As an elder of a sect, he accepted a disciple but placed her in the outer sect, letting her do as she pleased. Considering the sect's importance, this person should bear half the responsibility for her current situation.
What's even more ridiculous is that this person turned out to be the destined scumbag. Just because he occasionally showed a tiny bit of kindness during a few difficult times, he gradually won over this naive and innocent girl.
Later, during an exploration of a secret realm, Gu Zhong unexpectedly obtained a tremendous opportunity, and his cultivation progressed rapidly. He shone brightly at a demon-slaying gathering, becoming a rising star in the world of cultivation.
At this moment, her world-destroying destiny was seen through by the powerful figures present. In an instant, she went from a promising prodigy to a calamity that would destroy the world, and was jointly demanded by various sects.
As a senior member of the sect, this scumbag not only did not argue or defend himself, but instead fawned over him to the extreme, eagerly offering up Gu Zhong in an attempt to curry favor.
Gu Zhongben still had a sliver of hope to escape, but due to his own scheme, he had no power to resist and was pierced through the heart by ten thousand swords on the Execution Platform.
The use of spiritual bones for refining artifacts and the preservation of remnant souls in the core can be described as making the most of everything.
It's unclear whether these seemingly righteous immortal sects are genuinely worried about upholding justice in the end times, or if they are simply coveting the immense opportunity that lies within Gu Zhong's body.
Who are you?
Considering that she couldn't take Gu Zhong away directly and would have to let her stay in that dilapidated sect for a long time, Ling Yan finally spoke coldly and asked a question.
"I am Yao Yun, the law enforcement elder of the Pure Water Sect."
A hint of embarrassment flashed across the man's face, as if he had suffered some great humiliation, but he still had to force himself to put on a respectful appearance, simply because the person in front of him was far more powerful than him.
He has little talent, but he is extremely ambitious, and it's a mystery where he gets his confidence from.
"Star Luo Gate, Star Xuan".
By simply stating his identity, Lingyan knew the weight of this name in this cultivation world.
"It's Lord Xingxuan! I've been rude, please forgive me, Your Majesty!"
Yao Yun instantly became apprehensive and hurriedly bowed deeply.
At this moment, Gu Zhong, who was isolated and knew little about the cultivation world, vaguely realized that the woman who had accompanied her for some time seemed to be a powerful venerable one.
"It's alright."
Ling Yan didn't even glance at him, her gaze fixed solely on Gu Zhong.
"You should go with your sect."
She didn't really want Gu Zhong to go back to that place of bullying, but the Star Luo Sect was no longer safe.
She wanted to say a few more words to support her, but considering Gu Zhong's current strength and status, if someone were to become jealous of her, it would only put her in a more difficult situation. Moreover, she was too far away to help, and it would only backfire.
After much thought, the best course of action is to remain silent and simply treat it as a matter of convenience.
Only after she resolves the troubles within the sect can she truly protect Gu Zhong behind her.
Watching the ethereal fairy gracefully depart, Gu Zhong repeatedly pondered the name "Xingxuan" in his heart, and a sense of reluctance arose for no reason.
She was the second person, besides her master, to treat her gently.
Yao Yun turned to this disciple whom she had neglected for a long time, cleared her throat, and began to ask her in detail about her encounter with Ling Yan.
Despite the fact that her master had taken her in when she was on her deathbed and given her a chance to live, Gu Zhong still respected and admired him, even though he had ignored her for so many years.
She then honestly recounted all the details, but for some reason, she chose to conceal the matter of Lingyan giving her the talisman, as if she was afraid that someone would come and ask for the gift back.
When Lingyan led her group back to Xingluo Sect and reported to the sect leader about the investigation and exorcism, she encountered someone she did not want to see again.
"Why does the young sect leader always run away so fast whenever he sees me?"
A delicate hand, its fingertips tinged with cardamom, emerged from the purple robe and blocked her path. A languid yet authoritative voice, tinged with a light laugh, questioned her.
Elder Xia.
Lingyan had no choice but to turn around and give a perfunctory bow.
Fate plays tricks on people; who would have thought that she and Xia Xiange would be born into the same sect?
If the leader of the Star Luo Sect hadn't been her closest relative, Ling Yan would have long since fled far away to stay away from Xia Xiange.
Even though this person has lost his memory, he has not changed his evil nature that he has had for thousands of years.
She had been teasing her since she was a child, and Xia Xiange was exceptionally talented. Even with Lingyan's improved skills, she was still no match for her.
Xia Xiange holds a high position in the Star Luo Sect, which is a major reason why Ling Yan dared not bring Gu Zhong back to the sect rashly.
That divination from decades ago was interpreted by Xia Xiange.
Lingyan had reasonable grounds to suspect that she was targeting Gu Zhong, but since she couldn't find him, she adopted the philosophy of "better to kill ten thousand innocent people than let one guilty person go free" and used the people of the world to eliminate the person she wanted to kill.
So for now, although Gu Zhong's stay at the Pure Water Sect will cause her constant trouble, at least her life is not in danger. But if she goes to the Star Luo Sect and Xia Xiange sees her, things might not be so simple.
The crux of all the problems is that she is not strong enough.
Now that she has reunited with Gu Zhong and knows where she is, Lingyan will not allow her lover to suffer any more.
She had no choice but to constantly push herself to cultivate. Lingyan was now at the Great Ascension Perfection Realm. If she could break through to the Tribulation Transcending Realm, she would be at the same level as Xia Xiange, and at least she would have a better chance of winning.
