Saint Who Lay Low

Late at night, heavy snow blanketed the mountains and forests of the North Sea Mountain Range.

Gu An sat on a cliff, having already activated the Lifespan Barrier. He poured 100,000 years of lifespan into the Infinite Vanishing Celestial Step.

The Infinite Vanishing Celestial Step successfully evolved into Infinite Free Step!

And it had reached the Peak level of mastery!

With the spiritual energy descending, he began inheriting the Infinite Free Step.

Half an hour later, Gu An opened his eyes, having fully absorbed the essence of the Infinite Free Step.

The Infinite Free Step allowed him to predict the opponent's attack trajectory, step over restrictions and formations, and even walk on avatars of divine forms. Its applications were endless.

It could be used for both combat and escape!

In another month, he planned to enhance the Demon Shadow Divine Art, and its upgraded form, Grand Yin-Yang Transformation, would allow him to better conceal his identity—ideal for his path of cultivation.

Standing up, Gu An took flight towards the Tai Xuan Sect.

Along the way, he spread his divine sense to search for Li Ya.

Li Ya was diligently practicing his swordsmanship by a lake in the North Sea, showing a strong work ethic. It was hard to say when he would finally master the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword.

Gu An couldn't help but anticipate the day when Li Ya and An Hao would face each other, both using the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword. Just imagining their astonished and incredulous expressions made him chuckle.

How amusing it would be!

Next, Gu An sought out the Sky Dragon, but it wasn't anywhere in the North Sea Mountain Range.

Could it have been driven away by the other monsters in the region?

There was even a chance it had been eaten, and if so, it was simply its bad luck.

Before dawn, Gu An hurried back to the Xuan Valley.

...

A new year arrived, and with it, the Spring Festival.

Lü Baitian came, bringing along his newly accepted disciple, An Hao, to join the Spring Festival celebration in the Third Medicine Valley. An Hao went to the outer sect to fetch An Xin and bring her to the festival.

Now grown up, An Xin was an elegant young woman. Standing beside An Hao, the two looked like a match made in heaven.

The Third Medicine Valley, which housed 300 labor disciples, was bustling with activity. Gu An planned to head to the Xuan Valley later that evening to avoid showing favoritism.

Gu An and Lü Baitian sat beneath the old tree, drinking together and discussing the small matters of the Third Medicine Valley, which Lü Baitian seemed to enjoy.

In Lü Baitian's own words, despite having lived for several centuries, the most enjoyable days of his life were spent in the Third Medicine Valley.

"Since you're so nostalgic about the Medicine Valley, why don't you give up the position of Sect Master and return to the simple life?" Gu An joked, now comfortable enough with Lü Baitian to make such remarks.

Of course, his confidence stemmed from the fact that he had reached the Mahayana Realm!

Lü Baitian shook his head with a smile, "To stop moving forward is to fall behind. If I relinquished my position as Sect Master, it wouldn't be long before I'd be branded a traitor to the Tai Xuan Sect, with people slandering me and accusing me of being a demonic spy."

"Besides, my family, the Lü Family and the Gu Family, wouldn't allow me to step down. In the Tai Xuan Sect, cultivation is key, but sometimes, it's not the most important thing."

There was a deeper meaning to Lü Baitian's tone, as if he was subtly trying to give Gu An advice.

Gu An changed the subject, "Recently, a new sect called the Ephemeral Blossom Sect has emerged in the cultivation world. You've heard of it, right?"

After spending so long in the Tai Xuan Sect, Gu An had developed some attachment to the place.

Lü Baitian nodded lightly and picked up the wine jug to pour more for Gu An. "The Tai Xuan Sect has long been aware of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. In fact, two hundred years ago, they tried to infiltrate the Tai Cang Dynasty. At that time, the royal family was being manipulated by the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, and I led the Tai Xuan Sect in battle against them at the North Sea, driving them back."

"This time, the Ephemeral Blossom Sect has returned, likely thinking that after the great war, the Tai Xuan Sect is weakened. And indeed, we are—right now, the Tai Xuan Sect doesn't have the strength to stop them from swallowing up the demonic path."

Gu An, perplexed, asked, "Then what will we do? Just let them grow unchecked?"

Lü Baitian remained calm, "It's of no concern. They've planted spies in the Tai Xuan Sect, but we have our eyes within the Ephemeral Blossom Sect as well. The sect has many branches, but we haven't yet figured out their true origins. Know thyself and thy enemy, and you'll be victorious in every battle. We need to wait and gather more information. Besides, I'm preparing to break through and challenge destiny."

And he says it's of no concern?

They don't even know how powerful the enemy is!

Gu An figured Lü Baitian was only putting on a brave face, avoiding action against the Ephemeral Blossom Sect until after his breakthrough.

"Speaking of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, I plan to send the top ten most talented young disciples of the sect to the Third Medicine Valley. They'll protect you and also learn from you to cultivate their minds," Lü Baitian said with a smile.

Gu An blinked in surprise and asked, "What could they possibly cultivate here? I can't teach them anything."

"You don't need to teach them. Simply letting them live here, to find inner peace, will be enough," Lü Baitian replied, shaking his head.

Gu An suddenly wondered if Lü Baitian had realized he was the Sword Master of the Dao.

Why else would he treat him so kindly, even sending geniuses to assist him?

Claiming it was for cultivating peace of mind, but really hoping the Sword Master would give them some guidance?

Gu An tested the waters, asking why Lü Baitian didn't have the Sword Master teach these disciples since the Sword Master was known as the most powerful cultivator.

