Saint Who Lay Low

"What tree?"

Gu An looked at the Ancient Vine Tree, his curiosity piqued. The tree had already lived for nearly three hundred years, so it speaking was not a surprise to him.

The voice of the Ancient Vine Tree sounded faintly like Jiang Qiong's, probably because it had been influenced by her voice as it gained sentience over time.

"I don't know... but I can feel it. That tree... it will eat me..."

The tree's voice trembled, causing Gu An to frown deeply.

The first thing that came to Gu An's mind was the Human-Faced Tree, another strange and sinister plant from Thousand Autumn Pavilion. But the Human-Faced Tree was of a lower tier compared to the Ancient Vine Tree, so why would it be so afraid?

"Where is it?" Gu An asked further.

"I don't know..."

"Is it close?"

"No, very far away... very far..."

Hearing this, Gu An could rule out the Human-Faced Tree.

Could it have something to do with the Ephemeral Blossom Sect?

Were the missing citizens from various cities actually consumed by some kind of evil tree belonging to the Ephemeral Blossom Sect?

The more Gu An thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Now that Zhong Liang had set his sights on him, Gu An felt uneasy.

He wasn't afraid of Zhong Liang himself; he was more concerned about his hidden cultivation being discovered.

No.

He couldn't sit idly by!

Gu An's eyes flashed coldly, and his terrifying Mahayana Realm divine sense expanded, enveloping the entire Tai Cang Dynasty.

Though the Tai Cang Dynasty was vast, it wasn't beyond the scope of a Mahayana cultivator's divine sense!

He was going to conduct a thorough search, combing every inch of the land. He would dig up Zhong Liang from wherever he was hiding!

What Gu An discovered during his search startled him—there were so many cultivators within Tai Cang Dynasty! It felt like finding a needle in a haystack.

But Gu An wasn't one to give up easily. He pressed forward, determined to locate the hidden enemy.

...

In a dimly lit underground chamber, Su Han sat in meditation within a cold pool. The chilling water swirled around him, and by his side stood a white jade longsword, resembling white bone, with blood-red energy coiling around its blade.

Su Han's face was contorted in pain, yet he gritted his teeth and persevered.

After a while, he heard faint wailing from a distance and opened his eyes. Looking toward the figure meditating near the chamber's wall, he asked, "Master, what was that sound?"

Zhong Liang, with his white hair draped loosely and dressed in a wide Daoist robe, opened his eyes slightly. His expression was one of indifference as he said, "Ignore them. They are merely a group of pitiful people begging for mercy. Whether they live or die is no concern of yours."

Zhong Liang's square face bore a stern look, with an oppressive aura emanating from his brow. The constant frown made it seem as though a third eye had formed between his brows.

Su Han, still hearing the wails, struggled to quiet his mind.

"Don't forget why you joined the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. Don't forget why you picked up my sword." Zhong Liang's tone grew impatient.

Taking a deep breath, Su Han closed his eyes again, attempting to regain focus.

While Su Han meditated, Zhong Liang's gaze flickered coldly toward him. A calculating look crossed his face.

"This boy's hatred isn't enough yet... I need to find a way to capture his former master and use him to provoke Su Han," Zhong Liang thought to himself.

Suddenly, Zhong Liang's heart skipped a beat. A chilling sense of foreboding washed over him, causing his brows to furrow.

"What's going on? Is this an illusion?"

Feeling uneasy, Zhong Liang immediately spread out his divine sense, but saw no sign of any approaching enemies.

Elsewhere.

In Eight Views Heavenly Cave, Gu An's eyes sharpened.

He had found them!

After thoroughly scanning the Tai Cang Dynasty, Gu An hadn't found any trace of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect's base—until he remembered to check underground. A second divine sense search led him to a strange spot, where he discovered Su Han and a Body Fusion Realm cultivator nearby. Not far from them, deep underground, he sensed a colossal, sinister tree.

Upon seeing that tree, Gu An knew instantly that this was the entity the Ancient Vine Tree feared.

