Gu An originally wanted to use the name of Xu Zhonglin, the original author of Investiture of the Gods, but then he thought about writing other books to earn some extra money, so he thought of a different name.
Elder Liu and Zhu Qinglu didn’t think too much of it, and Pan An only changed his surname compared to Gu An, which they could understand.
After that, Elder Liu began to admonish Gu An, mainly to remind him of what he could not write, and he hinted, both openly and subtly, that Gu An should incorporate the Supreme Sect into his story and portray it in a good light.
Even if he didn’t write about the Supreme Sect, he could use metaphors; in any case, the more he praised the Supreme Sect, the better the treatment he would receive in the future.
In response, Gu An could only agree, as for whether he would do it, that was a matter for later.
Writing books was only something he did in his spare time; he wouldn’t put too much effort into it.
After Elder Liu finished speaking, Gu Yu approached them excitedly and said, “Brother, have you written any other books?”
Gu An shook his head and replied, “It’s my first time.”
“Hahaha, not bad at all. I have high hopes for you; you might even surpass Green Hero’s status within the Supreme Sect,” Gu Yu said, patting Gu An’s shoulder with an all-too-familiar expression.
Upon hearing this, Gu An suddenly became interested and asked, “Do you know Green Hero?”
Gu Yu raised an eyebrow and said, “Do you also like his travelogues? I don’t know him personally, just that he’s a cultivator from the Supreme Sect. I asked Elder Liu, but he absolutely refused to tell me.”
Elder Liu laughed heartily and pulled Zhu Qinglu to walk outside, saying, “Join me for a bit, to catch up and also let the younger generations chat for a while.”
Zhu Qinglu nodded, and the two of them quickly left the hall.
Gu Yu then pressed Gu An for details on writing Investiture of the Gods, and seeing that Elder Liu didn’t treat him lightly, Gu An answered patiently.
A good ancient hour passed before Gu An followed Zhu Qinglu out of the Book Collection Hall.
“That disciple named Gu Yu holds no ordinary status; it’s rare to see someone who can be treated in such a way by Elder Liu,” Zhu Qinglu spoke with profound meaning.
Gu An nodded, but he had no intention of becoming close friends with Gu Yu, as such a person could disrupt his peaceful life.
They didn’t walk together for long, and after parting ways, Gu An began to purchase herbal seeds and some clothes as well.
It wasn’t until nightfall that he returned to Mystic Valley.
The days passed, one by one.
Another New Year arrived, and Mystic Valley’s second Spring Festival went even more smoothly, without any hitches, and the atmosphere was even more joyful than the first year. As usual, Gu An sent food to Jiang Qiong.
He began to count the days, preparing for Jiang Qiong’s departure.
Once Jiang Qiong left, he would make full use of the Eight Scenic Caves, filling them with all kinds of Spirit Flowers and Spirit Grasses.
After the New Year, Gu An took Wuxin to the Outer Sect and once again selected three Servant Disciples, this time two women and one man named Yan Mei, Yang Min, and Ye Yan.
All three of them were eighteen and looking forward to their new life in Mystic Valley.
By becoming Servant Disciples, not only could they earn Spirit Stones, but they also had the chance to inherit their master’s spells.
This time, Gu An wasn’t just recruiting Servant Disciples, but was also bringing Wuxin to get him thoroughly accustomed to the status of the chief disciple, so that he could run errands for him in the future.
After returning to Mystic Valley, Gu An had Wuxin take the three to meet the others in the valley, while he entered the northern woods to make some plans.
He wanted to fill the nearby woods with medicinal herbs, as the herbs he had submitted to the Outer Sect last year made it into the top ten of Medicine Valley. Zhu Qinglu valued him even more, enhancing his treatment. Now, he supported nine Servant Disciples with ease, and he was even thinking of recruiting more.
It’s hard for people to be content with their current state, and that’s exactly how Gu An felt about the annual income of his life span; if it didn’t grow as much as last year, he would feel discomfort.
Gu An stood under a tree, scanning the woods, beginning to envision the layout of the garden.
Suddenly, the White Spirit Rat scurried out of the woods. Seeing it, Gu An felt both a headache and anticipation.
Afraid it might find a good treasure, yet hopeful it would.
It hopped all the way to Gu An’s feet and spat out a jade ring.
Gu An reached out to collect the jade ring and tucked it into his belt, intending to check it in private later.
He scooped up the White Spirit Rat, not allowing it to run around anymore.
“Good job, I’ll feed you a Green Vine Fruit tonight,” Gu An said with a smile.
The White Spirit Rat seemed to understand and stopped struggling, instead lying obediently in his arms.
After Gu An stood motionless for half the time it takes an incense stick to burn, he turned and left the woods, standing on the grass next to the garden, waiting for someone’s arrival.
Soon, a sound of someone tearing through the sky was heard.
An Outer Disciple arrived on a flying sword, landing quickly beside Gu An, his figure drawing the attention of the other Mystic Valley disciples.
“Senior Brother! I’m back!”
The newcomer was Lu Jiujia, who had previously gone to participate in the Outer Sect examination. Dressed in Outer Sect robes, he looked quite different from before.
Gu An smiled and said, “I thought you weren’t coming back.”
Lu Jiujia scratched his head and replied, “How could that be? As soon as I got the Foundation Establishment Pill, I went into seclusion. Right after succeeding in Foundation Establishment, I rushed back here immediately to share the joy with all of you.”
Gu An smiled and reached out to squeeze his shoulder, indeed his physique had strengthened.
At this moment, the others crowded around, eagerly asking about his experience in the Foundation Establishment Realm, to which he responded proudly, one by one.
When Gu An first met Lu Jiujia, he was only fifteen, and to see him so successful now, Gu An felt nothing but gratification.
