"Medicine Poison? Master, you..." Gu An asked, pretending to be horrified.
Could it be that Cheng Xuandan also wanted to make a move against him?
Cheng Xuandan didn't turn back as he brushed away the tree branches blocking the path, bent down, and walked through. He said as he went, "Meng Lang's qualification is a bit better than yours, but not by much. Even with my elixir support, it's still hard for him to reach Foundation Establishment. Medicine Valley only needs one successor. His presence is a threat to you. You should sense his character flaw."
Gu An went silent upon hearing this.
These words didn't sound quite right. Was he killing Meng Lang for Gu An's sake?
But he didn't want Meng Lang dead.
Meng Lang might be despicable, but his nature wasn't entirely bad.
"Don't overthink. Though I killed him to pave the way for you, you can blame it on his better qualification. I did it for the Master of Medicine Valley," Cheng Xuandan said nonchalantly.
Gu An couldn't help but ask, "Shouldn't the Master of Medicine Valley be selected based on talent?"
"But if the talent is too formidable, how could he settle peacefully in this Medicine Valley for life?"
"Is there something special about this Medicine Valley?"
"Indeed, there is. I am not just a disciple of the Supreme Sect, but also a spy for the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion. The Thousand-Autumn Pavilion is a demonic sect, weaker than the Supreme Sect, so they planted many spies like me."
Goodness, there really are demonic spies!
Gu An suddenly didn't know how to respond.
He realized that Cheng Xuandan truly didn't want to harm him. The worst part was that Cheng Xuandan clearly intended to pass on the spy burden to him.
"After I die, you can peacefully be the Valley Master. You don't need to do anything deliberately. When the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion needs you, someone will naturally come to find you. Just follow their orders. Of course, you can also report to the Supreme Sect, but think carefully about whether the Supreme Sect can tolerate you. For disciples like you, they would rather kill wrongly than let a spy go," Cheng Xuandan said with a slight tone of leisure, which made Gu An want to hit him.
"Remember the spy code of the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion: 'Heart of the Thousand Herbstalks, Unrepentant. In the face of ten thousand laws, finding roots is hard.'
"Do I have no other choice?"
"What do you think?"
Gu An went silent again.
"Spies like me are inconsequential even to the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion. You might never encounter them seeking you out in this lifetime," Cheng Xuandan said mockingly.
Gu An thought it over and realized he couldn't resist.
It was like having mud on your pants, even if you're not a demonic spy, you end up being one.
"Master, if you are a cultivator of the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, there must be a reason why you stay in Medicine Valley. Why hide it?" Gu An asked solemnly.
"You're indeed smart. Yes, there is a seventh-level spirit tree hidden under Medicine Valley. When we return, I will take you to see it," Cheng Xuandan said.
"Se... Seventh-level?"
Gu An's voice trembled, and his eyes lit up.
...
Tiny flakes of winter snow fluttered in the air. A majestic city stood among the mountains, with city gates reaching ten zhang high. People walked into the city, some disciples of the Supreme Sect flew using sword control, and others rode mounts.
Gu An walked on the mountain path, gazing at the outer gate city of the Supreme Sect from afar, his eyes filled with wonder.
What a huge city!
"The Supreme Sect has eight Outer Gate Cities. Further in are the Four Inner Gate Cities, and within those lies the Main City of Sect. Only prodigies and those with high status can step foot there. Seen from the sky, the layout of the Supreme Sect is said to resemble an intricate compass, with each mountain possessing its own mysteries," Cheng Xuandan explained, his tone filled with emotion and a hint of regret in his eyes.
Gu An couldn't help but ask, "Just how big is the Supreme Sect?"
They had been traveling for over half a month, indicating the distance between Medicine Valley and the city.
"Vast beyond measure. Even I am not sure," Cheng Xuandan replied, continuing towards the outer gate city, with Gu An following closely behind.
When Gu An first joined the Supreme Sect, he hadn't come to the outer gate city. A Supreme Sect elder had received Ji Xiaoyu in a mountain forest pavilion, and out of respect for her, after Gu An expressed his desired destination, the elder dispatched a disciple to escort him to Cheng Xuandan's Medicine Valley.
This was his first visit to the outer gate.
The master and disciple duo walked to the city gate, where Cheng Xuandan revealed his token. Gu An caught a glimpse of the characters engraved on it: Mystic Valley.
Upon entering the city, deafening noise greeted them, surprising Gu An privately.
The city gate had a restriction!
Given his hearing ability, he couldn't hear the city's noise from outside.
"Premium medicinal herbs, first come, first served, only selling ten today."
"Treasures from the cave of a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator, come and see!"
"Pure-blooded Snow Mountain Spirit Fox, in five years it will be able to speak."
"Treasure hunt! Treasure hunt! Each item only ten low-grade Spirit Stones, what you find depends on your fortune."
"Map of an ancient Great Cultivator's cave, strong cultivators welcome to buy."
Gu An was attracted by the shouting vendors along both sides of the street. The road was flanked by pavilion shops, spacious, without any disciples setting up stalls on the ground.
Gu An even saw a brothel.
Not bad, worthy of being a reputable sect!
