Chapter 125: The Golden Ranking Invitation, Ghostly Shadows in the Night
"The guy behind him is no ordinary person!"
Lu Lingjun used voice transmission to warn Gu An, her gaze bypassing Zhou Tongyou to focus on the plump old man behind him.
Gu An had already sensed the manâs cultivation but still decided to use his
Lifespan Probe
.
ăZhou Li (Seventh Level of the Integration Stage): 1,478 / 3,000 / 3,100ă
Another Zhou!
Gu An was intrigued. The last time Zhou Tongyou had visited, he hadnât been accompanied by such a powerful cultivator.
Zhou Tongyou glanced at Lu Lingjun and chuckled, "Brother Gu, itâs been years, and now you even have an expert guarding you. Looks like youâve been doing well."
Gu An smiled. "Brother Zhou, are you here for the
Golden Ranking Tournament
?"
"Thatâs right! This time, Iâm aiming for the top spotâto make my name known across the world. How about a sparring match at your Medicine Valley?" Zhou Tongyou asked, his eyes burning with determination.
Though they hadnât seen each other in years, Zhou Tongyou still believed Gu An had his own strengths, despite his seemingly average cultivation.
Gu An shook his head. "Forget it. I wonât embarrass myself. The Taixuan Sect is filled with geniuses nowâgo challenge someone else."
"Haha, I actually came early just to meet An Hao. Since youâre not interested, Iâll go find him now," Zhou Tongyou laughed before turning to leave.
Zhou Li, at the
Seventh Level of the Integration Stage
, smiled politely at Lu Lingjun before following after Zhou Tongyou.
Once they were gone, Lu Lingjun turned to Gu An. "A Nascent Soul cultivator wants to spar with you?"
Zhou Tongyou had already reached the
Nascent Soul Stage
and didnât bother concealing his aura.
"He suppressed his cultivation back then when we sparred, and I barely won," Gu An said smugly.
Lu Lingjun chuckled. "Didnât expect you had it in you. You really canât judge a book by its cover."
After five years of knowing each other, they had long dropped the formalities.
Of course, Lu Lingjun still held a grudge against LĂŒ Baitian for assigning her to guard Gu An. Because of that, she was far less respectful to Gu An than before.
"Are you saying Iâm not good-looking?" Gu An teased.
"Youâre somewhat handsomeâperfect for becoming a demonic cultivatorâs
dual cultivation furnace
."
"
Cough cough!
You call yourself a female cultivator? Mind your words!"
Gu An shot her a glare before stepping forward.
Ever since Lu Lingjun had been sent back, her temper had changed. Gu An, feeling somewhat guilty, simply tolerated it.
This was all LĂŒ Baitianâs fault!
What kind of situation was this?
Gu An didnât even need Lu Lingjunâs protection. Fortunately, she wasnât too serious about it eitherâtoday, she had her own matters to attend to and had merely tagged along.
Watching Gu Anâs retreating figure, Lu Lingjun snorted and then turned to leave in another direction.
Gu An set out to visit Wu Jue.
Along the way, he noticed an increasing number of high-level cultivators in the city. Most of them kept their cultivation hidden.
It seemed that the
Golden Ranking Tournament
was stirring up trouble. If Taixuan Sect succeeded in making it a permanent event, it would only grow more influential, something other sects surely wouldnât tolerate.
But Gu An wasnât concerned. Aside from
Ancestor Xuan Quan
, another
Supreme Elder
had recently returned to Taixuan Sect. Though slightly weaker than Xuan Quan, he was still in the
Profound Mind Realm
.
With two
Profound Mind Realm
experts guarding the sect, no other faction would be able to shake Taixuan Sect easily.
After an incense stickâs time, Gu An arrived at Wu Jueâs courtyard.
Wu Jue was in the middle of practicing his punchesânot using any spiritual energy, just refining his movements.
His upper body was bare, revealing a strong and powerful physique. Each punch he threw caused the very air to tremble.
ăWu Jue (Ninth Level of the Foundation Establishment Stage): 69 / 350 / 3,500ă
His maximum lifespan had increased again.
