Chapter 80: Black Tortoise Tidal Palm and the Rare Heavenly Spiritual Root
Hearing of Li Ya’s injury, Gu An felt a flicker of annoyance.
Lü Xian’s methods were excessively harsh, and now he was openly belittling Li Ya!
Gu An had initially thought that even if Lü Xian bested Li Ya, he would show some restraint out of respect for Li Xuandao. Yet, not only had Lü Xian been ruthless, but his tone also carried a blatant disregard for Li Xuandao himself.Nôv(el)B\\jnn
Yi Liuyun suddenly appeared before Lü Xian, frowning. “Why did you injure His Highness? Knocking him unconscious would’ve sufficed.”
It was obvious that Li Xuandao had frequently spoken to Yi Liuyun about Li Ya.
“What? Am I not allowed to hurt him? He’s not the crown prince, and he’s far inferior to the crown prince anyway,” Lü Xian retorted, his tone tinged with irritation.
“Even if he’s not the crown prince, he’s still a prince the Emperor cares about!” Yi Liuyun’s voice carried a hint of reproach.
Luo Hun remained silent, but his expression made his displeasure clear.
Lü Xian snorted. “What’s the big deal? If you don’t like it, you can break my limbs in return!”
Just then, Lü Xian noticed Gu An approaching and immediately perked up, walking over with enthusiasm.
“Valley Master, I’ve secured the championship at the Hundred Clans Conference! So, how about it? Will you train with me?” Lü Xian asked. He retrieved the golden token from his storage pouch, which bore the words Hidden Dragon Ranking Champion.
Gu An nodded. “Alright, let’s train.”
Thrilled, Lü Xian grabbed Gu An and led him to a nearby clearing.
Watching them leave, Yi Liuyun turned to Luo Hun and asked, “Should we inform His Majesty about this?”
Luo Hun considered for a moment before shaking his head. “No need. His Majesty has undoubtedly assigned people to keep an eye on Prince Li Ya.”
Yi Liuyun sighed, shook his head, and vanished into thin air.
Lü Xian led Gu An to an open space where three monkey demons quickly gathered to watch out of curiosity.
“What kind of technique do you prefer?” Lü Xian asked, cracking his knuckles with eagerness.
“Anything but swordsmanship,” Gu An replied, recalling their prior agreement. Though he had promised to train with Lü Xian, he couldn’t just let go of the grudge over Li Ya’s injury.
“Then I’ll teach you a palm technique! It’s the one I used to break Li Ya’s limbs,” Lü Xian said proudly, casting a glance toward the distant Yi Liuyun, clearly meant as a jab.
“Fine, show me what you’ve got,” Gu An replied evenly.
Lü Xian began demonstrating the technique, combining physical moves with a detailed explanation of the mental cultivation method.
Black Tortoise Tidal Palm—the name alone carried an air of dominance.
Gu An watched carefully, hiding his intentions to mess with Lü Xian.
The sun climbed high and then slowly dipped toward the horizon. By the time evening arrived, Lü Xian was in complete dismay.
“Are you genuinely unable to learn, or are you doing this on purpose?” he exclaimed in frustration.
His voice was so loud that Yi Liuyun and Luo Hun rushed over, fearing he might lose control and attack.
Gu An sighed. “I told you, my talent and comprehension are terrible. You didn’t believe me and insisted on teaching me. Now you’re upset.”
“No way... No one can be this bad at learning, can they?” Lü Xian muttered, unable to make sense of the situation. Gu An’s clueless demeanor didn’t seem fake. Ȑ�
When the fourteen-year-old An Hao revealed his ninth-level Qi Refining Stage cultivation, it immediately caught the attention of the Outer Sect elders, one of whom personally received them.
Gu An had chosen this particular Outer Sect city because of the number of grandmasters residing there. This reduced the risk of An Hao being ambushed or having his body seized.
A new year began, and the Spring Festival arrived.
In Xuan Valley, Gu An, Ye Lan, Zhen Qin, Wu Xin, Xiao Chuan, Tang Yu, and others gathered around a long table for the festivities. Meanwhile, the other disciples sat at a separate table, laughing and toasting one another.
“Have you heard? The Outer Sect recently accepted a disciple with a Heavenly Spiritual Root! Even the elders of the main sect city were alarmed. His name is An Hao, and he’s only fourteen—almost at Foundation Establishment. It’s unbelievable! Compared to him, I feel like my cultivation has gone into a pig’s body,” Zhen Qin exclaimed, her wine cup in hand.
Heavenly Spiritual Root!
The news immediately grabbed everyone’s attention. Wu Xin couldn’t help but ask, “Is that true? The Taicang Empire hasn’t produced a Heavenly Spiritual Root in centuries.”
“It’s true. Our Law Enforcement Hall even guarded him for a few days until the Sect Master took him in,” Ye Lan confirmed, her tone far calmer than Zhen Qin’s.
The group buzzed with speculation about the Heavenly Spiritual Root. Wu Xin shared several legends, prompting Ye Lan to frown.
“How does this guy know so much? Could there be something off about him?” Ye Lan wondered, silently resolving to check Wu Xin’s entry records despite their years of acquaintance.
Meanwhile, Gu An listened to the discussion about An Hao, a smile forming on his lips.
His peaceful days of tending fields now had an added excitement—watching just how far An Hao would rise.
The conversation eventually shifted to broader topics in the cultivation world. Reports claimed that Changluo in Cangzhou was in turmoil due to a demon attack on the emperor. Though the emperor had narrowly survived, his fury was boundless, and entire clans were being executed as part of the investigation.
Gu An, knowing that Li Xuandao concealed a ninth-level Transformation Stage cultivation, was unconcerned. He listened with interest, even amusement.
The New Year celebrations lasted through the night, ending only at sunrise. As the first rays of dawn broke, Ye Lan and Zhen Qin departed.
Instead of leaving Xuan Valley, Gu An quietly entered the Eight Views Celestial Realm, bringing delicacies for Hao Long.
Under the Spirit Tree, Hao Long greeted Gu An with excitement, darting around him. Now nearly two zhang (approximately seven meters) long, its dragon horns were fully developed, giving it the appearance of a true dragon. Its black scales gleamed with a cold luster.
“Master, when will you take me outside?” Hao Long asked pitifully, rubbing against Gu An’s face.
Gu An patted its head with a smile. “I told you before—when you’re fully grown. Outside, too many people are eyeing your meat like you eye lamb.”
"How big counts as grown? I feel like I’m already really strong—Master, you might not even be my match," Hao Long said pitifully.
Though Gu An had occasionally practiced swordsmanship under the Spirit Tree, he had never revealed his full strength. Even Hao Long didn’t know the extent of his power.
Hearing this, Gu An realized he couldn’t let things continue this way.
“I’ll think of a solution,” he said thoughtfully.
Gu An decided to seek out Jiang Qiong to see if she knew any transformation techniques. If Hao Long could change into a snake, he might be able to accompany Gu An outside without drawing attention.
Hao Long brightened immediately, even letting out a cheer that made Gu An laugh.
After spending an hour in the Eight Views Celestial Realm, Gu An left. He had sensed a familiar presence approaching Xuan Valley, prompting him to cut his visit short.
Back at his loft, Gu An pretended to read a book, keeping an eye on his surroundings.
Before long, a figure leaped through the window.
Before they even landed, a lively voice rang out: “Junior Brother Gu, guess what treasure I’ve brought back for you!”