Three thousand years of maximum life span?
Gu An was startled by the information about the other party's life span; it was the first time he had encountered someone with such qualifications.
Moreover, they were at the eighth level of the Divinity Transformation Realm!
But this life span seemed rather short and didn't match Gu An's expectations for the life span of someone in the Divinity Transformation Realm. Could someone in the Divinity Transformation Realm only live eight hundred and ninety-nine years?
Gu An speculated that the other party might have been injured and lost years of their life span.
He immediately walked over while pondering in his heart. He guessed that the other person might be a high-ranking member of the Supreme Sect, but he could not show too much respect since the other person had suppressed their aura.
If he could see through the other person's cultivation level, they would surely be relentless and might even take him for a spy of the Demon Path.
Li Xuandao walked towards the valley, surveying the gardens along the way.
Gu An approached him, cupped his fists, and asked, "I am Gu An, the Valley Master of Mystic Valley. May I know the name of this Daoist Friend and the purpose of your visit?"
Li Xuandao's gaze landed on Gu An, his eyes indifferent, exuding immense pressure.
But then he smiled, and that feeling of pressure vanished completely, giving a misleading impression. He said warmly, "My name is Xuandao, from Cangzhou. I've come to the Supreme Sect to visit my child. The journey is long and tiresome, and I wish to rest for a few days at your esteemed valley to recover my Spiritual Power. I wonder if the Valley Master would accommodate me?"
Upon hearing this, how could Gu An refuse? He agreed immediately and then called for Xiaochuan to arrange accommodations for Li Xuandao.
Gu An avoided staring at Li Xuandao, so as not to arouse suspicion.
"Surname Li, coming to visit a child – could he be a member of the Imperial Family?" Gu An wondered curiously.
So many Medicine Valleys in the Outer Sect to go to, yet he chose Mystic Valley; it must have something to do with Li Ya.
Gu An continued to patrol the garden; everything was as usual.
On the other side.
Xiaochuan led Li Xuandao to an uninhabited house and said, "The house is simple; I hope you won't mind. If there's anything you need, feel free to tell me or any other disciple."
Li Xuandao nodded and then asked, "I saw sheep in the forests on my way here and disciples tending to them. Aren't you a Medicine Valley? Why do you keep so many sheep?"
Xiaochuan did not conceal anything and replied, "The valley was originally only for growing medicinal herbs. But as my Spirit Root Qualification is limited, I gave up on going to the Outer Sect. When the eldest senior brother learned that I liked raising livestock, he indulged my interest and incidentally earned Spirit Stones to help more disciples cultivate and advance to the Outer Sect sooner."
"Oh? Is the eldest senior brother the Valley Master?"
"Yes."
"Then he really is a good person, considering so much for you all."
"That's right, my eldest senior brother is the best person in the world..."
Hearing Li Xuandao praise him, Xiaochuan became delighted and started praising Gu An non-stop.
This made Li Xuandao even more interested in Gu An and he asked about more of his deeds. Without thinking too much, Xiaochuan sat down with Li Xuandao and spoke with even more enthusiasm.
Gu An, who was checking the garden, curved his lips upward, thinking that his kindness towards this silly boy hadn't been in vain.
Whether Li Xuandao was related to Li Ya or a high-ranking member of the Supreme Sect, having a good image of himself could only be beneficial.
After all, Li Xuandao couldn't possibly be a person from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, right?
Wait a moment!
Thousand-Autumn Pavilion!
Suddenly, a chill ran down Gu An's spine, and his smile stiffened.
Better to be safe than sorry!
In dealing with Li Xuandao later on, he had to be even more cautious – it was better to sail the ship carefully for ten thousand years.
The arrival of Li Xuandao aroused the curiosity of the other disciples; after all, it was rare for visitors to come to Mystic Valley.
That day, after settling in, Li Xuandao did not come out again, as if he was indeed recovering his Spiritual Energy.
Because of Li Xuandao's arrival, Gu An dared not go to the Eight Scenic Caves and spent the night honestly in the attic.
