As Ye Lan stared at the group of shadows carrying the coffin, her brows furrowed deeply. The other disciples were equally uneasy, unable to discern the approaching figures' auras, which left a sinking feeling in their hearts.
These were none other than the notorious "Nine Nether Thirteen Li." In the dark night, they appeared like thirteen ghostly figures, exuding an aura of fear.
"We are disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall of the Tai Xuan Sect. What are your intentions?" a male disciple demanded in a low voice. As members of Tai Xuan Sect within the Tai Cang Dynasty, they carried a sense of confidence.
However, the Nine Nether Thirteen Li remained unfazed, continuing to approach, forcing the Law Enforcement Hall disciples to retreat.
"Enough, don't frighten them. Let them leave quickly," a weak voice came from inside the coffin.
Zhen Qin's eyes widened in shock, and she couldn't help but cry out, "Senior Brother Su?"
Su Han?
The disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall were instantly filled with terror, their retreat hastening. Ye Lan's expression also turned grave.
Su Han's name had long echoed throughout the cultivation world, but it was a name associated with a dreadful reputation.
"So it's your junior sister. No wonder you want them to leave. Then hurry and get out of here," one of the shadowy figures said, his voice eerie.
Zhen Qin wanted to speak again, but Ye Lan stopped her. Without uttering any threats, Ye Lan quickly led the disciples away.
As they left, Zhen Qin couldn't help but glance back repeatedly, her eyes fixed on the coffin. However, her gaze couldn't pierce through the coffin's surface.
With that, Ye Lan and the others quickly vanished into the night.
Meanwhile, the Nine Nether Thirteen Li placed the coffin down and opened the lid. Su Han sat up inside, his hair disheveled, one hand clutching the coffin's edge.
The Nine Nether Thirteen Li dispersed in all directions, setting up a formation around the area.
Su Han stared in the direction where Ye Lan, Zhen Qin, and the others had left, his gaze complicated as if lost in thought.
Thousands of miles away, Gu An stood atop a tree, quietly observing the scene from a distance. He cradled his Azure Swan Sword in his arms, his face concealed behind a mask, though his eyes glowed faintly.
After watching for a while, Gu An turned around and disappeared into the forest below.
...
With the arrival of spring, life flourished once more. The skies above Tai Xuan Sect became a vibrant blue, dotted with white clouds, and the scenery was picturesque.
In the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An was harvesting herbs, with An Xin by his side, carrying a bamboo basket.
For the past few days, Gu An had been going out daily to save people and eliminate demons. Although his lifespan didn't increase rapidly, it steadily grew by a few thousand years each day.
He wasn't solely focused on killing demons; he also took the opportunity to observe the myriad experiences of the mortal world.
"Master, have you heard any news about my brother?" An Xin suddenly asked. She had been holding onto this question for a long time.
She knew Gu An was acquainted with her brother An Hao and was especially familiar with An Hao's master, Lü Baitian.
As Gu An continued to pick herbs, he replied, "I heard some time ago that he's in Tian Wei, preparing to marry the princess of Tian Wei. The auspicious date has yet to be set, and he's currently in seclusion, cultivating there."
This news was not a secret, as it had already spread within the inner sect. As Tai Xuan Sect's top genius, An Hao's every move sparked rumors.
The sect had even sent elders to discuss the matter, as Tai Xuan Sect supported the marriage alliance with the royal family of Tian Wei.
Upon hearing this, An Xin breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "And how is the princess of Tian Wei? Is she beautiful?"
"How would I know about her personality? As for her appearance, I've heard she's quite attractive. You know your brother well—if she weren't beautiful, would he even be interested?" Gu An replied with a chuckle.
At the mention of her brother, An Xin's smile widened, and she began recounting embarrassing stories from An Hao's childhood. Gu An listened attentively, showing no signs of impatience.
Gu An was genuinely pleased to hear that An Hao was getting married.
Although he himself had never married, the thought of seeing his disciple, whom he had raised, get married filled him with joy.
After he finished picking the herbs, the two of them headed toward the pavilion complex.
Gu An instructed An Xin to take the herbs to the storeroom while he went upstairs by himself to relax and read.
By dusk, Gu An had left the Third Medicine Valley and resumed his mission as a wandering hero.
Several months passed, and Gu An celebrated his ninetieth birthday. During this time, he had slain over 12,300 demonic beasts, gaining nearly 400,000 years of lifespan, bringing his total lifespan past eight million years.
Cultivators across the world were engaged in slaying demons and rescuing the suffering masses. Though Gu An hadn't made any grand achievements just yet, the thousands of people he had saved remembered him. Eventually, his deeds would spread far and wide.
The Eight Dynasties were still engaged in wars, pushing forward the unification process, while the cultivation world continued its defense against the demons. However, no matter how many demons were slain, their numbers seemed to only increase in the Eight Dynasties' lands.
The Demon Catastrophe wasn't what many had expected—not an overwhelming flood of demons but rather a steady infiltration.
Perhaps once the Demon Ancestor revived, things would change dramatically.
...
In the heat of summer, Gu An, in disguise, walked along a mountain path. Along the way, he encountered numerous refugees, their faces pale and gaunt, their clothes tattered, and their bodies frail. They staggered along, more like walking corpses than living people. Even as they brushed past Gu An, they didn't turn to look, as if nothing mattered to them anymore.
This wasn't the first time Gu An had seen such a sight.
