Saint Who Lay Low

For the Third Medicine Valley, the visit from the Nine-Finger Divine Lord was a mere footnote, leaving no lasting impact on the valley's daily life. However, Yang Jian's status continued to rise, and the other disciples began to treat him with increasing deference.

Initially, they might have thought Yang Jian was favored simply because Gu An took a liking to him. But now, with even the Nine-Finger Divine Lord showing admiration, it became evident that Yang Jian was a true genius. It was only their mortal eyes that failed to see it.

Early the next morning, Gu An rode the Blood Prison Saint towards Tianya Valley. Over the coming month, all the Medicine Valleys were set to reap their harvests, something he was greatly looking forward to.

By late summer, a sudden piece of news swept through the cultivation world, shocking everyone in its path like a storm. The Tai Xuan Sect was no exception, and even its quietest corners buzzed with the revelation.

Gu An had just returned to Xuan Valley when he overheard disciples fervently discussing the matter.

That very morning, a cultivator had flown over Xuan Valley, announcing a monumental event that had shaken the entire realm:

The Great Demon Catastrophe, originating from the holy land of the Seven Stars Realm, had been eradicated by the Sword Master of the Dao. He had descended upon the realm, vanquished demons, and redefined the sacred land.

The implications of this were immense. Even the lowest-ranking labor disciples of the cultivation world were engaged in heated debates about it.

When Gu An arrived back at the valley, Lu Jiujia immediately sought him out to share the news.

"Who would have thought the Great Demon Catastrophe was orchestrated in secret by the so-called holy land? I knew it! Why didn't they intervene during the earlier disasters?" Lu Jiujia exclaimed indignantly.

The scandal of the Seven Stars Realm reminded Lu Jiujia of the injustices he had once faced within the Tai Xuan Sect.

"Is there no such thing as a truly righteous path in this world?" he muttered bitterly.

Gu An listened carefully, nodding at all the right moments. When Lu Jiujia began to praise the Sword Master of the Dao as invincible under the heavens, a faint smile appeared on Gu An's face. He joined in the admiration, fully embodying the role of an ardent follower of the Sword Master.

After a long chat, Gu An left for the outer sect city. Having visited Nian Chu Cave Residence the night before, he hadn't brought the Blood Prison Saint with him this time.

As he flew towards the outer sect city, he noticed many disciples bustling about below.

A hundred years ago, it would have been rare to see so many disciples outside the sect's perimeter. This was a testament to the growing strength of the Tai Xuan Sect.

When he arrived at the outer sect city, the air was filled with excitement. The noise of chatter surrounded him, with the name "Sword Master of the Dao" on everyone's lips.

Making his way to the Heaven Mending Platform, Gu An found an even larger crowd gathered. This time, disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall were stationed around the platform, prohibiting anyone from stepping onto it—even Emperor Xie had been turned away.

Gu An's gaze shifted to the center of the crowd, where the Heaven-Sundering Axe was prominently displayed. Encircled by layer upon layer of people, Ji Hantian and Gu Zong stood near the axe. Meanwhile, its guardian, Zuo Yijian, had been pushed far to the side, looking utterly disgruntled.

Among the crowd, Gu An detected several familiar auras—those of the Seven Stars Realm prodigies he had once saved. They knelt before the Heaven-Sundering Axe, accompanied by Loose immortals as they earnestly outlined their plans to reform the Seven Stars Realm.

Their sincerity was palpable.

Though the high-ranking members had been eradicated, the Seven Stars Realm's deep foundations couldn't be dismantled overnight. If the remaining members could create a new Seven Stars Realm to benefit the common people, it would be a worthy endeavor.

Gu An's gaze fell on Emperor Xie, the once-proud son of the Demon Emperor.

Now fully integrated into the Tai Xuan Sect, Emperor Xie had risen to a prominent position among its ranks.

Sensing Gu An's gaze, Emperor Xie turned and nodded in greeting. Gu An nodded back, though inwardly he felt a twinge of nostalgia. The distance between them had grown.

But he wasn't upset or disappointed. In life, people often drift apart—not out of disdain but simply because they no longer had much to talk about after so long.

He didn't approach Emperor Xie but turned and walked away instead.

Besides Emperor Xie, Gu An had many friends in the outer sect city. Though most were drinking buddies, they were still friends. After all, what's wrong with sharing drinks and laughs, passing an afternoon together? That's friendship too.

He was curious to hear their take on the Sword Master of the Dao.

The excitement wasn't limited to the Tai Xuan Sect. Cultivation sects across the realm were buzzing with the same news.

The Sword Master of the Dao had singlehandedly ventured into the Seven Stars Realm, wiping out its immortals with a single sword strike. His audacity and strength stirred the hearts of all who heard the tale.

With this battle, the Sword Master's might was no longer questioned. The discussion of his strength even overshadowed the Seven Stars Realm's crimes.

While most cultivators expressed anger at the revelations of the holy land's atrocities, they weren't shocked. Such scandals were all too common in their world. The Seven Stars Realm's transgressions were merely on a larger scale.

But the Sword Master of the Dao was different. Every time he acted, he left the world in awe. Just when people thought they had already overestimated him, he performed another earth-shattering feat.

The idea of one man sweeping through a holy land was almost absurd.

Cultivation wasn't like martial arts. The higher the realm, the harder it was to take on multiple opponents of the same level. For a single individual to crush the Seven Stars Realm—a sanctuary of immortals—was beyond comprehension.

In the following days, Ye Lan, Zhen Qin, Shen Zhen, Gu Yu, Zuo Lin, and Wu Xin all sought out Gu An to discuss the matter. Each of them was brimming with excitement. Shen Zhen, in particular, was so exhilarated she proposed writing a book about the Sword Master, only to be firmly stopped by Gu An. He feared she might inadvertently offend the Sword Master of the Dao!

Though Gu An had heard countless accolades for the Sword Master by now, he never tired of them. They brought him immense satisfaction every time.

Once the initial fervor began to subside, the cultivation world turned its focus to the Sword Master's character. Despite obliterating the Seven Stars Realm's leadership, he had left the realm an opportunity for redemption. This act revealed to the world the true essence of what it meant to be an immortal.

Strength used recklessly is the mark of a demon.

Strength wielded with compassion and a concern for the common people—that is the mark of an immortal.

As the cultivation world began idolizing the Sword Master of the Dao, countless imitators emerged. Some mimicked his name, while others adopted his mannerisms and actions.

One thing was clear: the Sword Master of the Dao was reshaping the cultivation world through his deeds.

On this day, Gu An arrived at the Mountain God Temple in the North Sea Mountain Range.

Inside the temple were Xuanmiao Zhenren and three other cultivators, seemingly travelers who had stopped to rest. The four were deep in conversation about the Sword Master of the Dao. Xuanmiao Zhenren, who rarely interacted with others and was unfamiliar with the happenings in the cultivation world, was stunned upon hearing about the Sword Master's lone venture into the Seven Stars Realm and his forceful reform of the sacred land's practices.

The Seven Stars Realm was a behemoth that even the ancestors of Three Purities Mountain dared not provoke or investigate. Yet, it had nearly been annihilated by the Sword Master of the Dao.

With survivors of the Seven Stars Realm confirming the details, the stories circulating about the Sword Master's might were indisputable.

It was said that the Sword Master of the Dao hadn't used any spells or divine abilities—he had simply wielded a sword to obliterate the seven immortals of the Seven Stars Realm. Even their supreme artifact, the Seven Stars Mirror, couldn't withstand a single strike!

To Xuanmiao Zhenren, it felt like listening to a legend.

He began to wonder if the Sword Master of the Dao might be even stronger than the Mountain God. Or perhaps, given the strength of both, the two might actually know each other.

