Saint Who Lay Low

"Eight hundred years of bitter cultivation, millions of pills consumed, reaching the Profound Heart Realm only to fall prey to heart demons upon success. I resent… I resent..."

Gu An read aloud a passage from the unnamed book, frowning deeply.

Xuan Tian Ancestor's bitterness was vividly etched on the page, expressing his resentment toward the heavens.

He resented the fact that, even after reaching the Profound Heart Realm, just as he was about to savor his success, he was plagued by heart demons.

After reading it, Gu An immediately thought of the concept of a lifespan limit.

It was as if an invisible fate was binding all living beings. Perhaps Xuan Tian Ancestor's natural lifespan could only support him until the Body Fusion Realm, but with an abundance of resources, he forcibly broke through to the Profound Heart Realm without gaining additional lifespan, ultimately facing heart demons and death.

The more Gu An thought about it, the more plausible this theory seemed.

Cultivation might not be a battle against the heavens but rather a struggle against fate.

Gu An firmly believed that fate could be defied, and he was the living proof.

The lifespan limit he saw was a reminder of the existence of fate.

While he had the ability to steal others' lifespans, there must also be some other opportunity in this world that allowed one to break the limit of lifespan. He just hadn't encountered it yet.

It was precisely because eternal life was so elusive that so many people pursued it relentlessly, risking everything.

Gu An pinned his hopes on the Dao Yan Technique. If it proved effective, he might even use part of his own lifespan to further enhance the technique.

After all, Wu Xin's lifespan far exceeded that of those in the same cultivation realm, providing him with hope.

Gu An continued reading. The rest of the book detailed Xuan Tian Ancestor's life, from his entry into the Tai Xuan Sect to his competition for the position of Sect Master. It read like a novel, and even the brief descriptions left much to the imagination.

After finishing the will, Gu An tucked the book into his storage bag and turned his attention to the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe manual.

As he read deeper, he became increasingly absorbed. His pupils seemed to reflect the image of a figure wielding a massive axe.

The Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe consisted of nine forms: Severing Life, Severing Demons, Severing Ghosts, Severing Mountains, Severing Seas, Severing Laws, Severing Immortals, Severing Gods, and Severing Heaven!

It sounded overwhelmingly powerful, but whether it could truly sever immortals and heaven was another matter.

The nine forms were not stages of mastery but nine distinct techniques. Xuan Tian Ancestor had already mastered all nine forms and had never met an equal before succumbing to heart demons.

He had once swept through the cultivation world of the Nine Dynasties, establishing Tai Xuan Sect's reputation as the dominant sect. However, Xuan Tian Ancestor had not left the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe to the sect, as it was a legacy of the Sacred Land, forbidden to be passed on to others. If the Sacred Land discovered it, he would be stripped of his cultivation—a point he had emphasized in his will.

After skimming through the manual, Gu An placed it back into his storage bag.

He turned and walked into the dilapidated wooden house. The inside was shabby, with weeds growing on the floor, and in the center of the room stood a dusty axe.

Approaching the axe, Gu An gently blew on it, instantly removing the dust and revealing a black axe beneath.

The Heaven-Sundering Axe—a peerless treasure, forged from North Sea Nether Iron, and not just any kind, but iron that had aged for over a million years. It was even heavier than Li Ya's North Sea Greatsword and could channel even more spiritual energy.

Gu An gripped the axe, raising an eyebrow.

It was heavy!

Even with his Mahayana Realm cultivation and his Innate Wishful Physique, which granted him immense strength, he could still feel the weight of the axe. This alone spoke volumes about its heft.

Without even using the axe's techniques, it felt like he could simply smash someone to death with it.

Gu An lifted the Heaven-Sundering Axe effortlessly once he focused. The weapon became as light as a feather in his hands, and he swung it with ease.

When he tried to place the axe into his storage bag, it was repelled by the bag's spatial constraints.

It wouldn't fit!

Interesting!

Gu An set the axe down and searched the rest of the wooden house, but there was nothing else of value.

