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

Gu An heard Sage Xuan Miao's mutterings, which silenced him.

"To seek blessing, they come to my home?"

His gaze fell on the compass in Sage Xuan Miao's hands, curious about what kind of treasure it was that could search for blessings, far more powerful than his White Spirit Rat.

Ever since the Mystic Pure Tree had appeared, the White Spirit Rat spent all day napping and no longer went out to hunt for treasures; it was practically useless now.

The forest at night was quiet and serene, with wisps of mist swirling among the trees. Sage Xuan Miao could see the figures of ghosts drifting past, but he remained indifferent.

Whoosh—

A gust of wind blew from ahead, billowing Sage Xuan Miao's Daoist robe and making him squint his eyes.

"This is the Land of the Mountain God, forbidden to mortals."

A voice, ethereal as mist, made Sage Xuan Miao halt, and he looked up, unable to see the speaker. Even when using divine sense to search, he could not detect the slightest sign of life.

Sage Xuan Miao was sure he wasn't hearing things, so he clasped his hands in a salute and said, "I am Li Xuanmiao, a dedicated disciple of the Taiqing Lineage from Three Pure Ones Mountain of the Chentang Dynasty."

A last name Li?

Li Xuanmiao, Li Xuandao—if there's no connection, Gu An wouldn't believe it even if he were beaten to death.

The mention of the Three Pure Ones also made Gu An think of the Three Pure Ones in the Daoist mythology of his previous life in the Huaxia world. Was there a connection?

There probably wasn't; otherwise, his writing of the Investiture of the Gods would have already caused trouble.

Perhaps the way of the Three Pure Ones reflects across all heavens, with traces of the Three Pure Ones present in this world as well as in the Huaxia world?

Gu An's thoughts raced, but he did not immediately reply.

Sage Xuan Miao continued, "I come in search of blessing. May I have the honor of meeting the Mountain God?"

He seemed not to question Gu An's words, which made Gu An wonder.

Could there actually be a Mountain God in the world, making the idea seem normal to Sage Xuan Miao?

This made Gu An suddenly consider getting to know Sage Xuan Miao better to increase his understanding of this world.

"Why do you seek the Mountain God?"

Gu An's voice rose once more, remaining elusive.

Sage Xuan Miao said, "Meeting an immortal of the mortal world is an elusive fortune in life. Of course, I do have a selfish wish."

Meeting the Mountain God thrilled him, even more meaningful than finding treasures.

With his cultivation level of the Divinity Transformation Realm, he scanned in all directions, unable to find the other party, indicating an enormous disparity in cultivation levels. Even if the other wasn't the Mountain God, they were a Great Cultivator whose realm far surpassed his own.

The fact that the other did not attack him right away showed that they were not evil. Whether they were the Mountain God or not, it was worth making their acquaintance.

Whoosh—

A strong gust of wind faced him, scattering leaves and forcing Sage Xuan Miao to raise his hand to shield himself.

When the wind had passed, Sage Xuan Miao looked ahead, his pupils suddenly contracting, his face showing astonishment.

Following his gaze, there was a tiny figure in white standing on a large tree ahead.

That's right!

A tiny person!

Just three inches tall, small enough to be held in one hand!

This person wore white clothes and a theatrical mask on their face, appearing very mysterious.

This white-clothed tiny person was Gu An, who had used the Great and Minor Ruyi Divine Power to shrink himself.

Great and Minor Ruyi was a divine power awakened by the Primordial Ruyi Skill, which was itself his Energy Concealing Skill, transformed and evolved from the Energy Nurturing Skill.

Sage Xuan Miao immediately knelt on one knee, raised his hand in salute, and said, "Li Xuanmiao pays respect to the Mountain God!"

He could feel it wasn't an illusion; it was the first time he had seen such a tiny person, which instantly made him believe the other was the Mountain God.

He had never seen spells or divine powers that made one shrink, only spells that captured people in small spaces.

Gu An leaped onto the tree branch, arriving at the tip, and looked down at Sage Xuan Miao, asking, "What treasure do you hold in your hand?"