Gu An realized that whenever he went more than two months without checking on Wu Jue, the guy would always gain new insights into the Dao.
One year, when Gu An visited every month, Wu Jue didnât have a single breakthrough.
Every time he gained enlightenment, Wu Jue exuded an air of loneliness and solitude.
Gu An couldnât help but find it amusing.
Could it be that this guy needed to be ignored in order to gain insights?
Hmm⊠Maybe he should avoid visiting for a whole year and see just how far Wu Jue could progress.
If Wu Jue could catch up to An Hao, it would be idealâgiving An Hao a strong competitor and preventing him from becoming arrogant.
A smooth path wasnât always a good thing.
Seeing Gu An approach, Wu Jue shot him a wary glance but remained silent.
"Look what I brought for you!" Gu An called out.
Hearing this, Wu Jue immediately stopped and, though reluctant, walked toward Gu An. "What is it?"
Gu An pulled out a golden-red invitation from his storage pouch.
Four large characters were engraved on it:
Golden Ranking Tournament!
"You⊠how did you get this?" Wu Jue asked in shock.
The
Golden Ranking Tournament
wasnât open to just anyone. Participants needed a certain level of fame and had to pay ten
High-Grade Spirit Stones
to receive an invitation.
The tournamentâs rewards were abundant, with prizes for the top hundred contestantsâthe higher the ranking, the greater the rewards.
Wu Jue had learned all about it and had always admired those qualified to participate.
Gu An grinned smugly. "I went through a lot of trouble to get it."
"But with my current cultivation, entering would be pointless." Wu Jue shook his head.
Gu An reassured him, "Donât worry. The
Golden Ranking Tournament
is about talent, not cultivation level. As long as your strength within your realm is strong enough, you can fight your way to the top."
"Really?"
"Really."
Of course itâs realâI made the rules myself!
Gu An smirked internally.
What Wu Jue lacked most was resources. Staying in seclusion forever wasnât an option. Deep down, Wu Jue wanted to prove himselfâhe just wasnât comfortable asking for opportunities.
Wu Jue accepted the invitation, then suddenly pulled Gu An into a hug and pounded his back hard.
Gripping Gu Anâs shoulders, he said firmly, "Brother, I wonât say much, but I swear I wonât disgrace you!"
Having gained enlightenment many times, Wu Jue could feel the changes within himself.
His confidence had been forged, and it was now reshaping his very personality.
The confidence of a true expert!
Gu An chuckled. "There are five years until the tournamentâyouâd better train hard. I wonât visit you during this time."
Wu Jue instantly panicked. "Why? Whatâs keeping you busy for five years?"
"Itâs sect businessâI canât tell you," Gu An said, shaking his head.
Could it be because of this invitation?
Wu Jue suddenly felt the
Golden Ranking Tournament
invitation in his hands grow heavier.
He hesitated to speak.
Gu An advised, "Aside from
Falling Sun Fist
, donât forget to train your
Fierce Wind Phantom Kick
âitâll make you faster."
Wu Jue nodded solemnly.
This time, he would make a name for himself in the tournament!
Late summer, Xuan Valley.
Gu An lay under a tree, one hand propping up his head, the other holding a book. He read leisurely, completely absorbed.
A shadow loomed over him.
Looking up, he saw Li Ya standing before him.
Li Ya still carried his massive sword on his back, clad in a fitted black outfit. His long hair was tied behind his head with a blue cloth, revealing his sharp and determined features.
"
Ahem,
Brother Gu." Li Ya cleared his throat.
Didnât expect Junior Brother Gu to read this book.
Then again, with the same name, he must feel a deep sense of immersion.
Li Ya mused silently to himself.
Gu An quickly stood up, stuffing the
Secrets of Taixuan
into his robes.
He had sensed Li Yaâs approach long ago, but Li Ya had mastered a technique to conceal his aura, so Gu An had pretended not to notice.
"Senior Brother Li, what brings you here?" Gu An asked, feigning surprise.
