Chapter 61: The Secrets of Taixuan Sect and the Divide Between Righteousness and Demonic Paths

After Li Ya left, Gu An discreetly placed Elder Chen’s storage pouch into the Eight Views Celestial Realm. That afternoon, he made his way to the Third Medicine Valley.

He wandered around, inspecting the area, but his brows were tightly furrowed.

For a long while, Elder Tian didn’t approach him.

Finally, the elder took the bait.

He came over and asked curiously, “Valley Master, why have you been frowning all this time?”

Gu An glanced at him, shook his head slightly, and remained silent.

Elder Tian stepped closer and said, “Maybe I can’t help you directly, but sometimes sharing your troubles can ease the burden. I can offer an outsider’s perspective.”

Upon hearing this, Gu An sighed deeply and began recounting the events in the Outer Sect. He even mentioned that Li Ya, at the first level of the Core Formation Stage, had been injured while protecting him.

The deliberate mention of Li Ya was to ensure the former sect master remembered Li Ya’s contributions.

Gu An had a feeling that Elder Tian wouldn’t spend the rest of his life here peacefully. There was always the chance he might return to prominence one day.

When Gu An finished speaking, Elder Tian furrowed his brows.

Unable to contain himself, Gu An complained, “The Demon-Slaying Hall in the Outer Sect spends all day hunting demonic infiltrators, yet after so many years, demonic cultivators still manage to sneak into the Taixuan Sect. Can the Taixuan Sect even claim to be the leading sect? Disciples can’t even feel safe within its walls!”

“If I were killed, that’s one thing, but I worry about my disciples.”

At this point, he sighed again, filled with worry and frustration.

Even Gu An mentally applauded his own acting skills. If acting could be listed as an attribute on his cultivation panel, his skill would undoubtedly have reached the pinnacle of mastery, perhaps even close to transcendent simplicity.

Elder Tian sighed along with him. “That does sound troublesome. However, the cultivation world has always been this way. Regardless of the sect, errand disciples are never given much regard. To put it bluntly, they don’t even see errand disciples as proper disciples.”

Gu An frowned, this time genuinely.

Hearing these words from the mouth of a former sect master felt particularly jarring.

“But I’ve heard the new sect master is benevolent and was elected with the unanimous support of the Elder Hall. Perhaps he will bring about some change—at least he’s better than the previous sect master,” Elder Tian added, his expression unchanged. It was hard to tell if he was being genuinely supportive or sarcastic. ʀ

Gu An didn’t respond, merely sighing again before resuming his inspection of the herbs.

Elder Tian didn’t follow, likely wary of overstepping.

An hour later, Gu An returned to Xuan Valley.

In recent days, Gu An had decided to stay in Xuan Valley, ensuring that if he traveled elsewhere, he would return the same day.

The disciples of Xuan Valley were puzzled as to why their master had been staying in the valley so often. It wasn’t until Wu Xin and Tang Yu visited the Outer Sect that they learned about the recent demonic infiltration. While this news made them anxious, it also moved them deeply.

Their master truly cared for them!

Since the establishment of the Third Medicine Valley, many disciples had felt distanced from Gu An, but now, they felt a renewed sense of closeness.

Wu Xin, in particular, felt the pressure mounting. He began pushing the disciples to practice their techniques diligently, ensuring everyone had some ability to protect themselves.

He even purchased loud, attention-grabbing techniques from the Outer Sect to train the disciples.

Though it was unlikely they could defeat demonic cultivators, making enough noise during a fight might buy time for Outer Sect support to arrive.

Gu An didn’t stop him. Perhaps this situation could strengthen the unity of Xuan Valley and help Wu Xin develop his leadership and organizational skills.

Several days later, Ye Lan arrived.

Like Li Ya, her visit was out of concern for Gu An.

