Gu An had originally wanted to use the name of the original author of Investiture of the Gods, Xu Zhonglin, but since he still intended to write other books for extra income, he came up with another name.
Liu Chang and Zhu Qinglu did not think much of it. Pan An was merely Gu An with a changed surname, so they could understand it.
Liu Chang then began cautioning Gu An, mainly reminding him what he could not write. Both openly and subtly, he urged Gu An to include the Taixuan Sect in the story and portray it in a favorable light.
Even if he did not write directly about the Taixuan Sect, he could allude to it. In short, the more he praised the Taixuan Sect, the better his treatment would be in the future.
Gu An could only agree. As for whether he would actually do it, that could wait.
Writing was merely something he did in his spare time. He would not rack his brains over it.
Once Liu Chang had finished, Gu Yu beside them leaned over and asked excitedly, "Brother, have you written any other books?"
Gu An shook his head. "This is my first time writing."
"Hahaha, not bad, not bad. I think highly of you. You might even surpass Green Hero's standing within the Taixuan Sect." Gu Yu patted Gu An's shoulder, speaking with the air of someone who was familiar with everyone.
Gu An immediately grew interested and asked, "You know Green Hero?"
Gu Yu raised his brows. "You like his travelogue too? I don't know him. I only know that he is some cultivator from the Taixuan Sect. I asked Old Liu, but he refused to tell me no matter what."
Liu Chang laughed heartily and pulled Zhu Qinglu toward the exit. "Come take a walk with me. We can catch up on old times and let the juniors have their chat."
Zhu Qinglu nodded, and the two quickly left the main hall.
Gu Yu continued pressing Gu An for details about how he had written Investiture of the Gods. Seeing that Old Liu's attitude toward Gu Yu was anything but ordinary, Gu An answered patiently.
A full hour passed before Gu An finally left the Library Hall with Zhu Qinglu.
"That disciple named Gu Yu has no simple background. There are not many juniors whom Liu Chang would treat like that." Zhu Qinglu spoke meaningfully.
Gu An nodded, but he had no intention of becoming deeply acquainted with Gu Yu. People like him could easily make life less peaceful.
The two did not remain together the whole way. After parting, Gu An went to purchase medicinal herb seeds and bought a batch of clothes while he was at it.
It was not until night fell that he returned to Mystic Valley.
The days passed one by one.
Another Spring Festival arrived. Mystic Valley's second Spring Festival went even more smoothly, without a single ripple. The atmosphere was livelier than in the first year, and as usual, Gu An brought food to Jiang Qiong.
He began counting the days, preparing himself for Jiang Qiong's departure.
After Jiang Qiong left, he would spread his wings within the Eight Sceneries Grotto-Heaven and fill it with spirit flowers and spirit herbs.
After the Spring Festival ended, Gu An took Wuxin to the Outer Sect and selected three more Handyman Disciples. This time, there were two women and one man: Yan Mei, Yang Min, and Ye Yan.
The three were the same age, all only eighteen, and they were greatly looking forward to their coming lives in Mystic Valley.
Becoming Handyman Disciples not only allowed them to earn Spirit Stones, but also gave them a chance to inherit their master's spells.
This time, Gu An was not merely recruiting Handyman Disciples. He was also bringing Wuxin along so that he could fully grow accustomed to being the senior disciple and help Gu An run errands in the future.
After returning to Mystic Valley, Gu An had Wuxin take the three newcomers to meet everyone else in the valley. He himself entered the forest on the northern side, intending to make some plans.
He wanted to fill the nearby forests with medicinal herbs. The herbs he had submitted last year had already ranked among the top ten of the Outer Sect's Medicine Valley. Zhu Qinglu valued him even more now and had improved his treatment. Supporting nine Handyman Disciples was more than easy for him; he even wanted to recruit more.
It was difficult for people to be content with their current state. Gu An felt the same about his yearly lifespan income. If his lifespan did not increase as much this year as it had last year, he would feel miserable.
Standing beneath a tree, Gu An swept his gaze across the forest and began mapping out the garden in his mind.
The White Spirit Mouse suddenly darted out of the woods. The moment he saw it, Gu An felt both a headache and anticipation.
He was afraid it had picked up some good treasure, yet he also hoped it had picked up some good treasure.
It hopped all the way to Gu An's feet and spat out a jade ring.
Gu An raised a hand and drew the jade ring over, stuffing it into his belt with the intention of examining it in private later.
He scooped up the White Spirit Mouse and would not let it run around.
"Good job. I'll feed you an Azure Vine Fruit tonight." Gu An smiled.
The White Spirit Mouse seemed to understand. Not only did it stop struggling, it lay obediently in his arms instead.
After standing there for the time it took half an incense stick to burn, Gu An turned and left the forest. He stood on the grass beside the garden, waiting for someone's arrival.
Before long, the sound of something slicing through the air came from afar.
An Outer Sect disciple arrived on a flying sword and swiftly landed beside Gu An. His arrival drew the attention of the other Mystic Valley disciples.
"Senior Brother! I'm back!"
The newcomer was none other than Lu Jiujia, who had previously gone to take the Outer Sect examination. Dressed in Outer Sect robes, he looked like an entirely different person from before.
Gu An smiled. "I thought you weren't coming back."
Lu Jiujia scratched his head. "How could that be? After obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill, I went into seclusion. Once I succeeded in Foundation Establishment, I rushed back at once to share my joy with all of you."
Gu An smiled and reached out to squeeze his shoulder. His body truly had become much stronger.
At that moment, the others crowded around him and excitedly asked how the Foundation Establishment Realm felt. He answered them one by one, high-spirited and full of vigor.
When Gu An had first met Lu Jiujia, he had only been fifteen. Seeing him in such glory now, Gu An felt nothing but gratification.
