Saint Who Lay Low

Gu An lifted his eyes and looked at the woman in red, sensing the intense demonic aura emanating from her body.

A demon that had fully taken human form was typically a powerful one, yet this demon's aura was only comparable to the ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm. This was rather odd.

Immediately, he cast a lifespan investigation.

[Tian Yao'er (Foundation Establishment Realm Ninth Layer): 17/999/18000]

Hmm?

Her maximum lifespan exceeded that of the Huangquan Demon Emperor, setting a new record for demonic creatures in Gu An's experience.

Setting aside spiritual trees, the highest lifespan he had encountered was the Ephemeral Ghost Mother, who had a lifespan of 54,000 years. However, since the Ephemeral Ghost Mother was a ghost, comparing the two wasn't quite fair.

Gu An couldn't help but reflect on how difficult life was for humans, given their lifespan rarely exceeded 10,000 years.

Of course, human comprehension was generally superior to that of demons or ghosts. After all, Gu An had yet to meet a demon or ghost who cultivated faster than Li Xuandao.

As these thoughts flowed through his mind, he continued waiting for his breakthrough to complete.

With his spiritual energy now transformed into true power, the change was earth-shattering. Gu An felt as though he could easily crush his former self before the breakthrough.

Perhaps this was the true path of the immortals!

Having crossed the first of the nine great barriers of the Immortal Path, he was no longer an ordinary being.

Unfortunately, unlike other cultivators, breaking through realms did not extend his lifespan. Perhaps it was because of his unique "cheating" abilities. He had never faced a true heavenly tribulation, so his lifespan could only be increased through taking it from others, not by breakthroughs.

But that didn't bother him much—his speed in acquiring lifespan was already fast enough.

When the Lifespan Barrier stopped drawing spiritual energy from Tianhuang Mountain, the entire mountain fell into an eerie silence, oppressing everything around it.

Gu An could sense that most of the demonic creatures were fleeing the mountain. To them, such strange phenomena signaled an impending catastrophe.

Time passed swiftly.

Once Gu An's cultivation reached the ninth layer of the Nirvana Realm, he found himself in a mystical state.

Slowly opening his eyes, he glanced at the Lifespan Barrier's consumption. This breakthrough had consumed nearly 50,000 years of lifespan.

In total, he had expended 454,000 years to reach the ninth layer of the Nirvana Realm!

He now had 1.92 million years of lifespan remaining, not counting the smaller fractions!

Not bad!

Gu An stood up, retrieving a set of black clothes. While dressing, he glanced toward the distant Tian Yao'er.

With his new abilities, he could now see things that were invisible to ordinary beings. Wisps of gray energy lingered around Tian Yao'er, and when his divine sense probed into the gray aura, he caught glimpses of her past.

Could this be the legendary power of karma?

Gu An began to peer into Tian Yao'er's past, delaying his decision to immediately dissolve the Lifespan Barrier.

Now that his breakthrough was complete, the barrier was consuming energy at a much slower rate. Leaving it active for a little longer wouldn't result in significant losses.

Once Gu An finished dressing, he dispelled the Lifespan Barrier and walked toward Tian Yao'er.

His ability to peer into karma wasn't exceptionally strong yet—he could only glimpse the events of the past ten years for Tian Yao'er. He couldn't yet predict the future.

Still, seeing ten years of someone's past wasn't bad at all!

Within moments, Tian Yao'er's past decade unfolded before him.

Gu An approached her unconscious form, gently lifted her, and walked out of the forest.

The moonlight illuminated their figures, casting long shadows behind them.

...

Tian Yao'er had a nightmare, dreaming that a horde of demons surrounded her, ready to tear her apart and turn her into a stew for the demon mother.

She suddenly awoke, sitting up with a gasp, panting heavily.

She instinctively looked around and found herself in a cave. Her gaze was drawn to a figure meditating by the fire, and she shrank back in fear, pressing herself against the wall.

"You..." Tian Yao'er stammered, still in shock, unsure of what to say.

Upon closer inspection, she saw that the person was dressed in black, their face hidden behind a mask, exuding an air of mystery.

It was Gu An!

At that moment, Gu An was immersed in the newfound power of the Nirvana Realm. His divine sense expanded across vast lands, allowing him to see the entire Nine Dynasties from Tianhuang Mountain. The sensation was mesmerizing.

Was this the true Immortal Realm?

Gu An felt as if he had truly become a "True Immortal of the Mortal Realm," capable of anything.

Tian Yao'er's attention turned to a bottle of pills on the ground. After hesitating for a moment, she cautiously approached, picked it up, and uncorked it. The fragrant scent of the pills made her eyes light up, and without a second thought, she tipped the pills into her mouth.

As the medicine entered her stomach, she felt her strength quickly returning, along with an indescribable sensation.

She felt clear-headed and revitalized!

Noticing that her wounds had already scabbed over, she shrank back again, pressing herself against the wall, pulling her dress down to cover her dirt-streaked feet.

Now that she had calmed down, she realized that it was the black-clad figure who had saved her.

Curious, Tian Yao'er studied Gu An, noting that his aura felt unfamiliar.

Since her birth, she had never encountered a human cultivator.

She had been raised by the demon mother, and even the red dress she wore had been passed down from the demon mother herself.

After a long while, Gu An retracted his divine sense and slowly opened his eyes. Turning his head, his eyes behind the mask met Tian Yao'er's gaze, causing her to freeze momentarily before quickly coming back to her senses.

"Thank you for saving me, Senior..." Tian Yao'er said timidly, like a frightened kitten.

Gu An asked, "What do you plan to do next?"

