Saint Who Lay Low

The sky was vast and cloudless, and beneath it stretched an endless wasteland. Cracks crisscrossed the earth like deep scars, forming ravines that stretched far and wide.

In the middle of this desolate land, a massive cloud of black mist hovered, resembling a rift in the earth.

At the base of this black mist was a circular array platform, with a diameter of over ten meters. It was carved with intricate runes, and spiritual energy surged around it, casting a faint glow over the engravings.

In front of the platform stood a group of Ephemeral Blossom Sect cultivators, numbering over a thousand. Among them were Jiang Qiong and Su Han.

At the forefront was an old man in a grey robe, hunched over, holding a wooden staff. He gazed up at the black mist with a look of deep anticipation in his eyes.

"The main branch of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect…"

Jiang Qiong watched the spatial ripples within the black mist, her expression filled with anxiety.

Having been in the Ephemeral Blossom Sect for some time, she had gained a deep understanding of the sect's structure. The branch left behind in the Nine Dynasties was nothing compared to the power of the main branch.

Suddenly!

Thunder erupted from within the black mist, and soon after, it began to expand, revealing a dark red sky filled with swirling clouds.

The old man in the grey robe immediately knelt down, shouting loudly, "We humbly welcome the arrival of the main branch's Venerable Lord!"

As he knelt, the other Ephemeral Blossom Sect cultivators followed suit, all kneeling in unison and repeating his words. The sound of their voices merged into a booming roar that echoed far and wide.

Under everyone's watchful gaze, a figure slowly emerged from the black mist. His back was turned toward the dark red sky as he stepped forward.

This man wore a form-fitting purple robe, with a golden-edged red sash around his waist. Blossoms of ephemeral flowers adorned the robe, and on his back was embroidered a large ephemeral blossom tree. His face was strikingly handsome, and his expression was as cold as ice. His snow-white hair was tied up under a purple jade crown, with a red gem embedded in it, resembling a terrifying, eerie eye.

With his hands clasped behind his back, he looked down at the kneeling followers below. He spoke slowly, his voice calm yet commanding, "Who here is Elder Chi Han?"

The old man in the grey robe hurriedly replied, "Reporting to Venerable Lord, I am Chi Han."

The purple-robed man remained in the air, not descending. He spoke indifferently, "Select someone to lead me to the Tai Xuan Sect. The rest will stay here and await the main branch's arrival."

Chi Han's eyes lit up with excitement as he asked, "More elders from the main branch are coming?"

The purple-robed man nodded slightly. "Yes, it is time for the ephemeral blossoms to bloom."

...

The mysterious aura Gu An had sensed was far beyond the range that even a Mahayana Realm cultivator's divine sense could probe. His intuition told him that this aura was related to the Ephemeral Blossom Sect's main branch.

Without fully understanding the strength of the main branch, Gu An had no intention of acting rashly.

From what he had gathered from the memories of Zhong Liang and Su Shan, the Ephemeral Blossom Sect was awaiting the arrival of a powerful cultivator from the Profound Heart Realm. However, with Gu An having destroyed the Ephemeral Blossom Tree, there was always the possibility that the situation had changed. What if more than one Profound Heart Realm cultivator was coming?

Besides, the Tai Xuan Sect had deep foundations. It might not even need his intervention, as they likely had their own powerful elders returning to defend them.

Beyond the sect's elders, there were also the hidden depths of the Ji and Gu families. When Gu An had used his divine sense to scan the Tai Cang Dynasty, he couldn't locate the main branches of these families, suggesting that they were likely concealed within pocket dimensions—small worlds hidden within the fabric of reality, akin to inherent spatial restrictions or, in more modern terms, alternate dimensions.

The day after Lü Baitian had left, the atmosphere within the Tai Xuan Sect grew tense.

Numerous Core Formation and Nascent Soul cultivators hurried over the Third Medicine Valley, flying towards the outer sect. Even the nine prodigies who had been cultivating in seclusion within the valley were summoned and came to bid farewell to Gu An.

Each disciple possessed their own identification token, allowing the sect to relay commands to every member, even those currently away on training missions.