This had to be the Ephemeral Blossom Sect's base. Gu An could tell that none of the beings here were good—they all had to be exterminated, and Zhong Liang needed to be tracked down afterward!

Without killing Zhong Liang, Gu An wouldn't be able to sleep soundly.

Turning back to the Ancient Vine Tree, Gu An said, "In the future, if you feel anything strange or notice something abnormal around here, report it to me immediately. I won't treat you unfairly."

The Ancient Vine Tree's body quivered, and a timid voice replied, "Yes, Master."

Gu An left Eight Views Heavenly Cave, his heart set on not revealing his true strength, even to the Ancient Vine Tree. Keeping his cards close was always wise.

He stepped into the forest, using Infinite Free Step, and disappeared from sight.

...

In the underground chamber, Zhong Liang's brow furrowed deeply. He had scanned the area with his divine sense several times, but still detected no threats. Yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong.

At that moment, a hand suddenly landed on his shoulder.

Zhong Liang's expression changed dramatically. He instinctively tried to leap away, but to his horror, he found himself completely immobilized.

In that instant, he felt the same helplessness that Zhong Ying had felt—disbelief, terror, and despair.

How could this be? He was at the third level of the Body Fusion Realm, yet he was being held down by a mere hand!

Zhong Liang glanced sideways, catching sight of a figure cloaked in black energy standing beside him. The figure exuded a terrifying demonic aura, making it impossible for him to make out its true face.

It was Gu An, utilizing his Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body, his form surrounded by purple-black demonic energy.

The underground base was layered with countless formations and restrictions, but thanks to his Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body and Infinite Free Step, Gu An had slipped through undetected, like a shadow, stepping directly into the heart of the base without triggering a single alarm.

With one hand firmly pressing down on Zhong Liang, Gu An's gaze shifted toward Su Han. Su Han, now at Foundation Establishment ninth level, hadn't gained any additional lifespan, still limited to one hundred and ninety-nine years.

A normal Foundation Establishment ninth-level cultivator would have a lifespan well over two hundred years. Clearly, the Heaven-Hating Divine Sword had great potential, but it couldn't break through the limits of destiny.

No wonder cultivators of the Heaven-Hating Divine Sword experienced rapid progress early on, only to later fall into the madness of Qi Deviation.

Su Han remained oblivious to Gu An's presence, wholly engrossed in his cultivation.

Gu An glanced back at Zhong Liang, preparing to use the Soul Capture Technique to extract information. Out of habit, he performed a Lifespan Investigation first.

"Hm? So, it's really you!" Gu An sneered inwardly. "Then die!"

With a crushing grip, Gu An unleashed his terrifying Mahayana Realm spiritual power directly into Zhong Liang, obliterating him completely—body and soul disintegrated into nothingness!

A gust of wind blew through the chamber, causing Su Han to instinctively open his eyes. His pupils dilated in shock as he quickly stood up, gripping the white jade sword beside him.

"Who are you?" Su Han asked, his voice trembling as he aimed the sword at Gu An.

Where's my master?

How did he vanish so suddenly?

Su Han was filled with dread, as Gu An's presence was horrifying, especially in the dim light of the chamber.

A surge of oppressive power exploded from Gu An's body, instantly knocking Su Han unconscious, his body collapsing into the cold pool.

Without looking back, Gu An turned and stepped into the dark tunnel, vanishing into the shadows.

...

Deep underground, in a vast, dimly lit cavern, stood a towering, one-hundred-zhang tall tree. Its blood-red leaves shimmered faintly, and from its branches hung countless vine-like tendrils. At the end of each tendril was a bound person, their necks constricted by the vines, slowly withering into dried husks.

The scene was nothing short of horrific, a ghastly display of evil.

Below the massive tree stood a group of Ephemeral Blossom Sect followers. They were herding more prisoners—men and women alike—each of them covered in sealing talismans, their spiritual energy bound. They looked like prisoners of war, utterly defeated.

There were over a thousand prisoners and more than a hundred Ephemeral Blossom Sect disciples guarding them.

