Chapter 227 Immortal King

Gu An sat at a stone table, enjoying the shoulder and leg massages from Tianqing and Tianbai. His gaze fell on Tian Yao’er as he occasionally critiqued her Infinite Free Step, feeling quite at ease.

Tian Yao’er was somewhat frustrated but had no choice but to listen attentively.

After a long while, Gu An finally stopped his guidance and said, “Tianqing, Tianbai, today I will teach you a divine ability. Do you wish to learn?”

Hearing this, the two women nodded eagerly, their eyes shining with excitement.

Gu An raised his hand and tapped his index finger on their foreheads. In an instant, their bodies froze, and reflections of a figure demonstrating the divine ability appeared in their pupils. The figure’s posture shifted continuously, revealing the secrets of the technique.

What he was imparting was the Dao Gang Vital Energy. For Tianqing and Tianbai to master it, they would need many years of practice—just the right amount of time to settle their restless minds.

During their massage, their hands had been a bit too playful, which slightly displeased Gu An. As a small punishment, he decided to make them focus on serious cultivation.

Tian Yao’er sat down nearby, her curiosity piqued. “Master, what divine ability did you pass on to them?”

Gu An briefly explained Dao Gang Vital Energy, and Tian Yao’er immediately became interested. She began acting coy, pleading for him to teach her as well.

Having spent so much time together, Gu An found it increasingly difficult to refuse Tian Yao’er’s requests. Seeing her enthusiasm, he sighed and nodded. Tian Yao’er was delighted, her eyes darting around mischievously, unable to conceal her excitement.

Once the two cat demons had regained their composure, Gu An sent them off to cultivate.

As soon as they left, Tian Yao’er scooted closer, tilting her forehead forward and even closing her eyes—offering herself up as if waiting for him to pluck the fruit.

Gu An cursed under his breath, “Damn seductress.” Then, without further hesitation, he passed on the divine ability to her.

Afterward, while Tian Yao’er was still immersed in absorbing the inherited knowledge, Gu An took the opportunity to start harvesting medicinal herbs.

Tianqing and Tianbai, however, were anything but obedient. Wherever Gu An went, they stayed nearby, cultivating while constantly finding excuses to chat with him.

By the time dawn approached, Gu An finally left.

Autumn Arrives, The Air Turns Cool

Gu An traversed vast seas, eventually arriving at Seeker’s Island.

As expected, news of the oceanic great rift had already reached the island. Everyone was talking about it.

Rumors said that the rift was still expanding endlessly, its full length now beyond estimation. Its width alone stretched over a hundred miles, making people uneasy, as if the mortal world itself was about to be torn in two.

During this period, Gu An had even seen Celestial Ascension cultivators approaching the rift, but even they were powerless against it.

“Senior, I heard a legend…” Hu Xiaojian, walking beside Gu An, spoke in a hushed, mysterious tone.

“Long ago, the world was submerged in the ocean, wiping out countless sects. When the seas eventually receded, living beings returned to land, and sects sprang up like mushrooms after rain. Among them was a sect called the Red Dust Sect. Its leader forged the Supreme Immortal Treasure, Divine Anomaly City, and used it to suppress the world, eventually becoming an Immortal King.”

“Before his fall, the Red Dust Sect Master supposedly split the ocean in half with a single strike. His body then plummeted into the sea, entombed forever at the bottom. His cultivation level was beyond comprehension. Some say it is his corpse’s lingering power that is causing the ocean to crack apart… But who knows if that’s true?”

Red Dust Sect… Divine Anomaly City?

Gu An’s expression darkened. He immediately connected this oceanic rift to the Seven Star Spirit Realm.

First, they had released Divine Anomaly City. Now, they had caused this massive fissure. What exactly were they plotting?

“Help me gather all the recorded legends of Immortal Kings throughout history.” Gu An ordered.

