Chapter 113: You’re Not Xuantian Ancestor, Who Are You?

Faced with the threat from the purple-robed man, the three grandmasters of the Ji Family remained unfazed and continued their assault. The other Integration Stage grandmasters of the Taixuan Sect also did not stop their attacks, determined to kill him here and now.

“Hmph!”

The purple-robed man let out a cold snort and swept his long spear forward. In an instant, an immense surge of demonic energy erupted, as if a giant brush had painted a streak of black ink across the sky. The three Ji Family grandmasters spat blood as they were sent flying, their Heavenly Dragon Suppressing Demons Aspect completely annihilated, vanishing into nothingness.

The three of them crashed into the mountains like falling meteors, causing the land to tremble violently as thick clouds of dust billowed into the air.

From all directions, eight Integration Stage grandmasters roared in unison. Behind them, eight ancient bronze bells hovered, each emitting a spectral bell shadow that enveloped a hundred-mile radius. As they activated their techniques, the bell shadows suddenly expanded, growing to a height of a thousand feet, exuding an overwhelming and majestic presence.

The eight colossal bell shadows unleashed a terrifying shockwave that rippled through space, sending massive waves across the sky itself.

The purple-robed man raised his spear to block, unleashing a vast surge of spiritual power, forming a powerful storm around him to withstand the impact of the bell shadows.

—Whoosh!—

A sharp whistle sliced through the mountains. A streak of sword light, moving at an unbelievable speed, shot toward the purple-robed man. His pupils shrank as he suddenly tilted his head, narrowly dodging the attack.

It was a flying sword, fast as a shooting star. The one controlling it was a female cultivator, her red robe billowing violently, long hair dancing in the wind. Her holy yet stunning face was covered in frost, and her eyes locked onto the purple-robed man with an overwhelming killing intent.

Behind the purple-robed man, his golden halo flared up, radiating an immense golden light that shattered the bell shadows one after another. The resulting explosion rocked the surrounding hundred miles, reducing mountains to rubble and shaking the very earth.

A wave of searing fire surged from the billowing dust, transforming into countless fire dragons that lunged at the purple-robed man. Yet, he merely smirked in disdain.

He suddenly turned and thrust his spear.

—CLANG!—

A thunderous impact echoed through the battlefield as his spear struck a three-zhang-high bronze cauldron. The cauldron bore intricate carvings of rare and mythical beasts, radiating an ancient aura. Atop the cauldron stood Lü Baitian, who struck out with his palm, his spiritual power erupting like a torrential flood.

A massive shadow of a mystical black tortoise manifested behind him, roaring furiously. A devastating palm strike swept toward the purple-robed man.

Black Tortoise Tidal Palm!

The palm strike descended like a collapsing sky, tearing through the earth and sending shockwaves that parted the dust clouds, as if intent on annihilating the entire world.

—Boom!—

Lü Baitian and the cauldron were sent flying. Tiny needle-like strands of spiritual energy pierced into his body, making his expression change dramatically.

Amidst the raging storm, the purple-robed man stood like a deity descending from the heavens, looking down upon all with supreme arrogance.

Gazing at Lü Baitian, he sneered, “Integration Stage, Ninth Level… What a waste. You should—”

Before he could finish speaking, he abruptly turned his head.

Not just him—cultivators from all directions within the Taixuan Sect suddenly sensed something and simultaneously looked toward the same location.

—A thousand miles away—

Atop a mountain peak, Su Han stood at the edge of a cliff, his sword strapped to his back, gazing into the distance. He had been monitoring the battle, but when the intense sounds of combat suddenly ceased, his brows furrowed. His divine sense was nowhere near powerful enough to see into the heart of the battle.

“Did the Taixuan Sect lose already?”

Su Han’s expression darkened with conflicted emotions.

He hadn’t wanted to be here, but Elder Chihan had chosen him as a guide. If not him, someone else would have taken his place. He had no choice.

Truthfully, he held a deep resentment toward the Taixuan Sect.

As a former outer disciple, he had been hunted by the Sword Sect of the Da Yu Dynasty, yet the Taixuan Sect had refused to protect him. Worse, they had forced him to cripple his own cultivation, leaving him utterly disappointed.

