Facing Tian Yao'er's constant pleading, Gu An finally agreed to stay with her for the night. After all, with his lifespan surpassing ten million years tonight, he could afford to relax for a bit.
Upon hearing his agreement, Tian Yao'er became even more delighted. To celebrate the milestone of reaching ten million years, Gu An even returned to Xuan Valley to retrieve some lamb for a barbecue. This gesture moved Tian Yao'er deeply, thinking that Gu An was commemorating the significance of the day.
While they grilled the meat, Gu An's divine sense remained locked onto the edge of Tianhuang Mountain's battlefield. More and more demons were arriving, and the Profound Heart Realm cultivator leading Ji Xiaoya and her group was unable to gain an upper hand, dragging Ji Xiaoya and the others deeper into the battle.
If things continued like this, their chances of survival would dwindle.
He wasn't sure if these people were from the Ji family or the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
As these thoughts ran through Gu An's mind, he chatted with Tian Yao'er casually, ensuring she didn't notice anything unusual.
An hour later, the Profound Heart Realm cultivator leading Ji Xiaoya was gravely injured and forced to retreat with the others. However, by that time, it was too late to flee.
Gu An lay beneath a tree, occasionally giving Tian Yao'er pointers on her cultivation as she practiced the Infinite Free Step. Tian Yao'er's lips were perpetually pouting from the constant feedback.
"I thought we'd lie down and read together!" she fumed silently.
Liar!
Big liar!
The more she practiced, the redder her eyes became.
Seeing her expression, Gu An couldn't help but find it amusing.
Tonight, he intended to teach her an important life lesson.
The more you desire something, the harder it is to obtain. That's the true meaning of life!
If she was already so impatient after only a few years, how would she endure a thousand or even ten thousand years in the future?
Gu An marveled at his own foresight. Tian Yao'er was truly lucky to have him as her master. If she had a different one, she would have had a far worse fate.
…
In the darkness of the night, Ji Xiaoya, clad in black, was fleeing at full speed. The wilderness was crawling with demons and monsters, and the moment they spotted her, they all rushed toward her.
She wielded her sword in her right hand, activating the Heavenly Dragon Demon Subjugation Aspect, causing a golden apparition to appear behind her. From it, golden dragons soared out, slaying the demons from all directions.
Soon after, she deactivated the Heavenly Dragon Demon Subjugation Aspect, relying solely on her sword to fend off the monsters.
She no longer knew where she was headed, only that she had to keep running in one direction.
Time passed.
With her spiritual energy nearly exhausted, Ji Xiaoya continued running, popping Spirit Qi Pills as she went. But the energy these pills provided was insufficient for battle.
She stopped at the foot of a hill and quickly set up an array with flags and talismans. Within five breaths, the formation was complete, concealing her presence.
Sitting cross-legged, she began circulating her energy.
Demons flew over her head, unable to detect her.
Suddenly, the ground began to tremble, and pebbles bounced in the air, causing Ji Xiaoya to open her eyes, her brows furrowed.
Following her gaze, a massive creature loomed in the distance behind the mountains. It was a giant demon, humanoid in shape with a lion's head, its long mane writhing like tentacles. In the dark of night, the sight was horrifying.
"Where do you think you're going, little girl?" A chilling, violent voice boomed, followed by a powerful windstorm that tore through the mountains, sending waves of dust and sand flying.
The windstorm revealed the outline of Ji Xiaoya's concealment array, as the sand and wind parted around it.
Ji Xiaoya remained calm, showing no trace of fear. She sighed softly, and a faint golden mark began to appear on her forehead.
Moments later, the enormous demon stepped in front of her. Its immense form blocked out the sky as it squatted down, revealing its lion head, sharp fangs, and blood-red eyes. Its black mane burned like the flames of the underworld.
Suddenly, the demon paused, lifting its gaze to look behind Ji Xiaoya.
The golden mark on her forehead expanded, covering her entire brow in a complex, vein-like pattern.
Sensing something, she turned to look behind her.
Standing at the top of the hill was a figure in purple robes, wearing a mask and facing the wind.
Ji Xiaoya's heart trembled—she hadn't even sensed this person's approach.
"Where did you come from?" the lion-headed demon roared, raising its hand to strike at the hill.
As the palm fell, the sheer pressure shattered Ji Xiaoya's array instantly. The flags were buried in the ground, the talismans scattered in the wind, and her hairpiece was blown off, leaving her long hair billowing in the wind.
Boom!
The deafening explosion shook the earth. Even Ji Xiaoya, at the seventh level of the Nascent Soul Realm, had to shut her eyes.
When the terrifying pressure finally dissipated, she opened her eyes to find the lion-headed demon reduced to nothing but its upper half. Blood rained down as the demon clouds dispersed, revealing a sky full of stars—brilliant and beautiful.
Ji Xiaoya's eyes widened in shock.
This demon was monstrously powerful, even devouring one of her Void Crossing Realm companions.
Instinctively, she turned to look at the mysterious figure on the hill, who remained standing there, arms at his sides, as though he hadn't moved at all.
