Saint Who Lay Low

Tian Wuchang's voice resonated throughout the heavens, like a chilling wind sweeping across a frozen landscape. Every cultivator in the Star Sea Sect felt a shiver run down their spine, an instinctive fear rooted in their souls.

Gu An ignored him entirely and took a step forward.

Underneath the towering Star Sea Primordial Flag, Da Mingtian, his body drenched in blood, turned to look. His expression was one of utter shock.

Who was this person?

Tian Wuchang stopped as well, clearly enraged by Gu An's disdainful attitude. Letting out a furious roar, he transformed into a tempest of blood wind that surged toward Gu An.

Amid the terrifying gale of blood, a dragon's head emerged, colossal as a mountain, its maw wide enough to devour the entire floating island where Gu An, An Hao, and the others stood.

The cultivators on the island felt their hearts pounding. No one dared to blink.

Boom!

As the blood dragon wind collided with Gu An, it instantly dissipated. Tian Wuchang staggered backward, his body losing balance as disbelief spread across his face.

"This… impossible…" Tian Wuchang's voice trembled, but before he could finish speaking, a hand suddenly clasped his shoulder, obliterating the serpent coiled around him into a mist of blood.

That single touch sent Tian Wuchang's heart into a frenzy. An unprecedented fear enveloped his entire being.

To his horror, he realized that his cultivation, his power—everything—had been sealed. He had no ability to fight back.

"No matter where you hide, I will find you… and crush you."

Gu An's voice echoed in Tian Wuchang's ears. As his words faded, his right hand clenched tightly, and Tian Wuchang's body was reduced to nothingness in an instant.

Boom!

A shockwave rippled through the world, scattering winds in all directions and flinging distant cultivators into the air.

Gu An's strength wasn't merely a matter of higher cultivation; his physical body was far superior to Tian Wuchang's so-called Supreme Treasure Physique. With that one strike, Gu An felt the eerie, spectral power unique to the Spectral Ghost dissipate from the Star Sea Sect entirely.

This power, elusive and difficult to grasp, was what allowed Spectral Wraiths to endlessly resurrect themselves. It receded beyond the bounds of the Star Sea Sect's realm, retreating back to the depths of the Great Rift of the Broken Sea.

Gu An disappeared from where he stood.

The small dimension of the Star Sea Sect fell into a suffocating silence. Even the wind seemed hesitant to make a sound.

Hovering in mid-air, Da Mingtian stared blankly at the scene before him, struggling to comprehend what had just occurred.

If Da Mingtian, the Sect Master, was this stunned, it was no surprise that the rest of the cultivators were left speechless.

"Tian Wuchang is dead!" Chi Jiuxiao exclaimed, his voice trembling with exhilaration as he gripped the Dragon-Slaying Spear tightly.

His outburst broke the silence, prompting cries of disbelief from the surrounding cultivators.

"What just happened? How could this be?"

"Who was that? He effortlessly destroyed the Spectral Wraith King…"

"He seemed to have come for An Hao."

"With such overwhelming power, just how high is his cultivation?"

"He disappeared entirely. Our Star Sea Sect's barriers and formations were nothing to him…"

More and more cultivators flew toward An Hao, including Sect Master Da Mingtian himself.

Da Mingtian, his bloodied and battered form forgotten, landed in front of An Hao, staring at him intently. "Who was that man to you?"

With countless eyes fixed on him, An Hao took a deep breath and replied, "To be honest, he is my first master. When I was a child, he saved me from the clutches of monsters. He taught me the path of cultivation and brought me into the Tai Xuan Sect. He is revered there as the Sword Master of the Dao."

The Sword Master of the Dao!

Everyone's expressions changed once again. The name was legendary. Tales of how the Sword Master of the Dao had single-handedly swept through the Seven Stars Spirit Realm were well known.

If it was him, then everything made sense.

But still, the revelation that An Hao had such a powerful background left everyone stunned.