The journey to immortality is too lonely for one person; if those he interacted with could come to a good end, he too would have fewer regrets.
Lu Jiujia’s return made Mystic Valley lively, and Yan Mei and her two companions, who had just entered the valley, were greatly inspired; they saw a pathway ascending.
By working hard in Mystic Valley, there was hope for promotion to the Outer Sect!
That evening, Gu An studied the jade ring brought back by the White Spirit Rat. The restrictions inside were forcibly broken by his Divine Sense, and he discovered that it was full of Spirit Stones.
An unexpected fortune?
Gu An developed greater expectations for the White Spirit Rat, which successfully obtained the right to eat the Green Vine Fruit.
Lu Jiujia stayed in Mystic Valley for a month before leaving. Everyone knew that once he left, it was very likely they would never meet again in this lifetime, unless they too could become Outer Disciples.
…
In the blink of an eye, two years passed, and Gu An was already thirty years old but appeared to be only around twenty, thanks to the Youth-Preserving Pill he had taken.
His lifespan had now exceeded thirty thousand years!
Mystic Valley was expanding its scale, and the number of Outer Disciples responsible for managing his cave residence had reached eleven. His lifespan increase was growing every month.
Life was busy and fulfilling, but he did not feel tired at all; on the contrary, he was full of fighting spirit.
With the arrival of midsummer, the moon was bright and the stars scarce, and fireflies glowed in the quiet forests.
In the woods, Jiang Qiong, dressed in a white garment, walked ahead. Barefooted, even when treading on branches, she felt no discomfort.
Gu An followed behind, silent.
“Alright, let’s stop here,”
Jiang Qiong stopped and turned to look at Gu An.
Gu An nodded. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “Martial Master, please be careful on your departure. After all, this place is still within the domain of the Supreme Sect.”
Having spent so many years together, and with Jiang Qiong teaching him so many spells, it was definitely a lie to say he had no feelings for her.
However, more than these feelings, Gu An hoped for her departure.
Jiang Qiong nodded, raising her right hand from which a blue-covered book appeared. She directly tossed the secret manual to Gu An.
“Practice well. The next time I return, I will examine your cultivation level. If you disappoint me, your Martial Master will punish you,” Jiang Qiong threatened in a tone akin to warning a child, even waving her fist, which made Gu An both cry and laugh.
Before he could respond, Jiang Qiong disappeared on the spot, and Gu An could feel her Demonic Qi rapidly departing.
In the dim forest, Gu An’s lips curved up slightly. He turned to head back to Mystic Valley, simultaneously looking at the secret manual in his hand.
Ziwei Array Chronicles!
He casually leafed through it and found that each page of the book had special restrictions, with text describing formations, but the methods to practice the formations required probing with Divine Sense.
There’s something here!
Gu An thought of the formations in the Eight Scenic Caves. It was precisely those formations that prevented the Great Cultivators of the Supreme Sect from detecting the existence of the Green Vine Tree as they swept over Mystic Valley.
Although Jiang Qiong’s cultivation level was only at the ninth layer of Elixir Formation Realm, her achievement in formations and Alchemy Dao far exceeded that of her realm. After all, she reached the Elixir Formation Realm at forty and had since focused on the study of formations and alchemy, also contemplating formations during her feigned death years.
Gu An suddenly felt the Ziwei Array Chronicles in his hand was heavy with significance.
Night turned to day.
Dawn arrived.
Jiang Qiong’s departure affected only Gu An, life in Mystic Valley continued as normal.
After overseeing the disciples’ drills, Gu An returned to his own attic with Ye Lan.
He took out a carefully prepared little wooden box and handed it to Ye Lan. The box was squarely shaped and finely crafted, as if it contained jewels.
Ye Lan was stunned for a moment, then opened the box curiously. Immediately, she saw an elixir placed inside.
“Senior Brother, what elixir is this?” Ye Lan asked.
Seated at the table, Gu An poured himself some tea and smiled, “A Foundation Establishment Pill, prepared especially for you. Don’t mention it to anyone. In the future, if the disciples in the valley reach the ninth layer of Qi Cultivation Realm, I will do the same for them, but they must not know I have a Foundation Establishment Pill in advance, to prevent trouble.”
Foundation Establishment Pill!
Ye Lan’s eyes widened, she instinctively thought of refusing, but Gu An preempted her, “Don’t worry. I have kept a Foundation Establishment Pill for myself. Once you succeed in Foundation Establishment, you might even become my backbone in the Outer Sect later. Work hard in your practice, that’s the best way to repay me.”
“I…” Ye Lan felt a complex mix of emotions, having much to say but finding herself lost for words.
Gu An earnestly advised, “The journey of life is long, and people will always have many thoughts. Don’t forget what your greatest pursuit in this life is.”
Although Ye Lan hadn’t been clingy these years, every time she looked at him, her eyes were so tender. Sometimes, he could even overhear other disciples’ discussions; everyone could see her affection for him.
Gu An’s feelings for Ye Lan were that of brother and sister. He had not reached the point of wanting to spend his life with her, and in his heart was only Immortal Cultivation.
After listening, Ye Lan nodded vigorously, softly saying, “Senior Brother, rest assured, I will practice diligently and not disappoint you. I will strive to climb higher and take care of you in the future.”
As she spoke, she even winked at Gu An.
Gu An smiled and then gestured for her to leave.
Ye Lan carefully put away the Foundation Establishment Pill and left, closing the door behind her. However, just before it closed completely, she suddenly said, “Senior Brother, no matter where I go in the future, I won’t have feelings for any other man. You’ll be the only one in my heart.”
Having said this, she abruptly closed the door and scurried away.