It was Gu An!
To avoid being recognized, Gu An had enlarged his body slightly, making himself a head taller than usual. His hair was wild and disheveled, and his aura was almost nonexistent.
He hadn't used the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body, as word had already spread that the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal, Sword Master of Dao, knew the Demon Shadow Divine Art. He didn't want Ji Xiaoya to connect him to Sword Master of Dao.
Ji Xiaoya quickly stood and bowed. "Thank you, senior, for saving me."
"Why is a disciple of the Ji family in the Demon Realm?" Gu An asked, his voice hoarse, giving him the sound of a weathered man in his forties or fifties.
Slaying the demon had earned him 600 years of lifespan—a rather fortunate bounty.
Ji Xiaoya replied, "I am here training with the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. Does senior have ties to my family?"
Gu An appeared in front of her in an instant, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's find a safer place to talk."
Before Ji Xiaoya could respond, her vision blurred.
The sudden long-distance movement left her disoriented and unable to move.
A few breaths later, her feet touched solid ground. When she opened her eyes, she found herself inside a cave.
The space wasn't large, with layered rock formations and trickling water flowing down the walls. The ceiling was adorned with hanging crystals that illuminated the cave with a soft glow.
"Stay here and recover."
With that, Gu An vanished.
Ji Xiaoya stood in silence, her divine sense exploring the cave. It was over a thousand feet underground, filled with rich spiritual energy—perfect for healing.
Though she didn't know who her savior was, the methods he displayed made it clear that escaping him was impossible.
He didn't seem to have ill intentions. Otherwise, with her current exhaustion, it would have been the perfect moment to strike.
Sitting cross-legged, Ji Xiaoya began to meditate and restore her spiritual energy.
Meanwhile…
Gu An returned to Tianhuang Mountain. Tian Yao'er had been sulking, but upon seeing him holding two jugs of fine wine, her mood instantly brightened.
Ever since she got drunk last time, she had developed a fondness for alcohol.
Half an hour later, Tian Yao'er was fast asleep, her head resting on Gu An's lap. Gu An gently patted her back, a smile on his face.
…
At dawn, Gu An didn't return directly to Tai Xuan Sect, nor did he seek out Ji Xiaoya. She would need more than a night to fully recover.
Instead, he flew south, heading toward the ocean.
Activating his Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body, Gu An transformed into his shadow form, then used the Infinite Free Step, quickly crossing beyond the Tai Cang Dynasty and into the ocean.
The vast expanse of the azure sea and the boundless sky filled his vision, lifting his spirits.
As he weaved through the clouds, he caught sight of a large ship sailing below.
On the deck, a man in green robes lay on his back, reading a book. Suddenly, the man sat up, having caught a glimpse of something. However, when he looked again, there was no one in the sky.
"How strange… Was it my imagination?" The green-robed man furrowed his brow.
He no longer felt like reading. Placing his copy of Investiture of the Gods into his storage bag, he walked to the bow of the ship, gazing into the distance.
The sea stretched endlessly, but he could feel the presence of his homeland.
A smile crossed his face as he muttered, "A demon catastrophe, huh? Another opportunity to rise through the ranks."
…
Gu An took over 500 steps before finally landing on a fog-covered island. The island was vast, with few living creatures, and the surrounding area spanned over ten thousand miles, making it the perfect place for his breakthrough.
Silently, he slipped into the forest and sat beneath an ancient tree, activating his Lifespan Barrier.
He pulled up his status panel, smiling as he looked at his lifespan—over ten million years.
Time to improve his cultivation techniques!
Gu An activated the Lifespan Fusion ability and began merging his Innate Celestial Immortal Art with four other elemental techniques.
[These five techniques have vast differences in strength. Forcing a fusion may result in a technique weaker than the strongest among them. Continue?]
Huh?
Did that mean the fusion would take an average of the techniques?
Gu An cursed silently. Was this system trying to cheat him out of his lifespan?
Fortunately, he had other high-level techniques. Over the years, he had plundered many enemies' souls and recorded several techniques, just in case.
Taking out four high-level techniques, he began practicing them one by one.
He didn't need to start over or cultivate them fully. He only needed to run through their methods once to register them into his system.
Half an hour later, his status panel showed the four new techniques.
He wanted to upgrade them one by one, but the system gave him another warning:
[These techniques have conflicting attributes. Choose to discard the clashing techniques or force compatibility, which may result in cultivation deviation.]
What?!
Even with a system-like advantage, he could still risk cultivation deviation?
Reluctantly, Gu An activated the Lifespan Fusion ability to merge all five techniques.
[Fusing these techniques will cost 500,000 years of lifespan. Continue?]
Half a million years?!
Gritting his teeth, Gu An pressed on.
[You have consumed 500,000 years of lifespan to fuse the Innate Celestial Immortal Art, Hellfire Dark Heaven Technique, Golden Light Spirit Body Technique, Vast Earth Unity Art, and Great Cold Heaven Method.]
[Fusion successful. You have comprehended the Five Elements Dao Law Art.]