Flying Leaf Sword Immortal, Spirit Transmutation Realm Inheritance

After Ye Lan obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill, it took her only one month to successfully reach the Foundation Establishment stage. That night, Gu An guarded her in the shadows as she underwent her tribulation, ensuring she passed without any danger.

The day after her successful breakthrough, Ye Lan came to bid farewell, leaving in quite a hurry.

Her sudden breakthrough became a major topic of conversation in Mystic Valley. The disciples had many theories about it; some said Gu An had given her the Foundation Establishment Pill, others claimed Ye Lan had encountered a stroke of luck, and some even suggested that cultivating in the mountains had divine assistance.

Regardless, Ye Lan had ultimately left.

Under the scorching summer sun.

Gu An stood on the balcony of his pavilion, watching the busy disciples, and suddenly felt a sense of how things had changed and people had moved on.

Cheng Xuandan, Zhang Chunqiu, Li Ya, Meng Lang, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan had all departed.

The people remaining now were all his juniors.

Below him, the one with the most seniority was Xiao Chuan.

Xiao Chuan had long since given up on the idea of going to the Outer Sect, but he hadn't become discouraged. He continued to live positively, and beyond cultivation, he had found other meanings in life.

Gu An looked toward a corner of Medicine Valley, where a bamboo fence had been erected to keep ducks. Xiao Chuan was leaning against the fence, chatting with the birds.

These were no ordinary ducks from a common farm; they possessed a trace of bloodline from a third-tier demonic beast. Each one cost one hundred low-grade Spirit Stones. Xiao Chuan had emptied his own pockets to buy just two, and Gu An had paid for the remaining ten, which made Xiao Chuan even more grateful to him.

Though they were said to have the bloodline of a third-tier demonic beast, it would be a miracle if these ducks could even grow to the first tier.

The flesh and blood of low-tier demonic beasts are also helpful to cultivators. Should I start a livestock business? I could earn more lifespan while also making Spirit Stones...

Gu An suddenly felt tempted.

Raising sheep and cattle in the mountains wouldn't be a bad idea!

However, doing so would inevitably require expanding his workforce, and he feared drawing too much attention and causing the Taixuan Sect to take issue with him.

He had considered whether he should run away and find a deep mountain to do this on his own, but he quickly dismissed the thought. Not to mention that the Azure Vine Tree would be difficult to move, he didn't want to lose access to the resource channels of the Taixuan Sect.

Within the Taixuan Sect, as long as he had enough Spirit Stones, he could buy anything he wanted; that wouldn't necessarily be the case if he left.

There were always rare items that were hard to find!

At worst, he could just write books in the future to glorify the Taixuan Sect.

Gu An thought to himself that as long as he handed over enough medicinal herbs and demonic beast meat, why would the Taixuan Sect give him a hard time?

They might even lend him a helping hand!

Yes, that's it!

In the future, Xiao Chuan will be the beast tamer, and Wuxin will be the head disciple in charge of planting. They will be my left and right guardians in Mystic Valley.

The more Gu An thought about it, the more feasible it seemed, and he began to map out his plan.

The jade ring found by the White Spirit Mouse contained a massive fortune; he had calculated it to be equivalent to two million low-grade Spirit Stones, or two hundred high-grade Spirit Stones, which was enough for him to spread his wings.

Action followed thought!

Gu An called out to Xiao Chuan, who immediately ran over and leaped onto the balcony.

"Senior Brother, is something the matter?" Xiao Chuan asked.

Gu An explained his idea, and Xiao Chuan's eyes lit up, growing more excited the more he heard.

The two hit it off immediately!

In the end, Gu An asked Xiao Chuan to make a trip to the Outer Sect and list everything on paper. Xiao Chuan agreed instantly and set off that very day.

Xiao Chuan had also mastered the Sword Flight Technique, but his spiritual power was insufficient, so a round trip took two days, requiring him to rest for a night along the way.

Three days later, Xiao Chuan returned and handed the prepared list to Gu An, talking excitedly the whole time. It turned out he had run into Lu Jiujia at the Outer Sect, and Lu Jiujia had personally taken him to inspect the demonic beasts, saving him a lot of trouble.

