The competition of the Outer Sect in the world?
The geniuses of the major sects gathering at the Supreme Sect?
Including disciples from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion?
Gu An listened with great interest. Such a grand event must be very exciting. However, he was a bit worried whether the cultivators from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion would take the opportunity to find him and force him to provide information on the Supreme Sect.
Chen Li and the others started talking about other matters, with the topic gradually shifting to the Inner Sect. Chen Li was very interested in the Inner Sect and curious about what it was like.
Xiao Chenjun gave a brief explanation about the bustling Inner Sect City, the profound heritage of the peaks' inheritances, and the rich array of missions and rewards. Gu An seemed to be listening to a story.
However, Gu An still wasn't yearning for it.
Inner Sect disciples also had to defend the Taicang Dynasty, not only to slay demons within the country but also to help the dynasty fend off invasions from other dynasties; just thinking about it gave him a headache.
When Gu An was done and had harvested the lifespan of several hundred years, he came to Chen Li, ready to bid farewell.
"You are quite meticulous in your work. Could you also help me watch over the grotto heaven?" Li Xuanyu suddenly asked.
Hearing this, Chen Li immediately smiled and said, "This lad's work is indeed satisfactory and he is very disciplined. He was recommended by Li Ya, so he is trustworthy."
Li Xuanyu stared at Gu An, waiting for his response.
Under everyone's watchful eyes, Gu An couldn't refuse and nodded in agreement.
"You two continue your conversation. I'll take him to get familiar with the area," Li Xuanyu said, then got up and left.
Gu An quickly bowed to Chen Li and Xiao Chenjun and then followed the pace of Li Xuanyu.
After the grotto heaven's mountain gate closed, Xiao Chenjun asked with a smile, "The enmity within the Li Family is really complicated. Do you think Junior Sister Li and Li Ya bear any grudges against each other?"
Chen Li shook his head and said, "How could there be grudges? If there were, she wouldn't have spoken up for Li Ya back then. Li Ya would have been killed by Shi Yang long ago. Now that Shi Yang has been missing for years, I suspect he was killed by Li Ya."
Xiao Chenjun lifted his teacup, his gaze becoming subtle.
...
After leaving the grotto heaven, Gu An followed Li Xuanyu. They rode the same flying sword but kept a proper distance from each other.
Standing behind Li Xuanyu, Gu An could smell a unique fragrance, much better than the scent on Jiang Qiong.
Although Jiang Qiong had already washed, the odor of death hadn't completely dissipated yet.
They traveled in silence, as Li Xuanyu's cold temperament made Gu An hesitate to speak.
Her grotto heaven wasn't too far from Chen Li's. They landed after a short while.
Gu An distinctly felt that the restriction in her grotto heaven was stronger, and this feeling became even more intense upon entry.
Such dense spiritual energy!
Li Xuanyu began to explain the origins and cultivation process of the medicinal herbs within the grotto heaven, and Gu An listened attentively.
After half an hour, Li Xuanyu handed him a token. With this token, he could directly open the grotto heaven, offering him the same treatment as Chen Li.
For Gu An, harvesting the lifespan from medicinal herbs was enough. If he could get spirit stones, he wouldn't refuse them either.
Gu An cupped his hands to salute and took his leave.
"Wait, what is your relationship with Li Ya?" Li Xuanyu suddenly asked.
Gu An paused, turned back, and said, "Li Ya is my senior brother, naturally, we have a good relationship."
He could tell that Li Xuanyu probably had a good relationship with Li Ya. If there were enmities, she wouldn't use him, a servant disciple, to frame Li Ya, would she?
Li Xuanyu didn't say much, only nodded slightly.
Gu An bid farewell once again.
Managing the grotto heaven for an outer disciple wasn't exhausting. Generally, he had to visit once every half month or month. Gu An felt he could take on more work.
His aspirations were growing richer; the Eight Scenic Caves and Mystic Valley were the main trun of it. If branches could be extended, he could gain more lifespan.
Strive to reach a lifespan of one hundred thousand years as soon as possible!
...
Winter snow melted, and spring arrived. At dusk, Mystic Valley started to hang lanterns and put up decorations.
In front of the pavilion, the youngest disciple, Zhen Qin, squatted on the ground, cutting paper and quietly asking, "Master, what is the significance of the Spring Festival?"
She was nine years younger than Gu An, with a sweet appearance, large eyes, a petite figure, and a gentle personality. Even Lu Jiujia and Xiaochuan were very fond of her.
"When I was a child, I heard an old man say that the Spring Festival represents the start of a new year, bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new. At this time of year, people bless each other. Since we have no major celebrations in Medicine Valley, let's set the Spring Festival as a celebration," Gu An said, sitting nearby, weaving a lantern.
Not far away, Wuxin, Xiaochuan, and Tang Yu were hanging lanterns and pasting red paper. Ye Lan was preparing the dishes, while Su Han was checking various garden areas.
After hearing this, Zhen Qin's face lit up with anticipation.
Gu An had suddenly thought of the Spring Festival a few days ago. Upon hearing the members of Medicine Valley discuss their hometowns, he remembered his past life on Earth. It was precisely the Spring Festival season, so he decided to establish the Spring Festival as the first holiday in Mystic Valley.
In the future, other holidays could be arranged to make life in Medicine Valley less monotonous.
He wondered if there were other earthlings in this mortal world?
Gu An silently thought to himself. He created the story of the Spring Festival from what he had heard from an old man simply as a precaution.
