Saint Who Lay Low

Facing the threat from the purple-robed man, the three great cultivators from the Ji family remained unmoved, continuing their assault. None of the Body Fusion Realm cultivators from the Tai Xuan Sect showed any signs of stopping either, determined to kill him on the spot.

"Hmph!"

The purple-robed man let out a cold snort, raising his spear and sweeping it horizontally. In an instant, vast demonic energy surged forth, as if someone had smeared a black stroke across the canvas of the sky. The three Ji family cultivators spat blood and were sent flying, their Heavenly Dragon Demon Subjugation Aspect obliterated and vanishing into smoke.

The three of them plummeted like falling stars, crashing into the mountains below, shaking the earth and raising clouds of dust.

In all directions, eight Body Fusion Realm cultivators shouted in unison. Behind them, eight giant ancient bronze bells floated, each exuding a shadow of a bell. These shadows expanded, growing to a height of a thousand feet, their grand and imposing forms shaking the heavens.

The immense bell shadows unleashed a terrifying shockwave, distorting the space around them and creating waves in the very fabric of the sky.

The purple-robed man raised his spear to defend, releasing vast spiritual energy that formed a storm around him, countering the shockwave from the bell shadows.

Swoosh—

A piercing sound cut through the mountains, and in an instant, a flying sword arrived in front of the purple-robed man at an impossible speed. His pupils contracted as he quickly tilted his head to dodge the attack.

The flying sword was swift as a rainbow, controlled by a female cultivator dressed in red robes. Her long hair danced wildly, and her holy, delicate face was cold as ice. The killing intent in her gaze toward the purple-robed man was unmistakable.

Behind the purple-robed man, the golden halo rose, emitting rays of golden light that shattered the bell shadows. The mountains within a hundred-mile radius were bombarded, and the earth trembled violently.

Amidst the rolling dust, blazing waves of fire formed into fire dragons, rushing toward the purple-robed man. He sneered disdainfully.

He suddenly turned, thrusting his spear forward.

Boom—

A deafening clash echoed as his spear struck a three-zhang-tall ancient bronze cauldron. The cauldron was engraved with mythical creatures on all four sides, radiating an ancient aura. Lü Baitian stood atop the cauldron, unleashing a palm strike with spiritual energy like a flood.

The image of a mysterious black tortoise appeared behind him, letting out an angry roar. The terrifying palm wind engulfed the purple-robed man.

Xuanwu Tempest Palm!

The palm wind descended from the sky, tearing through the earth and sweeping up a storm of dust and debris, as if intending to annihilate the entire world.

Boom!

Lü Baitian and the cauldron were sent flying, with needle-thin strands of spiritual energy piercing his body, causing his expression to change drastically.

Amidst the violent storm, the purple-robed man stood like a god descending to earth, looking down on everything with disdain.

Gazing at Lü Baitian, he laughed arrogantly, "A pity to kill a Body Fusion Realm ninth level cultivator like you. You should serve me and—"

Before he could finish speaking, he suddenly turned his head.

Not only him, but all the Tai Xuan Sect's great cultivators sensed something and simultaneously looked in the same direction.

A thousand miles away, Su Han stood on the edge of a cliff, his sword on his back, gazing into the distance. Feeling the sudden cessation of the battle's noise, he frowned. With his limited spiritual sense, he could not perceive the center of the battle.

"Could the Tai Xuan Sect have already lost?"

Su Han furrowed his brow, conflicted.

He hadn't wanted to lead the way, but Elder Chihan had singled him out. Even without him, someone else would have led the way, so he had no choice.

In truth, he harbored resentment toward the Tai Xuan Sect.

As an outer disciple of the sect, he had been hunted by the Great Yu Dynasty's Sword Sect, but the Tai Xuan Sect refused to protect him and even forced him to cripple his own cultivation, leaving him deeply disappointed.

But no matter how disappointed he was, the Tai Xuan Sect had been his first sect on the path of cultivation. He didn't want to see it destroyed, yet he had no choice but to accept it, having already joined the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, the only sect in the cultivation world that would take him.

