the appearance of a mere Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The shaking plants in the medicine valley also settled, and Lu Xian let out a long sigh of relief, gasping for breath, drenched in cold sweat.

Gu An returned to his usual gentle demeanor. He helped Lu Xian up, brushing the dust off his clothes and said warmly, "Brother Lu, my apologies. But promise me, no more jokes like this in the future. It's not funny."

Hearing these words, Lu Xian forced a smile, nodding weakly.

Gu An then turned and left, heading back toward the garden.

As he walked away, Lu Xian stared at his retreating figure, lost in thought.

Half an hour later, Gu An bid farewell to Lu Xian and left the valley.

Lu Xian, however, remained sitting in the grass, staring blankly at the sky.

Sunset turned into night, and for two whole days and nights, Lu Xian didn't move from his spot.

When Luo Hun, Yi Liuyun, and the three demon monkeys returned, they were in high spirits, clearly having reaped great rewards.

Yi Liuyun noticed Lu Xian still sitting there and called out, "Lu Xian, why aren't you cultivating?"

Lu Xian's body trembled slightly. He turned his head toward Yi Liuyun and asked, "Do you think I can reach Nascent Soul before I turn one hundred?"

He knew Gu An's age because Gu An was roughly the same age as Li Ya.

"If you hadn't wasted so much time earlier, you might have had a chance to reach Nascent Soul before you turn one hundred. But now that you're already ninety, advancing from Foundation Establishment, Ninth Layer to Nascent Soul within ten years will be difficult," Yi Liuyun said, shaking his head.

Luo Hun chimed in, "The Emperor favors you greatly. If you ask, I'm sure he'll provide plenty of resources to help you."

Lu Xian remained silent, trapped in a whirlwind of self-doubt. Maybe I'm not a genius after all…