He cast a Life Span Detection.

[Sage Xuan Miao (Fifth Layer of Divinity Transformation Realm): 198/900/4500]

A maximum life span of four thousand five hundred years?

It didn't quite match his performance.

It appears the legacy of Three Pure Ones Mountain is strong!

Sage Xuan Miao promptly replied, "This is a treasure passed down through generations in my Three Pure Ones Mountain. If one keeps it close, and once the qi fate connects with the treasure, it will guide me to my destined fortune and hasten my growth process."

As he spoke this, a smile adorned his face.

Destined he was to meet the Mountain god!

Gu An, however, thought to himself, could it be that Mystic Heaven Cave Mansion was supposed to belong to Sage Xuan Miao?

Indeed possible. If it weren't for him possessing a Golden Finger similar to a system, he wouldn't have come to the North Sea mountains to undergo tribulation, wouldn't have caused the rupture of Mystic Heaven Cave Mansion, and the Cave Mansion wouldn't naturally belong to him.

In this light, it was Gu An who seized Sage Xuan Miao's opportunity.

Sage Xuan Miao then said, "Senior Mountain God, I have just taken a disciple, but he is afflicted with severe poison, and I am unable to cure him. Could you possibly take a look at him?"

He had only been seeking fortune, but he didn't expect to encounter the Mountain God. Since it was a deity, perhaps he could help him with his concerns.

Gu An remained silent, but raised a hand, touched his chin with his left hand, and supported his left elbow with his right hand, shaking his head thoughtfully as he observed Sage Xuan Miao.

Realizing this, Sage Xuan Miao flipped open his right hand, and a Lingzhi mushroom appeared out of thin air in his palm. He presented it with both hands, saying, "This is a sixth-grade Earth Mystic Lingzhi, I hope the Mountain God likes it."

Gu An reached out and drew the Lingzhi into his hand. The Earth Mystic Lingzhi was larger than his whole body and looked rather comical as he held it.

Sage Xuan Miao did not find it amusing, on the contrary, he felt it was full of spirituality.

The actions and thoughts of an immortal should not be speculated upon or defined by mortals.

"Come here with your disciple at this hour tomorrow night," Gu An said.

Sage Xuan Miao immediately gave thanks; when he looked up again, Gu An had vanished.

He smiled, stood up, and left without proceeding further, a move that made Gu An quite satisfied with him.

At least for now, Sage Xuan Miao did not seem to be the deeply calculating, scheming type.

When Gu An had previously probed into Sage Xuan Miao, he also noticed his demon disciple and saw through the poison within the demon, which he happened to be able to cure.

After Sage Xuan Miao left, Gu An returned to the Eight Scenic Caves and began alchemy.

He took out an Ephemera that he had been storing and placed it in the pill furnace. Then, he condensed Taiching True Fire and ignited the dry firewood beneath the furnace.

A thought suddenly occurred to him.

Perhaps the alchemy of Mystic Valley had also been passed down from Three Pure Ones Mountain, which is why he could produce Taiching True Fire.

Indeed, it was possible!

...

The second night, Sage Xuan Miao arrived with his disciple, still in the same woods shrouded in mist.

The Fox Demon youth was very nervous, clinging to Sage Xuan Miao and constantly scanning the surroundings, fearing the emergence of evil spirits.

Sage Xuan Miao lifted his garment and knelt on the spot, instructing the Fox Demon youth to kneel as well.

After a while, a strong wind blew by.

A thumb-sized pill rolled up to Sage Xuan Miao's knees, and he couldn't help but pick it up.

"Let your disciple take it," Gu An's voice floated over, and without hesitation, Sage Xuan Miao instructed the Fox Demon youth to swallow it.

The elixir dissolved upon entering the mouth. Sage Xuan Miao grabbed the Fox Demon youth's wrist, carefully feeling for any changes, and soon, his face lit up with joy.

He looked up and asked, "May I ask, Mountain God, what poison was in my disciple?"

"The poison of the Ephemera. He must have gone to a place where Ephemeras grow and ingested some by mistake," Gu An replied from atop a branch.

