Chapter 352 Yin Yang Fairyland
The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor moved forward while casually sweeping his gaze across everything in the Medicine Valley. Having lived for over fifteen million years, nothing around him sparked any real curiosityâhe was simply taking a look.
Sensing Ji Xuanyuâs gaze, he turned his head. Their eyes met, and a smile crept onto his face.
As for Gu An, who stood behind Ji Xuanyu, he was completely ignored.
The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor quickened his pace and stopped before Ji Xuanyu, cupping his fists. âYour Majesty, itâs been a long time.â
Your Majesty?
Gu An raised an eyebrow in curiosity but also felt relieved.
So, heâs here for Ji Xuanyu!
As long as he wasnât here for him, all was good.
Ji Xuanyu gave a slight nod. âLetâs talk inside.â
She turned to Gu An and asked, âWant to listen in?â
Gu An quickly shook his head and started down the stairs. As he passed by the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor, he cupped his fists in greeting.
The Nether Emperor gave him just a glance and a faint nod.
Ji Xuanyu curled her lips, then said, âBring him in, too.â
With that, she turned and stepped inside.
Just as Gu An was walking away, the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor pressed a hand to his shoulder.
âCome with us,â he said in a tone that allowed no argument.
Left with no choice, Gu An turned around.
The two of them followed Ji Xuanyu into her residence. The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor waved his sleeve, casting a mysterious barrier over the space.
Gu An moved to the side and sat on a stool.
The Nether Emperor, on the other hand, took a seat at the table and looked across at Ji Xuanyu with a smile. âYour Majesty, your memories have returned?â
Ji Xuanyu replied, âSome of them, but not fully. Why did you come to find me early?â
Gu An studied her, unsure how much of her memory had come backâor how far she was from being her true self again.
Just thinking about how the clingy little girl from back then was now turning into the high-and-mighty Dao Emperor of Reincarnation left him a little melancholic.
The Dao Emperor of Reincarnation had an extraordinary background tied to immense karma. Once she returned to her true self, sheâd surely leave the Third Medicine Valley.
The arrival of the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor meant that moment wasnât far off.
Anyone with real talent would never remain in the Valley. Gu An had already seen many people off. Every time, it left him with complicated feelings.
The Nether Emperor glanced at Gu An, then replied, âThe Yin-Yang Immortal Domain has undergone a major upheaval, so I came early. Before that, I went to the Holy Court and retrieved your Soul Jade.â
He flipped his right hand, revealing a shimmering, violet crystal that floated above his palm.
As soon as it appeared, the crystal darted into Ji Xuanyuâs forehead. Her eyes closed in response.
The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor looked at Gu An again and asked, âDo you know who she is?â
Gu An pretended to hesitate. âI knew her in a past life. I heard that one of her past incarnations was the Dao Emperor of Reincarnation, but I donât really know what that means.â
The Nether Emperor had lived for so long, and Ji Xuanyuâs original self had to be even older. Could the Ji Family really have such ancient roots?
Could it be that the original Ji Xuanyu wasnât from the Ji Family at all? Then why did she reincarnate there twice?
What secrets did the Ji Family hold that drew her in so deeply?
âThe identity of the Dao Emperor of Reincarnation is far grander than you think. Sheâs lived over twenty million years. This current cycle of reincarnation is just part of her cultivation journey,â the Nether Emperor said calmly.
Gu Anâs face changed drastically. He opened his mouth, but no words came out.
The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor smiled, thinking his words had shaken Gu An.
Silence fell over the room.
After a while, Ji Xuanyu opened her eyes. A subtle change had come over her gaze, and Gu An was instantly reminded of the time she wreaked havoc in the Seven Stars Sacred Realmâshe now exuded an aura of cold detachment.
A few seconds later, her eyes and demeanor returned to normal. She looked at the Nether Emperor and asked, âIt couldnât have been easy to snatch the Soul Jade from the Holy Court, right?â
âI took some damage. A mere ten thousand years of recovery will fix it,â the Nether Emperor replied casually.
In his eyes, ten thousand years was but a blink.
âI donât want to leave just yet,â Ji Xuanyu said after a moment of thought.
âNo rush. A few hundred years is fine. I can use the time to recover. Those useless fools in the Holy Court would never guess Iâm still in the Heavenly Spirit Great Realm.â
He had already seen through all of Gu Anâs karma and fate. He knew Gu An wouldnât live to see a thousand, and by the time Gu An passed, this cycle of Ji Xuanyuâs reincarnation would end. Then, the true Dao Emperor of Reincarnation could return.
Gu An wanted to say, âYou two can go now if you want,â but seeing Ji Xuanyuâs expression, he swallowed the words.
âWell then, Iâll take a stroll.â The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor stood and headed for the door.
He didnât lift the barrier inside the roomâhe figured Ji Xuanyu had more to say to Gu An, things the other cultivators in the valley werenât meant to hear.
When the door shut behind the Nether Emperor, Ji Xuanyu let out a breath of relief.
âWhy are you so tense?â Gu An asked. âIsnât he your subordinate?â
To have someone at the Divine Soul Immortal level serve herâher power as the Dao Emperor of Reincarnation was terrifying.