After the two discussed it, Gu An decided to start by buying fifty young beasts to test the waters, as the Beast Hall of the Outer Sect would only agree to transport them to Mystic Valley if he bought that many.

After resting for a day, Xiao Chuan set off with the Spirit Stones Gu An had provided, accompanied by Tang Yu and Su Han. Both of them had reached the fifth level of the Qi Refining stage, so their presence added a sense of authority.

If not for the fact that a batch of medicinal herbs was about to be harvested, Gu An would have wanted to go himself, fearing he might be swindled.

Fortunately, nothing of the sort happened; the Taixuan Sect was, after all, a reputable sect.

Five days later, Xiao Chuan and his companions returned on their swords. Following them were three Double-Horned White Eagles with five-zhang wingspans. A cultivator stood on the back of each eagle, and their talons carried large cages filled with lambs. These lambs had not yet grown horns, and thanks to the talisman papers on the cages, the flight was smooth and steady.

After everyone landed, Gu An stepped forward to express his gratitude. The three Medicine Hall disciples weren't particularly warm, but they didn't make him feel awkward either. After a few polite exchanges, they departed on their eagles.

"Xiao Chuan, these sheep cost me one thousand low-grade Spirit Stones, so you must take good care of them," Gu An said, patting Xiao Chuan on the shoulder with a meaningful look.

It's not just Spirit Stones; it's my life!

Once these lambs reached adulthood, they would have the strength of the first tier, equivalent to the third level of the Qi Refining stage, though they would not be able to develop human-like intelligence.

Xiao Chuan nodded solemnly. He scratched his head and said, "Senior Brother, could we recruit two more miscellaneous disciples to help me out?"

Gu An replied, "Have the others help you for now. Recruit more disciples in half a year; my Storage Bag is a bit tight right now."

Xiao Chuan beamed and thanked him profusely.

Gu An actually still had plenty of Spirit Stones, but he feared drawing too much attention to himself, so he chose to restrain himself for half a year.

After dealing with Xiao Chuan, Gu An returned to his pavilion.

Everyone in the valley ran over to watch these first-tier sheep demons. For those who spent their days focused on flowers and plants, the appearance of the sheep demons was a novel sight.

Gu An returned to the attic, preparing to write the next volume of Investiture of the Gods. Liu Chang from the Library Hall had urged him several times, so it was time he got to it.

Listening to the laughter of the disciples outside the window, the corners of Gu An's mouth lifted involuntarily.

In a courtyard, the white-haired Zuo Yijian sat cross-legged under a tree. His right hand pinched a leaf, his brows furrowed tightly.

Compared to when he had successfully passed his tribulation years ago, he looked much older and had lost his sharp edge; he no longer looked like a great cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm.

Zuo Lin walked into the courtyard. He turned his head, saw his father under the tree, and immediately stepped forward. He walked up to Zuo Yijian and snatched the leaf from his hand.

"Father, how much longer are you going to wallow in this decadence?"

Zuo Lin demanded angrily. He threw the leaf onto the ground and even stepped on it.

Zuo Yijian raised his eyes to look at him, his gaze as calm as water, and said, "I am not wallowing in decadence."

"You spend all day staring at a leaf. How long has it been? How long has it been since you last gathered qi, or tempered your sword intent?"

Zuo Lin spoke with a tone of frustrated disappointment. At the thought of the humiliation he had suffered over the years, his anger surged, nearly impossible to suppress.

Zuo Yijian lowered his head to pick up the leaf and asked, "Then what about before, when you sat there clutching your sword in deep thought without gathering qi? Does the you who holds a sword count as more diligent than the me who holds a leaf?"

"I..."

Zuo Lin was suddenly choked for words, his face turning bright red. He gritted his teeth and said, "A sword is a sword, a leaf is a leaf. I was sitting in silence because I had not yet attained the sword path. You are different—are you trying to pursue the path of the leaf?"

"But the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal defeated me with only a single leaf. Do you think the leaf in his hand is not a sword?"

"That is different..."

"True sword path has never been limited to any single sword."