As Su Han wrestled with his emotions, a shadow flashed above his head.

So fast!

He couldn't even see clearly who had passed by, only sensing a blur of purple-black before it vanished, as if it had been a hallucination.

That shadow was Gu An!

With Gu An's cultivation, how could he allow Su Han to detect him?

Gu An had deliberately let Su Han glimpse him, intending to scare him off.

This was his final act of care as a master.

After passing Su Han, Gu An accelerated, arriving in an instant at the battle.

He hovered in mid-air a hundred feet from the purple-robed man, and immediately used his Lifespan Investigation ability.

[Jin Lingzun (Profound Heart Realm, second level): 1840/4500/4600]

He could get two or three hundred years of lifespan—not bad!

Gu An didn't strike immediately but allowed the purple-robed man and the Tai Xuan Sect's great cultivators to take in his presence.

"The Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe... Who are you?" Jin Lingzun narrowed his eyes, glaring at Gu An, and shouted.

The great cultivators of the Tai Xuan Sect all turned to Gu An, and upon hearing the words "Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe," the blood-soaked Ji Hantian, who had just flown back into the sky, exclaimed with joy, "Xuantian Patriarch?!"

Xuantian Patriarch!

The Tai Xuan Sect's cultivators were all shaken, even Lü Baitian standing atop the cauldron was dumbfounded.

Could Xuantian Patriarch still be alive?

"Impossible! You're not Xuantian Patriarch—who are you?" Jin Lingzun stared intently at Gu An, unable to see through his true identity, which made him uneasy.

"A thousand years ago, Xuantian Patriarch succumbed to demonic deviation and was killed by our sect's cultivators. His head still hangs along the Nine Nether Path. Who are you, and have you inherited the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe?"

Jin Lingzun pressed on, gripping his spear tightly, with golden energy swirling around it.

Hearing the fate of Xuantian Patriarch, the Tai Xuan Sect's cultivators were enraged, hurling curses at the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, but Jin Lingzun remained unshaken, his gaze locked on Gu An.

Gu An remained silent.

Hmm?

Still not convincing as Xuantian Patriarch?

Suddenly—

Jin Lingzun thrust his spear forward, golden light bursting forth, draining the color from the world. A terrifying pressure exploded out, forcing the Tai Xuan Sect's great cultivators to retreat as the ground below crumbled again, resembling the onset of an apocalypse.

The searing golden light caused Lü Baitian's skin to begin to burn, shocking him into quickly channeling his spiritual energy. Others were similarly affected.

Luckily, the golden light came and went quickly. As it vanished, everyone's eyes widened in disbelief.

Jin Lingzun remained in his thrusting stance, but the mysterious shadow now stood beside him, the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe hovering at his throat.

Jin Lingzun's body stiffened, his face filled with disbelief.

How could this be...

So fast!

He was in the Profound Heart Realm, yet he couldn't track his opponent's movements. Worse, he felt an oppressive force that rendered his spiritual energy useless.

This was Gu An's divine ability, Mysterious Yellow Dragon's Might!

The Mysterious Yellow Dragon's Might was a divine ability Gu An had comprehended when mastering the Mysterious Yellow Dragon Qi Technique, and with his Mahayana Realm ninth level pressure, even a Profound Heart Realm second level like Jin Lingzun couldn't resist.

Everyone from the Tai Xuan Sect was paralyzed with fear, an overwhelming sense of dread washing over them.

Now that their senses were clear, they recognized the technique Gu An used as a demonic shadow art.

Could someone from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion possess such power?

Gu An held the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe at Jin Lingzun's throat with his right hand and slowly raised his left hand, swatting off Jin Lingzun's crown before grabbing his long hair.

In an instant, Jin Lingzun looked utterly pathetic, all of his previous arrogance gone.

"You... The Ephemeral Blossom Sect's main branch is arriving soon. Are you sure you want to—" Jin Lingzun stammered, his voice trembling with fear.

