After exchanging a few words with Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia, Gu An walked towards his own courtyard, where he took out his copy of the "Green Hero Travelogue," preparing to thoroughly enjoy the illustrations within the book.
Just as he reached the front of the courtyard, Ye Lan approached him.
"Senior Brother, I want to learn the Residual Wind Leg!" Ye Lan said, puffing up with frustration.
Gu An naturally closed the travelogue and asked with a smile, "Why? Won't Senior Brother Meng teach you the spells?"
Ye Lan grew even more annoyed and complained, "Yes, he teaches so perfunctorily. I got agitated and argued with him, and then he snapped at me, saying he needed to prepare for the Outer Sect examination and had no time to bother with me, telling me to get lost."
Gu An saw her cheeks puffed out like balloons and found it amusing, but he held back his laughter.
"Since Senior Brother Meng is busy, let's not disturb him. How about this, tomorrow at noon, I will personally teach you the Residual Wind Leg, how's that?" Gu An said gently.
Ye Lan asked in surprise, "Why tomorrow?"
"Senior Brother is tired, be considerate. Just now, your two senior brothers hassled me— you can go and ask them," Gu An said, pointing towards Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia in the distance.
After that, he walked past Ye Lan towards his own house.
Ye Lan noticed the book in his hand and wondered to herself, "Is 'Green Hero Travelogue' really that interesting?"
Gu An returned to his room, closed the door, and lay down on his bed, once again picking up the "Green Hero Travelogue."
The reason he liked the "Green Hero Travelogue" was that it was a series, with a new volume released every six months.
Following a serialized book in the Immortal Cultivation Realm gave Gu An a feeling of being back on Earth.
He quickly became engrossed in the content of the book.
He strongly suspected that the book was written by a Cultivator from the Supreme Sect, but the author's Cultivation Level was unknown, as the book intricately described only sightseeing and romantic scenery, with no detailed combat records.
Half an hour later.
Suddenly, Gu An heard some noise from the neighboring room. Meng Lang seemed to be rolling on the ground, his breathing extremely chaotic.
Hmm?
A mishap in training?
Gu An hesitated whether to check on him or not, but Meng Lang quickly stopped. That kid didn't even cry out in pain. As the surrounding Spiritual Energy flowed towards his room, Gu An knew he had started Cultivating again.
Tsk tsk.
Li Ya had already risen; could it be that Meng Lang also had his own fortuitous encounter?
Good gracious, if that was the case, the three of them entered the Medicine Valley on the same day and apprenticed under the same master, all having great fortunes—quite legendary.
Gu An thought for a moment and then laughed at his own overthinking.
That kid Meng Lang would be lucky to die a natural death.
In his view, given Meng Lang's temperament once he left the valley, it wouldn't be long before he died; he's not tactful and too quick-tempered, not at all like a Cultivor.
He ceased to ponder further, continuing to savor the "Green Hero Travelogue."
Gu An absorbed Qi for six hours every day, essentially using sleeping time for cultivation, as Cultivators need not sleep. The process of Qi absorption itself is a better form of rest and relaxation than sleep.
Besides reading travelogues, there were other books to delve into. Cheng Xuan Pill had already passed him the "Hundred Herbs Record," a compendium crafted by the Supreme Sect that logs various Spirit Flowers and Spirit Grass from around the world, with some medicinal properties noted by Cheng Xuan Pill himself.
Cheng Xuan Pill's Cultivation Level might not be high, but having lived for a hundred years, he indeed had extensive knowledge and experience.
That's the advantage of less talented individuals: they can use more time to accumulate knowledge and experience.
...
Another year passed, and winter snow arrived, blanketing the garden in thick snow. Gu An was directing his junior brothers and sisters in clearing it.
As for Meng Lang, that guy had become possessed, spending all his days hidden inside, practicing. Now, Gu An couldn't order him around, and Cheng Xuan Pill said to just let him be.
Every edge of the garden had special Talisman Paper that could generate heat, but those papers had a time limit. Once ineffective, it would only take an hour for the snow to cover the entire garden.
Watching Xiaochuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan busily at work, Gu An's mind wandered.
He grew increasingly dissatisfied with the output of Medicine Valley and decided it was a must to reclaim land!
Once this winter passed, Gu An planned to arrange for them to chop trees on the mountain and clear the soil.
A breaking sound came from afar. Gu An turned his head and saw a plainly dressed man on a Flying Sword slicing through the snowy sky, looking just like a Sword Immortal.
Du Ye!
Gu An instinctively threw a Life Span Detection at him and discovered that the fellow's Cultivation Level had reached the sixth layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm.
Such a rapid breakthrough!
Du Ye's arrival also caught the attention of Xiaochuan and the others.
Du Ye flew towards Gu An and leaped off his sword mid-air, landing and sheathing his sword at his waist with a swift motion, the sword gleaming in the vast snowy landscape— the entire process smooth and dashing.
Xiaochuan and the others were struck in awe; they joined the Supreme Sect not to do menial tasks but to cultivate. However, due to their mediocre Spiritual Root Qualifications, they ended up in their current predicament.
Before he was absolutely invincible, he had to maintain good relations with the Ji Family, as he might need their help in the future.
Although the Chu Family was strong, they were only influential within the Supreme Sect. The Ji Family, however, was different, as they were a top-tier household in the entire Tai Cang Imperial Dynasty. The Ji Family Gu An had stayed with previously was just a branch family in one city, and members of the Ji Family could be found among all the Immortal Cultivation Sects within the Tai Cang Imperial Dynasty.
