Under the scorching sun, with a clear blue sky above and mountains all around, the world seemed to ripple. The forest swayed, and a mountain breeze blew into the valley, bringing a slight coolness to Gu An, who was standing in the garden.
Gu An wiped the sweat from his forehead, his eyes burning as he stared at the blooming flowers and plants on the ground. Each one was brightly colored, showing no signs of wilting despite the intense heat.
On his left and right stood two other young men. Today, the three of them had joined Medicine Valley under the Elixir Hall of the Supreme Sect. Compared to Gu An's excitement, the other two seemed uninterested, wiping their sweat absentmindedly.
In front of them stood a young man in plain clothes. His appearance was ordinary, but his body was tough, and his eyes were bright. He was Zhang Chunqiu, the senior disciple of Medicine Valley, explaining the key points of picking Spirit Flowers and Spirit Grass to the three of them.
"All the plants in this garden are first-order medicinal herbs. You can't uproot them when you pick them; you need to cut them at the stem close to the ground. After cutting, wrap the root in the Spirit Protection Paper in your hand to prevent the loss of spiritual energy..." Zhang Chunqiu's voice was loud, and he seemed energetic, unaffected by the scorching sun.
Gu An held scissors in his right hand and white strips of paper in his left, carefully noting every word Zhang Chunqiu said.
Unlike the two beside him, he cherished this job dearly. He had endured many scornful looks to get this opportunity.
Everyone thought he was giving up, that he wanted to fall into decline. Little did they know, this path was the most suitable for him to become stronger!
"Alright, let's begin. Each of you picks one, and I'll examine them," Zhang Chunqiu said. As soon as he finished speaking, Gu An squatted down.
Gu An placed the Spirit Protection Paper down and carefully held the stem of the red flower in front of him with his left hand.
"Brother, you're too nervous. Even if you cut it wrong, it's no big deal. These are just first-order medicinal herbs, used to refine basic elixirs. Back home, I wouldn't even look at them," said Meng Lang, on Gu An's right. His clothes were luxurious, indicating a noble background.
In fact, it was true. Besides Gu An, who was a house servant, the other two came from wealthy families. However, in the world of Immortal Cultivation, spirit root qualifications were essential, and they both had the most common Five Elements Spirit Root. To stay in the Supreme Sect, they could only be Servant Disciples.
Gu An ignored Meng Lang's words and focused on cutting the flower.
Holding the stem, he gently cut it with the scissors, then wrapped the root of the red flower in the Spirit Protection Paper.
After finishing, he stood up and handed it to Zhang Chunqiu for inspection.
Zhang Chunqiu took a look and smiled in satisfaction, "Well done, you're very meticulous."
Gu An didn't respond, staring intently at the red flower in Zhang Chunqiu's hand.
At this moment, he was even more nervous than before he cut it.
A few moments later, a line of text that only Gu An could see appeared in front of him.
[You successfully obtained 1 year of life span from the Red Spirit Flower (first-order)]
Success!
A smile spread across Gu An's face, and he felt a weight lift off his shoulders.
Indeed, only plants and animals containing spiritual energy could allow him to obtain life span.
The first time Gu An obtained life span was when he was ten years old. He accidentally bumped into another house servant carrying a pot of Spirit Flowers, spilling the flowers, and gained twelve years of life span as a result.
At the time, the court guardian was furious and threatened to cut off his hand, but Third Miss Ji Xiaoyu intervened and saved him.
This time, Gu An was able to join the Supreme Sect, thanks to Ji Xiaoyu's influence. Ji Xiaoyu was a rare dual spirit root genius, attracting the attention of many great Immortal Cultivation sects. When she joined the Supreme Sect, she brought five Ji Family members, with Gu An being one of two house servants.
Without Ji Xiaoyu, with his Five Elements Spirit Root, he could only join a third-rate sect.
While Gu An was secretly pleased, Meng Lang and another young man named Li Ya had also finished picking.
Zhang Chunqiu placed the three Red Spirit Flowers into his storage bag at his waist and said sternly, "Your task today is to collectively pick fifty Red Spirit Flowers. You can only stay in this garden and must not trespass into other gardens. After completing the task, bring the Red Spirit Flowers to the loft and find me."
Then, Zhang Chunqiu turned and left.
Meng Lang waved his fist at Zhang Chunqiu's back and muttered, "Such a small task, but he talked about it for half a day. Has he never guided junior disciples before?"
Li Ya sat on the ground, wiping his sweat furiously with his sleeves.
After Zhang Chunqiu went upstairs, Gu An turned to Meng Lang and Li Ya and said, "Brothers, looking at your luxurious clothes, your families must be very wealthy, and you're not used to such hard work. I'm different; I'm just a house servant. How about I take on this task? You two can rest in the shade, and look after me in the future."
Meng Lang's eyes lit up, and he laughed happily, "Sure, brother, you're very thoughtful. If you ever struggle to stay here, I'll make sure you're well-fed and cared for."
Li Ya, too tired to speak, nodded in agreement.
The two then left their Spirit Protection Paper behind and supported each other out of the garden.
Gu An picked up the Spirit Protection Paper, looked at the garden, and his eyes sparkled, hotter than the blazing sun above.
To him, the whole garden of Red Spirit Flowers was not just flowers but steps leading to the path of longevity!
He began his work carefully, not only to complete the task but to do it well and avoid losing this perfect job.
The sun blazed, showing no regard for the mortals below.
