After Ye Lan obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill, she succeeded in reaching Foundation Establishment in just one month. That night, Gu An secretly guarded her through the tribulation. There had been danger, but no real mishap.
On the second day after successfully reaching Foundation Establishment, Ye Lan bid farewell and left in a hurry.
Her sudden breakthrough to Foundation Establishment became a great curiosity in Mystic Valley. The disciples had all sorts of speculations. Some said Gu An had given her the Foundation Establishment Pill, some said Ye Lan had encountered a fortuitous opportunity, and others said cultivating amid the mountains and forests had won her Heaven's aid.
No matter what, Ye Lan had ultimately left.
Under the blazing summer sun.
Gu An stood on the terrace of the pavilion, watching the busy disciples. All of a sudden, he felt that things remained while people had changed.
Cheng Xuandan, Zhang Chunqiu, Li Ya, Meng Lang, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan had all left.
Those who remained now were all his juniors.
Below him, Xiao Chuan had the greatest seniority.
Xiao Chuan had already abandoned any thought of going to the Outer Sect, but he had not become discouraged. He still lived positively. Aside from cultivation, he had found other meaning in life.
Gu An looked toward a corner of Medicine Valley. A bamboo fence had been set up there, and ducks were being raised inside. Xiao Chuan lay over the fence, communicating with the ducks.
These ducks were no ordinary ducks raised by mortal farmers. Each carried a trace of third-rank Demon Beast bloodline. Every one cost one hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. Xiao Chuan had emptied his purse and only managed to buy two; Gu An had paid for the remaining ten, making Xiao Chuan even more grateful to him.
They might possess the bloodline of third-rank Demon Beasts, but if these ducks could grow to first rank, that would already be like burning incense to thank the ancestors.
"Low-rank Demon Beast flesh can help cultivators too. Should I start a livestock business? I could earn more lifespan and Spirit Stones at the same time..."
Gu An was suddenly tempted.
Raising sheep and cattle in the mountains was not a bad idea either!
However, doing so would inevitably require expanding his manpower. He feared that if things became too big, Taixuan Sect would take issue with him.
He had considered leaving and finding a deep mountain to do this himself, but quickly rejected the idea. Not to mention that the Azure Vine Tree would be difficult to move, he did not want to miss out on Taixuan Sect's resource channels alone.
Within Taixuan Sect, so long as he had enough Spirit Stones, he could buy anything he wanted. Outside, that might not be the case.
There were always rare treasures that were hard to find!
At worst, he could glorify Taixuan Sect in his books from now on.
Gu An thought to himself. As long as he handed over enough medicinal herbs and Demon Beast flesh, why would Taixuan Sect make things difficult for him?
They might even give him a helping hand!
Mm, that was settled!
From now on, Xiao Chuan would be the beast tamer, while Wuxin would serve as the chief disciple managing the planting. They would be his right-hand men in Mystic Valley.
The more Gu An thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He began considering the plan.
The jade ring found by the White Spirit Mouse contained an enormous fortune. He had calculated it before: it was equivalent to two million Low-grade Spirit Stones, or two hundred High-grade Spirit Stones. It was enough for him to spread his wings and make a grand display.
No sooner thought than done!
Gu An called out to Xiao Chuan. Xiao Chuan immediately ran over, leaped into the air, and landed on the terrace.
"Senior Brother, what is it?" Xiao Chuan asked.
Gu An told him his idea. Xiao Chuan's eyes lit up, and the more he listened, the more excited he became.
The two hit it off at once!
In the end, Gu An had Xiao Chuan make a trip to the Outer Sect. He was to list everything on paper, and Xiao Chuan readily agreed, setting off that very day.
Xiao Chuan had also mastered the Sword Flight Technique, but his spiritual power was insufficient. A round trip would take two days, and he would need to rest for one night midway.
