Seeing Luo Hun’s awkward expression, Gu An suddenly realized, “So this fellow shares my tastes, why didn’t you say so earlier!”
Gu An immediately patted Luo Hun on the shoulder and laughed, “Brother Luo, I didn’t expect you to share my preferences. To be honest, compared to the battles and struggles over Daoist traditions in ‘Investiture of the Gods,’ I prefer the tranquil interactions between people and the experience of roaming mountains and waters. Those are what truly refine the Daoist Heart!”
His words made Luo Hun feel less embarrassed, and a smile spread across his face.
The two began to talk freely about ‘Green Hero Travelogue,’ and their relationship grew closer.
However, Luo Hun still maintained his reserve, not daring to talk about the affairs between men and women in ‘Green Hero Travelogue,’ but only about the strange and wonderful sights.
Teasing the pseudo-earnest Luo Hun gave Gu An a great sense of amusement.
From now on, Tianya Valley wouldn’t be so boring!
…
Time flies like an arrow, and three years swiftly passed by.
Another scorching summer arrived, and Gu An was now thirty-eight years old. Starting this year, the Third Medicine Valley would welcome the first batch of mature medicinal herbs, and he was looking forward to it.
As for Tianya Valley, since it planted high-rank medical herbs, it would require more waiting.
One morning, Gu An was leading his disciples in drills in Mystic Valley.
Even though Zhen Qin and the other two had gone to the Third Medicine Valley, three new servant disciples were welcomed, and Mystic Valley was still bustling.
As Gu An was twisting his waist, he suddenly sensed something and smiled.
Xiaochuan noticed his smile and couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother, what are you smiling at?”
“It’s nothing, continue practicing,” Gu An brushed it off, and Xiaochuan had no choice but to drop the subject.
A while later, the drills disbanded, the disciples scattered, and Gu An walked towards his own loft.
Just as he reached the foot of the building, a whizzing sound came from the distance. He turned his head and saw someone flying towards him on a sword.
It was Li Ya!
After many years, Li Ya was still clad in black robes, but there was a change in his demeanor, and a strand of white hair above his brow added a touch of weathering.
From afar, Li Ya saw Gu An and a smile cracked on his stern face, like an iceberg melting.
Li Ya’s cultivation had reached the Nine Layers of the Foundation Establishment Realm, and Gu An felt that he was even stronger than Ji Lin had been, probably not far from Core Formation.
After landing, Li Ya opened his arms and hugged Gu An, which caused him to stiffen a bit.
“Not bad, you’ve reached Foundation Establishment, it seems you’ve been working hard,” Li Ya said, pinching Gu An’s shoulder with a satisfied smile on his face.
Gu An naturally wriggled out of his “clutches” and grinned, “You’re finally back, has everything been going smoothly?”
Li Ya shook his head and said, “Not smoothly, but I’ve turned misfortune into a blessing. Let’s go inside and talk.”
Gu An nodded and led him upstairs.
An hour later.
In the loft, Gu An and Li Ya sat opposite each other, drinking. After hearing about Li Ya’s experiences over the years, he was filled with emotion.
“It feels like it could be written into a book,” Gu An remarked.
Li Ya laughed and said, “Indeed, though I’ve had several close brushes with death, they’ve made me who I am now.”
Over the years, Li Ya had gone south in search of a legacy from a Divinity Transformation Cultivator, contended with various prodigies, and finally broke through the encirclement. Unfortunately, that Divinity Transformation Cultivator had actually intended to possess him. Luckily, he turned danger into safety.
Although he didn’t explain how he escaped the peril, Gu An conjectured it had to do with the soul in his body.
After the crisis of possession, Li Ya learned a whiff of Sword Intent in that cultivator’s cave, which he absorbed over three years, transforming him.
Afterward, he returned from Jizhou in the south, encountering other twists and turns on his way. For instance, he came across a woman oppressed by a local noble family and rescued her. Unfortunately, shortly after he left, he heard the family had been forced to death.
The tragedy was widely discussed among the common folk, prompting him to return and slaughter that noble family, stirring up much controversy in the region.
The local government pursued Li Ya for several days before giving up and even withdrew the warrant for his arrest.