"I've been back for a few years now," Li Ya replied. "I plan to return to Cangzhou for a while and then come back for the
Golden Ranking Tournament
."
Gu An sighed. "Youâre really busy. Senior Brother Li, you must be incredibly strong now."
Li Ya lifted his chin, exuding confidence. "Not invincible, but securing a top ten spot in the tournament wonât be difficult."
"As expected of Senior Brother Liâthe pride of Xuan Valley."
"Of course."
"You havenât been injured these past years, have you?"
"Impossible. Ever since we last met, I havenât bled even once. Your senior brother is not what he used to be," Li Ya declared seriously.
Such a show-off!
Gu An secretly wished Li Ya would call him
Grand Ancestor
just once.
Li Ya pulled two objects from his storage pouchâa tournament invitation and a long wooden box.
"This is an invitation to the
Golden Ranking Tournament
. You should participate. The box contains
Ten-Thousand-Year Wood Spirit Ginseng
. If you spend five years absorbing it, your spiritual energy will transform, helping you achieve a solid ranking."
Gu An was stunned.
Li Ya pushed both items into his arms. "No refusing, or Iâll be upset."
With that, he let go, forcing Gu An to catch them.
Then, Li Ya turned and walked away.
"You're leaving already?" Gu An asked hastily.
Li Ya waved without looking back. "The path of cultivation leaves no time for idle chatter. If you want to see me, then perform well in the
Golden Ranking Tournament
."
With a leap, he transformed into a streak of sword light, soaring over the mountains and vanishing into the horizon.
Gu An stared at the invitation in his hands, lost in thought.
On the mountain peak, Chu Jingfeng turned his gaze toward Li Yaâs departing figure, frowning.
He remembered Li Ya.
Back then, he had spoken with him briefly, encouraging him to cultivate diligently because of his royal background.
But now, after years apart, their statuses were worlds apart.
And he⊠was no one.
Gu An shook his head with a smile and tucked the items into his storage pouch.
That guy⊠Every time they met, Li Ya always gave him something, as if he knew Gu Anâs temperament and deliberately gifted him things that improved his cultivation and talent.
As night fell, Xuan Valley bustled with activity.
Gu An had just returned from the Third Medicine Valley.
Sitting around a long table with his disciples, he enjoyed the lively atmosphere.
Zhen Qin sat to his right, constantly refilling his cup while recounting the latest events in the cultivation world.
"The
Hatred Heaven Divine Sword
has appeared in the Great Jiang Empire, throwing the cultivation world into chaos. Rumor has it that the wielder has fully mastered the swordâs power and is accompanied by demonsâutterly terrifying. I wonder⊠could it be Senior Brother Su Han?"
As she spoke, Zhen Qin sighed.
Mentioning Su Han always made her melancholic.
After all, they had once been close. Now, they stood on opposite sides of good and evil.
Gu An spoke calmly. "Heâs no longer your senior brother. Stop calling him thatâitâll only bring trouble to you and us."
Zhen Qin wanted to argue, but seeing so many disciples from Medicine Valley around her, she chose to remain silent.
Gu An picked up some food for her while watching the other disciples play drinking games.
After a bowl of wine, Zhen Qin straightened her posture and switched topics to An Hao.
The moment she mentioned him, her face lit up with admiration, and she started talking nonstop.
Gu An listened attentively but suddenly felt something off.
His expression subtly changed.
Waiting until Zhen Qin finished speaking, he stood up and said, "I need to step inside for a moment. When I return, I want to hear the full story about An Haoâs feud with the Wan Yin Sect."
With that, he left.
Zhen Qin didnât find it suspicious and instead clinked cups with Lu Jiu Jia.
Back in his room, Gu An activated the protective formation before taking a single stepâtraveling a hundred miles away in an instant.
In the depths of a dark forest, thirteen ghostly figures were advancing.
Four of them carried a large coffin.
They hadn't noticed Gu Anâs arrival.
He hid in the shadows, silently observing them.
A group of Integration Stage cultivators!