Chapter 438: Discussing the Dao

The message was strange and out of context, not at all like Gu Jue.

Lu Sangjiu suspected something was wrong, so she replied directly, "You’re at the Lingjian Sect? I’ll come find you."

After sending the reply, she turned to Xie Ningyuan and said, "It sounds like something’s happened with Gu Jue. We need to make a trip to the Lingjian Sect."

Xie Ningyuan also considered Gu Jue a friend, so he naturally had no objections. He nodded and agreed, "Alright."

Just then, another message came back from Gu Jue, but it was just a single line: "Come alone."

’The events at the Cold Crow Sect couldn’t be kept secret, so Gu Jue must already know that she and Xie Ningyuan left together.’

’So when he said "alone" right now...’ Lu Sangjiu glanced at Xie Ningyuan beside her. ’Clearly, Gu Jue doesn’t want Xie Ningyuan to come with me.’

’I just told Xie Ningyuan we’d go to the Lingjian Sect together, and now I have to tell him not to come...’ Lu Sangjiu felt a little guilty and awkward.

She didn’t know how to bring it up, but Xie Ningyuan noticed the shift in her mood. "What’s wrong?"

"Well..." Lu Sangjiu stammered, "Gu Jue said... I should go alone."

After she said that, the room fell silent for a moment.

Lu Sangjiu’s heart sank. ’Oh no, is he upset?’

’But Gu Jue is my friend, and he’s helped me so much. I can’t possibly refuse such a small request. Even if Xie Ningyuan is upset, I still have to go.’

So she could only try to coax him gently. "Don’t be upset. Mr. Gu only asked for me. I’m sure it’s not that he doesn’t trust you. Maybe there’s something important he can only tell me?"

Xie Ningyuan couldn’t help but glance at her. Her eyes were clear, with no hint of evasion or guilt. ’It seems... she really hasn’t thought of any other reason.’

’What could Gu Jue possibly have to say that he could only tell her and not him?’

’Matters of the heart, obviously.’

Xie Ningyuan had thought that after he and Lu Sangjiu got together, Gu Jue would have given up.

’But on second thought, Sword Cultivators are notoriously stubborn. When they fall in love with someone, how could they possibly let go so easily?’

Of course, Xie Ningyuan had no doubt about Gu Jue’s character. Even if he did confess his feelings, it certainly wouldn’t be to try and steal her from him.

A man as righteous and principled as him would scorn such an act.

’Perhaps these unresolved feelings are hindering his cultivation?’

’A Cultivator, after all, must have a clear and untroubled mind to make rapid progress in their cultivation.’

After various thoughts swirled in his mind, Xie Ningyuan finally came to a conclusion.

Gu Jue was seeking out Lu Sangjiu, perhaps to finally confess the feelings he had hidden for so long and get some closure.

Although the thought of Gu Jue confessing to Lu Sangjiu made Xie Ningyuan feel a bit sour and unsettled.

But... he couldn’t stop him, nor would he.

With a hint of melancholy, he raised his hand and patted Lu Sangjiu on the head. "I’m not angry. Go on."

Now that Lu Sangjiu had reached Divinity Transformation, she could tear through space and use Instant Teleportation, so there was no need to worry about her safety on the journey.

So Xie Ningyuan had no other warnings to give, only saying: "Go and come back soon. Go straight to the Lingjian Sect, and don’t go anywhere else."

’With He Guang, a Great Power at the Transcendance Tribulation Stage, still lurking in the shadows, it was indeed too dangerous for her to travel alone. The Lingjian Sect had a Tribulation Crossing Ancestor watching over it, so she wouldn’t have to fear a sneak attack from He Guang.’

Lu Sangjiu saw that his expression didn’t look like a forced smile, which finally put her at ease. She nodded and said, "Don’t worry. If I see Mr. Gu and he needs my help with something that might take a few days, I’ll send you a message."

After reassuring Xie Ningyuan, Lu Sangjiu delayed no further. She immediately tore open a rift in space and stepped through.

When she arrived at the main gate of the Lingjian Sect, Gu Jue was already waiting for her.

Just as she remembered, he was tall and elegant in his white robes. Simply by standing there, he looked like an immortal banished to the mortal realm, so striking that one dared not look at him directly.

But something was different. Lu Sangjiu noticed it at a glance and ran over to him joyfully. "Mr. Gu, you’ve reached Divinity Transformation too? Congratulations!"

That was right. Gu Jue’s cultivation had reached Divinity Transformation, but his aura seemed a little unstable, suggesting he had only just broken through.

Gu Jue nodded. "I underwent the Heavenly Tribulation two days ago."

After speaking, he saluted her with cupped fists. "Mr. Lu has already reached Late-stage Divinity Transformation. I’m the one who should be congratulating you."

At the mention of this, Lu Sangjiu couldn’t help but think of Cangming. She gave a wry smile and waved her hand. "It was just a fortunate coincidence... nothing worth congratulating, really."

Not wanting to dwell on the subject, Lu Sangjiu quickly perked up and asked, "By the way, you seemed so urgent when you called for me. Is there something important?"

Gu Jue stared at her for a moment. Instead of answering yes or no, he simply said, "I’ve always heard that the sunset from the Lingjian Sect’s Zhuojue Peak is beautiful, but I’ve been so engrossed in my Sword Dao cultivation that I’ve never had the leisure to go see it."

"Mr. Lu... would you be willing to take a walk there with me?"

"...Huh?" Lu Sangjiu was momentarily stunned. ’Wait, he called me over in such a hurry just to watch a sunset?’

’But then again,’ she thought, ’oh, this is something even Xie Ningyuan isn’t supposed to know about. There are too many people and prying eyes here at the gate. It’s definitely not the right place to talk. I was being too impatient.’

Realizing her mistake, she quickly agreed, "Of course, let’s go now!"

Zhuojue Peak was the highest mountain in the Lingjian Sect. Because it was so steep, no one had established a residence here; only occasionally would someone come to practice their sword.

But today, whether by Gu Jue’s specific arrangement or by chance, there was no one else to be seen.

Lu Sangjiu stood on the summit as a fierce mountain wind whipped past, tangling her hair and the hem of her robes. She didn’t release her Spiritual Energy to form a protective barrier around herself.

She simply stood facing the wind, her eyes narrowed slightly as she watched the sun sinking in the distance.

The fiery sunset dyed the clouds crimson. It was truly a rare and beautiful sight.

She watched for a while before turning to Gu Jue with a smile. "The sunset here really is beautiful."

Gu Jue’s gaze wasn’t on the sunset, however, but on her. The moment she turned, their eyes met.

His heart skipped a beat. He immediately looked away and murmured a soft, "Yes, it is."

Lu Sangjiu didn’t notice anything amiss and couldn’t help but ask again, "So... Mr. Gu, there’s no one else here now. What did you really want to see me about?"

"What if I said... I just wanted to ask you to come and see the sunset?"

"Huh?" Lu Sangjiu was taken aback for a moment. Then, a suspicion finally surfaced in her mind. ’Could it be... that Gu Jue has feelings for me?’

Her expression shifted slightly. Just as she was hesitating whether to ask, she heard Gu Jue continue, "I just broke through to the Divinity Transformation Stage, and my mental state isn’t stable enough. I wanted to find someone to discuss the Dao with."

"I’m too familiar with the disciples in the sect, so I thought of Mr. Lu... You don’t need to do anything else today. Just chatting with me for a bit would be good enough."