Cheng Xuandan introduced along the way, widening Gu An's horizon.
No wonder so many people fought to enter the Supreme Sect. The resources for immortal cultivation in the Supreme Sect were indeed abundant.
Gu An not only listened, but also frantically used life span detection.
Walking down two streets, he already saw five cultivators with an extreme life span exceeding five hundred years.
The outer gate really was full of hidden talents!
An hour later, Cheng Xuandan led Gu An into a huge mansion, with a plaque bearing three large characters:
Elixir Hall!
The Elixir Hall was bustling with people, some in a hurry, some with frowning faces, and others laughing heartily.
Gu An followed Cheng Xuandan into a courtyard to visit an elder of the Elixir Hall.
Zhu Qinglu, ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm, one of the elders of the Elixir Hall, overseeing fifty-one Medicine Valleys, and Cheng Xuandan's superior.
He was stout, wearing a loose cyan Daoist robe, with a kind smile, giving off a harmless vibe.
In the hall, Zhu Qinglu received Cheng Xuandan and had a disciple serve him tea.
"Xuandan, why do you look so ill?" Zhu Qinglu asked with concern.
Gu An took the chance to use life span detection.
[Zhu Qinglu (Foundation Establishment Realm, Ninth Layer): 211/267/510]
He had lived for two hundred and eleven years!
Gu An stood beside Cheng Xuandan, not daring to be disrespectful.
Cheng Xuandan smiled, "To be honest, my end is near. Today, I came not only to hand over medicinal herbs but also to pass on the position of Valley Master of Mystic Valley to my disciple."
Zhu Qinglu looked at Gu An and smiled, "Third layer of the Energy Cultivation Realm, it seems this child has some outstanding qualities."
Bah!
Such a crude way of putting it!
Cheng Xuandan laughed, "This child has a pure nature, can unite disciples, and is willing to stay in Medicine Valley for life, making him the best choice."
Zhu Qinglu didn't say much. He raised his hand and summoned a disciple from outside the hall.
After thirty minutes.
Gu An followed Cheng Xuandan out of the Elixir Hall, playing with a bronze token in his hand. It had the words "Mystic Valley" engraved and exuded a restrictive aura.
From now on, within the Elixir Hall of the Supreme Sect, his identity was the Master of Mystic Valley.
"The storage bag of the Valley Master is with me. I will pass it to you," Cheng Xuandan's voice from ahead interrupted Gu An's thoughts.
Gu An quickly asked, "Master, where are we going next?"
He wanted to go back, as some medicinal herbs were ready for picking. He worried that his junior brothers and sisters might help themselves to his herbs.
"Before we return, I'll take you to the Chores Hall to recruit a servant disciple. Today, you can recruit a servant disciple to take back, which will also familiarize you with the process," Cheng Xuandan replied without turning back.
Gu An looked at his back, feeling a surge of emotions.
People have many sides, and this was vividly demonstrated in Cheng Xuandan.
Previously, Cheng Xuandan treated his disciples with a cold demeanor, now he even crafted one disciple into Medicine Poison. He was also a demonic spy, in every way appearing as an evil person.
But his kindness to Gu An was genuine.
The Chores Hall wasn't far from the Elixir Hall. After turning a few streets, they arrived. The mansion was larger; entering the gate, Gu An saw a vast square filled with people.
Seeing those waiting to be selected, Gu An realized how lucky he was.
If not for the Ji Family's influence, with his low-grade Spirit Root qualification, he would have had to wait for selection like these individuals.
"Look around as you like, I won't interfere. Once you've chosen, I'll take you to register," Cheng Xuandan said softly, rubbing his chest, clearly feeling unwell.
Gu An nodded and walked away.
Still need to judge?
Golden Finger activated!
Gu An began frantically using life span detection, checking everyone.
Most people here had very limited extreme life spans, some even had only a year left, yet still hoped to be selected.
Gu An quickly found a genius with an extreme life span exceeding five hundred years.
He wasn't in a hurry to decide, wanting to see everyone first.
Medicine Valley didn't need geniuses; he needed someone with a long current life span.
Extreme life span indicates a person's cultivation limit. Reaching the limit is extremely difficult, requiring many fortuitous opportunities.
Many pearls go unnoticed because Spirit Root qualification doesn't entirely determine one's future height.
Current life span was different; barring severe injuries, one would live that long.
Soon, Gu An's eyes locked on a young monk. The boy had ordinary features, wore tattered clothes, and was meditating in a corner of the square.
[Wuxin (Energy Cultivation Realm, Second Layer): 15/330/380]
Practicing the Energy Cultivation Realm yet having three hundred and thirty years of life!
How peculiar!
Perhaps the child had a special physique or practiced a unique cultivation technique.
Gu An immediately walked to Wuxin. Noticing him, Wuxin opened his eyes to see Gu An's smiling face.
"Young brother, would you like to come to my Medicine Valley? It's not too busy, and you'll have ample time to cultivate." Gu An smiled warmly.
Seeing his smile, Wuxin instinctively nodded.
Not far away, Cheng Xuandan scrutinized Wuxin, seemingly noticing something. Glancing at Gu An, his eyes took on a peculiar look.