Jiang Qiong at the Ninth Level of the Golden Core Realm

Spring turned to autumn, and five years of time slipped away in the blink of an eye.

Over these five years, Gu An maintained his plan of investing one year of lifespan every night. After five years, he had invested over 1,800 years of lifespan, and his cultivation had reached the eighth level of the Nascent Soul Realm.

After crossing the fifth level of the Nascent Soul Realm, the time required for each minor realm doubled. Gu An, while evolving, could only train through sheer force of will, which took even longer.

Now, he had over 10,200 years of lifespan remaining, and the addition of the Eight Sceneries Grotto-Heaven had increased his annual lifespan income.

Five years had passed, and three more miscellaneous disciples had joined Mystic Valley, all of whom took Gu An as their master. Two boys and one girl, listed from oldest to youngest, were named Tang Yu, Su Han, and Zhen Qin.

Gu An no longer selected disciples based on aptitude; he chose those with mediocre talent so as not to invite trouble. The maximum lifespan for all three was around two hundred years, and based on that, he tried his best to choose disciples who were pleasing to the eye.

On this day, at the entrance of the valley, Xiao Chuan, Ye Lan, Wuxin, Tang Yu, Su Han, and Zhen Qin surrounded Lu Jiujia.

"Senior brother, I wish you success!"

"Junior uncle, don't forget us once you go to the Outer Sect."

"Don't you worry, I've got things covered in Medicine Valley."

"If you fail, I'm definitely going to laugh at you."

Today was the day Lu Jiujia was heading to the Outer Sect to participate in the assessment. Gu An had cut an Azure Vine Fruit into four pieces and distributed them to his four junior brothers and sisters, which caused their cultivation to surge; Lu Jiujia was the first to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining.

It is worth mentioning that ever since eating the Azure Vine Fruit, Wuxin had become completely well-behaved. Every night, he would diligently practice in his room instead of roaming the mountains, and he had become much more hardworking in his tasks.

The twenty-three-year-old Lu Jiujia was in high spirits. He looked toward the pavilion where his senior brother lived and saw him standing by the window watching him, which warmed his heart.

"Wait for my good news; I won't let senior brother down!"

Lu Jiujia laughed triumphantly, then turned and left.

Relying on the Residual Wind Leg he had practiced for many years, he felt he could make a name for himself in the Outer Sect.

Gu An, dressed in a black robe with a white base, watched Lu Jiujia leave from afar, feeling a complex mix of emotions in his heart.

He couldn't tell if it was relief or reluctance; perhaps it was both.

"I'm only twenty-seven and already feeling this sentimental. What will it be like when I'm two hundred, two thousand, or even twenty thousand years old?" Gu An laughed at himself.

He turned and walked to the table to sit down, picking up Travels of the Green Hero to continue savoring it.

This was the latest volume of Travels of the Green Hero released last year. In his view, it was an absolute masterpiece; the author's skill in writing about romance and beauty had reached a state of perfection.

An hour later.

Wuxin came to visit. At twenty-one, he was still dressed as a monk. Gu An often teased him about being a "jade-faced monk," especially after he wore the monk robes Gu An had specially ordered for him from the Outer Sect, which made him look even more refined.

"Senior brother, the garden on the mountain has been watered. Are there any other instructions for today?" Wuxin walked to Gu An's side and said softly. His gaze flickered toward Travels of the Green Hero, and his fair, handsome face instantly turned red.

Gu An didn't even look up as he said, "Nothing else. Go down and practice."

Wuxin walked to the other side of the table but did not leave, looking hesitant.

Gu An glanced at him and asked, "Is there something else?"

Dressed in his black robe, he already possessed the oppressive aura of a superior. The harvests in Medicine Valley had been good over the years, and since he didn't keep a private stash, he had paid out of his own pocket to buy new clothes for everyone in the valley. Now, none of them looked like mere miscellaneous disciples.

