After spending half the night in the Submerged Spirit Palace, Gu An returned to Xuan Valley in the dead of night.
Most of the buildings in the valley had gone dark, with the disciples meditating in the shadows. Gu An turned his gaze toward the edge of the valley where the mountain forest stood.
There, a figure was practicing swordsmanship.
Jiang Shi.
For some reason, Gu An felt a momentary daze, as if he were looking at a figure from centuries ago.
Back then, he had a disciple who also loved to train in the forest, carrying a blood feud just as deep.
Gu An watched quietly for a while before turning back toward his own pavilion.
Once inside, he didn't glance at Jiang Shi's sword practice again. Instead, he effortlessly saw the conversation between Jiang Shi and Lu Jiujia play out in his mind, with no intention to intervene.
The essence of being human, Gu An mused, lay in the ability to make choices. He had already warned Lu Jiujia. Whatever choice Lu Jiujia made afterward, the consequences would be his to bear.
If Lu Jiujia insisted on suffering, then so be it.
Gu An's greatest kindness to those around him was ensuring their safety as long as their lifespan permitted.
That said, life was full of uncertainties. Perhaps Jiang Shi would change for the better. By revealing his past, Gu An had already altered the boy's fate. Whether the outcome was good or bad, time would tell.
By the time dawn broke, Jiang Shi returned from the woods, blending seamlessly into the morning drills with the other disciples.
Gu An joined the group, participating in the exercises while chatting and laughing with the disciples. He even exchanged casual words with Jiang Shi, as if his past deeds had never been a point of contention.
Jiang Shi, upon realizing Gu An had no intention of accepting him as a direct disciple, did not harbor resentment. This showed that his character wasn't beyond redemption, and Gu An naturally wouldn't deliberately alienate him.
Gu An's demeanor was purposeful, aiming to subtly guide Jiang Shi toward better behavior and reduce the likelihood of trouble for Lu Jiujia.
After that day, Jiang Shi became much more restrained, no longer pressing for anything.
Time flew by. Thirty years passed in the blink of an eye, like a fleeting dream.
One day, Gu An returned early from Tianhuang Mountain and waited patiently outside his pavilion for someone's arrival.
Ji Xiaoyu emerged from her room and approached him, her cold gaze landing on him in silence.
Gu An felt uneasy under her scrutiny. Glancing at her, he asked, "What's wrong?"
Ji Xiaoyu's voice was soft but carried a hint of reproach. "Gu An, you're really something. All these years, and you haven't spoken to me?"
Startled, Gu An turned around, exasperated. "I haven't spoken to you? It's because you're always so cold, and I didn't want to disturb you. Besides, how many times a year are you even around?"
Ji Xiaoyu scoffed. "Don't give me that. If it were your junior sister ignoring you, you'd definitely go out of your way to make amends."
"Impossible!"
"Really?"
Her disbelief was written all over her face.
Gu An replied seriously, "My junior sister would never ignore me."
Ji Xiaoyu's pupils widened slightly, and though she wanted to leave in a huff, she held herself back.
Gu An quickly shifted the topic. "How's your cultivation coming along? I've already reached the sixth level of the Nascent Soul Realm. Impressive, right?"
Ji Xiaoyu, though initially irritated, couldn't help but smirk.
"Indeed, impressive. You're catching up to me," she said coolly.
Gu An, intrigued, asked, "What realm are you at now?"
"Body Fusion Realm, eighth level."
"What?"
Gu An's eyes widened in shock. "How did you progress so quickly? Is cultivating in the Body Fusion Realm supposed to be that easy?"
Ji Xiaoyu shot him a glance and replied, "It's not that fast. You're just not taking your cultivation seriously. Even in my time, my speed wasn't considered extraordinary."
"Fair enough," Gu An muttered, nodding before quickly adding, "I mean, in my eyes, you have unparalleled talent in the world."
Ji Xiaoyu stared at him, torn between amusement and exasperation. Women were hard to please, Gu An thought to himself. Compliment her progress, and she mocks you. Don't praise her, and she's unhappy.
As their conversation continued, Ji Xiaoyu subtly softened the tension between them, and Gu An followed her lead.
Before long, a figure flew toward them from the horizon. It was the person Gu An had been waiting for.
The newcomer landed swiftly behind Gu An and reached out to pat his shoulder, only for Ji Xiaoyu to pull Gu An aside, causing the hand to miss its mark.
Gu An, in turn, grabbed Ji Xiaoyu's wrist as he turned to face the visitor.
"Senior Brother Li!" Gu An exclaimed excitedly.
Li Ya froze mid-motion, his hand still in the air, as he glanced at Ji Xiaoyu in surprise. He hadn't expected her reflexes to be so quick.
Ji Xiaoyu, noticing Gu An holding her wrist, remained composed and turned her calm gaze to Li Ya.
Gu An released her hand and stepped forward eagerly to greet Li Ya.
After a brief exchange of pleasantries, Li Ya draped an arm around Gu An's shoulders and led him toward the pavilion. Ji Xiaoyu followed closely behind.
As they ascended the steps, Li Ya noticed Ji Xiaoyu still trailing them and turned to her with a look of confusion.
"Let her stay. She's one of us," Gu An said with a smile.
Hearing this, Ji Xiaoya's lips curved upward slightly.
Li Ya felt uneasy but knew he couldn't refuse.
The three entered the room, and Gu An began brewing tea for Li Ya while asking about his experiences over the years.
Ji Xiaoya casually sat down in Gu An's chair, while Li Ya, instead of immediately sitting, narrated his stories while subtly observing the room's décor.
The layout hadn't changed much over the years, evoking a wave of nostalgia for him.
Once Gu An finished pouring the tea, he pulled over a chair and sat next to Ji Xiaoya, listening attentively.
