Saint Who Lay Low

Outer Sect City.

On the city walls stood countless outer sect disciples, including Ye Lan and Zhen Qin. Both had furrowed brows as they gazed into the distance. Like them, all the disciples were watching the same direction, bracing themselves as if facing a deadly enemy.

The vast expanse of snow covered the mountains and rivers. The wind howled fiercely, and through the swirling snow, the faint outlines of the mountain range could be seen.

Goo-goo—

The mysterious bird's cry echoed again, sounding like the approach of some ghostly deity, causing the hearts of the disciples on the wall to beat like war drums.

Gradually, a shadow appeared in the white sky, causing all the disciples to widen their eyes in shock.

"W-what is that?" Zhen Qin asked in a trembling voice, speaking so softly it seemed as though she was asking herself.

Ye Lan's eyes were also wide in astonishment. She had thought herself well-versed in the world, yet the scene before her was beyond anything she had ever seen.

The colossal shadow seemed like a black ocean drawing near, endless and vast, stretching from one end of the sky to the other. The bird's cry grew louder and louder.

Anyone who faced such an enormous shadow would feel fear, as though a deep abyss was closing in.

A tremendous pressure emanated from within the city, startling the disciples and making them turn around. Dozens of flying swords soared into the sky, enveloped in golden spiritual energy. With a thunderous roar, the swords converged, forming a giant golden phoenix that flew across the city walls.

This golden phoenix had a wingspan of a hundred feet, and its momentum was overwhelming. However, as it approached the terrifying shadow in the distance, it seemed insignificant.

The golden phoenix tore through the snowstorm, unstoppable, crashing into the massive shadow. The next moment, golden light exploded, and a fierce wind swept over the city wall, filled with snow. The outer sect disciples were forced to raise their arms to shield themselves.

"Your Majesty, the Demon Emperor of the Netherworld, what are you waiting for?"

A cold, mocking voice echoed across the sky, silencing all the other sounds of the world.

At the Heaven Mending Platform.

The Huangquan Demon Emperor slowly rose to his feet. Across from him, a Void Crossing Stage cultivator from Tai Xuan Sect also stood, their eyes meeting.

"So, it turns out that you are the legendary Huangquan Demon Emperor. You've hidden yourself quite well," said the Tai Xuan Sect elder coldly, raising his right hand as a jade ruler appeared.

Several other Tai Xuan Sect cultivators stood up, each radiating power far beyond the Divine Transformation stage, causing the other cultivators on the platform to rise and retreat.

Even the Ephemeral Ghost Mother was backing away, looking no different from an ordinary cultivator.

"Heh heh."

A chilling laugh escaped the Huangquan Demon Emperor, his once-calm face now twisted with malice. Dark demonic energy surged from his robes, spreading in all directions.

Boom—

Thunder rumbled overhead as dark clouds gathered, pushing aside the falling snow and creating a suffocating atmosphere. It was as if two separate skies had appeared, one filled with crushing pressure.

The Huangquan Demon Emperor glanced upwards, a sneer on his face, before suddenly crouching down and slamming his palm into the ground. In an instant, the demonic energy covering the Heaven Mending Platform roiled violently as ghosts clawed their way out of the fog, their howls shaking the heavens.

Thus, the war between righteous and demonic factions began!

Back in Xuan Valley.

Gu An was leading the disciples in inspecting the herbs. The fierce winds were causing the snow on the mountain to cascade down in small avalanches, while distant booms echoed continuously.

Standing beside Gu An, Yang Ni watched the sky, her brow tightly furrowed.

"Senior Brother, this disturbance seems quite serious!" Wu Xin whispered anxiously as he stood next to Gu An.

Gu An inwardly cursed. Hadn't Jiang Qiong said the fighting wouldn't reach this outer sect city? Why did it feel like the demonic path was attacking from this very direction?

"Don't worry. Tai Xuan Sect won't fall so easily," Gu An reassured.

He could sense thick demonic energy coming from the outer sect city, though he couldn't tell where it was coming from.

Wu Xin was visibly worried, but he kept working diligently—a result of years of Gu An's teachings.

Overhead, the clouds were growing darker, reducing the intensity of the snowfall. This was a small blessing for Xuan Valley.

After the snow had been cleared from all the fields, Gu An had Wu Xin gather the disciples together. He and Yang Ni stood off to the side.

"Can Tai Xuan Sect really hold them off?"

"What's that terrifying noise?"

"I wonder what's happening in the outer sect city. At least we're safe in the herb valley."

"Don't be too sure. There might be demonic cultivators targeting us."

