Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

[Lin Chen harbors hostility toward you and loathes you to the bone. Would you like to perform a life span detection on him?]

As Gu An was writing in the Mystic Valley pavilion, a line of text suddenly appeared before his eyes. He frowned and chose to perform a life span detection on Lin Chen.

[Lin Chen (Mahayana Realm, Second Layer): 634/4500/4700]

Mahayana Realm, Second Layer?

Gu An immediately extended his divine sense toward the North Sea Mountain, because there was a cultivator with a Mahayana Realm Second Layer cultivation there.

He quickly caught sight of Lin Chen's figure, who happened to be holding a small wooden figure that bore an exact resemblance to his own.

No wonder it triggered the life span hostility warning!

Gu An didn't take action right away; instead, he expanded the range of his divine sense to ensure that no Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm cultivators were nearby.

...

Under the cover of night, Lin Chen tossed the small wooden figure into his storage bag, feeling that he couldn't rush in avenging his father.

Since he couldn't determine if the Mountain God was Sword Venerable Fudao, he could only turn his attention to the Supreme Sect.

He didn't dare confront Sword Venerable Fudao directly. What he thought about now was how to incite conflict between the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm and Sword Venerable Fudao.

If he could uncover Sword Venerable Fudao's true identity and if Sword Venerable Fudao wasn't strong enough to be untouchable by the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm, then Sword Venerable Fudao would surely die.

Lin Chen took a deep breath. Just as he was about to leap into the air, a hand rested on his shoulder.

He was overcome with a feeling of falling into an abyss, his spiritual power freezing instantly.

His pupils widened, a wave of indescribable terror rising in his heart.

"The sky's getting darker, beware of Sword Venerable Fudao patting your shoulder."

Ji Xuanling's words echoed in his ears. At this moment, he was petrified with terror.

Unable to move, he wanted to plead for mercy, but he couldn't even open his mouth.

The mysterious hand pressed firmly on his shoulder, making no further move, which only compounded his fear, plunging his heart into despair.

Suddenly,

from behind came a sigh. Lin Chen couldn't help but feel a strange kind of relief. Did the other person not intend to kill him?

Boom!

An overwhelming divine sense rushed into his mind, causing him to lose consciousness instantly.

...

With the turn of the ancient hour, Gu An walked down the stairs, joining the disciples for exercises.

Last night, he reaped three hundred and eighty-four years of life span, but more importantly, he gathered crucial information.

Within the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm, there were two attitudes towards Sword Venerable Fudao.

One was to investigate his identity and, if he was not insurmountable, find a way to lure him out and then annihilate him.

The second was to actively recruit him, compensating for the loss of Startling Immortal Lin and covering up their crimes.

The latter was primarily worried that Sword Venerable Fudao might be associated with maritime forces.

The Lin Family's strongest force was only a loose immortal, and the death of Startling Immortal Lin was a severe blow to them, severing their upward path. Their hatred for Sword Venerable Fudao was profound, continuously pushing for revenge within the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm. However, the higher-ups' attitude was ambiguous, forcing Lin Chen, as the direct offspring of the Startling Immortal Lin, to leave the territory to investigate Sword Venerable Fudao.

This intelligence was favorable for Gu An. At least, it confirmed that without knowing his true identity, the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm wouldn't act recklessly, allowing him to continue biding his time.

Notably, the current Seven Stars Spirit Realm on the continent was mainly led by the Six Stars Cave. The Lin and Ji families originated from the Six Stars Cave, but continent geniuses could only enter the Seven Stars Cave for cultivation.

The five-star caves above them were all overseas!

This heightened Gu An's wariness towards the Seven Stars Spirit Realm.

He was facing a power far surpassing the Ephemera Sect!

The Seven Stars Spirit Realm was not only stronger but maintained a holy land image, executing their plans seamlessly, making it difficult for an individual to shake their foundation.

Even if Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal could sweep through the Six Stars Cave and Seven Stars Cave, how would one face the five-star caves above?

Gu An cast aside these thoughts, focusing on his practice, listening to the disciples discuss their plans for the day. His mood lightened.

Why worry so much?

His identity was well hidden. As long as he didn't reveal himself, the Seven Stars Spirit Realm wouldn't dare act rashly.

Cherish the present!

"Have you heard? Next year, there's going to be the World's Best Sword Dao Tournament."

A female disciple suddenly spoke, stirring everyone's interest. They began discussing the World's Best Sword Dao Tournament.

Gu An occasionally interjected, appearing very enthusiastic, dreaming of the tournament—after all, outwardly, he was just a Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator.

Next year, he planned to advance to the Ninth Layer of Foundation Establishment. Then, after turning a hundred, he would form his core.

Forming a core before the age of a hundred marked a genius; doing so afterward painted him as a mediocre cultivator relying on elixirs to break through.

Near noon, Ye Lan came to find him.

"Senior Brother, Zhen Qin has dramatically changed over the past two years, becoming silent and introspective. I can't understand her lately. I've noticed her investigating the Ghost Mother of Ephemera. Could she still have lingering feelings for Su Han?" Ye Lan said anxiously after closing the door.

Gu An knew the reason but couldn't disclose it, nor could he stop Zhen Qin from seeking revenge.

Currently, the Ghost Mother of Ephemera and the Nine Nether Thirteen Evil were following Jiang Qiong into the Great Jiang Dynasty, establishing a sect named Juhua Sect, without much notoriety.

