Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

"Who is it?"

The one who asked these two words was not Gu An, but Lv Xian, and Yi Liuyun also looked curiously towards Li Xuandao.

The reputation of Sword Venerable Fudao was truly immense, to the extent that some people already regarded him as the foremost cultivator in the Taicang Dynasty!

Li Xuandao's mouth curved into a smile as he said, "He has a close relationship with Li Ya."

Upon hearing this, Gu An's heart trembled.

How did he guess this step?

Lv Xian furrowed his brows and asked, "Li Ya? What kind of relationship?"

Li Xuandao shook his head and said, "The specific details I cannot tell you, lest I offend the elder."

Elder?

Gu An's heart relaxed somewhat.

Afterward, Li Xuandao talked about other prodigies named in the Golden List gathering, expressing high admiration for the Supreme Sect's organization of the event and noting that Lv Baitian seemed to have become enlightened, no longer as foolish and domineering as before.

After discussing for an ancient hour, only then did Li Xuandao let Gu An go to work.

This time, he had brought a batch of high-rank saplings, which had piqued Gu An's intrigue.

The grade and rank of the herbs in Tianya Valley were also continuously improving, indirectly proving that Li Xuandao's power was increasing.

Although all the herbs in Tianya Valley belonged to Li Xuandao, Gu An was able to harvest a continuous supply of life span from them, so he hoped that Li Xuandao would continue to thrive.

Ah, and he hoped that Lv Baitian would thrive as well, so that everyone could get along harmoniously!

After all, in immortal cultivation, the temporary wins and losses are not important—whoever lives the longest is the true winner.

...

At the end of autumn, relying on the Thousand-Shadow Pearl, Gu An narrowly made it into the top five hundred of the Golden List gathering.

In the upcoming matches, he planned to lose.

Although he had won repeatedly, Gu An had not established a reputation because his victories were too difficult, the battles were unimpressive, and his opponents lacked renown.

At noon, within Mystic Valley.

Gu An was instructing Ye Lan on the Primordial Reincarnation Skill. Ye Lan had already been eliminated, but rather than being discouraged, she felt more determined.

After chatting for several ancient hours, Ye Lan's many confusions about the Primordial Reincarnation Skill had been resolved.

"Senior brother, your achievement in this technique is truly high; it seems you have diligently practiced it in secret, no wonder your cultivation level doesn't increase," Ye Lan remarked.

She felt even more reverence towards Sword Venerable Fudao. It wasn't only his mastery of the Sword Dao, but he also possessed such a miraculous technique.

She was now convinced that Sword Venerable Fudao was Gu An's master. Initially, it was with the Qinghong Sword that Gu An had sought out Sword Venerable Fudao, allowing him to save her.

Once, she had suspected that Gu An was Sword Venerable Fudao, but the cultivation realm displayed by Sword Venerable Fudao was so high, it simply didn't match Gu An's age.

Gu An did not refute, and this explanation suited him just fine.

He raised his right hand, pulled a storage bag through the air, and handed it to Ye Lan, saying, "Take this back with you and cultivate well."

Ye Lan did not check it. She clipped the storage bag to her belt and then stood up, saying, "By the way, senior brother, it's best to keep your distance from Brother Li Ya for the time being. The higher-ups are investigating all members of the Li family within the sect. The intentions aren't clear, but they're definitely not good."

Upon hearing this, Gu An's face showed a puzzled expression, but he nodded his head and stood up to send his junior sister off.

The investigation of the Li family members by the Supreme Sect did not cause Gu An to worry, as this was not the first time such an event had occurred.

The Supreme Sect, though the foremost sect of the righteous path in Taicang, had never ceased its internal strife.

As for whether it would harm Li Ya, that was not Gu An's concern; he couldn't always be watching over Li Ya.

Everyone has their life journey. No matter whether it is good or bad, as long as one perseveres, that experience belongs to them.

Several days later, Gu An went to participate in the Golden List gathering; facing his opponent, he conceded directly, leaving his opponent astounded.

A month later, the top hundred were announced!

Only Wu Jue was at the Foundation Establishment Realm, while the other cultivators were at least at the Elixir Formation Realm. This news quickly spread, causing Wu Jue's fame to soar.

When Lv Baitian brought a sixth-grade Spirit Tree, Gu An couldn't help but mention Wu Jue, hoping that Lv Baitian could find a good master for him.

This made Lv Baitian regard Gu An with greater respect.

"Such a fine talent was spotted by you in advance, and yet you say you're not suited to be the sect leader?" Lv Baitian said with a chuckle.

Gu An laughed and said, "It's all destiny. There are so many prodigies within the Supreme Sect; it doesn't reflect my discernment, only that the Supreme Sect has a profound foundation and great fortune."

Lv Baitian was very satisfied with Gu An's rhetoric. Regardless of whether it was sincere, it was very suitable for a sect leader.

"About Wu Jue, I can't promise you anything. He has already taken Zhou Yu as his master. You must understand, taking An Hao as a disciple, I've already confronted much opposition. I can't take any other talented disciples as my own—Supreme Sect isn't governed by just one person's word," Lv Baitian said meaningfully.

Zhou Yu, one of the Venerable Pavilion in the Supreme Sect, held power even greater than the Hall of Elders.

Having such a person as his master, Wu Jue's future was boundless.

Gu An thought of that true inheritor disciple who had no teacher-student relationship with Lv Baitian, which precisely constrained him.

It seems that within the Supreme Sect, taking disciples also involved weighing benefits and consequences.

Of course, the main reason was still that Lv Baitian was not strong enough, at least unable to suppress the three major families with his own power alone.

"I'm preparing to take action against the Li family, but rest assured, I won't harm Li Ya," Lv Baitian continued to say.

Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately raised his hand and saluted him.

