Hearing the words of the Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother, Su Han remained silent. He didn't refute her because he also felt that he was weak.
Throughout this journey, he had narrowly escaped death multiple times, and it was never due to his own strength.
Su Han was very clear that he was merely a pawn, just like the Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother before him. She was helping him diligently, but undoubtedly, she had her own agenda. Unfortunately, he had no other path to choose.
"The time left for you is running out. The Great Demon Catastrophe is approaching, and the Inverse Life Divine Art can only absorb the spiritual energy of cultivators, not the demonic energy. When the Great Demon Catastrophe arrives and you are unwilling to abandon your principles, all the cultivators will be preoccupied with fighting the demons. It will be difficult for you to grow stronger," the Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother said.
Upon hearing this, Su Han asked, "Are you in such a hurry? What exactly do you want me to do?"
The Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother replied, "It depends on how strong you can become. The one who should be in a hurry isn't me; it's you. From the moment you began cultivating the Heaven-Hating Divine Sword, your lifespan was already set. No matter how high your cultivation realm becomes, your lifespan will not increase unless you reach the legendary Immortal Realm."
Su Han frowned.
The Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother had mentioned the drawbacks of the Heaven-Hating Divine Sword more than once. On the surface, it seemed like a reminder meant to benefit him, but what he truly felt was a threat and pressure.
"I'll do my best," Su Han said before sitting down and starting his cultivation.
The Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother watched him for a while, then dissolved into a wisp of ghostly energy and disappeared.
Su Han looked up at the full moon outside. For some reason, he suddenly felt a deep sense of sadness and confusion.
It seemed like no one in this world remembered him anymore.
…
Winter snow arrived, and the Third Medicine Valley was covered in a thick blanket of white, giving everything a desolate appearance.
Gu An stood on the pavilion, admiring the snowy landscape while contemplating the next volume of Shattering the Void.
Shattering the Void had become a massive hit, far exceeding Gu An's expectations. The sales of the first five volumes alone had surpassed those of Tai Xuan Immortal Lord in its entirety.
The essence of Shattering the Void was similar to that of Tai Xuan Immortal Lord—it was an exciting and thrilling story. However, Shattering the Void resonated more with the current mindset of cultivators across the world.
With the Great Demon Catastrophe looming, various sects were continuously sending disciples out to gather intelligence. As more information came in, the entire cultivation world grew increasingly tense.
More and more people were sensing the end of the road for their cultivation journey. How wonderful it would be if they could shatter the void and ascend beyond?
In the distance, a White Spirit Mouse scurried through the snow, with Xiao Chun chasing after it. Not only did Xiao Chun fail to catch it, but the mouse even kicked snow into his face. Gu An couldn't help but laugh at the scene.
He couldn't understand what charm this chubby mouse possessed that made Xiao Chun so fond of it.
Lu Lingjun walked up to the pavilion and looked up at Gu An, asking, "Valley Master, have you sensed anything?"
Gu An glanced down at her and asked, "Cold?"
"That could be one way to put it. There's a powerful demonic aura coming from the north. I wonder if it's a sign that the Great Demon Catastrophe is about to begin," Lu Lingjun replied, her gaze shifting northward.
Gu An had already sensed it. A Mahayana-level demon beast was heading south, approaching the Eight Dynasties.
He didn't interfere. He wanted to see if there were any hidden experts in the Eight Dynasties.
When the Great Demon Catastrophe erupted, he couldn't rely solely on his own strength to turn the tide. Not only would it be dangerous, but it would also attract a lot of hatred, making it easy for him to become a target for the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.
Although Gu An's divine sense could cover the entire Nine Dynasties, the world was vast, and there were always people who could hide from him, like the Xing Yan Cave Heaven, which he hadn't detected before.
Gu An asked, "If the Great Demon Catastrophe descends, what will you do?"
Lu Lingjun replied, "Naturally, I will follow the Tai Xuan Sect into battle. But if we cannot prevail and see no hope, I will head south to seek my fortune."
After ascending for many years, Lu Lingjun had gained a deep understanding of this world.
Throughout history, whenever a great cultivator faced a bottleneck, they would venture south. Even though the seas were more dangerous than the demon lands, many still went without hesitation.
As an ascendant herself, Lu Lingjun naturally wouldn't stay and perish alongside the Tai Xuan Sect.
Gu An nodded slightly, offering no comment.
Lu Lingjun looked at Gu An and asked, "Valley Master, what about you?"
Gu An pretended to hesitate and said, "I will focus on growing herbs and contribute in my own way."
"What if the Tai Xuan Sect is on the verge of destruction?"
"Then I will commit suicide to avoid being eaten by demons."
Hearing this, Lu Lingjun rolled her eyes at Gu An, thinking he was beyond hope.
Gu An chuckled but didn't continue the topic, not wanting the other servant disciples to overhear and cause unnecessary panic.
But how exactly would the cultivation world handle the impending Mahayana-level demons?
The snow fell endlessly, as if it would never stop until the world was buried beneath it.
…
Late at night.
Gu An arrived at the Nian Chu Cave Residence on Tianhuang Mountain.
As soon as he entered, he saw Tian Yao'er crouched in front of a medicinal cauldron, warming herself by the fire. She was hugging her knees, trembling, with her head buried in her arms.
Gu An walked toward her, deliberately making some noise with his footsteps. Startled, Tian Yao'er looked up, and upon seeing Gu An, she excitedly rushed toward him like a gust of wind, hugging him tightly.
"What's wrong?" Seeing how genuinely afraid she was, Gu An didn't push her away and instead asked with concern.
Tian Yao'er buried her head in his chest and whispered, "I'm scared… I feel like something terrifying is getting closer…"
She clung to Gu An's waist, as if afraid he would leave.
Gu An patted her shoulder and reassured her, "Don't be afraid. That creature isn't heading toward Tianhuang Mountain. It's still far away from us."
Upon hearing this, Tian Yao'er looked up and cautiously asked, "Really?"
"Really. And besides, didn't I come to keep you company?"
"But you couldn't even defeat the Demon Mother. I feel like this terrifying presence is even stronger than her."
"You're right. I can't defeat it. But I will take you with me if we need to run."
"Don't lie to me. If you plan to leave, you must take me with you."
"I won't lie to you."
Gu An replied. Without him, Tian Yao'er might have already perished in the belly of some demon. She had no one else to rely on but him, so how could he abandon her?
Tian Yao'er's reaction surprised him a little.
Why was she so frightened, even though she was a demon herself?
He pulled her down to sit beside him and asked her to explain why she was so scared.
However, despite stammering for a long time, Tian Yao'er couldn't articulate the reason clearly.
Based on the Black Crow Demon Envoy's memories, Gu An knew the origins of that powerful demon beast.
It was the Six-Headed Jiao Luo, one of the seventy-two Great Demon Kings, ruling over a territory of a hundred thousand miles. His demonic soldiers were countless, and his ferocity was well-known. Even the Black Crow Demon Envoy had to be extremely cautious when meeting him, for fear of being swallowed whole.
At this moment, the Six-Headed Jiao Luo was leading millions of demons southward, with more joining him along the way. Some demon kings even volunteered to follow him.
His overwhelming demonic aura had already alarmed the human cultivation world. Gu An could sense that many cultivators from the Eight Dynasties were rushing over, with more than twenty cultivators at the Profound Heart Realm among them.
Gu An comforted Tian Yao'er for a long time before she finally calmed down. To his surprise, she fell asleep on his lap.
It seemed like he would have to stay here a little longer tonight.
…
Morning.
A dragon's roar echoed from the distance, startling the servant disciples in Xuan Valley.
Sitting on the cliff edge, Chu Jingfeng opened his eyes and gazed at the horizon, his brows furrowed as the snow on him gradually melted.
The servant disciples gathered and discussed where the sound had come from and which demon might have made it.
Gu An stepped off his flying sword and landed in the valley. As he stored his sword, the disciples rushed over to ask about the dragon's roar.
"I don't know which demon made that sound, but don't worry, as long as you stay within the Tai Xuan Sect, nothing will happen," Gu An reassured them.
Most of the disciples in Xuan Valley were new, and apart from Lu Jiujia and Chu Jingfeng, none of them knew about the past trials the valley had endured. It was easy for them to believe Gu An's words.
In the following days, news kept pouring into the Tai Xuan Sect.
The name of the Six-Headed Jiao Luo spread quickly, and the disciples learned that a Profound Heart Realm cultivator had already been devoured by him. This news caused widespread unease throughout the Tai Xuan Sect.
Many disciples were dispatched to the north to provide support. Even Gu Zong personally came to the Third Medicine Valley to request Lu Lingjun's assistance.
After some hesitation, Lu Lingjun decided to help.
She was accompanied by the Xuanquan Ancestor!
Their departure was quickly spread throughout the Tai Xuan Sect, but as Gu An wandered around the outer city, he found that many people held little hope for the two of them. Instead, most were praying that the two Profound Heart Realm cultivators would not meet their demise.
The death of Elder Kusong had cast a long shadow over the Tai Xuan Sect.
Gu An also kept an eye on the distant battle. Once again, the Cang Tian Sect took the lead, courageously stepping forward. With the spiritual energy of a million cultivators, they formed a massive array, creating a barrier that blocked the invasion of the demon race.
Fourteen Profound Heart Realm cultivators besieged the Six-Headed Jiao Luo, but none dared to approach him directly. The battle was entirely one-sided.
However, the Six-Headed Jiao Luo showed no intention of stepping into human territory, merely shouting threats and insults, which only made the cultivation world angrier and more fearful.
It seemed that the Six-Headed Jiao Luo was testing the Eight Dynasties.
Perhaps he feared the Dao Monarch of the Cang Tian Sect, or maybe he was wary of the Mountain God.
The next morning, Lu Lingjun and the Xuanquan Ancestor joined the battle, with Gu An watching from a distance to ensure their safety.
Faced with the overwhelming power of the Six-Headed Jiao Luo, the two of them were quickly defeated and fled back to human territory to recover from their injuries.
Gu An felt that Lu Lingjun had been holding back, deliberately getting injured and retreating.
Perhaps Lu Lingjun also realized that if she fought with her life on the line, she might actually die.
The less the Six-Headed Jiao Luo invaded human territory, the more Gu An suspected that an even more powerful demon was lurking behind him.
The father of Emperor Xie—the Demon Emperor!
That Demon Emperor ruled over the demons of the demon lands. Perhaps this was all part of his test.
A few days later.
When Gu An arrived in the outer city, he was greeted by a scene that left him with mixed emotions.
He saw tens of thousands of disciples sitting cross-legged atop the massive Heaven Mending Platform, with even Gu Zong seated beneath the characters for "Righteous Path." This forced those who had been comprehending sword techniques to step down.
Emperor Xie had also descended.
He happened to notice Gu An, so he walked over and sighed, "The northern border is in dire straits. The sect is begging Sword Master of Dao to take action."
Gu An asked worriedly, "A Profound Heart Realm cultivator has already fallen. Can Sword Master of Dao really make a difference?"
Emperor Xie sighed, "Perhaps not, but what else can we do?"
He, too, was a demon and understood the terrifying power of the demon lands.
In a voice full of sorrow, he said, "This catastrophe is inevitable. Perhaps the ocean is the only way out."