Xiao Chuan, who had been by Gu An's side, asked nervously, "Senior Brother, what do you think is happening? Could it be that the Ephemeral Blossom Sect is attacking?"

Every time Xiao Chuan went to the outer city, he overheard other disciples discussing the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. Their conquest of the demonic path, leaving no enemies in their wake, had terrified many. Two hundred years ago, the Ephemeral Blossom Sect had caused massive problems for the Tai Xuan Sect, and the shadow of that threat still lingered in everyone's minds.

"I'm not sure," Gu An replied calmly. "There's no point in worrying. We should focus on tending to the medicinal herbs. If a battle truly breaks out, there's little we could do anyway. Trust in the sect to handle it."

Xiao Chuan nodded, but his thoughts still drifted toward the outer sect.

Gu An left him and proceeded to harvest the ripened herbs.

If the sky fell, the Tai Xuan Sect would be the first to bear the burden. Harvesting the herbs, though, was the most important thing at hand!

An hour later, Gu An returned to his pavilion. He drew his Azure Swan Sword and began practicing sword techniques.

He rarely practiced swordsmanship, so his actions drew the attention of several disciples. Seeing Gu An's sudden practice, they assumed that even he had sensed the impending danger. They quickly followed his example, starting to practice their own spells and techniques.

Lu Lingjun, watching from a distance, couldn't help but shake her head.

Gu An's sword strikes were odd, far from traditional swordsmanship. In fact, they resembled axe techniques rather than swordplay.

Perhaps the valley master is simply using sword practice to calm his nerves, she thought.

After a few glances, Lu Lingjun withdrew her gaze and made her way toward the distant mountain peaks, where she hoped to observe the situation at the outer gate from a better vantage point.

Indeed, Gu An wasn't practicing swordsmanship at all—he was practicing the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe techniques.

Using a sword was just a cover. After all, the Heaven-Sundering Divine Axe had left no traces within the Tai Xuan Sect, and no one there was familiar with it.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

That day, after settling matters in Xuan Valley, Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley to continue his herb harvesting.

The valley spanned over a hundred miles, and with so many herbs, some ripened every day. Each time Gu An harvested, he left some behind, ensuring a consistent yield of lifespan gains.

Even after ripening, the herbs could remain untouched for several months without losing potency.

After gathering an additional five thousand years of lifespan, Gu An instructed a servant disciple to deliver the herbs to the warehouse and then sought out Lu Lingjun.

"I'm planning to visit the outer sect. Would you like to come?" Gu An asked. Lu Lingjun had previously mentioned that she wanted to accompany him the next time he went to the outer sect.

Of course, Gu An had an ulterior motive—he wanted to add another powerful fighter to the Tai Xuan Sect's ranks.

Upon hearing his offer, Lu Lingjun immediately nodded. She had been observing the situation for three days and was eager to see the commotion in the outer sect up close.

And so, Gu An and Lu Lingjun set off together for the outer sect.

Upon their arrival, Gu An and Lu Lingjun agreed to meet in the evening at the Heaven Mending Platform, after which Gu An left to tend to his own matters.

"Such a considerate person," Lu Lingjun thought to herself as she watched him walk away.

She then turned her gaze toward the southern city gate. Suspended in the air above the gate were numerous high-ranking cultivators, each standing proudly beneath their respective banners. From a distance, it appeared that a thousand cultivators had encircled the entire city.

Each of these individuals was at least at the Nascent Soul stage!

Seeing such a formidable force guarding just one of the outer cities made Lu Lingjun deeply appreciate the depths of the Tai Xuan Sect's foundations.

From the power the Tai Xuan Sect had displayed, she felt that they could easily sweep through the mortal realm from which she had come.

Elsewhere in the city, Gu An had found Zhen Qin, a member of the Law Enforcement Hall.

The Law Enforcement Hall hadn't been assigned to battle but was instead patrolling the city to prevent any infiltration by the Ephemeral Blossom Sect's cultivators.

Gu An pulled Zhen Qin aside and handed her a scroll. "Take this, cultivate it well when you return, and don't share it with anyone, not even your Aunt Ye."

Zhen Qin glanced at the scroll and, seeing that it contained a new technique, became excited and nodded eagerly.

