Du Ye came quickly and left just as quickly. Gu An could sense his excitement, as though he truly took himself for a Ji.
Gu An was also very interested in the Inner Sect. Being able to use the Ji Family banquet as an opportunity to look around the Inner Sect was a good thing.
He planned to gather more Spirit Stones over the next few days so that he could make some purchases in the Inner Sect.
Night fell.
Gu An quietly left Mystic Valley. Heading in the opposite direction from where he had previously broken through, he traveled roughly fifty li before stopping.
He sat before a mountain wall and summoned the Attribute Panel.
He looked directly at the Eight Directions Step and invested five thousand years of lifespan into it.
This was a movement technique. Not only was it useful in battle, it was also useful for running away. He had to improve it.
As his thought descended, lines of notifications appeared:
[You invested five thousand years of lifespan into the Eight Directions Step for evolutionary cultivation] [You cultivated the Eight Directions Step for one year and successfully mastered the Eight Directions Step] [You cultivated the Eight Directions Step for ten years. Your understanding of the Eight Directions Step reached the summit, and your aptitude for movement techniques improved] [You cultivated the Eight Directions Step for fifty years. You gained insight into the Eight Directions Step, and your Eight Directions Step advanced into the Eight Directions Profound Step] [You cultivated the Eight Directions Step for one hundred years. Your understanding of the Eight Directions Profound Step reached the summit, and your aptitude for movement techniques improved]
[You cultivated the Eight Directions Step for three hundred years. Your Eight Directions Profound Step returned to simplicity, and you grasped a trace of spatial true meaning. Your Eight Directions Profound Step advanced into the Qilin Step]
[You cultivated the Eight Directions Step for one thousand years. Your Qilin Step returned to simplicity, your aptitude for movement techniques and space improved, and your Qilin Step advanced into the Heavenly Dragon Profound Truth Step]
[You cultivated the Eight Directions Step for four thousand years. Your unceasing cultivation finally received the resonance of heaven and earth. Your Heavenly Dragon Profound Truth Step broke through its limits and advanced into the Boundless Traceless Profound Heaven Step] [You cultivated the Eight Directions Step for five thousand years. Your Boundless Traceless Profound Heaven Step reached the realm of masterful perfection, and your aptitude for space improved]
Eight Directions Step, Eight Directions Profound Step, Qilin Step, Heavenly Dragon Profound Truth Step, Boundless Traceless Profound Heaven Step!
Gu An was secretly thrilled. At the same time, a vast flood of memories began pouring into his mind. He hurriedly activated the Longevity Barrier and immersed himself in the inheritance.
Half an hour later, Gu An opened his eyes.
He first looked at the Longevity Barrier. It had consumed only two hundred years of lifespan.
Although inheriting cultivation techniques and spells would not raise his cultivation, he still needed to absorb spiritual energy. After all, during evolutionary cultivation, no matter what one practiced, one was always in an environment filled with spiritual energy.
Compared to his previous breakthrough into the Void Crossing Realm, the spiritual energy he absorbed this time was insignificant.
Gu An looked back at the Attribute Panel and fell into thought.
He definitely still needed to raise his cultivation, but he had recently been keeping a low profile, so it was not suitable to act recklessly.
Moreover, he wanted to improve his cultivation techniques before raising his cultivation. He planned to take a look around the Inner Sect and see whether there were any Five Elements Techniques. If there were no good choices, he would grit his teeth and follow the Divine Wood Pure Yang Technique to the very end.
After pondering for a while, Gu An decided to spend some of his lifespan on the Thousand Autumn Pavilion secret art Jiang Qiong had taught him, the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique.
Jiang Qiong had said this secret art was highly suitable for acting as a spy. He wanted to see exactly how suitable it was.
A small investment—just two thousand years of lifespan!