Lv Baitian waved his hand and said, "After the Golden List conference is over, the Supreme Sect will soar, but there are still potential crises. Not to mention the Ephemera Sect Main Lineage at the other end of the Nine Nether Road, there are also those within the nine dynasties who wish to scheme against the Supreme Sect.

To avoid unnecessary trouble, I will visit your Medicine Valley less frequently in the future. You must not indulge yourself any further. Focus on your cultivation, understand?"

In the end, he sounded somewhat helpless.

He had already imparted the Defying Fate Divine Skill to Gu An, but Gu An had yet to make any significant achievements with it.

Gu An nodded and said, "I will manage the Medicine Valley well and not let the Supreme Sect down."

Upon hearing this, Lv Baitian gave him a glare, then stood up and left.

Gu An hurriedly stood up to see him off.

The great snow had already covered the Third Medicine Valley. The sky filled with snowflakes seemed intent on burying everything between heaven and earth, and Lv Baitian's figure soon disappeared into the vast snowy expanse.

Time flew by.

Another Spring Festival arrived, with the Golden List conference concluding the day before the festival.

At dusk, Gu An arrived at Mystic Valley to celebrate the festival with the disciples.

Zhen Qin had just returned from the Outer Sect, discussing the rankings of the Golden List conference with the disciples. After the conference, the Supreme Sect would publish a book detailing the biographies of the top hundred participants, representing a form of authority.

An Hao took the top spot without any suspense.

The second place was not Lv Xian but Sage Xuan Miao from the Three Pure Ones Mountain. The final battle between Sage Xuan Miao and An Hao had become a marvelous tale, completely making the name of the Three Pure Ones Mountain renowned throughout the Taicang Dynasty.

Lv Xian ranked third, presumably depressed by now. Following him, the rankings were mostly dominated by geniuses from influential families. The Zhou, Gu, and Ji families occupied thirty percent of the top hundred places.

The dominance of the three major families was clear for all to see!

Wu Jue, with his Cultivation Level at the Foundation Establishment Realm, broke into the top twenty, but faced an overwhelming defeat against An Hao early on. Despite this, he had proven himself and had become a true genius.

After sitting down, Gu An listened to the disciples excitedly discussing the Golden List conference and showed interest as well.

The disciples also praised him; they all took pride in his being among the top five hundred.

"Master, tomorrow I must leave for a mission, and I might not return for two or three years..."

Zhen Qin sat beside Gu An speaking, while Gu An's thoughts drifted afar.

The high-rank medical herbs in the Mystic Heaven Cave Mansion should be ready!

...

Seven days after the Spring Festival had passed, that night, Gu An arrived at the Mystic Heaven Cave Mansion. After harvesting the matured herbs, obtaining almost twenty thousand years of lifespan, he began planting.

After years of cultivation, the Mystic Heaven Cave Mansion was now filled with herbs of grade four and above, constantly providing him with lifespan.

Relying on his current Medicine Valley alone, Gu An saw the doors to millions of years of lifespan drawing near.

He had already begun contemplating his next breakthrough.

Reaching the Mahayana Realm was about to pull apart the Spiritual Energy of the North Sea Mountains. He would need to find a place with more abundant Spiritual Energy for his next advancement.

For his next breakthrough, Gu An planned to use at least five million years of lifespan to advance, and he was looking forward to what realm he could reach.

After planting, Gu An sat down at the stone table, pouring himself some tea to enjoy a moment of leisure, while spreading his Divine Sense to check the movements in the North Sea Mountains.

For cultivators, the North Sea Mountains were a great place for training, and with the start of the Golden List conference, the struggles in the North Sea Mountains had intensified.

Huh?

Gu An suddenly saw a battle, one person in it catching his attention.

Sage Xuan Miao of the Three Pure Ones Mountain!

This genius, who had surpassed Lv Xian, left a deep impression on Gu An.

Under the dark night, the fierce wind was rampant, various spells continuously falling, ravaging the mountains and forests.

Sage Xuan Miao, holding a sword in his right hand and a horsetail whisk in his left, a Dharma Aspect with three heads and six arms condensed behind him. Facing the siege of several Divinity Transformation Realm cultivators, he was not at a disadvantage.

This three-headed and six-armed Dharma Aspect contained far greater Spiritual Power than Sage Xuan Miao himself, and each of its six arms could execute different spells.

This Divine Skill is impressive!

Gu An sipped his tea while enjoying watching the battle.

These dozens of cultivators probably weren't a match for Sage Xuan Miao, but stealthily, a Great Cultivator from the Void Crossing Realm was itching to move, and the odds seemed against Sage Xuan Miao.

Gu An had no intention of intervening. Other people's grudges and grievances were not his concern.

Even if Sage Xuan Miao died here, it would just show he was lacking in fate.

Gu An only saved those related to him.

Thirty minutes later, the covert Great Cultivator from the Void Crossing Realm made a move, still with a sneak attack, dispersing Sage Xuan Miao's Dharma Aspect with one strike, causing Sage Xuan Miao to vomit blood and crash into the forest.

Seeing this, the injured Divinity Transformation Realm cultivators all heaved a sigh of relief, then praised the Great Cultivator from the Void Crossing Realm.

Just when Gu An thought Sage Xuan Miao was doomed, he suddenly sensed something and raised his eyebrows slightly.

A whirlwind rose from the forest where Sage Xuan Miao had fallen, lifting trees into the night sky, while he meditated among the ruins, surrounded by aqua runes, which emitted rays of aqua light stars above his head, condensing into a massive gate.

The gate slowly opened, streams of vast aura pouring out from within, causing the Great Cultivator from the Void Crossing Realm's expression to drastically change, prompting him to immediately turn and flee.

"Where are you escaping to?"

A hoarse voice echoed through the heavens and the earth.