Spring passed and autumn came, and in the blink of an eye, five years had flown by.
In these five years, Gu An still adhered to his plan of investing one year of his life span each night, and after five years, he had invested over eighteen hundred years of life span. His cultivation realm had reached the 8th floor of the Nascent Soul Realm.
After crossing the fifth floor of the Nascent Soul Realm, the time required for each minor realm doubled, and the evolving Gu An could only train diligently, which took even longer.
Now, his remaining life span was a little over ten thousand two hundred years. With the addition of Eight Scenic Cave Heaven, his annual life span income improved.
Over the past five years, three more menial disciples were added to Profound Valley, all of whom became disciples of Gu An, two males and one female, named, in decreasing order of age, Tang Yu, Su Han, Zhen Qin.
Gu An no longer chose based on aptitude; he picked disciples with mediocre talent, which would not bring trouble, and all three had a maximal life span of around two hundred years. On this basis, he tried to choose disciples he got along well with.
One day at the valley entrance, Xiaochuan, Ye Lan, Wuxin, Tang Yu, Su Han, and Zhen Qin surrounded Lu Jiujia.
"Senior Brother, we wish you success!"
"Senior Uncle, when you're at the Outer Sect, don't forget about us."
"You just be at ease, Medicine Valley has me."
"If you fail, I'll be the one to tease you."
Today was the day Lu Jiujia headed to the Outer Sect to participate in the assessment. Gu An divided a Cang Teng Fruit into four sections, giving them to his four junior brothers and sisters, which greatly increased their cultivation levels, and Lu Jiujia was the first to reach the 9th floor of the Qi Cultivation Realm.
It's worth mentioning that since eating the Cang Teng Fruit, Wuxin had become completely behaved, cultivating peacefully in his room every night, no longer traversing mountains and ridges, and he became even more diligent.
Lu Jiujia, at twenty-three years old, full of vigor, looked towards the pavilion where his senior brother lived; he saw his senior brother standing at the window looking at him, which warmed his heart.
"Wait for the good news; I won't disappoint you, Senior Brother!" Lu Jiujia said proudly, then turned and left.
Confident in the Residual Wind Leg skill he had cultivated for many years, he felt he could make a name for himself in the Outer Sect.
Dressed in a white robe with black trim, Gu An sent off Lu Jiujia from a distance, his heart filled with mixed emotions.
He couldn't tell if it was satisfaction or reluctance, perhaps it was both.
"I'm only twenty-seven and already so sentimental, what will it be like when I'm two hundred, two thousand, or even twenty thousand years old?" Gu An chuckled self-deprecatingly.
He turned and sat down at the table, picking up the Green Hero Travelogue to continue his enjoyment.
This was the recently published Green Hero Travelogue—according to him, an absolute masterpiece. The author's skill at crafting romantic scenes had reached the Transformation Realm.
An hour later.
Wuxin came for a visit, still dressed as a Monk at twenty-one. Gu An often teased him as a Jade-Faced Tang Monk, especially after getting him a Monk's robe custom-made from the Outer Sect, which brought out even more of his temperament.
"Senior Brother, I've finished watering the plants on the mountain. Are there any other orders for today?" Wuxin approached Gu An and spoke in a soft voice. His gaze briefly drifted to the Cyan Hero's Travel, causing his fair, handsome face to turn instantly red.
Without even lifting his eyes, Gu An said, "There's nothing else, go down and cultivate."
Wuxin walked to the opposite side of the table but didn't leave, hesitating.
Gu An glanced at him, asking, "What else is on your mind?"
Dressed in the black robe, Gu An now carried the presence of a superior; Medicine Valley had good harvests these years, and he, not one to hoard small treasures, paid out of pocket to buy new clothes for everyone in Medicine Valley. Now, no one looked like a menial disciple.
Wuxin bit his lip and said, "Senior Brother, I'll be straight with you, with my aptitude, I can't possibly be accepted into the Outer Sect, but I truly wish to stay with you in Medicine Valley forever."
Gu An put down the Cyan Hero's Travel and scrutinized him closely.
Weren't his words clear enough?
He wanted to progress!
Gu An furrowed his brows, a troubled expression on his face.
Seeing his demeanor, Wuxin became anxious and dropped to his knees.
"Senior Brother, where am I lacking? I'm more hardworking than them, more obedient. And while they all want to go to the Outer Sect, I don't." Wuxin spoke passionately, his eyes welling up with tears.
However, Gu An noticed that he had activated some Cultivation Technique, causing his Qi-Blood to surge.
Smart kid, learning from me?
Gu An spoke with solemn earnestness, "Wuxin, in my heart, no one is better or worse than the other. Just like that Cang Teng Fruit, I divided it equally among you. But the position of eldest disciple is of great significance and could even insight the next Valley Master. Although I am a menial disciple, my treatment is no less than that of a typical Outer Disciple; I must bear the Sect's favor."
"It seems you've hidden something from me. Of course, everyone has their own reasons that they cannot share. I won't pry further; you will always be my disciple. But as for the position of eldest disciple..."
As he spoke, he sighed with an expression of helplessness.
Wuxin froze, not anticipating that his senior brother had been aware of his actions from years ago. His first reaction was panic, followed by a wave of emotion.
Searching for information in the dead of night, that was five years prior, and his senior brother had tolerated it for five years.
What did that mean?
His Senior Brother truly regarded him as one of his own!
If Wuxin put himself in his Senior Brother's shoes, he felt he would have severely punished such a disciple long ago.
The more Wuxin thought about it, the more ashamed he felt. He could no longer continue the act.
