Chapter 59: An Unexpected Visit (1)

Repairing the damaged saber and restoring the Heaven Rend Technique to its complete form, Gu Yuan had already made up his mind to do both.

He wanted to raise his forging ability until he was capable of repairing a Heaven Grade saber himself, in the process obtaining a Heaven Grade saber and a Heaven Grade saber technique.

The treasures given to him by the twins were undoubtedly precious, but there was something different about possessing something he had earned entirely through his own effort.

Perhaps it was a little stubbornness, or perhaps a quiet sense of pride, but Gu Yuan wanted to know that he could reach that level without simply relying on what others had given him.

That was another reason he had delayed refining the Heavenfall Saber and learning the Blood Moon Severing Saber.

But there was no need to remain stubborn about it anymore. Even if he learned a new technique and gained a new saber, he could still continue working toward the repair of the damaged one... or so Gu Yuan told himself.

The Blood Moon Severing Saber was far more complex than Gu Yuan had initially expected. It had only three moves, but as he continued studying it, he gradually understood that the first two moves were merely prerequisites for the third: Blood Moon Severance.

The First Move, Blood Moon, only produced a crescent-shaped blade light resembling a blood-red moon. That resemblance was precisely the point.

Between this High-Heaven Grade technique and his cultivation, Gu Yuan’s time was completely occupied.

Five years later, Gu Yuan had almost forgotten that there was a certain Zhou Yucheng he needed to be careful around. The man had never come looking for him again, and perhaps he simply did not know where Gu Yuan lived. Either way, there had been no further trouble between them.

Unaware that a faint trace of bloodlust had begun to cling to him. Gu Yuan went on with his cultivation as usual, when suddenly a voice interrupted his seclusion.

"Brother Gu."

From the way he was being addressed, Gu Yuan immediately knew who it was.

He stood up and stretched his body for a few seconds before walking out of his cave abode. Outside, he found the familiar grinning face of Lin Hao.

Unlike usual, however, there were no women accompanying him this time.

"Greetings, Senior Brother. It seems you’ve finally decided to pay a visit to my humble cave abode."

"I was still doubtful, but..." Lin Hao muttered under his breath before smiling and walking toward him. "Brother Gu, where have you been all this time? You haven’t appeared in the Inner Sect at all."

"I was in seclusion."

"Cultivating in seclusion is good," Lin Hao nodded, "but shouldn’t you go out once in a while too? Whether to gain experience or search for fortuitous opportunities."

Gu Yuan shook his head. "Doing a sect mission every now and then is enough for me."

To someone like him, who possessed the Orb of Creation and, even more importantly, had the Heavenly Twin Stars as his Dao Companions, there was no need to deliberately search for so-called fortuitous opportunities.

The greatest opportunities in the cultivation world had already found him on their own, whether he wanted them or not.

"Hmm." Lin Hao did not insist. He looked toward the cave abode before turning back to Gu Yuan. "Anyway, you’re not going to invite me inside?"

Gu Yuan paused before realizing his mistake. "I was rude. Please, come in, Senior Brother."

As Lin Hao entered and looked around the cave abode with interest, Gu Yuan took two wooden chairs and a table from his storage treasure, placed them in a suitable spot, and settled into one of the chairs.

Lin Hao sat opposite him, but after his initial curiosity about the cave abode faded, his expression became more serious.

"Brother Gu, your cultivation hasn’t changed since the last time I saw you. But it seems you’ve started practicing some kind of sinister technique. I advise you not to overdo it."

Gu Yuan’s expression remained calm.

In truth, his cultivation had advanced quite a bit. He had already broken through to the Sixth Stage of the Golden Core Realm and had made considerable progress toward the Seventh Stage. He had simply forgotten to adjust the cultivation he displayed to others.

There was no need to explain that, however. Instead, Gu Yuan’s attention turned toward his own body.

After being absorbed in the Blood Moon Severing Saber for five years, he had failed to notice that a faint trace of bloodlust had begun clinging to him. It wasn’t a problem yet, but Lin Hao’s warning made him realize that if he continued practicing the technique without taking a break, the accumulated bloodlust might eventually cause trouble.

Perhaps it was time to put the Blood Moon Severing Saber aside for a while.

"Thank you for your advice, Senior Brother."

After that, their conversation returned to more ordinary matters for some time.

Ordinary, at least, by Lin Hao’s standards. The topic turned to women. Lin Hao proudly told Gu Yuan about his fifth woman, the latest one whose heart he claimed to have won over during the past five years.

It was only after boasting about her for a while that Lin Hao casually changed the subject.

"By the way, do you know what’s been going on around the sect lately?"

"Something is going on?" Gu Yuan asked curiously.

"Yes. The Heavenly Twin Stars have been absent for nearly twenty years. Many spies have tried to infiltrate the sect, and the surrounding sects have grown increasingly restless. They can barely hold themselves back."

"It seems they’ve all determined that the Heavenly Twin Stars were injured in that battle and are planning to attack us while the sect is at its weakest."

"Because of that, the sect’s morale is at rock bottom. Some disciples have already started defecting."

Gu Yuan’s gaze gradually became stranger as he listened.

The spies, and the investigation into the condition of the twins.

He had already known about all of that for years. He simply hadn’t cared. Through the mark on his neck, he could always sense their state.

They were completely fine. Nothing had happened to them. Even now, they were still inside that secret realm, apparently in no hurry to come out.

Gu Yuan looked at Lin Hao for a moment before finally asking, "You really believe something could have happened to the Heavenly Twin Stars?"

"Yes. It seems that’s what everyone has determined. Why? Do you think that’s not the case?"