Chapter 276: Extreme Lifespan, the Arrival of the Immortal

Chapter 276 Extreme Lifespan, the Arrival of the Immortal

After arriving at the Hidden Celestial Realm, Gu An indeed spotted a fully matured Seventh-Grade Spirit Flower, but he felt it could still be left to grow. The roots continued to spread, producing more seeds in the surrounding soil.

Gu An observed it for a while but chose not to harvest it, instead hoping it would propagate further. This way, he could ensure sustainable development.

With his cultivation already at the Ninth Level of the Profound Celestial Realm, he no longer needed to rush to harvest thousands or even tens of thousands of years of lifespan.

His goal was a hundred million years of lifespan!

As long as he could achieve it in the shortest time possible, that was all that mattered.

Once the high-grade spirit plants in the Hidden Celestial Realm reached full maturity, he might be able to harvest tens of millions of years of lifespan in one go. Just the thought of it made him a little excited.

“I plan to expand this realm. In the future, you can move in. If you get bored, you can even raise some demon beasts, but they must follow the rules—no damaging my spirit plants.”

Gu An gazed at the vast spirit garden and chuckled softly.

Hearing this, Tian Yao’er and the other two women were thrilled and began to imagine the possibilities.

But rather than raising demon beasts, they were more eager to explore the outside world.

Gu An promised them that once they reached the Grand Ascension Stage, they could go out and have fun. This was for their own good.

At the mention of the Grand Ascension Stage, all three girls immediately pulled long faces.

How long would they have to cultivate before reaching that level?!

“The outside world is treacherous. If you get captured, getting bullied would be the least of your worries—you might end up getting your tendons ripped out, your skin peeled off, your flesh refined into pills, or your bones turned into ornaments…”

Gu An shook his head as he spoke, and in just a few sentences, he successfully scared the three girls out of their fantasies.

They had all suffered before meeting Gu An—Tian Yao’er had been imprisoned by the Phoenix Demon Mother, while Tian Qing and Tian Bai had lost their parents and wandered the world, never free from injuries.

Tian Qing sighed. “We’d better just focus on cultivation. Forget raising demon beasts—it’ll only be a distraction.”

Tian Bai clung to Gu An’s arm, nodding and swaying her body, prompting Tian Yao’er to push her away and quickly claim Gu An’s other arm.

“Right now, the world outside is in chaos.”

Gu An, though feeling amused, maintained a serious expression as he started talking about the calamities across the ocean.

The Severed Sea Rift, the Divine Anomaly Realm, the Divine Anomaly Wraiths… The more they listened, the more terrified they became.

These immortal, indestructible wraiths—how were they supposed to deal with something like that?

“Master, will this disaster affect you? Should you hide in this realm?”

“If the forces at sea can’t contain it, won’t it eventually spread to the continent we’re on?”

“How can there be such terrifying wraiths in the world?”

The three of them started chattering nervously.

After staying in the Hidden Celestial Realm for about an hour, Gu An returned to the Taixuan Sect.

He headed to the Third Medicine Valley, habitually making his way toward the spot where Nine-Fingered Divine Lord played Go. On the way, he was stopped by You Yingying.

“Why do you smell so good? And not just one scent—did you go to a brothel?”

You Yingying eyed him suspiciously.

Gu An’s mouth twitched. “Nonsense. Can’t you speak a little less crudely?”

“Alright then, you went to Yixiang Pavilion?”

“They’re much cleaner than you.”

You Yingying grinned playfully.

Gu An, exasperated, ignored her and walked past.

“Wait a second! The Starsea Sect is giving Taixuan Sect a thousand cultivation slots for five years. If you want in, I can help you get one.”

She chased after him.

“With my relationship with the Sect Master, do I need your help?”

Gu An responded without looking back.

“Taixuan Sect will definitely choose the most talented thousand disciples. Even if you make it, with your cultivation level, you’ll just be under pressure. If I pull some strings, you’ll have a much easier time and gain more. You might even be able to enter seclusion afterward and break through to the Nascent Soul Stage.”

Gu An stopped and turned to look at her.

This girl was only at the Foundation Establishment Stage, yet she spoke so confidently. It was clear that she held a high position in the Starsea Sect.

Now Gu An was intrigued.

He began peering into the mysterious karmic force within You Yingying’s body.

He had long noticed that her cultivation was being suppressed by some unknown karma, but since he didn’t want unnecessary trouble, he hadn’t bothered to investigate—until now.

His higher cultivation meant he could afford to be curious.

Due to this karmic force, even Gu An couldn’t directly foresee her fate.

Suddenly!

A sinister face lunged out from within You Yingying’s body, rushing toward him—then vanished into thin air.

It was merely an illusion, without any real power.

Gu An saw through it instantly, but the incident still struck him as strange.

