“`
“Medicine Poison? Master, you…” Gu An feigned alarm as he spoke.
Could Cheng Xuandan be plotting against him as well?
Without turning back, Cheng Xuandan pushed aside the branches obstructing the path and stooped to walk through, continuing to speak as he moved forward, “Meng Lang has slightly better qualifications than you, but only by a small margin. Even with the support of my elixirs, it would be very difficult for him to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm. Medicine Valley only needs one successor.
His existence is a threat to you; you must be able to sense the flaws in his character.”
Hearing this, Gu An fell silent.
Something about this didn’t seem right—why did it sound like he killed Meng Lang for his benefit?
But he did not wish for Meng Lang to die.
Though Meng Lang was humble, his nature wasn’t inherently bad.
“Don’t overthink it. Though I killed him to pave the way for you, blame him for having better qualifications than you. I was helping the future Master of Medicine Valley,” Cheng Xuandan said casually.
Gu An couldn’t help but ask, “Shouldn’t the Master of Medicine Valley be chosen based on who has stronger qualifications?”
“But if one’s qualifications are too impressive, how could they live in Medicine Valley peacefully for life?”
“Is there something special about Medicine Valley?”
“Indeed, there is. I am not only a disciple of Supreme Sect but also a spy for the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion. The Thousand-Autumn Pavilion is a Demonic Sect not as powerful as Supreme Sect, which is why it has planted many spies like me.”
Well, there were really spies from the Demonic Path!
Suddenly, Gu An didn’t know how to respond.
He had come to see that Cheng Xuandan indeed did not intend to harm him. What was most fatal was that Cheng Xuandan obviously intended to pass on the heavy responsibility of being a spy to him.
“After I die, you can be at ease as the Valley Master. You don’t need to do anything deliberate. When the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion needs you, they will naturally seek you out. All you need to do is to obey orders. Of course, you may also report to the Supreme Sect. After all, I don’t have many years left.
However, you have to carefully weigh whether the Supreme Sect can tolerate your presence. For a Servant Disciple like you, they would rather mistakenly kill than let one go,” Cheng Xuandan said, his tone tinged with a hint of contentment that made Gu An feel like hitting someone.
“Remember the secret code of the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion: ‘No regrets under the cold vines of a thousand autumns; it is hard to find the root in the desolation of myriad laws.’
“Do I have no other choice?”
“What do you think?”
Gu An was silent once again.
“Even for the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, a spy like me is insignificant. You might not encounter them in your lifetime,” Cheng Xuandan said in a self-deprecating tone.
Gu An pondered and realized that he indeed had no power to resist.
It was like a lump of yellow mud falling into one’s pants—it wasn’t necessarily a Demonic Path spy, but it might as well be.
“Master, if you are a cultivator from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, staying in this Medicine Valley must have a reason. Why not disclose it?” Gu An asked solemnly.
“You’re quite astute. Yes, there is a seventh-grade Spirit Tree hidden beneath the soil of Medicine Valley. When we return, I’ll take you to have a look,” he replied.
“Seve… seventh-grade?”
Gu An’s voice trembled, his eyes glistening with excitement.
…
Fine snowflakes fluttered through the world, and a majestic city stood between the mountains. The city gate was ten Zhang high, with some people entering the city on foot, Supreme Sect disciples flying on swords, and even disciples riding mounts.
Walking on the mountain path, Gu An stared at the Supreme Sect’s Outer City from a distance, his eyes filled with amazement.
What a vast city!
“Supreme Sect has eight Outer Cities, within which are four Inner Cities, and inside the Inner Cities is the Main City of the Sect, a place where only the most exceptional, high-status individuals can set foot.
Viewed from above, it is said that the Sect’s layout resembles a masterfully crafted compass, with each mountain holding its own mysteries,” Cheng Xuandan explained with a sense of longing and regret.
Unable to contain his curiosity, Gu An asked, “How large is Supreme Sect, then?”
The journey here had taken them nearly half a month, which spoke volumes about the distance between Medicine Valley and this city.
“Boundless and vast, even I am not sure,” replied Cheng Xuandan as they continued towards the Outer City gate, with Gu An following closely behind.
When Gu An first joined Supreme Sect, he didn’t visit the Outer City. An elder of Supreme Sect had hosted Ji Xiaoyu in a mountain forest pavilion. It was on her account that when Gu An expressed his desired destination, the elder dispatched a disciple to escort him to Cheng Xuandan’s Medicine Valley.
This was his first time at the Outer City.
As the master and disciple arrived at the city gate, Cheng Xuandan showed his token, and Gu An caught a glimpse of two characters engraved on it.
Mystic Valley.
After entering the city, a thunderous uproar greeted them, surprising Gu An.
The city gate was shielded by a Restriction!
With his hearing, he couldn’t detect any sound from within while outside the city.
“Top quality herbs, first come first served, only ten plants for sale today.”
“Treasures from the cave of a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, come take a look.”
“A purebred Snow Mountain Spirit Fox with the potential to speak human language after just five more years of raising.”
“Treasure hunt! Treasure hunt! Each item for just ten Low-Grade Spirit Stones, may luck decide your find.”
“Maps of an Ancient Great Cultivator’s cave, available for those with substantial strength.”
Gu An was drawn to the shouting from both sides of the street. There were loft shops on both sides, and the street was spacious without any disciples setting up stalls.
He even saw brothels.
Impressive indeed, befitting the reputation of an upright and orthodox Sect!