Previously, the Nightshade Ghost Mother had sent him the Immortal King’s Crown, beneath which lay the Evil Emperor’s remains—his bones and soul. Gu An had buried the crown at the bottom of the Northern Sea and never touched it since.

At the time, he had assumed “Immortal King” was just a title. But now, it seemed there had been many true Immortal Kings throughout history.

Hu Xiaojian nodded enthusiastically. Being able to serve Gu An was an honor. After following him for years, he knew he had secured a powerful backer.

Serving a Scattered Immortal? This was the greatest fortune of his life!

Meanwhile, Seeker’s Island was hosting an auction in two days, and Hu Xiaojian highly recommended that Gu An attend. The reason?

A Ninth-Grade Spirit Tree sapling was up for sale.

Hearing this, Gu An immediately agreed.

Half a Day Later…

Gu An left the auction with the Ninth-Grade Spirit Tree sapling in hand. Some Scattered Immortals attempted to track him, but they had no chance of keeping up.

Arriving in a secluded Cave Residence, Gu An planted the sapling.

【Luo Hai Tree (Ninth-Grade): 56/80000/500000】

A maximum lifespan of 500,000 years!

If he were to kill it now, he could absorb 8,000 years of lifespan. But Gu An wasn’t one to kill the chicken for its eggs.

The Luo Hai Tree could generate the Luo Weathering Sea, condensing spiritual energy and improving the surrounding environment. This mystical sea could also produce Spiritual Rain, which was rumored to grant enlightenment upon those bathed in it.

Such a spirit tree filled Gu An with anticipation.

In ten thousand years, this hidden realm would finally mature. By then, if his old acquaintances had perished, he could simply enter seclusion here for a few million years. With Tian Yao’er by his side, he would never be lonely.

Gu An admired the Luo Hai Tree for a long time before leaving.

Ten Years Later…

A decade had passed, and the Luo Hai Tree had grown significantly taller.

Tian Yao’er stood beside Gu An, gazing up at the tree with him.

In the distance, Tianqing and Tianbai were playing together. Gu An had originally taken them in to serve Tian Yao’er, but since she was always in seclusion, they remained carefree and playful, their personalities unchanged.

After ten years, Tian Yao’er’s cultivation had already reached the Second Level of the Nascent Soul Stage.

“Master, you’ve stared at it long enough. Time to go, isn’t it?” Tian Yao’er asked softly.

Gu An snapped out of his thoughts and nodded before turning to leave with her.

She had urged him because she didn’t want to waste more time lingering here. She had so many things to say to him.

But she could sense that Gu An’s mood was low.

This emotion persisted even as they departed.

Returning to Xuan Valley

Back in Xuan Valley, Gu An sat at his desk, holding the book Adventures of the Green Hero, unable to concentrate.

He sighed inwardly, deeply troubled.

The reason?

Tonight, Ye Lan would finally unseal the cultivation suppressed by her Innate Reincarnation Technique.

Gu An was now 122 years old, and Ye Lan was 117. She had only 13 years left before reaching her lifespan’s limit. He had left this buffer in case anything went wrong.

Over the years, he had sent her countless pills, ensuring she had accumulated immense cultivation.

As he thought this, Gu An felt somewhat relieved.

Activating his Divine Sense, he focused on Ye Lan’s residence in the Outer Sect City.

Ye Lan sat cross-legged on her bed, cultivating. Gu An could sense her suppressed cultivation loosening.

He waited until midnight.

Then, her cultivation fully erupted…

As Ye Lan’s suppressed cultivation fully erupted, Gu An’s numerous pre-set formations within her residence activated. Yet, despite these precautions, her sudden surge in aura still startled many cultivators.

Gu An couldn’t deploy formations beyond his publicly known cultivation level, so while the concealment array dampened some of the commotion, it wasn’t enough to go unnoticed.

More and more people began gathering around Ye Lan’s residence, curious about the disturbance.

Fortunately, Outer Sect Grand Elder Lü Songhan arrived in time. He quickly dispersed the disciples and assigned guards to stand watch over the estate—an arrangement Gu An had planned in advance.

