Ji Family Secret Art

After brushing off Xiao Chuan and Lu Jiujia with a few words, Gu An headed toward his own courtyard. He took Travels of the Green Hero from his robe and prepared to properly savor the illustrations within.

He had just reached the courtyard when Ye Lan came up to him.

"Senior Brother, I want to learn the Residual Wind Leg too!" Ye Lan said angrily, her cheeks puffed out.

Gu An naturally closed the travelogue and asked with a smile, "What? Is your Senior Brother Meng unwilling to teach you spells?"

Ye Lan grew even angrier and said aggrievedly, "Yes! He taught me so perfunctorily. I got upset and argued with him, but then he snapped at me. He said he had to prepare for the Outer Sect assessment and had no time to bother with me, then told me to get lost."

Seeing her cheeks puffed up like balls, Gu An found it amusing, but held back his laughter.

"Since your Senior Brother Meng is busy, don't disturb him. How about this? At noon tomorrow, I'll personally teach you the Residual Wind Leg," Gu An said gently.

Ye Lan asked in surprise, "Why tomorrow?"

"Your senior brother is tired. Be considerate. Your two senior brothers pestered me just now; you can go ask them." Gu An pointed toward Xiao Chuan and Lu Jiujia in the distance.

With that, he went around Ye Lan and headed for his room.

Ye Lan noticed the book in his hand and wondered to herself, Is Travels of the Green Hero really that good?

Gu An returned to his room and shut the door. Lying on his bed, he picked up Travels of the Green Hero again.

The reason he liked Travels of the Green Hero was that it was a series. A new volume came out every half year.

Following an ongoing novel in the cultivation world gave Gu An the feeling that he had returned to Earth.

He quickly immersed himself in the book's contents.

He strongly suspected that the book had been written by a Taixuan Sect cultivator. He simply did not know how high the author's cultivation was. Unfortunately, there were no detailed records of battles in the book, only sightseeing, romance, and moonlit flowers.

Half an hour later.

Gu An suddenly heard movement from the room next door. Meng Lang seemed to be rolling around on the floor, and his breathing was extremely chaotic.

Hmm?

Had he gone astray in his cultivation?

Gu An hesitated over whether to check on him. Meng Lang soon stopped. The brat did not even cry out in pain. As the surrounding spiritual energy flowed toward his room, Gu An knew that he had begun cultivating again.

Tsk, tsk.

Li Ya had already risen to prominence. Could Meng Lang have encountered his own fortuitous opportunity as well?

Good heavens. By that count, the three of them had entered Medicine Valley on the same day, taken the same master, and all possessed great opportunities. It was a little legendary.

On second thought, Gu An felt that he was overthinking it.

It would already be impressive if Meng Lang managed to die peacefully of old age.

In his view, with Meng Lang's temperament, once he left the valley, he would die before long from all his reckless stirring. He could not speak properly and lost his temper easily. He did not resemble a cultivator at all.

He stopped thinking about it and continued savoring Travels of the Green Hero.

Gu An drew in qi for six hours every day, basically using his sleeping hours to cultivate. Cultivators did not need sleep; the process of drawing in qi was itself more restorative and relaxing than sleeping.

During the rest of his time, he did not merely read travelogues. He also read other books. Cheng Xuandan had already passed the Record of Hundred Herbs to him. The Record of Hundred Herbs had been compiled by the Taixuan Sect and documented all kinds of spiritual flowers and herbs under heaven. Cheng Xuandan had even specifically noted the properties of certain medicinal herbs.

Cheng Xuandan's cultivation was poor, but having lived for over a hundred years, he was indeed knowledgeable and well-traveled.

That was the advantage of those with poor aptitude: they could spend more time filling themselves with knowledge and experience.

Another winter snowfall arrived. Snowflakes whirled through the air, and pure white snow blanketed the gardens as Gu An directed his junior brothers and sister in clearing it away.

As for Meng Lang, that fellow had gone mad with cultivation. He hid in his room practicing all day. Gu An could no longer order him around, and Cheng Xuandan had said to let him be.