But before he could finish speaking, there was a sharp slash as Gu An swung the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe, severing Jin Lingzun's head cleanly from his body.

Blood sprayed in all directions, and Jin Lingzun's eyes widened in shock and disbelief!

With a flick of the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe, a terrifying gust of wind swept through the area, blowing dust and debris across dozens of miles, clearing the battlefield.

Jin Lingzun's severed head fell, but his neck and body began to burn with Taiqing True Fire, the intense blue flames igniting both his head and body simultaneously, consuming him from both directions.

Jin Lingzun's voice turned hoarse and raspy as he tried to scream, his Nascent Soul desperately trying to escape, but it was futile.

With a final whoosh, Gu An loosened his grip on the severed head and calmly took Jin Lingzun's storage bracelet before watching as the flames consumed him. Within five breaths, Jin Lingzun's physical body was entirely reduced to ashes, his spiritual energy dissipating into the wind. All that remained was a single heart—his Profound Heart, floating in mid-air and still faintly pulsing.

A Profound Heart.

Gu An grasped the Profound Heart and casually tossed it into his storage bag.

Without a second glance, he turned to leave.

"Wait!" Ji Hantian shouted, his voice trembling with a mix of fear and awe. "Who exactly are you? Are you helping us, or do you hold a grudge against the Ephemeral Blossom Sect? If it's the latter, why not join forces? The Nine Nether Path has already opened, and the true catastrophe is just beginning. We need to unite!"

The other great cultivators all turned their eyes toward Gu An, anxious yet hopeful.

Gu An did not respond with words but instead released his Sword Intent—a massive and overwhelming aura that enveloped the battlefield.

As his Sword Intent spread, the sky darkened, and the air became still. The swaying trees and trembling plants in the distant horizon suddenly stopped, frozen in place by the sheer force of his presence.

"S…Sword Master…" an elderly cultivator stammered, his voice shaking with disbelief, as a look of joy and surprise crossed his face.

Before he could finish his sentence, Gu An disappeared from the battlefield in a single step, vanishing into thin air, leaving only the lingering sensation of his powerful Sword Intent behind.

Ji Hantian stood frozen, caught in a daze.

The legendary Sword Master of the Dao had so easily slain Jin Lingzun, a Profound Heart Realm cultivator. Ji Hantian thought back to the time when he had once pursued Sword Master of the Dao relentlessly…

Now, reflecting on it, he felt a deep sense of shame and terror.

If Sword Master of the Dao hadn't been on their side, he would have perished long ago.

At the same time, Ji Hantian was filled with an intense curiosity.

Who exactly was Sword Master of the Dao?

And what was his true role within the Tai Xuan Sect?

In the outer sect city, within the inn, Shen Zhen was casually sipping her drink. It had only been a short while since Gu An had left.

Suddenly, a surge of powerful auras erupted within the city, shaking the entire place. In moments, a full-blown battle had broken out, causing the other disciples in the inn to rise to their feet in alarm and rush out.

Shen Zhen glanced toward the window, peering outside. High above Heaven Mending Platform, two cultivators were engaged in a fierce battle, their energy clashing violently. More and more disciples from the Tai Xuan Sect were taking their positions, forming defensive formations on the rooftops to protect the city below.

"Things are getting chaotic," Shen Zhen muttered to herself, her lips curling into a grin as if enjoying the spectacle rather than feeling any concern.

A few moments later, Gu An hurried back into the inn, feigning panic. "It's all starting! Why aren't you hiding yet?" he asked, playing the part of someone overwhelmed by the chaos.

The Ephemeral Blossom Sect's infiltrators within the Tai Xuan Sect had begun to cause disturbances, believing Jin Lingzun had already secured victory. Little did they know that Jin Lingzun had already perished.

Everything from this point onward was now left to the Tai Xuan Sect, and Gu An simply pretended to be frantic.

Shen Zhen casually pulled out her brush and paper, smiling. "How about we paint together? Let's see who captures the battle better. If you manage to impress me, I'll reward you with any herb you want."