Chapter 193: A Friendly Match, No Lives Lost

Chapter 193: A Friendly Match, No Lives Lost

The scorching summer sun hung high as Gu An busied himself in Xuan Valley, harvesting medicinal herbs.

With the demon population dwindling, the sky had become clearer, an ever-deepening shade of blue.

Now, with the Three Dynasties, the Holy Land, and the Demon Emperor’s forces all actively hunting down remaining demons, Gu An’s lifespan harvesting had slowed down.

But that was fine.

Peace was good.

A quiet life, tending to herbs, cultivating in secret—that was true wisdom.

Lu Jiu Jia approached Gu An and softly asked, “Senior Brother, will you be participating in the end-of-year Alchemy Tournament?”

Ever since the Demon Ancestor’s fall, Lü Baitian had been constantly stirring things up—first by having Xuantian Yi write a book, and now by organizing the World’s Greatest Alchemy Tournament.

The extravagant rewards had drawn the attention of cultivators worldwide, and Taixuan Sect disciples were encouraged to participate.

From Lu Jiu Jia’s perspective, Gu An’s alchemy skills were exceptional.

He had helped countless errand disciples advance to the Outer Sect, and just within Xuan Valley alone, more than twenty disciples had reached Foundation Establishment thanks to his pills.

Every year, Third Medicine Valley welcomed new faces, all because of him.

But Gu An waved it off. “No need to join the crowd. My Golden Ranking title is enough for me to coast through life.”

There will be plenty more ‘world’s greatest’ tournaments in the future.

If there were ever a calligraphy tournament, he might actually join—after all, he enjoyed practicing his handwriting.

Lu Jiu Jia marveled at how much Taixuan Sect had changed.

Back when he first joined, the sect was nothing like it was today.

The sect’s reputation had improved, its power had grown exponentially, and the once-rare Nascent Soul cultivators were now overshadowed by Transformation Stage, Void Transformation, and even Integration Stage experts.

Stories of Profound Mind Realm cultivators had become commonplace.

With Taixuan Sect flourishing, more opportunities opened up for its disciples—even just helping organize the Alchemy Tournament earned generous rewards.

For disciples who had time but lacked resources, this was a golden opportunity.

Gu An listened carefully as Lu Jiu Jia spoke.

Hearing the perspectives of lower-ranking disciples was an excellent way to gauge whether the sect was truly thriving.

Wait a second…

Why am I thinking like a sect leader?

Damn Lü Baitian.

But truth be told, Gu An had grown accustomed to advising Lü Baitian from the shadows.

It was actually quite satisfying—giving orders without having to execute them, fulfilling his strategic desires without doing the actual work.

And Lü Baitian enjoyed it just as much.

If things continued like this, one day, Gu An might just take over the sect himself.

Months had passed since the Demon Ancestor’s fall.

Taixuan Sect had split its forces—sending Inner and Outer Sect disciples to exterminate demons, while dispatching lineage disciples and True Legacy disciples to explore the Demon Lands.

For the Three Dynasties, the Demon Lands were a vast, uncharted goldmine—even Profound Mind Realm Grandmasters couldn’t resist venturing into the unknown.

Even Lu Lingjun had left Third Medicine Valley to join the expedition, though her absence hadn’t impacted the valley.

After finishing his herb gathering, Gu An handed the materials to Lu Jiu Jia and departed from Xuan Valley.

His itinerary was packed.

Tianya Valley

Xuantian Cave Dwelling

Mountain God Dao Temple

Nianchu Cave Dwelling

And later that night—

A trip into the Eight Views Celestial Realm.

Despite the decline in demonic corruption, Gu An could still accumulate lifespan through harvesting herbs.

He even considered expanding Nianchu Cave Dwelling.

After all, he needed to find two female demon companions for Tian Yao’er.

Under the moonlit sky, Gu An sat at a stone table, sipping tea.

Across from him, Tian Yao’er was tending to two young cat demons.

The Demon Lands were filled with suffering creatures.

These two twin cat demons had lost their parents to corrupted demons last month.

Having barely escaped, they endured weeks of hardship before Gu An found them.

Watching Tian Yao’er joyfully caring for them, Gu An suddenly thought of An Xin.

Do all women love keeping pets?

Extending his divine sense, Gu An probed deep into the Demon Lands.

Stories about Lì Mo were spreading across the Three Dynasties, and he had now become humanity’s greatest fear—even more terrifying than the Demon Ancestor.

Unlike the Demon Ancestor, Lì Mo’s demonic aura continued to expand, reaching further and further.

Even as a Ninth-Level Roving Immortal, Gu An needed time to pinpoint his exact location.

One incense stick later, he locked onto the target.

Deep within a vast mountain range, near Phoenix Mountain, millions of miles away—

An immense demonic aura stretched over a million-mile radius.

As Gu An’s divine sense infiltrated the depths of the corruption, he discovered something unexpected.

A group of mysterious cultivators had stationed themselves in the mountains.

Their cultivation levels were astonishing—even the weakest among them was at the Grand Ascension Stage.

They remained silent, meditating within mountain-top Dao temples.

The Seven Star Spirit Realm was watching over Lì Mo’s seal.

