After exchanging a few words with Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia, Gu An headed towards his own courtyard, pulling out a copy of “Green Hero Travelogue” from his robes, preparing to thoroughly enjoy the illustrations within.
As he reached the front of the courtyard, Ye Lan approached him.
“Senior Brother, I want to learn the Residual Wind Leg too!” Ye Lan said, puffing up with frustration.
Gu An naturally closed the travelogue and asked with a smile, “What’s the matter? Has Senior Brother Meng refused to teach you spells?”
Ye Lan grew even more annoyed and said with a sense of grievance, “Yes, he teaches in such a perfunctory manner. I got frustrated and argued with him, and then he snapped at me, saying he needs to prepare for the Outer Sect examination and doesn’t have the time to bother with me, telling me to scram.”
Gu An noticed her cheeks puffing up like balloons and felt amused, but he held back and didn’t laugh out loud.
“Since Senior Brother Meng is busy, let’s not disturb him. How about this: tomorrow at noon, I will personally teach you the Residual Wind Leg, how does that sound?” Gu An said soothingly.
Ye Lan looked at him in surprise and asked, “Why tomorrow?”
“Senior Brother is tired, have some sympathy. You were just being harried by your two senior brothers, you can go ask them,” Gu An said, pointing towards Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia in the distance.
After finishing his sentence, he walked past Ye Lan and headed towards his own room.
Ye Lan noticed the book in his hand and wondered to herself, “Is ‘Green Hero Travelogue’ really that interesting?”
Gu An closed the door of his room, lay on his bed, and picked up “Green Hero Travelogue” again.
The reason he liked “Green Hero Travelogue” was that it was a series, with a new volume released every six months.
Following a serialized book in the Immortal Cultivation World gave Gu An a sense of being back on Earth.
He soon became immersed in the content of the book.
He seriously suspected that the book was written by a cultivator from the Supreme Sect, just that he didn’t know how advanced the author’s cultivation level was since the book didn’t include detailed battle records, only leisurely travels and romantic adventures.
An hour later.
Gu An suddenly heard a commotion from the neighboring house; it seemed like Meng Lang was rolling on the ground, his breathing highly irregular.
Hmm?
Did he mess up his practice?
Gu An hesitated whether to check on him or not but Meng Lang soon stopped. This kid didn’t even cry out in pain; as the surrounding spiritual energy flowed towards his house, Gu An knew he had resumed his cultivation.
Tsk tsk.
Li Ya has already risen to prominence; could it be that Meng Lang also had his own extraordinary encounter?
Goodness, if this is the case, then the three of them joining Medicine Valley on the same day, accepting the same master, and each having great opportunities, would indeed be the stuff of legends.
Gu An quickly reconsidered and felt he might be overthinking it.
Meng Lang would be lucky if he could die a natural death.
In his view, with Meng Lang’s temperament, once he left the valley, it wouldn’t be long before he died. He was inept at speaking and quick to anger, hardly the demeanor of a cultivator.
He stopped pondering and continued indulging in “Green Hero Travelogue.”
Gu An spent six ancient hours each day absorbing spiritual energy, usually using his sleeping hours for cultivation, as cultivators don’t need to sleep; the process of energy absorption itself was a better form of rest and relaxation than sleep.
With the remaining time, he didn’t just read travelogues; he had other books too. Cheng Xuandan had already passed on to him the “Hundred Herbs Collection,” a manual produced by the Supreme Sect that documented various spirit flowers and grasses around the world, with specific medicinal properties noted by Cheng Xuandan.
Though Cheng Xuandan’s cultivation level was low, having lived for a century, he indeed possessed extensive knowledge and broad experience.
People with poor qualifications have this advantage; they can spend more time accumulating knowledge and experiences.
…
Another year passed, and winter snow arrived. Flurries of large snowflakes blanketed the garden, and Gu An was directing his junior brothers and sisters in clearing it.
