Chapter 102: Defying Fate, The Spirit Tree's Fear

Chapter 102: Defying Fate, The Spirit Tree's Fear

Gu An waited for over half a year, passing his 60th birthday, but the Ji Family’s promised Seventh-Grade Spirit Tree had yet to arrive. He didn’t believe Ji Xuanyu would deceive him; the delay was likely due to the Ji Family’s complicated procedures. Still, it was nothing compared to the Taixuan Sect, which had promptly delivered the Sevenfold Purity Tree as promised.

Under the scorching summer sun, Gu An was sowing seeds in the Third Medicine Valley. Beside him, Gu Yu was chattering away about the latest developments in

Taixuan Immortal Venerable

. This year, the story had reached its peak, with the protagonist, Gu Yu, teaming up with the second lead, Zhou Tongyou, to battle a demonic villain threatening the world. The cliffhanger had left readers on edge.

Gu An was in good spirits, having spent 100,000 years of his lifespan the night before to upgrade the

Grand Yin-Yang Transformation

into the

Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body

. This upgrade retained its previous abilities, such as shielding him from detection and causal deduction, while adding the ability to create nine avatars. These avatars could act independently, either in battle or in other tasks.

Returning from his experiment, Gu An had tried using an avatar to harvest medicinal herbs. Unfortunately, the outcome remained the same—it did not yield additional lifespan. He had no choice but to rely on diligent effort.

As Gu An planted seeds, he contemplated which combat techniques to enhance next. Although he had initially planned to strengthen himself monthly, the frequent battles between Integration Stage grandmasters in the Northern Sea Mountain Range this year had made him reconsider, delaying his plans.

“Hey, are you even listening?” Gu Yu couldn’t help but ask.

Without looking up, Gu An casually replied, “I’m not going to write the story the way you think. Just wait and see.”

“How much longer are you going to write

Taixuan Immortal Venerable

?” Gu Yu asked in a low voice. With no one within ten miles, there was no fear of being overheard.

“Not much longer—just a few more years.”

“What’s next?”

“We’ll see. Maybe nothing.”

“Don’t do that! If you stop writing, it’ll be a huge loss for the cultivation world.”

“If I stop writing, it’ll be a good thing. Cultivators can focus on their practice instead of sneaking off to read books all day.”

“Nonsense. Who reads every day? You only write a few words a year. We only read during our breaks from cultivation.”

Their banter continued until Gu Yu pulled out the latest volume of the

Secrets of Taixuan

, proving he hadn’t been slacking off.

Satisfied, Gu An tucked the book into his storage pouch and asked, “Any major news in the cultivation world lately?”

Gu Yu rolled his eyes at Gu An’s obliviousness before answering, “There is, actually. The demonic factions and the Nightshade Sect have been battling in the Northern Sea Mountain Range for over half a year. The Thousand Autumn Pavilion and the Wan Yin Sect have been nearly wiped out by the Nightshade Sect. At this rate, they’ll unify the demonic factions in two or three years.”

His tone grew excited as he mentioned the Nightshade Sect.

“The Nightshade Sect and the Taixuan Sect are bound to clash eventually. That battle will decide who controls the cultivation world of the Taicang Empire. The sect seems unperturbed, as if victory is assured.”

Hearing this, Gu An thought of Lü Baitian’s lifespan limit and doubted whether Lü Baitian could successfully break through.

Lifespan limits were frustrating for Gu An. After all, he couldn’t exactly go around announcing the existence of such limits. They were like an inevitable fate—something all cultivators struggled against. Yet who would willingly resign themselves to fate?

Gu An firmly believed there must be a way to defy fate. It was just exceedingly difficult to find.

The two chatted for another half-hour before Gu Yu left, mentioning that the Gu Sect was preparing for a confrontation with the Nightshade Sect. He too needed to focus on his cultivation to contribute to the Taixuan Sect.