"Senior Brother, actually..." Wuxin clenched his teeth as if he had made a great resolution.
"Actually, I come from Thousand-Autumn Pavilion. My father is one of the seventy-two Pavilion Masters there. I am dull-witted, often bullied by my siblings, so I ran away. Those nights I wandered were because I heard of Senior Brother Li Ya's exploits—I hoped for an opportunity, to prove myself to my father in the future. But I've given up now. Not to mention comparing with my siblings, even compared to Lu Jiujia, I fall far short..."
Wuxin rattled off in one breath, looking down towards the end, unwilling to look at Gu An.
Gu An's face revealed a look of shock and disbelief.
"You..."
Hearing the tremble in the eldest senior brother's voice, Wuxin was even more ashamed, his forehead pressed tightly to the ground.
Gu An truly hadn't expected Wuxin to be from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion.
What was this all about?
Might as well not call it Profound Valley, call it Thousand-Autumn Valley instead!
Gu An quietly spread out his divine sense, forming an invisible barrier to guard against eavesdropping.
After a moment of silence, he finally let out a deep sigh and said, "Enough of this, stand up and talk."
An anxious Wuxin heard this and immediately let out a sigh of relief.
Wuxin stood up and, seeing the complex expression on Gu An's face, felt even more touched in his heart.
Indeed, my senior brother truly cares for me!
"I don't know much about Thousand-Autumn Pavilion. I heard that it's a Demon Dao sect?" Gu An took a deep breath before asking.
Wuxin nodded and said, "Indeed, it is a Demon Dao sect, and one of the most evil at that. Corpse Dao, Gu Technique, Soul Capturing, poisonous creatures, and all such demon arts—they are proficient in all of them. I just couldn't bear to stay, so I escaped..."
"Will your father come looking for you? I have to consider the other disciples," Gu An asked worriedly.
Wuxin quickly waved his hand and said, "How could he possibly come looking for me? He'd rather wish I were already dead. I am his greatest disgrace!"
Hearing this, Gu An's expression softened, and he scolded, "Wuxin, I won't allow you to belittle yourself like that. Can a person's worth be judged simply by their cultivation level?"
Wuxin scratched his head and chuckled, "I know, but being from the Demon Dao, people from the Demon Dao are not normal."
Gu An nodded, seemingly reminded of something, and asked, "By the way, have you ever heard the name Jiang Qiong in the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion?"
"Jiang Qiong?" Wuxin was stunned for a moment, frowning in thought.
After a few breaths, he had a sudden realization and said, "I remember now. She was the top talent of the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion a hundred years ago, also the daughter of the second Pavilion Master. But she has fallen for many years. I heard my father mention her when I was a child. He even wanted my elder brother to marry Jiang Qiong."
Curious, Gu An asked, "How old is your father?"
Wuxin answered, "Nearly five hundred years old. He has over a hundred children, so he wouldn't care if one were gone."
Gu An fell silent.
The lifestyle of the Demon Dao sure seems enviable.
Gu An asked a few more questions, but unfortunately, Wuxin didn't know much about Jiang Qiong.
"Now that you have disclosed your origins, I will cultivate you into the chief disciple. If the position of the chief disciple of a valley can be exchanged for a demon cultivator who has lost his way and returned to the righteous path, it would also be a meritorious deed. However, this must not be revealed for now. Win over everyone in the valley with your performance," Gu An said seriously.
At these words, Wuxin was ecstatic.
Just as he was about to express his gratitude to Gu An, he heard Gu An continue to instruct, "From now on, you must not mention even half a word about the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion—not even in private moments alone. This place is the Supreme Sect; even talking to oneself could be overheard."
Wuxin hurriedly nodded, taking the teaching to heart.
The mentor and disciple shifted the topic and chatted about other casual matters.
Wuxin felt closer to his senior brother than ever, and he was very glad about it. He should have been honest with his senior brother long ago.
...
Night fell over the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven.
Gu An made his way to an open space beside the underground river and began planting medicinal herbs.
His actions were not fast; he, who rarely practiced cultivation on ordinary days, enjoyed the process of planting. He wasn't planting plants, but life.
The Huaxia people inherently loved to farm; this habit followed with his soul into the Immortal Cultivation World.
After he finished planting, he looked at his newly created garden with satisfaction—it was neat and had a unique sense of beauty.
"Good disciple, come inside."
Jiang Qiong's pleasant voice came from the entrance of a cave, and Gu An immediately went over.
Over the years, Jiang Qiong would summon him from time to time, asking him to help gather medicinal herbs and even assist in alchemy.
Gu An wasn't working in vain; through this process, his Alchemy skills advanced by leaps and bounds.
Jiang Qiong's Alchemy was far superior to that of Cheng Xuan Pill, which was evident in the way she taught.
Upon reaching the inner chamber, which was still dimly lit, a Pill Furnace half a person's height was placed on the ground with charcoal ash piled beneath it.
Just as Gu An was about to speak, he heard a noise. He focused his gaze and saw a coffin in the depths beginning to tremble.
Bang!
The coffin lid fell to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.
Gu An watched as a hand emerged from the erect coffin, skin and bones like a ghost's claw, and he immediately cast a Life Span Detection.
[Jiang Qiong (Core Formation Realm 9th Floor): 185/304/2490]
Quite a character!
Nearly reaching the limit lifespan of two thousand five hundred years!
Why does a ninth-floor Core Formation Realm only have three hundred years of lifespan?
Could it have something to do with her injuries?
Gu An pondered to himself, as his last bit of wariness vanished into thin air.