Gu An soon encountered a formidable barrier, restricting anyone below Roving Immortal from approaching.

Though he could break through, doing so would alert the Holy Land and Lì Mo himself.

So, he withdrew his divine sense.

No rush.

If he could reach a hundred million years of lifespan before Lì Mo awakened, that would be ideal.

If not…

He would have to advance sooner.

After returning to the present, Gu An turned to Tian Yao’er.

“Have you thought of names for them?”

The twin cat demons were still at the First Rank, their intelligence only beginning to develop.

Tian Yao’er hesitated. “Master, why don’t you name them? Also… I still don’t know your real name.”

Her voice carried a hint of grievance, and she stared at Gu An with puppy-dog eyes.

He ignored her.

“They’ll be called Tianqing and Tianbai.”

Since they were white-furred, their names were inspired by his Qinghong Sword and Ye Lan’s Bailing Sword.

Tian Yao’er immediately flattered him.

“Great names! As expected of Master!”

Gu An stood up and vanished into the night.

“Just don’t let them trample the herbs.”

Tian Yao’er pouted, then noticed two books on the table.

“Sword Sovereign: A Myth?”

Her curiosity piqued.

She settled in and began reading.

At Third Medicine Valley, Xuantian Yi slumped in his chair, looking defeated.

“Why isn’t

Sword Sovereign: A Myth

selling as well as your books?”

Gu An continued writing, replying, “Maybe there are just too many similar books.”

Even Taixuan Sect alone had published dozens of books on the Sword Sovereign.

The market was oversaturated.

Xuantian Yi sighed.

Maybe he really was better suited to writing travel journals.

Picking up a newly written page, he read aloud:

"When chaos was yet undivided, heaven and earth were in turmoil…"

His eyes lit up.

This was the start of a new

Romance of the Gods

!

A Duel Under the Night Sky

Xuantian Yi read on, his curiosity growing.

By the time he finished the first page, he searched for the second, only to realize that Gu An hadn’t written it yet.

Gu An wasn’t just recalling the story—he was deliberating on his calligraphy, making sure every stroke was visually pleasing.

Xuantian Yi sighed, setting the page down. “Forget it, take your time. I actually came today to say goodbye.”

Without looking up, Gu An asked, “Where to?”

“The Demon Lands,” Xuantian Yi replied. “We’re going to hunt down Lì Mo, with the Holy Land leading the way.”

Gu An nodded. “Be careful. Don’t get reckless just because of your cultivation.”

Xuantian Yi scoffed, “Tch! You think you can lecture me? I’ve braved the seas, unlike you—just hiding away in Taixuan Sect. Don’t worry. Below the Immortal Dao, I am undefeated.”

Gu An looked at him. “And if you encounter an Immortal Dao being?”

Xuantian Yi smirked. “Then I’ll die with honor!”

With that, he turned and walked toward the door. Before stepping out, he glanced back.

“Hurry up and finish writing. I want to see if this book can surpass

Romance of the Gods.

”

Then he was gone.

Gu An didn’t bother seeing him off.

Surpass

Romance of the Gods

?

He chuckled and continued writing.

By the time the sun began to set, he finally left Third Medicine Valley.

Late at night, deep in the mountains.

A man in beast-hide robes walked silently beneath the trees.

A stone axe hung from his waist.

His gaze flickered toward a distant temple, where firelight flickered within.

For some reason, the presence inside felt oddly familiar.

It had been a month since Zhang Bukui left his cave.

Heading north in search of opportunities in the Demon Lands, he had avoided contact with both cultivators and demons along the way.

Now, standing before the temple, he felt tense—but curiosity won out.

Cautiously, he stepped closer.

“Since you’re here, why not come in?”

A voice drifted from beyond the courtyard wall.

Hearing it, Zhang Bukui exhaled in relief.

With a leap, he cleared the wall—landing beside the fire.

Across from him sat a black-clad man, his face sharp and cold.

Beside him lay a heavy sword, impossible to ignore.

They studied each other.

Finally, Zhang Bukui spoke.

“My name is Zhang Bukui. What’s yours?”

Though he could sense the man’s strength, he felt no fear—only slight unease.

The man replied, “Li Ya.”

Then, after a pause—“Why do you carry both human and demon aura?”

Zhang Bukui hesitated, then answered, “My father was human. My mother was a demon. Are you the same?”

Li Ya?

That name sounded familiar.

Had he heard it somewhere before?

Li Ya’s expression darkened. “Of course not. I only absorbed demonic essence from a spirit beast, nothing more.”

Zhang Bukui’s eyes dimmed slightly.

So he wasn’t the same.

Li Ya’s gaze drifted toward Zhang Bukui’s stone axe.

Suddenly, he stood up, grinning.

“Kid, how about a spar?”

Ever since he witnessed the Celestial Star-Suppressing Infinite Sword, his understanding of the Taicang Frightening God Sword had deepened.

After half a year of bitter training, he needed to test himself.

Zhang Bukui’s hand instinctively moved to his axe.

“Just a spar?”

Li Ya nodded. “Just a spar. No killing. I need to see how much my swordsmanship has improved.”

Zhang Bukui’s eyes lit up.

“Perfect timing. I’ve been training too. Let’s do it!”