The petite Mountain God elicited a wide-eyed stare from the Fox Demon youth.

Sage Xuan Miao's complexion darkened as he clenched his teeth, "The Ephemera Sect has indeed been a blight for a thousand years, their crimes are unpardonable!"

Gu An crouched on the branch, looking at them, "Your disciple has been saved. It's time for you to go. Remember, don't reveal my existence to anyone, or I will trouble you."

Sage Xuan Miao looked up, "Mountain God, would you impart to me the ultimate skill to become number one in the world? I am willing to exchange all that I have."

Being defeated by An Hao had become his obsession.

This was also why he had been reluctant to return, as he felt too ashamed to face his peers.

"The first in the world? If you could become the first, you wouldn't be seeking me out. Since you can't become the first, all that you have is not worth the value of the first," Gu An said casually.

A look of hope sparked in Sage Xuan Miao's face despite his displeased expression.

The Mountain God had not rejected him!

He had only been testing the waters but now saw a real possibility.

After all, no disciple from Three Pure Ones Mountain had ever encountered a terrestrial immortal; such beings were incredibly elusive.

Sage Xuan Miao said, "Please, Mountain God, enlighten me. As long as it doesn't contravene the principles of Three Pure Ones Mountain, I will surely comply!"

Gu An feigned deep contemplation, arms crossed, and after a while, he suddenly spoke, "I have it. The divine skill you used to summon the Mystic Heart Realm cultivator, give it to me in exchange."

Sage Xuan Miao's face changed drastically.

His reverence for the Mountain God deepened!

The Mountain God could discern his reliance on rituals, showing the high level of the Mountain God's practice.

Moreover, the location of that battle was so far from here.

Sage Xuan Miao hastily said, "The skill is called Divine-Reaching Mystic Gate. It can only summon others and poses no harm to the common people. I am willing to exchange it with you, Mountain God."

While speaking, he took out a scroll from his sleeve and held it up.

Gu An gestured, and the scroll flew to his side. After a brief scan with his divine sense and ensuring its authenticity, he waved his right hand.

A book quickly landed in front of Sage Xuan Miao.

Nine Extremes Yin Yang Body!

Seeing these five characters, Sage Xuan Miao's eyes lit up.

Sooner or later, Gu An planned to advance the Nine Extremes Yin Yang Body, so he didn't mind imparting it, especially since the skill originated from the Thousand-Autumn Pavilion.

He was curious to see how many years it would take for Sage Xuan Miao, with his talent, to master the Nine Extremes Yin Yang Body.

Sage Xuan Miao picked up the secret tome and began flipping through it. Gu An was in no rush and stored the Divine-Reaching Mystic Gate scroll in his storage bag.

After a while, Sage Xuan Miao's hands trembled.

Suddenly, he closed the secret tome, tucked it into his chest, and then extracted seven wooden boxes from the storage ring on his thumb.

He said, "This ultimate skill is stronger than the Divine-Reaching Mystic Gate; I cannot take advantage of you. These seeds are all of seventh-order heavenly materials and earthly treasures, presented to me by various dynasties. I had planned to use them to enhance my cave, but now I offer them to you!"

Hmm?

Considerate!

Gu An's goodwill towards Sage Xuan Miao increased.

He gestured and placed the seven wooden boxes on the nearby tree trunk, "You may leave now."

Sage Xuan Miao immediately kowtowed, then had the Fox Demon youth do the same, before pulling him away without lingering.

Gu An watched their departing backs, inwardly reflecting, "This truly is a karmic bond."

It wasn't the bond between him and Sage Xuan Miao he was referring to, but rather that between Sage Xuan Miao and the Fox Demon youth.

He couldn't help but conduct another life span detection.

[Underworld Fox Demon (Energy Cultivation Realm Fourth Layer): 14/999/14000]

This maximum life span was exactly the same as that of the Underworld Demon Emperor, and both bore the name "Underworld," definitely related!

Gu An even suspected that this individual might be the Underworld Demon Emperor himself!