Meng Lang and Li Ya rested in a small pavilion, ceaselessly wiping their sweat, watching Gu An.
Time ticked by, and Gu An sweated profusely, but he was enthusiastic, his smile never fading.
Seeing Gu An's flushed face, Meng Lang couldn't help but sigh, "In such heat, this kid is really pushing himself. I like it. In the future, we'll look after him, make sure he eats and drinks well, and no one bullies him so he can keep helping us."
Li Ya rolled his eyes and said irritably, "There're hardly any people in this valley. Who'd bully him? If the senior brother did, would you dare to argue?"
Meng Lang fake-coughed and looked at Li Ya, asking, "Brother, which Li Family are you from?"
Li Ya replied calmly, "The Li Family of Changluo, Cangzhou."
"Changluo? Isn't that the Imperial City? You share the same surname as the Imperial Family?" Meng Lang asked in surprise, his eyes widening at once.
Li Ya didn't answer, staring quietly at Gu An.
Meng Lang grew uneasy, realizing he had encountered an Imperial Family member here.
But thinking it over, he felt it made sense. After all, this was the Supreme Sect, the top Immortal Cultivation sect of the Taicang Dynasty. Sharing the grand "Tai" character with the dynasty indicated its prestigious status. Meeting an Imperial Family member even at the lower levels here wasn't too surprising.
After a long while.
Gu An finally finished picking fifty Red Spirit Flowers. He placed all the wrapped Red Spirit Flowers into a bamboo basket, slung it on his back, and glanced at the other gardens with anticipation.
The valley had more than fifteen garden areas, and the one they were in was just a small corner. He guessed the herbs in other gardens were more valuable.
There's always tomorrow!
Gu An didn't want to expose his golden finger, so he decided to stop for the day.
He walked towards the loft along the path, waving to Meng Lang and Li Ya as he went. The two got up and walked over.
"Brother Gu An, I'll carry that for you," Meng Lang said cheerfully. The three had introduced themselves to the Valley Master before, so they remembered each other's names.
Gu An saw through Meng Lang's intention and smiled, nodding as he handed over the bamboo basket.
Li Ya sneered, a look of disdain in his eyes.
Gu An only wanted to keep this job, not wanting to be transferred out for doing too well, so he didn't bother arguing with Meng Lang.
The three came to the loft to see Senior Brother Zhang Chunqiu.
Zhang Chunqiu was holding a book, and when he saw the three enter, he put down the book and said, "Put down the Red Spirit Flowers. These three are the basic sorcery books from the master. Cultivate diligently in your spare time, strive to jump out of here, and become a true disciple of the Supreme Sect. Five years ago, a disciple received the master's Spirit Pill, successfully established a Foundation, and became an Outer Sect disciple of the Supreme Sect."
As he spoke, he waved his right hand, and three secret books flew out from his sleeve towards the three of them.
Gu An caught one and read the title on the cover.
Spring Wood Skill!
It sounded so low-level!
Gu An wasn't disappointed, knowing he was at the bottom of the Supreme Sect.
Zhang Chunqiu gave a few more instructions, then let them find rooms in the adjacent courtyard, specifically for Servant Disciples. Currently, there were only four disciples in Medicine Valley. The Valley Master was away and wouldn't return for two years, so Zhang Chunqiu was in charge for now.
After thirty minutes.
Gu An lay on the wooden bed, breathing heavily, his face flushed from the recent exposure to the sun.
With a thought, lines of text appeared before his eyes.
[Name: Gu An]
[Life Span: 15/151]
[Spirit Root: Five Elements ordinary spirit root (can evolve with life span investment)]
[Cultivation Level: Not ranked (can evolve with life span investment)]
[Cultivation Technique: Fire Control Art (not yet mastered) (can evolve with life span investment)]
...
Gu An had gained 88 years of life span in one go!
Before this, his life span was 63 years, including the 12 years he gained at ten for breaking the flowerpot, meaning his original life span was only 50 years.
First-order medicinal herbs could provide one to two years of life span, but to a mortal, even a year was incredibly long!
Gu An looked at his attribute panel, becoming more excited as he did. In such a short time, he had gained 88 years of life span. This job was perfect!
He wanted to stay in Medicine Valley forever!
Who cared about being an Outer Sect Disciple or Inner Sect Disciple!
Becoming an official disciple supposedly required undertaking external tasks, hunting demons, and slaying monsters in the Mortal World—dangerous tasks.
Gu An had never killed even a chicken from childhood. In his previous life, he was an ordinary person on Earth. The idea of killing was impossible for him.
Staying in Medicine Valley was great, almost free of danger and a way to earn life span madly!
Who said Immortal Cultivation had to be about risking one's life?
Gu An indulged in beautiful fantasies, unable to pull himself out.
A night passed.
Gu An woke up early, and after a simple wash, he went to find Zhang Chunqiu for a task.
Zhang Chunqiu hadn't slept; he was practicing Qi Absorption. Seeing Gu An's diligence, he smiled in approval, then got up, walked to the door, and pointed to a garden, saying, "You can pick the Spirit Heart Grass in that garden. After picking, leave the Spirit Heart Grass at the door and don't knock."
Then he waved his sleeve, and strips of Spirit Protection Paper fell into Gu An's hands.
Zhang Chunqiu hesitated for a moment, then smiled kindly, "Junior Brother, work hard. With diligence and perseverance, you will surely succeed."