Gu An could feel that Ye Lan was forming her Core.

He let out a breath of relief.

By dawn, she had already begun stepping into the Nascent Soul Stage.

This made Gu An’s heart tremble. The Innate Reincarnation Technique was truly domineering!

Of course, Ye Lan’s rapid breakthroughs were also largely due to Gu An. The sheer volume of pills he had given her was beyond what most Nascent Soul cultivators could afford in their lifetime.

For two whole days, Ye Lan remained in seclusion.

However, the commotion of her advancement had drawn attention not just from the Outer Sect but even from Inner Sect elders and those in the Sect Main City.

Gu An had no choice but to stand guard outside her residence.

Lü Baitian Arrives

As the commotion escalated, Lü Baitian—the Sect Master—arrived.

The moment he saw Gu An, he strode toward him.

Facing the Sect Master, Gu An chose not to hide anything. He explained the origins of the Dao Yan Technique, and how Ye Lan’s dramatic breakthrough was the result of him feeding her countless alchemical pills over the years.

Lü Baitian nodded thoughtfully.

He had heard of the Dao Yan Technique before—it was famous now because Wu Xin, the great cultivator by Li Xuandao’s side, had spread its reputation throughout the cultivation world.

What surprised him was Gu An’s sentimentality.

Lü Baitian knew that Gu An controlled three entire Medicine Valleys, and the number of spiritual herbs he received each year was astronomical. Yet, he had willingly poured all of it into Ye Lan’s cultivation without hesitation.

After a moment of silence, Lü Baitian said, “I will handle this. You just focus on waiting for her.”

Then, he gestured to Lü Songhan.

Lü Songhan understood immediately. He announced to the gathered crowd that a Void Transformation Stage grandmaster was undergoing secluded cultivation in the residence, and that no one was to disturb them.

If news had spread that a Foundation Establishment cultivator had leaped straight to the Nascent Soul Stage in just two days, it would have caused a massive uproar. But if it was just a Void Transformation cultivator in seclusion, then few people would pay much attention.

Night Falls

Gu An remained at the entrance, standing watch.

By the time the sun set, Ye Lan’s aura had finally stabilized. Lü Songhan dismissed the remaining guards and left.

Gu An stepped inside the residence, heading toward Ye Lan’s room.

He stopped outside her door.

“Senior Brother, why aren’t you coming in?” Ye Lan’s voice called from inside.

Gu An took a deep breath and pushed the door open.

His gaze landed on Ye Lan, sitting on her bed, and he immediately activated Lifespan Perception to check on her.

【Ye Lan (Nascent Soul Stage, Fifth Level): 117/600/600】

Only six hundred years of lifespan?!

Gu An frowned, his heart sinking.

Ye Lan, however, smiled at him with joy. “Senior Brother, I’ve reached the Nascent Soul Stage! It’s unbelievable!”

She was ecstatic, completely unaware that her lifespan was capped at only six hundred years.

In her mind, Nascent Soul cultivators could easily live for over a thousand years, and since she had just broken through, she assumed she had a long future ahead.

The Innate Reincarnation Technique could extend one’s lifespan limit, but it couldn’t directly increase the lifespan gained from breakthroughs. After all, this technique defied fate itself.

Gu An forced a smile. “Really? That’s amazing! Junior Sister, you’ll have to look after me in the future.”

Ye Lan giggled. “You’re the one who passed down this technique to me. Once you unseal your own cultivation, you’ll definitely surpass me!”

Gu An hadn’t actually cultivated the Innate Reincarnation Technique himself, but hearing her say that, he could only go along with it.

Ye Lan got up from the bed and joined him at the table, eager to discuss her breakthrough experience.

Meanwhile, Gu An was deep in thought.

How could he help Ye Lan attain enlightenment?

So far, comprehending Dao seemed to be the best way to extend one’s maximum lifespan.

But achieving enlightenment was easier said than done!

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep