Saint Who Lay Low

Walking ahead, Gu An and Yang Ni could clearly hear the tension in Yang Jian and Li Lingtian's voices.

Gu An paid it no mind. After all, it was Li Lingtian who provoked Yang Jian first. While Gu An had always taught Yang Jian to remain humble, he never intended for him to become meek or someone easily bullied.

Yang Ni, on the other hand, was surprised by Yang Jian's strong personality. Her impression of Gu An had always been that of a soft-hearted individual. She didn't expect his disciple to be this resolute.

However, being too headstrong against Li Lingtian might not necessarily be a good thing.

Though Yang Ni disliked Li Lingtian personally, she had to admit the boy's talent was absurdly monstrous, as if an immortal had descended to the mortal realm.

After a short while, the group of four reached a clearing in the forest.

Before Gu An or Yang Ni could say a word, Yang Jian and Li Lingtian were already squaring off.

Li Lingtian smirked and asked, "What rules do you want?"

He could tell that Yang Jian's cultivation level was lower than his own, so he wanted to let Yang Jian decide the rules to avoid seeming like a bully.

Li Lingtian had never liked oppressing others without reason.

Yang Jian stared at him calmly and replied, "Just fight. I'll hold back."

Although he wasn't entirely sure of Li Lingtian's identity, since Yang Ni seemed friendly with Gu An, he figured he should show some restraint out of respect.

Li Lingtian froze momentarily at Yang Jian's words.

This guy really is unshakable!

Li Lingtian didn't dwell on it. This was his first-ever real battle since starting his cultivation journey, one he had anticipated for a full decade.

"Alright, then. Let's fight!"

With a loud laugh, Li Lingtian moved, a gust of wind scattering the nearby leaves. His figure shot forward like a bolt of lightning, his leg sweeping out in a wide arc like a whip.

Yang Jian's response was equally swift. In an instant, he raised his leg, using his knee to block Li Lingtian's sweeping kick.

Li Lingtian's eyes widened in surprise, his grin turning feral as excitement surged through him. Yang Jian's strength had ignited his fighting spirit.

"What fast reflexes," Yang Ni remarked as she stood beside Gu An, her tone tinged with astonishment. Yang Jian had caught her off guard.

Both Li Lingtian and Yang Jian were displaying speed and reactions far beyond what was typical for Foundation Establishment cultivators. Yang Ni even suspected that her own abilities during her Core Formation days weren't as refined.

So, Gu An really had reason to be confident!

Li Lingtian used the recoil from his blocked attack to leap backward, his body stretching gracefully in midair. With a shout, he thrust a fist forward, his spiritual energy forming a golden dragon projection that roared as it charged at Yang Jian.

The dragon's roar echoed through the forest.

Yang Jian didn't retreat. Instead, he moved forward, shattering the golden dragon projection with a single swipe before closing the gap between them.

Li Lingtian's pupils constricted.

Bang!

Yang Jian's elbow struck Li Lingtian's abdomen, forcing his eyes wide open as blood spewed from his mouth.

What followed was a relentless barrage of punches and kicks from Yang Jian. The ferocity of his attacks left Li Lingtian's body contorting midair like a battered sandbag, unable to even touch the ground.

"How is this possible?"

Yang Ni's eyes widened in disbelief.

She was well aware of Li Lingtian's strength. Though he had never sparred with others, Li Xuandao had provided him with numerous puppets as training tools.

In her opinion, Li Lingtian had already surpassed the Foundation Establishment Realm. If not for dividing his focus on cultivating spells and divine abilities, he would have reached the Core Formation Realm by now.

Yet this prodigious talent was being utterly dominated, unable to land a single counterattack?

Yang Jian's speed and precision left even Yang Ni, a Divine Transformation cultivator, feeling uneasy.

As Yang Jian grew more engrossed in the fight, a subtle but menacing aura began emanating from him. Yang Ni found this sensation unsettling. Although Yang Jian's cultivation level was far below hers, there was an inexplicable sense of reverence he inspired in her.