Zhen Qin needed to face life on her own to grow better. Of course, if she ever confronted the Ghost Mother of Ephemera and couldn't win, Gu An would protect her, as she hadn't deviated from the right path.

"She's grown up and has her own thoughts. Don't worry too much," Gu An comforted.

Ye Lan came closer, speaking in a low voice, "I always feel she has a higher cultivation hidden. Could she have been possessed? Or did she take a mysterious master? Senior Brother, don't you have connections with Sword Venerable Fudao? Can you ask him to investigate?"

Gu An shook his head, "I haven't seen him for a long time. Remember, do not mention Sword Venerable Fudao. His name carries too much weight now. Many strong enemies might be plotting against him. With our cultivation level, we can't involve ourselves, or we will be doomed."

As he spoke, he released mana from his feet, isolating the room to prevent eavesdropping.

Ye Lan nodded, "I understand. I never dare to mention it, only to you."

Her steadiness reassured Gu An. Most importantly, Ye Lan's activity range was within his divine sense.

The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators of the Supreme Sect could never escape his divine sense range for life.

Such was the brutal reality of cultivation differences.

Ye Lan began talking about other matters, mainly about some trivial issues in the Law Enforcement Hall. Gu An listened intently.

When she finished, Gu An said, "If you're uncomfortable, let me know. I'll find you a better position."

Ye Lan raised an eyebrow, "Senior Brother, do you really have that capability?"

She knew about the Third Medicine Valley's existence but couldn't access specific details about it. She wasn't sure how much Gu An contributed to the Supreme Sect.

She even suspected Gu An of growing medicinal herbs for Sword Venerable Fudao, which explained why he often left Mystic Valley.

Gu An pulled out a book, tossing it onto the table: "I'm revealing my cards!"

It was the initial draft of "Investiture of the Gods," a treasured edition without a cover.

Ye Lan's face turned pale instantly. She asked in a trembling voice, "Senior Brother, did you write that book?"

"Mm-hmm."

Gu An crossed his arms, raising his chin arrogantly.

Ye Lan glared at Gu An, angrily asking, "Senior Brother, if you had such great needs, why did you reject me? Is your heart set on someone in the valley?"

Gu An was stunned, taken aback by her sudden outburst.

He looked down, realized something, and quickly picked up "Investiture of the Gods," flipping it open: "Look closely! Junior Sister, what are you thinking all day? Senior Brother must criticize you a bit..."

Ye Lan only needed to glance at a couple of lines to recognize the book. She widened her eyes in shock, "You wrote 'Investiture of the Gods'? Are you Pan An?"

Gu An shook his head, giving her a look that said he couldn't believe her misunderstanding.

Her face turned red. She circled the table, grabbing his shoulders and gently shaking him, "Senior Brother..." she said coquettishly.

...

Two ancient hours later, Ye Lan opened the door and walked downstairs.

Lu Jiujia saw her and smiled, greeting her.

Ye Lan kept a stern face, nodded slightly, and then flew away using her sword.

Lu Jiujia was used to her demeanor. After all, staying in the Law Enforcement Hall for a long time tended to make one serious.

Days of leisure passed by. Gu An wandered among the various medicine valleys, occasionally visiting the Outer Gate City and Inner Sect City, living a comfortable life. However, the increasing demonic qi from afar indicated the day when the Evil Demon would break the seal was approaching.

Gu An hesitated whether he should breakthrough to the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm early to avoid mishaps.

After thinking it over, he decided to breakthrough at sea by the end of the year.

Better safe than sorry!

Summer gave way to autumn.

Because of the upcoming World's Best Sword Dao Tournament, more sword cultivators started arriving at the Supreme Sect, causing sword competition signs to appear around Mystic Valley.

Fortunately, Sword Venerable Fudao was hidden in the nearest Outer Gate City, deterring these sword cultivators from bullying the servant disciples.

After noon in the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An stood with his hands behind his back, watching the disciples sweeping the grounds.

The White Spirit Rat was frolicking in a pile of fallen leaves, infuriating An Xin but always eluding her capture.

Everything felt perfect!

Gu An's lips curved into a smile. As he was appreciating the beautiful scene, he suddenly sensed something and turned to look north.

Beyond three dynasties, a strange heavenly aura appeared above a river that cut through the mountains.

It resembled the celestial aura that appeared when Lu Lingjun ascended.

Someone else was ascending?

Gu An thought to himself. He sensed this celestial aura was slightly stronger than when Lu Lingjun ascended but not strong enough to make him wary.

He previously speculated Lu Lingjun's successful ascension was due to his presence nearby during his breakthrough. Would there be special circumstances around this ascender?

Gu An's divine sense began scanning the forests within a thousand-mile radius, his gaze suddenly locking onto a stele hidden in the grass. The stele contained restrictions only breakable by Mahayana Realm cultivators, concealed without any leakage of aura.

Interesting.

Gu An had no intention of investigating further, as he already saw many great cultivators heading toward the place where the ascender would descend. Besides great cultivators, there were also low-cultivation individuals, such as Li Ya and Zhang Buku.

Seeing Li Ya's figure, Gu An's expression turned peculiar.

Why did he feel like Li Ya was going to get hurt again?

Speaking of which, Zhang Buku was frequently injured in recent years, even more severely than Li Ya. Did these two have some sort of attraction field?