Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses - Chapter 76

Chapter 76: Chapter 76: The World Watches, What is a Sword Cultivator

Seeing Gu An walk towards the valley entrance, Wuxin quickly ran over.

Lu Jiujia was also practicing with the servant disciples; now, he was Wuxin’s right-hand man. He merely looked at Gu An from a distance without approaching.

Even though it had been several years since his return, Lu Jiujia still did not dare face Gu An. Whenever he could avoid seeing him, he would, because he felt he had let Gu An down.

Gu An had given him so many elixirs, yet he had strayed onto the wrong path and ultimately became a cripple. Every time he thought about it now, he felt regret.

He even felt that he deserved his fate. After all, he had indeed committed many wrongdoings in the Demon Extermination Hall and deserved the punishment.

Gu An did not specifically try to guide Lu Jiujia. This allowed the young man to reflect and contemplate.

“Senior Brother, last night there was another incident of spiritual energy descending. Although it wasn’t as severe as the previous times, you still need to be careful when you go out.” Wuxin came up to Gu An and reminded him.

Gu An nodded and said, “I felt it too, which is why I came back. How’s the situation in the Medicine Valley?”

“It wasn’t affected. By the way, Senior Brother, are you going to watch the duel between the Mad Swordsman of Great Yu and Sword Venerable Fudao?”

“Has Sword Venerable Fudao agreed to participate?”

“No, but the rumors are rampant, and Sword Venerable Fudao should show up.”

As they chatted, they walked towards the pavilion.

Currently, the Mystic Valley had recruited another batch of servant disciples. These disciples frequently looked at Gu An as they practiced.

They were very curious about the true master of the valley.

It was said that every few years, an outer disciple would emerge from this Medicine Valley. How could they not look forward to it?

After chatting with Wuxin for a few moments, Gu An went upstairs. He planned to make some new clothes for An Hao and An Xin.

An hour later, he went to the Third Medicine Valley to inspect his valley.

The Third Medicine Valley was vast, and he had to personally check it to avoid any oversights.

Even losing one medicinal herb would cost him his lifespan!

The disciples in the Third Medicine Valley were also discussing the incident of spiritual energy descending last night. Various speculations were made, and Gu An chatted with them briefly.

It wasn’t until dusk that Gu An finally left.

…

The sky was crimson, and the forest was dark.

An Hao stood on a tree branch, gazing into the distance, hoping to spot Gu An.

Below the tree, An Xin asked nervously, “Will Master not come back?”

“He will definitely come back; Master said he would, and he always keeps his word!” An Hao said firmly, his tone resolute.

In truth, he was unsure himself but tried to appear confident.

The thought of Master possibly not returning made him feel wronged and brought him to the verge of tears. But with An Xin below, he absolutely couldn’t cry.

His father had once told him that boys could cry, but never in front of girls.

Suddenly, a hand fell on An Xin’s head, startling her into a scream as she instinctively jumped back.

An Hao heard it and quickly turned around, only to see the figure he had been waiting for all day. He immediately shouted excitedly, “Master!”

He jumped down and rushed towards Gu An, hugging his waist just like An Xin had done that morning.

Seeing that it was Gu An, An Xin also became very excited and rushed over to hug him.

Even though they’ve only known each other for two days, Gu An had already become irreplaceable in their hearts.

Gu An placed a hand on each of their heads, gently pushing them away. He softly said, “Train diligently. If you don’t train hard, I will leave you behind.”

“If we excel in our training, will you stay?” An Hao asked.

Gu An took out two sets of clothes from his storage bag and said, “Didn’t I tell you before? You will eventually go to the Supreme Sect. I won’t be with you forever. Once you can protect yourselves, I will leave.”

Upon hearing this, An Hao’s face fell immediately. An Xin bit her lip, her eyes turning red.

Ignoring their emotions, Gu An handed them the clothes and led them toward the river in the forest.

An hour later, An Hao and An Xin had changed into their new clothes and tidied their hair. These two looked like a perfect pair of golden children in their new outfits, which was probably why that demon kept them for last, being reluctant to eat them.

Gu An decided to spend every night with them from then on, returning to the Supreme Sect during the day.

The area within a thousand miles had no presence of strong demons, only numerous villages and towns, so it was very safe for them to train here.

And so, the days went by.

A month passed in a flash.

The Outer Gate City was crowded, and even the mountain areas outside the city gate were filled with cultivators in meditation. Many disciples from the other seven Outer Gate Cities, four Inner Gate Cities, and the Main City of the Sect came to watch the battle, as well as disciples from other factions.

The Supreme Sect did not prevent this from happening, causing the entire Immortal Cultivation World of the Taicang Dynasty to discuss the event.

In front of the South City Gate, Han Ming stood proudly. He had his eyes closed, his sword box placed in front of him, and his hands resting on the top of the box, while the warm end-of-summer wind blew through his robes.

Many cultivators stood on the city walls, watching him and discussing.

“I wonder if Sword Venerable Fudao will show up.”

“I think it’s better if he doesn’t. If he does, his true identity will be exposed, causing endless trouble in the future.”

“He will surely come. He is so powerful that even if his true identity is revealed, who could defeat him?”

“It’s said that Sword Venerable Fudao is actually the Sect Leader. He remains hidden to build another powerful force comparable to the Sect Leader within the Supreme Sect.”

