Chapter 99: The Infinite Free Step and the Supreme Elder

Chapter 99: The Infinite Free Step and the Supreme Elder

Amidst the heavy snowfall blanketing the forests of the Northern Sea mountain range, Gu An sat on a cliff’s edge late into the night. Activating his Lifespan Barrier, he invested 100,000 years of lifespan into upgrading the Infinite Trace Celestial Step. The technique successfully evolved into the Infinite Free Step, reaching the pinnacle of mastery!

As spiritual energy descended, he began to inherit the new technique. Half an hour later, Gu An opened his eyes, the full essence of the Infinite Free Step now firmly ingrained in his mind. This technique allowed him to predict opponents’ attack trajectories, bypass restrictions and formations, and tread across mystical manifestations. Its versatility made it equally effective for combat and escape.

In another month, he planned to enhance the Grand Yin-Yang Transformation, an advanced technique of the Demonic Shadow Divine Art, to further obscure his identity—a perfect complement to his cautious path in cultivation.

Standing, Gu An launched himself toward the Taixuan Sect, spreading his divine sense along the way to search for Li Ya. He found him diligently practicing swordsmanship by a lakeside in the Northern Sea. Though determined, it was unclear when Li Ya would fully master the Taicang Frightening God Sword. Gu An couldn’t help but anticipate a future showdown between Li Ya and An Hao, picturing their mutual shock when they both unleashed the same sword technique. The thought brought a smirk to his face.

Curious, he sought out Hao Long, only to find the creature absent from the Northern Sea mountain range entirely. Perhaps it had been driven away by the local demons—or worse, eaten. If so, Hao Long had only its own bad luck to blame.

Before dawn broke, Gu An sped back to Xuan Valley.

A new year arrived, and with it came the Spring Festival. Lü Baitian visited the Third Medicine Valley, bringing his newly accepted disciple, An Hao, to join the celebrations. An Hao had gone to the Outer Sect to fetch An Xin, who had grown into a graceful young woman. Standing beside An Hao, she looked like his destined partner.

The Third Medicine Valley, now bustling with 300 errand disciples, was alive with activity. Gu An planned to spend the evening in Xuan Valley to ensure he didn’t show favoritism.

Sitting under an ancient tree, Gu An drank with Lü Baitian. Their conversation meandered over the trivial matters of the Third Medicine Valley, a topic Lü Baitian seemed to enjoy.

"If you’re so fond of the valley, why not relinquish your position as Sect Master and return to the countryside?" Gu An joked. Now that he was more familiar with Lü Baitian, he dared to tease him—though his true confidence stemmed from his Grand Ascension Stage cultivation.

Lü Baitian chuckled and shook his head. "In this world, standing still is the same as retreating. If I were to give up my position as Sect Master, it wouldn’t be long before I was labeled a traitor to the Taixuan Sect. Others would slander me as a demonic spy. Worse, the Lü and Gu families that support me wouldn’t permit my retirement."

He paused, his tone growing weighty. "In the Taixuan Sect, cultivation is paramount, but sometimes, it’s not everything."

Gu An picked up on the subtle undertone, sensing Lü Baitian was offering him a veiled reminder.

Changing the subject, Gu An asked, "Have you heard about the rise of the Nightshade Sect?" Having spent so long within the Taixuan Sect, Gu An had developed a degree of loyalty to it.

Lü Baitian nodded lightly, pouring more wine for Gu An. "The Taixuan Sect has long been aware of their presence. Two hundred years ago, the Nightshade Sect attempted to infiltrate the Taicang Empire, manipulating the imperial family. I led the Taixuan Sect into battle against them at the Northern Sea and forced them into retreat."

He sighed. "Their resurgence now is likely because they perceive the Taixuan Sect to be weakened after the last great war. They’re not wrong—we’re in no position to stop them from uniting the demonic path for the time being."

Gu An frowned. "So what’s the plan? Let them grow unchecked?"

Lü Baitian’s expression remained calm. "It’s fine. Just as they’ve planted spies in the Taixuan Sect, we’ve done the same in their ranks. The Nightshade Sect is fragmented, and we’ve yet to uncover their origins. Knowing oneself and one’s enemy is the key to victory. For now, we wait. Besides, I’m preparing to break through and challenge the heavens."

"Wait? You don’t even know the strength of your enemy!" Gu An thought Lü Baitian was putting on a brave face, likely delaying action to focus on his breakthrough.

Lü Baitian smiled and added, "Speaking of the Nightshade Sect, I plan to send ten of our most talented young disciples to the Third Medicine Valley. They’ll protect you and, at the same time, cultivate their inner peace."

Caught off guard, Gu An sighed. "Protect me? They’ll be more like my burden—I can’t teach them anything."

Lü Baitian shook his head. "They don’t need your instruction. Simply living here, calming their minds, and finding balance will suffice."

A suspicion crossed Gu An’s mind. Could this guy suspect that I’m the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path? Otherwise, why show him such favor, even sending elite disciples under the guise of "cultivating peace"? Was Lü Baitian hoping the Sword Sovereign might give them a few pointers?

Testing the waters, Gu An asked, "Why not have the Sword Sovereign teach them directly? Isn’t he supposed to be the strongest?"

