Saint Who Lay Low

After Chen Xuanjin's chest was pierced by a sword-imbued leaf, his spiritual power collapsed. His eyes widened in terror, his heart pounding in fear. Without hesitation, he immediately escaped, his Nascent Soul fleeing into the distant sky.

Amid the swaying forest, Gu An watched Chen Xuanjin's retreat with a calm expression. He had intentionally spared him, as killing Chen would only grant him a mere thirty years of lifespan. It was better to let him go, sending a warning to those pulling the strings from the shadows.

Even if Gu An killed Chen Xuanjin now, another would simply take his place. That would only treat the symptoms, not the root cause. If this warning didn't deter them, and his Xuan Valley was further threatened, Gu An would have no choice but to deal with the source himself.

Under the cover of night, Gu An's gaze grew icy. Turning away, he disappeared into the forest.

Back in the rubble, Zuo Yijian struggled for a long time before finally managing to stand. Covered in blood and dirt, he was in a miserable state. He called out for the senior who had saved him, but there was no response.

With no other option, he sat cross-legged and began healing himself.

Meanwhile, Gu An continued to travel swiftly, covering over a thousand miles before stopping. He remained hidden in the forest, sat down at the base of a tree, and pulled up his status panel.

Staring at his lifespan, which now numbered over a hundred thousand years, he took a deep breath.

Attempting to break through the Void Crossing stage and into the Body Fusion Realm was known to result in countless failures. But he had made up his mind—no matter how many times it took, he was determined to succeed.

Otherwise, he would never feel truly secure!

"I'll start with investing ten thousand years of lifespan."

[You invest ten thousand years of lifespan to evolve your cultivation.]

[You cultivate for one hundred years, attempting to forcefully break through to the Body Fusion Realm with your profound mastery of the Yang Wood Mixed Essence Art. You begin undergoing tribulation, but you fail to withstand the Five Elephant Divine Lightning Tribulation. The breakthrough fails.]

[You cultivate for four hundred years, attempting to break through to the Body Fusion Realm. You undergo tribulation, but once again fail to endure the Five Elephant Divine Lightning Tribulation.]

...

And so, the failures began!

Every three hundred years, he would attempt another tribulation!

No wonder the Tai Xuan Sect turned to demonic cultivation techniques to defy the will of heaven—this breakthrough was truly difficult.

After failing ten times in a row, Gu An's confidence started to waver.

Could it really be this hard?

He had mastered profound techniques like the Infinite Vanishing Celestial Step and the Grand Yin-Yang Transformation, and he wielded two divine abilities—yet even he found the tribulation almost insurmountable?

Gu An noticed that his tribulations were heavily tied to the five elements. Could it be that his tribulations were more difficult than others because of his supreme elemental spiritual root?

After reaching the Core Formation stage, Li Ya had once explained that different cultivators would face varying tribulations, determined by their talents and cultivation methods.

Gu An's eyes sharpened.

Even if it's more difficult, I will succeed!

Heaven may not favor the reckless, but it does reward perseverance!

[You cultivate for five thousand four hundred years, attempting to break through once more. You fail to withstand the Five Elephant Divine Lightning Tribulation.]

[You cultivate for five thousand seven hundred years, attempting to break through. The tribulation overwhelms you once again.]

...

The failure notices continued!

Gu An glanced at his status panel and, seeing that his lifespan remained ample, felt reassured.

He still had plenty of time!

However, after another ten thousand years passed without success, his resolve began to waver. Desperate, he invested another twelve hundred years.

Failure.

Failure.

Failure.

His eyes turned bloodshot as he poured in another twelve hundred years.

Failure.

Failure.

Success!

[You cultivate for nine hundred years. With your profound mastery of the Yang Wood Mixed Essence Art, you successfully endure the Five Elephant Divine Lightning Tribulation and break through to the first layer of the Body Fusion Realm.]

[You cultivate for one thousand two hundred years. Your cultivation increases.]

Success at last!

Gu An let out a long sigh of relief, finally achieving his breakthrough after spending a staggering twelve thousand four hundred years.

Though the lifespan consumed through this simulated cultivation exceeded what real-world cultivation would have cost, it still weighed heavily on his mind.

If the Body Fusion Realm was this difficult, what would happen when he attempted higher realms in the future?

But as he reconsidered, reaching the Body Fusion Realm before the age of fifty was already an extraordinary feat, given his initial potential.

The cost wasn't lifespan—it was just numbers!

Regaining his composure, Gu An activated his lifespan barrier, preparing to enjoy the influx of power from his breakthrough.

The ground beneath him began to pulse with spiritual energy, visibly rising in waves. Within three breaths, the earth seemed to surge like a green tide, the pure wood-element spiritual energy becoming tangible.

The spiritual energy flowed into his body, forming a whirlwind around him.

The commotion steadily grew!

Gu An could sense that the magnitude of this breakthrough far surpassed any of his previous ones. Though it was just a single-stage advancement, the spiritual energy required was far greater than for any earlier levels.

As the energy flooded into him, his cultivation level rapidly increased, and insights into the Body Fusion Realm surfaced in his mind, as if he had experienced centuries of cultivation.

...

In the outer sect's city.

Within a secluded estate, Chen Xuanjin's Nascent Soul floated above a desk, his face grim as he stared into a bronze mirror.

After a moment, the image of a blurry face appeared in the mirror, and a cold voice spoke from within: "Why are you contacting me at such a late hour?"

"I was nearly killed by the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal... and Zuo Yijian—he's trying to sabotage our plans!" Chen Xuanjin gritted his teeth, his voice filled with frustration and fear.