Seeing that Li Lingtian was nearing his breaking point, Yang Ni prepared to intervene. However, Gu An raised a hand to stop her.

"Don't worry," Gu An said with a calm smile. "Jian'er knows his limits. Besides, this is a good opportunity to temper the prince's arrogance. It'll prevent him from offending too many people when he ventures into the cultivation world."

Yang Ni cast a sidelong glance at Gu An. Looking at his serene profile, she found herself momentarily dazed.

Why is he so composed?

It suddenly dawned on her that Gu An must have gone through many trials during her years away.

More importantly, how did such an exceptional talent end up as Gu An's disciple?

Turning her attention back to Yang Jian, Yang Ni had to admit that at this moment, Yang Jian appeared to be the true prodigy. Next to him, Li Lingtian seemed completely outmatched, unable to showcase any of his supposed talents.

Eventually, Yang Jian landed lightly on the ground, raising his right leg to catch Li Lingtian's falling body.

By now, Li Lingtian's robes were in tatters. His hair hung loose, and his face was covered in blood. His body looked frail and battered.

With one foot, Yang Jian gently lowered Li Lingtian to the ground. Throughout the entire exchange, his expression remained stoic, as though the fight had given him no sense of accomplishment.

Li Lingtian lay on the ground, his eyes barely open.

Yang Jian stood over him, looking down.

For the first time, Li Lingtian saw someone from this perspective, and it broke something inside him.

He never imagined the battle would end like this…

Yang Jian was faster, stronger, and undeniably more skilled. Despite his lower cultivation level, he had defeated Li Lingtian with sheer physical prowess and speed, not even bothering to use spiritual energy.

Why?

Could it be that I'm not the unrivaled genius I thought I was?

Li Lingtian's eyes dulled as despair crept into his heart. He buried his face in the dirt, his shoulders trembling.

He began to cry.

He couldn't accept his defeat.

Gu An approached, and Yang Jian immediately bowed respectfully.

Yang Ni's expression turned increasingly peculiar as she watched Yang Jian's deference to Gu An.

Gu An crouched beside Li Lingtian, speaking softly, "Your talent is indeed rare in this world, but you must always hold a reverence for the heavens and the earth. Remember, there is always someone stronger, and no one is invincible. If today your opponent had been an enemy, you'd already be dead."

Li Lingtian's fists clenched tightly, and his trembling grew more intense.

Yang Ni remained silent. After her initial shock, she couldn't help but feel a trace of schadenfreude.

During the entire journey, Li Lingtian's arrogance had thoroughly annoyed her. Watching someone finally put him in his place wasn't entirely unwelcome.

Besides, she had little fondness for Li Lingtian, and even less for Empress Yang.

Yang Jian didn't speak. He felt it wasn't his place to lecture Li Lingtian. The only reason he was stronger was because he had a master others could only dream of.

Gu An produced a pill and placed it into Li Lingtian's mouth.

After a while, Li Lingtian slowly stood up. He turned to look at Yang Jian. Though his face was bruised and bloodied, his expression remained unyielding.

"I refuse to accept this. One day, I will win." Li Lingtian's voice was filled with determination as he gritted his teeth.

Yang Jian raised his hand, and Li Lingtian flinched, instinctively retreating behind Gu An. But upon closer inspection, he realized Yang Jian had only intended to clasp his hands in a salute.

Li Lingtian exhaled in relief, though his embarrassment surged. He wished he could find a hole to crawl into.

Yang Ni burst out laughing. "With that kind of reaction, you still want to challenge him? Maybe focus on getting stronger first."

Li Lingtian took a deep breath, then turned to Gu An. "Senior Brother Gu, may I stay in your Medicine Valley?" he asked quietly.

He was determined to observe Yang Jian's daily training regimen.

Throughout his life, Li Lingtian had hardly ever slacked off. He had few friends and devoted himself wholeheartedly to cultivation, only to face such an overwhelming defeat. It was a bitter pill to swallow.