[You invested two thousand years of lifespan into the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique for evolutionary cultivation] [You cultivated the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique for ten years and initially mastered the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique] [You cultivated the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique for one hundred years. Your Demonic Shadow Divine Technique reached the realm of masterful perfection, and you cast the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique faster] [You cultivated the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique for two hundred years. Your Demonic Shadow Divine Technique reached the summit, and your aptitude for movement techniques improved]
[You cultivated the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique for five hundred years. Your Demonic Shadow Divine Technique returned to simplicity and advanced into the Free Demonic Body Technique]
[You cultivated the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique for one thousand years. Your Free Demonic Body Technique reached the summit, and your aptitude for movement techniques and karma improved] [You cultivated the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique for one thousand three hundred years. Your Free Demonic Body Technique returned to simplicity and advanced into the Great Yin-Yang Transformation] [You cultivated the Demonic Shadow Divine Technique for two thousand years. Your Great Yin-Yang Transformation reached the summit, and your aptitude for movement techniques and karma improved]
Demonic Shadow Divine Technique, Free Demonic Body Technique, Great Yin-Yang Transformation!
It had only advanced twice. It seemed this secret art itself was far from simple. Jiang Qiong had not deceived him.
Gu An immediately activated the Longevity Barrier, and his consciousness sank into the inheritance.
A long while passed.
He slowly opened his eyes, delight spilling from them.
This secret art truly was perfect for being a spy!
The Demonic Shadow Divine Technique allowed its user's body to be covered in demonic qi, forming a Demon Shadow that even divine sense could not pierce. The Great Yin-Yang Transformation was even more outrageous. It could not be forcibly dispelled. The user could remain in the Demon Shadow state until death, and even after death, their true form would not be revealed. Most crucially, this technique could not be deduced; not even magical artifacts or treasures could expose the user's true form.
How tyrannical!
With this technique, Gu An would be able to do many things in the future.
Especially when paired with the Boundless Traceless Profound Heaven Step, it was simply invincible. The Boundless Traceless Profound Heaven Step already contained the profundity of a shifting divine ability. Moreover, every step could leave behind a dharma image; it could evade or attack, and its mysteries were inexhaustible.
Gu An summoned his Attribute Panel again, satisfaction appearing on his face.
[Name: Gu An] [Lifespan: 34/30823] [Spirit Root: Supreme Five Elements Heavenly Spirit Root] [Cultivation: First-layer Void Crossing Realm] [Techniques: Fire Control Art (Not Mastered), Divine Wood Pure Yang Technique (Masterful Perfection), Mysterious Yellow Dragon Qi Technique (Summit), Alchemy (Entry Level), Myriad Gu Profound Technique (Not Mastered), Yin-Yang Art (Not Mastered)] [Ultimate Arts: Gale Absolute Shadow Leg (Fully Mastered), Great Vast God-Startling Sword (Fully Mastered), Boundless Traceless Profound Heaven Step (Masterful Perfection), Great Yin-Yang Transformation (Summit), Wood Spirit Sword Technique (Beginner)] [Spells: Soul Capture Technique (Beginner), Sword Flight Technique (Fully Mastered), Soul Bewitching Eyes (Not Mastered), Poison Wood Formation (Entry Level), Wind Control Technique (Fully Mastered), Corpse Control Technique (Not Mastered)] [Divine Ability: Mysterious Yellow Dragon Might (Minor Achievement)]
Tonight's gains were quite good!
Gu An deactivated the Longevity Barrier and rose to his feet. With one step, his figure vanished into thin air. In an instant, he appeared in the forest dozens of zhang away, then took another step and vanished again.
He seemed to be flashing continuously. This was precisely the mystery of the Boundless Traceless Profound Heaven Step, and he was merely making a small attempt. Its maximum crossing distance went far beyond this.
Very soon, he returned to Mystic Valley.
At noon, the sun shone brilliantly.
Gu An stood in the city, gazing at the towering buildings around him with curiosity in his eyes. The street where he stood was bustling with people, and he could even see Demon Beasts. Countless cultivators flew back and forth overhead. This city alone probably held hundreds of thousands of people.
The Taixuan Sect had four Four Directions Inner Sect Cities, and each held hundreds of thousands of disciples. This was far too exaggerated.
Gu An suddenly felt that he had underestimated the power of the Taixuan Sect and the vastness of the Great Cang Dynasty.