“What’s wrong? Why so quiet? Don’t tell me you’re wondering how to thank me?”

“Easy—write a new Journey to the West! I want to see what happens to Sun Wukong after he becomes the Buddha of Battle Victory. Stop wandering around aimlessly, wasting your time.”

You Yingying folded her arms and huffed.

Gu An chuckled. “That’s not happening. Some stories don’t need an ending—the mystery makes them more memorable.”

You Yingying glared at him. “So are you going or not?”

“Not going, but thanks for the offer. I just want to live peacefully in the Medicine Valley. If I go, what if the Holy Maiden of the Starsea Sect falls for me?”

“Pfft! Shameless! Our sect doesn’t even have a Holy Maiden.”

“Getting entangled with a female genius is exhausting. Just like right now.”

“You—!”

You Yingying swung at him, but Gu An dodged and slipped away.

This guy is insufferable!

The peaceful days continued.

Gu An had visited the Outer Heavens once but saw no reason to go back. After getting a general understanding of Heavenly Great Realm, he lost interest.

As early winter arrived, the Third Medicine Valley was gradually blanketed in white.

Gu An stepped outside, reaching out to catch the falling snow.

Feeling the cool touch in his palm, he smiled in satisfaction.

His gaze drifted to the valley entrance, where a lone figure was approaching through the snow.

A Roving Immortal—and a Ninth-Level one at that.

Gu An had come downstairs because of him.

Why would a Roving Immortal show up here out of nowhere?

The figure was a handsome monk draped in a kasaya, eyes closed, beads in hand, with snow accumulating on his shoulders.

[Shen Xinzi (Roving Immortal, Ninth Level): 45,865 / 190,000 / 999,999]

Hmm?

999,999 years—an ultimate lifespan?

This was the longest maximum lifespan Gu An had ever seen above the Nirvana Stage.

Could An Hao and Yang Jian reach this limit after their Nirvana?

Gu An pondered as he watched Shen Xinzi head toward the Go-playing area, clearly seeking Nine-Fingered Divine Lord.

Shen Xinzi’s arrival caught the attention of many disciples, but they were accustomed to great cultivators visiting the valley to challenge Nine-Fingered Divine Lord in Go.

Gu An didn’t stare at him for long. Instead, he mounted the Blood Prison Great Saint and patrolled the valley.

By noon, Nine-Fingered Divine Lord had won yet another game.

He turned to Shen Xinzi and said, “Little monk, how about a match?”

Shen Xinzi put his palms together and chanted, “Amitabha. Then, I shall seek guidance from the senior.”

The surrounding disciples, noticing his extraordinary aura, immediately made way.

Seated at the board, Shen Xinzi placed the first stone.

Having watched three rounds already, he was familiar with the rules.

Nine-Fingered Divine Lord smirked and played aggressively, placing stones with increasing speed—just as he had done with Gu An in the past.

Within a single incense stick’s time, Shen Xinzi was defeated.

“Well? How do you find the game?” Nine-Fingered Divine Lord asked smugly.

Shen Xinzi pondered before replying, “There is indeed profound wisdom in this game. Within such a small board, all of existence is reflected—black and white consuming each other, mirroring the cycle of competition in all things. Endless changes, sudden reversals—one may be cornered yet still find a path to survival. It is truly fascinating.”

Nine-Fingered Divine Lord stood up. “Come on, let’s chat elsewhere. No need to disturb the others.”

Shen Xinzi nodded and rose as well.

The gathered disciples breathed a sigh of relief. With Nine-Fingered Divine Lord gone, they could finally enjoy a peaceful game of Go.

After all, he wasn’t just an expert player—he was also unbearably critical, always pointing out their mistakes, making it a mental torture to play against him.

As they strolled along the stone path in the Medicine Valley, Nine-Fingered Divine Lord gazed at the sky and asked, “Little monk, why are you here? Are you just passing by, or were you sent by the Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect?”

Shen Xinzi placed his hands together and replied, “I was ordered to head to the Severed Sea Rift, but upon passing through this place, I sensed the senior’s presence and came to pay my respects. I did not expect that within the Taixuan Sect, there would be another disciple of my sect. This sect’s fate seems extraordinary—perhaps the senior has taken an interest in supporting it?”

Nine-Fingered Divine Lord laughed. “Me? Supporting it? Looks like you haven’t heard of the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path.”

Shen Xinzi was about to ask more when his gaze suddenly locked onto You Yingying, who was passing by in the distance.

His sword-like brows immediately furrowed.

Nine-Fingered Divine Lord noticed his expression and asked playfully, “You saw her too. So, what do you plan to do?”

His tone was laced with amusement, as though he was waiting for some kind of drama to unfold.

Shen Xinzi took a deep breath, his eyes filled with cold determination.

“Since she is a heretic, she must be eliminated.”