Lü Baitian frowned and replied, "To be honest, we have no clue who the Sword Sovereign is. He may be a reclusive ascetic—examples of such figures in the Taixuan Sect aren’t unheard of. With a history spanning thousands of years and over a million disciples, some inevitably stumble upon great opportunities and choose to remain in the shadows."

He paused. "Another possibility is that the Sword Sovereign is one of our Supreme Elders. These elders come and go unpredictably. They might even be behind the ‘Righteous Path’ inscription on the Heavenly Mending Platform, reminding us to uphold our sect’s ethos."

So there are Supreme Elders! No wonder Lü Baitian wasn’t panicking.

Gu An felt relieved. Lü Baitian clearly didn’t suspect him of being the Sword Sovereign. At most, he might believe Gu An had some connection to the figure.

With his doubts resolved, Gu An asked, "If you succeed in your breakthrough, will you be able to wipe out the Nightshade Sect?"

Lü Baitian grinned. "If they’re still at their strength from two hundred years ago, I could handle them alone after breaking through."

He leaned back and puffed his chest. "Do you know what my cultivation level is?"

Gu An hesitated. "Something above the Transformation Stage?"

"Hahaha!" Lü Baitian laughed heartily, drawing curious glances from distant disciples.

Leaning closer, Lü Baitian whispered, "The stage above the Transformation Stage is the Void Transformation Stage, then the Integration Stage. I am at the ninth level of the Integration Stage!"

As he spoke, his spiritual energy surged, forming a barrier to prevent others from eavesdropping.

Feigning awe, Gu An muttered, "Ninth level… How many years does it take to reach that?"

Lü Baitian laughed again. "With your talent, reaching the Nascent Soul Stage would be an accomplishment. Why not become my disciple? My cultivation level will be yours to rely on!" His tone was dripping with temptation.

Feigning excitement, Gu An put on an eager face, much to Lü Baitian’s delight. This kid’s finally on board!

But then Gu An shook his head and sighed. "Standing at the top isn’t always a blessing. Like you, for example—you have your share of burdens. What’s the point of high cultivation if you can’t enjoy life?"

The comment left Lü Baitian exasperated. "This kid knows nothing of the dangers of the cultivation world!"

Under the protection of the Taixuan Sect, Gu An enjoyed a life of relative freedom. Without it, how could he act with such ease?

Lü Baitian opened his mouth to respond but paused, recalling Gu An's sharp opinions on the Outer Sect and his candid guidance. The reason he appreciated Gu An was precisely because of his mindset.

A disciple like Gu An, free of excessive desires, would make an ideal Sect Master for the Taixuan Sect. Though Gu An had no interest now, that could change in the future. After all, Lü Baitian still had a long time before reaching his limits.

Convincing himself, Lü Baitian set his reservations aside.

Gu An then asked casually, “Sect Master, what comes after the Integration Stage?”

Lü Baitian narrowed his eyes. "When you become my disciple, I’ll tell you."

Gu An raised a brow. “Why are you so adamant about taking me as a disciple? You’ve already taken An Hao under your wing—why not groom him for the Sect Master role?”

“He has an unclear background and once apprenticed under Chu Tianqi. I accepted him for his talent, not because I trust him,” Lü Baitian replied bluntly.

“And you trust me?”

“Of course. I’ve already investigated you thoroughly,” Lü Baitian said with confidence. "You were raised as a servant by the Ji family and have some ties to Li Xuandao, likely through Li Ya, and perhaps even a slight connection to the Thousand Autumn Pavilion via the former Medicine Valley Master. But it’s clear to me you’re caught in circumstances beyond your control."

Lü Baitian concluded with a look that said, "I’ve figured you out completely."

Gu An feigned a nervous reaction, his face contorting with apparent unease. “I didn’t expect you to know all that… Should I sever all ties with them moving forward?”

Lü Baitian waved dismissively. "No need. Cutting ties outright will only cause trouble. For now, stay as you are. In fact, I might even glean some intel from you about their activities. Taixuan Sect has so many spies it’s like counting stars in the sky—just the ones I know of number in the thousands."

Hearing this, Gu An didn’t know how to respond. He could only offer Lü Baitian a look of admiration, which the latter received with great satisfaction.

Lü Baitian grew even more smug and launched into tales of chaos caused by spies in the past.

Whenever such upheavals arose, Lü Baitian would "sweep the board," claiming to purge all infiltrators. In reality, he spared half of them, framing internal rivals as demonic spies to deal with both groups at once. The surviving infiltrators were then promoted, leading them to feel deeply trusted—either turning loyal to the Sect or growing so brazen that they gave Lü Baitian an excuse to take them out later.

As their conversation stretched on, Gu An realized Lü Baitian was imparting lessons on managing sect affairs.

By evening, Gu An returned to Xuan Valley, joining the disciples for a festive dinner. As the gathering grew lively, Gu An suddenly announced his decision: Lu Jiu Jia would become his chief disciple, entrusted with overseeing the day-to-day affairs of Medicine Valley.

The declaration left Lu Jiu Jia stunned, his face a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Across the room, Yang Ni frowned. "So, he’s starting to doubt me."

She knew Gu An and Lu Jiu Jia had rarely interacted before. For him to suddenly promote Lu Jiu Jia to chief disciple was suspicious at best.

"I need to act soon," Yang Ni thought, her expression darkening.