When Yang Jian saw Lu Xianyiâs expression, he could tell the man had heard of
Journey to the West
but hadnât actually read it. Judging from his temperament, he was probably from overseas.
Without hesitation, he pulled a book from his robes and handed it to Lu Xianyi.
âThis is my favorite book. The most extraordinary work across the ages. Iâm giving it to you, senior.â
Hearing that, Lu Xianyi quickly reached out to receive it, even cupping his hands in a respectful saluteâwhich instantly made Yang Jian wary.
Whatâs going on?
Had this guy sensed his concealed cultivation?
Noticing Yang Jianâs wary gaze, Lu Xianyi said, âThanks. Iâll go read it nowânothing better to do anyway.â
With that, he turned and walked off.
Yang Jian watched him disappear into the distance, then shrugged and went back to pulling weeds.
It wasnât until evening that Xuantian Yi finally left.
Gu An looked at the book on the table, a spark of excitement in his eyes.
The newest
Adventures of the Green Hero
!
Xuantian Yi truly lived up to being his idol. Things had been chaotic these past few years, yet this kid still managed to write a new book.
And considering that
Adventures of the Green Hero
was based on real experiences and focused heavily on romance, it was clear the guy had gotten himself tangled in more affairs lately.
Gu An took a deep breath and picked up the book with both hands.
The moon outside the window was full. The valley buzzed with insects. In that atmosphere, Gu An was more than ready to enjoy his reading.
And he wasnât the only one in the valley doing soâLu Xianyi, who was staying in the guest room, held
Journey to the West
in one hand, brows furrowed, while the other hand moved in silent calculations.
âŠ
Seven days later.
Gu An rode the Blood Prison Great Saint to Horizon Valley to gather herbs. The valley was quiet, with only Luo Hun, LĂŒ Xian, and three monkey demons aroundâYi Liuyun, Ji Ruolai, and Li Lingtian hadnât returned.
Up above, Lu Xianyi hovered in the clouds, peering down at Horizon Valley, brows tightly furrowed.
As he listened to Gu Anâs conversation with Luo Hun, he finally let down his guard.
So this kid was growing herbs for the Taixuan Sect
and
working like a mule for the Empire? No way he had a powerful background. It was exactly because he didnât have one that he was so low-key.
Lu Xianyi turned to leave, planning to take a look around Taixuan Sect. Word was that
Romance of the Gods
was somehow linked with
Journey to the West
. He wanted to see for himself what kind of story
Romance of the Gods
was telling.
Meanwhile, Gu An smirked as he pulled weeds.
Beside him, Luo Hun continued, âSo, have you given it any more thought?â
âNah,â Gu An replied. âI really donât want to leave the Taixuan Sect. Please thank His Majesty and the Crown Prince for their kind offer, but Iâm not going to the capital.â
Luo Hun smiled. âThe Crown Prince hasnât stopped talking about beating Yang Jian. Heâs been training hard for years now. Rumor is, heâs even got a grandmaster cultivator from the ocean coaching him. Youâd better let Yang Jian know to be ready.â
Gu An nodded. âGot it. Old Luo, youâre really getting up there, huh?â
âGetting old? What makes you say that?â
âYouâve become so chatty. Back when you used to borrow
Adventures of the Green Hero
from me, you hardly said a word.â
âOh, you have the nerve to bring that up?
Adventures of the Green Hero
hasnât had a new volume in forever, and I asked you to find
The Secrets of Taixuan
for meâstill nothing.â
âRead more
Journey to the West
. Good for the soul.â
As they picked herbs, Gu An and Luo Hun bantered playfully.
Time marched on.
Autumn gave way to winter, and snow began to fall across the land.
One day, while Gu An was reading in the Eight Views Celestial Realm, he suddenly sensed something. He quickly took out a piece of blue jadeâit was the Mortal Jade from Mortal Peak, a symbol of the Peak Master and also a magical artifact.
He sent his divine sense into it and soon learned that the Millennia Summit was about to begin.
After a momentâs thought, he stood up and vanished from the spot.
The Mortal Jade provided a directional guide, but Gu An didnât need itâheâd already located Mortal Peak long ago.
