After Li Ya departed, Gu An discreetly placed Elder Chen’s storage bag into the Eight Scenic Caves. That very afternoon, he made his way to the Third Medicine Valley.
He wandered around, inspecting the premises, but his brow was furrowed the whole time.
For a long time.
Elder Tian finally took the bait.
He came over, curious, and asked, “Valley Master, why are you constantly frowning?”
Gu An glanced at him, shook his head slightly, and said nothing.
Elder Tian took a step forward, saying, “Perhaps I can’t help you, but many things, once spoken, don’t seem so burdensome. I can offer advice from an outsider’s perspective.”
Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately sighed and started recounting the events in the Outer Sect, including how Li Ya, who was in the first level of the Elixir Formation Realm, got injured while protecting him.
The reason he specifically mentioned Li Ya was to ensure that the former Sect Leader remembered Li Ya’s contributions.
Gu An felt that Elder Tian would not really spend his life here; he might make a comeback one day.
After he finished speaking, Elder Tian furrowed his brow.
Unable to hold back, Gu An complained, “The Demon Extermination Hall in the Outer Sect has been capturing demon infiltrators all these years, yet despite so many years of effort, demon cultivators still manage to infiltrate the Supreme Sect. Can the Supreme Sect really claim to be the foremost sect when its disciples cannot guarantee their own safety inside?”
“It’s one thing for me to be killed, but I’m worried about my disciples.”
Upon saying this, he sighed again, clearly distressed and frustrated.
Even he applauded his own acting skills.
If acting could be included in the attribute panel, it would surely reach the pinnacle of mastery, leaving room to strive for a return to innocence.
Elder Tian sighed along and said, “It does sound troublesome, but that’s how the Immortal Cultivation World has always been. No sect really cares about servant disciples—to put it harshly, they don’t even consider them as true disciples.”
Gu An frowned—this time, he was genuinely troubled.
Such words coming from the former Sect Leader sounded particularly harsh.
“However, I’ve heard that the new Sect Leader is compassionate and has the support of the Hall of Elders. Perhaps he can change the current situation, at least better than the previous Sect Leader,” Elder Tian continued, his expression unchanged as if he wasn’t criticizing himself, and it was hard to tell if he was being sarcastic.
Gu An didn’t respond but sighed and continued inspecting the herbs.
Elder Tian didn’t follow his pace, and he didn’t bring it up again, fearing that doing too much could be counterproductive.
An ancient hour later, Gu An returned to Mystic Valley.
He planned to stay in Mystic Valley recently, making sure to return there the same day even when visiting other places.
The disciples in Mystic Valley were puzzled as to why Gu An had been staying there continuously until Wuxin and Tang Yu made a trip to the Outer Sect and learned that demon cultivators had infiltrated recently, which made them nervous but also touched.
Their master cared for them!
Ever since the establishment of the Third Medicine Valley, the disciples felt that their relationship with Gu An had become distant, but now, they felt closer again.
Wuxin felt the greatest pressure. He began to insist on the disciples practicing spells, aiming for each to have a slight ability to protect themselves.
He bought some flashy spells from the Outer Sect for the disciples to practice.
Counter-killing demon cultivators was difficult, but if the fight was noisy enough, maybe it would draw the support of the Outer Sect.
Gu An did not stop him, thinking this might improve the unity of Mystic Valley and was an excellent opportunity to train Wuxin’s leadership and organizational skills.
Several days later.
Ye Lan arrived.
She came for the same reason as Li Ya, worried about Gu An.
In the attic, Ye Lan took a sword out of her storage bag and placed it on the table, saying, “Recently, there have been demon cultivators around, and their cultivation levels are not low. This sword is called the Qinghong Sword. Keep it with you. Though it doesn’t possess great power, it is connected to the White Spirit Sword I hold.
If you encounter danger, I will sense it immediately and come to rescue you.”
Gu An couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Junior Sister, you’re only a few levels higher than me in cultivation. Don’t get yourself killed!”
Get yourself killed?
Ye Lan paused briefly, then quickly understood. She glared at Gu An and huffed, “Elder Brother, if we really fought, I could subdue you in one move. Don’t be fooled by how I act around you; others have a completely different experience facing me.”
“It seems my junior sister is indeed formidable. I underestimated you,” Gu An admitted with a laugh. He then picked up the Qinghong Sword.
The scabbard was exquisitely made, adorned with a carving of a flying goose among the clouds, very poetic. He then drew the sword; with a flash of light, a slender blade appeared before him.
“It’s really beautiful. I’ll hang it at my side from now on,” Gu An said with a smile.
Those words brought a smile to Ye Lan’s face.
Gu An noticed that although Ye Lan’s looks were not as stunning as Ji Xiaoyu or Li Xuanyu, she was quite attractive the more he looked at her.
Ye Lan then sat down, watching Gu An play with the Qinghong Sword.
Suddenly curious, Gu An asked, “If you encounter danger, can the Qinghong Sword sense the White Spirit Sword?”
Ye Lan raised her eyebrows and said, “What, Elder Brother, you intend to protect me?”
“Hahaha, how could that be? You know I’ve never been in a skirmish. Going there would only make things worse for you,” Gu An laughed.
“You know that’s good. Elder Brother, if I ever face danger, don’t you dare come to my rescue.”
“Don’t worry, I’m afraid of dying.”
Ye Lan giggled, “I’m afraid of dying too, but I have to survive. Without me, I’m afraid you’d be bullied by others.”
“Nonsense. Have I ever been bullied all these years?”
“Then here’s to Elder Brother staying safe for a lifetime.”