"Shut up! Don't jinx us!"

The disciples were tense and anxious, their minds unable to settle. The pressure from the battle, the demonic energy, and the overwhelming presence of the demonic forces all played havoc with their senses. This was an experience unlike anything they had faced before.

Gu An glanced at the disciples standing a hundred feet away before turning to Yang Ni, transmitting his voice, "With your strength, how powerful of an opponent can you handle?"

"As long as they're not at the Divine Transformation stage, I can kill as many as come," Yang Ni replied confidently. But Gu An didn't feel any comfort.

Because he was certain Divine Transformation stage cultivators would appear.

At that moment, a figure flew in from the distance, landing quickly in the valley—it was none other than Li Ya.

"Senior Brother Li!" Wu Xin called out excitedly. Li Ya was an inner sect disciple and a genuine Core Formation cultivator. His arrival was a huge morale boost for Wu Xin.

As for Yang Ni, Wu Xin had always thought of her as just a Foundation Establishment disciple and didn't rank her as highly as Li Ya.

Ignoring Wu Xin, Li Ya hurried over to Gu An. His eyes lingered on Yang Ni for a moment before he turned to Gu An and urgently said, "Junior Brother Gu, you need to leave! This place is too dangerous. All the outer and inner sect cities are under attack. There are traitors within Tai Xuan Sect who've let the enemy in through the teleportation arrays!"

Hmm?

Li Ya doesn't recognize Yang Ni?

Gu An's expression turned serious as he said, "I can't leave. I can't abandon the herb valley. And even if we flee, where can we go?"

Honestly, Gu An felt both moved and troubled by Li Ya's arrival.

Demonic invaders didn't scare Gu An. He just found it inconvenient to have so many people around, limiting his ability to act.

"If you want to hide, it's easy enough. But staying here in the herb valley is foolish!" Li Ya argued.

Gu An shook his head, saying, "If you want to hide, you should go. There's no need for you to risk yourself for me. I can't abandon my disciples."

There were over twenty servant disciples in Xuan Valley, making it difficult to move them all. But this also gave Gu An a good excuse to stay.

Before Li Ya could respond, Yang Ni suddenly said, "Someone's coming!"

Li Ya instinctively looked up, and Gu An did the same.

A shadow fell from the swirling thunderclouds above, hurtling straight toward Xuan Valley like a falling star, landing with a crash on the northern peak, sending a plume of snow into the air.

"Wu Xin, you've made it quite difficult for me to find you. I knew you had no courage to act as a spy for Tai Xuan Sect!"

A mocking voice filled with disdain echoed through the valley, causing everyone to turn and look at Wu Xin.

The disciples around him gasped and stepped back.

Wu Xin, however, stared hatefully at the figure atop the mountain.

The figure wore a black robe with blood-red patterns, his hair disheveled but his features handsome, though his eyes were filled with malice. His smile was twisted as he looked down at Wu Xin as though watching an insect.

[Bai Wu (Nascent Soul Stage Level 1): 203/790/980]

Gu An examined the results of his lifespan probe, completely unfazed.

He had allowed the intruder into the valley, knowing full well that Bai Wu wasn't a threat. The scan was just to be sure.

Li Ya frowned as he glanced at Wu Xin, a flash of killing intent in his eyes.

Wu Xin, aware of Bai Wu's power, gritted his teeth and shouted, "I'll go back with you. Don't harm anyone else!"

"That won't do. My orders are to kill every Tai Xuan Sect disciple, even the worthless servant disciples!" Bai Wu sneered, licking his lips. "And who said I would take you back? You'll die here today with the rest. I'll bring your head back as a trophy."

"Hmph!"

A cold snort echoed through the valley, startling Bai Wu, his pupils dilating in fear. He instinctively glanced to the side, just in time to see a sword-wielding woman in green appear beside him, slashing at him.

It was Yang Ni!

He leaped back, but not fast enough, as the sword grazed his arm, drawing blood.

Yang Ni pressed her attack, and the two of them clashed on the mountaintop, her sword slashing through the air while demonic energy from Bai Wu spread like a dark fog. Their battle quickly ascended into the sky, with sword qi and demonic power colliding violently.

Li Ya couldn't help but glance at Gu An, asking in confusion, "Who is that?"

Gu An replied in a low voice, "She's your mother's sister, Yang Ni. Don't you recognize her?"

Li Ya was stunned. "Her…?"

He muttered in disbelief, as if struggling to comprehend what Gu An had just said.

