Chapter 229 Yang Jian's Yearning
As summer faded into autumn, the Third Medicine Valley gradually took on a withered, yellow hue.
Yang Shi approached the Blood Prison Great Saint, respectfully offering a tray filled with flowers and fruits.
The Blood Prison Great Saint lay sprawled on the ground, glancing at him lazily before asking, âDid you wash them properly?â
Yang quickly nodded and replied in a small voice, âI washed them three times.â
The Blood Prison Great Saint lowered his head to sniff the offering before saying, âNot bad. Keep it up. You can leave now.â
Yang straightened up, bowed deeply, and then stepped away.
Ever since Gu An acknowledged his name, Yang had been more motivated than the other disciples. Not only was he busy handling various chores in the valley, but he also diligently attended to the Blood Prison Great Saint and the White Spirit Mouse. His enthusiasm, however, made other errand disciples look down on him, gradually distancing themselves from him.
Yet, he wasnât bothered by their disdain. Instead, he felt even more hopeful.
Yang was well aware of his mediocre talent. If he simply did the same tasks as the other disciples, the best he could earn was a Foundation Establishment Pill.
But even if he reached the Foundation Establishment Stage, it wouldnât change his fate. The Outer Sect was full of disciples at that level, yet they still remained at the bottom.
However, if he could win the favor of the Valley Master, that would be an entirely different matter!
He had no talent and no background, but in his eyes, Gu An was the greatest opportunity he could ever have.
Yang didnât know how to deliberately curry favor with Gu An, so he simply used his free time to care for Gu Anâs mounts and spiritual pets.
Standing before a wooden fence, Yang looked out at the vast Medicine Valley. Wiping the sweat off his face, his eyes were filled with dreams of the future.
Being able to join this Medicine Valley was already a stroke of great fortune!
Now, he had to seize this opportunity!
A Few Days LaterâŠ
As late autumn arrived, an old acquaintance came to visit Gu Anâit was Wu Jue, whom he hadnât seen in years.
It was Wu Jueâs first time in the Third Medicine Valley, and he was completely stunned by its vastness and grandeur.
âIâm looking for Gu An,â Wu Jue said, grabbing someone nearby. Coincidentally, that person was Yang.
Yang was sweeping the ground and instinctively asked, âMay I ask for your name, Senior? What is your relationship with the Valley Master?â
âMy name is Wu Jue. Gu An and I are brothers. Iâve been away for years, but today, I made a special trip to visit him.â
Hearing this, Yang didnât dare to be careless. He quickly asked Wu Jue to wait while he ran off to inform Xiao Chuan.
Xiao Chuan then made his way to Gu Anâs pavilion, relaying the message at the door.
In truth, Gu An had already sensed Wu Jueâs arrival. However, since Wu Jue had now mastered Qi Concealment Techniques, Gu An couldnât pinpoint his presence. So, he waited for the disciples to pass on the news instead.
âBring him here,â Gu Anâs voice came from inside the room.
Xiao Chuan immediately called out to Yang, who was still downstairs.
Just as Yang turned around, Wu Jue suddenly appeared like a gust of wind, rushing past him in a blur, leaving afterimages in his wake.
Yang stood frozen in shock, watching as Wu Jueâs figure streaked past him and swiftly ascended the building. Even Xiao Chuan, standing on the upper floor, had his hair blown back by the force.
Wu Jue pushed open the door, and the moment he saw Gu An, he smiled. Then, he turned around and shut the door behind him.
Xiao Chuan finally snapped out of his daze and made his way downstairs.
Meanwhile, Yang was still standing there, dumbfounded. It was only when Xiao Chuan gestured for him to follow that he came back to his senses.
He didnât ask any more questions about Wu Jueâs identity, but deep inside, a fierce determination had ignited.
He wanted to become a grand cultivator like Wu Jue!
Inside the Room
Gu An poured Wu Jue a cup of tea while listening to him talk about his experiences over the years.
After sitting down, Gu An casually used his lifespan detection ability on Wu Jue, like opening a blind box.
[Wu Jue (Nascent Soul Stage, Level 8): 124/890/7600]
After all these years, Wu Jueâs maximum lifespan had not increased, meaning he had not gained any insights into the Dao for decades.
Gu An felt a bit disappointed. He had thought Wu Jue would continue his enlightenment indefinitely.
Of course, given Wu Jueâs current talent and status, reaching the Nirvana Stage before 7,600 years old would be effortless.
However, it was a pity that Wu Jue would likely never reach the absolute lifespan limit of 9,999 years.
Wu Jue didnât notice Gu Anâs change in expression as he continued enthusiastically recounting his past.
Gu An listened carefully, reminiscing about the once-timid boy who had now grown into a formidable cultivator.
After a long conversation, Wu Jue finally spoke about his troubles.
âHis Majesty has been treating me very well, trying to win me over. But my master has also been exceptionally kind to me, sparing no effort in nurturing me.
Now, however, my masterâs Zhou Family has not only turned against the Taicang Empire but is also in conflict with the Taixuan Sect...â
Wu Jueâs face was filled with distress.
He had begun his cultivation journey in Taixuan Sect, and his bond with the sect ran deep. When the Zhou Family left Taixuan Sect, it had already put him in a difficult position. That was why he chose to serve Li Xuandao and distance himself from the conflicts.