He then left the house and returned to the entrance of Xuan Tian Cave Mansion. There, he sealed the crack in the mountainside. With his Five Elemental Treasure Body and perfect earth affinity, he could gather spiritual energy to form earth, effortlessly mending the wall.

Once the crack was completely sealed, Gu An felt at ease.

From now on, this cave mansion was his!

Feeling quite pleased with himself, Gu An smiled as he stepped back into Xuan Tian Cave Mansion.

It was time to cultivate this new territory!

At the end of autumn, within the Third Medicine Valley, the disciples were busy sweeping fallen leaves.

Suddenly, Lu Lingjun looked up toward the sky, where a figure was rapidly approaching.

Her brow furrowed, and her heart stirred with unease.

Body Fusion Realm, Ninth Layer!

The person was none other than Lü Baitian.

Lü Baitian swiftly landed before the pavilion where Gu An resided and ascended the stairs.

Lu Lingjun turned her attention back to the ground, her mind wondering about the identity of the visitor.

Though Lü Baitian had visited the Third Medicine Valley multiple times, he had never revealed his true identity. When An Hao and An Xin had mentioned him, they had only referred to him as an elder of the sect.

Inside the room, Lü Baitian closed the door behind him and set up a barrier to prevent any eavesdropping.

Gu An put down the book he was reading and smiled. "Sect Master, what brings you here?"

He stood up and moved to brew tea.

"No need for that, just sit. We need to talk." Lü Baitian waved his hand dismissively and pulled a chair over, sitting down.

Gu An followed suit and asked, "What shall we talk about?"

What could Lü Baitian possibly want to talk about with him?

Surely, not recruiting a disciple again! Gu An chuckled inwardly. He was, after all, a Mahayana Realm cultivator—far beyond the need for a master.

"Let's talk about Li Xuandao," Lü Baitian said, his eyes fixed on Gu An.

"What about him?" Gu An asked, slightly puzzled.

"Crown Prince Li Dai had his Golden Core extracted, his Nascent Soul destroyed, and his cultivation crippled. The Void Crossing Realm cultivator protecting him was also killed," Lü Baitian said, his words catching Gu An off guard.

Gu An was genuinely surprised.

Did Li Xuandao act right after the Tai Xuan Sect's Law Enforcement Hall left?

To enter the Void Crossing Realm and be able to kill someone of the same level—quite impressive!

In the Void Crossing Realm, cultivators had countless methods. Even if they were overpowered, escaping was usually not difficult.

Gu An made it look easy to kill Void Crossing Realm cultivators, but that was only because he suppressed his true cultivation. His opponents never had the chance to escape.

Lü Baitian then asked, "Does Li Xuandao have a Void Crossing Realm cultivator at his side?"

Gu An shook his head helplessly. "I wouldn't know."

Lü Baitian paused, then nodded in agreement, his expression softening.

"With the Crown Prince dead, the Tai Xuan Sect will have no choice but to support Li Ya. The throne must be held by a prince from Tai Xuan Sect. But unfortunately, Li Ya has been away for years," Lü Baitian sighed.

"If not for the imminent attack by the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, I would have already deposed Li Xuandao."

Gu An raised an eyebrow and asked, "Why depose him?"

Lü Baitian sighed. "He's been emperor for nearly two hundred years, yet the Tai Cang Dynasty is overrun with demons, and evil spirits run rampant. The people are suffering. A change in emperor could serve as a sacrifice to the heavens, possibly reversing our fortunes. Unfortunately, he has aligned himself with several elders from the Council, making it difficult for me to force him to abdicate. Now that I've recovered my cultivation, the Ephemeral Blossom Sect has returned, bringing one trouble after another."

When mentioning the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, Lü Baitian's face was filled with frustration.

Gu An couldn't tell if Lü Baitian truly cared for the people or just disliked Li Xuandao.

Both men had provided him with precious herbs, so Gu An refrained from taking sides and watched their conflict unfold as a bystander.

Li Xuandao was indeed a formidable strategist, having held off a Body Fusion Realm Ninth Layer expert for so long. And he was still growing in power.