“I heard the Mad Swordsman of Great Yu has been surpassing the Divinity Transformation Realm for years. If this fight truly takes place, it will be legendary.”

Zuo Lin and his father, Zuo Yijian, also stood on the city walls, looking down at Han Ming.

Zuo Lin’s face was full of worry. He had already taken Han Ming as his master, so he naturally worried about his master’s safety.

Jiang Qiong and Hu Mo, who had a cultivation level of Nine Layers of the Divinity Transformation Realm, stood on top of a huge gourd, also discussing the upcoming battle.

Ye Lan stood on the top of a tall building, gazing into the distance towards the South City Gate. The sky was blue, not a cloud in sight, while the mountains outside the city were rugged. There was no sight of Sword Venerable Fudao.

Standing beside her were more than a dozen disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall, all her subordinates, including Zhen Qin. They were all very excited.

Five miles away, Shen Zhen, wearing a black veil, stood on the top of a treasure pagoda, also watching the South City Gate, his eyes filled with anticipation.

This duel between sword cultivators, which had been brewing for a month, had captured the attention of the entire Supreme Sect and even the Immortal Cultivation World.

Amidst the anticipation of everyone, Han Ming remained patient, keeping his eyes closed.

Meanwhile.

Fifteen thousand miles away.

In a vast forest, Gu An was instructing An Hao in sword practice.

An Hao had reached the second layer of the Energy Cultivation Realm in just three days of energy absorption and was now at the third layer. Today, Gu An started teaching him the techniques of the Taicang Divine-Shocking Sword so that he could have combat skills.

Meanwhile, An Xin was still cultivating, concentrating on gathering her first wisp of spiritual power.

The difference in their talent was like a chasm!

Gu An only needed to demonstrate the moves once for An Hao to remember them, making teaching him very easy.

So this is what it’s like to mentor a genius?

No wonder the great cultivators favored geniuses. He was starting to favor An Hao, too.

While practicing the sword, An Hao asked curiously, “Master, what is the name of this sword technique?”

He wielded a wooden sword, but even so, his sword strokes already produced a sharp wind.

“Taicang Divine-Shocking Sword. You are the only one who has learned my sword technique. Do not disgrace it in the future.” Gu An said.

Given An Hao’s talent, he would certainly be revered if he joined the Supreme Sect. Adding that he was the inheritor of Sword Venerable Fudao’s technique would make him even more extraordinary.

In the future, the Supreme Sect would have to think twice about oppressing An Hao, considering whether it was worth going against Sword Venerable Fudao.

“Taicang Divine-Shocking Sword…”

An Hao murmured, his eyes shining. He could feel the brilliance of the sword technique. Every time he practiced the moves, he had new insights, which made him deeply captivated.

The sound of the sword cutting through the wind echoed continuously in the forest. Gu An stood to the side, watching quietly. The wooden mask covered his face, preventing An Hao from seeing his expression.

In the distance, An Xin looked on with envy in her eyes.

She also wanted to practice the sword.

An hour later.

An Hao unexpectedly produced sword qi. As he swung the sword, the sword qi grazed past Gu An and struck the tree trunk behind him, leaving a fine sword mark.

After producing sword qi, An Hao seemed to have opened his meridians, becoming faster and more fluid in his movements, swift as a startled swan. The spiritual energy in the forest began to converge towards him.

Gu An watched with a tense mind.

What kind of monster is this?

He felt he had created a significant upheaval. If he hadn’t saved An Hao, An Hao would have been devoured by that demon, and the world would be without such a prodigious talent.

He started to feel sorry for the likes of Li Ya, Ji Xiaoyu, Lv Xian, Zhou Tongyou, and other peerless talents. Sorry, the position of the world’s number one now belongs to my disciple.

Gu An himself wasn’t interested in being the world’s number one. Once attaining invincibility in the world, one might face enemies from heaven. He pursued the end of the Immortal Cultivation Path, believing that there were more realms beyond this one.

At noon, Gu An said, “Stop now.”

An Hao immediately withdrew his sword upon hearing this. He was drenched in sweat and panting heavily, but his face was glowing with vitality, and his eyes were bright as torches.

“Master, how did I do?” An Hao asked with a proud smile. At twelve years old, he was beginning to show confidence.

Gu An said, “You focus too much on the sword in your hand. Remember, the sword is not in your hand but in your heart. Whatever your mind envisions, anything can become a sword. Go pick a leaf.”

Upon hearing this, An Hao scratched his head, then walked over to a tree.

Gu An motioned for An Xin to come over. Seeing this, An Xin smiled and quickly got up and ran over.

“Xin’er, you also pick a leaf.” Gu An said softly.

An Xin immediately complied.

A few seconds later, the two stood before Gu An, curious about what he intended to do.

Gu An took the leaf from An Hao’s hand first and said, “A true sword cultivator can demonstrate the power of a divine sword even with an ordinary leaf.”

He held the leaf between two fingers of his right hand and lightly swiped it toward the distance. The leaf flew out, and An Hao and An Xin followed it with their eyes.

Boom!

A strong wind erupted, messing up their hair. They widened their eyes in disbelief.

The leaf suddenly burst forth with terrifying sword qi, shattering the forest in front of them and cutting through the air with unparalleled force, disappearing in an instant.

A ten-foot-wide clearing appeared in the forest ahead. Dust was flying, and the scene was breathtaking.

That direction, incidentally, was towards the outer gate of the Supreme Sect!