âHe respects my past self,â Ji Xuanyu said, inhaling deeply. âIâve dreamed of him in battleâheâs terrifying. Maybe even stronger than the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path.â
Stronger than me?
No way!
Iâm a whole minor realm above him, and he canât even see through my cultivation. If I ambushed him, he wouldnât stand a chance!
Thatâs what Gu An thought⊠though of course, he kept it to himself.
They had no feudâno reason to fight.
âWhere is the Yin-Yang Immortal Domain?â he asked, curiosity piqued.
Outside the world lay the Oblivion Domain, which enclosed the Heavenly Spirit Great Realm. He had long suspected that even vaster worlds lay beyond.
Dark Great Realm, Divine Essence Great Realm, Primordial Realm...
And now, Yin-Yang Immortal Domain?
His curiosity about what lay beyond only grew.
âHow far is it?â Gu An pressed.
âItâs very far, and youâd have to cross a region full of demons and monsters. Extremely dangerous. In my dreams, I battled for years just to reach here. I havenât remembered much about the Yin-Yang Immortal Domainâonly that it was dark, with no sun.â
Ji Xuanyuâs tone drifted as she recalled the past, laced with a touch of melancholy.
âIâve always wondered,â Gu An said. âWhatâs your connection to the Ji Family? Why reincarnate there again?â
Ji Xuanyu frowned at the question.
Gu An waited.
Finally, she answered, âThe Ji Family was founded by an adopted son of mine. I only remember that he died protecting me. Before passing, he asked me to take care of his children. That was over twenty thousand years agoâand thus, the Ji Family began.â
Gu Anâs eyes lit with realization. âSo thatâs why the Ji Family carries your surname?â
âMm. The Ji surname may have deeper roots, but I havenât remembered them yet.â
Then she looked at Gu An. âAnything else you want to ask?â
He quickly shook his head. âNope. Nothing else.â
Asking too much just meant more trouble!
âItâs fine. Donât be so stiff. Ask anythingâbroaden your horizons. Even the Taixuan Sect higher-ups donât know this stuff,â Ji Xuanyu said with a faint, playful smile.
Gu An had the feeling she was scheming something, so he got up and made his way out.
Ji Xuanyu watched him go. When the door shut, her smile faded.
Her brow furrowed in deep thought.
The addition of the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor didnât change much in the Third Medicine Valley. Unlike Nine-Fingered Divine Lord or Shen Xinzi, he had no interest in conversing with mortals. After Gu An arranged a place for him, he immediately went into seclusion.
Ten years passed in the blink of an eye. The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor never left his room, and rumors spread among the disciples.
One day...
Gu An went to visit Xiao Chuan.
Just as Xiao Chuan greeted him, trouble stirred within the estateâhe had to step in to maintain order, so Gu An waited in the courtyard.
Name: Gu An
Lifespan: 367 / 638,909,402
Physique: Primal Supreme Dao Body
Cultivation Level: Divine Soul Immortal, Ninth Layer
Looking at his stat panel, Gu An started estimating how long it would take to reach a ten-billion-year lifespan.
Currently, he was earning around 1.5 to 1.8 million years of lifespan annuallyânot bad at all.
Once he reached the ten-billion-year mark, he planned to fully upgrade himself and break through to the next realm.
His next goal was to reach the Ninth Layer of the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Path.
Who knew how much more lifespan would be required beyond that?
He picked up the wine jug, poured himself a drink, and snapped out of his thoughts when he heard arguingâit was Xiao Chuanâs descendants, fighting over a marriage alliance.
The current family head wanted to marry into a noble household, but the chosen girl refused, and her parents couldnât bear to force her. The family head insisted, sparking the dispute.
Gu An just listened without any intention of getting involved. That kind of matter had nothing to do with him.
Half an hour later, Xiao Chuan returned.
As he sat down and poured himself a drink, he sighed. âUseless bunch. If I ever die, theyâll ruin the whole family.â
Gu An smiled. âChildren have their own paths. Donât worry so much. You canât solve every one of their problems.â
Xiao Chuan looked at him. âYou kept pushing me to start a family, but you never did yourself. Were you setting me up for this on purpose?â
Gu An rolled his eyes. âIf youâre really that miserable, just leave them all behind. The worldâs a big place. Or better yet, come back to the Third Medicine Valley.â
Xiao Chuan chuckled and shook his head. Heâd only been joking. Life had its share of problems, but he didnât regret the path he chose. He cherished everything he had.
They kept drinking, eventually drifting into talk of the Taixuan Sect. Several of Xiao Chuanâs descendants were now members, and a few had even returned to the Chuan Residence, bringing news.
Hearing those stories made Xiao Chuan nostalgic. The Taixuan Sect had been his home for most of his lifeâhow could he not feel something?
As they talked, Xiao Chuan suddenly said, âSenior Brother, would you consider taking one of my descendants as your disciple someday?â
He used to worry itâd trouble Gu An, but Gu An had visited so many times and even bonded with the younger generation. Xiao Chuan decided it was time to strengthen their tiesâgive his family someone to rely on.
âOf course,â Gu An grinned. âBut Iâll be the one to choose.â
He already had someone in mind. After all, he could see Xiao Chuanâs fate.