Does this mean they don't have a good relationship? Gu An wondered privately. But instead of dwelling on it, he said, "I'm going to check on the herbs in the forest. There's a lot planted there."

With that, he quickly ran towards the forest, leaving Li Ya behind.

Li Ya wanted to stop him, but Yang Ni's battle kept him distracted.

"Damn it!" Li Ya cursed under his breath before leaping into the sky to assist Yang Ni in her fight.

In truth, Yang Ni was already dominating Bai Wu. Despite his large, sweeping demonic techniques, her swift and precise sword strikes kept him on the back foot. Within moments, Bai Wu was drenched in his own blood. Even though he attempted powerful spells, Yang Ni's elegant movements allowed her to dodge with ease, cutting him down bit by bit.

Witnessing Bai Wu's pathetic state, Wu Xin, who had been watching from below, was wide-eyed in disbelief. He had never imagined Yang Ni was this formidable.

Where did Senior Brother find such a powerful expert? he thought in awe.

Meanwhile, at the edge of the forest, Gu An stood with his back to Xuan Valley, staring at the distant mountains.

He raised his right hand, curling his thumb against his middle finger as if aiming at something far away.

He had sensed the presence of a Void Crossing Realm cultivator several hundred miles away. For some reason, that person had stopped moving, and Gu An suspected it was for something nefarious.

They were too close to his herb valley. He had to kill them.

Perfect timing to try out the Divine Finger Of Spirit Gathering that Old Man Tian had taught him.

Having recently mastered the technique, Gu An was eager to see its effectiveness. Even though he was not yet proficient, it should still be enough to kill a Void Crossing cultivator.

Spiritual energy began compressing at the tip of his middle finger. He refrained from drawing in the surrounding spiritual qi to avoid alarming Yang Ni and the others.

Several hundred miles away.

In a clearing amidst the mountain range, a group of demonic cultivators was gathered, constructing a formation array.

Standing nearby was a man radiating an imposing aura. His name was Xu Lian, one of the Demon Lords of the Tianjue Sect. His cultivation had reached the Void Crossing stage, fourth level. He absentmindedly played with a ball of white flame in his hand, his expression indifferent.

A disciple from Tianjue Sect approached him and whispered, "Master, the array will be completed in one incense stick's time."

Xu Lian responded coolly, "Complete it as soon as possible. Prepare—"

Before he could finish speaking, his expression suddenly changed. Instinctively, he turned his head to look into the distance.

Crack—

The sound of Gu An's compressed spiritual power being released rang out like the snapping of a bowstring. The divine finger technique he had been preparing was unleashed with precision.

A streak of brilliant light shot out from his fingertip, traversing the hundreds of miles in an instant, splitting through the air like a beam of divine judgment.

Back in the mountains, Xu Lian's eyes widened in horror as the streak of light bore down on him. He raised his hand to defend, but it was too late.

Boom!

The divine finger attack hit him square in the chest, obliterating him instantly, leaving nothing behind but a burst of energy that scattered into the winds.

The demonic cultivators around him were stunned, their leader vanishing without a trace in the blink of an eye. Panic erupted among them as they realized the powerful presence of their master had been snuffed out.

Gu An, still at the forest's edge, relaxed his hand.

"Seems like it worked," he muttered to himself, satisfied with the result.

This was just the beginning of what he could achieve with the Divine Finger of Spirit Gathering, but it had already proven its power.

He began to make his way back towards the herb valley, not even bothering to glance at the distant mountain where his attack had landed. The enemy had been dealt with.

Meanwhile, in the skies above Xuan Valley, Yang Ni had finally gained the upper hand in her fight with Bai Wu. Within ten breaths, her sword pierced through his chest. He gasped in shock as blood gushed from the wound.

"You…you…" Bai Wu tried to speak, but before he could finish his sentence, Yang Ni twisted her sword, causing the life to drain from his eyes.

His body fell from the sky, crashing onto the snowy ground below, lifeless.

Yang Ni landed gracefully, wiping the blood from her sword. She turned to see Li Ya approaching.

"Thanks for the help, but you were a little late," she said with a small smile, though her tone carried no warmth.

Li Ya said nothing, his expression complex.

Wu Xin, along with the other disciples, stood in stunned silence. The fight had ended so quickly, and the person who had come to kill them was lying dead at their feet.

For the first time, they truly understood the difference in power between them and someone like Yang Ni.

Back in the herb valley, Gu An returned from the forest, acting as if nothing had happened. He glanced around at the tense faces of his disciples and said, "Everything is fine now. Let's keep an eye on the weather and finish clearing the snow."