Saint Who Lay Low

Shen Zhen's suggestion didn't sway Gu An in the least. Painting others' battles would offend many, and besides, he didn't lack high-grade spirit herbs at the moment. The only way Shen Zhen could entice him was if she had seventh-tier herbs. However, considering Shen Zhen hailed from the distant Dao Tian Sect of the Great Yu Dynasty, it would take who knows how long to send a message, let alone gather such herbs.

Gu An spoke calmly, "With the whole city in chaos, how could I be in the mood to paint? Miss Shen, let's find somewhere to hide instead, just in case…"

Before Gu An could finish, a sudden explosion rocked the area. The entire inn trembled violently, and thick clouds of dust from the blast rolled in through the windows, engulfing both Gu An and Shen Zhen.

Shen Zhen grabbed Gu An by the waist and swiftly dashed out of the inn, bringing them to the courtyard at the rear of the building.

Gu An tried to pull away from her grip, but Shen Zhen held him firmly, her expression serious as she focused her gaze on something behind the inn. In a low voice, she said, "Don't move."

Gu An was left feeling helpless.

She thinks she can protect me, a Mahayana Realm ninth-layer cultivator?

Shen Zhen frowned and, with her left hand, pulled a flute from her storage pouch. Following her line of sight, Gu An spotted a figure emerging from the dust cloud behind the inn.

He recognized the man—it was Zhang Hong, an inner disciple who frequently meditated at the Heaven Mending Platform. Gu An had seen him multiple times during his visits there, but he hadn't expected that Zhang Hong was an infiltrator from the Ephemeral Blossom Sect.

Zhang Hong wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth and, upon noticing Gu An and Shen Zhen, immediately slashed his sword in their direction.

A wave of sword energy tore through the roof, heading straight toward them.

The sword energy was so fast that Shen Zhen could only instinctively raise her flute to block it.

Boom!

The sword energy exploded, obliterating the inn and sending debris flying into the air.

Zhang Hong leaped away, fleeing into the distance as several figures pursued him in hot pursuit.

The entire outer sect city had descended into chaos, even Grand Elder Lü Songhan was engaged in battle, and the protective formation above the city was trembling, on the verge of breaking apart.

As the dust settled, Shen Zhen emerged from the wreckage, still holding Gu An's hand. They both appeared rather disheveled.

"Miss Shen, are you alright?" Gu An asked, feigning concern though he could easily sense the extent of her injuries.

Zhang Hong was at the Nascent Soul Realm, first layer, and although Shen Zhen had managed to block his attack, she had sustained internal injuries.

Being able to withstand a strike from a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator despite her Core Formation Realm cultivation was no small feat, Gu An thought.

Under her veil, Shen Zhen's chin was dripping with blood. However, she forced herself to remain calm and replied nonchalantly, "I am the saintess of Dao Tian Sect. How could a nobody like that harm me? Let's find a place to hide."

She released her grip on Gu An's hand and began walking quickly ahead, with Gu An following close behind.

The city was in chaos, so flying was out of the question. They had no choice but to traverse the streets on foot.

Fortunately, they soon encountered disciples from the Law Enforcement Hall, who escorted them to a large underground palace where many other disciples were also taking refuge. Most of them were service disciples.

Shen Zhen found a quiet corner, sat down cross-legged, and pulled out a bottle of pills from her storage pouch. After taking a few, she began meditating to heal her injuries.

Gu An didn't disturb her. After scanning the underground palace to ensure there were no threats, he sat down and closed his eyes, using his spiritual sense to monitor the battle.

It wasn't just this outer sect city that had erupted into chaos— the entire Tai Xuan Sect was now engulfed in battle.

Lü Baitian and the other great cultivators had sensed the upheaval and were already on their way back.

Without the support of Jin Lingzun, the Tai Xuan Sect would undoubtedly quell this insurrection, though some casualties were inevitable.

Gu An's spiritual sense remained focused on the Third Medicine Valley and the Xuan Valley.

The Xuan Valley, located outside the outer sect, was untouched, as the current unrest was caused by Ephemeral Blossom Sect infiltrators wreaking havoc within the sect.

Meanwhile, the Third Medicine Valley was well-protected. Gu Yu led a group of cultivators to defend the valley, and the battle there had already begun.

As long as the spirit herbs remained unharmed, Gu An had no intention of intervening. The Tai Xuan Sect needed to face these tribulations as part of their growth.

Time passed slowly.

With the return of the Body Fusion Realm cultivators, the conflicts in the various cities quickly subsided.

In less than the time it took to burn a stick of incense, the outer sect city where Gu An was located had grown quiet.

A figure emerged from one of the tunnels, joyfully announcing, "The battle's over! Everyone can come out now!"

Upon hearing this, the disciples smiled and began standing up, helping each other as they made their way out.

Shen Zhen also rose to her feet. She glanced at Gu An and remarked, "Why aren't you helping me like the others?"

Gu An smiled. "I figured your injuries weren't that serious. Once we get back to the Third Medicine Valley, you can pick out a batch of spirit herbs as a reward for protecting me earlier."

Shen Zhen chuckled softly but didn't reply. Together, they followed the crowd out of the underground palace.

Once outside, Gu An looked up. The sky was filled with roiling clouds, and fiery dragons made of spiritual energy danced across the heavens, a majestic sight as they protected the city.

Gu An spotted a Body Fusion Realm cultivator hovering thousands of meters above. The same cultivator who had appeared so battered during the fight against Jin Lingzun now looked imposing and invincible.