A week after Gu Yu’s departure, the Alchemy Hall issued an order to harvest medicinal herbs earlier than usual. Even the Third Medicine Valley saw cultivators from the Lü and Ji families coming to collect large quantities of herbs. These signs suggested something significant was about to happen.

Gu An’s thoughts didn’t immediately turn to a Nightshade Sect attack. Instead, he suspected Lü Baitian was preparing to challenge his destiny and attempt a breakthrough to the Profound Mind Stage.

Summer passed, and autumn arrived.

One afternoon, Gu An visited Horizon Valley and was surprised to find Li Xuandao there. His cultivation had reached the Void Transformation Stage—a remarkable feat for someone only in their 200s. On the surface, however, his cultivation remained at the first level of the Core Formation Stage, an impressive disguise.

The two sat at a stone table in front of a pavilion, conversing. Li Xuandao praised Gu An’s exceptional skill in cultivating medicinal herbs, crediting them with helping him break through to the Core Formation Stage. Without those herbs, Li Xuandao said he would have had to rely on Yi Liuyun to transplant a golden core—a method far inferior to forming one naturally.

Gu An smiled modestly, attributing Li Xuandao’s success to his innate talent. Yet from Li Xuandao’s grin, Gu An could tell he was secretly smug, confident that his Void Transformation Stage cultivation was still a well-kept secret.

“Gu An, how is Yang Ni doing with you?” Li Xuandao asked, raising his teacup with a smile.

“She’s doing well. She’s even started cultivating medicinal herbs herself—a fellow practitioner now,” Gu An replied.

“Cultivating medicinal herbs?” Li Xuandao’s expression became subtly intriguing.

Gu An suddenly recalled something: Lü Baitian had mentioned that two centuries ago, the Nightshade Sect had controlled the royal court. Could it be that Li Xuandao’s techniques came from the Nightshade Sect? After all, Zong Ying’s concealment methods were proof that even high-level cultivators could struggle to detect them. And then there was Yang Ni’s nightshade cultivation…

Could it be? Was there a Nightshade Sect infiltrator right beside him?

The more Gu An thought about it, the more plausible it seemed.

Li Xuandao continued, “The cultivation world has been unstable lately. You should stay vigilant.”

Gu An followed his lead and asked, “Are you referring to the Nightshade Sect?”

“Yes.”

“Uncle, as an emperor, what’s your view of the Nightshade Sect?”

Li Xuandao’s face remained calm. “They are wolves in sheep’s clothing, wreaking havoc on the world.”

Gu An was momentarily stunned. Those words didn’t sound like something a member of the Nightshade Sect would say.

Li Xuandao then recounted his past. His father, the previous emperor, had fallen under the Nightshade Sect’s control, turning the royal court into a tool for their profiteering. When the truth was exposed, the sect murdered his father. Left with no choice, Li Xuandao sought the Taixuan Sect’s help, offering intelligence in exchange for their support in ascending the throne—especially since he wasn’t the crown prince.

The bitterness in Li Xuandao’s voice and his clear animosity toward the Nightshade Sect made it hard for Gu An to doubt him.

“I might have my disputes with the Taixuan Sect, but that’s internal politics. If the Nightshade Sect were to fight the Taixuan Sect, I would unhesitatingly side with the sect and spare no effort,” Li Xuandao said coldly, his eyes flashing with killing intent directed squarely at the Nightshade Sect.

Gu An was taken aback. “The Nightshade Sect’s actions are so atrocious, yet no one knows where their headquarters is. How do they attract so many followers?”

“Because of the nightshade flower,” Li Xuandao explained. “It’s said that the flower can alter a cultivator’s aptitude and even extend their lifespan. Moreover, the resources provided to its followers are truly generous, which is why people continue to join them.”

“From what I’ve gathered, the Nightshade Sect’s foundation is exceedingly strong—likely surpassing that of the entire Taicang Empire. After all, the sect we’re dealing with is merely a branch.”

The nightshade flower? It can change one’s aptitude?

