Saint Who Lay Low

Under Gu An's watchful gaze, a figure swiftly flew over, landing right in front of Ye Yan.

As soon as Ye Yan saw him, he tensed up, even taking two steps back.

[Zhou Tongyou (Core Formation Stage, Ninth Layer): 62/900/3100]

It was him!

Gu An didn't expect to encounter Zhou Tongyou here—the very person who had recently shaken the Tai Xuan Sect.

Zhou Tongyou had been challenging the younger generation of disciples throughout Tai Xuan Sect, winning every battle. His reputation had even spread to the outer sect.

Since Zhou Tongyou hailed from Jue Shan Sect, another prestigious sect closely allied with Tai Xuan Sect, the high-ranking cultivators in Tai Xuan Sect were reluctant to confront him. Thus, Zhou Tongyou had roamed freely in the sect for over half a year without anyone being able to stop him.

Zhou Tongyou only dueled and didn't kill, and he had declared that he would only challenge cultivators under a hundred years old. Even though his actions irritated many within Tai Xuan Sect, no one could challenge his rules, as he was still thirty-eight years shy of turning a hundred. Moreover, by challenging ninety-nine-year-old disciples, he was actually giving Tai Xuan Sect an advantage, yet no one had been able to defeat him.

Zhou Tongyou's gaze drifted to the slope where Gu An stood, his expression calm.

Gu An tucked his book into his robe and stood up, walking down to meet him.

He positioned himself between Zhou Tongyou and Ye Yan, then turned to Zhou Tongyou, cupping his fists in greeting. "I am Gu An, Ye Yan's master. May I ask how my disciple has offended you, Senior?"

Ye Yan, seeing his master step in to shield him, felt a surge of emotion.

Gu An had already mentioned that the cultivators in this area were all inner disciples, which meant they were at least at the Core Formation stage.

For Gu An, only at the first layer of Foundation Establishment, to stand against a Core Formation cultivator, how could Ye Yan not be moved?

"You're his master? Your cultivation is disappointing," Zhou Tongyou remarked, studying Gu An with a frown.

Gu An responded, "My disciple is only at the Qi Refining stage. How high do you expect my cultivation to be as his master?"

Zhou Tongyou snorted, "I didn't come here to bully your disciple. I'm showing him respect."

Upon hearing this, Ye Yan's face turned pale, and he was left speechless.

Gu An stared at Zhou Tongyou, saying, "If you wanted to teach him something, you could have said so directly. He would have been grateful for the guidance. But instead, you remained silent and struck him hard. Maybe you had good intentions, but deep down, you clearly disdain him, which is why you didn't bother to explain."

If Zhou Tongyou had been the number one genius of Tai Xuan Sect, Gu An might have thought twice. But he wasn't.

Gu An didn't want unnecessary trouble, but if Zhou Tongyou pushed him, he wouldn't hold back.

Zhou Tongyou's frown deepened.

He wanted to argue, but he knew that Gu An had seen through him. He did, in fact, feel some disdain for Ye Yan. The reason he kept returning to offer "guidance" was nothing more than a whim.

"Hmph, it seems you want to settle this with me. Fine then, the rules remain the same—no spiritual energy, just technique. If you can defeat me, I will apologize to your disciple and even gift him a complete body-refining manual. How about that?" Zhou Tongyou challenged coldly, fixing his gaze on Gu An.

"Master, don't!" Ye Yan quickly urged. He knew Zhou Tongyou's strength well, even in a contest of pure technique, Zhou Tongyou was overwhelmingly powerful.

Gu An asked, "Just technique?"

"That's right!"

Seeing Gu An's interest piqued, Zhou Tongyou smiled, though his grin had a sinister edge.

Gu An frowned and said, "If I win, you must promise not to speak of your defeat, and you'll never trouble us again."

Hmph, he actually wants to compete with me in technique?

Zhou Tongyou laughed and said, "Agreed. Now, pick your weapon."

Gu An raised his right hand, and with a wave, he summoned a tree branch from the forest. Grasping it in his right hand as if it were a sword, he beckoned Zhou Tongyou with his left hand.

Without hesitation, Zhou Tongyou walked toward Gu An, the distance between them shrinking. Ye Yan quickly stepped aside, afraid of getting in the way of his master.

When they were only seven steps apart, Zhou Tongyou suddenly accelerated, covering the distance in a single step. His right fist shot towards Gu An's abdomen.

Though he wasn't using spiritual energy, the force of his punch was accompanied by a sound like the roar of a tiger. Before the punch even landed, Gu An could feel the fierce energy pressing toward him.

Whoosh—

Zhou Tongyou's fist came to a halt, his pupils trembling, shock overtaking his expression.

Ye Yan's eyes widened in disbelief at what he was witnessing.

Gu An had leaned back slightly, his branch held against Zhou Tongyou's throat, while Zhou Tongyou's fist stopped two feet short of Gu An.

"If this were a real sword, do you think I could have hurt you?" Gu An asked calmly, causing Zhou Tongyou's expression to shift.

After a few moments, Zhou Tongyou retracted his fist, and Gu An followed by lowering his "sword."

Zhou Tongyou took a deep breath, then turned to Ye Yan, saying, "I apologize. I went too far."

He pulled a manual from his storage pouch and tossed it to Ye Yan before once again locking eyes with Gu An.

"Your sword is fast. Who exactly are you?"

Gu An tossed the branch aside and replied coolly, "I'm just a cultivator with mediocre spiritual roots. I don't enjoy qi cultivation, so I practice my sword techniques instead. My techniques aren't particularly refined, but they're fast enough. If we fought without restrictions, I wouldn't be your match."

