This year's Spring Festival felt warmer to Gu An because of Ye Lan's company. However, on the second day after the festival, Ye Lan left. She didn't want to linger by her Senior Brother's side for too long. Cultivation was also a significant part of her life, and at her current stage, dedicating herself to advancing her cultivation remained her primary task.
The Grand Cold Demon Sect's announcement by Immortal of Death had cast a shadow over the world, but it didn't fundamentally disrupt the broader landscape. Once the new year began, the cultivation world resumed its usual rhythm, though many sects began dispatching more disciples to explore overseas territories.
Year by year, time marched on.
The sun rose and set, the Third Medicine Valley continued to grow. Every year, disciples graduated to establish their paths, while new disciples joined the ranks. The valley's overall numbers steadily increased, a reflection of Tai Xuan Sect's growing strength. This growth also led to an expansion of servant disciples, creating greater competition for positions and resources to earn spirit stones.
In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.
Gu An stood by the window, his spiritual sense extended far away, watching an intense battle unfold.
A powerful cultivator had come to challenge Immortal of Death—a Flying Immortal. Unfortunately, he didn't even get to see Immortal of Death's face, falling to the Immortal's disciple instead.
Countless cultivators and demons observed this battle. Not all beings were willing to abandon this region of the human world. For righteous sects in particular, protecting the living beings within their domain was a responsibility they couldn't shirk.
Over the past decade, there had been multiple attempts by Flying Immortals to challenge Immortal of Death. Without exception, all had been stopped by the disciple, never even stepping foot inside the tower.
The fame of Immortal of Death's pagoda had spread widely. Known as the Soul Suppression Tower, it was an immortal treasure of immense power.
Gu An shook his head as he observed the battle. The Flying Immortal's defeat was inevitable, confirming that this cultivator wasn't the savior of this human realm.
Turning away, he descended the stairs, sensing a presence entering the valley.
It was Xi Ling Sacred Mother from the Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect.
Xi Ling Sacred Mother had sought out Shen Xin Zi and led him to a secluded corner for a private conversation, even setting up a barrier.
Within the Tai Xuan Sect, no one except Gu An could breach the protective barrier set by Shen Xin Zi's spiritual array.
"Have you uncovered the details?" Shen Xin Zi asked, his tone probing the Grand Cold Demon Sect's affairs.
Xi Ling Sacred Mother took a deep breath before answering, "This matter involves a Sacred King of the Sacred Court. While this doesn't represent the entire Sacred Court's decision, that Sacred King's influence is vast. Even the Buddhist Sect dares not provoke him, especially with Sacred Heaven still in retreat."
"A Sacred King…"
Shen Xin Zi's brows furrowed. He continued, "What could this human region possibly hold to attract the attention of such a being?"
Xi Ling Sacred Mother replied, "I haven't fully uncovered the truth, but it seems to be related to the reincarnation of a great power within the Sacred Court. That great power might be an old rival of the Sacred King and is believed to have reincarnated in this region."
Shen Xin Zi's frown deepened.
Looking at him, Xi Ling Sacred Mother added, "This situation is beyond redemption. The Buddhist Sect doesn't wish to take such a grave risk. Let us retreat."
Shen Xin Zi scoffed coldly, "The Buddhist Sect doesn't want to take risks? How laughable. What happened to delivering all beings from suffering?"
Xi Ling Sacred Mother was startled. She could clearly hear the sarcasm in Shen Xin Zi's tone.
This was unusual.
Shen Xin Zi had always taken pride in the Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect. He had never spoken in such a manner before.
"Return if you must. I will remain in the Tai Xuan Sect," Shen Xin Zi declared resolutely.
Xi Ling Sacred Mother wanted to dissuade him, but Shen Xin Zi walked away before she could.
"What has changed?" Xi Ling Sacred Mother murmured to herself as she watched him leave, her heart filled with confusion.
Lacking the strength or authority to compel him, she had no choice but to carry the news back to the Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect.
Elsewhere in the valley, Gu An walked toward a garden, mulling over the information Xi Ling Sacred Mother had brought.
A Sacred King, a reincarnated great power…
When he heard "reincarnation of a great power," his first thought was Ji Xiaoya.
But then, he dismissed the idea. Ji Xiaoya had reincarnated countless times already. If she were truly the Sacred King's rival, why hadn't the Sacred King acted sooner?
He also wondered what role the Supernatural Realm Lord played in this entanglement.
"I need to find a chance to speak with the Supernatural Realm Lord," Gu An thought.
…
In a dimly lit cavern, Zhang Buku set down his massive axe, the swirling energy around him gradually dissipating. His wild white hair, previously flying in all directions, now settled.
Letting out a long breath, he looked at the axe in his hand, a slight frown crossing his face.
Footsteps echoed through the passageway.
Zhang Buku's grip on the axe tightened instinctively, but the axe disappeared as he turned toward the entrance of the cavern.
The Supernatural Realm Lord approached slowly. Zhang Buku couldn't help but feel that his master seemed even weaker than before.
"Master!"
Zhang Buku raised his hand in salute, bowing deeply.
Over the years, the Supernatural Realm Lord had shown great care in his guidance. To Zhang Buku, it felt as though his master truly treated him as a direct disciple. Beyond teaching cultivation techniques, the master would occasionally provide him with rare heavenly treasures, enhancing his ghostly form and helping him resist the backlash of divine power.
The Supernatural Realm Lord stopped in front of him, examining him closely before nodding slightly. "Not bad. You're beginning to grasp the divine power."
"Master, are you alright?" Zhang Buku couldn't help but ask.