At the edge of every garden were special talisman papers that could generate heat. However, these talismans had a time limit. Once they failed, the snow would cover every garden within just one hour.

Watching Xiao Chuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan busily at work, Gu An's thoughts drifted.

He was becoming increasingly dissatisfied with Medicine Valley's output. They had to reclaim new land!

Once this winter passed, Gu An would arrange for them to chop down trees in the mountains and break new ground.

A piercing whistle came from afar. Gu An turned to look and saw a plainly dressed man riding a Flying Sword through the sky full of snow, arriving like a sword immortal.

Du Ye!

Gu An instinctively cast Lifespan Inspection on him and discovered that this fellow's cultivation had already reached the sixth level of the Qi Refining Realm.

He had broken through a little too quickly!

Du Ye's arrival also drew the attention of Xiao Chuan and the other two.

Du Ye flew all the way to the air near Gu An, then leaped down. Upon landing, he raised a hand and recalled his sword. The long sword slid into the sheath at his waist, its sword light flashing through the vast white world. The entire sequence flowed like drifting clouds and running water, utterly dashing.

Xiao Chuan and the other two stared wide-eyed. They had not joined the Taixuan Sect to do menial labor. They all wanted to cultivate immortality, but their Spirit Root aptitudes were mediocre, leaving them in their current predicament.

They had joined Medicine Valley while waiting for an opportunity.

Du Ye looked Gu An over, patted both his shoulders, and smiled. "Not bad. You've completely grown up. You're no longer that little brat who used to trail behind me."

Gu An smiled and exchanged pleasantries with Du Ye, while cursing inwardly.

We were both household servants. What are you putting on airs for?

After beating around the bush for a while, Du Ye finally got to the point. He lowered his voice and asked, "How are the medicinal herbs coming along?"

"Come with me to get them." Gu An nodded with a smile.

He had indeed saved up some medicinal herbs. They were what he deserved as Medicine Valley's eldest disciple, and he intended to give all of them to Du Ye.

Although he could steal lifespans, that took time.

Before becoming completely invincible, he had to maintain good relations with the Ji Family. He might have use for them someday.

No matter how strong the Chu Family was, it was only powerful within the Taixuan Sect. The Ji Family was different. It was a top Aristocratic Clan throughout the entire Great Cang Dynasty. The Ji Family where Gu An had previously stayed was merely a branch in one city. Disciples of the Ji Family could be found in every cultivation sect of the Great Cang Dynasty.

Along the way, Du Ye began talking about the Outer Sect.

"Li Ya is from your Medicine Valley, isn't he? He's been making quite a splash lately. He's a member of the Great Cang Imperial Family and is currently contending with his imperial brother. The two have even made a life-and-death duel pact, causing an uproar."

"I heard Li Ya was a worthless good-for-nothing a few years ago. No one knows what opportunity he encountered, but his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. He's already at the second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm."

Hearing Du Ye mention Li Ya, Gu An became interested as well.

Why did Li Ya sound like a fantasy protagonist burdened by deep hatred?

Gu An asked curiously, "Do you have to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm to become an Outer Sect disciple?"

Du Ye nodded. "Naturally. Take me, for example. My cultivation isn't high enough, so even though I'm in the Outer Sect, I still count as a servant. It's just that I stay in Outer Sect City, where I can come into contact with these matters."

"Once you reach the Foundation Establishment Realm, you can be directly promoted to an Outer Sect disciple. Once you reach the Golden Core Realm, you can be promoted to an Inner Sect disciple. Above Inner Sect disciples are master's disciples and True Disciples. Those are the rules on the surface. If one's talent is exceptional, though, the rules can also be broken."

"Our Third Young Miss is one such person. She became a master's disciple the moment she entered the sect. She already intends to challenge for the position of True Disciple. Cultivation alone is not enough to become a True Disciple. You must also win the people over and possess sufficient prestige, so we must pave the way for her."

The moment Du Ye mentioned Ji Xiaoyu, he became a torrent of words.

For the first time, Gu An did not find him long-winded and listened attentively.