If Zhou Tongyou hadn't admitted his loss, Gu An would have made him regret it. But since he had honored his word and even apologized to a servant disciple, Gu An's opinion of him had improved.

This man was arrogant, but his character wasn't bad.

Zhou Tongyou's expression flickered between frustration and respect. After a moment, he gritted his teeth and asked, "You really won't speak of this to anyone?"

"I don't even know your name. How could I?"

Zhou Tongyou let out a sigh of relief, cupped his fists in respect to Gu An, and swiftly departed, faster than when he had arrived.

Ye Yan, still excited, walked over and said, "Master, I had no idea your sword was that fast! You beat him with just one move!"

Gu An glanced towards the valley. Zhen Qin was inside, gathering qi, while Su Han was practicing his sword in the forest several miles away, neither of them aware of the earlier duel.

"Don't mention this to anyone," Gu An warned Ye Yan. "Let's keep this between us. Don't tell your senior brothers or sisters."

Ye Yan nodded eagerly, feeling even closer to his master.

Teaching Zhou Tongyou a lesson was a small event for Gu An, but now he could leave the Third Medicine Valley without worry.

However…

A month later, Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley, only to find Zhou Tongyou standing at the valley entrance once again.

Ye Yan was practicing with his spear, and Zhou Tongyou stood nearby, watching.

Sensing Gu An's gaze, Zhou Tongyou grinned and waved cheerfully.

A flicker of annoyance crossed Gu An's face as he walked over.

When he reached the entrance, Gu An frowned and asked, "Why are you here again?"

Was this guy planning to stay at Tai Xuan Sect?

Zhou Tongyou, full of excitement, said, "I've figured out how to break your sword technique. Come on, let's have another match!"

"We agreed you wouldn't bother me again. Is your word worthless?"

"This doesn't count as bothering! Look, you can ask for anything you want. I just want to test your sword technique again," Zhou Tongyou explained quickly.

Ye Yan, standing nearby, added, "Master, he's been waiting here for four days."

Gu An frowned, feeling conflicted.

Zhou Tongyou, sensing Gu An's hesitation, pulled a small pouch from his storage bag and said, "This contains seeds of fourth-tier medicinal herbs. They're all yours if you agree to spar with me again. I'm not after a victory—I just want to learn from you."

Gu An took the pouch, weighed it in his hand, and sighed. "Fine, but just this once."

"No problem! Just this once!" Zhou Tongyou said eagerly, thinking to himself that this time, he would ensure Gu An was utterly defeated.

He pulled a sword from his storage pouch and tossed it to Gu An. "This is a mid-grade flying sword, perfect for Foundation Establishment cultivators. It's a gift. Fight me with this sword!"

He then drew a long spear for himself.

Well, this is something…

A longer weapon, huh?

Gu An grasped the flying sword, both amused and exasperated.

Seeing Gu An's expression, Zhou Tongyou grew nervous and quickly added, "Same rules as before—no spiritual energy, just technique!"

"Alright."

This time, Zhen Qin and Su Han heard the commotion and rushed over, but before they reached the valley entrance, Gu An had already made his move.

He hurled the flying sword directly at Zhou Tongyou!

Zhou Tongyou's pupils dilated in shock. So fast!

Wait, there's something off—this guy has immense strength!

Zhou Tongyou sidestepped the flying sword and thrust his spear forward, as he saw Gu An following closely behind the sword.

In the blink of an eye, Gu An tilted his head, grabbed the spear shaft with his left hand, yanked it backward, and with his right hand, formed a sword with two fingers, striking at Zhou Tongyou.

Everything happened so fast that even Ye Yan couldn't follow the action.

By the time the two men stopped, Gu An's fingers were already resting against Zhou Tongyou's throat.

Zhou Tongyou still held his spear, but his body was frozen in place.

"How are you so fast… Are you really only at the first layer of Foundation Establishment?" Zhou Tongyou asked through gritted teeth, sweat beading on his forehead.

Gu An replied, "If we used spiritual energy, you'd be faster. The rules you set gave me the advantage. I'm not truly your match. But why use these rules just to defeat me? Ordinary cultivators like me have our own dignity too."

He released his hold, and Zhou Tongyou's face flushed red. Gritting his teeth, Zhou Tongyou said, "I didn't mean to trample on your dignity."

"Goodbye!" he muttered, fleeing the scene.

Just then, Zhen Qin and Su Han arrived. Gu An ignored them, picked up the flying sword, and walked back into the valley.

To his disciples, his retreating figure radiated the aura of a master.

A month later, Zhou Tongyou returned, bringing more herb seeds with him. Gu An reluctantly accepted.

This time, it took Gu An three moves to defeat him, leaving Zhou Tongyou both frustrated and hopeful.

Zhou Tongyou's generosity left Gu An feeling less inclined to drive him away.

Time flew by, and the end of the year arrived.

Winter snow blanketed Tianya Valley.

Gu An wandered the Medicine Valley with his three demon monkeys, inspecting the herbs. Once the inspection was complete, he walked toward the pavilion, glancing at his lifespan as he went. Despite spending much of the year planting herbs, his lifespan had steadily increased. Thanks to the outer disciples' residences and Xuan Valley, he had gained a considerable amount of time.

In a few more years, once the harvests from Tianya Valley and the Third Medicine Valley came in, his lifespan would skyrocket.

As he approached the pavilion, Luo Hun came over, looking awkward and hesitant. "Why haven't you brought any books recently?"

"You wanted to read? I thought you didn't like them."

"The valley gets boring. I need something to relax my mind."

"Alright, next time, I'll bring the latest volume of Investiture of the Gods."

"Ahem, The Adventures of Green Hero wouldn't be bad either."