When I Achieved Sainthood, the Immortal Official Actually Called Me to Raise Horses!-Chapter 286: Tongtian’s Background

Chapter 286 Tongtian's Background

"The Grand Cold Demon Sect? The Lifetaking Immortal? Where did they come from?"

Shen Zhen furrowed his brows and muttered, unease flickering in his eyes.

Gu An responded, "Not sure, but from the sound of it, they’re probably some colossal force from the sea. Sigh, it's only been a few decades of peace, and now another major event is unfolding."

Shen Zhen reassured him, "No need to worry too much. The Severed Sea Rift is incredibly far from us. The world is full of capable people, and evil never triumphs over good. We’ll get through this somehow."

Gu An nodded, but inwardly, he held the opposite opinion.

The forces behind the Grand Cold Demon Sect had already reached an unfathomable level.

As Bai Ziyao once said, throughout history, the Grand Cold Demon Sect and other major demonic sects had always served as the Holy Court’s blade. There were things the Holy Court could not take action on directly.

Of course, the Holy Court wasn’t inherently evil; they simply operated from the perspective of the entire world. At times, they had to sacrifice certain beings or even exterminate entire regions.

But if the Holy Court had truly abandoned this place, what was the reason?

It couldn't be because of the Divine Anomaly Realm, could it?

The Divine Anomaly Realm had nothing to do with them; it could have been eradicated separately.

Gu An suspected there was a deeper reason he wasn’t aware of.

His divine sense swept out. The Lifetaking Immortal was not the Celestial Ascension cultivator who had single-handedly fought against the three Divine Anomaly Wraith Kings but instead a Free Soaring Immortal. His arrival had interrupted the battle.

Gu An watched as the Lifetaking Immortal placed a towering pagoda at the edge of the Severed Sea Rift. The pagoda continued to rise, piercing through the clouds, at least ten thousand zhang tall—an awe-inspiring sight.

Then, the Lifetaking Immortal flew into the pagoda, while the three Divine Anomaly Wraith Kings fled into the Severed Sea Rift. The Celestial Ascension cultivator who had been battling them followed the Lifetaking Immortal into the pagoda, making it clear they were on the same side.

Gu An wanted to see if any other Free Soaring Immortals would take action within the next century.

He continued chatting with Shen Zhen about worldly affairs. They were just small cultivators in the vast cultivation world, so when discussing major events, it was mostly with a sense of admiration.

Before long, Shen Zhen took his leave. Gu An also got up and went downstairs, intending to speak with the disciples and cultivators about the Grand Cold Demon Sect.

The Lifetaking Immortal’s proclamation had already sent shockwaves throughout the world. Everywhere people gathered, this was the topic of discussion.

When Gu An arrived at the chess-playing area, the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord and Qie Wuxing were discussing the Grand Cold Demon Sect with Taixuan Sect’s great cultivators, while other disciples listened in, tense and apprehensive.

Shen Xinzi was also among the crowd, listening intently despite rarely speaking.

Ever since Shen Xinzi had spoken privately with Qie Wuxing, the two had not clashed. It seemed they had reached some kind of agreement. At the time, Gu An hadn’t eavesdropped—he didn’t see either of them as capable of stirring up any real trouble.

"The Grand Cold Demon Sect was founded a million years ago. That Lifetaking Immortal is a figure from myth and legend—who would have thought he was still alive? This is serious trouble," the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord said with a sigh. He deliberately avoided mentioning the Holy Court, clearly wary of it.

A million years!

The disciples’ eyelids twitched upon hearing this. They couldn’t even begin to fathom such a span of time.

The younger disciples, however, were filled with ambition. They hadn’t resigned themselves to fate just yet. To them, the Third Medicine Valley was merely the first step in their cultivation journey.

The cultivation world was filled with stories of ordinary cultivators obtaining great fortunes and defying destiny.

Gu An listened attentively, as if he were hearing a grand tale, occasionally exclaiming in surprise or showing disbelief alongside the other disciples.