The two entered the room. While listening, Gu An took out the bundle he had prepared long ago.

Du Ye spoke for quite a while before finally stopping. He lifted the bundle with one hand and said dissatisfiedly, "Why is there so little?"

Gu An smiled. "There's plenty of time ahead. Cultivation is not something that takes just a year or two. Rather than greedily overstepping my bounds, getting expelled from the valley, it would be better for me to stay here obediently and provide medicinal herbs year after year. I haven't kept a single stalk; I've offered up everything."

Du Ye's expression softened upon hearing that. He pressed, "Really?"

"Really. With my aptitude, what use do I have for medicinal herbs? Living out my life in peace is my pursuit." Gu An nodded.

Du Ye opened his mouth, but in the end merely sighed. His right hand reached toward the Storage Bag at his waist. He took out a secret manual and handed it to Gu An.

Gu An accepted it and saw the words "Eight Directions Step" written on it.

This surprised him.

Had this guy finally grown a conscience?

Du Ye explained, "This is a footwork technique of the Ji Family. It is only the basic footwork of the Ji Family's secret art, the Qilin Step, but if you learn it, you'll move faster. If you encounter trouble in the future, you may be able to escape disaster. This footwork does not depend on Spirit Root aptitude. As long as you spend enough time, you can always learn it."

Gu An looked at Du Ye in a new light and was just about to say something when Du Ye lifted the bundle, patted his shoulder again, and brushed past him.

Gu An turned and followed his steps, seeing him out.

When they reached the courtyard, Du Ye turned to look at him and said, "After all, you and I grew up together. Even if our choices cause us to drift farther and farther apart in the future, our bond will remain. If life treats you poorly, you can come find me."

With that, he slapped his left hand against his sword sheath. With a clang, the treasured sword flew free. He leaped up and rode the sword away.

What a handsome Sword Flight Technique!

Gu An lowered his gaze to the secret manual in his hand, and the corners of his lips rose.

He began flipping through the Eight Directions Step and practiced it in the courtyard.

A Ji Family secret art?

If he used Lifespan Evolution to cultivate it, could he perhaps derive that Ji Family secret art?

After Xiao Chuan and the other two finished clearing all the gardens, they quickly came to Gu An's courtyard and curiously watched him practice the footwork.

"Senior Brother, what technique are you practicing?" Ye Lan asked curiously.

As Gu An shifted his steps, he asked with a smile, "Do you want to learn it?"

"Yes!"

The three answered in unison.

Gu An replied, "Once I've learned it, I'll teach you."

Bang!

The door of the nearby room was shoved open. Meng Lang emerged, his eyes bloodshot and his forehead covered in bloody veins, looking horrifying and terrifying.

Xiao Chuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan were all frightened.

Meng Lang charged straight at Ye Lan, who was closest to him, like a crazed beast with a savage, vicious aura.

Ye Lan was scared stupid and had no time to react.

In less than a breath, Meng Lang was about to slam into Ye Lan.

Gu An grabbed Ye Lan by the shoulder and pulled her back, while his right foot simultaneously planted itself against Meng Lang's chest.

Boom!

Meng Lang's aura erupted. A blast of force wrapped around his body, and his feet gouged two long tracks into the ground.

Gu An's right leg slowly straightened, forcing Meng Lang backward.

Xiao Chuan and the other two widened their eyes. Gu An's posture was deeply branded into their minds, shaking them to the core.

Senior Brother was this powerful?

Although Gu An could always defeat them when they sparred normally, that was without using spiritual power. Xiao Chuan and Lu Jiujia had both believed that they would surpass their senior brother sooner or later.

Meng Lang suddenly grabbed Gu An's right foot with both hands. A tyrannical force tried to snap his ankle.

Gu An leaped up sharply, then stomped down with force, pressing Meng Lang down with a thud until he knelt on the ground.

Meng Lang's knees sank into the dirt. His entire body trembled, yet he could not push Gu An's foot away. He looked utterly miserable.

Thanks to Jianxing for the 500 Qidian Coin reward~~