The Spring Festival at the Third Medicine Valley was a great success, with everyone drinking through the night, sharing stories, and growing closer.
Gu An was quite busy that evening, and even though he appeared enthusiastic, he could sense that everyone was acting reserved around him, except for An Xin and Shen Zhen.
Even Wu Jue had changed from before.
Perhaps this was the downside of being too powerful.
Gu An stood by the window, watching his friends leave one after the other.
The morning sunlight glowed, making his departing friends seem as if they were leaving wrapped in a rosy dawn.
After a while, Gu An turned back, went to his desk, and began to write about mind-cultivation because last night, Lv Baitian had expressed a desire to establish a method of heart cultivation and disseminate it throughout the Supreme Sect to help its disciples have a firmer path ahead.
Gu An hence offered many suggestions, such as uniform teaching of cultivation by the master to avoid neglecting any disciples due to a lack of close relations.
The Supreme Sect no longer needed to intentionally cultivate geniuses; a strong foundation was more important, which required the effort of all disciples.
A sect with geniuses might not be strong, but a sect where most disciples are outstanding was surely not weak.
Gu An created a hundred-year cultivation education plan for the Supreme Sect—every disciple upon entry would unconditionally receive a hundred years of cultivation techniques and spell guidance from the sect unless they violated the rules, ensuring each disciple would possess notable strength and become eligible cultivators.
Lv Baitian was moved by the plan. Although the investment would be substantial, if successful, the Supreme Sect would undoubtedly become a true Holy Land.
Of course, the most crucial aspect was that the suggestion came from Sword Venerable Fudao; he believed that no one would dare to obstruct it. If resources were lacking, those families would surely rush to donate, meaning the plan would certainly succeed if they desired it.
“I wonder how long the Supreme Sect will last, but taking care of the majority of the disciples’ lives is also amassing good karma,” Gu An murmured to himself, feeling content.
He now cared more about intangible things than benefits.
Having inherited many Reincarnation lives and gained many insights, he wanted to distill insights from his own life.
The path to the Great Dao is long and full of obstacles, and understanding the Great Dao isn’t something that can be directly enhanced by lifespan, but with the ability to evolve through life, he had more time to comprehend the Great Dao.
A spring breeze blew in from the window, swaying a green flower on the small altar on the table.
The green flower trembled, as if years were beckoning, reminding all living beings that youth, once gone, never returns.
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…
Time flies, and a century passed.
One day, Gu An strolled through the streets of the Outer Gate City, followed by the Blood Prison Great Saint, whose shape-shifted form was tall and imposing, his fierce gaze capturing attention. Yet, many people looked not at him, but at Gu An.
People greeted Gu An warmly along the way, and he nodded in response, while the disciples who had never met him asked others about him.
“That’s the Valley Master of the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An. It’s suspected that he’s Swords Venerable Fudao.”
“What? He is the rumored Swords Venerable Fudao?”
“It’s unclear, but I remember he is supposed to be the disciple of Swords Venerable Fudao; anyhow, he represents him.”
“The hundred-year mentorship was his proposal. You younger generations should thank him. Otherwise, entering the sect without talent would have made pursuing Daoist Sorcery dependent on connections or fighting it out.”
“The hundred-year mentorship was his idea? Then he indeed deserves such treatment; we’ve all benefitted from his grace.”
Wherever Gu An went, nearby people discussed the hundred-year mentorship. The Supreme Sect implemented this initiative swiftly, spreading it throughout the land and overseas. Even disciples from other sects praised the Supreme Sect for the great sect spirit, with some wanting to learn from it, but facing internal resistance.
Within the same sect, not all those in power wanted their disciples to prosper, valuing their own interests more. The hundred-year mentorship touched on these interests—how could they agree?
For a time, the conflict between families and sects played out everywhere, some resulting in bloodshed, while others had undercurrents.
The world was still in chaos, but Gu An could not be concerned with the whole world; managing the Supreme Sect was impressive enough.
[Name: Gu An]
[Lifespan: 1,100/3,391,514,220]
[Physique: Mixed Yuan Dao Golden Body]
[Cultivation Level: Perfect Xuan Yuan Zi Zai Immortal Realm]
…
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Thirty-three billion years of life span!
Gu An felt very satisfied. Time seemed to be passing faster for him. He did not go to develop or expand Medicine Valley, or to seize more life spans. It had to be done by his original self; puppets and avatars would not suffice. In the absence of hatred, there was no need for him to focus all his energy on seizing life spans.