If Lü Baitian knew that Li Xuandao had already reached the Void Crossing Realm, he might immediately go and try to kill him.

Lü Baitian then changed the subject to the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. He revealed that there were many traitors from the sect within the Supreme Council, several of whom were working for the Ephemeral Blossom Sect.

This had greatly enraged Lü Baitian. Years ago, he had purged a group of demonic spies, only to discover that some of the remaining members were still aligned with the Ephemeral Blossom Sect—the sect he despised the most.

"I've received intelligence that the sect's Sect Master, Zhong Liang, is dead. It's unclear who killed him, but the sect has been unusually quiet, waiting for the arrival of their main branch. They suspect that I killed Zhong Liang. Ridiculous! I suspect they've killed their own leader," Lü Baitian scoffed.

Gu An curiously asked, "Why has the Ephemeral Blossom Sect been focusing its battles in the Northern Sea Mountains?"

Lü Baitian replied, "Most of the sect's higher-ups are based in the Northern Sea Mountains. They are searching for a certain opportunity related to our sect."

"What kind of opportunity?"

"One of our Grand Elders, over a thousand years ago, meditated in the Northern Sea Mountains and surpassed the Body Fusion Realm. He later vanished, but there are rumors that when he left, he did not take Tai Xuan Sect's treasured Heaven-Sundering Axe with him. That axe can't be stored in any storage artifact. It's tied to a grand legacy, and the Ephemeral Blossom Sect has been hunting for that legacy ever since."

So that's the story!

Gu An grinned inwardly. Despite the Ephemeral Blossom Sect searching for so long, they had found nothing, while he had discovered it by chance.

It seems that the recent spiritual energy surge had its benefits after all.

"The Heaven-Sundering Axe is no ordinary treasure. It is said to be tied to the Sacred Land. For three thousand years, only that Grand Elder had been able to inherit such a grand legacy from the Sacred Land. He was also my master's teacher," Lü Baitian said, his voice full of reverence.

So, Xuan Tian Ancestor was that powerful.

Gu An thought back to the weight of the Heaven-Sundering Axe, and it made sense.

Lü Baitian clearly admired Xuan Tian Ancestor deeply and began recounting his exploits. Although Lü Baitian had never met him, his own master had often spoken of him.

Lü Baitian's master had said that Xuan Tian Ancestor had never been defeated in his lifetime, and no matter how many enemies he faced, he always emerged victorious. He had even ventured south, where it was said he had acquired Immortal Techniques before returning to seclusion.

Gu An, however, knew that Xuan Tian Ancestor had never truly obtained any Immortal Techniques. His southern adventures had nearly cost him his life at the hands of a Demon King, and he had fled back to the Northern Sea Mountains, hoping to break through to the Profound Heart Realm before attempting the journey again. Unfortunately, he had never fulfilled that ambition.

Gu An suddenly recalled that the True Disciple had also ventured out on an expedition. Could it be that he had gone to the southern seas as well? It was said that this True Disciple was even more powerful than Lü Baitian, and may have already reached the Profound Heart Realm.

When Gu An brought up the True Disciple, Lü Baitian's mood visibly soured, and he clearly didn't want to discuss it.

It was obvious that the two didn't get along.

Just as Lü Baitian was speaking, he abruptly fell silent.

Gu An also sensed a powerful aura approaching from the north, but he feigned ignorance, as Lü Baitian was still present.

Lü Baitian turned his head toward the sky, mumbling, "So, it's finally here?"

"What's arrived?" Gu An asked, puzzled.

Lü Baitian stood up, saying, "It's nothing. I have some matters to attend to."

He quickly left, and Gu An rose to see him off, following him to the door.

Standing at the doorway, Gu An noticed that Lu Lingjun had also sensed the powerful aura from afar. She was frowning deeply, clearly disturbed.

Sensing Gu An's gaze, Lu Lingjun glanced at him briefly before returning to sweeping the fallen leaves.

Gu An watched Lü Baitian leave, his curiosity piqued. Where had that aura come from?

It didn't feel like a cultivator's aura. There was something strange and unsettling about it.