All the captives looked hopelessly at the monstrous tree as it continued its gruesome feeding.

"It's a demon... a demon..."

"You'll all die a horrible death! You tricked me into joining, only to feed me to this cursed tree!"

"What is this, a demon or a monster?"

"Damn it!"

Some cursed, some wailed, others pleaded for mercy. Their voices only made the underground cavern more sinister and terrifying.

One of the female cultivators from the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, seductive and beautiful, let out a cold snort. "Victory belongs to the strong. What are you crying about? You lot weren't good people either. For all we know, the heavens might see this as us ridding the world of evil."

As she spoke, she grabbed a man next to her, pressing her lips to his forehead, draining his life force. The man's complexion quickly paled, his eyes losing all light.

Whoosh—

A sudden chill swept through the air. The female cultivator glanced down at the grass beneath her feet, watching as the leaves trembled. Before she could react, a sharp whistle sounded, and a blade of grass shot up, piercing through her forehead. Blood splattered as she fell, dead on the spot.

Not only her—at that moment, every other Ephemeral Blossom Sect disciple within the cavern met the same fate, killed by a simple grass blade, regardless of their cultivation level.

The prisoners were stunned, sensing something had changed. They all turned their heads toward the darkness, where a shadowy figure emerged.

"Demon Shadow Divine Art! It must be someone from Thousand Autumn Pavilion!" someone exclaimed in surprise.

The words had barely left their mouth before Gu An moved, accelerating into a flurry of shadows, cutting through the prisoners and heading straight for the giant tree.

None of the prisoners could move. Within a breath, they all turned to ash.

Gu An gazed up at the massive tree. A prompt flashed before his eyes:

[Ephemeral Blossom Tree (eighth-tier): 340/42000/230000]

Eighth-tier!

No wonder the Ancient Vine Tree was afraid!

A section of bark on the Ephemeral Blossom Tree began to split open, revealing a massive human-like face. Its features were indistinct, making it impossible to tell if it was male or female, but its expression was one of greed and malice.

A storm of vines shot toward Gu An.

Clang—

The sound of a sword being drawn echoed throughout the underground cavern. It was so sharp it hurt the ears.

In one swift motion, the Ephemeral Blossom Tree was sliced in half. The vines collapsed like rain, and the twisted face on the tree's trunk froze in place, split down the middle. The tree shattered, and countless sword energies erupted from within, painting a spectacular scene.

Gu An sheathed his Heavenly Solemn Sword, then tossed it into his storage bag. With a flick of his wrist, he ignited the Ephemeral Blossom Tree with his spiritual flames.

One after another, notifications about lifespans being drained flashed across his vision.

The eighth-tier tree was powerful—its aura rivaling that of a Body Fusion Realm cultivator—but it stood no chance against a Mahayana cultivator.

...

By noon.

Back at The Third Medicine Valley, Gu An stepped off the teleportation platform, feeling quite satisfied. Last night's raid had netted him over forty thousand years of lifespan, with the Ephemeral Blossom Tree alone contributing five thousand.

Only Su Han remained alive from the Ephemeral Blossom Sect base.

Knowing that the prisoners he had killed were also evil cultivators, Gu An felt no guilt. He had silenced everyone, ensuring there were no loose ends.

As soon as he stepped off the platform, Gu An sensed the presence of Lu Baitian, Gu Zong, and Ji Hantian in his pavilion. The three of them were waiting for him.

Without delay, Gu An made his way to his pavilion. As soon as he reached the door, it swung open.

He stepped across the threshold, prepared to greet them when Gu Zong waved his sleeve, closing the door behind them and reinforcing the room with seals.

Judging by their serious expressions, Gu An assumed that the Ephemeral Blossom Sect was preparing for an attack.

He wasn't worried, though. Once they discovered that their Ephemeral Blossom Tree had been destroyed, the sect would likely be too preoccupied to deal with Tai Xuan Sect.

Lu Baitian's face was pale, his body frail and weak. He looked at Gu An, gritting his teeth. "I have some very bad news for you."