From his earlier glimpse into her karma, he knew that Tian Yao'er had been one of several young demons kept by a Body Fusion Realm demon king. The demons had all been young but had managed to take human form early, indicating exceptional talent.

When the spiritual energy began sinking rapidly, the demons, fearing an impending disaster, attempted to flee. In the chaos of the migration, they were attacked by a larger demon, and in the ensuing battle, Tian Yao'er managed to escape.

Perhaps due to their shared parentless upbringing, Gu An felt a hint of sympathy for Tian Yao'er, which prompted him to remain instead of immediately leaving.

Tian Yao'er hesitated, unsure of how to respond. She was confused and didn't know what to do.

"Now, I'll give you two options," Gu An said calmly. "One, I can take you out of Tianhuang Mountain and send you far away to live. Or two, you can pledge yourself to me, serve me, and I will guarantee your safety."

Hearing this, Tian Yao'er's eyes reflected her inner struggle.

Clenching her teeth, she asked, "Will you avenge me? My parents were killed by the demon mother. If you can avenge them, I'll stay with you forever."

"The Tianhuang Demon Mother is far too powerful. I'm no match for her," Gu An replied, "But I can teach you cultivation techniques so that one day, you can take your revenge."

The Tianhuang Demon Mother was indeed in the Body Fusion Realm, and though Gu An could defeat her, he had no intention of revealing his true strength.

From the visions of Tian Yao'er's past, he learned that the Tianhuang Demon Mother had lived for several thousand years. Killing her would likely only grant him a mere double-digit lifespan boost. There was no point in exposing himself for such a small gain.

Even though Gu An wanted Tian Yao'er to help manage his new cave residence, he saw no need to flaunt his real power.

It was always wise to keep some cards hidden.

He was only at the first stage of the Immortal Path—far from invincible. Who knew if someone from the future might come back in time to kill him?

He wanted to make sure no one knew when he became truly powerful.

Disappointment flickered in Tian Yao'er's eyes, but upon further thought, it made sense. She had never heard of anyone stronger than the Tianhuang Demon Mother.

Carefully, she asked, "If I follow you to cultivate, will I have a chance for revenge?"

"At the very least, it gives you one more hope, doesn't it?"

"Alright, I'll follow you!"

Gu An immediately waved his sleeve, and the ground behind him suddenly collapsed, revealing a pit that quickly filled with water, forming a small pool.

"Go wash up," Gu An instructed as he stood and walked toward the cave entrance.

Tian Yao'er hurried to her feet and asked nervously, "Where are you going?"

"Just outside. Once you're finished, I'll come back," Gu An replied without stopping, waving his hand dismissively.

Tian Yao'er watched his departing figure, words caught in her throat.

For some reason, his attitude made her feel more at ease with him.

Perhaps following him would be better than her previous life.

Tian Yao'er turned and walked to the edge of the pool. Looking down at the water, she marveled, "He seems really powerful... Is it really true that he can't defeat the demon mother?"

Meanwhile...

Gu An stepped out of the cave, the sunlight casting down on him.

Standing halfway up the mountain, surrounded by flowers and trees, nothing obstructed his view.

Looking out, he saw the mountains stretching far and wide, mist swirling around them, creating an otherworldly landscape. It was hard to believe this place was part of a land filled with demons and monsters.

Gu An's divine sense spread out as he began searching for a suitable location to establish his new cave residence.

Today, he planned to dig out an underground residence, settle Tian Yao'er there, and then return.

Fortunately, he had prepared plenty of formation materials in advance. At the very least, he could construct a hidden cave, which he could continue to improve in the future.

Before long, Gu An locked onto a spiritual vein and decided to build his cave nearby.

Leaving behind a Yin-Yang clone, his true body vanished into thin air.

An incense stick of time later...

Tian Yao'er sat by the fire, hugging her knees. The flickering flames illuminated her delicate face, her gaze fixed on the fire, her thoughts far away.

It wasn't until she heard footsteps coming from the cave that she snapped out of her daze and hurried to her feet.

Moments later, Gu An entered the cave and, upon seeing the freshly cleaned Tian Yao'er, nodded in satisfaction.

She looked quite nice and would be pleasing to the eye while managing his cave.

With a wave of his sleeve, a gust of wind swept over Tian Yao'er, blowing her hair and causing her clothes to flutter. The sight made Gu An quickly avert his gaze.

Tian Yao'er felt her hair fluff up and her clothes dry in an instant, ridding her of the damp feeling she had moments before.

Gu An raised his hand and lifted Tian Yao'er into the air, pulling her toward him before they both vanished from the cave.

Tian Yao'er felt a dizzying sensation as if the world was spinning. Her eyes couldn't open, and her divine sense was unable to extend, making her instinctively grab onto Gu An's belt.

Soon, her feet touched solid ground, and the discomfort subsided.

Opening her eyes, Tian Yao'er's gaze widened in surprise.

They were now in a vast underground space, similar in size to Gu An's previous residence. The walls of the cave were inlaid with all kinds of spirit stones, glowing softly with spiritual energy, creating an incredibly peaceful atmosphere.

The cave residence had been carved out by Gu An himself. It looked as if it had been formed naturally, with an otherworldly craftsmanship.

"From now on, this is where you'll live. For now, focus on healing and don't go outside. This is still Tianhuang Mountain. If you get bored, you can read these books." Gu An retrieved several books from his sleeve, including Investiture of the Gods and Tai Xuan Immortal Lord, and placed them on the ground.

With that, he vanished into thin air.

Tian Yao'er squatted down and picked up Investiture of the Gods. Flipping it open, she frowned in confusion.

She couldn't read.