Chapter 91: Seven Hundred Thousand Years of Lifespan, Primeval Offspring

Hearing Shen Zhen’s words, Gu An nearly lost his composure. He hurriedly clarified, “How could that be possible? I was just trying to scare you. There’s no way I would write something like that.”

He had to explain himself; otherwise, Shen Zhen might misunderstand him.

Shen Zhen stared at him, as if trying to see through his facade. But Gu An remained calm and composed, with a clear conscience.

“Alright, I’ll believe you then,” Shen Zhen said softly, though her tone was different from before, making it hard for Gu An to gauge her thoughts.

Gu An walked over to the tea table and began heating water to brew tea. When he placed a teacup in front of Shen Zhen, she finally spoke. “Actually, I came to see you for another reason.”

“Go ahead,” Gu An replied, taking a seat at the table.

“It’s said that the former Elder Tian from Medicine Valley is now the current Sect Master, Lü Baitian. Is that true?” Shen Zhen asked.

Gu An felt there was no need to hide this, so he nodded. Ever since the battle six months ago, neither Gu Zong nor Ji Hantian had made an appearance. Perhaps they had been dealt with by Lü Baitian.

Gu Zong was understandable, as he was clearly part of Lü Baitian’s faction. But Ji Hantian? He had publicly insulted Lü Baitian in the Third Medicine Valley and openly declared his desire to become the Sect Master.

“I’d like you to arrange a meeting with Sect Master Lü for me. This is a personal request and does not represent Dao Tian Sect,” Shen Zhen said, locking eyes with Gu An.

Gu An frowned, hesitating.

Shen Zhen retrieved a red wooden box from her storage pouch. “This is a piece of Sixth-Grade Spirit Tree, Purple Mist Bamboo. Just one segment can grow into a whole bamboo forest. If planted at the edge of Medicine Valley, it can form an automatic Purple Mist Maze. The bamboo shoots are also premium medicinal materials with high market value.”

“What’s the meaning of this? What kind of relationship do we have that you’d go to such lengths?” Gu An’s tone turned serious as he accepted the wooden box into his storage pouch. Then, with a solemn expression, he added, “If you need something, just ask. There’s no need for this—let it be the last time!”

Shen Zhen blinked in surprise before letting out a soft chuckle, covering her mouth as she laughed.

Her laughter made her eyes sparkle, which Gu An couldn’t help but notice. His playful remark seemed to ease the awkward atmosphere between them, and their conversation soon returned to its usual relaxed state.

They talked for a long time before Shen Zhen finally left. Gu An, meanwhile, started wandering around Medicine Valley, searching for a suitable place to plant the Purple Mist Bamboo.

Eventually, he decided on a spot in the southern mountainous edge and assigned Tang Yu to guard the area. Now, he was looking forward to Lü Baitian’s visit—not for Shen Zhen’s sake, but because of Lü Baitian’s promise.

Lü Baitian had told him he could ask for anything!

Gu An wasn’t interested in acquiring a fourth Medicine Valley yet. Instead, he wanted high-grade medicinal seeds to gradually replace the low-grade ones. If he could plant high-grade seeds over an area spanning a hundred miles, his lifespan earnings would skyrocket.

Once he reached a million years of lifespan and unlocked new abilities, he planned to elevate himself comprehensively!

Days turned into weeks. By early autumn, Lü Baitian finally arrived.

Dressed in a black robe adorned with dragon patterns, his black hair was neatly tied under a jade crown. His face exuded authority, a stark contrast to the Elder Tian of the past. Now, he fully embodied the demeanor of a Sect Master.

As soon as Gu An saw him, he used his lifespan probe.

[Lü Baitian (Ninth-Level Integration Stage): 755/3150/3200]

Good heavens! As expected, Ninth-Level Integration Stage!

However, his lifespan was already nearing its limit and would be difficult to extend further.

Gu An suddenly recalled something. Could Chu Xian’s sacrificial array in the outer sect have been prepared for Lü Baitian? No, that didn’t seem likely—Lü Baitian had wiped out the Chu family. It must have been unrelated.

