Gu An had originally planned to use the name of the original author of "The Investiture of the Gods," Xu Zhonglin, but thinking that he needed to write other books to earn some extra money, he decided on a different name.
Elder Liu and Zhu Qinglu didn't think much of it, understanding that Pan An merely changed his surname compared to Gu An.
Afterward, Elder Liu began to instruct Gu An, mainly reminding him of what not to write, and he subtly suggested Gu An to incorporate the Supreme Sect into his writing, presenting it in a good light.
Even if he didn't write about the Supreme Sect, he could use metaphors; the more he praised the Supreme Sect, the better treatment he would receive in the future.
To this, Gu An could only agree, but whether he would actually do it was a question for later.
Writing was just something he did in his spare time; he wouldn't exhaust all his thoughts on it.
After Elder Liu finished speaking, Gu Yu leaned in excitedly and said, "Brother, have you written any other books?"
Gu An shook his head, "First time."
"Hahaha, not bad at all. I have high hopes for you. You might even surpass Cyan Xia's status within the Supreme Sect," Gu Yu said, patting Gu An's shoulder with a familiar expression.
Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately became interested and asked, "Do you know Cyan Xia?"
Gu Yu raised an eyebrow, "Do you also like his travelogues? I don't know him personally, I only know he's a cultivator from the Supreme Sect. I asked Elder Liu, but he refused to tell me anything."
Elder Liu laughed heartily and, tugging Zhu Qinglu along, said as they walked out, "Join me for a stroll. We'll catch up and let the juniors chat among themselves."
Zhu Qinglu nodded, and the two quickly left the hall.
Gu Yu continued to inquire about the details of Gu An's writing of "The Investiture of the Gods." Seeing that Elder Liu had a special regard for him, Gu An patiently answered.
A full hour later, Gu An finally followed Zhu Qinglu out of the Library Hall.
"That disciple named Gu Yu has an extraordinary identity. It's rare to see someone that can receive such treatment from Elder Liu," Zhu Qinglu said meaningfully.
Gu An nodded but had no intention of getting close to Gu Yu. Such a person might make his life too eventful.
They didn't stay together all the way; after separating, Gu An started purchasing seeds for medicinal herbs and a batch of clothing on the way.
Only when night fell did he return to Profound Valley.
Days passed by day after day.
Another New Year arrived, and the second Spring Festival in Profound Valley was even smoother, without any hiccups, and the atmosphere was even more joyful than the first year. As in previous years, Gu An delivered meals to Jiang Qiong.
He began counting the days, preparing for Jiang Qiong's departure.
After she left, he planned to make a big splash in the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven, planting it full of Spirit Flowers and Spirit Grasses.
After the New Year, Gu An, accompanied by Wuxin, went to the Outer Sect and selected three more servant disciples, two females and one male: Yan Mei, Yang Min, and Ye Yan.
All the same age, eighteen years old, they greatly anticipated their upcoming life in Profound Valley.
As servant disciples, not only could they earn Spirit Stones, but they also had the chance to inherit their master's spells.
This time, Gu An didn't just recruit servant disciples for the sake of it; he also wanted to bring Wuxin along, getting him fully accustomed to the role of the senior disciple so that he could run errands for him in the future.
After returning to Profound Valley, Gu An let Wuxin take the three to meet everyone else in the valley, while he himself entered the northern woods to make some plans.
He wanted to fill the nearby woods with medicinal herbs. The herbs he had turned in the previous year had ranked him in the top ten of the Outer Sect's Medicine Valley, and Zhu Qinglu favored him even more, improving his treatment. He now supported nine servant disciples with ease, and he even considered recruiting more.
People are hardly content with their current situation. Gu An felt the same way about his annual Life Span income; if this year's increase was less than last, he would be upset.
Standing under a tree, Gu An surveyed the woods and began to envision a layout for the garden in his mind.
Suddenly, the White Spirit Rat burst out of the woods, and upon seeing it, Gu An felt both a headache and anticipation.
Afraid it might have found a great treasure, but also hopeful that it did.
The rat hopped to Gu An's feet and spit out a jade ring.
Gu An raised his hand to capture the ring and tucked it into his waistband, planning to check it privately later.
He scooped up the White Spirit Rat, not allowing it to run around.
"Good job. I'll feed you a Cang Teng Fruit tonight," Gu An said with a smile.
The White Spirit Rat seemed to understand and stopped struggling, lying obediently in his arms.
After standing for a while, Gu An turned and left the woods, standing on the grass next to the garden, waiting for someone's arrival.
Before long, the sound of cutting through the air approached.
An Outer Disciple arrived on a flying sword, quickly landing beside Gu An, drawing the attention of other disciples in Profound Valley.
"Big Senior Brother! I'm back!"
It was Lu Jiujia, who had previously gone for the Outer Sect assessment. In his Outer Sect robes, he looked completely different from before.
Gu An smiled, "I was starting to think you wouldn't come back."
Lu Jiujia scratched his head, "How could that be? I started seclusion as soon as I got the Foundation Establishment Pill, and once I achieved Foundation Establishment, I rushed back to share the joy with you."
Gu An laughed and squeezed his shoulder, feeling his physique had indeed grown stronger.
The others gathered around, excitedly asking about his experience in the Foundation Establishment Realm, and he answered each one, full of pride and enthusiasm.
The first time Gu An met Lu Jiujia, he was just fifteen years old. Now seeing him in his glory, Gu An felt nothing but gratification.
