After the Lunar New Year celebrations, Gu An went alone to Xuangu Valley. He had no fear of the Sun Immortal Emperor causing trouble in the Third Medicine Valley. If the Sun Immortal Emperor dared to harbor any malicious thoughts, Gu An could erase him in an instant—completely removing his existence, even erasing all karma tied to his name so that no one would remember him.
Upon seeing Gu An, An Shengtian and Jiang Shi became visibly excited. Initially, Gu An had planned to make a brief appearance, but their enthusiasm compelled him to stay.
As a result, Gu An had both individuals display the progress of their recent cultivation. After observing them, he provided detailed pointers, which left them overjoyed.
An hour later, Gu An finally entered the Eight Views Heavenly Cave.
Emerging from the tunnel, he looked out and saw the immense form of the Ancient Vine Tree. Beneath its shade, a woman dressed in green was leisurely swinging on a wooden swing.
It was Jiang Qiong.
She was barefoot, without any jewelry or adornments, and her long hair was casually draped over her shoulders. She exuded an air of innocence and purity, devoid of the menacing aura that once marked her as a devil cultivator of the Thousand Autumn Pavilion.
When she turned and saw Gu An approaching, she snorted coldly.
As Gu An drew nearer, Jiang Qiong couldn't help but mutter, "Enjoying yourself last night, were you?"
Unbothered by her mood, Gu An replied curtly, "Do you need something from me? You're the Sect Master of the Gathering Flower Sect. Didn't they hold a Lunar New Year celebration? Shouldn't you be presiding over the event?"
"What's there to oversee? I've raised enough people. I deserve to take a break too," Jiang Qiong huffed as she got off the swing, her bare feet stepping onto the grass.
Suddenly, her eyes gleamed mischievously as she lifted her right foot, attempting to wipe the grass off onto Gu An. Yet, he deftly dodged her move.
"I heard you've been calling yourself the Sword Master of the Dao?"
Jiang Qiong stared at Gu An with a glint of curiosity in her eyes. She had been so sure of her sneak attack, yet Gu An had avoided it with ease.
This guy really isn't simple!
Keeping his distance, Gu An calmly responded, "That's right. Why do you ask?"
Of course, Jiang Qiong didn't believe him. After all, the Sword Master of the Dao himself had told her that Gu An was his disciple. She simply assumed their master-disciple relationship was particularly close.
"It seems like the Sword Master of the Dao is preparing to act. By pushing you to the forefront, he's likely got big plans. You'd better be careful. Even with his support, unseen arrows are the hardest to guard against. When dealing with people, don't act too impulsively," Jiang Qiong advised.
Gu An sighed. "Really? Do I need you to teach me this? Weren't you the one kicked out of the Tai Cang Dynasty back then?"
Jiang Qiong instantly bristled with indignation and began chasing after Gu An. However, no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't catch him.
Feeling provoked, she decided to go all out, pouring all her effort into catching him. Gu An, however, effortlessly evaded her every attempt.
As she gave chase, Jiang Qiong found herself slipping into a peculiar state. In her eyes, Gu An's figure seemed to multiply into countless shadows. His movements and footwork were incredibly fluid, captivating her completely.
She didn't know how much time had passed before she abruptly snapped out of her trance. Standing beneath the Ancient Vine Tree, she realized Gu An was ahead of her, calmly refining pills.
Taking a deep breath, Jiang Qiong asked, "What was that just now?"
"It's a type of footwork. Master it, and you'll be invincible under the heavens," Gu An replied nonchalantly, not even turning to look at her.
What he had taught her was the Eternal Vast Measuring Dao Step, an advanced version of the Time-Striding Dao Step. So far, no one else besides him had succeeded in mastering it.
For Ye Lan and Zhen Qin, Gu An could only encourage them to focus on cultivating their realms. Once they reached the Nirvana Realm, they could then explore other Dao techniques.
Jiang Qiong, however, was different. With a maximum lifespan of over 5,000 years, she was destined to undergo Nirvana eventually. Practicing divine techniques in advance wouldn't hinder her cultivation.
"What's its name?" Jiang Qiong asked curiously. Such an exquisite technique must surely be a legacy of the Sword Master of the Dao.
Gu An glanced at her and said, "This is the Eternal Vast Measuring Dao Step. Don't go spreading it around; it could attract trouble from beyond the heavens—a huge problem."
Hearing this, Jiang Qiong felt both nervous and thrilled. Unable to contain her excitement, she leapt toward Gu An.