The next morning, as always, Gu An led the disciples in drills. Li Xuandao, hearing the commotion, also came out to watch, and Xiaochuan greeted him enthusiastically.
Gu An merely nodded to Li Xuandao; he did not avoid him.
As the morning drills began, Li Xuandao wasn't particularly interested at first, but as he watched, he found it quite intriguing.
After the drills, Gu An dismissed the disciples and pulled out a book from his robe, beginning to flip through it as he walked toward the attic.
At this time, he had to remain calm and not let the arrival of Li Xuandao disrupt his normal routine.
However, as soon as he entered the courtyard, Li Xuandao caught up to him.
"Valley Master, what are you reading?" Li Xuandao asked with a smile.
Gu An turned around and raised the book in his hand, replying, "Investiture of the Gods. Have you read it?"
Li Xuandao's smile grew wider as he said, "I have indeed read it, and I know it by heart."
"Oh? So we share a common interest?"
"Hahaha, I had a feeling of kinship with the Valley Master from the moment I saw you. Shall we talk about Investiture of the Gods?"
Hearing Li Xuandao's insincere words, Gu An could only agree with a smile.
He invited Li Xuandao upstairs, and once Li Xuandao was seated, he started boiling water for tea, igniting the fire with Spiritual Power.
Li Xuandao scanned the interior decoration of the house and said, "Valley Master, what do you think of King Zhou?"
Goodness!
"You test me as soon as I arrive?"
With his back to Li Xuandao, Gu An added tea leaves to the cup and said, "Based on the story alone, he's brutal and inhumane, but looking closely, his actions are somewhat illogical."
After hearing this, Li Xuandao reflected, "Indeed, when I first read it, I thought King Zhou was foolish and cruel, but upon a second look, something seemed amiss. In the world of the book, Immortals really exist, and King Zhou couldn't have been unaware. Under such circumstances, to still dare to desecrate the holy image of Nvwa, it doesn't seem like an action befitting a monarch of his time."
"And Nvwa, so high above, faced with a mortal who desecrated her, didn't directly punish him, but instead sent a fox spirit to wreak havoc on the Emperor's heart, causing great chaos under heaven. Can such conduct really be deemed worthy of an Immortal, worthy of a god?"
Gu An turned around, carrying the teacup to the table, and placed it in front of Li Xuandao.
He began to laugh, "There are indeed many inconsistencies, but after all, it's a story fabricated by people. For the sake of a good tale, they wrote these contradictions; it's somewhat understandable."
He couldn't determine Li Xuandao's identity, so his stance was deliberately ambiguous.
Li Xuandao shook his head, "Perhaps the story is false, but the portrayal of the times within the story is true—that even with heaven just three feet above, mortals cannot triumph over it."
Gu An didn't expect him to interpret Investiture of the Gods in that way.
"If King Zhou had been powerful enough to tower above all the Immortal sects, how would the story have been written?" Li Xuandao asked.
After thinking it over, Gu An replied, "Then the final battle wouldn't be against the Heaven-Reaching Sect Master, but against King Zhou."
Li Xuandao was stunned for a moment, unable to suppress a chuckle as he lifted the teacup, blowing away the steam inside.
Gu An couldn't decipher his smile and could only maintain his silence.
After taking a sip of tea, Li Xuandao began to inquire about the cultivation in Mystic Valley, even asking about some detailed aspects, to which Gu An answered each one.
"Joining the Supreme Sect, you don't seek immortal life, but focus on nurturing plants. Is it a reluctant choice, or do you truly enjoy it?" Li Xuandao asked.
Gu An responded with a bitter smile, "There's both necessity and fondness. Everyone has their pursuits; eternal life isn't necessarily the only meaning. Of course, if I had exceptional talent, I too would pursue immortality."
Li Xuandao teased, "You truly are a curious person, hiding nothing at all."
"In this life, when we look back and then to the future, there are only four words, 'finding joy amid hardship,'" Gu An answered with a shrug.
He grew more suspicious that Li Xuandao was from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, wanting to probe his stance on Mystic Valley.