His thoughts wandered endlessly.

Seeing that the three travelers weren't leaving anytime soon, Gu An quietly stepped out and made his way to the edge of the North Sea.

Standing by the lake, his gaze fell upon the vast waters, and his divine sense penetrated its depths.

Buried beneath the lake was the Immortal King's Crown, untouched to this day.

Back then, deeming it too dangerous, Gu An had buried it. Now, after handling the The Mysterious Divine City and the Seven Stars Mirror, he felt confident in his ability to confront the crown's mysteries.

Raising a hand, he summoned the crown. The lake surface rippled, and the Immortal King's Crown, along with a short flute capable of summoning the Thirteen Nether Ghosts, flew into his grasp.

He casually tossed the flute into his storage pouch, then held the Immortal King's Crown in both hands.

Under the sunlight, the dark golden crown shimmered ominously, its empty grooves hinting at a sinister past.

Gu An immediately infused his divine sense into the crown.

Boom!

A surge of powerful energy erupted, ruffling Gu An's robes and stirring waves across the lake in a spectacular display.

As expected!

The internal formations of the Immortal King's Crown were similar to those of the Seven Stars Mirror but far less intact. Many formations were still in the process of repairing themselves. This confirmed that the crown was a damaged immortal treasure, more compromised than the The Mysterious Divine City and yet to regenerate a celestial spirit.

As he examined its formations, Gu An gained insights into the crown's properties.

Beyond its immense power, the Immortal King's Crown could absorb vitality to accelerate its own restoration. The infamous Evil Emperor had been drained dry by the crown, reduced to nothing but a lingering soul.

However, what the Evil Emperor, a Mahayana Realm cultivator, couldn't withstand, Gu An, a ninth-layer Unrestrained Primordial Immortal, could easily endure.

Gu An began refining the crown's ownership restrictions, converting it into his personal artifact.

The process was intricate, but having dealt with the The Mysterious Divine City and the Seven Stars Mirror, Gu An found it manageable.

Half an hour later, he succeeded in binding the crown.

Removing the hair tie from his head, he donned the Immortal King's Crown, his hair elegantly arranged beneath it.

With a thought, the crown transformed. From an imperial crown, it reshaped itself into a daoist's hairpiece. Though its surface still bore many grooves, its reduced size rendered it less foreboding. Instead, it added an ethereal quality to Gu An's aura.

Pulling out the Seven Stars Mirror, Gu An used it as a makeshift mirror to tidy his hair.

The more he looked, the more pleased he became.

Indeed, clothes make the man. Despite his striking features, a refined accessory enhanced his appearance significantly.

"Perhaps a finely crafted robe would complement this look perfectly," Gu An mused.

After all, as a Core Formation cultivator, dressing well was no sin. While he aimed to cultivate discreetly, there was no need to live ascetically.

If anyone were foolish enough to target him for his attire, Gu An would happily teach them a lesson in the philosophy of a ninth-layer Unrestrained Primordial Immortal.

Satisfied, Gu An strolled along the lakeshore, admiring the scenery of the North Sea.

As dusk approached, a cultivator descended from the sky, landing beside him.

The man greeted him, "Fellow Daoist, may I ask which sect you hail from?"

Gu An casually cast a lifespan probe at the man.

[Guo Guhong (Core Formation, eighth layer): 373/500/950]

An ordinary cultivator.

But a century and a half ago, such a figure would have been a giant in Gu An's eyes.

Gu An replied, "I am from the Gu Hao Sect. What brings you here, fellow Daoist?"

Dressed in gray robes with a straw hat and a long case strapped to his back, Guo Guhong had the look of a weary traveler. His eyes turned to the lake as he said, "I've heard rumors of an anomaly in the North Sea, suggesting that a immortal treasure may soon emerge. I was wondering if you might know anything about it."

Before Gu An could respond, Guo Guhong suddenly raised a hand, his right clawing toward Gu An's heart.