As for Meng Lang, that guy had become obsessed with his training, hiding in his room all day to practice, and now, Gu An couldn’t get him to do anything. Cheng Xuandan said to just let him be.
Every edge of the garden had special talisman papers that could generate heat, but these papers had a time limit. Once they expired, it would only take an hour for the snow to blanket the entire garden again.
Watching Xiaochuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan bustling about, Gu An’s mind wandered.
He was increasingly dissatisfied with the production of Medicine Valley and felt it was essential to clear new land!
Once this winter was over, he planned to have them go up the mountain to cut trees and cultivate the soil.
Suddenly, a sound of breaking air came from afar. Gu An turned to look and saw a man in plain clothes riding a flying sword, cutting through the snowy sky, resembling a sword immortal.
Du Ye!
Gu An instinctively sent out a life span detection toward him, discovering that his cultivation had reached the sixth layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm.
Such a rapid breakthrough!
The arrival of Du Ye also caught the attention of Xiaochuan and the others.
As Du Ye flew close to where Gu An was and then leaped off, skillfully stowing his sword into its sheath at his waist—his movements as smooth as flowing water—Xiaochuan and the others stared in awe. They had joined the Supreme Sect not to do menial work but to cultivate immortality, a dream hindered by their mediocre Spirit Root Qualifications.
They had joined Medicine Valley while waiting for a chance.
Du Ye sized up Gu An, clapped him on the shoulders and said with a laugh, “Not bad, you’ve fully grown up, no longer the little kid who used to follow me around.”
Gu An exchanged pleasantries with Du Ye while inwardly swearing.
We’re all house servants, what’s with the pretense?
After several detours, Du Ye finally brought up the main topic. He whispered, “How are the medicinal herbs coming along?”
“Come with me to retrieve them,” Gu An nodded with a smile.
He indeed had some herbs stored away, rightfully his as the top disciple of Medicine Valley, and he planned to give them all to Du Ye.
Although he could steal life span, that stuff required time.
Before achieving absolute invincibility, he had to foster good relations with the Ji Family, as they might prove useful in the future.
Although the Chu Family was strong, their influence was only within the Supreme Sect. The Ji Family, however, was different— they were a top-tier family within the entire Taicang Dynasty. The Ji Family where Gu An previously stayed was just a branch in one city, but descendants of the Ji Family could be found in all Immortal Cultivation Sects throughout the dynasty.
Along the way, Du Ye began to talk about the Outer Sect.
“Li Ya is from your Medicine Valley, isn’t he? Recently, he has been quite the topic of conversation. He is a descendant of the Taicang Imperial Family and is currently competing with his imperial brother. The two have even made a life-and-death duel pact, causing quite a stir.”
“It is said that Li Ya was considered a waste just a few years ago. By some stroke of luck, his cultivation level improved by leaps and bounds. Now, he has already reached the Second Layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm.”
Hearing Du Ye mention Li Ya piqued Gu An’s interest.
Why does Li Ya sound like a bitter and vengeful protagonist from a fantasy novel?
Curiously, Gu An asked, “Must one reach the Foundation Establishment Realm to become an Outer Disciple? “
Du Ye nodded and said, “Naturally, like me, my cultivation level is insufficient. Although I am in the Outer Sect, I still belong to the servants, but staying in the Outer City allows me to be involved in these matters.”
“Reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm directly promotes one to an Outer Disciple, and reaching the Core Formation Realm advances one to an Inner Sect Disciple. Above the Inner Sect Disciples are the Inheriting Disciples and True Disciples. These are the explicit rules. If one’s talent is exceptional, they can also break these rules.”
“Our third miss is such a person. From the moment she joined, she was an Inheriting Disciple, and she is now thinking about breaking through to become a True Disciple. To become a True Disciple, relying solely on cultivation level is not enough; one must also be able to command respect and possess sufficient prestige. That’s why I need to pave the way for her.”
When Du Ye mentioned Ji Xiaoyu, he spoke incessantly.