Having witnessed the Sword Master of the Dao's incredible might today, they now understood why the Seven Stars Spirit Realm had fallen so thoroughly. If the Sword Master had wished it, he could have annihilated not just the realm's leaders but its entire population.

Elsewhere, Gu An had already returned to the Tai Xuan Sect. He strolled through the outer city, his mind preoccupied with the enigmatic power behind Tian Wuchang.

When he had used his Lifespan Investigation on Tian Wuchang earlier, all it revealed was his cultivation—at the ninth layer of the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm. The other three values were all zero.

Spectral Wraiths were said to be immortal and indestructible, but Gu An knew there was no such thing as true immortality. At least, not for these creatures.

Having destroyed two Spectral Wraiths before, Gu An had discerned that they all carried the same mysterious power within them. If he could locate and extinguish the source of this power, these entities would lose their ability to resurrect.

He had already made up his mind to venture into the Great Rift of the Broken Sea. There, he could put an end to Tian Wuchang once and for all.

Gu An opened his attribute panel and looked at his lifespan. The numbers gave him confidence.

The Great Rift of the Broken Sea was dangerous, but it wasn't an impossible challenge.

Gu An's anticipation for the realm beyond the Unrestrained Primordial Immortal Realm only grew stronger.

Beneath a blood-red sky, the world lay shrouded in darkness. Waves endlessly crashed against a desolate wasteland, as if demonic hands were reaching out from the abyss.

A solitary stone tablet stood on the barren land. Occasionally, the sea spray landed on its surface, evaporating into a thin mist.

A figure suddenly materialized beside the stone tablet, collapsing onto the ground. It was Tian Wuchang. He lay sprawled, gasping for breath, his face a mask of terror and panic.

Tian Wuchang lay sprawled on the ground near the stone tablet, gasping for breath, his face still pale with fear.

"What's wrong with you?" A cold voice emanated from the stone tablet, devoid of discernible gender or emotion, carrying an eerie detachment.

Tian Wuchang gritted his teeth, trying to calm his trembling body. "I encountered someone… his realm is definitely above the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm. He even claimed he'd find me… to kill me…"

The memory of Gu An's chilling words sent shivers through him again. Tian Wuchang had always been arrogant, not just because of his strength but because of his supposed immortality.

But this time, he truly believed that person would find him. How could he not panic? How could he not fear?

"Above the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm?" The voice from the tablet echoed again, seemingly deep in thought.

Tian Wuchang forced himself to stand, though his legs were still unsteady. "What do I do? That man will surely come for me!" His tone was frantic, his earlier haughtiness replaced with abject fear.

At that moment, he was more panicked than An Hao had been during their confrontation.

The longer one lived, the greater their fear of death.

"Calm yourself and recover. I will summon the other Spectral Wraith Kings. When the time comes, we'll see what this person is capable of under my watchful eye."

Hearing this reassurance, Tian Wuchang felt a faint sense of relief.

However, every time he recalled Gu An's shadow looming over him and the suffocating grip on his shoulder, he couldn't stop trembling. That kind of overwhelming suppression left him utterly hopeless. Even now, he couldn't muster any anger—only a desperate desire to escape this karmic entanglement.

News of the Sword Master of the Dao eliminating the Spectral Wraith King Tian Wuchang spread like wildfire. This was no coincidence—it was a deliberate move by the Star Sea Sect. On one hand, they sought to associate themselves with the legendary Sword Master to bolster their reputation; on the other, they aimed to undermine the morale of the Spectral Wraiths while inspiring hope across the seas.

Although the calamities caused by the Spectral Wraiths were terrifying, many believed that powerful cultivators of the seas would eventually resolve the crisis.

By the time Gu An arrived at Xunxian Island, only half a month had passed since his battle with Tian Wuchang.

The cultivators on the island were abuzz with discussions about the Sword Master of the Dao.

Most of them were unfamiliar with realms beyond Wandering Immortal, and this ignorance only amplified their reverence for the Sword Master. To them, someone who had destroyed the Seven Stars Spirit Realm and defeated the Spectral Wraith King was nothing short of invincible.