While thinking, Gu An stepped forward to welcome Lü Baitian. The two entered the house for a discussion.

Lü Baitian took out four booklets from his storage pouch and placed them on the table. “I’ve established the Venerable Pavilion as per your suggestion. These are the four members of the pavilion. Take a look.”

Gu An immediately picked up one of the booklets. Inside were not only the members’ names and portraits but also detailed information about their backgrounds and life experiences.

He quickly flipped through the pages, seemingly casual but memorizing everything.

The last booklet detailed the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path, also known in the cultivation world as the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal, who was revered as the Sword Sovereign in the Taixuan Sect.

Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path, Gu Gua, Ji Hengshi, Zhou Yu.

Incredible. These just happened to be the strongest members of the three major clans of the Taicang Empire! And all of them were at the Integration Stage!

Gu An had yet to meet these three individuals. So far, he had encountered six Integration Stage cultivators: Lü Baitian, Ji Hantian, Gu Gua, Ji Hengshi, Zhou Yu, and Lei Zhen. And this wasn’t even the full strength of the Taixuan Sect.

He also remembered that the strongest individual in the Taixuan Sect was its True Legacy First Disciple, who had already left the Taicang Empire.

He wondered if the Taixuan Sect had a Grand Elder in seclusion.

As he marveled at the revelation, Gu An asked, “Sect Master, isn’t it inappropriate for me to see this information?”

Lü Baitian chuckled. “If you decide to write another story like

Romance of the Gods

, you can include the Taixuan Sect. The Taixuan Sect depicted in

Taixuan Immortal Venerable

is a bit shallow and lacks depth.”

“I’ll think about it later. For now, I’ll focus on finishing

Taixuan Immortal Venerable

,” Gu An replied. The novel was planned to be over five million words long, with each volume containing just over a hundred thousand words. At his pace of one volume per year—or even two years—it was still far from completion.

Moreover,

Taixuan Immortal Venerable

brought in substantial Spirit Stone earnings, far surpassing

Romance of the Gods

. He wasn’t ready to give it up just yet.

Lü Baitian smiled and didn’t press further.

Gu An then mentioned Shen Zhen’s request, which Lü Baitian agreed to immediately without any hesitation.

“Sect Master, do your previous words still stand?” Gu An asked.

“What’s this? Have you had a change of heart and want to become Sect Master?” Lü Baitian narrowed his eyes, clearly pleased.

“No, it’s just… you said I could ask for anything. I’d like more high-grade medicinal seeds. I’m even willing to grow them for you. Once the herbs mature, I’ll deliver them to you. I want to explore the world’s rare herbs to enhance my cultivation of planting techniques,” Gu An explained quickly.

“Planting techniques…” Lü Baitian’s lips twitched, his expression complicated.

In the end, Lü Baitian agreed and promised to send the seeds in the coming days.

Gu An then went to fetch Shen Zhen and brought her to meet Lü Baitian. After they were introduced, Gu An excused himself, leaving them to talk.

This time, Lü Baitian cast a restriction, preventing even Gu An from eavesdropping. They spoke for an entire hour before parting ways, with Lü Baitian leaving first.

Standing beside Gu An, Shen Zhen watched Lü Baitian depart before turning to him with a smile. “Aren’t you curious about what we talked about?”

Gu An shook his head. “I wouldn’t dare ask, nor do I want to know. It might cause trouble.”

“I traded some information with him for Taixuan Sect’s strongest musical technique. Once I master it, I’ll show you,” Shen Zhen said with a smile. After speaking, she leapt into the air and flew toward her cave residence.

Gu An didn’t think much about it. Shen Zhen’s actions had nothing to do with him, as long as they didn’t pose a threat to him. Instead, he began to look forward to Lü Baitian’s high-grade medicinal seeds.