Meanwhile, in the Sect Main City.

Within a certain mansion, Lu Lingjun sat across from the Western Spirit Mother in a courtyard, discussing the situation.

"The Grand Cold Demon Sect is a sect rivaling even the Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect. In terms of foundation, they may even be stronger. If the forces behind the Severed Sea Rift include the Grand Cold Demon Sect, then this is a major problem…" the Western Spirit Mother sighed and mentioned the existence of the Holy Court. freēwēbnovel.com

This was the first time Lu Lingjun had heard of the Holy Court, and she was shocked.

Just how vast was this world?

The Western Spirit Mother also suspected that the Holy Court had abandoned this sea region. Otherwise, the Grand Cold Demon Sect wouldn’t dare to act so brazenly. The fact that they had given a century’s warning made it clear they wanted the major sects to retreat.

Lu Lingjun couldn’t help but ask, "A hundred years… Only the cultivation sects will have time to escape. What about the countless ordinary people left behind? Will they really all die?"

The Western Spirit Mother replied in a somber tone, "The number of beings slaughtered by the Grand Cold Demon Sect is beyond measure. The landmasses and seas affected by the Severed Sea Rift are just a small fraction of this vast world. To the Grand Cold Demon Sect, they are insignificant. And the Holy Court certainly won’t care. The death of these people won’t even cause a ripple in the grand scheme of things."

Lu Lingjun frowned deeply.

The Western Spirit Mother continued, "I need to return and get to the bottom of why the Grand Cold Demon Sect is making its move."

Lu Lingjun nodded and began considering the worst-case scenario.

As an Ascended One, she had no issue fleeing. But after spending so much time in Taixuan Sect, she had made too many connections to just walk away. She needed to figure out how to help those she cared about.

The Western Spirit Mother sighed at the complexity of worldly affairs.

At first, she had assumed that the Divine Anomaly Realm was the main threat. But now, it was clear that its emergence was part of a larger scheme—one that involved unfathomable powers clashing behind the scenes.

Dark clouds loomed, and a light drizzle fell over Seeker’s Island.

In a courtyard, Gu An, Yang Jian, and Hu Xiaojian sat together as Hu Xiaojian explained the Grand Cold Demon Sect.

Three days had passed since the Lifetaking Immortal’s proclamation. In that time, various factions at sea had openly shared intelligence on the Grand Cold Demon Sect, and countless rumors had reached Seeker’s Island.

Yang Jian listened intently, his expression shifting frequently. Hu Xiaojian’s words painted the Grand Cold Demon Sect as an unstoppable force—seemingly the most terrifying demonic sect in existence, with countless demon immortals under its command. It sounded utterly invincible.

A true catastrophe was upon them.

After a long while, once Hu Xiaojian had finished speaking and took a sip of tea to moisten his throat, Gu An asked, "Have you found any information on the Reincarnation Dao Emperor?"

The Reincarnation Dao Emperor—one of Ji Xuanyu’s past lives. Gu An had never forgotten about him.

Hu Xiaojian shook his head. "No trace of him. I don’t think such a figure exists. But since you brought it up, he must be real. It’s just that my level is too low. At least, there’s not a single clue about him on Seeker’s Island."

Gu An wasn’t upset and let the matter drop.

Hu Xiaojian hesitated, then got up, walked to the side, and knelt down, kowtowing to Gu An.

"What are you doing?" Gu An frowned.

Hu Xiaojian lifted his head, his face full of desperation. "Senior, please take me with you! The Grand Cold Demon Sect is too powerful. Even the higher-ups of Seeker’s Island are preparing to flee. I’m just a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator—there’s no way I’ll escape their destruction in a hundred years. Even if I do, who knows if I can survive elsewhere? Senior, you’re a Scattered Immortal. You can move freely. Please, take me with you! I’ll serve you however you wish!"

Yang Jian sat beside him, feeling conflicted.

This was a Nascent Soul Stage cultivator.