The ten-day deadline had arrived. As early as yesterday, Gu An had gone to the Outer Sect. He first had to help those Outer Sect disciples tend to their Cave Mansions. By the time he finished, it was already dawn. At noon today, he found Du Ye, and the two of them used a Teleportation Array to arrive directly at the Inner Sect City.
According to Du Ye, the Outer Sect City was thousands of li away from the Inner Sect City. The lands between them were home to Demon Beasts raised by the Taixuan Sect, as well as secret realms for disciples to train in and Medicine Valleys where high-grade spiritual herbs were grown.
The Teleportation Array is a good thing. I need to study it properly.
Gu An thought silently. He had already asked Du Ye earlier. In the Inner Sect, one could buy anything, including formations, as long as one had enough Spirit Stones or Spirit Qi Pills.
In the cultivation world, Spirit Qi Pills were also a form of currency. They could restore a cultivator's spiritual power and could also be used in place of Spirit Stones. The various sects had already established a unified standard for Spirit Qi Pills. Each pill contained spiritual energy equivalent to one Low-grade Spirit Stone and had the same value.
Ever since Li Xuandao had invited him to manage Medicine Valley, he had considered opening more Medicine Valleys.
If every Medicine Valley had a Teleportation Array, would that not be much more convenient?
"Gu An, hurry up."
Du Ye urged him from ahead, and Gu An quickly followed his pace.
Along the way, Du Ye introduced the buildings they passed. Gu An listened attentively, planning to wander around properly over the next few days.
The Ji Family banquet would not end in just a few days. He had plenty of opportunities to look around.
Gu An was not merely listening; he was also using Lifespan Inspection.
To his surprise, he did not see a single Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. Even the weakest were Golden Core Realm cultivators, though these Golden Core Realm disciples were almost all over two hundred years old.
After passing several streets, Gu An finally detected a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator. That person was only forty years old and already at the Ninth-layer Foundation Establishment Realm. At a glance, he was clearly a genius who had entered the Inner Sect because of his Spirit Root aptitude.
Du Ye seemed to be deliberately broadening Gu An's horizons, so he did not walk very quickly. Gu An was happy to go along with it.
Half an hour later.
They arrived before an estate. It was exceptionally vast, its courtyard walls stretching for several li. Two large characters were written on the plaque above its gates.
Ji Mansion!
Good heavens, how bold. Could it be that every Ji Family Inner Sect disciple lived here?
Gu An mocked inwardly, sensing that something was wrong.
If this continued, the Taixuan Sect would inevitably suppress the Ji Family one day. By then, he would truly become a Ji Family spy.
Although he was currently affiliated with the Taixuan Sect, the Ji Family was undoubtedly more important in his heart.
The Ji Family had raised him and allowed him to grow into adulthood. It had even led him into the Taixuan Sect, the foremost sect. Such debts of gratitude could not be repaid merely by offering some low-grade spiritual herbs.
Of course, Gu An would not force himself forward to repay the Ji Family, but if the Ji Family ever needed him, so long as it was not excessive, he would not refuse.
Two Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators stood guard outside the gates of Ji Mansion. Gu An cast Lifespan Inspection on them and found that both were already over a hundred years old. Clearly, they were not geniuses. Like Gu An and Du Ye, they were likely originally servants of the Ji Family.
Du Ye immediately stepped forward and produced his token. His posture was humble as he nodded and bowed.
"Then you two can take over for us. Once night falls, we'll take you to your lodgings," said the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator named Zhang Yan after pondering for a moment.
Du Ye did not dare refuse and immediately agreed.
Thus, Gu An and Du Ye began standing guard as soon as they arrived.
Gu An stood beside a stone statue of a Qilin when an idea suddenly came to him.
"Du Ye, stand guard for me. I'll give you a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones. I want to go into the Inner Sect and buy some spiritual herb seeds. This is also work for Third Young Miss," Gu An said.
Du Ye was stunned upon hearing this. He wanted to object, yet he could not refuse.
A hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones!
This kid was truly generous!
Thus, after handing a hundred Low-grade Spirit Stones to Du Ye, Gu An left and began wandering through the Inner Sect City alone.
He had not gone far when a voice called out, "Gu An, why are you here?"
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