Along the way, Du Ye began to talk about the Outer Sect.
"Li Ya is from your Medicine Valley, right? He's been quite prominent lately. He's a member of the Tai Cang Royal Family, currently vying for power with his royal brother. They've even made a life-and-death duel pact, causing quite a stir."
"It's said that Li Ya was a nobody a few years ago. Who knows what opportunities he encountered, but his cultivation level has surged. Now, he's already at the second level of the Foundation Establishment Realm."
Hearing Du Ye mention Li Ya, Gu An became interested.
Doesn't Li Ya sound like the typical, vengeful protagonist of a fantasy novel?
Curious, Gu An asked, "Must one reach the Foundation Establishment Realm to become an Outer Disciple?"
Du Ye nodded and said, "Of course, like me, although I'm in the Outer Sect, my cultivation level isn't sufficient, so I'm still a servant. But because I stay in the Outer Sect City, I get to hear about these things."
"Reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm allows for immediate promotion to Outer Disciple, and reaching the Core Formation Realm allows for promotion to Inner Sect Disciple. Above Inner Sect Disciples, there are Inheritance Disciples and True Disciples. Those are the explicit rules, but if you have exceptional talent, you can break these rules."
"Our third young mistress is such a person. As soon as she joined, she became an Inheritance Disciple. She already plans to challenge for True Disciple status. To become a True Disciple, mere cultivation isn't enough; one must also command respect and have substantial prestige. Thus, it's our duty to pave the way for her."
When Du Ye mentioned Ji Xiaoyu, he was incessant.
For the first time, Gu An didn't mind his verbosity and listened intently.
As the two entered the house, Gu An listened while pulling out a pack he had prepared earlier.
After Du Ye spoke for quite a while, he finally stopped. He lifted his hand and with dissatisfaction said, "That's all?"
Gu An smiled and replied, "There's always tomorrow. Cultivation isn't a matter of one or two years. Rather than overstepping my bounds and getting thrown out of the valley, it's better for me to stay well-behaved and supply medicinal herbs all year round. I won't keep a single one; I'll offer them all up."
Upon hearing this, Du Ye's expression relaxed. He asked again, "Really?"
"Really. With my qualifications, what need do I have for these herbs? Living out my life peacefully is my goal," Gu An affirmed, nodding.
Du Ye opened his mouth, but ultimately he sighed. His right hand reached for his storage pouch, and he pulled out a secret manual, handing it to Gu An.
Gu An took it and saw 'Eight Directions Step' written on it.
This surprised him.
Had this guy had a change of heart?
Du Ye explained, "This is a step technique from the Ji Family. Although it's just the basic technique of the Ji Family's secret skill, the Qilin Step, if you learn it, your steps will be faster. If you encounter trouble in the future, you might be able to escape a disaster. This technique doesn't require a specific Spiritual Root Qualification; as long as you spend time on it, you can always learn it."
Gu An looked at Du Ye in a new light, and was about to say something when Du Ye picked up the pack, patted Gu An's shoulder, and brushed past him.
Gu An turned around and followed his steps, escorting him to the door.
Reaching the courtyard, Du Ye turned to look at him and said, "After all, we grew up together. Even if our paths diverge due to choices we make, our bond remains forever. If life gets tough, you can always come to me."
With that, he slapped his left hand against his sword sheath. With a clang, the treasure sword was drawn, and he leaped up and soared away by sword control.
Such a cool sword control technique!
Gu An lowered his eyes to the secret manual in his hand, his lips curving into a smile.
He began to study the Eight Directions Step, practicing it right there in the courtyard.
A secret skill of the Ji Family?
He wondered if, by evolving his life span through cultivation, he could deduce that secret skill of the Ji Family.
After Xiaochuan and the other two had finished cleaning all the garden areas, they rushed to Gu An's courtyard, curious to watch him practice the step technique.
"Senior Brother, what cultivation technique are you practicing?" Ye Lan asked, intrigued.
As Gu An shifted his steps, he asked with a smile, "Do you want to learn it?"
"We do!"
All three responded in unison.
Gu An replied, "Once I've learned it, I'll teach you."
Bang!
The door of a nearby house burst open, and Meng Lang, his eyes bloodshot and his forehead lined with blood-red veins, horrifyingly emerged.
Xiaochuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan were all startled.
Meng Lang charged directly at Ye Lan, who was closest to him, like a crazed beast, his aura ferocious.
Ye Lan was too scared to react in time.
Within less than a moment, Meng Lang was about to collide with Ye Lan.
Gu An grabbed Ye Lan's shoulders and pulled him back, his right foot simultaneously pressing on Meng Lang's chest.
Boom!
Meng Lang's aura exploded, his Qi Force encircling him, and his feet dug long tracks into the ground.
Gu An's right leg slowly extended, pressing Meng Lang backward.
Xiaochuan and the others widened their eyes, the image of Gu An's form deeply etched into their minds, leaving them in awe.
Is Senior Brother this powerful?
Although Gu An usually won their sparring sessions, they were conducted without using Spiritual Power, leading Xiaochuan and Lu Jiujia to believe they would eventually surpass their Senior Brother.
Suddenly, Meng Lang grabbed Gu An's right leg with both hands, a brutal force attempting to break it.
Gu An leaped up sharply, then forcefully stamped down, pressing Meng Lang down with a thud, forcing him to kneel on the ground.
Meng Lang's knees sunk into the earth, his body trembling, unable to push Gu An's foot away, appearing utterly pitiful.