Gu An hadn't expected his reputation to spread so quickly. He felt secretly pleased as he listened to the chatter.

Because of this, he lingered on the island for an extra hour that day.

When he returned to Xuan Valley, his mood was bright. Over the past seven days, he had gathered another batch of spiritual herbs, bringing him ever closer to reaching a lifespan of thirty million years.

At this rate, he estimated it would take no more than three months to reach his goal, and that was without rushing his cultivation.

He wasn't worried about Tian Wuchang preparing for him. After all, he planned to break through to a higher realm before venturing into the Great Rift of the Broken Sea.

He wanted to confront Tian Wuchang with an even more overwhelming level of power.

Two months passed in the blink of an eye.

The Sword Master of the Dao's actions at sea inevitably reached the Tai Xuan Sect, sparking intense discussions among the disciples.

While many felt a sense of pride, others expressed concern. Why had the Sword Master ventured out to sea?

Gu An overheard these conversations but didn't mind. Applying some pressure on the Tai Xuan Sect wasn't a bad thing. If any foolhardy individuals dared to test their mettle against him, he'd gladly take their lifespans as a bonus.

That afternoon, Gu An was playing a game of Go with the Nine-Finger Divine Lord. Surrounding them were dozens of disciples and elder cultivators from the Tai Xuan Sect, all eager spectators.

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord was visibly sweating.

Gu An casually held the Seven Stars Mirror in his hand, using it as a fan. None of the onlookers recognized the mirror as an immortal treasure.

Its appearance had subtly changed since its time in the Seven Stars Spirit Realm, and Gu An had completely suppressed its aura with his Return to Origin Dao. Even the Nine-Finger Divine Lord's spiritual sense couldn't detect its true nature.

Behind Gu An, You Yingying couldn't help but comment, "Stop waving that thing around like some girl. What's with a grown man playing with a mirror?"

Hearing this, Gu An promptly lifted the mirror and pretended to adjust his hair, infuriating You Yingying to the point that she lunged at him.

As the two playfully bickered, the Nine-Finger Divine Lord's pressure only mounted.

Despite years of practice, he could never overcome the insurmountable mountain that was Gu An.

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord was beginning to doubt himself. He had secretly investigated Gu An's cultivation and background multiple times but found nothing to suggest hidden depths. Yet the gap in skill was undeniable.

A figure approached from the crowd, gently tapping a female disciple's shoulder. The disciple turned and immediately bowed before stepping aside.

The newcomer was Ji Xiaoya.

Dressed in white and carrying a treasured sword, she exuded the grace of a female sword immortal.

She joined the crowd and watched Gu An's antics, a faint smile tugging at the corners of her lips.

Noticing her arrival, Gu An set the Seven Stars Mirror down and greeted her warmly. "Xiaoya, back so soon?"

"I just went home to retrieve something. Naturally, I returned quickly," Ji Xiaoya replied with a calm demeanor.

Gu An nodded and didn't press further.

He stood and addressed the Nine-Finger Divine Lord, "Take your time to reflect on this, senior."

Pushing past You Yingying, he began walking away.

"You're insufferable!" You Yingying growled, attempting to kick him, but he effortlessly dodged.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator was no match for someone in the Core Formation Realm.

Ji Xiaoya fell in step beside Gu An, and the two chatted as they walked.

An elder stroked his beard, chuckling. "Well, senior, it seems there's no escaping your defeat today."

Having frequently lost to the Nine-Finger Divine Lord, the elder was delighted to see him bested for once. At the same time, he couldn't help but marvel at Gu An's exceptional skill in Go.

Truly worthy of being the inventor of the game!

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord remained silent, his focus entirely on the board. He continued to analyze and replay the game, determined to decipher Gu An's strategy.

As they walked, Gu An glanced at Ji Xiaoya. "Is there something on your mind?"

Her faint smile disappeared as she responded evenly, "I retrieved a treasure from my family. It can peer into the souls of living beings and discern their true nature. Would you like to see what your soul looks like?"