Cheng Xuandan continued to describe the sights, broadening Gu An’s horizons.
No wonder so many people were desperate to join Supreme Sect; the resources for Immortal Cultivation were indeed plentiful.
Gu An was not only listening but also frantically using Life Span Detection.
“`
After walking about two li of streets, he had seen five cultivators whose lifespans exceeded five hundred years.
The Outer Sect truly concealed dragons and crouching tigers!
An hour later, Cheng Xuandan led Gu An into a huge mansion; the plaque above read three large characters:
Elixir Hall!
Inside the Elixir Hall, people came and went, some hurried, some with furrowed brows, and some with hearty laughs.
Gu An followed Cheng Xuandan to a courtyard to meet an elder of the Elixir Hall.
Zhu Qinglu, at the ninth level of Foundation Establishment Realm, was one of the elders of the Elixir Hall, supervising fifty-one Medicine Valleys, and he was Cheng Xuandan’s superior.
He had a plump figure, dressed in a loose blue Daoist robe, with a kind smile on his face, giving off a harmless vibe to everyone.
In the main hall, Zhu Qinglu met with Cheng Xuandan and had a disciple serve him tea.
“Xuandan, why do you look so unwell?” Zhu Qinglu asked with concern.
Gu An took the opportunity to use Life Span Detection.
[Zhu Qinglu (Foundation Establishment Realm Nine Layers): 211/267/510]
He had lived for two hundred and eleven years!
Gu An stood by Cheng Xuandan’s side, careful not to be disrespectful.
Cheng Xuandan chuckled, “To be honest, my time is near. Today, apart from delivering herbs, I am here for my disciple. I want to transfer the position of Valley Master of Mystic Valley to him.”
Zhu Qinglu looked at Gu An and laughed, “Third level of Qi Cultivation, it seems this child has something extraordinary about him.”
Oh, please!
What a dirty curse!
Cheng Xuandan smiled and said, “This child has a pure nature, can unite disciples, and is willing to stay in Medicine Valley for life. He’s the best candidate.”
Zhu Qinglu didn’t say much else, he raised his hand and gestured, and a disciple walked in from outside the hall.
Thirty minutes later.
Gu An walked out of the Elixir Hall with Cheng Xuandan, playing with a bronze token in his hand, inscribed with the words ‘Mystic Valley’, feeling the presence of restrictions within it.
From today onwards, in the Supreme Sect’s Elixir Hall, his identity would be Master of Mystic Valley.
“The Valley Master’s storage bag is with me, I will pass it on to you,” Cheng Xuandan’s voice came from ahead, interrupting Gu An’s thoughts.
Gu An quickly asked, “Master, where do we go next?”
He wanted to return. A batch of herbs was ready for harvesting and he was worried his junior brothers and sisters would pick them.
“Before we return, I’ll take you to the Chores Hall, where you can recruit servant disciples. Today, you can recruit one servant disciple to take back with you. This is also to familiarize you with the process,” Cheng Xuandan replied without turning his head.
Gu An looked at his retreating figure, his emotions surging within him.
Everyone has many sides, and this was fully embodied in Cheng Xuandan.
The former Cheng Xuandan was cold to his disciples, and now he even refined one of his disciples into Medicine Poison, he was a spy from the Demon Path, no matter how you looked at it, an evil person.
But his kindness towards Gu An was genuine.
The Chores Hall was not far from the Elixir Hall, just around a few streets, and the mansion was even larger. Upon entering the main gate, Gu An saw a vast square filled with people.
Looking at those disciples waiting to be chosen, Gu An realized he was quite fortunate.
If it were not for the support of the Ji Family, with his own Spirit Root qualifications, he would be waiting to be selected just like these people.
“You can look around yourself, I won’t interject. After you’ve made a choice, I’ll take you to register,” Cheng Xuandan said softly, rubbing his chest, clearly in some discomfort.
Gu An nodded and then stepped forward.
Did he need to consider his choice? Activate the Golden Finger!
Gu An began frantically using Life Span Detection on everyone he saw.
The majority here had very low maximum lifespans, and there were even those doomed to early deaths, with only a year of life left, still hoping to be chosen.
Gu An quickly found a genius whose lifespan exceeded five hundred years.
He didn’t rush to a decision but decided to see everyone first.
Medicine Valley didn’t need a genius; what he needed was someone with a long current lifespan.
The maximum lifespan is the limit of someone’s cultivation, and reaching that limit is incredibly difficult, requiring a great deal of fortune to achieve.
The reason there are so many hidden talents is that the Spirit Root qualification does not entirely determine the future height of a person.
The current lifespan is different; as long as they don’t suffer serious injury, they can live that long.
Soon, Gu An’s gaze locked onto a young boy, a little monk with an ordinary face and dressed in worn robes, sitting cross-legged in a corner of the square.
[Wuxin (Qi Cultivation Second Layer): 15/330/380]
Qi Cultivation Realm and he has a lifespan of three hundred and thirty years!
Extraordinary!
It’s possible that this child’s physique is special, or he might cultivate some unique technique.
Gu An immediately approached Wuxin, who sensed something, opened his eyes, and was met with Gu An’s smiling face.
“Little brother, would you like to come to my Medicine Valley? It’s not too busy usually, and you will have plenty of time to cultivate,” Gu An said with a gentle smile.
Upon seeing his smile, Wuxin nodded subconsciously.
Cheng Xuandan, watching Wuxin from the side, seemed to notice something, then glanced at Gu An with a strange look in his eyes.