Moreover, the bigger his movements, the more likely he would draw greater crises. At present, the increase in his life span satisfied him. He could steadily acquire life span and still have time to enjoy life. Such an immortal cultivation life could not be more wonderful.
Since the Blood Prison Great Saint had recovered his cultivation level, he began to understand the pleasures Gu An indulged in.
A mundane life was not necessarily dull, and fighting and killing should not encompass all that immortal cultivation entailed.
Seeing Gu An enter the Book Collection Hall, the Blood Prison Great Saint didn’t follow him in but instead wandered around in front of the hall’s entrance.
With long horns on his head and draped in blood-colored hair, his presence attracted attention wherever he went. Though the Supreme Sect had many Demon Clan disciples, few demons possessed such an outstanding and sharp demeanor.
He unabashedly displayed his Loose Immortal aura, leaving others curious about his cultivation level.
Within the Supreme Sect, even if one encountered someone from the Immortal Path Realm, disciples would not panic because they believed that no Immortal Path powerhouse would dare cause trouble at the Supreme Sect. They were protected by true Immortal Path supremes.
This time, Gu An came to the Book Collection Hall not to donate books, but to buy them. The Book Collection Hall was helping him collect rare books from across the world, and he did not refuse.
With his Dao Level, he could predict outcomes, but he had not done so. He preferred the feeling of flipping through the pages of a book. Even with power surpassing that of Great Heavenly Spirit Land, he kept as many mundane habits as possible.
Over the years, in addition to the growth of his life span, he had gained a deeper understanding of fate and karma. He could wield two kinds of Heavenly Dao and Great Dao divine skills with even greater might. This was also the benefit of remaining a part of the secular world.
Compared to deduction, interacting and living among people allowed for a better understanding of others’ emotions and the realization of life.
When the elders from the Book Collection Hall knew of Gu An’s arrival, they flocked to him, eagerly recommending the rare books each had found. Gu An asked them to present their findings one by one without rush, as he planned to stay for an ancient hour.
Hearing that Gu An would stay for an ancient hour, everyone calmed down, and the smiles on their faces never faded.
They began to recommend books in order of their seniority. Gu An listened attentively, but the first few books did not attract him.
“Brother Gu, this book I have is extraordinary. Its origin is unknown to anyone. It suddenly appeared overseas and has been praised by many. Some say this book can predict the future,” said an elder while presenting a blue-covered book mysteriously.
Gu An looked at the book’s cover and saw three words.
Heavenly Dao Theory!
Gu An raised his hand and drew the book into his grasp. The elder was not surprised, accustomed to his methods, and continued to introduce the commotion that Heavenly Dao Theory had caused.
Gu An was captivated from the first page.
“Heavenly Dao, all living beings perish for the Heavenly Dao. The Great Dao perishes for the Heavenly Dao!”
Was this a book criticizing the Heavenly Dao?
Gu An grew even more curious and continued to flip through, wanting to see how this book could predict the future.
More than one elder had heard of Heavenly Dao Theory, and according to them, there were only nine true copies of Heavenly Dao Theory. The rest were imitations. To possess Heavenly Dao Theory was to gain extraordinary power, but it could also bring misfortune, leading to death and the annihilation of one’s Dao – an unpredictable revival.
After a long time.
Gu An closed the book and smiled, “This book is good. I’ll take it. In the future, if there is more Heavenly Dao Theory, you can keep it for me.”
The elder beamed upon hearing this, patting his chest and readily agreeing.
He did not request any compensation. To be on good terms with Gu An was the greatest reward.
To call oneself a friend of Gu An, within the Supreme Sect, who would dare to disrespect him?
If someone dared to impersonate, cultivators would come knocking on their door. It was said that the Supreme Sect had established a Dark Hall, which included oversight of such matters to prevent anyone from tarnishing the reputations of Gu An or Sword Venerable Fudao.
Gu An asked them to bring out all the books they had prepared for him. He couldn’t waste their kindness.
Finally, Gu An left the Book Collection Hall with everyone accompanying him.
Seeing Gu An emerge, the Blood Prison Great Saint immediately hurried over.
Gu An glanced at him and said, “You are already a Loose Immortal. Don’t bother with him.”
The Blood Prison Great Saint, who had just purchased a curious treasure, gave an awkward smile and coughed, “I was just playing with him. I see him as a kid. Why would I bully him?”
The ‘child’ he referred to was the White Spirit Rat.
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