Zuo Yijian said softly. His gaze locked back onto the leaf in his hand, his eyes becoming distant.

Zuo Lin cursed under his breath. His right hand reached toward his Storage Bag, pulled out a book, and said, "Father, look at this book. It's called Investiture of the Gods. It has spread throughout the cultivation world over the past two years, and many sects are circulating it. Some say it records the great cultivation wars of the ancient era."

Zuo Yijian remained unmoved.

Zuo Lin placed Investiture of the Gods by his feet and turned to leave.

As soon as he walked out of the courtyard, he couldn't help but pull another copy of Investiture of the Gods from his own Storage Bag.

Zuo Yijian began to stare blankly.

He did not know how much time had passed, but he finally couldn't help but blink, his gaze subconsciously glancing toward the Investiture of the Gods on the ground.

In the autumn season, the Mystic Valley was covered in shades of yellow and brown.

Inside the attic, Gu An and Li Ya sat opposite each other drinking tea. Li Ya was talking incessantly, holding a book in his hand.

It was none other than Investiture of the Gods.

"The Taixuan Sect has really been in the spotlight these past two years. First, the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal defeated the Canghu Sword Fanatic of the Nascent Soul Realm with a single leaf, becoming famous throughout the cultivation world. Second, it's because of this book, Investiture of the Gods. The cultivation stories recorded within are too grand, and the inconceivable spells have every sect discussing them. Some even say this might be a true story from the ancient era..."

Listening to Li Ya rave about Investiture of the Gods, Gu An frowned.

Is it really that popular?

But his share of the profits didn't seem that high.

Did the Library Hall take a cut, or were other sects reading pirated copies?

On second thought, that made sense. How could the cultivation world possibly care about copyright?

Li Ya spoke for a long time before continuing, "I don't know who this Pan An is, but he is truly a great talent. I really want to get to know him. It is said that even Inner Sect disciples and master-apprentice disciples are reading this book."

Gu An asked curiously, "Is it that good? Then I must take a look and see if it compares to Travels of the Green Hero."

"How can that low-brow book compare to Investiture of the Gods?" Li Ya said dismissively.

Gu An just smiled.

Li Ya put down the book, picked up his teacup, drained it in one gulp, and said, "I am leaving to go out and gain experience. I estimate it will be hard to return for at least ten years."

For him, ten years was nothing, but for Junior Brother Gu, it was different, so he had come specifically to state this.

Gu An was not surprised. No cultivator stayed holed up in their sect forever; they always had to go out to gain experience, seek opportunities, and cultivate their path and their heart.

"Do you have a destination?" Gu An asked casually.

Li Ya smiled and said, "I do. A great cultivator of the Spirit Transmutation Realm has appeared in Ji Province in the far south. He is approaching his limit and wants to choose a suitable successor before he passes. This person is a sword cultivator, and I intend to go and try my luck."

"Spirit Transmutation? What realm is that? How many levels above the Nascent Soul Realm is it?" Gu An asked, feigning curiosity.

Li Ya laughed, "The Spirit Transmutation Realm is just above the Nascent Soul Realm. If it were many levels higher than the Nascent Soul Realm, he wouldn't be appearing in the Great Cang Dynasty. There is more to this land than just the Great Cang Dynasty, and it is said that on the other side of the sea, there is an even vaster world. However, without the Nascent Soul Realm, it is very difficult to cross over."

He stood up and said triumphantly, "Junior Brother Gu, when I return, I will be the successor of a great Spirit Transmutation Realm cultivator. By then, if you call me Senior Brother, I might just show you some Spirit Transmutation Realm spells."

With that, he turned, walked to the windowsill, vaulted out, and stepped onto his sword to fly away.

Gu An looked at the footprints on the windowsill and raised an eyebrow.

Spirit Transmutation Realm, huh?

I must reach it before Li Ya returns!

Thanks to book friend 2023071111191309972 for the 100 Qidian coin tip~~

Keep up the daily reading habit; during the new book period, follow-up data is the most important~~

Asking for monthly tickets. The book should be officially released later this month. Aside from the mass release on the launch day, I will add one extra chapter for every five hundred monthly tickets~~