But now, with the Zhou Family supporting the Da Jiang Dynasty, a three-way war was imminent, and he was once again forced to choose sides.
He had come to ask for Gu Anâs opinion.
Gu An sighed. Human relationships are the hardest debts to repay.
After a moment of thought, he asked, âWho do you think is most important to you?â
Wu Jue remained silent for a moment before answering, âIn my heart, Taixuan Sect is the most important. Both my master and His Majesty only chose me after I had already grown strong. Without Taixuan Sect, I would have never met them.â
He looked up at Gu An, his gaze becoming more resolute.
Gu An smiled. âSince youâve already made up your mind, I have nothing more to say. No matter what you choose, Iâll support you.â
Wu Jue grinned, then sighed. âNow I just need to figure out how to face them in the future.â
âThatâs simple. Just donât become their enemy. You can support Taixuan Sect without completely obeying them. There are many ways to repay kindnessâyou donât have to follow orders blindly.â Gu An reassured him.
Wu Jue nodded in understanding. He then took out several treasures from his storage pouch and laid them on the table.
Demon-Suppressing Pill â Prevents the birth of inner demons.
Sleeve-Gold Sword Formation â Small in size but forms a vast sword array when infused with spiritual energy.
Talking Cricket â Useless, but it can speak and entertain you.
Cloud-Walking Boots â A high-grade magical artifact that allows the user to walk on clouds, a reward Wu Jue received after slaying an enemy general.
Wu Jue introduced each treasure one by one, totaling eight items, all with different uses.
Gu An pretended to refuse, but Wu Jue insisted.
âYou gave me so many pills back thenâI have to repay you!â
After some back-and-forth, Wu Jue glared at him and said, âIf you donât accept them, weâre not brothers anymore!â
Gu An helplessly agreed.
That evening, as Wu Jue left for a meeting with the Taixuan Sect Master, Gu An stood on his balcony, watching him disappear into the horizon.
In the fading sunlight, he noticed Yang staring after Wu Jue in a daze.
A smirk appeared on Gu Anâs lips.
He wonderedâif, in the future, Yangâs name shook the world, even surpassing Wu Jueâs, would Wu Jue remember that the little errand disciple guiding him today was once just a nameless nobody?
His amusement for imagining peopleâs shocked reactions was growing stronger.
Five Years Later
In the blink of an eye, another five years passed.
During this time, An Hao broke through to the Transformation Stage, while Wu Jue reached the Ninth Level of the Nascent Soul Stage and was on the verge of breaking through.
Ever since Wu Jue decided to stay in Taixuan Sect, he never left again. After expressing his loyalty to LĂŒ Baitian, the elder was extremely pleased and began investing vast amounts of resources in him, building up his reputation. Now, Wu Jue ranked among the top three geniuses of Taixuan Sect, securing a position as a True Legacy Disciple.
Meanwhile, Gu An, at the age of 127, had accumulated a lifespan of nearly 1.64 million years. Though he was still far from reaching the one-billion-day milestone, he hadnât yet harvested the high-grade medicinal herbs in his Secluded Celestial Realm, so he was greatly anticipating the boost those herbs would bring.
Over the years, Gu An frequently visited Seekerâs Island to purchase high-grade medicinal herbs. By now, the number of Seventh-Grade Herbs growing within his Secluded Celestial Realm had exceeded 100,000, while the number of Eighth-Grade Herbs had surpassed 10,000. Once they all matured and he harvested them, his lifespan would skyrocket.
A New Threat Looms
One day, Gu An had just returned from Seekerâs Island when he walked into the Third Medicine Valley, his brows slightly furrowed.
More and more Scattered Immortals had started eyeing him lately. He needed to consider buying medicinal herbs from other islands to avoid drawing too much attention.
The price of Seventh-Grade Herbs was astronomically high. Gu Anâs purchasing power on Seekerâs Island had already placed him among the top ten highest spenders, naturally attracting greed and envy.
As he passed by the Blood Prison Great Saint, he noticed Yang standing nearby, diligently scrubbing the Great Saintâs body.
Gu An said casually, âStop pampering him. He spends all day being lazy, only caring about eating and sleeping.â
Yang quickly replied, âItâs no trouble! I have nothing else to do anyway.â
Gu An didnât say more and swiftly walked upstairs.
The Blood Prison Great Saint, however, felt that he had somehow annoyed Gu An. Lowering his voice, he whispered, âYang, come here for a moment.â
Hearing this, Yang immediately crouched down beside him.
âTonight, at midnight, come find me. Iâll teach you a spell,â the Blood Prison Great Saint said in a mysterious tone.
Yangâs expression turned strange. âNo, no, thatâs not necessary. I really didnât help you for any kind of reward.â
After all, he wasnât trying to gain favors from a demon bullâhe wanted to win Gu Anâs favor!
âI donât care! You have to come!â The Blood Prison Great Saint widened his eyes.
Hearing this, Yang had no choice but to agree.
As he stood up and walked away, his gaze naturally drifted toward Gu Anâs pavilion.
If only it were Master Gu An teaching me a spell insteadâŠ
The Ocean Rift
Inside his room, Gu An sat down, spreading his divine sense, gazing eastward toward the Great Ocean Rift.
The rift had stopped expanding, but it still loomed over the ocean, drawing countless high-level cultivators to observe it.