A maximum lifespan of three thousand years?
Gu An was shocked by the other party's lifespan information. It was the first time he encountered someone with such a qualification.
And at the eighth layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm!
However, this lifespan seemed a bit low and did not align with Gu An's expectations for the lifespan in the Divinity Transformation Realm. Could it be that someone in the Divinity Transformation Realm could only live for eight hundred and ninety-nine years?
Gu An guessed that the other party might have been injured, thereby reducing their lifespan.
He immediately walked over, while also pondering internally, thinking that the other party might be a high-ranking member of the Supreme Sect. However, he couldn't act too respectfully, given that the other party had suppressed their aura.
If he could see through the other party's cultivation level, the other party would undoubtedly pester him endlessly and might even treat him as a Demon Path spy.
Li Xuandao walked towards the valley, observing the garden along the way.
Gu An approached him, cupping his hands in salute, and asked, "I am Gu An, the Valley Master of Mystic Valley. May I ask for your name and your purpose here?"
Li Xuandao's gaze fell on Gu An, his eyes cold and exuding immense pressure.
He then smiled, and the oppressive feeling instantly dissipated, giving an illusionary sense, as he warmly said, "I am Xuandao, from Cangzhou. I came to visit my child at the Supreme Sect. The journey is long and tiring. I wish to rest in your esteemed valley to recover my Spiritual Power. May I ask if the Valley Master would permit this?"
Hearing this, Gu An couldn't refuse and immediately agreed, then called Xiaochuan to arrange accommodation for Li Xuandao.
Gu An avoided looking directly at Li Xuandao, to prevent arousing suspicion.
"Surname Li, visiting his child, could he be an imperial family member?" Gu An wondered secretly.
With so many Medicine Valleys in the Outer Sect, he chose Mystic Valley. It's highly likely related to Li Ya.
Gu An continued patrolling the garden, everything as usual.
On the other side.
Xiaochuan led Li Xuandao to an unoccupied house and said, "The house is simple. Please don't mind. If you need anything, feel free to ask me or any other disciples."
Li Xuandao nodded and then asked, "I saw sheep in the woods along the way, and disciples taking care of them. Aren't you a Medicine Valley? Why raise so many sheep?"
Xiaochuan didn't hide anything and answered, "Originally, we only planted medicinal herbs in the valley, but my Spirit Root Qualification is limited, so I gave up the idea of joining the Outer Sect. Knowing that I like raising livestock, Senior Brother fulfilled my wish, and also earned some Spirit Stones to help more disciples in their cultivation earlier, before heading to the Outer Sect."
"Oh? Is the Senior Brother the Valley Master?"
"Yes."
"He is truly a good person, considering you all this way."
"Indeed, my Senior Brother is the best person in the world…"
Hearing Li Xuandao's praise, Xiaochuan was delighted and began to praise Gu An enthusiastically.
This made Li Xuandao more interested in Gu An, asking more about his deeds. Xiaochuan didn't think much and dragged Li Xuandao to sit down, becoming even more animated in his storytelling.
Gu An, inspecting the garden, smiled and thought he hadn't cared for this silly boy for nothing.
Whether Li Xuandao was related to Li Ya or a high-ranking member of the Supreme Sect, having a good image could do no harm.
He certainly couldn't be from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, could he?
Wait!
Thousand-Autumn Pavilion!
Suddenly, Gu An felt a chill down his spine, his smile froze.
Better safe than sorry!
Facing Li Xuandao later, he must be more cautious. It's better to be safe than sorry.
Li Xuandao's presence aroused the curiosity of other disciples, as rarely did anyone visit Mystic Valley.
That day, after settling in, Li Xuandao didn't come out again, seemingly really recovering his Spiritual Energy.
Because of Li Xuandao's arrival, Gu An didn't dare to go to the Eight Scenic Caves and stayed honestly in his attic at night.
The next morning, as usual, Gu An led the disciples in their exercises. Hearing the commotion, Li Xuandao also came out, with Xiaochuan greeting him enthusiastically.
Gu An only nodded towards Li Xuandao and did not avoid him.
As the morning exercises began, Li Xuandao initially didn't pay much attention but gradually found it interesting.
After the exercises, Gu An dismissed the disciples and took out a book from his pocket, started reading, and walked towards the loft.
At this moment, he had to remain calm and couldn't let Li Xuandao's arrival disrupt his daily routine.
However, just as he entered the courtyard, Li Xuandao caught up to him.
"Valley Master, what are you reading?" Li Xuandao asked with a smile.
Gu An turned around, holding up the book, and said, "Investiture of the Gods, have you read it?"
Li Xuandao smiled even more, saying, "I have indeed read it and even memorized it backward."
"Oh? So, we're fellow enthusiasts?"
"Hahaha, at first sight, I felt a sense of familiarity. Shall we discuss Investiture of the Gods?"
Hearing Li Xuandao's insincere words, Gu An could only smile and agree.
He invited Li Xuandao upstairs, and after they sat, he began to boil water and make tea using Spiritual Power to light the fire.
Li Xuandao glanced around the room and said, "Valley Master, what do you think of King Zhou?"
Good grief!
Testing me right away?
Facing away from Li Xuandao, Gu An placed tea leaves in the cup and said, "If we only consider the story, he was cruel and unjust. But on closer inspection, some of his actions seemed illogical."
After hearing this, Li Xuandao said wistfully, "Indeed. When I first read it, I thought King Zhou was foolish and cruel. But upon rereading, something felt off. In that world of the story, immortals and gods truly existed. King Zhou couldn't have been unaware of this, yet he dared to desecrate the sacred statue of Nvwa. Such actions are not what a monarch should exhibit."