Inside the pavilion, Ye Lan took out a treasured sword from her storage pouch, placed it on the table, and said, “Recently, demonic cultivators have been appearing, and their cultivation levels are quite high. This sword is called the Qinghong Sword. Carry it with you. It doesn’t have great offensive power, but it’s linked to my White Spirit Sword. If you’re in danger, I’ll sense it immediately and come to your aid.”

Gu An couldn’t help but laugh and said, “Junior Sister, your cultivation level is only a few stages higher than mine. Don’t come here just to get yourself killed!”

Get herself killed?

Ye Lan only needed a moment to grasp his meaning. She glared at him and huffed, “Senior Brother, if we really fought, I could subdue you in one move. Don’t let my demeanor here fool you—others don’t see me the same way you do.”

“It seems I’ve underestimated you, Junior Sister. My apologies,” Gu An replied with a smile as he picked up the Qinghong Sword.

The scabbard was intricately designed, with a carving of a wild goose spreading its wings amidst the clouds. It was quite elegant. He unsheathed the sword, and with a flash of light, a slender blade appeared before his eyes.

“It’s beautiful. I’ll wear it on my waist from now on,” Gu An said with a smile.

His words made Ye Lan beam with joy.

Gu An noticed that while Ye Lan’s beauty wasn’t as striking as Ji Xuanyu or Li Xuanyu, it grew on him the longer he looked at her.

Ye Lan sat down and watched him fiddle with the Qinghong Sword, smiling all the while.

Suddenly curious, Gu An asked, “If you were in danger, could the Qinghong Sword sense the White Spirit Sword?”

Ye Lan raised an eyebrow and said, “What, Senior Brother, are you planning to protect me?”

“Hahaha, as if! You know full well I’ve never been in a real fight. I’d only be a burden.”

“As long as you know that, Senior Brother. If I’m ever in danger, don’t come.”

“Don’t worry, I’m afraid of death.”

“Hehe, me too. I’ll never die. Without me, who’d stop others from bullying you, Senior Brother?”

“Nonsense. Have I ever been bullied all these years?”

“Then here’s to wishing you a lifetime of safety, Senior Brother.”

...

After Li Ya left, Xuan Valley had been peaceful. When autumn arrived, Gu An calculated the time and realized that a batch of herbs in the Third Medicine Valley should be ready for harvest. Thus, he returned to the valley.

As he stepped out of the teleportation array, his gaze instinctively shifted to his pavilion.

Someone was inside.

It was Shen Zhen.

Gu An didn’t approach her directly—after all, there were no secrets in that pavilion. The only thing of note was the

Adventures of the Green Hero

, which Shen Zhen happened to enjoy as well.

He walked into one of the gardens and began harvesting the herbs. Watching the prompts for lifespan increases appear repeatedly before him, a satisfied smile spread across his face.

No matter how high his cultivation reached, he always felt a surge of joy whenever he saw his lifespan increase.

Who knew how many realms of cultivation a lifespan of a million years could take him?

Despite searching through all the books in the Outer Sect Library Hall, Gu An had never found any records of ascension. No one seemed to know the true size of this world either.

The larger the world, the higher the cultivation realms. The Taixuan Sect alone had Void Transformation Grandmasters. That True Legacy First Disciple who was traveling abroad might have surpassed the Void Transformation Stage by now, yet even he couldn’t claim to be invincible in this world.

The path of cultivation was long and arduous.

As he harvested, Gu An’s thoughts wandered aimlessly.

When he finished collecting the herbs, he turned and headed toward his pavilion.

As he passed by Elder Tian, the elder remarked, “That young lady, Miss Shen, has come looking for you a few times.”

Gu An nodded slightly and continued walking.

After a moment of hesitation, Elder Tian added, “I’ve passed along what you said to the elders of Gu Zong. Perhaps it will lead to improvements in the Outer Sect.”

Hearing this, Gu An turned back to him with a smile. “Elder Tian, you see? Everyone has their own purpose. You always say you’re ready for the grave, yet here you are helping thousands of disciples in the Outer Sect. Thank you.”

