Ye Lan succeeded in her Foundation Establishment one month after receiving the Foundation Establishment Pill. That night, Gu An secretly guarded her as she crossed the tribulation, and she managed to overcome it without danger.
The day after her successful Foundation Establishment, Ye Lan bid farewell and left hastily.
Her sudden success in Foundation Establishment became a hot topic in Profound Valley. The disciples speculated wildly: some said it was Gu An who gave her the Foundation Establishment Pill; others believed Ye Lan had a fortuitous encounter; still others suggested that the forest itself had aided her cultivation.
Regardless, Ye Lan had eventually left.
Under the scorching summer sun,
Gu An stood on the terrace of the pavilion, watching the bustling disciples, suddenly feeling a sense of change, as if things were no longer the same.
Cheng Xuan Pill, Zhang Chunqiu, Li Ya, Meng Lang, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan had all departed.
Now, those who remained were his juniors.
Among them, Xiaochuan was the most senior.
Xiaochuan had given up the idea of leaving for the Outer Sect, but he wasn't discouraged and still lived an active life, finding other meanings in life beyond cultivation.
Gu An looked towards a corner of Medicine Valley, where a bamboo fence enclosed some ducks. Xiaochuan was leaning on the fence, communicating with the ducks.
These were not ordinary ducks from a civilian's household; each one had a trace of third-order demon beast blood and cost a hundred low-grade Spirit Stones. Xiaochuan had emptied his storage pouch to buy two, and the remaining ten were paid for by Gu An, increasing Xiaochuan's gratitude towards him.
Although these ducks had third-order demon beast blood, it would be lucky if they grew to first-order.
"Low-order demon beast flesh can assist cultivators too. Should I start a livestock business? It could extend my life span and earn Spirit Stones…" Gu An suddenly felt tempted.
Raising sheep or cattle in the mountains wasn't a bad idea!
However, this would require continuously expanding the workforce, and he was worried about drawing unwanted attention from the Supreme Sect.
He had thought about running away and doing this in some remote mountains, but he quickly dismissed the idea. Not to mention the difficulty of moving the Cang Teng Tree, he didn't want to miss out on the resources available at the Supreme Sect.
Inside the Supreme Sect, as long as he had enough Spirit Stones, he could buy anything he wanted, which might not be the case outside.
There are some rare items that are hard to find!
Worst come to worst, he could later glorify the Supreme Sect in his writings.
Gu An secretly thought that as long as he provided enough medicinal herbs and demon beast flesh, why would the Supreme Sect trouble him?
They might even support him!
Yes, that's the plan!
In the future, Xiaochuan would be the Beast Tamer, and Wuxin would oversee planting as the chief disciple. They would be his Left and Right Guardians in Profound Valley.
The more Gu An thought about it, the more feasible it seemed. He began to ponder the details.
A while ago, the White Spirit Rat had found a ring containing a vast fortune. He had calculated it to be worth two million low-grade Spirit Stones, or alternatively two hundred top-grade Spirit Stones, enough for him to make big moves.
No sooner had he thought this than he decided to act!
Gu An called out to Xiaochuan, who immediately ran over and leaped onto the terrace.
"Big Senior Brother, is there something you need?" Xiaochuan asked.
Gu An shared his thoughts, and Xiaochuan's eyes lit up, growing more and more excited as he listened.
The two struck a perfect agreement!
Eventually, Gu An asked Xiaochuan to make a trip to the Outer Sect and take a list with him, to which Xiaochuan agreed and set off that very day.
Xiaochuan, who also mastered the Sword Control Technique, didn't have enough Spiritual Power for a swift return, taking two days with an overnight rest in between.
Three days later, Xiaochuan returned, handing over the list he had prepared in advance to Gu An. He couldn't stop talking excitedly; he had encountered Lu Jiujia in the Outer Sect, who personally took him to scout for demon beasts, saving a lot of trouble.
After discussing it together, Gu An decided first to buy fifty juvenile beasts to test the waters, as only by purchasing that many would the Beast Hall of the Outer Sect agree to deliver them to Profound Valley.
After resting for a day, Xiaochuan, with the Spirit Stones provided by Gu An, set off accompanied by Tang Yu and Su Han, both of whom had reached the fifth layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm. The presence of so many made the expedition formidable.
If it hadn't been for a batch of medicinal herbs ready for harvest soon, Gu An would have liked to go himself, fearing potential exploitation.
Fortunately, no such trouble occurred, since the Supreme Sect was, after all, a renowned sect.
Five days later, Xiaochuan and the others returned on their swords, followed by three double-horned white eagles with a wingspan of five zhang each. Monk-like figures stood on the backs of the eagles, and the eagle claws carried large cages, binding young lambs inside. These lambs did not yet have horns, and the journey was smooth, thanks to the talisman paper on the cages.
After everyone landed, Gu An stepped forward to give thanks. The attitudes of the three Library Hall disciples were not warm, but they did not embarrass him, and after exchange a few pleasantries, they departed on their eagles.
"Xiaochuan, these sheep cost me a thousand low-grade Spirit Stones, so you'd better take good care of them," Gu An said with a meaningful pat on Xiaochuan's shoulder.
It wasn't just Spirit Stones, but his life too!
Once grown, each lamb would possess the strength of the first layer, equivalent to the third layer of the Qi Cultivation Realm, though they could not develop a human-like Spiritual Intelligence.
Xiaochuan nodded solemnly, scratching his head, "Big Senior Brother, can we recruit two more servant disciples to assist me?"
Gu An replied, "Let others help you for now. We'll recruit disciples in half a year, as my storage pouch is a bit tight."
Xiaochuan beamed and hurriedly thanked him.
Gu An actually had plenty more Spirit Stones, but he feared drawing too much attention, hence choosing to restrain himself for half a year.