Wuxin gritted his teeth and said, "Senior brother, to be honest, with my aptitude, it's impossible for me to be accepted into the Outer Sect. I truly want to stay in Medicine Valley and accompany you for the rest of my life."

Gu An put down Travels of the Green Hero and examined him carefully.

Wasn't the meaning behind these words obvious?

He wanted to advance!

Gu An frowned, looking troubled.

Seeing his expression, Wuxin became anxious and suddenly knelt down.

"Senior brother, what am I still lacking? I am more hardworking than them, more obedient than them, and while they all want to go to the Outer Sect, I am the only one who doesn't," Wuxin said excitedly, his eyes even turning red.

Gu An, however, could see that he was circulating some kind of technique to make his blood surge.

Good lad, trying to learn from me, are you?

Gu An said earnestly, "Wuxin, in my heart, no one is better or worse than the other. Just like that Azure Vine Fruit, I divided it equally among you all. But the position of the head disciple is a serious matter; it even represents the next valley master. Although I am a miscellaneous disciple, my treatment is no less than that of an ordinary Outer Sect disciple, and I must honor the sect's grace."

"You seem to have hidden something from me. Of course, everyone has their own unspeakable hardships, and I don't want to pry. You will always be my junior brother, but the position of head disciple..."

He sighed at the end, looking helpless.

Wuxin was stunned. He hadn't expected that his actions from years ago had long been noticed by his senior brother. His first reaction was panic, followed immediately by being moved.

The last time he had snuck out to gather intelligence was five years ago, yet his senior brother had tolerated him for five years.

What did this mean?

His senior brother truly considered him one of his own!

Putting himself in his senior brother's shoes, Wuxin felt that if he were in his position, he would have severely punished such a junior brother long ago.

The more Wuxin thought about it, the more ashamed he felt. He simply couldn't keep up the act anymore.

"Senior brother, actually..." Wuxin gritted his teeth, as if he had made a great decision.

"Actually, I come from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion. My father is one of the seventy-two pavilion masters of the Thousand Autumn Pavilion. My aptitude is dull, and I was often bullied by my brothers and sisters, so I ran away. The reason I was sneaking around at night was because I had heard of the deeds of senior brother Li Ya, and I wanted to see if there was any opportunity. I hoped to prove myself to my father one day, but I have given up now. Let alone comparing myself to my brothers and sisters, I am far behind even Lu Jiujia..."

Wuxin said this in one breath. By the end, he lowered his head, not daring to look at Gu An.

Gu An wore a look of shock and disbelief.

"You..."

Hearing the tremor in his senior brother's voice, Wuxin felt even more ashamed, pressing his forehead tightly against the ground.

Gu An truly had not expected Wuxin to come from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion.

What kind of situation was this?

He might as well stop calling it Mystic Valley and just call it Thousand Autumn Valley!

Gu An secretly spread his divine sense, forming an invisible barrier to guard against anyone eavesdropping.

He remained silent for a moment before letting out a heavy sigh and saying, "Forget it, get up and speak first."

Upon hearing this, the anxious Wuxin secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

Wuxin stood up and, seeing the complex expression on Gu An's face, felt even more moved.

As expected, Senior Brother treats me with true sincerity!

"I don't know much about the Thousand Autumn Pavilion. I've heard it's a demonic sect?" Gu An took a deep breath and asked.

Wuxin nodded and said, "It is indeed a demonic sect, and the most evil one at that. Corpse arts, gu sorcery, soul-snatching, poisons, and so on—they are proficient in all things demonic. I just couldn't stand it anymore, which is why I fled..."

"Then will your father come looking for you? I have to consider the other disciples," Gu An asked with concern.

Wuxin waved his hands hurriedly and said, "How could he possibly come looking for me? He wishes I were already dead; I am his greatest disgrace!"

Hearing this, Gu An's expression softened slightly, and he scolded, "Wuxin, I will not allow you to belittle yourself like that. How can one judge a person's worth by their level of cultivation?"

