Sword Duel on a Snowy Night, Nascent Soul vs Nascent Soul

"Is this... a lightning tribulation?"

Gu An looked at the thunderclouds outside the window, his brows gradually relaxing as a look of curiosity appeared on his face.

He was not worried, as he could sense that the heavenly might was far away from the Mystic Valley.

Tang Yu, Su Han, and Zhen Qin, who were busy clearing snow from the garden, all turned their heads to look, while Ye Lan, who was meditating in the mountain forest, also opened her eyes. Xiao Chuan stepped out of his house and looked up at the rolling thunderclouds in the sky.

Wuxin sat cross-legged on the mountaintop, his figure barely visible amidst the swirling snow. He stared toward the horizon, his brows tightly furrowed.

"Such powerful sword intent..."

Wuxin muttered to himself. Although his cultivation was low, he hailed from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion and possessed considerable insight.

The entire firmament was rapidly covered by thunderclouds, resembling a boundless ocean churning with violent waves. The snowy forests below were plunged into gloom, and the winds between heaven and earth grew stronger, causing the trees to sway and shed layers of snow.

Distracted by this display of heavenly might, Gu An found himself unable to continue writing. He rose, went downstairs, and called out to his disciples to tend to their respective gardens.

An hour later, several cultivators flew over the Mystic Valley, heading in the direction of the heavenly might before disappearing into the vast, snowy expanse.

This sight made the disciples in the valley even more nervous, wondering what exactly was happening.

It was not until near dusk that a thunderclap shook the heavens and the earth.

Gu An stood on the mountaintop, watching from afar as lightning flashed and thunder roared on the horizon. The lightning bolts intertwined toward a single point on the ground, forming a massive, spectacular fan shape. The lightning illuminated his face, and his black robes fluttered in the wind.

"A lightning tribulation is this terrifying; no wonder I failed so many times in my simulated cultivation."

Gu An sighed inwardly, the resentment he had suppressed for years finally dissipating.

Although simulated cultivation consumed more lifespan than reality, it had the advantage of safety. Looking back at his achievements—a ninth-level Nascent Soul Realm cultivator at twenty-eight—could the Taixuan Sect find another like him?

Afterward, he turned and headed down the mountain, preparing to resume his writing.

That night, the constant rumbling of thunder made it impossible for anyone in the Medicine Valley to cultivate in peace.

By noon the next day, the thunder continued, and the winds grew fiercer, as if a blizzard were approaching. Gu An led his disciples out from time to time to check on the medicinal herbs.

Three days and three nights passed before the thunder finally ceased. As the thunderclouds in the sky parted and sunlight finally spilled down, the disciples of the Mystic Valley breathed a sigh of relief.

However, they had not even enjoyed it for half a day when a sharp, oppressive pressure blanketed the world, making their chests feel heavy and their hearts race with fear.

Inside the pavilion.

Gu An set down his brush, looked out the window, and frowned.

He sensed a powerful sword intent coming from the horizon, though it was difficult to judge the distance for the moment.

"What is he doing?"

Gu An felt puzzled. Starting to comprehend the sword right after surviving a lightning tribulation?

Is he that desperate?

Gu An could only pray that the other party would not affect his Medicine Valley.

Although the other's sword intent was strong, he compared it to his own Great Vast God-Startling Sword and felt it was inferior.

After all, the Great Vast God-Startling Sword was something he had spent two thousand years of lifespan to forge!

How many people in this mortal world could live to be two thousand years old?

Late at night, Eight Sceneries Grotto-Heaven.

Gu An came to visit Jiang Qiong. He walked all the way to the Azure Vine Tree and raised his hand to salute her.

"For the next little while, do not come in again, lest you be discovered by Zuo Yijian," Jiang Qiong said without opening her eyes.

Zuo Yijian?

Gu An remembered this person; he was the father of Zuo Lin. When the father and son had flown over the Mystic Valley back then, he had even used his lifespan-probing ability on them.

Zuo Yijian's previous cultivation had been exactly at the ninth level of the Golden Core.

After surviving the tribulation, he was now a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.

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

"He is the one who underwent the lightning tribulation these past few days. I heard from your master that he has already made a name for himself as the Canghu Sword Fanatic," Jiang Qiong replied.

The Canghu Sword Fanatic?

Gu An asked curiously, "Grandmaster, are you old acquaintances?"

"Hmm, we are indeed old acquaintances. Back then, he overestimated his abilities and tried to pursue me as a cultivation partner, only to be ruthlessly humiliated by me. It made him the laughingstock of the Inner Sect. From then on, he focused solely on practicing the sword and never left his home, and I never saw him again until I was injured and faked my death."

As she said this, Jiang Qiong opened her eyes, looked at Gu An, and teased with a smile, "My dear grand-disciple, never let your heart be moved by love in the future; it only leads to suffering."

Gu An replied, "Thank you for your guidance, Grandmaster. I will be sure to keep it in mind."

Afterward, Jiang Qiong had Gu An sit down and began to instruct him on the Gu techniques of the Myriad Gu Profound Technique.

The Myriad Gu Profound Technique contained both energy-gathering methods and numerous Gu techniques, requiring a great deal of time to study.

After spending two hours in the Eight Sceneries Grotto-Heaven, Gu An finally took his leave.

Three days later, at the break of dawn.

Gu An was leading his disciples in their morning exercises. They stood upon the white snow, and despite the biting cold wind, they remained dressed in thin layers.

Whoosh!

A sound of air being torn apart rang out, startling everyone into turning their heads. They saw the eastern peak struck by a streak of sword qi; two large trees on the hillside were severed, crashing down and rolling along the slope until they were stopped by a row of trees, sending up a cloud of snow like white mist.