Three days later, Xiao Chuan returned and handed Gu An a sheet of paper he had long since written. He chattered excitedly without pause. It turned out he had encountered Lu Jiujia in the Outer Sect, and Lu Jiujia personally took him to inspect Demon Beasts, saving them a great deal of trouble.
After discussing it, the two decided to first buy fifty young beasts to test the waters, because only if they purchased that many would the Outer Sect's Beast Hall agree to escort them to Mystic Valley.
After resting for a day, Xiao Chuan set out with the Spirit Stones Gu An had given him. Tang Yu and Su Han accompanied him. Both had already reached the fifth layer of Qi Refining; with more people, their presence was stronger.
If not for a batch of medicinal herbs soon being ready for harvest, Gu An would have wanted to go himself. He was afraid of being cheated.
Fortunately, nothing like that happened. Taixuan Sect was, after all, a reputable righteous sect.
Five days later, Xiao Chuan and the other two returned on swords. Behind them followed three Double-Horned White Eagles with wingspans of five zhang. Cultivators stood upon the eagles' backs, while their talons carried large cages containing bound lambs. These lambs had not yet grown horns, and the flight was not bumpy due to the talismans pasted on the cages.
After everyone landed, Gu An stepped forward to offer his thanks. The three Medicine Hall disciples were not especially warm, but they did not embarrass him either. After a few polite exchanges, they mounted their eagles and departed.
"Xiao Chuan, these sheep cost me one thousand Low-grade Spirit Stones. You'd better take good care of them." Gu An patted Xiao Chuan's shoulder and spoke meaningfully.
Not just Spirit Stones, but my life!
Once these lambs matured, they would possess first-rank strength, equivalent to the third layer of Qi Refining. They simply could not develop intelligence like humans.
Xiao Chuan nodded solemnly. Scratching his head, he said, "Senior Brother, could we recruit two more Handyman Disciples to help me out?"
Gu An said, "Have the others help you first. We can recruit disciples again in half a year. Your senior brother's Storage Bag is getting a little tight."
Xiao Chuan beamed with joy and hurriedly thanked him.
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 the pavilion.
Everyone in the valley came running over to watch these first-rank Sheep Demons. To people who spent every day tending flowers and plants, the Sheep Demons' appearance was a novelty.
Gu An returned to the pavilion and prepared 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 to write.
Listening to the disciples' laughter outside the window, Gu An's lips unconsciously curled upward.
In a courtyard, the white-haired Zuo Yijian sat meditating beneath a tree. He held a leaf in his right hand, his brows tightly furrowed.
Compared to when he had successfully passed his tribulation several years ago, he had aged greatly. He had lost his sharpness and no longer looked like a Great Cultivator of the Nascent Soul Realm.
Zuo Lin entered the courtyard. He turned his head and saw his father beneath the tree. He immediately strode forward, walked up to Zuo Yijian, and snatched the leaf from his hand.
"Father, how much longer are you going to wallow in despair?"
Zuo Lin demanded angrily. He threw the leaf to the ground and even stomped on it.
Zuo Yijian raised his eyes to look at him, his gaze calm as still water. "Your father is not wallowing in despair."
"You stare at a leaf all day. How long have you been staring at it? How long has it been since you absorbed qi, and how long since you tempered your Sword Intent?"
Zuo Lin spoke with the frustration of someone who hated iron for failing to become steel. Thinking of all the humiliation he had suffered over the years, rage surged through his chest like flames shooting upward, nearly impossible to suppress.
Zuo Yijian lowered his head to pick up the leaf. He asked, "Then when you used to hold your sword and sit in bitter contemplation without absorbing qi, what was that for? Was holding a sword truly more diligent than my holding a leaf?"
"I..."
Zuo Lin was instantly choked speechless, his face flushing red. Gritting his teeth, he said, "A sword is a sword, a leaf is a leaf. I sat in stillness because I had not attained the Sword Dao. You are different. Could it be that you seek the Dao of Leaves?"
"But the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal defeated me with a single leaf. Do you think the leaf in his hand did not count as a sword?"
