Chapter 32 Snowy Night Sword Duel, Nascent Soul vs Nascent Soul

"Is this... crossing the Thunder Tribulation?"

Gu An looked out the window at the thunderclouds, his brows gradually smoothing out, a look of curiosity spreading across his face.

He wasn't worried because he sensed that the heavenly might was far from Profound Valley.

Tang Yu, Su Han, and Zhen Qin, who were clearing snow in the garden, turned their heads to look. Ye Lan, who had been meditating in the woods, also opened her eyes, and Xiaochuan walked out of his house and looked up at the rolling thunderclouds.

Wuxin sat meditating on the mountain top, the flying snow unable to hide his figure, as he looked at the horizon with furrowed brows.

"Such strong Sword Intent..."

Wuxin murmured to himself. Though his cultivation level was lowly, he hailed from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion and was not lacking in knowledge.

The entire celestial vault was rapidly covered by thunderclouds, resembling an endless ocean stirring up terrifying waves, plunging the snowy woods into darkness. The wind between heaven and earth grew stronger, causing the forest to sway and shaking off flakes of snow.

Disturbed by this heavenly might, Gu An had no mind for writing. He got up and went downstairs, calling on his disciples to tend to the various garden areas.

An hour later, several cultivators flew swiftly across the sky above Profound Valley toward the direction from which the heavenly might came, disappearing into the vast drifting snow.

This scene made the disciples in the valley even more tense, not knowing what had happened.

As evening approached, a peal of thunder resounded through heaven and earth.

Gu An stood on the mountaintop, far off seeing lightning illuminating and thunder booming toward a point on the ground, forming a massive fan shape, spectacular to the extreme. The lightning reflected on his face while his black robe fluttered in the wind.

"Thunder Tribulation is so terrifying, no wonder I failed so many times in my evolving cultivation."

Gu An lamented in his heart, his long-suppressed resentment finally dissipating.

Although the evolving cultivation consumed more life than reality, it was safer, and looking back at his accomplishments, could the Supreme Sect find a second person who reached the 9th floor of the Nascent Soul Realm by the age of twenty-eight?

Then he turned and went down the mountain, preparing to continue writing.

That night, the thunder rumbled incessantly, preventing everyone in Medicine Valley from cultivating in peace.

By noon the next day, the thunder still continued, and the wind between heaven and earth grew even stronger, as if a blizzard was imminent. Gu An periodically led his disciples out to check on the medicinal herbs.

After a full three days and nights, the thunder finally ceased. As the thunderclouds in the sky cleared, the sun finally shone down, relieving the disciples of Profound Valley.

However, before they could celebrate for half a day, a sharp oppressive force enveloped heaven and earth, causing them to feel a heavy weight on their chests and their hearts to pound with alarm.

Inside the attic.

Gu An put down the brush in his hand, his gaze turning toward the window, his brow furrowing.

He sensed a strong Sword Intent coming from the horizon, but it was hard to judge the distance at the moment.

"What is he doing?"

Gu An felt puzzled. Had he started to comprehend the sword right after passing the Thunder Tribulation?

How extreme is that?

Gu An could only pray that it wouldn't affect his Medicine Valley.

Although the other's Sword Intent was strong, he secretly compared it and felt it was not as powerful as his Tai Cang Divine-Shocking Sword.

After all, the Tai Cang Divine-Shocking Sword was forged with a sacrifice of two thousand years of his life!

How many in the Human World could live for two thousand years?

...

Late at night, in the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven.

Gu An visited Jiang Qiong, walking to beneath the Cang Teng Tree and raising his hand in greeting.

"For the next while, don't come here anymore, in case Zuo Yijian discovers you," Jiang Qiong said without opening her eyes.

Zuo Yijian?

Gu An remembered this person—he was Zuo Lin's father. Back when father and son flew over Profound Valley, Gu An had thrown a Life Span Detection at them.

Zuo Yijian's cultivation used to be precisely at the 9th level of the Core Formation Realm.

After crossing the tribulation, he should be a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.

Gu An quickly thought, and then nervously asked, "Who is Zuo Yijian?"

"That's the person who crossed the Thunder Tribulation these last few days. According to your teacher, he's already made a name for himself as the Sword Enthusiast of Cang Lake," Jiang Qiong replied.

Sword Enthusiast of Cang Lake?

Gu An curiously asked, "Ancestor, you knew him from before?"

"Yes, indeed from before. In those days, he overestimated himself, tried to pursue me as a Dao Companion, and I mercilessly humiliated him, turning him into a joke in the Inner Sect. After that, he devoted himself to sword practice, seldom appearing until I feigned death due to my injuries, and I haven't seen him since."

As Jiang Qiong spoke, she opened her eyes and looked at Gu An with a teasing smile, "My dear great-grand disciple, you should take heed not to fall in love easily; it leads to hardships."

Gu An responded, "Thank you for the teachings, Ancestor. I will bear them in mind."

Then, Jiang Qiong had Gu An sit down and started to instruct him in the Gu techniques of the Myriad Poison Profound Skill.

The Myriad Poison Profound Skill had both Qi Absorption Technique and many Gu techniques, requiring substantial time to study.

After staying in the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven for two hours, Gu An then left.

...

Three days later, early morning.

Gu An was leading his disciples in drills as they stood on the white snow, the cold wind piercing to the bone, yet they still wore thin clothing.

Whoosh!

A sound of tearing through the air startled everyone, causing them to turn their heads toward it—seeing an eastern mountaintop being struck by Sword Qi, two large trees on the slope cut down, crashing down noisily, ultimately stopped by a row of trees, with snow and dust billowing like white smoke.