Mortal Peak was extremely far from the Taixuan Sect, situated above a mist-shrouded ocean. There were no islands or continents hereâonly towering peaks that jutted straight up from the sea floor and pierced the clouds.
Gu An appeared at the edge of Mortal Peak and then rode the clouds forward.
Before long, he began to see cultivatorsâmore and more of themâall heading in the same direction.
He didnât rush, flying at a moderate pace while enjoying the scenery along the way.
He was already considering whether, as a future Peak Master, he should grow medicinal herbs on his mountain.
Once he took that role, he couldnât keep personally picking herbs all the timeâit would be way too suspicious. After all, here heâd be seen as a Celestial Ascension cultivator.
âFellow Daoist, please wait!â
A voice called out from behind, and Gu An stopped to turn around.
Two cultivators were flying toward him on swordsâone man and one woman, both at the Nirvana Stage.
Gu An used his Lifespan Perception. The man was named Xu Ruohai, and the woman Xu Xi. Their maximum lifespans werenât exceptional, but they werenât average either.
When the two arrived in front of him, Xu Ruohai raised a hand in greeting. âIâm Xu Ruohai, and this is my sister, Xu Xi. May I ask your name, fellow Daoist?â
Gu An returned the gesture. âIâm Meng Lang. What can I do for you two?â
Xu Ruohai smiled. âAre you on your way to seek entry into Mortal Peak? My sister and I are too. How about we travel together?â
He couldnât see through Gu Anâs cultivation level, but Gu An didnât give off any dangerous vibes. Plus, from the way he was flyingâslow and looking aroundâit was obvious this was his first time here.
Behind him, Xu Xi glanced at Gu An, and when Gu An looked back at her, she quickly averted her eyes, a faint blush rising to her ears.
Interesting. Over eight thousand years old and still gets shy?
Gu An found it amusing, then nodded.
Xu Ruohai grew even more enthusiastic. The three of them flew and chatted along the way.
Gu An asked them about Mortal Peak, which only reinforced Xu Ruohaiâs assumption that this was his first visit.
Xu Xi didnât talk muchâmost of the conversation came from Xu Ruohai, with her occasionally chiming in to fill the gaps.
Through the siblings, Gu An gained a much clearer understanding of Mortal Peak.
At the same time, he thought about the brother-sister pair Xiao Shengtian had met at the end of his life. Remembering their adventures filled him with a tinge of regret, and warmed him slightly toward Xu Ruohai and Xu Xi.
Half an hour laterâ
The three of them passed through a dense fog, and their eyes landed on a massive mountain ahead. It was far larger than any of the peaks theyâd seen along the way. The mountainâs base spanned at least a thousand miles, soaring so high that the summit couldnât be seen.
Its surface was covered in lush forest, teeming with life. Cultivators were flying toward it from every direction.
The air grew noisier here, with distant howls of spirit beasts and mount cries echoing through the sky.
Xu Ruohai looked up and sighed, âNo wonder itâs Mortal Peakâone of the oldest sects in the world. Iâve wanted to join since I was a kid. I just hope I make it.â
Gu An chuckled. âWith your cultivation, youâll be fine. Donât worry.â
Xu Ruohai smiled bitterly. âBrother Meng, you may not know this, but Mortal Peak cares a lot aboutââ
âHahaha! Meng Daoist! Youâre finally here!â
A bold, booming laugh interrupted him.
Gu An didnât need to look up to know it was Bai Ziyao. Earlier, heâd deliberately leaked a sliver of Celestial Ascension auraâXu Ruohai and Xu Xi couldnât sense it, but Bai Ziyao had been waiting and spotted it instantly.
Bai Ziyao descended from the sky, grabbed Gu An by the arm, and tugged him upward.
âIf you were any later, your Peak Master position wouldâve been taken!â Bai Ziyao snorted.
Gu An quickly said, âI want to bring them along.â
Bai Ziyao glanced at Xu Ruohai and Xu Xi and gave a slight nod.
The siblings, meanwhile, were frozen in place.
Peak Master position?
Did they just hear that right?