At this moment, Gu An's brows furrowed. He sensed two unpleasant auras approaching Mystic Valley, less than ten miles away.
Those two had cultivation levels in the Foundation Establishment Realm, but their auras carried a strong scent of blood.
They had killed many people!
With the competition of the Outer Sect in the world about to start, could it be that demon cultivators were here for a visit?
Gu An silently prayed, hoping the visitors wouldn't enter Medicine Valley.
However, what he feared came true as the two flew straight towards Mystic Valley. In no time, their figures appeared at the mountain peak, overlooking Medicine Valley.
It was a man and a woman, both dressed in dark purple robes, with a sinister aura. Even in the daytime, they looked like malevolent ghosts.
The woman's posture was seductive, with heavy makeup and long, claw-like nails. She covered her mouth and laughed, "Mr. Xu, we're not far from the outer sect of the Supreme Sect. Why not rest here for a while and gather some intel from these servant disciples?"
The man next to her had a robust build and a stern face, wearing a purple crown with a red gem embedded in it, resembling a crimson vertical eye.
"A bunch of Energy Cultivation Realm bugs, what can we learn from their mouths?" the man in purple said coldly.
He was from the Wanyin Sect, named Xu Ruye, here with his daoist friend Chan Ji to participate in the competition of the Outer Sect in the world.
Chan Ji laughed, "You know the people from the Supreme Sect. Their strength isn't great, yet they love to gang up on others. If we arrive early, we will surely be swarmed with trouble. It's better to wait here."
Xu Ruye agreed after hearing this. He then leaped down, and Chan Ji followed suit.
Gu An looked up and immediately used the Life Span Detection.
[Xu Ruye (Foundation Establishment Realm Nine Layers): 67/389/920]
[Chan Ji (Foundation Establishment Realm Seventh Layer): 74/370/605]
They seemed to be geniuses.
Gu An stood up, and Zhen Qin, following his gaze, saw Xu Ruye and Chan Ji and hurriedly hid behind her master in fear.
Even Xiaochuan, Wuxin, and Tang Yu noticed the arrival of the demon cultivators. They immediately put down their work and ran towards Gu An.
Xu Ruye and Chan Ji landed in the garden area, their eyes scanning the medicinal herbs, which made Gu An tense up.
The security of the Supreme Sect was too lax!
On the eve of such a grand event, they didn't dispatch disciples to patrol?
Gu An silently cursed, but he also understood that, to the Supreme Sect, the value of Mystic Valley was mediocre, as it grew only low-rank medical herbs for the outer sect.
Chan Ji turned to Gu An and the others, asking, "Who is the Valley Master here?"
Gu An stepped forward and cupped his hands, "That would be me. May I ask what the two seniors need?"
Chan Ji cast a coquettish look at Gu An and asked with a smile, "Young lad, my husband and I are going to the competition at the Supreme Sect and want to rest in your valley for a few days. What do you think?"
Xu Ruye's gaze turned towards Ye Lan and Zhen Qin behind Gu An, his chilly eyes making the two women uneasy. Ye Lan frowned and stood in front of Zhen Qin.
Gu An felt displeased but sensed a familiar aura approaching.
He asked, "May I ask where the two seniors are from?"
Chan Ji's eyes turned cold, ready to speak.
"Why waste words with him? With his cultivation at the Fifth Layer of the Energy Cultivation Realm, can he drive us away?" Xu Ruye said impatiently.
A terrifying killing intent erupted from within him, changing the expressions of everyone present, as if they were in an ice cellar.
"Are the two from the Wanyin Sect here to become enemies of the Supreme Sect?"
A cold voice came from the sky. Everyone looked up to see Li Xuanyu standing on a flying sword, facing the wind like an immortal.
"Li Xuanyu!" Chan Ji gritted out every word, her teeth clenched.
Li Xuanyu spoke, "Come with me."
With that, she turned and quickly disappeared behind the mountain.
Xu Ruye leaped up. A gourd at his waist flew out, quickly enlarged, and landed beneath his feet. Chan Ji followed suit, jumping onto the gourd behind him. The two then flew away on the gourd.
The people in Medicine Valley breathed a sigh of relief.
"Were those two demon cultivators?" Su Han couldn't help but ask, his face pale from Xu Ruye's killing intent.
Wuxin replied, "Yes, the Wanyin Sect is a powerful demonic school."
Xiaochuan grumbled, "Aren't we, the Supreme Sect, a reputable sect? Why invite a demonic sect?"
The disciples began discussing the matter, all overwhelmed with fear. If not for Li Xuanyu's appearance, a disaster would have befallen them tonight.
Gu An glanced towards the horizon, slightly frowning.
Then, he asked everyone to continue preparing for the Spring Festival and went back to his house to rest for a while.
Dusk came, and the sky turned crimson.
Gu An stood by the side window of the pavilion, feeling faint fighting movements from afar, about thirty miles from Mystic Valley.
Suddenly, sensing something, he flipped over the window and quickly vanished into the forest.
In the distant forest, trees were tilted and the ground was full of horrifying cracks. Xu Ruye and Chan Ji stood shoulder to shoulder, with disdainful smiles on their faces.
Opposite them stood not only Li Xuanyu but also Li Ya.
"The Nine Devastating Swords of the Li Family are impressive, but your cultivation levels are lacking," Xu Ruye sneered coldly, his right hand's fingers moving, with strands of purple energy swirling around his fingertips.
Li Ya's mouth corners were stained with blood, and his right hand holding the sword was trembling. Li Xuanyu beside him was also injured, though not as severely as Li Ya.