She wrapped her arms around him, aiming to plant a kiss on his face. Gu An, however, blocked her with his palm, only for her to cheekily kiss his palm instead, leaving a ticklish sensation.
"I knew I wasn't doting on you for nothing! Don't worry—I'll definitely master it!" Jiang Qiong declared joyfully.
Pushing her away, Gu An replied, "Then hurry up and start practicing! To master this divine ability, it might take a thousand, even ten thousand years."
Jiang Qiong didn't believe him. She immediately got up and began her training.
Gu An turned his attention back to the pill furnace. The flames beneath it flickered and danced, their cycle of burning and extinguishing an endless loop.
Time flew by.
Gu An sat before the furnace once more, tending to the flames. Turning his head, he observed Jiang Qiong's silhouette flitting about, her movements resembling an elusive white swan. Her figure was so swift and graceful that it seemed impossible to track.
Suddenly, she appeared beside him. Placing a hand on her forehead, she let out a dramatic groan before collapsing, wrapping her arms around Gu An's upper body and resting her head on his shoulder.
"Why is it that after a hundred years, I still can't even get started?" Jiang Qiong lamented in frustration.
It had been a century since she received the Eternal Vast Measuring Dao Step. Over the years, she had diligently practiced it, yet she remained unable to grasp its essence. This failure had led her to seek out Gu An for advice.
Earlier, she had demonstrated her progress—or lack thereof. Even with her cultivation at the Profound Heart Realm, she couldn't manage more than twenty steps.
Allowing her to lean against him, Gu An said, "I told you before, this divine ability isn't simple. The fact that you've managed even this much shows you've been putting in the effort."
Jiang Qiong sighed deeply, her face reflecting a rare sense of defeat.
After resting for a while, she shifted the conversation toward the state of the world.
The Reincarnated Shadows summoned by the First Immortal King were wreaking havoc across the lands. Over time, they had earned a unified title: Xuan You Wraiths.
A century had passed, yet the Xuan You Wraiths had not been eradicated. Instead, their numbers had grown to the point where they established their own regime, the Xuan You Divine Dynasty.
In addition to this, a sect named the Heavenly Demon Sect had risen to prominence. Rumored to be comprised entirely of reincarnated Heavenly Demons, its influence was growing steadily.
While the Immortal Dynasty and the Sacred Court waged war against one another, they had tried to divert their forces to deal with the Xuan You Divine Dynasty and the Heavenly Demon Sect. However, not only did they fail, but they suffered repeated defeats, further boosting the two factions' notoriety.
As things stood, the Immortal Dynasty and the Sacred Court had begun to negotiate an armistice. Their new target was now the Xuan You Divine Dynasty and the Heavenly Demon Sect. The mortal world seemed poised for another upheaval.
The Tai Cang Continent had largely escaped these conflicts, but its sects were eager to exploit the chaos to seize resources. Gu An was well aware that beyond Tai Cang, neither the Sword Master of the Dao nor foreign powers would show them any leniency.
The Gathering Flower Sect was no exception. Having focused on external expansion for years, they encountered a major setback last year when one of the Heavenly Demon Sect's powerful figures wiped out over ten thousand disciples. The tragedy left the entire sect seething with anger, though the disparity in power prevented them from seeking revenge.
Jiang Qiong shared this news with Gu An not as a plea for assistance but simply to update him on the outside world. Gu An had no intention of intervening.
In the past few years, the Reincarnation Whirlpool had continued to spew forth Xuan You Wraiths, further strengthening the Xuan You Divine Dynasty. Gu An suspected that a great karmic force was at play behind the scenes.
"I wonder if the Immortal Dynasty and the Sacred Court will truly reconcile. They had better join forces to expel these two factions, or the consequences will be disastrous," Jiang Qiong said with a worried expression.
While refining his pills, Gu An replied, "Don't worry. I'll have a word with the Sun Immortal Emperor."
Jiang Qiong froze, her face filled with disbelief. "You mean the ruler of the Immortal Dynasty?"
"Yeah, him. What about it?"
"Are you joking? As if you could meet someone like that," Jiang Qiong retorted.
"You think I can't?"
"Even if you have the Sword Master of the Dao as your master, he's all the way in the Immortal Dynasty."
"Fine. Today, I'll take you to meet him. You can ask him yourself, how about that?" Gu An said with a sarcastic smirk, throwing her a side-eye.
Jiang Qiong stared at him, dumbfounded.
She doesn't believe me?
Gu An's mind was made up. He was no longer the lowly servant of the Ji family. It was time to show this woman what he was truly capable of!