For the first time, Gu An did not mind his verbosity and listened attentively.
As they entered the house, Gu An listened while taking out the bundle he had prepared earlier.
Du Ye spoke for a while before finally stopping. He raised his hand slightly, dissatisfied, he said, “Is that all?”
Gu An replied with a smile, “The future is long, after all. Immortal cultivation is not a matter of one or two years. Instead of overstepping my bounds and risking being banished from the valley, it’s better for me to stay compliant, providing herbs all year round. I won’t keep a single plant to myself, all will be offered up.”
Hearing this, Du Ye’s expression softened. He asked again, “Really?”
“Really, with my qualifications, what do I need herbs for? Living a peaceful life is my pursuit,” Gu An responded affirmatively.
Du Ye opened his mouth but eventually sighed. His right hand reached for his storage bag, from which he took out a manual and handed it to Gu An.
Gu An took it and saw it was titled ‘Eight Directions Step’.
This surprised him.
Had the guy had a change of heart?
Du Ye explained, “This is a stepping technique from the Ji Family. It’s only the basic step of Ji Family’s ultimate skill, Qilin Step, but if you learn it, you might move faster, which could help you escape trouble someday. This technique does not depend on Spirit Root Qualification; as long as you practice, you can always learn it.”
Gu An began to see Du Ye in a new light and was about to say something when Du Ye grabbed the bundle, patted his shoulder, and walked past him.
Gu An turned around, following his steps, and saw him off.
Reaching the courtyard, Du Ye turned back to him and said, “After all, we have grown up together. Even if our paths diverge later due to different choices, our friendship remains. If life treats you poorly, you can always come to me.”
With these words, his left hand slapped the scabbard, and with a metallic ring, the sword was drawn. He leaped up and rode away on the sword.
Such an impressive Sword Control Technique!
Gu An lowered his gaze to the manual in his hands, his lips curving upwards.
He began to browse through the Eight Directions Step and started practicing it in the courtyard.
A Ji Family ultimate skill?
He wondered if, by using his lifespan to cultivate, he could evolve and deduce that Ji Family’s ultimate skill.
When Xiaochuan and the other two finished cleaning all the sectors, they quickly came to Gu An’s courtyard, curiously watching him practice the stepping technique.
“Senior Brother, what cultivation technique are you practicing?” Ye Lan asked curiously.
Gu An, shifting his stance, asked with a smile, “Do you want to learn?”
“Yes!”
The three responded in unison.
Gu An replied, “Wait until I learn it, then I will teach you.”
Bang!
The door of the house next door burst open, and Meng Lang, whose eyes were covered with bloodshot veins and forehead full of blood-colored veins, emerged, looking terrifying.
Xiaochuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan were all scared.
Meng Lang charged towards the nearest Ye Lan like a crazed beast, his aura ferocious.
Ye Lan was terrified and couldn’t react quickly enough.
In less than a moment, Meng Lang was about to collide with Ye Lan.
Gu An grasped Ye Lan’s shoulders and pulled him back, while his right foot simultaneously stepped on Meng Lang’s chest.
Boom!
Meng Lang’s momentum exploded, his aura whirling around him, and his feet scraped long marks on the ground.
Gu An’s right leg slowly straightened, pushing Meng Lang backward.
Xiaochuan and the others widened their eyes, Gu An’s posture deeply imprinting in their minds, leaving them in awe.
Is Senior Brother this powerful?
Although Gu An usually managed to win over them in sparring without using spiritual power, Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia always believed they would eventually surpass their senior brother.
Suddenly, Meng Lang grabbed Gu An’s right foot with both hands, a brutal force attempting to break his leg.
Gu An leapt up sharply, then forcefully stomped down, pressing Meng Lang into the ground with a thud, forcing him to kneel.
Meng Lang’s knees sank into the soil, his body trembling, unable to push Gu An’s foot off, looking extremely wretched.