When that leaf pierced his body, he had truly felt the shadow of death. The more he thought about it, the more terrified he became.

If he had been even a little slower, he might have been obliterated!

The figure in the mirror fell silent.

Chen Xuanjin waited quietly, not daring to interrupt.

A few moments later, he sensed something unsettling and his expression changed.

"The spiritual energy is sinking again!" Chen Xuanjin exclaimed, looking nervously toward the door, as if fearing that the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal would storm in at any moment.

"I'll come to the outer sect myself tomorrow," the voice in the mirror said before disappearing.

Chen Xuanjin turned to the window, watching as clouds slowly obscured the moon, casting an ominous shadow. The feeling of dread only deepened in his heart.

He wasn't the only one who felt the drop in spiritual energy—the entire outer sect was in a panic. More and more disciples took to the sky, their anxious faces lit by the dim moonlight.

For months, demonic cultivators had been rampant, and disciples had been disappearing. Now, with the sudden drop in spiritual energy tonight, who wouldn't be on edge?

Ye Lan flew toward the Law Enforcement Hall, crossing paths with Lu Jiujia in mid-air. Both stopped abruptly.

Lu Jiujia's expression was cold, and though he looked like he wanted to say something, he hesitated.

Ye Lan's face remained impassive. "Is this another one of your schemes?"

Lu Jiujia shook his head. "No. The Demon Suppression Hall has already ordered full vigilance. This time, it could really be a demonic invasion."

"Really?" Ye Lan's voice dripped with sarcasm.

Lu Jiujia frowned.

Ye Lan continued, "Lu Senior Brother, do you really believe in the path you've chosen? If they can be so ruthless to other disciples, how can you be sure they won't turn on you?"

Lu Jiujia retorted, "If I don't take this path, what other options do I have? Should I join your Law Enforcement Hall, which could be disbanded at any moment?"

The two locked eyes, their tension palpable.

Without exchanging further words, they parted ways.

...

Dark clouds swirled overhead, forming a massive vortex in the night sky. Below, the forest rippled like ocean waves, the atmosphere heavy with pressure.

In an obscure corner of the forest, hidden from view, Gu An continued to meditate.

Half an hour passed, and his cultivation still hadn't stabilized at the Body Fusion Realm.

The amount of spiritual energy needed for the Body Fusion stage far exceeded Gu An's expectations.

He realized that real-world tribulations were far more terrifying than simulated ones. Failing in a simulation wasn't so bad—but in reality, a single failure could mean death.

Feeling the tremendous surge of spiritual energy within him, Gu An's thoughts wandered.

If the Body Fusion Realm felt this powerful, how mighty must true immortals be?

He allowed himself a moment of contemplation.

Spiritual energy continued to pour into him, transforming the ground beneath him into waves of green energy. It was as though he were submerged in an ocean of spiritual energy.

Outside his lifespan barrier, the forest shook violently. Countless cultivators flew overhead, but none detected Gu An's presence.

The effects of his breakthrough weren't limited to this small area. The tremors stretched across the entire Tai Xuan Sect, with forests near all the outer sect cities quaking, causing widespread alarm among the sect's disciples.

But Gu An remained calm—this was far from his first time going through such an ordeal. In fact, he found it a bit amusing.

Trying to cultivate demonic techniques? Trying to sacrifice outer sect disciples? Let's see how you panic!

Gu An felt no sympathy for those who believed that sacrificing a few for the greater good was justified. His dissatisfaction stemmed from the fact that he himself was included in those potential sacrifices.

Time continued to pass.

More and more cultivators flew overhead, and Gu An constantly monitored them using his lifespan investigation ability.

At least ten Nascent Soul cultivators had passed by, and he even spotted a Void Crossing cultivator.

As expected, the Tai Xuan Sect was full of hidden experts!

The number of Void Crossing cultivators passing overhead continued to grow, and Gu An even saw Gu Zong.

The aura Gu Zong projected as he patrolled was vastly different from his usual mild demeanor. His oppressive presence caused the very earth to tremble.

This night would not be peaceful.

Another half hour passed, and Gu An finally stabilized his breakthrough to the Body Fusion Realm. His entire being felt transformed.

His physical body and primordial spirit had become perfectly aligned, and the process of his soul leaving his body felt effortless. His control over both his body and soul had reached new heights.

The sensation was indescribably wonderful.

With his breakthrough to the Body Fusion Realm, Gu An's spiritual energy had become more potent and abundant.

His divine sense expanded dramatically, but he refrained from extending it too far, fearing that he might attract the attention of the powerful cultivators flying overhead.

More than ten Void Crossing cultivators had already passed by!

Gu An even spotted a Void Crossing expert from the Ji family. No wonder the Ji family dared to establish their residence within the Tai Xuan Sect. Interestingly, this expert hadn't appeared at the banquet Ji Xiaoya had hosted.

After a little more time passed, Gu An's rapid absorption of spiritual energy began to slow.

This signaled that his breakthrough was nearing its end.

Gu An's heart finally calmed.

The lifespan barrier he had activated had consumed more than a thousand years of his life, but he didn't mind. After all, it had allowed him to avoid detection by over a hundred high-level cultivators.

He estimated that at least a hundred of these experts were Nascent Soul cultivators or higher.

And that was just in one direction. If he considered the other seven outer sect cities being patrolled, how many more powerful cultivators must there be?

The only thing that reassured Gu An was the apparent lack of Body Fusion cultivators among those flying overhead.

Though this didn't entirely rule out the existence of Body Fusion experts in the Tai Xuan Sect, it did suggest that such cultivators were rare, likely among the highest echelons of power within the sect.