Most of these refugees had lost their homes to demonic invasions and were forced to flee to other cities. Yet in these troubled times, it wasn't just demons who caused harm; bandits and evildoers were also rampant. Gu An had even encountered and slain a few villains who had been assaulting women.
Gu An, too, didn't turn to look at the refugees as he pondered a question.
If he didn't have the ability to steal lifespan, how would he survive in this world?
From the sacred lands raising demons to wreak havoc, to the common folk suffering at the hands of demons and evildoers, Gu An couldn't help but feel conflicted.
Though his primary goal was to cultivate quietly, he still wished to do what he could to help, as long as it didn't endanger his own life.
As he walked, he continued to mull over these thoughts.
It wasn't until he sensed a presence approaching from the south that he snapped back to reality, extending his divine sense to investigate.
His Nirvana Realm divine sense swept over mountains, rivers, and lakes, eventually reaching the endless expanse of the blue sea.
At the edge of the horizon, he saw a dazzling white light. Upon closer inspection, it was a series of white lotuses, forming a staircase in the air, constantly extending forward. As the white lotuses behind disappeared, a Daoist figure walked along the path, with each step birthing a new lotus beneath him, giving him the appearance of a celestial being.
A Mahayana Realm cultivator!
Finally, a cultivator of the Mahayana Realm had returned. Gu An felt relieved.
If the Demon Catastrophe was left solely to him to deal with, he would seriously have to consider taking everyone and fleeing.
One person overturning a catastrophe that threatened the entire world would surely attract attention from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm and other hidden forces. Even if he could hide himself deeply, he couldn't guarantee he wouldn't be discovered, which didn't align with his philosophy of cultivation.
With others to share the burden, it was easier for him to act when necessary.
With that thought, Gu An quickened his pace, continuing on his mission to exterminate demons.
He didn't kill every demon he encountered but focused only on those that attacked villages and innocent people.
If he could accumulate several hundred thousand years of lifespan each year, it wouldn't take long for him to reach the next breakthrough.
He was eager to see what the second realm of the immortal path had in store for him.
...
The return of Dao Monarch of the Cang Tian Sect!
This news spread like wildfire, shaking the entire cultivation world. When the message reached Tai Xuan Sect, the disciples were filled with excitement, and tales of Dao Monarch's feats were recounted across all the cities.
As Gu An delivered his book to the Library Pavilion in the outer gate, he overheard many disciples discussing the return of Dao Monarch.
There wasn't much information about Dao Monarch, but one fact was clear—Cang Tian Sect revered him as a Mahayana Realm cultivator!
After the years of calamities, the Mahayana Realm was no longer a secret but had become the recognized peak of the cultivation world, symbolizing the ultimate limit that mortal spirits could reach!
With Dao Monarch's return, various sects scrambled to contact their wandering elders in the hopes that a Mahayana Realm cultivator would emerge.
It was also worth noting that, during the past month, the Wu Zhen Dynasty surrendered to the Tai Cang Dynasty, with the latter annexing yet another kingdom. Simultaneously, Tian Wei had annexed the Great Zhao Dynasty. What was once the land of the Nine Dynasties had now become the land of the Six Dynasties.
In terms of territory, Tai Cang Dynasty had the largest dominion, and even in the cultivation world, the name of Li Xuandao was frequently mentioned.
After leaving the Library Pavilion, Gu An walked through the streets, listening to the disciples around him discussing the various major events of the cultivation world. He was thoroughly entertained.
The cultivation world was working hard to gather its strength, and Gu An knew he couldn't afford to fall behind.
His goal was to quietly break through to the second realm of the immortal path before the world united!
Half an hour later, Gu An left the outer gate city and headed toward Northern Sea Mountain to harvest herbs from the medicine garden of Xuanmiao Zhenren.
It wasn't until late at night that Gu An took action again.
This time, he arrived in a valley. The valley was less than two hundred miles from the nearest town, and the demonic energy was thick. Inside, dozens of people were being held captive, surrounded by over two hundred demons. The most powerful among them was already in the Nascent Soul Realm, though heavily injured, which is why it had sent its underlings to capture people.
Gu An stood on the cliff, overlooking the swaying firelight in the valley below. He suddenly sensed a presence, and his eyes narrowed beneath his mask.
Without hesitation, he leaped down into the valley.
When dealing with common demons, Gu An never used spells or divine abilities; he relied solely on his swordsmanship to slay them.
Half an incense stick's time later…
In the valley, dozens of ragged civilians knelt on the grass, kowtowing to Gu An.
Before him, hanging from the cliffside, was a massive cat demon, its body covered in blood. Its corpse was embedded in the cliff, and rubble continuously fell from the wall.
Surrounding Gu An were the corpses of demons, their bodies strewn across the valley in a ghastly display.
"Go quickly," Gu An said.
Hearing this, the civilians scrambled to their feet and rushed toward the valley's exit.
Gu An's gaze fell upon a demon beneath the cat demon's corpse. It had taken human form and was twitching on the ground.
A woman suddenly turned back and said, "Kind sir, that demon treated us well and even tried to save us. Please spare him."
As she spoke, the other civilians also stopped, turning back to plead on the demon's behalf.
Gu An waved them off, and the civilians reluctantly left, the woman biting her lip before following.
The valley soon fell silent.
The demon beneath the cat corpse shakily stood up. It looked more like a person than a demon.
"If you're going to kill me, then do it…" Zhang Buku gritted his teeth, glaring at the mysterious swordsman before him, his eyes filled with defiance.