When Li Ya recounted this part of his journey, his tone was not overly sorrowful but rather cold.
Gu An poured another cup of wine for Li Ya, who suddenly asked, “Junior Brother Gu, what is the purpose of cultivating to immortality? Is it merely in pursuit of the elusive longevity? But from ancient times to now, has there ever been a person who truly achieved immortality?”
Hearing this, Gu An poured wine for himself and said, “I’m not sure what those who pursue immortality are truly seeking, but I know that as long as you live, you should feel at ease. Whatever makes you feel at ease is what you should do.”
“I spend my days planting flowers and herbs. To many, that seems like a waste of years meant for cultivation, but I find such days interesting. The herbs I grow can help the Sect and have some significance, right?”
He didn’t think Li Ya was being affected; after going through certain events, it’s normal to feel lost.
Hearing this, Li Ya pinched his wine cup and fell into deep thought.
This contemplation lasted half an hour, and Gu An didn’t disturb him, but instead began to read ‘Green Hero Travelogue.’
Once Li Ya had finished thinking, his eyes brightened. He looked up at Gu An and said, “Great truths are never found in grand temples. Junior Brother Gu, thank you, I think I know what to do now.”
He stood up, took out a small white jade bottle from his Storage Bag, and said, “This is an elixir made from a thousand-year-old Spirit Fat that refines muscles and bones. You can take at most two a year. I must return to form my core.”
Without waiting for Gu An to ask him to stay, he jumped out the window and left.
Gu An was silent. Why did this youngster always like to jump out of the window?
His gaze settled on the white jade bottle on the table.
Why does everyone love to give him gifts?
A helpless expression crossed Gu An’s face, but he still put the bottle into his Storage Bag.
…
The summer nights arrive late; Gu An went to the Third Medicine Valley. Just stepping off the Teleportation Array, his gaze was drawn to a small pavilion in the distance, where Zhen Qin, Su Han, Ye Yan, and Zhou Tongyou were sitting together, chatting merrily.
Gu An walked over immediately.
Zhou Tongyou, who was chatting away, glanced at Gu An and smiled. When the others followed his gaze, they quickly stood up.
Approaching the pavilion, Gu An asked with annoyance, “Why are you here again? Haven’t you emptied your storage bag yet?”
Three years had passed, and Zhou Tongyou had come no less than ten times, each time bringing medicinal herbs, elixirs, and magic artifacts. During their last spar, it took Gu An ten moves to defeat him, and he barely won.
Well, he had to pretend it was barely a victory.
Zhou Tongyou laughed and said, “Don’t worry, I’m not here to spar with you this time. I’m here to say goodbye. I’m leaving. I’ve been at the Supreme Sect for so many years, and you’re the true friend I’ve made. I really acknowledge you.”
A friend?
Gu An didn’t know how to respond.
Ye Yan looked at Zhou Tongyou with some reluctance. Over the years, every time Zhou Tongyou visited, he would give Ye Yan cultivation advice, amounting to half a master to him.
“What do you mean you’ve been at the Supreme Sect for so many years? Are you not a disciple of the Supreme Sect?” Zhen Qin asked in shock, his eyes wide open.
Su Han and Ye Yan were also greatly shaken.
They all had the same thought.
Could this person be a spy from the Demon Path?
Zhou Tongyou said with a smug smile, “Forget it, I wanted to keep a low profile because I was afraid of putting pressure on you. But now that I’m about to depart, I won’t pretend any longer—I am Zhou Tongyou of the Jueshan Sect!”
With that revelation, Zhen Qin and the others were stunned, which only made Zhou Tongyou enjoy their reaction even more. He even lifted his chin, looking at Gu An, wanting to see his shocked expression.
Gu An’s face changed dramatically, sending Zhou Tongyou’s mood soaring.
However, Zhen Qin suddenly fired a cold shot, “Is your fame really that big?”
Zhou Tongyou’s pupils slowly dilated, and he stiffened on the spot.