"Did the young sect leader go to explore Crane Cry Mountain?"
This time, Xia Xiange didn't waste her time with idle chatter. Instead, he asked her about serious matters, which surprised Ling Yan.
"yes."
"Have you noticed any reason for the unusual activity?"
"Not yet."
The gathering of these strange monsters is quite peculiar, yet the immortal sects who went to investigate could not find any trace of those high-level monsters.
It was truly a case of mobilizing a large force only to suffer a crushing defeat.
Upon hearing this, Xia Xiange sighed softly, stopped asking questions, and turned to walk into the council hall, seemingly to find the sect leader.
Ling Yan frowned, wondering why she would suddenly care about the strange movements of the demonic beasts. What exactly was Xia Xiange planning?
However, everything is currently unclear, like looking at flowers through a fog, so one can only keep a watchful eye on things.
The most important thing right now is still to improve my cultivation level.
Before long, the disciples of Xingluo Sect heard the news that Xingxuan Jun had gone into seclusion. They could only sigh in their hearts and say things like, "I admire you," and "Xingxuan Jun truly deserves to be called a cultivation maniac."
Chapter 74 Astrologers and Defiant Ones (Part 3)
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Those who cultivate immortality are unaware of the passage of time and the changing seasons. Once Lingyan entered seclusion and meditated, several years had passed when she awoke.
As the tribulation clouds above her head dissipated, she slowly walked out of her secluded cultivation cave and saw a group of elders and disciples waiting outside the door.
Congratulations, Xingxuan!
The unanimous congratulations were sincere. With the addition of another cultivator at the Tribulation Transcending stage, the Star Luo Sect's strength had increased to another level, making other immortal sects even less likely to underestimate them.
Ignoring these empty compliments, Lingyan was secretly regretting letting Gu Zhong go these past few years.
Although the jade talisman showed no unusual activity, one can only imagine how much more injustice this person had suffered.
At this moment, she was eager to go and visit him, and it wouldn't be unreasonable to bring him back inside.
"Young Sect Master, the Sect Master requests your presence!"
Just as she summoned the star chart and stepped onto it with her left foot, a white-robed disciple hurriedly rode the wind to call out to her.
The astrolabe abruptly changed direction in mid-air, heading towards the main hall at the highest peak.
Lingyan ultimately failed to go and see Gu Zhong first.
Since the strange events that occurred at Crane Cry Mountain, there has been no major event in the cultivation world. However, in the conflict between immortals and demons, the power of the immortal sects has become increasingly weak, and more and more demons have emerged from the Nine Provinces, but a delicate balance has been maintained.
However, recently there have been reports from the foot of the mountain that all the villagers in several remote mountain villages have mysteriously disappeared, suspected to be the work of a monster.
This was unusual. Just then, Lingyan broke through her cultivation level and emerged from seclusion, so she was sent to investigate, which would also help her consolidate her cultivation level through training.
Laws and regulations take precedence, so Lingyan had no choice but to agree. Fortunately, the place where they were investigating was not far from the location of the Pure Water Sect, so it wouldn't be too late to go there after the matter was settled.
Several years have passed, so there's no rush now.
Gu Zhong never imagined that when she saw Xingxuan Jun, whom she had been longing for for years, she would be in such a disheveled state.
Under the command of his fellow disciples, he didn't seem like a celestial being with spiritual powers, but rather like a mortal servant.
Even when faced with an insurmountable crisis, he was always the first pawn to be pushed out.
When the hurricane wolf's gaping maw lunged at her, Gu Zhong almost thought that her miserable life was about to end.
Unexpectedly, a burst of white light shot out from her arms, transforming into wisps of starlight that instantly shattered the golden core demon beast into countless pieces.
The next second, the image of the black-patterned white robe deeply etched in her mind appeared before her eyes. The setting sun cast its last rays upon her cascading black hair, giving her an inexplicable air of divinity. This made the disheveled Gu Zhong feel even more ashamed.
The fellow disciples who had already gone far away saw the demon beast die suddenly and knew that Gu Zhong must have some treasure. They were greedy and wanted to turn back to take it.
Unexpectedly, Lingyan descended from the sky, giving them a cold glance that chilled them to the bone, making them dare not act rashly any longer. They hurriedly scrambled away from the place.
Are you alright?
After calming her expression and suppressing the aura of her Tribulation Transcending cultivation, Ling Yan took a step and cautiously walked towards Gu Zhong, who was sitting on the ground staring at her.
This trip was a pleasant surprise. I thought it would be a while before we could meet, but I didn't expect that the Pure Water Sect would also be here investigating, and Gu Zhong happened to be among them.
The fluctuations triggered by the jade talisman startled Ling Yan for a moment, and she immediately abandoned the Xingluo Sect members and rushed over.
"Thank you so much for saving me, Immortal Master!"
Coming to his senses, Gu Zhong hurriedly clasped his hands in a respectful greeting.
Seeing her so distant and polite, Lingyan was taken aback, but she also knew that this was the inevitable result of the huge difference in their status and strength.
Besides, this was only their second meeting.
"No need for such formalities."
Lingyan still felt somewhat uncomfortable with Gu Zhong always bowing to her like this, so she had to remind him.
"We are destined to meet again, so there's no need for any formalities. I've never been fond of such things."
"this···"
Gu Zhong looked troubled. Even though the Venerable One had made such a promise, those of low strength could not easily overstep it.
"what ever."