The Supernatural Realm Lord's unsettling smile spread across his face as he said, "Master is naturally fine, but I would like to ask you for a favor. Can you do it?"
"What is it?" Zhang Buku didn't immediately agree. Instead, he cautiously asked, his wariness evident. He feared the Supernatural Realm Lord might have designs on the mysterious benefactor secretly aiding him.
The Supernatural Realm Lord raised his right hand, revealing a golden flame floating in his palm. The fiery glow lit up the dim cave, its brilliance sharp and unyielding.
Zhang Buku's expression shifted, his gaze fixed on the golden flame, unable to look away.
"This is the Nine Profound True Flame," the Supernatural Realm Lord said, his voice calm but weighty. "It is a flame belonging to an exalted existence. By inheriting it, you gain a divine ability to improve your chances of survival. And when you encounter the reincarnation of that existence, the Nine Profound True Flame will react, and you will know."
"Who is this existence?" Zhang Buku couldn't help but ask.
"He is someone whose cultivation far surpasses mine," the Supernatural Realm Lord replied. "In the human realm, his status is beyond your imagination. I'm entrusting this flame to you in hopes that you can find him and protect him. He is our chance to overturn our fate."
Zhang Buku froze in place, unable to process the magnitude of the revelation.
The Supernatural Realm Lord's gaze became distant as he stared at the flame in his palm. "To be truthful, my very existence was meant to oppose this being. But now, my benefactor plans to abandon me, leaving me no choice but to change sides."
Zhang Buku frowned. "Master, who is your benefactor?"
The Supernatural Realm Lord sighed. "He is a being who toys with all life as though it were a mere game. To the masses, he is akin to an immortal or god. Not only I but countless forces serve him, including the Sacred Land of your former continent—the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. It was the Seven Stars Spirit Realm that helped me break through the world's constraints and create the Great Rift of the Broken Sea."
Seven Stars Spirit Realm!
Zhang Buku was familiar with the name, but he hadn't known its connection to the Great Rift of the Broken Sea.
"That's enough. I cannot reveal more. The less you know, the less likely you are to provoke karma you cannot currently withstand. Just remember this: when you meet the one who causes the Nine Profound True Flame to stir, you must support them. They are your greatest opportunity and your only hope of escaping the backlash of the divine power."
The Supernatural Realm Lord's gaze grew severe as he stared at Zhang Buku, his expression commanding.
"What about you, Master?" Zhang Buku asked, his brows furrowed.
The Supernatural Realm Lord placed his palm against Zhang Buku's chest, pushing the Nine Profound True Flame into his body.
The flame scattered, countless sparks brushing against the Supernatural Realm Lord's face, making his already eerie visage even more terrifying. With a strange tone, he said, "I have already been cast aside, and my fate now stands before me."
Zhang Buku opened his mouth to speak but couldn't form the words. The surging power of the Nine Profound True Flame consumed his consciousness, leaving him in a hazy state.
In a grand hall bathed in flickering firelight, a black-robed elder sat cross-legged on a black lotus throne. From within the lotus came dark red flames, their heat radiating outward. The elder's long hair hung loose, his aura heavy with oppression.
Above him, the ceiling of the hall seemed alive, a churning sea of dark red fire raging overhead, as though ready to consume the world.
This was the interior of the Soul Suppression Tower.
And the black-robed elder was none other than Immortal of Death of the Grand Cold Demon Sect.
"Disciple, apply some pressure," Immortal of Death ordered suddenly, his voice resonating through the hall like countless whispers layered together.
"Yes!" a voice echoed from outside the hall.
Atop the Soul Suppression Tower, a white-robed Daoist who had been meditating slowly stood. With his dust-whisk in hand, his crane-white hair and youthful face exuded a solemn dignity. His tall frame and gaunt features gave him an ethereal presence, his white hair neatly tied beneath his Daoist crown.
He looked out over the vast ocean, his expression indifferent.
Below him stretched the Great Rift of the Broken Sea, a chasm tens of miles wide, its edges vanishing into the horizon.
The white-robed Daoist raised his left hand to his lips and began chanting softly. Though his voice was faint, his incantation caused ripples to spread in all directions, visible even to the naked eye.
After a few breaths, he flicked his dust-whisk with his right hand.
With that motion, the sea along both edges of the Great Rift suddenly rose into towering waves, the force of their ascent shaking the heavens.
Another flick of the whisk sent these titanic waves crashing outward in a terrifying surge, their destructive force spreading far and wide.
After completing the motion, the Daoist paused and raised his head toward the sky. With deliberate precision, he flicked his dust-whisk three more times toward the heavens.
At dusk, Gu An rode into the valley of the Third Medicine Valley atop the Blood Prison Saint, a massive beast exuding an aura of unbridled ferocity. Behind him followed Yang Jian and Li Lingtian.
Li Lingtian trailed at the rear, his face bruised and swollen, resembling a defeated rooster.
"Master, won't this kid break down from this?" the Blood Prison Saint asked, his tone mocking rather than concerned.
Li Lingtian glared at him but didn't speak.
"If he can't endure it, he's free to leave," Gu An said calmly.
Years ago, when Gu An visited Tianya Valley, Luo Hun had sent a message requesting Li Lingtian's return to the royal palace. However, Li Lingtian had refused.
Despite frequent beatings, his strength was steadily increasing.
Defeating Yang Jian had become his obsession.
Just as Li Lingtian was about to speak, he froze, sensing something. His gaze shot upward, his eyes widening in shock.
Gu An, Yang Jian, and the Blood Prison Saint also looked skyward. Around the valley, disciples stopped in their tracks, their expressions turning pale as they all beheld the same terrifying sight.