Chapter 290: Senior's Identity

Inside the Soul-Suppressing Pagoda

Lifetaking Immortal opened his eyes, his brows furrowing deeply. His gaze was filled with shock and suspicion.

"Why has his presence suddenly vanished?"

He immediately began performing a divination spell, but the thought of White Hong Zhenren's death never crossed his mind. He knew his disciple's cultivation level all too well. Within the same realm, White Hong Zhenren could suppress three Divine Anomaly Wraith Kings single-handedly—his strength was terrifying. Even if he encountered a Free Soaring Immortal, he wouldn't have died so silently.

However, no matter how much he tried to divine, he couldn't locate White Hong Zhenren.

White Hong Zhenren's karmic threads were continuously disappearing.

This meant that White Hong Zhenren had most likely perished—utterly erased from existence. Heaven and Earth’s laws were wiping away all traces of him.

Lifetaking Immortal's expression darkened, his heart filled with both shock and fury.

A Free Soaring Immortal had made a move?

To achieve such a complete erasure, it couldn't have been a lower-level Free Soaring Immortal!

His first thought was of the powerful figures within the Holy Court. How could such an existence be hiding in this mortal realm?

In his understanding, the strongest figures in this region were merely at the Celestial Ascension Stage. The sects here barely touched the threshold of powers beyond this world.

Even the Lord of Divine Anomalies had been able to suppress this mortal domain for so many years. How could a Free Soaring Immortal possibly be hiding here?

Wait.

Lifetaking Immortal suddenly thought of the Seven Star Spirit Realm.

Though he hadn't paid much attention to it before, he had a vague impression of it. The Seven Star Spirit Realm had always tried to curry favor with the Saint King he supported, though the Saint King never deemed it worthy of his attention. However, some of the Saint King’s subordinates had accepted their offerings, making them somewhat affiliated with his faction.

He recalled a fellow cultivator mentioning that the Seven Star Spirit Realm had sought help previously. But that cultivator dismissed their request, considering them unworthy of intervention. Instead, he assigned them a task—helping the Divine Anomaly Realm manifest in the world. However, the Seven Star Spirit Realm was immediately dismantled thereafter.

At the time, that cultivator had assumed it was merely a local power struggle and hadn’t given it much thought.

But now, thinking back on it...

Could this mortal realm be hiding something?

Could it be related to that reincarnated existence?

Lifetaking Immortal's eyes flickered. He wasn’t afraid; rather, he was excited.

Massacring mortals was never his true goal—it was all to force out that reincarnated existence. Now, he finally saw signs of success. How could he not be thrilled?

Without hesitation, he took out an ancient bronze oil lamp and cast a spell upon its wick.

It was time to summon the old ones!

A Catastrophe Born from White Hong Zhenren

The calamity caused by White Hong Zhenren spread across an unimaginable expanse. The continent where Taixuan Sect resided was spared. Many sects speculated that the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path had intervened, leading to his name once again spreading wildly across the land.

As the people of the continent rejoiced and marveled, the ocean remained deathly silent. Many islands and even some continents had turned into seas of fire.

How could ordinary cultivation sects withstand the divine abilities unleashed by White Hong Zhenren?

Even when they formed defensive arrays in time, they couldn’t hold back the overwhelming inferno.

This was also one of the reasons why Gu An had intervened.

This great inferno wiped out

thirty percent

of all living beings in this mortal realm—an astronomical figure.

The Seventh Day After the Catastrophe

Gu An arrived alone at Seeker’s Island. The atmosphere on the island was tense. The number of cultivators coming and going had visibly decreased, and a stifling air of unease filled the streets.

Although the island’s buildings showed no signs of fire damage, the surrounding sea was littered with the corpses of dead fish and demonic beasts, indicating that Seeker’s Island had not escaped the fire’s reach.

The divine abilities of a Celestial Ascension cultivator could annihilate all living beings!

Gu An summoned Hu Xiaojian.

The moment Hu Xiaojian saw him, he let out a heavy sigh of relief.

"Senior, you’ve finally come!"

His tone carried a trace of grievance. Seven days ago, he had truly believed he would die on Seeker’s Island. Though he had survived, he had been living in constant fear, dreading that another calamity might descend at any moment.

Gu An teased, "Scared, are you?"

Hu Xiaojian nodded earnestly. "How could I not be? Did you see that fire? It was terrifying—it covered the entire sky! I can’t even fathom how powerful the one behind it must be."

He wanted to say that the culprit was likely far beyond the level of a Scattered Immortal. After all, Seeker’s Island was home to many Scattered Immortals, and he had occasionally witnessed their battles. He had a sense of comparison.

But then he remembered that Gu An himself was a Scattered Immortal—so he quickly swallowed his words.

"Don’t worry," Gu An reassured him. "Since ancient times, evil has never triumphed over righteousness. Whoever is behind this will surely face their reckoning."

In truth, the architect of this calamity, White Hong Zhenren, was already dead.

The reason Gu An had waited until now to come was to guard against a potential ambush by Lifetaking Immortal on Taixuan Sect.

But Lifetaking Immortal never appeared.

With his capabilities, he must have already learned of White Hong Zhenren’s demise. If he wasn’t making a move yet, it meant he was scheming something.

Gu An strongly suspected he was calling reinforcements.

After all, the Grand Cold Demon Sect was an unfathomable force, with cultivators numbering in the countless millions.

Afterward, Gu An followed Hu Xiaojian around to assess the situation on Seeker’s Island.

According to Hu Xiaojian, after the catastrophe, the island’s lord was planning to abandon Seeker’s Island. He had already arranged for the evacuation of some of his wealth and disciples.

The Sea Protectorate was in chaos, and rogue cultivators like Hu Xiaojian had no idea where to go.

In the past, Seeker’s Island had been their home, their greatest refuge. But now, the Sea Protectorate wasn’t going to take them in.

Gu An remained silent upon hearing this. Instead, he simply asked Hu Xiaojian to take him to buy medicinal herbs.

This made Hu Xiaojian even more anxious.

He feared this might be Gu An’s last visit to Seeker’s Island.

Half an Hour Later

Inside Hu Xiaojian’s courtyard, he poured wine for Gu An.

Gu An didn’t refuse, which put Hu Xiaojian slightly at ease.

As he finished pouring, Gu An finally spoke.

"Relax. I truly do want Seeker’s Island," Gu An said. "Soon, I’ll send a Free Soaring Immortal to take over the island. When that happens, your standing in the Sea Protectorate will rise as well. You need to cultivate diligently if you want to be worthy of your position in the future."

"A Free Soaring Immortal?"

Hu Xiaojian trembled. He hesitated for a moment before cautiously asking, "Senior, who exactly are you?"

Gu An was merely a Scattered Immortal, yet he could summon a Free Soaring Immortal. This meant that a great force stood behind him.

For Hu Xiaojian, this was thrilling news.

No matter how powerful an individual was, they could never compare to a mighty faction!

Gu An replied, "Don’t ask about my identity. Knowing too much won’t benefit you. Even if we can’t stop Lifetaking Immortal’s assault, I’ll take you with me. I have a place where you’ll be safe."

"But before that, I want to take a gamble. What if a true powerhouse emerges from the sea and slays Lifetaking Immortal?"

Hu Xiaojian nodded hastily. No matter what, he had to cling tightly to Gu An’s support.

Of course, deep down, he still felt that Lifetaking Immortal was invincible.

The memory of that inferno was too horrifying—it haunted him even now.

"Senior, what do you need me to do?" Hu Xiaojian asked respectfully.