…
Since Li Ya had left, Mystic Valley hadn’t faced any more dangers. When autumn arrived, Gu An calculated the time and found that a batch of herbs in the Third Medicine Valley should be ripe, so he returned there.
He stepped out of the Array Platform, his gaze involuntarily turning towards his own loft.
There was someone inside!
Shen Zhen!
Gu An did not go directly to look for Shen Zhen, considering there were no secrets in that loft, the only secret being “Green Hero Travelogue,” which she happened to like.
He walked into a garden, began picking herbs, and watching the tips continuously popping up, a smile curved the corners of his mouth, his mood extremely joyful.
No matter how high his realm reached, he always felt happy seeing his lifespan increase.
He wondered how much his cultivation level might ascend given his million years lifespan.
He had searched through all the books in the Outer Sect’s Book Collection Hall, yet had not found any records of ascension, nor did anyone know how vast this world truly was.
The larger the world, the higher the realms for sure. The Supreme Sect alone possessed the Great Cultivators of the Void Crossing Realm, and that True Inheritor who traveled abroad might have already surpassed the Void Crossing Realm, yet still wasn’t invincible in this world.
The path of immortal cultivation was long and arduous.
Gu An picked herbs while his thoughts wandered aimlessly.
After he finished picking, he turned and walked towards the loft.
Passing by Elder Tian, Elder Tian spoke up, “Ms. Shen came looking for you several times.”
Gu An nodded slightly, then continued on his way.
Elder Tian hesitated for a moment, then said, “About the matter you mentioned, I’ve informed Elder Gu Zong. It might improve the situation for the Outer Sect.”
Upon hearing this, Gu An turned back to look at him, a smile on his face, “Elder Tian, you see, everyone has their own merits. You always say you’re about to go into the soil, but you can still help thousands of disciples in the Outer Sect. Thank you.”
Gu An lifted his hand in salute, turned his head, and left.
Elder Tian seemed thoughtful, murmuring to himself, “Everyone has their own use…”
Elsewhere.
Gu An went upstairs, pushed open the door, and saw Shen Zhen sitting at the desk, writing with fluid strokes. She was still dressed in black, her face veiled in black, her hair piled up in a bun, with two strands like willow leaves fluttering beside her cheeks, giving her eyes and brows a soft and gentle beauty.
Shen Zhen did not look up; she seemed to not notice Gu An coming in.
Gu An walked over, moved to her side, trying to see what she was writing.
At that moment, she stopped writing calmly and then tidied up the papers.
But Gu An, having already seen part of the content, appeared puzzled and hesitated to speak.
Shen Zhen stood up, stuffed the papers into her sleeve, walked to the side, creating some distance between them, and smiled, “I looked for you several times, and you were never here. Is the Outer Sect’s Medicine Valley that dear to you?”
Gu An helplessly said, “Lately the Outer Sect isn’t safe, and I couldn’t take all my disciples with me, so I had to stay there. After all, my cultivation level is higher than theirs.”
The reason he disclosed this was to pass the message upwards through her.
The more people talked about it, the more power and hope they might gather.
“With your current achievements, not to mention entering the Inner Sect, going to the Main City of the Sect in the Supreme Sect isn’t difficult either. Why not write well instead of bothering with these trifles?” Shen Zhen asked curiously.
Gu An answered, “You are the Holy Daughter of the Daotian Sect, possessing resources that ordinary people can’t even think of. Why not focus on your cultivation instead of indulging in music, chess, and painting?”
Shen Zhen fell silent.
Gu An then began to tidy up the desk.
After a while, Shen Zhen said with emotion, “No wonder you write about the Supreme Immortal Venerable. Indeed, only you understand me in this world. If you were to die, I’d have neither books to read nor a confidant.”
“No way, I can’t let you die. I’ll tell you a secret.”
She raised her hand, waved her sleeve, closed the room door, and from her sleeve flew out several talisman papers, which she adhered to the doors and windows.
Gu An looked at her curiously, what secret could save his life?
“Inside the Supreme Sect, some people are trying to cultivate Demon Skill to break through to higher cultivation levels to prepare for the upcoming great demon calamity. But whether this skill is feasible remains uncertain, so your Outer City is being used as a test.
This matter cannot be overt, as it would damage the reputation of a reputable sect, so they disguise it under the guise of capturing Demon Cultivators,” Shen Zhen said calmly, her gaze becoming unfathomably indifferent.
Gu An frowned, “How do you know this?”
Shen Zhen answered, “Because the Daotian Sect is also trying this, sacrificing some lower-level disciples in exchange for the prolonged existence of the sect, a feat that will be remembered through the ages.”
Upon hearing this, Gu An felt extremely uncomfortable.
“What kind of Demon Skill requires the sacrifice of disciples?” Gu An pressed on.
“In this life, cultivating towards immortality is said to defy the heavens, yet the higher the realm, the more one can feel the Heavenly Destiny. This Demon Skill allows those Great Cultivators who cannot break through any further to defy their Heavenly Destiny. All in all, you should give up the Medicine Valley out there; staying longer will do you no good.
Because you are Pan An, they are afraid you’ll write indiscriminately, so they dare not tell you. Just don’t say it was me who told you.”
Shen Zhen’s words left Gu An silent.
The distinction between the righteous path and the Demon Path seemed absurd at that moment.
Shen Zhen’s eyes curved into a smile, “By the way, you just read my book; how did you feel about the content?”
Upon hearing this, Gu An’s expression became odd again, he earnestly said, “Actually, Green Hero Travelogue also has its flaws; some things are not necessary to learn.”
“Why can’t they be learned? That represents the most genuine clashes, the truest reflection of human emotions.”
“Do you have to write it?”
“Yes.”
“Then, can the protagonist not be called Gu An?”