When Li Ya mentioned his entry into the Sacred Court, Gu An couldn't help but exclaim in surprise, giving Li Ya ample recognition.
The conversation shifted to a grand contest between the Sacred Court and the Immortal Dynasty, which piqued Ji Xiaoya's interest.
"Guess who I saw in the Immortal Dynasty's camp? An Hao! Bet you didn't expect that. He's joined the Immortal Dynasty!" Li Ya exclaimed with a mix of disbelief and frustration.
Gu An inwardly mused, Of course I knew. I even know you lost to him again.
Through a fortuitous encounter, Li Ya had ascended to the Profound Heart Realm and faced off against An Hao during the contest. Stubbornly, he refused to rely on the power of Mysterious Divine City, and as expected, the result was a crushing defeat.
It was undeniable—Li Ya's life was a peculiar mix of luck and tragedy.
No matter how much his cultivation advanced to match An Hao's, he could never win against him.
Each encounter ended in a one-sided defeat. Though their realms were equal, Li Ya simply wasn't An Hao's match.
If An Hao was akin to Yang Jian, then Li Ya seemed destined to be his lifelong rival—always chasing but never surpassing.
"Did you fight him?" Gu An asked.
Li Ya shook his head, sighing. "No. Missed the chance. I really wanted to test his strength."
Pfft!
Li Ya heard faint laughter echo in his mind—it was the mocking voice of the Mysterious Divine Immortal Spirit.
Pretending not to notice, Li Ya continued his tale, oblivious to the fact that Gu An could also hear the Immortal Spirit's ridicule.
Amused, Gu An thought, This is getting interesting.
Li Ya began recounting tales of extraordinary talents from both factions, while Gu An interjected with astonished reactions to keep the mood lively.
Meanwhile, Ji Xiaoya silently observed, her expression remaining calm throughout.
"Believe it or not, the Immortal Dynasty won this contest. They claimed victory by a single match. Who knows what consequences this will bring? If the Sacred Court can't suppress them, war might be inevitable," Li Ya lamented.
He even began to doubt whether he had chosen the right path.
How was it that An Hao always seemed to thrive?
Ji Xiaoya finally spoke, "The Immortal Dynasty's cultivators inherently possess superior talent. Contests like this naturally favor them. It's likely the Sacred Court allowed this outcome to maintain peace. If outright war broke out, the Sacred Court would win, but the Immortal Dynasty would retaliate with such ferocity that both sides would suffer catastrophic losses."
Surprised by her insight, Li Ya turned to Ji Xiaoya. He had always assumed Gu An kept her around as a tribute to the late third daughter of the Ji family. Now, it was clear that Ji Xiaoya was far more capable than he'd imagined.
Noticing Li Ya's astonishment, Gu An explained, "This young lady is no ordinary individual. She's not even four hundred years old but has already reached the eighth level of the Body Fusion Realm. Her talent rivals, if not surpasses, An Hao's."
Surpassing was an understatement. Ji Xiaoya's true identity was that of a Free Immortal. For An Hao and Li Ya to reach such a realm, they'd need at least a million years—possibly even longer.
"That remarkable?" Li Ya's expression shifted, genuinely shocked.
Although he had reached the Profound Heart Realm, only he knew the sacrifices and effort it had required. His rapid progress was far from natural talent alone.
How could the Tai Xuan Sect produce yet another world-shaking genius?
Li Ya sighed, "She truly is comparable to An Hao. Just recently, An Hao achieved the Mahayana Realm—at only five hundred years old. It's monstrous. Perhaps Miss Ji will also reach the Mahayana Realm at five hundred."
His words dripped with envy.
He could accept An Hao's achievements; after all, An Hao had braved countless life-and-death struggles, much like himself.
But Ji Xiaoya?
How could she progress so quickly just by staying at Gu An's side?
The longer he stayed, the more stifled Li Ya felt. He retrieved two ornate boxes from his storage ring.
"Here. I prepared a gift for you, and fortunately, I brought an extra. This one's for Miss Ji, as a token of our first meeting. I've got some pressing matters to discuss with the Tai Xuan Sect, but I'll come back later for a drink."
With that, he stood and headed toward the window, only to pause and turn back, remembering Ji Xiaoya's presence. He instead made his way to the door.
"In such a rush?"
"Almost forgot something important. It's urgent."
"Alright then."
Gu An escorted Li Ya to the door, watching him fly off into the distance.
A sense of melancholy lingered in Gu An's heart. Had he inadvertently driven Li Ya away?
Li Ya was his first genuine friend in this lifetime, someone he truly cherished. If Li Ya didn't visit again, Gu An resolved to seek him out.
Perhaps the presence of a woman had made their camaraderie feel less uninhibited.
Closing the door, Gu An returned to the table and found Ji Xiaoya had already opened one of the boxes. Inside were two jade pendants.
"I'm taking this one," Ji Xiaoya declared firmly, her mood clearly lifted, her smile impossible to conceal.
Without waiting for Gu An's response, she began casting spells on the pendants.
Gu An sat in the chair Li Ya had vacated, feeling a mix of amusement and helplessness.
Li Ya's words truly stirred things up!
Gu An was determined to remain a detached cultivator, unentangled by romance. How could he possibly settle down with a woman?
The thought of An Hao surfaced in Gu An's mind, prompting him to extend his divine sense toward An Hao's location.
An Hao was still within the Sacred Court, exploring a mysterious secret realm.
With Gu An's current cultivation, no formation or restriction in the Sacred Court could hinder his divine sense. Quietly, he observed An Hao's activities.
Soon, Gu An located him.
Hmm? What's this?
Gu An's interest was piqued. Even within the Sacred Court, An Hao had stumbled upon a great opportunity.