He cupped his hands in salute before turning and leaving.

Elder Tian stood there in thought, murmuring to himself, “Everyone has their own purpose...”

In the Pavilion

Gu An ascended the stairs and pushed open the door. He found Shen Zhen seated at the desk, writing with a brush. She was dressed in her usual black attire, a veil covering her face. Her hair was styled in a bun, with two soft strands framing her face. Her delicate brows and eyes exuded a gentle and serene beauty.

Shen Zhen didn’t look up, as though she hadn’t noticed Gu An enter.

Gu An walked over and stood beside her, trying to see what she was writing.

At that moment, she calmly stopped writing and tucked the paper away.

But Gu An had already caught a glimpse of its contents, and his expression turned peculiar as though he had something to say but hesitated.

Shen Zhen rose, slipping the paper into her sleeve as she moved aside to put some distance between them. She smiled and said, “I came looking for you several times, but you were never here. Is that Outer Sect medicine valley really so captivating?”

Gu An sighed and replied, “The Outer Sect has been unsafe lately. I can’t bring all my disciples back here, so I need to stay and guard them. After all, my cultivation is higher than theirs.”

He deliberately shared this information, hoping Shen Zhen would pass it along to others higher up.

Every additional voice increased the likelihood of change.

“With your current accomplishments, entering the Inner Sect—or even living in Taixuan Sect’s main city—shouldn’t be an issue. Why not focus on writing your books instead of involving yourself in these trivial matters?” Shen Zhen asked curiously.

Gu An countered, “You’re the Saintess of the Dao Tian Sect, with resources most people could only dream of. Why don’t you dedicate yourself to cultivation instead of immersing yourself in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting?”

Shen Zhen fell silent.

Gu An started tidying up the desk.

After a while, Shen Zhen sighed. “As expected of the one who wrote

Taixuan Immortal Venerable

. You truly are the only person in the world who understands me. If you were to die, I’d lose not only a good book but also a kindred spirit.”

“No, I can’t let you die. Let me tell you a secret.”

She raised her sleeve, and with a wave, the door shut. Sheets of talisman paper flew out, sealing the doors and windows.

Gu An watched her curiously. What secret could possibly save his life?

“There are people within the Taixuan Sect practicing demonic arts to break through to higher cultivation levels and prepare for the upcoming Demonic Cataclysm. However, whether these techniques will succeed remains uncertain. Your Outer Sect city is essentially a testing ground. This can’t be done openly, of course, as it would tarnish the sect’s reputation. So they use the pretense of hunting demonic cultivators to cover their tracks,” Shen Zhen said calmly, her gaze colder than ever.

Gu An frowned and asked, “How do you know this?”

“Because the Dao Tian Sect is attempting the same thing. Sacrificing some lower-tier disciples to ensure the sect’s survival—it’s a legacy for future generations,” Shen Zhen replied.

Hearing this, Gu An felt deeply unsettled.

“What kind of demonic art requires sacrificing disciples?” he pressed.

“As cultivators, we defy the heavens. But the higher the realm, the more we feel bound by fate. These demonic arts are for Grandmasters who’ve hit a bottleneck to break free of their fates. In short, you should abandon the Outer Sect medicine valley. Staying there won’t do you any good. They fear you’ll write about this, so they won’t tell you. And don’t mention I told you.”

Shen Zhen’s words left Gu An silent.

The divide between righteousness and demonic paths seemed absurd at that moment.

Shen Zhen’s eyes curved with a smile as she asked, “By the way, what did you think of my writing earlier?”

Gu An’s expression turned peculiar again. He responded seriously, “

Adventures of the Green Hero

has its flaws. There are some things in it that shouldn’t be emulated.”

“Why not? Those parts capture the most genuine emotions.”

“Do you really have to write them?”

“Yes.”

“Then can the protagonist at least not be named Gu An?”

...