Li Xuandao set the teacup down and questioned, "What's your opinion of the current Emperor? Do you think he's like King Zhou?"
Gu An was taken aback.
The change in topic was quite abrupt, wasn't it?
How did the conversation shift to the Emperor of the Taicang Dynasty so suddenly?
Could it be he's not from Thousand-Autumn Pavilion, but truly a relative of Li Ya?
Gu An's thoughts raced, "I don't know much, since before joining the Supreme Sect, I was just a house servant. Now in Medicine Valley, I hear even less of the outside world. Why, has the Emperor done something?"
Li Xuandao smiled, "No, nothing of that sort. It's just he has been on the throne for too long, and there are many discussions about him in court and among the populace. People seem to think an Emperor shouldn't reign for too long; if he does, it's only a matter of time before he becomes ineffective. And the world of Immortal Cultivation fears even more an Emperor who has cultivated to immortality, thereby allowing imperial power to overbear the Immortal Cultivation World."
Gu An became tense.
That statement involved too many different layers of society; he dared not speak carelessly.
Seeing that Gu An didn't dare to continue, Li Xuandao bantered again with a smile, "Do you think it's better for an Emperor to have a long reign, or to change every few decades?"
Knowing his Cultivation Level was at the eighth layer of Divinity Transformation Realm, Gu An dared not remain silent.
After a moment's thought, Gu An said, "In my view, it depends on the character of the Emperor. If he is virtuous and can manage the world well, staying in power isn't a problem. If such a virtuous Emperor, who still has many years of life, were to abdicate in favor of an inept son, that would be a disaster for the people. The common folk don't care about a thousand autumns; they only live a hundred years or so. If this life is bitter, they will bemoan why that Emperor ever abdicated."
Li Xuandao laughed once more, and Gu An could clearly sense his mood improving.
Wait a minute!
Relative of Li Ya, surname Li, first discussing King Zhou, then the current Emperor...
Gu An recalled hearing in the Ji Family that the Emperor of the Taicang Dynasty also practiced Immortal Cultivation and had been on the throne for two hundred years.
"You make a reasonable point. It's indeed not right for Us to listen to those voices; We should see for Ourselves how the people are living," Li Xuandao said with a genial laugh.
At these words, Gu An's face drastically changed as he exclaimed, "You... You are the current Emperor?"
As he spoke, he tried to stand up.
Li Xuandao raised his hand, and a powerful pressure forced Gu An back down. He didn't resist in case the other party could discern his cultivation level.
"Keep it down. You needn't treat me as the Emperor, just consider me Li Ya's father. It's fine to call me 'Uncle,'" Li Xuandao said with a smile, his expression very gentle and devoid of any imperial majesty.
Gu An was at a loss for what to say next.
An Emperor at the eighth layer of the Divinity Transformation Realm!
This was big trouble!
Li Xuandao spoke up, "Bring out the Heavenly Residence Sword."
Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately retrieved the Heavenly Residence Sword from his Storage Bag.
Li Xuandao's gaze grew complicated as soon as he saw the Heavenly Residence Sword. He took the scabbard and gently caressed it.
Considering what Li Ya had said, the Heavenly Residence Sword was a gift from his father to his mother. After her death, the sword passed into his hands...
Now, observing Li Xuandao's expression, Gu An started to flesh out a tale of deep-seated emotions between Li Xuandao and Li Ya's mother.
After a long while...
Li Xuandao put the Heavenly Residence Sword down and pushed it towards Gu An, saying, "In the Supreme Sect, you're the closest to Li Ya, and I heard you even saved him. Keep this sword, I bestow it upon you. From now on, you are the master of the Heavenly Residence Sword."
"Additionally, We plan to establish a Medicine Valley near the Supreme Sect, where many high-rank medical herbs will be cultivated. You will manage it for Us. We won't be unfair to you. In the coming days, helping you with Foundation Establishment, even Core Formation, is far from a difficult task. But you must understand one thing: on the surface, you are a disciple of the Supreme Sect, but your heart belongs to Us."