Lü Baitian frowned, "To be honest, we have no clue who the Sword Master of the Dao is. He could very well be a hidden hermit. Such examples aren't unheard of in the Tai Xuan Sect. The sect has existed for thousands of years, with over a million disciples. Some have been blessed with great fortune and defied their fates, but they choose not to reveal themselves."

"There's also the possibility that the Sword Master is one of the Supreme Elders. These elders come and go without warning, and we can never predict their appearances. Just think about the two words 'Righteous Dao' on the Heaven Mending Platform. It's very likely that a Supreme Elder inscribed them to guide the sect's principles."

So, there really are Supreme Elders!

No wonder Lü Baitian wasn't panicking.

Gu An let out a small sigh of relief. It seemed Lü Baitian hadn't connected him to the Sword Master of the Dao after all.

Thinking it over, Gu An realized that such a connection would indeed be absurd.

How old was he?

There was no way he could be the Sword Master of the Dao. At most, they might suspect he had some relationship with the Sword Master.

With his worries dispelled, Gu An asked, "Sect Master, if you successfully break through, could you sweep away the Ephemeral Blossom Sect?"

Lü Baitian chuckled, "If the Ephemeral Blossom Sect is still at the strength they were two hundred years ago, I could single-handedly wipe them out."

"Young man, do you know what my cultivation level is?"

He raised his chin with pride.

Gu An pondered before replying, "It should be higher than the Nascent Soul stage, right?"

"Hahaha!"

Lü Baitian burst into loud laughter, attracting the attention of others nearby.

As Lü Baitian boasted, Gu An secretly enjoyed watching him show off.

"Above Nascent Soul is Void Crossing, and above that is Body Fusion, and I am at Body Fusion Realm, Ninth Layer!" Lü Baitian said softly. As he spoke, Gu An felt his spiritual energy spread, forming a barrier to prevent others from eavesdropping.

Gu An displayed a look of shock, muttering to himself, "Body Fusion Realm Ninth Layer... How many years would one need to cultivate to reach that level?"

"Haha, with your aptitude, reaching Nascent Soul is a stretch, let alone Body Fusion. But if you become my disciple, my cultivation level will one day be yours," Lü Baitian said, his tone filled with temptation.

Gu An's face showed longing and excitement, which pleased Lü Baitian.

The boy was finally coming around!

"Still, reaching great heights isn't always a good thing. Just look at you—there are times even you can't act freely. How high does cultivation need to go for it to matter? Isn't enjoying life more meaningful?" Gu An shook his head, causing Lü Baitian to nearly choke on his drink.

This kid really didn't understand how dangerous the world of cultivation was!

If not for the protection of the Tai Xuan Sect, would Gu An be able to live so carefree?

Lü Baitian was about to retort but held back when he remembered Gu An's opinions on the outer sect and his teachings. His words stuck in his throat.

The very reason Lü Baitian had taken an interest in Gu An was precisely because of his carefree nature. If Gu An were to one day become Sect Master, it would be a blessing for the Tai Xuan Sect. Even if Gu An wasn't interested now, that didn't mean he wouldn't be later on. Besides, Lü Baitian still had plenty of time left in his lifespan.

He convinced himself of this.

Gu An then asked, "Sect Master, what realm is above Body Fusion?"

He was probing the depths of the Tai Xuan Sect's knowledge!

Lü Baitian snorted, "I'll tell you once you become my disciple!"

"Why are you so intent on making me your disciple? Haven't you already taken An Hao as your disciple? Why not groom him to be the next Sect Master?"

"He has a mysterious background and was once a disciple of Chu Tianqi. I took him in because of his talent, but that doesn't mean I trust him."

"Do you really trust me?"

"Of course! I've already looked into your background. You were raised as a servant by the Ji Family and have some connections to Li Xuandao, maybe even to the Thousand Autumn Pavilion, but I can see you're just caught in the middle. Your connection to Li Xuandao is through Li Ya, and your link to the Thousand Autumn Pavilion is because of the previous Valley Master."

Lü Baitian finished, wearing a knowing expression as if he had figured out everything.

Gu An was taken aback, his reaction deeply satisfying Lü Baitian.

"I didn't expect you to know that. Should I cut ties with them in the future?" Gu An asked nervously.

Lü Baitian waved it off, "No need. Just carry on as you have been. Severing ties would only bring you trouble. Besides, I might even be able to gather some intelligence through you. There are so many spies in the Tai Xuan Sect—it's like counting the stars. I know of at least a thousand, and I haven't even taken action against them yet."

Gu An didn't know what to make of him, so he gave Lü Baitian a look of admiration.

Feeling even more pleased with himself, Lü Baitian started recounting past uprisings caused by spies.

Each time such an uprising occurred, Lü Baitian would launch a sweeping purge, supposedly rooting out all the spies. In reality, he only eliminated half, while the other half he promoted. Those who survived likely believed they had gained his trust, either defecting from the dark side or becoming even more audacious, setting the stage for Lü Baitian's next purge.

The two talked for a long time, and Gu An realized that Lü Baitian was subtly teaching him how to manage sect affairs.

By evening, Gu An returned alone to the Xuan Valley to have dinner with the disciples.

During the banquet, Gu An announced that he was appointing Lu Jiujia as his chief disciple to oversee all the affairs of the Medicine Valley, which left Lu Jiujia utterly bewildered.

Yang Ni furrowed her brow and thought to herself, "So, he suspects me after all. He hardly ever interacted with this disciple, so why suddenly make him chief disciple?"

She felt it was time to take action.