Yet in the vast ocean, even he had no confidence in surviving.

Gu An pondered for a moment before responding, "No need to be hasty. Stay on Seeker’s Island for now. If the forces at sea truly fail to stop the Grand Cold Demon Sect, I’ll take you with me. Until then, keep an eye on the Sea Protectorate. If they plan to abandon Seeker’s Island, I’ll step in and take over."

Hu Xiaojian was stunned. He hadn’t expected that, even in this crisis, Gu An was still thinking about seizing control of Seeker’s Island.

Yang Jian glanced at his master.

Why did it feel like his master wasn’t the least bit afraid of the Grand Cold Demon Sect?

Gu An called himself a Scattered Immortal, but was that just a title rather than his actual cultivation realm?

Hu Xiaojian wanted to dissuade him, but he was also afraid of offending Gu An, so he could only nod in agreement.

Gu An noticed his concerns and reassured him, "Don’t underestimate this world. If the Divine Anomaly Wraiths within the Severed Sea Rift were truly unstoppable, they would have already swept across the oceans by now, wouldn’t they?"

Hu Xiaojian thought for a moment and found that the logic made sense. He immediately cupped his hands and bowed in gratitude.

Gu An waved his hand, lifting Hu Xiaojian to his feet. "No need for formalities. Just speak while sitting."

Hu Xiaojian continued recounting the Grand Cold Demon Sect’s history. He had gathered extensive information about them, yet when it came to the Lifetaking Immortal, there was next to nothing—only vague legends.

Gu An, however, had already shifted his focus elsewhere. He was now considering how to take control of Seeker’s Island.

First, he needed a puppet ruler to act as a figurehead while he controlled things from behind the scenes.

Using Seeker’s Island’s vast network of connections, he could gather more rare herbs for cultivation. Besides, he found the idea of managing a place somewhat interesting—it felt like playing a strategic game.

To truly dominate Seeker’s Island, he needed someone powerful enough to hold authority. At the very least, it had to be a Roving Immortal.

He needed to think carefully about who to appoint.

Time passed quickly, and the rain grew heavier.

Two hours later, Gu An left with Yang Jian, returning to Taixuan Sect’s mountain forests.

Yang Jian was no stranger to his master’s Infinite Free Step, but as his own cultivation deepened, he only grew more awed by the technique.

"Master, is there really anyone who can stand against the Grand Cold Demon Sect?" Yang Jian asked, his voice tinged with subtle curiosity.

He didn’t dare directly ask about his master’s strength, so he approached it from another angle.

Gu An continued walking as he replied, "Who knows? I certainly don’t have the confidence."

No confidence?

Yang Jian’s heart pounded. Just what kind of existence was his master?

Gu An had intentionally downplayed himself, yet instead of reassurance, it only left Yang Jian more astonished.

After hearing Hu Xiaojian’s account, the Grand Cold Demon Sect had become an insurmountable nightmare in Yang Jian’s mind—an evil force akin to the ultimate villain in a legendary tale.

But now, his master had hinted that he might be capable of opposing them?

"Jian’er, focus on your cultivation. Even if we survive this crisis, there will be many more challenges ahead. Every great cultivator in history has endured countless trials. The more dangerous the world becomes, the harder you must train." Gu An advised solemnly.

Yang Jian nodded firmly. "I will remember your teachings, Master. I will train diligently, just like you did."

He couldn’t even begin to guess how many years his master had cultivated to reach such a level.

Had it taken tens of thousands of years? No, perhaps even longer.

Maybe his master had existed longer than the Grand Cold Demon Sect itself, merely hiding among mortals and observing the world.

Yang Jian firmly believed that his master wasn’t deceiving him. Gu An must have endured countless hardships and trained endlessly to reach his current height.

Gu An continued lecturing Yang Jian, enjoying the process of mentoring a disciple.

Taking on a student wasn’t just about teaching; it was also entertaining.

Yang Jian didn’t know what his master was truly thinking, but he could feel his sincerity.