On the road to immortality, being alone was too lonely. If the people he came to know could meet good ends, he would have fewer regrets as well.
Lu Jiujia's return made Mystic Valley lively. Yan Mei and the other three who had just entered the valley were also greatly encouraged. They saw a path upward before them.
By working hard in Mystic Valley, there was hope of advancing into the Outer Sect!
That night, Gu An studied the jade ring the White Spirit Mouse had brought back. The restriction within was forcibly broken by his divine sense, only for him to discover that it was filled entirely with Spirit Stones.
A windfall?
Gu An had even greater expectations for the White Spirit Mouse now. It successfully earned the right to eat an Azure Vine Fruit.
Lu Jiujia stayed in Mystic Valley for a month before leaving. Everyone knew that once he left, they might never see him again in this lifetime—unless they too became Outer Sect disciples.
In the blink of an eye, two years passed. Gu An was already thirty years old, but having taken a Youth-Preserving Pill, he still looked only around twenty.
His lifespan had already surpassed thirty thousand years!
Mystic Valley was expanding, and the number of Outer Sect disciples who had sought him out to manage their Cave Mansions had reached eleven. His monthly lifespan gains continued to rise.
Life was busy and fulfilling, but he did not feel tired in the slightest. Instead, he was filled with fighting spirit.
Midsummer arrived. The moon shone bright while the stars were sparse, and fireflies flickered in the silent forest.
Within the forest, Jiang Qiong, clad in white, walked ahead. She was barefoot, yet even stepping on branches caused her no discomfort whatsoever.
Gu An followed behind her in silence.
"Alright, this is where we part."
Jiang Qiong stopped, turned, and looked at Gu An.
Gu An nodded. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Martial Ancestor, take care on your way out. This is still within the Taixuan Sect's territory."
After living together for so many years, with Jiang Qiong having taught him so many spells, it would be a lie to say he felt nothing for her.
Yet compared to that bit of attachment, Gu An hoped even more that she would leave.
Jiang Qiong nodded. She raised her right hand, and a blue-covered book appeared in it. She directly tossed the secret manual to Gu An.
"Cultivate well. When I return next time, I'll test your cultivation. If you disappoint me, your Martial Ancestor will beat you up." Jiang Qiong spoke as though threatening a child and even waved her fist, leaving Gu An unsure whether to laugh or cry.
Before he could respond, Jiang Qiong vanished from where she stood. Gu An could sense her demonic qi rapidly departing.
In the dim forest, the corners of Gu An's lips rose slightly. He turned toward Mystic Valley while looking down at the secret manual in his hand.
Ziwei Array Record!
He flipped through it briefly and discovered that every page contained a special restriction. The pages used words to introduce formations, but the cultivation methods for those formations required one to probe them with divine sense.
This was something else!
Gu An thought of the formations within the Eight Sceneries Grotto-Heaven. It was precisely those formations that had kept the Azure Vine Tree hidden, even as so many Great Cultivators of the Taixuan Sect passed overhead.
Although Jiang Qiong's cultivation was only at the ninth level of the Golden Core Realm, her attainments in formations and alchemy far surpassed the Golden Core Realm. After all, she had reached the Golden Core Realm at forty, then devoted herself to studying formations and alchemy. She had said that even during the years she feigned death, she had continued pondering formations.
Gu An suddenly felt that the Ziwei Array Record in his hands was immensely weighty.
The moon set and the sun rose.
Morning arrived.
Jiang Qiong's departure affected only Gu An. Life in Mystic Valley continued as usual.
After leading the disciples through their exercises, Gu An brought Ye Lan back to his pavilion.
He took out a small wooden box he had prepared long ago and handed it to Ye Lan. The box was square and exquisitely crafted, as though jewels were hidden inside.
Ye Lan froze for a moment, then curiously opened the wooden box. Immediately afterward, she saw a pill resting within it.
"Senior Brother, what pill is this?" Ye Lan asked.
Gu An sat at the table, pouring himself tea as he smiled. "A Foundation Establishment Pill. I prepared it especially for you. Do not tell anyone. If disciples in the valley reach the ninth level of Qi Refining in the future, I will give them one as well. But they cannot know beforehand that I possess Foundation Establishment Pills, lest it bring trouble."
A Foundation Establishment Pill!
Ye Lan's eyes widened. She instinctively wanted to refuse, but Gu An spoke before she could. "Do not worry. I kept a Foundation Establishment Pill for myself too. Once you successfully establish your foundation, perhaps you can become my support in the Outer Sect. Cultivate diligently—that will be the best way to repay me."
"I..." Ye Lan's feelings were a tangled mess. She had many things she wanted to say, yet none would come out.
Gu An said earnestly, "Life is a long road, and people will always have many thoughts. Do not forget what your greatest pursuit in this life is."
Although Ye Lan had not clung to him often over the years, her gaze whenever she looked at him had always been so gentle. At times, he could even overhear the other disciples discussing it. Everyone could see her feelings for him.
Gu An's feelings toward Ye Lan were only those between brother and sister. They had not reached the point where he wanted to spend a lifetime with her. Moreover, his heart contained only immortal cultivation.
After hearing this, Ye Lan nodded heavily and said softly, "Senior Brother, rest assured. I will cultivate diligently and will not disappoint you. I will strive to climb upward, and in the future, I will take care of you."
As she said this, she even blinked at Gu An.
Gu An smiled, then waved his hand to signal that she could leave.
Ye Lan put away the Foundation Establishment Pill and turned to leave. She casually closed the door behind her, but just as it was about to shut, she suddenly said, "Senior Brother, no matter where I go in the future, I will not fall for any other man. There will only ever be you in my heart."
With that, she slammed the door shut and fled as though escaping.
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