And yet, despite his grievances, the Taixuan Sect had been his first home in the cultivation world. He did not wish to see it destroyed—but at the same time, he had already joined the Nightshade Sect, and only Nightshade Sect had been willing to accept him.

As conflicted emotions surged within him, a shadow suddenly flashed past overhead.

—So fast!—

Su Han couldn’t even see who or what had just passed—only a purple-black streak flickering like an illusion.

That shadow was Gu An!

With Gu An’s cultivation, how could Su Han possibly sense him?

Gu An had deliberately let Su Han catch a glimpse—to warn him off.

It was a final act of concern… as a master.

After passing Su Han, Gu An abruptly accelerated, stepping into the battlefield in a single instant.

He stopped a hundred zhang away from the purple-robed man, immediately activating a Lifespan Appraisal.

【Golden Spirit Lord (Profound Mind Realm, Second Layer): 1840/4500/4600】

“Two to three hundred years of lifespan… not bad.”

Gu An did not attack immediately but instead allowed both the purple-robed man and the Taixuan Sect cultivators to assess him.

“The Heaven-Splitting Axe—Who are you?” The Golden Spirit Lord furrowed his brows, locking eyes on Gu An as he demanded in a deep voice.

The Taixuan Sect grandmasters all turned toward Gu An. Upon hearing the words ‘Heaven-Splitting Axe’, a blood-soaked Ji Hantian, who had just managed to rise to his feet, couldn’t help but exclaim in joy—

“Xuantian Ancestor?!”

Xuantian Ancestor!

All the grandmasters of the Taixuan Sect were shocked. Even Lü Baitian, standing atop the cauldron, looked toward Gu An in disbelief.

Xuantian Ancestor was still alive?!

“Impossible! You’re not Xuantian Ancestor! Who are you?!” The Golden Spirit Lord fixed his gaze on Gu An, his expression filled with unease. He couldn’t see through Gu An’s true nature, which made him deeply anxious.

“A thousand years ago, the possessed Xuantian Ancestor was slain by our sect’s cultivators. His head was even hung at the Nine Nether Path. Just who the hell are you? Have you inherited the Heaven-Splitting Divine Axe?”

His grip on his spear tightened, golden energy coiling around its shaft.

Hearing of Xuantian Ancestor’s fate, the Taixuan Sect cultivators erupted in fury, cursing the Nightshade Sect loudly.

The Golden Spirit Lord, however, remained unfazed, his sharp gaze locked onto Gu An.

Gu An remained silent.

—Hmm?—

—Can’t pass as Xuantian Ancestor?—

Suddenly—

The Golden Spirit Lord thrust his spear forward!

—BOOM!—

Blinding golden light erupted, draining all color from the world. A terrifying aura exploded, sending violent gusts surging outward, forcing the Taixuan Sect cultivators to retreat. The ruined battlefield trembled violently, as if apocalypse had arrived.

The scorching golden radiance seared Lü Baitian’s skin, making him break out in cold sweat as he hurriedly activated his spiritual power. The others suffered similarly.

Yet—

The golden light vanished just as quickly as it had come.

When it disappeared, everyone stared in shock.

The Golden Spirit Lord still held his spear thrust forward—but beside him, the mysterious figure now stood, with the Heaven-Splitting Axe pressed against his throat.

The Golden Spirit Lord was frozen in place, his face filled with disbelief.

—How… how could this be?!—

—So fast!—

He was a Profound Mind Realm expert, yet he hadn’t even seen Gu An move!

And worst of all—an unimaginable suppression had fallen over him, sealing his spiritual energy completely.

This was Gu An’s divine ability—

Heavenly Dragon’s Imperial Might!

The Heavenly Dragon’s Imperial Might was a divine ability that Gu An had comprehended while cultivating the Xuanhuang Dragon Qi Art. Combined with the overwhelming suppression of a Grand Ascension Stage, Ninth Level cultivator, even the Golden Spirit Lord, despite being at the Profound Mind Realm, Second Layer, was completely powerless to resist.

The entire Taixuan Sect was stunned by Gu An’s presence, an indescribable fear gripping every cultivator.

Now thinking rationally, they realized—what Gu An had just displayed was none other than the Demonic Shadow Divine Art.