Gu An raised an eyebrow. No wonder Yang Ni meditated in the nightshade garden. However, he remained skeptical of the flower’s supposed effects. Could a Sixth-Grade herb really defy fate?

Li Xuandao went on to recount the Nightshade Sect’s actions from two centuries ago. Entire cities of people had vanished overnight, leaving behind ghost towns. To this day, the fate of those residents remained unknown, though it was undoubtedly grim.

Listening to the tales, Gu An felt as though he were hearing ghost stories—deeply unsettling ones at that. The Nightshade Sect was disturbingly sinister! Rumor had it that the sect wasn’t composed solely of cultivators but also included monsters and spirits. This reminded Gu An of the Nightshade Ghost Mother still left at the Heavenly Mending Platform.

Li Xuandao’s storytelling continued for a full hour, yet Gu An remained engrossed, never growing tired of the eerie tales.

Suddenly, a notification appeared before Gu An:

[Zhong Liang harbors hostility and murderous intent toward you. Would you like to perform a lifespan investigation?]

Zhong Liang? Who’s that?

Gu An was taken aback. He rarely made enemies, as he always treated others amicably.

The name alone sounded ominous. Gu An silently chose yes.

[Consuming 100 years of lifespan is required. Proceed?]

That’s steep!

Gu An couldn’t help but ask aloud, “Uncle, have you ever heard of Zhong Liang?”

Li Xuandao’s brow furrowed. “Has the Nightshade Sect reached out to you already?”

“This person is from the Nightshade Sect?” Gu An grew tense and immediately chose yes in his mind.

[Zhong Liang (Integration Stage, Third Level): 1462/2900/3000]

Integration Stage, Third Level!

Gu An’s frown deepened as he pondered how Zhong Liang had come to know of him. Could it be because of Zong Ying?

No, that didn’t make sense. Gu An had meticulously checked and confirmed that Zong Ying didn’t carry any communication artifacts linked to other grandmasters. Besides, Zong Ying had been dead for over six months.

Who could it be?

Realizing that he was now on the Nightshade Sect’s radar, Gu An felt an overwhelming urge to storm their headquarters and eliminate any loose ends. Unfortunately, the Nightshade Sect had no known headquarters; even Zong Ying’s memories showed that his meetings with the mysterious shadow were held in ever-changing locations.

“Two hundred years ago, Zhong Liang was the leader of the Nightshade Sect,” Li Xuandao said gravely. “He was severely injured by Lü Baitian and fled. Have you had any encounters with him?”

Gu An shook his head. “I met him once outside the Taixuan Sect’s Outer Sect. He invited me to seek some kind of opportunity with him, but I refused. Talking to you today just reminded me of him. I didn’t expect he’d turn out to be a Nightshade Sect demon.”

Li Xuandao didn’t doubt Gu An’s words but instead contemplated several possibilities.

Could Zhong Liang have targeted Li Ya? Or is it me?

Li Xuandao’s face darkened further.

The name Zhong Liang sapped the interest from their conversation. After inspecting Horizon Valley one last time, Gu An quickly departed.

Returning to Xuan Valley, Gu An entered the cave within the Eight Views Celestial Realm. He intended to re-examine Zong Ying’s storage pouch, just in case.

Upon arrival, his spiritual sense caught a peculiar sight: a vine from the Spirit Tree was fiddling with Zong Ying’s storage pouch. Keeping his presence concealed, Gu An approached silently, his steps making no sound.

As he exited the cave passage, the Spirit Tree froze in apparent shock. Its vine recoiled instantly.

Gu An walked right up to the tree and said coldly, “You’ve developed sentience. So why are you skulking around? Are you afraid of me? Careful, or I’ll burn you to ashes!”

As he spoke, spiritual fire ignited in his right hand.

His frustration with Zhong Liang’s enmity had already put him in a foul mood.

The Spirit Tree trembled violently, its leaves falling in a flurry. A soft, timid female voice emerged: “I… I’m not afraid of you. I’m afraid of

that tree

…”