Looking up, a two-zhang-long crack marred the cliff face, as if carved by a massive sword—a truly spectacular sight.

Su Han frowned and said, "This isn't the first time. If this continues, it will eventually endanger us."

The other disciples were also filled with worry, their movements during the exercises slowing down as a result.

Wuxin sighed, "A sword cultivator seeking enlightenment can take anywhere from a few days to several decades. Who knows how much longer that person will be at it."

For once, Gu An did not have a smile on his face; his expression was grim.

He was worried about the herbs inside Mystic Valley.

Yesterday, he had made a trip to the Outer Sect to report the matter to the Alchemy Hall. The result was that they told him he could choose to temporarily move to the Outer Sect City and be exempted from this year's harvest, but the Alchemy Hall would not cover any losses incurred by Mystic Valley.

The herbs in Mystic Valley were all Gu An's treasures; how could he possibly agree to abandon them?

If Mystic Valley collapsed, the Eight Sceneries Grotto-Heaven might even be exposed.

No!

He had to find a way!

Gu An's eyes flickered. For the sake of a quiet life, he could swallow his pride, but for the sake of his herbs, he was willing to take a gamble!

"Alright, hurry up and finish your exercises, then go practice on your own. We'll wait two more days; if that person still hasn't left, we'll go to the Outer Sect to take shelter," Gu An said.

As soon as these words were spoken, the disciples felt a surge of spirit. They, too, were worried about the valley collapsing and had long wanted to go elsewhere to avoid the danger.

The daylight of winter passed quickly.

Night gradually descended.

On a mountain peak, Zuo Yijian, dressed in grey robes, sat in meditation. Five swords stood before him, each of a different shape, even the widths of their blades varying.

In the night, snow filled the sky. As the flakes landed on him, they melted rapidly, turning into wisps of white mist, which made his aura appear even more formidable.

On a mountain peak a hundred zhang away, Zuo Lin sat in meditation on the edge of a cliff. Three large banners were planted around him, fluttering in the wind. Whenever sword qi swept past, an invisible barrier of energy neutralized it, ensuring he remained completely unharmed.

Although he was uninjured, the roaring sound of the sword qi striking the formation still startled Zuo Lin awake.

He raised his eyes to look at his father, his sword-like brows tightly locked, his eyes filled with envy.

They say like father, like son, so why hadn't he inherited his father's aptitude for the sword?

Feeling his father's powerful sword intent, Zuo Lin felt a deep yearning.

Even though his spiritual root aptitude was excellent and his speed of absorbing qi far surpassed his peers, he only wanted to become a powerful sword cultivator like his father.

If it weren't for the need to seek enlightenment in the sword, his cultivation level would be far beyond the second level of Foundation Establishment.

"Sigh!"

Zuo Lin sighed, then prepared to continue his meditation. He refused to believe he couldn't make a name for himself in the way of the sword.

Just as he was about to close his eyes, he suddenly saw his father stand up, which left him stunned.

Was it over?

Zuo Yijian stood on the mountaintop, facing the direction of Zuo Lin, but his gaze was fixed higher, toward a taller mountain in the distance. The night was vast and no figure could be seen, yet he could feel a sword intent locking onto him.

The five precious swords before him began to tremble and hum, as if facing a formidable enemy.

Zuo Lin, on the opposite side, stood up as well and asked loudly, "Father, what is it? Did you succeed?"

Zuo Yijian did not answer him, but instead called out, "I do not know which fellow Daoist has arrived; why not show yourself?"

Ten miles away.

Gu An, dressed in white, stood on a mountain peak. He wore a Wooden Mask, and spiritual power covered his face beneath it to prevent detection by divine sense.

His white robes fluttered, blending into the accumulated snow behind him.

His right hand toyed with a leaf, upon which wisps of sword qi coiled.

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

Before releasing his sword intent, he had already scouted a hundred-mile radius to ensure there were no other powerful cultivators before coming to this peak.

Gu An did not like killing the innocent, but Zuo Yijian was endangering his Medicine Valley and had to be driven away.

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

Gu An muttered to himself as he began to circulate his cultivation technique, channeling his spiritual power into the leaf.

Meanwhile.

Zuo Lin heard his father's words and quickly turned around, but with his Foundation Establishment cultivation, he was not yet capable of seeing someone ten miles away, especially in the dead of night with the sky full of falling snow obstructing his vision.

Because he could not see the intruder, he could not help but grow nervous.

Zuo Yijian felt the opponent's sword intent rising and knew that this battle could no longer be avoided.

"A spy from the Demonic Path? Or perhaps... one of their people?"

Zuo Yijian's eyes flickered. His right hand gripped the precious sword before him; it was slender with a crimson blade, and as he grasped it, flames erupted along the edge, becoming the brightest presence beneath the night sky.

He drew the sword and slashed through the air, igniting a wave of fire that hung horizontally across the night.

"To unleash the Flame-Devouring Sword Technique under such freezing skies—it seems Father's comprehension of the sword has surged greatly over these past few days..." Zuo Lin turned his head, his face filled with admiration as he watched the sword fire in his father's hand.

No matter who the intruder was, he believed his father could not be defeated.

"Since you refuse to speak, friend, I can only assume you intend to disrupt my enlightenment. Then let this frozen world bear witness to whose sword intent is stronger!"

Zuo Yijian's cold voice echoed between heaven and earth. As his words fell, a heaven-piercing sword intent erupted from his body, causing the mountain he stood upon to tremble violently. The accumulated snow collapsed and cascaded down, shaking even the mountain where Zuo Lin stood.

Ten miles away.

"Too much talk."

Gu An whispered to himself, his voice so low that only he could hear it. As he spoke, he flicked the leaf in his hand with a sudden, sharp motion.

What flew out was not merely a leaf, but a divine sword capable of piercing through time and space!