Looking upward, there was a two-zhang-long crack on the cliff, as if it had been slashed by a huge sword, very awe-inspiring.

Su Han frowned and said, "This isn't the first time. If this continues, it will pose a threat to us."

Other disciples were also worried; their practice movements slowed consequently.

Wuxin sighed and said, "Sword cultivators meditate on the sword, it can take as short as a few days or as long as decades—who knows how much longer that person will meditate."

Gu An, exceptionally void of any smile, had a somber expression.

He was worried about the medicinal herbs in Profound Valley.

Yesterday, he had gone to the Outer Sect to report this issue to the Elixir Hall. They told him he could choose to temporarily relocate to the Outer Sect City and forgo this year's harvest, but the Elixir Hall would not cover any losses of the Profound Valley.

The medicinal herbs in Profound Valley were like treasures to Gu An; how could he just give them up?

If the Profound Valley collapsed, the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven might even be exposed.

No!

He must find a solution!

Gu An's eyes flickered with determination. For the sake of living, he could swallow his pride, but for the herbs, he was willing to fight!

"Alright, hurry up and practice, then cultivate on your own. Wait another two days. If that person still hasn't left, we'll go to the Outer Sect to take refuge," Gu An declared.

Upon hearing this, all the disciples' spirits lifted as they too were concerned about the collapse of Profound Valley and had been thinking about escaping.

Winter days passed quickly.

Night gradually fell.

On a mountaintop, a figure in a gray robe, Zuo Yijian, was meditating; five swords with different shapes and sizes of blades stood before him.

Under the night sky, as snow fluttered down, the snowflakes that landed on him swiftly melted into wisps of white mist, making his overall aura even more powerful.

On a mountain peak a hundred zhang away, Zuo Lin was meditating on the edge of a cliff. Around him, three large flags fluttered. When sword qi swept toward him, an invisible energy shield neutralized the sword qi, preventing him from getting hurt.

Though uninjured, the booming noise of the sword qi crashing against the formation jolted Zuo Lin awake.

He looked up at his father, his eyebrows tightly knitted, a look of envy in his eyes.

They say a dragon begets a dragon, a phoenix a phoenix, so why hadn't he inherited his father's comprehension of the Sword Dao?

Feeling his father's strong Sword Intent, Zuo Lin was filled with admiration.

Even though his Spirit Root Qualification was exceptional and his Qi Absorption Technique was much faster than his peers, all he wanted was to be a powerful sword cultivator like his father.

If it hadn't been for his meditation on the sword, his cultivation level would have surpassed the second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm long ago.

"Alas!"

Zuo Lin sighed, then prepared to continue his meditation on the sword—he refused to believe that he couldn't achieve something notable in the Sword Dao.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he suddenly saw his father standing up, which made him freeze.

Was it over?

Zuo Yijian stood on the mountaintop, facing the direction of Zuo Lin, but his gaze was higher, fixed on a taller mountain in the distance. The night was too obscure to see anyone, yet he could feel a lock of Sword Intent on him.

The five treasure swords before him started to tremble, as if facing a great enemy.

Across from him, Zuo Lin also stood up, raising his voice, "Father, what's happening? Have you succeeded?"

Zuo Yijian didn't answer him, but instead called out, "I do not know which Fellow Daoist has come. Why not show yourself?"

Ten li away.

Gu An stood on a mountaintop, wearing a wooden mask that covered his face with Spiritual Power to avoid detection by Divine Sense.

His white garments fluttered, blending with the snowy backdrop.

In his right hand, he toyed with a leaf, around which wisps of Sword Qi swirled.

From his high vantage point, he could see Zuo Yijian and also spotted Zuo Lin.

Before releasing his Sword Intent, he had scouted the area for a hundred li, confirming there were no other powerful cultivators before he came to this mountaintop.

Gu An disliked killing the innocent, but Zuo Yijian had endangered his Medicine Valley, so he had to be expelled.

"If you have to blame someone, blame yourself for choosing the wrong place."

Gu An muttered to himself. He had already begun to operate his cultivation technique, infusing Spiritual Power into the leaf.

Meanwhile.

Hearing his father's words, Zuo Lin quickly turned around, yet with his Foundation Establishment Realm cultivation, he couldn't clearly see the person ten li away, especially now in the dark night with snow obstructing his view.

Unable to see the newcomer made him nervous.

Zuo Yijian sensed the other person's Sword Intent escalating; he knew this battle was unavoidable.

"Demon Dao spy? Or could it be… their person?"

Zuo Yijian's gaze flickered. He grasped a sword in front of him. This sword was long and narrow with a crimson blade. As he gripped it, the blade burst into flames, becoming the brightest entity under the night sky.

He drew his sword, an arc of fire flaring across the sky.

"Under the cold sky, to unleash the Flame Devouring Sword Technique seems the recent meditation has greatly enhanced father's Sword Dao…" Zuo Lin turned his head and, filled with admiration, watched the flaming sword in his father's hand.

No matter who the opponent was, he believed his father would not be defeated.

"Since Fellow Daoist refuses to speak, I can only assume Fellow Daoist wishes to disrupt my Enlightenment. Let this icy snowfield witness whose Sword Intent is stronger!"

Zuo Yijian's cold voice echoed between heaven and earth, and as his words fell, a surge of Sword Intent burst from his body. The mountain he was on violently trembled, causing the snow to collapse, shaking the mountain where Zuo Lin was too.

Ten li away.

"Too wordy."

Gu An whispered softly, his voice so low only he could hear. As his words ended, he fiercely threw the leaf in his hand.

The object flying out seemed not to be a leaf but a Divine Sword piercing through time and space!