Five days later, Lü Baitian’s people arrived and handed Gu An a storage pouch. Using his spiritual sense to inspect it, he found an impressive collection—tens of thousands of high-quality seeds. Along with the seeds, there was a booklet and a letter.

Back in his room, Gu An opened the letter. Lü Baitian explained that the seeds were his personal contribution and did not involve Taixuan Sect’s resources. If Gu An cultivated them well, he could keep half the profits; if not, he would have to become Lü Baitian’s disciple.

Reading this, Gu An sighed helplessly.

He couldn’t understand why Lü Baitian was so intent on making him his disciple.

“Could it be that he’s been charmed by my personality?” Gu An mused.

Five years passed in the blink of an eye.

During this time, Taixuan Sect remained relatively peaceful, and Gu An’s life grew quiet. Ye Lan, Shen Zhen, Li Ya, Jiang Qiong, and Gu Yu were all focused on their cultivation and rarely came to see him.

Although the righteous-demonic war ended swiftly, its influence lingered.

One noon, Gu An used the teleportation array to arrive at Xuan Valley. He was in a great mood, even humming a little tune.

He had just done some calculations and realized his annual lifespan earnings were likely to surpass 100,000 years this year. His total lifespan had already exceeded 700,000 years. A million-year lifespan was within reach, and he was eager to grow stronger.

Upon reaching Xuan Valley, he sensed Li Ya’s presence. Li Ya was upstairs in a pavilion, drinking tea with Yang Ni. Since Li Ya wasn’t concealing his aura, Gu An headed straight for the pavilion.

When Gu An entered the room, Li Ya was the first to speak.

“Junior Brother Gu, I’ve decided to leave Taixuan Sect and train in the Northern Sea Mountain Range. I won’t return until I reach the Nascent Soul Stage.”

Curious, Gu An asked, “What kind of place is the Northern Sea Mountain Range?”

Li Ya chuckled. “The Northern Sea Mountain Range lies north of the Taicang Empire. Its size rivals the entire empire and is surrounded by four other empires. It’s a haven for monsters and a place where cultivators seek opportunities and hone their skills. But it’s also incredibly dangerous.”

Hearing this, Gu An suddenly felt the Northern Sea Mountain Range might be an ideal location for his next breakthrough. Transitioning from the Ninth-Level Integration Stage to a higher realm would undoubtedly cause a significant disturbance. It would be best to stay far from Taixuan Sect.

“You’re not planning to go there in search of the Northern Sea Kunfish, are you?” Yang Ni asked.

Li Ya scratched his head. “So, you figured it out. Two years ago, there were reports of the Northern Sea Kunfish appearing in the mountain range. I want to check it out. Besides, it’s a good excuse to avoid those people my royal father keeps assigning to me.”

Gu An took a seat and asked, “What’s the Northern Sea Kunfish?”

Yang Ni shot him a glance and said, “You remember the Netherbird from before, don’t you? There are ancient offspring in this world. Unlike ordinary monsters, they’re incredibly massive. Their transformation into humanoid forms is far more challenging than for the demon clans. Because of their size, they are often worshipped by humans as mountain or sea gods. Their movements are mysterious and unpredictable.”

Gu An grew even more intrigued and began asking about other ancient offspring in the world. Yang Ni casually described a few, leaving him utterly captivated.

“Well, it’s time for me to go. Recently, a young talent named An Hao appeared in the sect. He’s only twenty-two and already preparing to form his core. It’s unbelievable. I have to train harder so I don’t end up as his stepping stone,” Li Ya said as he stood up.

Hearing this, Gu An agreed that An Hao’s cultivation speed was astonishing.

It was clear Lü Baitian valued An Hao highly, given the immense resources he must have invested in him.

While Gu An was pondering, Li Ya climbed out the window and left.

“Still can’t break that bad habit!” Gu An muttered.

Turning to Yang Ni, he asked, “Now that he’s gone, what about you?”

“I’m staying. Tending to flowers and plants with you is oddly enjoyable—much better than all that fighting and killing,” Yang Ni replied.