"And Nvwa, who stood high above, didn't punish the mortals who desecrated her directly. Instead, she sent a vixen to corrupt the emperor's heart, leading to chaos in the world. Can such actions be considered those of a god, or even an immortal?"
Gu An turned around, placing the tea on the table before Li Xuandao.
He smiled and said, "Indeed, there are many illogical points. But after all, it's a fictional story created for entertainment, so the contradictions are understandable."
Unable to discern Li Xuandao's identity, he kept his stance vague.
Li Xuandao shook his head, saying, "Perhaps the story is fictional, but its depiction of the world is real. That is, above each head, there is divine oversight, and humans cannot surpass the heavens."
Gu An did not expect him to interpret Investiture of the Gods in this way.
"If King Zhou were powerful enough to surpass all the immortals and sects, how would the story be written then?" Li Xuandao asked.
Gu An thought for a moment and said, "Then the ultimate rival wouldn't be Heaven-Reaching Sect Master but King Zhou."
Li Xuandao paused, unable to keep a straight face, and began to laugh. He picked up the teacup, blowing away the steam.
Gu An couldn't discern his smile, so he kept silent.
After taking a sip of tea, Li Xuandao began to inquire about Mystic Valley's planting, asking even about cultivation details, to which Gu An answered one by one.
"You joined the Supreme Sect not to seek immortality but to cultivate flowers and herbs. Is this out of necessity or genuine interest?" Li Xuandao asked.
Gu An smiled bitterly and said, "It's both necessity and interest. Each of us has our pursuits. Immortality is not the only meaning in life. Of course, if I had excellent qualifications, I would also pursue immortality."
Li Xuandao teased, "You truly are an interesting person, speaking so candidly."
"In this life, looking back at the past and towards the future, it boils down to finding joy in hardship," Gu An shrugged in response.
He grew increasingly suspicious that Li Xuandao was someone from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, trying to test his stance on Mystic Valley.
Li Xuandao placed the teacup down and asked, "What do you think of the current Emperor? Do you believe he is like King Zhou?"
Gu An was taken aback.
This topic shift was too abrupt.
How did it suddenly jump to the Emperor of the Taicang Dynasty?
Could he not be from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, but really a relative of Li Ya?
Gu An's mind raced, and he said, "I don't know much, for before joining the Supreme Sect, I was merely a house servant. I haven't heard any outside news in this Medicine Valley. Why, has the Emperor done something?"
Li Xuandao smiled, "Not really. But he's been on the throne for too long. There's much debate both in the court and among the people. The mundane world seems to think an emperor shouldn't reign too long. If he does, it's only a matter of time before he becomes inept. In the immortal cultivation world, more fear that the emperor might cultivate to immortality, thus letting imperial power dominate over the cultivation world."
Gu An grew nervous.
There were too many layers to this question. He dared not speak rashly.
Seeing Gu An's hesitation, Li Xuandao teased and asked, "Do you think it's better for an emperor to reign for a long time or to be replaced every few decades?"
Knowing that Li Xuandao was at the eighth level of the Divinity Transformation Realm, Gu An dared not remain silent.
After pondering a moment, Gu An said, "In my view, it depends on the emperor's character. If he is virtuous and governs well, a long reign poses no issue. However, if he is imminent yet passes the throne to a foolish son, it's a disaster for the people. The common folk live only around a hundred years. If life is hard during their time, they will blame the emperor for abdicating."
Li Xuandao laughed again, and Gu An could distinctly feel his improved mood.
Wait!
Li Ya's relative, surname Li, talks about King Zhou, questions the Emperor...
Gu An had heard from the Ji Family that the Emperor of the Taicang Dynasty also cultivated, and had been in power for two hundred years.
"You're right. I shouldn't heed those opinions. I should see the people's lives personally," Li Xuandao chuckled.
At these words, Gu An's face drastically changed, exclaiming, "You…you are the current Emperor?"
He tried to stand up.
Li Xuandao raised his hand, and a powerful pressure pressed Gu An back into his seat. Gu An did not resist to avoid revealing his strength.
"Lower your voice. You don't need to treat me as an emperor. Just consider me as Li Ya's father. You can call me uncle," Li Xuandao smiled warmly, devoid of imperial majesty.
Gu An didn't know how to respond.
An emperor at the eighth layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm!
This is trouble!
Li Xuandao spoke, "Bring out the Heavenly Residence."
Gu An immediately retrieved the Heavenly Residence Sword from his Storage Bag.
Seeing the sword, Li Xuandao's eyes grew complex. He gently caressed the sheath.
Gu An recalled Li Ya's words that the Heavenly Residence Sword was a gift from his royal father to his mother, then passed to him after her death...
Now seeing Li Xuandao's expression, Gu An started imagining the tragic love-hate story between Li Xuandao and Li Ya's mother.
After a long while.
Li Xuandao set down the Heavenly Residence Sword and pushed it towards Gu An, saying, "In the Supreme Sect, Li Ya regards you as his best friend. I heard you saved him. Thus, this sword is now yours. I reward it to you. From now on, you are the master of the Heavenly Residence Sword."
"Moreover, I plan to establish a Medicine Valley near the Supreme Sect, planting many high-rank medicinal herbs. You are to manage it for me. I will ensure your efforts are worthwhile. In time, I will help you achieve Foundation Establishment, even Core Formation won't be difficult. Yet remember one thing, though you appear as a disciple of the Supreme Sect, your allegiance is to me."