"No problem. If you have any issues in the valley, just find Jian'er. Strictly speaking, he's your junior." Gu An chuckled.

Li Lingtian's face lit up with a smile, but Yang Jian felt an oncoming headache.

Ten years ago, Gu An had mentioned Li Lingtian, which had put some pressure on Yang Jian. But now, he realized Li Lingtian wasn't much of a threat.

His true rival was still that senior disciple he had never met.

With that, the four of them left the forest and returned to the Third Medicine Valley.

The disciples in the valley were curious about the now-disheveled Li Lingtian. They couldn't help but wonder what had transpired.

Yang Ni didn't linger. After chatting briefly with Gu An, she flew toward the inner sect, clearly on an assignment.

Gu An handed Li Lingtian over to Yang Jian and went upstairs to read.

By evening, Li Lingtian, now dressed in clean clothes, left his courtyard. Not spotting Yang Jian, he began wandering the valley.

Before long, he was drawn to a group of disciples playing chess. He approached to watch but quickly lost interest in both weiqi and xiangqi.

His attention was then caught by the sight of the Blood Prison Saint passing by.

The Blood Prison Saint was muttering angrily to himself. He had been chasing a White Spirit Mouse but failed to catch it, and his mood was sour.

Li Lingtian walked up to him and asked, "You're quite the unique bull. What's your name?"

The Blood Prison Saint shot him a sideways glance and said, "Bull Demon King. Ever heard of it?"

With that, the Blood Prison Saint continued on his way, ignoring Li Lingtian.

He remembered Li Lingtian from ten years ago. Back then, he thought Li Lingtian might amount to something. Now, seeing how effortlessly Yang Jian had defeated him, his opinion had plummeted.

What a waste!

Li Lingtian stood there, stunned, muttering to himself, "First Yang Jian, now the Bull Demon King… Could it be there's also a Bodhi Patriarch here?"

If there wasn't a Bodhi Patriarch, how could Yang Jian be so powerful?

Still, he dismissed the idea of Gu An being the Bodhi Patriarch. Gu An simply didn't seem that strong.

The summer heat bore down relentlessly. In the Imperial Study, Li Xuandao sat at his desk, frowning at the letters before him.

Before long, a figure entered briskly, bowing as he approached the desk. Clad in elaborate armor, the newcomer exuded an imposing presence. His rugged features and steely eyes radiated a fierce determination.

It was Ye Yan, Gu An's disciple from Xuan Valley.

A century had passed, and Ye Yan was no longer the mediocre youth he once was. Now, he carried himself with the aura of a seasoned general.

Li Xuandao looked up and asked, "How much do you know about your master?"

Ye Yan frowned. "My master? What about him?"

He hesitated to answer immediately. Though it had been years since he last saw Gu An, the bond of gratitude he felt remained strong. Even in front of Li Xuandao, he instinctively wanted to protect his master.

Li Xuandao waved his hand, sending one of the letters on his desk toward Ye Yan. Ye Yan caught it and began reading.

His expression quickly shifted to shock.

"How is this possible…? His Highness the Crown Prince's strength isn't ordinary. To think he was utterly defeated by a Foundation Establishment cultivator? Yang Jian… my master's disciple?" Ye Yan murmured to himself.

He had met Li Lingtian before and even taught him spear techniques.

Li Lingtian's talent had once left him marveling at the unfairness of the heavens. He had even suspected that Li Lingtian was an immortal incarnate.

The last time they met, Li Lingtian had already displayed strength on par with a Core Formation cultivator.

How could such a prodigy lose to a Foundation Establishment cultivator?

Li Xuandao asked, "With Gu An's abilities, he couldn't have trained such a disciple alone. Do you think he has someone backing him?"

Though he often found Li Lingtian's arrogance exasperating, he hadn't expected the prince to suffer such a crushing defeat. It left a bitter taste in his mouth.