She knew that Gu An's identity within the sect was far above hers, and any technique he shared must be extraordinary.

Though she had already been cultivating a technique from Jiang Qiong, her progress had stagnated recently, causing her great frustration.

After a brief conversation, the two parted ways.

Gu An did not seek out Ye Lan because she was participating in an outer sect meeting at the Grand Elder's estate.

The Tai Xuan Sect was now fully prepared for battle.

Gu An had chosen to visit the outer sect today because he had sensed a powerful aura beyond the Body Fusion Realm approaching the Tai Cang Dynasty, steadily drawing closer to the Tai Xuan Sect.

It was a Profound Heart Realm cultivator!

The figure was flying at a steady pace, accompanied by a guide. Perhaps they were even deliberately moving slowly to pressure the sect, letting their overwhelming aura be felt. Not only could the Body Fusion Realm cultivators feel this power, but even those in the Nascent Soul and Void Crossing realms were aware of it. This was why the atmosphere in the sect had grown so tense.

Still, Gu An had no intention of acting hastily. He wanted to see how the Tai Xuan Sect would respond to this threat.

After all, not every enemy needed him to step in and solve things.

Although killing other cultivators would grant him lifespan, the increase was minimal—no different from harvesting herbs. Thus, he felt no particular urge to fight.

Of course, if enough enemies showed up, he wouldn't mind stepping in to claim some kills.

Gu An made his way to the Heaven Mending Platform, where he stood behind Ghost Mother of the Ephemeral Flower, pretending to absorb the sword intent emanating from the platform.

"Gu An, what brings you here?" a familiar voice called out. Gu An turned to see Han Ming, the Great Yu Sword Maniac, approaching with a smile.

Han Ming walked over to stand behind Ghost Mother of the Ephemeral Flower, exchanging a few pleasantries with Gu An.

The Ghost Mother, meanwhile, remained silent with her eyes closed.

Even with the impending attack from the Ephemeral Blossom Sect, there were still hundreds of cultivators meditating on the platform, seeking enlightenment.

Though Han Ming was a Void Crossing Realm cultivator, he hadn't noticed that the seemingly ordinary female disciple beside him was actually a Body Fusion Realm old monster.

After a few casual words, Gu An asked, "With the Ephemeral Blossom Sect attacking, aren't you worried about being caught in the crossfire? Wouldn't it be better to leave the area?"

"The Ephemeral Blossom Sect is nothing. They were defeated by the Tai Xuan Sect before, and I suspect it will happen again. The sect has too many powerful cultivators and hidden masters. Stick around and you might witness something spectacular," Han Ming said with a laugh.

Gu An's curiosity grew, and he began asking Han Ming about the most powerful figures within the Tai Xuan Sect.

As Han Ming shared what he knew, the surrounding disciples also leaned in to listen.

Most disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect had no clear idea of how powerful the sect truly was due to its sheer size and complexity.

The Ghost Mother of the Ephemeral Flower seemed annoyed by the noise and stood up, intending to move to a quieter spot.

Gu An, sensing her movement, deliberately backed into her.

Feeling the impact, he immediately turned and apologized, "My apologies, miss."

The Ghost Mother frowned slightly but simply shook her head and said nothing.

She brushed past Gu An and continued on her way.

"Wait!" Han Ming suddenly shouted, his gaze fixed on the Ghost Mother's retreating figure.

The Ghost Mother froze in place.

The nearby disciples turned to look, curious about why Han Ming, a notable figure on the platform, had called out.

Gu An quickly spoke up, "It was my fault for bumping into her!"

But Han Ming ignored him, staring intently at the Ghost Mother's back as he coldly remarked, "Who are you really? Though you've hidden yourself well, I sensed a trace of your aura earlier."

"You're not human—you're a ghost!"

A ghost?

Upon hearing this, the surrounding disciples stood up, with some even drawing their weapons.

Gu An feigned shock as he looked at the Ghost Mother, slowly backing away.

The Ghost Mother turned, her expression cold as she stared back at Han Ming. "You're not a member of the Tai Xuan Sect, so why meddle in its affairs?"