On the road to longevity, it's too lonely for a person alone—if the people one meets could have a good end, there would be fewer regrets.
Lu Jiujia's return made Profound Valley lively. Yan Mei and her two companions, new to the valley, were greatly encouraged—they saw a channel for ascension.
Working hard in Profound Valley, there was hope for promotion to the Outer Sect!
That night, Gu An studied the jade ring that the White Spirit Rat had brought back. The ring's restrictions were forcefully broken by his Divine Sense, and to his surprise, it was full of Spirit Stones.
Unexpected wealth?
Gu An developed more expectations for the White Spirit Rat; it successfully gained the right to eat the Cang Teng Fruit.
Lu Jiujia stayed in Profound Valley for a month before leaving. Everyone knew, with his departure, it might be very difficult to meet again in this life unless they too could become Outer Disciples.
...
In the blink of an eye, two years passed by. Gu An had turned thirty, but having taken Beauty Pills, he appeared to be only in his twenties.
His life span had already surpassed thirty thousand years!
Profound Valley was expanding its scale, and the number of Outer Disciples coming to him for managing Cave Mansions had reached eleven—his life span increase was improving every month.
Life was busy and fulfilling, but he didn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, he was full of fighting spirit.
The height of summer arrived with a clear moon and sparse stars—a serene forest illuminated by fireflies.
Walking ahead in the forest in white was Jiang Qiong. She walked barefoot, feeling no discomfort even stepping on branches.
Gu An followed behind, silent.
"Alright, let's stop here," Jiang Qiong stopped, turned around, and said to Gu An.
Gu An nodded. After hesitating for a moment, he said, "Ancestor, please be careful on your way. After all, this area still falls within the Supreme Sect's territory."
After being together for so many years, Jiang Qiong had taught him so many spells—it would be a lie to say there were no feelings at all.
But more than these feelings, Gu An hoped she would leave.
Jiang Qiong nodded. She raised her right hand, and a blue-covered book appeared. She tossed the secret manual directly to Gu An.
"Practice well. The next time I come back, I will assess your cultivation level. If you disappoint me, I will thrash you," Jiang Qiong said with a tone resembling someone threatening a child, even waving her fists, which made Gu An laugh and cry.
Before he could respond, Jiang Qiong vanished on the spot, and Gu An could feel her demonic Qi rapidly leaving.
In the dim forest, the corners of Gu An's mouth lifted slightly. He turned and walked toward Profound Valley while looking at the secret manual in his hand.
The Ziwei Array Record!
He flipped through it briefly and found that each page contained a special restriction, with the formations being introduced through text. The methods of practicing the formations required probing with Divine Sense.
Interesting!
Gu An thought of the formations in the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven—it was precisely those formations that allowed the Great Cultivators from Supreme Sect to fly over Profound Valley and yet fail to detect the existence of the Cang Teng Tree.
Although Jiang Qiong's cultivation level was only at the 9th Floor of the Core Formation Realm, her achievement in formations and Alchemy Dao far exceeded others in Core Formation. After all, she had reached Core Formation by the age of forty and had been focusing on formations and alchemy since then. She claimed that during the years of her feigned death, she had continuously pondered formations.
Gu An suddenly felt the Ziwei Array Record in his hand was very heavy.
The moon set, and the sun rose.
Morning arrived.
Jiang Qiong's departure only affected Gu An; life in Profound Valley continued as usual.
After leading the disciples in practice, Gu An returned to his loft with Ye Lan, taking out a small, finely crafted, square wooden box he had prepared and handing it to Ye Lan. The box looked as if it contained jewels.
Ye Lan paused, then opened the box curiously, only to find an Elixir inside.
"Big Senior Brother, what kind of Elixir is this?" Ye Lan asked.
Sitting at the table and pouring himself some tea, Gu An smiled and said, "Foundation Establishment Pill. I've prepared it especially for you. Don't mention it to others. If in the future, the valley disciples reach the 9th Floor of Qi Cultivation Realm, I will also give them one. But they must not know in advance that I have Foundation Establishment Pills, to avoid attracting trouble."
Foundation Establishment Pill!
Ye Lan's eyes widened, about to refuse instinctively, but Gu An cut her off, saying, "Don't worry. I've kept one Foundation Establishment Pill for myself too. After your successful Foundation Establishment, who knows, you might even become my support in the Outer Sect. Cultivating diligently is the best way to repay me."
"I..." Ye Lan had mixed emotions, wanting to say much but unable to articulate it.
Gu An gravely said, "Life's journey is long, and people will always have many thoughts. Don't forget what your biggest pursuit is in this lifetime."
Although Ye Lan hadn't often pestered him over the years, every time she looked at him, her gaze was so gentle, and sometimes he overheard other disciples' conversations: everyone could see her affection for him.
Gu An's feelings for Ye Lan were that of siblings, not yet at the point where he wanted to spend his life with her, and his mind was only on Immortal Cultivation.
After hearing Gu An, Ye Lan nodded firmly and said in a soft voice, "Big Senior Brother, don't worry. I will practice diligently and not disappoint you. I will try my best to climb up and take care of you in the future."
As she said this, she winked at Gu An.
Gu An smiled and then waved his hand, indicating she could leave.
Ye Lan safely stored the Foundation Establishment Pill and turned to leave. As she was closing the door behind her, she suddenly said, "Big Senior Brother, no matter where I go in the future, I won't have feelings for any other men. You will be the only one in my heart."
After saying this, she quickly closed the door and left as if fleeing.