Wuxin couldn't help but scratch his head and chuckle, "I know, but the Thousand Autumn Pavilion is a demonic sect. Senior Brother, people in the demonic path are all abnormal."

Gu An nodded, and as if remembering something, he asked, "By the way, have you ever heard the name Jiang Qiong while in the Thousand Autumn Pavilion?"

"Jiang Qiong?" Wuxin paused, frowning in thought.

A few breaths later, he had a sudden realization and said, "I remember now. She was the top genius of the Thousand Autumn Pavilion a hundred years ago and the daughter of the Second Pavilion Master, but she passed away many years ago. I heard my father mention her when I was a child; he even wanted my eldest brother to marry Jiang Qiong."

Hearing this, Gu An couldn't help but ask curiously, "How old is your father?"

Wuxin replied, "He is nearly five hundred years old. He has over a hundred children, so he wouldn't care even if I were lost."

Gu An fell silent.

The demonic path's lifestyle is certainly quite enviable.

Gu An asked a few more questions, but unfortunately, Wuxin didn't know much about Jiang Qiong.

"Since you have confessed your origins, I will cultivate you to be my head disciple. If I can turn a demonic cultivator back to the right path by using the position of head disciple of a valley, that counts as a merit. However, this matter cannot be revealed for the time being. You must conquer everyone in the valley with your performance," Gu An said earnestly.

Upon hearing this, Wuxin was ecstatic.

Just as he was about to thank Gu An, he heard Gu An continue to admonish, "From now on, you are not to mention the Thousand Autumn Pavilion even once, not even when you are alone. This is the Taixuan Sect; even talking to yourself might be overheard."

Wuxin nodded repeatedly, promising to follow his teachings.

The two brothers changed the subject and chatted about other trivial matters.

Wuxin felt closer to his senior brother than ever before, a feeling that made him feel very fortunate. He should have confessed to his senior brother long ago.

Night fell over the Eight Sceneries Grotto-Heaven.

Gu An walked all the way to a clearing beside the underground river and began to sow medicinal herbs.

His movements were not fast. He didn't cultivate much in his daily life, so he enjoyed the process of sowing. He wasn't planting flowers or grass; he was planting life.

People from Huaxia have a love for farming in their bones, and this habit had followed his soul into the world of cultivation.

When he finished planting, he looked at his newly cleared plot with satisfaction. It was very neat and possessed a unique aesthetic.

"Good grand-disciple, come in for a moment."

Jiang Qiong's melodious voice drifted out from a cave entrance, and Gu An walked over immediately.

Over the years, Jiang Qiong had summoned him from time to time to help her pick some medicinal herbs or even assist her in alchemy.

Gu An hadn't been working in vain; during this process, his alchemy skills had improved by leaps and bounds.

Jiang Qiong's alchemy skills were far superior to Cheng Xuandan's, which was evident just from the way she taught others.

Walking into the cave chamber, it remained dim as usual. An alchemy furnace, half a person's height, sat in the clearing, with ash piled beneath it.

Gu An was just about to speak when he suddenly heard a sound. He focused his gaze and saw a coffin in the depths of the chamber beginning to tremble.

BOOM!

The coffin lid fell off, slamming into the ground and kicking up a cloud of dust.

Gu An saw a hand crawl out from the upright coffin, so thin it was just skin and bone, like a ghost's claw. He immediately cast a lifespan inspection.

[Jiang Qiong (Golden Core Realm, 9th Layer): 185/304/2490]

Good heavens!

A maximum lifespan of nearly two thousand five hundred years!

Why does the ninth level of the Golden Core realm only have a lifespan of three hundred years?

Could it be related to her injuries?

Gu An thought in confusion, and at the same time, the last trace of wariness in his heart vanished into thin air.

Happy June 1st!

Asking for monthly votes; the book will be published at the end of June, and I will add one chapter for every 500 monthly votes then~~

(PS: There is an event regarding this book in the review section of my old book, Becoming an Immortal in the Mortal World. Those interested in this can go take a look and have a chance to win a fan title.)