—Does the Thousand Autumn Pavilion possess such a powerful figure?—

Gu An gripped the Heaven-Splitting Axe in his right hand, holding it at Golden Spirit Lord’s throat, while his left hand slowly rose.

—Smack!—

He slapped the Golden Spirit Lord’s headpiece off, then grabbed a fistful of his hair.

At this moment, the once arrogant and invincible Golden Spirit Lord looked utterly disheveled and wretched, losing all of his previous grandeur.

“You… The main bloodline of the Nightshade Sect is about to arrive… If you really do this—” The Golden Spirit Lord trembled as he spoke, his eyes filled with fear.

Before he could finish—

—Splurt!—

Gu An cleaved off his head with a single swing of the axe.

Blood gushed forth, and the Golden Spirit Lord’s eyes widened in disbelief!

As Gu An’s Heaven-Splitting Axe sliced through the air, it generated a terrifying shockwave that swept across dozens of miles, scattering the dust clouds in its path.

Suddenly—

A blue flame ignited at the base of the Golden Spirit Lord’s severed neck, spreading upward from the detached head and downward from the neck stump.

The Golden Spirit Lord let out a deep, hoarse sound, his Nascent Soul frantically struggling to escape—but it was trapped, unable to break free.

—Whoosh!—

Gu An released his grip, allowing the severed head to fall, and then took the storage bracelet from the corpse before watching as the Taichedan Flame consumed what was left of the Golden Spirit Lord.

Within just five breaths, his spiritual energy dissipated, and his body was reduced to ashes—leaving behind only a single, still-beating heart suspended in midair.

—The Profound Heart!—

Gu An snatched the Profound Heart, tossing it into his storage pouch.

Then, without hesitation, he turned to leave.

“Wait!”

Ji Hantian hurriedly called out, his voice anxious.

“Who… exactly are you? Are you helping us, or do you have a grudge against the Nightshade Sect? If it’s the latter, why not join forces? The Nine Nether Path has already been opened—the real calamity has only just begun. We need to unite!”

The other cultivators also turned their gazes toward Gu An, their expressions filled with unease—but also with hope.

Gu An did not reply.

Instead, he released his sword intent.

—Boom!—

The sky darkened, the heavens and earth trembled!

In the distance, swaying flowers, grass, and trees suddenly froze in place.

“Fu… Dao…” an elder muttered in a trembling voice, his face lighting up with joy.

Before he could finish, Gu An took a single step—and vanished.

He was completely dazed, his mind thrown into turmoil.

—The Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path had effortlessly slain the Golden Spirit Lord?

His thoughts drifted back to the past… back when he himself had relentlessly pursued and challenged the Sword Sovereign.

A wave of shame and fear flooded his heart.

—Thankfully, they were on the same side…

If they hadn’t been… he would’ve been dead long ago.

At the same time, a burning curiosity arose within him.

—Who exactly is the Sword Sovereign?

—And what role does he play in the Taixuan Sect?

In a tavern, Shen Zhen sipped his wine leisurely. Gu An had just left not long ago.

Suddenly—

A surge of powerful auras erupted throughout the city!

The entire Outer Sect City trembled, and in the blink of an eye, a great battle broke out. The chaos startled the other disciples in the tavern, who quickly rose to their feet and hurried away.

Shen Zhen casually glanced out the window.

Above the Heavenly Mending Platform, two cultivators were engaged in a fierce battle, their momentum growing more and more terrifying.

All around the city, Taixuan Sect disciples began taking formation positions on the rooftops, guarding the buildings against destruction.

“Things are getting interesting,” Shen Zhen muttered, watching the chaos unfold with amusement, completely unfazed.

A short while later, Gu An rushed back inside.

“They’re all fighting—why aren’t you hiding?” he asked, feigning panic.

The Nightshade Sect’s spies within the Taixuan Sect had finally made their move, believing that the Golden Spirit Lord had already won.

Little did they know—he was already dead.

Gu An had no need to interfere anymore.

The Taixuan Sect could handle the rest on their own.

So now, Gu An was merely pretending to be alarmed.

Shen Zhen smirked, pulling out brush and ink.

“Come, let’s paint together,” he said. “Whoever does better wins. If your painting impresses me, I’ll give you any medicinal herb you want.”

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