Shen Zhen glanced around to confirm the battle had truly ended before saying to Gu An, "I should head back now. You should also return soon."

Without waiting for a response, she turned and left.

As soon as she was out of Gu An's sight, Gu An noticed her pace quicken considerably.

It seemed her injuries would take months to fully heal.

Gu An wandered the streets for a while, observing the widespread damage across the city. Many buildings were in ruins, and injured disciples roamed the streets, inspecting the aftermath of the battle.

He could sense the auras of Zhen Qin and Ye Lan, both unharmed, so he had no intention of seeking them out.

The mysterious presence he had sensed days earlier still lingered, but it was too far away, beyond the Great Tai Cang Dynasty. Gu An had no idea what it was or where it came from.

He speculated it was related to the Nine Nether Path.

Jin Lingzun had mentioned before his death that the main force of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect was about to arrive, indicating that this calamity was far from over. There would likely be more Profound Heart Realm cultivators in the coming days.

This truly was a turbulent time!

As Gu An pondered, his attention was suddenly drawn to a figure in the distance.

A disciple was walking amidst the crowd, seemingly ordinary in every way—his appearance, physique, and cultivation were all unremarkable. Hardly anyone paid him any attention as he walked along the street.

What piqued Gu An's interest was a faint, inexplicable aura surrounding the disciple. It felt strangely familiar.

Could it be… enlightenment?

Gu An threw out a Lifespan Investigation.

[Wu Jue (Foundation Establishment Realm, second layer): 63/280/310]

For someone at the outer sect, his lifespan wasn't particularly noteworthy.

Gu An pondered briefly before realizing why Wu Jue's aura felt familiar.

The man was in a state of enlightenment! No wonder he appeared somewhat absent-minded while walking through the streets.

Gu An's curiosity was piqued. He began following Wu Jue, observing from a few meters behind, intrigued by the idea of witnessing someone else's enlightenment.

He had experienced enlightenment before, but the effects it had on him were unclear. After all, Gu An often used his Lifespan Seizure ability to improve himself, making it difficult to distinguish whether any changes were due to enlightenment or the constant refining of his lifespan.

Now, observing Wu Jue might offer some insights.

They walked through several streets, and suddenly, Gu An noticed Wu Jue's aura rising—though not in cultivation, but in some other profound and mysterious way.

Out of instinct, Gu An performed another Lifespan Investigation.

[Wu Jue (Foundation Establishment Realm, second layer): 63/280/340]

What?

His maximum lifespan had increased by 30 years!

This was the first time Gu An had witnessed someone's maximum lifespan increase through enlightenment.

So, this is what enlightenment can do?

No wonder Han Ming had said that his swordsmanship improved dramatically after his own enlightenment. It must have enhanced his talent and comprehension as well.

Gu An marveled at the sight, his interest in Wu Jue growing.

In a barren wasteland, over a thousand cultivators of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect gathered before an altar, whispering among themselves and frequently glancing at the black rift in the sky above.

The black mist from earlier had dissipated, leaving behind a tear in space, through which a blood-red sky loomed, resembling an entrance to another world.

Elder Chi Han sat in the front, meditating with furrowed brows.

For some reason, a feeling of unease crept into his heart.

He tried to calm himself and resumed his cultivation.

Time passed. As night fell, then morning came.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed across the altar, causing Elder Chi Han to open his eyes, along with many of the gathered cultivators.

"Jin Lingzun is dead. Summon all the disciples of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect to gather here," a cold voice echoed, belonging to a black-robed woman wearing a mask engraved with the Ephemeral Blossom symbol.

Her words sent shockwaves through the crowd.

They all knew that Jin Lingzun was the powerful Profound Heart Realm cultivator in the purple robes from a few days ago. How could someone that formidable have perished so soon?

Could the Tai Xuan Sect really be that strong?

Among the crowd, Jiang Qiong furrowed her brow, shaken by the sheer power hidden within the Tai Xuan Sect.

Elder Chi Han's face darkened, but he wasted no time. He stood and began issuing orders to gather the sect.

Meanwhile, in the Tai Xuan Sect, Lu Lingjun was equally astonished.

News of Sword Master of the Dao's slaying of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect's demonic leader had already spread throughout the sect. Disciples everywhere were praising the legendary figure. Even some inner disciples came to the Third Medicine Valley, shouting the tale from the valley's peaks, exciting the disciples below, who in turn began to discuss Sword Master of the Dao's immense power.

Gu An seized the opportunity to leave, making his way toward the outer sect city.

Once there, he wandered through the city, eventually arriving at a particular street.

There, he saw Wu Jue standing beneath an old tree, gazing at the trunk, lost in thought.

Gu An could tell that Wu Jue had already emerged from his state of enlightenment and was now likely reflecting on what he had learned.

[Wu Jue (Foundation Establishment Realm, second layer): 63/280/540]

His maximum lifespan had almost doubled, from 310 to 540 years!

Gu An was extremely curious as to what Wu Jue had realized during his enlightenment.

Feigning a casual demeanor, Gu An walked over and greeted him, "Brother, are you alright?"

Wu Jue, startled by the question, turned around. His expression showed a trace of panic before he quickly waved his hand. "Nothing, I was just thinking about a cultivation technique and lost myself in thought."

He forced a smile, cupped his hands in a quick salute, and hurriedly walked away.

Gu An watched him leave, deciding not to pursue him further. However, he silently resolved to keep an eye on this man.

With a lifespan of 540 years, Wu Jue might not stand out in the outer sect, but if he continued to have more enlightenment experiences, he could very well rise to prominence.