"That is different..."
"The true Sword Dao has never been confined to any particular sword."
Zuo Yijian spoke softly. His gaze settled once more upon the leaf in his hand, and his eyes became distant.
Zuo Lin cursed inwardly. His right hand reached for his Storage Bag, and he took out a book. "Father, look at this book. It is called Investiture of the Gods. It has spread throughout the cultivation world over the past two years, and many sects are passing it around. Some say it records a cultivation war from an ancient era."
Zuo Yijian remained unmoved.
Zuo Lin placed Investiture of the Gods beside his feet, then turned and left.
The moment he stepped out of the courtyard, he could not resist taking another copy of Investiture of the Gods from his Storage Bag.
Zuo Yijian began to stare blankly.
Who knew how much time passed before he finally could not help blinking? His gaze unconsciously drifted toward Investiture of the Gods on the ground.
When autumn arrived, Mystic Valley was covered in shades of grayish yellow.
Inside the pavilion, Gu An and Li Ya sat facing each other over tea. Li Ya was talking in a torrent, a book still in his hand.
It was Investiture of the Gods.
"Over these past two years, Taixuan Sect has truly been in the limelight. First, the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal defeated the Nascent Soul Realm Canghu Sword Fanatic with one leaf, becoming famous throughout the cultivation world. Second, it is because of this Investiture of the Gods. The cultivation tales recorded within are far too grand. Those unimaginable spells have every sect discussing them. Some even say this may be a true story from ancient times..."
As he listened to Li Ya extravagantly praise Investiture of the Gods, Gu An furrowed his brows.
Was it that popular?
But his share of the profits was not much.
Had the Library Hall taken a cut, or were the other sects reading pirated copies?
On second thought, that made sense. How could the cultivation world possibly care about copyright?
After speaking for a long while, Li Ya finally said with lingering reluctance, "I wonder who this Pan An truly is. He is genuinely a great talent. I truly wish to meet him. I heard even Inner Sect disciples and disciples with masters are reading this book."
Gu An asked curiously, "Is it really that impressive? Then I should take a look and see whether it can compare to Travels of the Green Hero."
"How can that kind of book, unfit even for the stage, compare to Investiture of the Gods?" Li Ya said disdainfully.
Gu An merely smiled.
Li Ya set down the book in his hand, lifted his teacup, and drained it in one gulp. Then he said, "I am leaving. I will go out to gain experience. I probably will not return for at least ten years."
To him, ten years was nothing, but it was different for Junior Brother Gu. That was why he had specially come to explain.
Gu An was not surprised. What cultivator would stay cooped up in their sect for an entire lifetime? They had to go out and gain experience, seek fortuitous opportunities, cultivate the Dao and cultivate the heart.
"Do you have a destination?" Gu An asked casually.
Li Ya smiled. "I do. A Great Cultivator of the Spirit Transformation Realm has appeared in Ji Province in the far south. He is nearing the end of his lifespan and wishes to choose a suitable successor before his death. He is a sword cultivator, so I intend to try my luck."
"Spirit Transformation? What realm is that? How many realms above the Nascent Soul Realm is it?" Gu An asked with feigned curiosity.
Li Ya laughed. "The Spirit Transformation Realm is directly above the Nascent Soul Realm. If it were several realms above the Nascent Soul Realm, he would not appear in Taicang. This land does not contain only the Great Cang Dynasty. I have heard that beyond the sea lies an even broader world, though without the Nascent Soul Realm, it is difficult to cross over."
He rose to his feet and said with a smug smile, "Junior Brother Gu, when I return, I will be the successor of a Great Cultivator of the Spirit Transformation Realm. When that time comes, if you call me Senior Brother, I might just let you see the spells of the Spirit Transformation Realm."
With that, he turned, walked to the windowsill, vaulted out, and flew away upon his sword.
Gu An looked at the footprints on the windowsill, one brow rising.
The Spirit Transformation Realm?
I must reach it before Li Ya returns!
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