Fearing that he would change his mind and decide to stay, Gu An quickly said, “Indeed, it’s huge. To suppress all the young disciples of the Supreme Sect, I hadn’t realized… My apologies, my apologies…”
Upon hearing this, Zhou Tongyou’s face relaxed as Gu An signalled with his eyes, prompting Zhen Qin and the others to exclaim in amazement.
“My god! Did I hear that right?”
“It’s actually you…”
“How is that possible!”
Zhou Tongyou’s face twitched uncontrollably; for some reason, these words sounded grating to him.
Taking a deep breath, he said, “There will be major changes at the Supreme Sect. Be careful on regular days. We’ll meet again if fate allows, in the green hills and clear waters.”
With that, he leapt up, transformed into a rainbow light, and soared towards the horizon.
The three disciples were so astonished by his movement technique that they stared blankly in the direction he had gone.
Gu An waved his hand and said, “Disperse. Focus on cultivating well. Reach the Foundation Establishment soon, so you at least have the qualifications to see him again.”
The three disciples quickly bowed and departed.
Gu An pondered Zhou Tongyou’s words—major changes at the Supreme Sect?
He hoped his Medicine Valley wouldn’t be affected.
Turning around, he headed towards his own attic. Once upstairs and in the room, he closed the door and sat down at the desk. He took out paper and a brush and began pondering the book of Gu Zong and his son.
The final volume of “Investiture of the Gods” had been delivered to the Book Collection Hall, and now it was time for a new book.
Following “Investiture of the Gods,” the next must-write was “Journey to the West,” but he feared its impact would be too great. So, he decided to put it aside for now and first write a novel about Gu Zong and his son to cool down the fever, making Pan An seem less divine.
Lately, the Outer Disciples had exaggerated Pan An to the point of being a living immortal, which made Gu An somewhat uneasy.
He planned to borrow classic plots from web novels he read in his previous life for his second book.
Gu Zong had been cultivating for five hundred years and was renowned in the Immortal Cultivation World as the strongest Elder of the Supreme Sect. In the year his Daoist friend gave birth to their youngest son, the Demon Path invaded, and the Supreme Sect faced complete devastation.
Using his divine skills, Gu Zong called upon the power of heaven and earth to annihilate the Demon Path, but he also fell into a space rift caused by his divine skills.
People thought he had died, but he had actually landed on a deserted island overseas, where he accidentally discovered an Immortal’s inheritance.
Twenty years later, Gu Zong returned, only to find his son, Gu Yu, had been demoted to a servant disciple because someone had stolen his Heavenly Spirit Root!
Zhou Tongyou and Gu Yu were of the same age. They were good friends from childhood, and even after Gu Yu was demoted, Zhou Tongyou still looked forward to his resurgence. After centuries of grudges and grievances, the two became the pillars of the Supreme Sect, guarding the peace of the Immortal Cultivation World.
After contemplating, Gu An’s eyes brightened.
He started to write.
Chapter One, The Fallen Genius!
…
The second year after Zhou Tongyou’s departure, in the spring season, Gu An went to the Outer Sect to submit his book. Liu Chang was very interested in the “Supreme Immortal Venerable” he had written and chatted with him for a long time.
As he left the Book Collection Hall, Gu An overheard other disciples discussing rumors that the Sect Leader, Lv Baitian, had deviated while cultivating and had perished by accident, with Elder Chu Tianqi taking over as Sect Leader.
Gu An was alarmed—was the Sect Leader murdered?
He hurriedly left the Outer City and headed for the Third Medicine Valley.
Upon entering the valley, he saw Gu Yu waiting there. Behind Gu Yu was a hunched old man, gaunt and withered, with a head of white hair and wearing tattered clothes, inspecting the gardens with his eyes.
Seeing Gu An arriving on his sword, Gu Yu’s face lit up with a smile, and he stood up, saying, “You’ve finally returned. This is a distant relative of my father’s; you can call him Elder Tian. His Spirit Root qualification is mediocre and he has no hope of reaching the Foundation Establishment in his lifetime.
He will assist you in the Medicine Valley from now on; you can order him around as you please.”
Gu An’s gaze shifted to the old man, his eyes showing a slight change.
[Lv Baitian (Qi Cultivation Realm, Six Layers): 742/850/3200]