After dealing with Xiaochuan, Gu An returned to the pavilion.
Everyone in the valley had come over, gathering to watch the first-order Sheep Demons. For those who usually focused on plants, the appearance of the Sheep Demons was a novel sight.
Gu An returned to the attic, preparing to write the next volume of "The Investiture of the Gods." Having been reminded several times by Liu Chang from the Library Hall, it was time for him to write.
Listening to the laughter and chatter of the disciples outside the window, the corners of Gu An's mouth lifted involuntarily.
...
In a courtyard, Zuo Yijian, with his head full of white hair, was meditating under a tree, pinching a leaf in his right hand, his brow furrowed.
Compared to a few years ago when he had successfully crossed the tribulation, he had aged considerably, losing his sharpness, and he did not seem like a Nascent Soul Great Cultivator.
Zuo Lin entered the courtyard, turning his head to look at his father under the tree, he immediately approached, walked up to Zuo Yijian, and snatched the leaf from his hand.
"Father, how much longer will you waste away?"
Zuo Lin asked angrily as he threw the leaf on the ground and stomped on it.
Zuo Yijian looked up at him, his eyes as calm as water, and said, "I am not wasting away."
"All day you hold a leaf and stare at it. How long have you been looking? How long has it been since you last absorbed Qi, and how long since you've refined your Sword Intent?"
Zuo Lin said with a tone of disappointment, feeling his anger surge uncontrollably as he thought of the humiliations he had suffered over the years.
Zuo Yijian bent down to pick up the leaf, then asked, "What about you, holding your sword and lost in deep thought, not absorbing Qi either? Are you any more diligent than me, who holds a leaf?"
"I..."
Zuo Lin choked, his face turning beet red as he gritted his teeth, "A sword is a sword, a leaf is a leaf, I sit idle because I have not grasped the Sword Dao, but you are different. Are you pursuing the Dao of a leaf?"
"But the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal defeated me with just a leaf. Do you think his leaf is not a sword?"
"This is different..."
"The true Sword Dao is never limited to one sword."
Zuo Yijian said softly, his gaze returning to the leaf in his hand, becoming distant.
Zuo Lin cursed under his breath, reaching into his storage pouch and pulling out a book, "Father, look at this book called 'The Investiture of the Gods.' It has become widespread in the Immortal Cultivation Realm over these two years, passed around by many sects, some even say it records a great immortal war from the Ancient Era."
Zuo Yijian remained unaffected.
Zuo Lin placed "The Investiture of the Gods" at his father's feet, then turned and left.
Just as he had walked out of the courtyard, he couldn't help but pull out another copy of "The Investiture of the Gods" from his storage pouch.
Zuo Yijian began to daydream.
After an uncertain amount of time, he finally blinked and his gaze instinctively glanced at the "The Investiture of the Gods" on the ground.
...
In the autumn season, Profound Valley was covered in hues of withering yellow.
Inside the attic, Gu An and Li Ya sat opposite each other drinking tea, with Li Ya enthusiastically talking, holding a book in his hand.
It was "The Investiture of the Gods."
"This 'The Investiture of the Gods' has brought much fame to Supreme Sect these two years. First, the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal beat a Nascent Soul Sword Enthusiast from Cang Lake with just a leaf, becoming famous in the Immortal Cultivation Realm, and secondly, because of this book which chronicles grand stories of immortal cultivation. The unimaginable spells discussed in it have all sects debating, some even say it might be a real tale from the Ancient Era..."
Listening to Li Ya sing praises of "The Investiture of the Gods," Gu An's brows were tightly knit.
Is it really that popular?
But he wasn't making much from it.
Was the Library Hall skimming profits, or were other sects reading pirated books?
Then again, he thought, how can there be copyright in the Immortal Cultivation Realm?
After a long time, Li Ya finally added, "Who is Pan An really? Truly talented. I wish I could meet him. It's said that even Inner Sect Disciples and Inheritance Disciples are reading this book."
Gu An said curiously, "That impressive? Then I have to see, see if it can match up to 'Cyan Hero's Travel.'"
"That kind of low-tier book can compare with 'The Investiture of the Gods'?" Li Ya said disdainfully.
Gu An just smiled.
Li Ya put down the book, picked up his teacup, drank it in one gulp, then said, "I'm leaving for training. It might be ten years before I can return."
For him, ten years was nothing, but for Junior Brother Gu, it was different, so he had come specifically to inform him.
Gu An was not surprised; what cultivator spends a lifetime nestled in a sect? They must go out for training, seeking opportunities, and cultivating both their skills and their hearts.
"Do you have a goal?" Gu An casually asked.
Li Ya revealed a smile, "Indeed, there is. In Jizhou to the far south, a Divinity Transformation Great Cultivator is about to reach his Life's Limit and wishes to choose a suitable inheritor before his death. This person is a Sword Cultivator, and I plan to give it a try."
"Divinity Transformation? What realm is that, and how many levels higher is it than the Nascent Soul Realm?" Gu An asked with feigned curiosity.
Li Ya laughed, "Divinity Transformation is just beyond Nascent Soul. If it were many levels higher than Nascent Soul, he wouldn't be appearing in Tai Cang—this land is not just made up of the Tai Cang Dynasty. It's said that beyond the sea lies a vast world, but without reaching Nascent Soul, it's hard to cross."
He stood up, laughing proudly, "Junior Brother Gu, when I return, I will be the inheritor of a Divinity Transformation Great Cultivator. By then, you calling me Senior Brother may allow you a glimpse of the spells of Divinity Transformation."
With that, he turned, walked to the windowsill, jumped out, and flew away on his sword.
Gu An looked at the footprints on the windowsill, his eyebrow raised.
Divinity Transformation, huh?
He must reach it before Li Ya returns!