When I Achieved Sainthood, the Immortal Official Actually Called Me to Raise Horses!

The Sevenfold Purity Tree?

Gu An didn’t expect Lu Lingjun to notice its profundity so quickly. This wasn’t something he was against; on the contrary, it sparked new ideas in his mind.

In the future, he could use the Sevenfold Purity Tree to motivate disciples to work harder!

After some thought, Gu An said, ”Alright, but you can only go at night. You must leave by dawn. The Sevenfold Purity Tree is a sect treasure, and many high-level cultivators have their eyes on it. Do you understand?”

Lu Lingjun immediately bowed in thanks.

Watching this Ninth-Level Integration Stage grandmaster act so deferentially, Gu An couldn’t help but feel emotional.

Wasn’t he just the same?

Possessing great cultivation yet having to tread carefully was the burden of those unwilling to settle, always striving for greater heights.

After exchanging a few pleasantries, Lu Lingjun left.

Closing the door behind her, she descended the stairs, her thoughts preoccupied.

”What kind of book is the Adventures of the Green Hero that it surpasses even the Nine Cycles Golden Body Technique?”

Though Gu An had been quick, Lu Lingjun had managed to glimpse the book’s title. She resolved to investigate it further in the Outer Sect City later.

Since arriving in the Heavenly Great Realm, she had been both curious and cautious about everything. Starting as an errand disciple was her way of familiarizing herself with this world while gradually advancing her position.

Her goal was to become an elder of Taixuan Sect, with the Third Medicine Valley merely a stepping stone.

As she walked, Lu Lingjun wondered:

”What level of cultivation must the Sect Master of Taixuan Sect possess? Surely higher than mine?”

Deep Night, Northern Sea Mountains

Fierce winds howled, mingled with falling snow.

Gu An sat cross-legged beneath a tree, slowly opening his eyes, which glimmered with a sharp light.

He had just expended 100,000 years of lifespan to enhance the Ji Family divine ability, Heaven and Earth Dao Gang, advancing it twice: first to Heaven and Earth Tyrant Body, then to Dao Gang Primordial Qi.

Once mastered, Dao Gang Primordial Qi was formless and invisible, automatically protecting the body. It was impervious to evil and capable of defending against various spells and abilities. Moreover, it could be used offensively, making it both an attack and a defense technique.

Gu An began refining the Dao Gang Primordial Qi. With the inheritance of evolutionary memories, he only needed to run through the technique once to grasp it.

Half an hour later, he succeeded. Dao Gang Primordial Qi could now be concentrated on the surface of his skin. This allowed others to touch him but left them unable to harm him.

Gu An still had 430,000 years of lifespan remaining. He hesitated whether to further enhance the Taicang Frightening God Sword.

Though already incredibly powerful, he felt that further upgrades might yield diminishing returns.

His intuition told him that enhancing the Wood Spirit Sword Technique might offer more synergy with his wood-based cultivation techniques, as he had yet to grasp the Five Elements Law.

However, mastering multiple sword techniques seemed redundant. It would be better to focus on perfecting one path.

”Perhaps in a hundred years, 100,000 years of lifespan won’t seem like much. If I start cultivating the Wood Spirit Sword Technique now, it’s still early enough to pivot.”

After deliberating, Gu An chose instead to refine other spells and abilities.

Given his Grand Ascension Stage, Eighth Level cultivation, any spell he cast could easily overwhelm a cultivator at the Profound Mind Stage. However, enhancing his techniques now would prepare him for future breakthroughs.

After some thought, Gu An decided to improve the Spirit Gathering Divine Finger taught by Lü Baitian.

The technique had a unique quality: it didn’t just gather the caster’s spiritual energy but also drew in ambient spiritual energy. Essentially, it could harness the power of heaven and earth.

A bold idea struck Gu An:

”In the simulations, could I disperse tribulations with a single finger by borrowing the power of heaven and earth?”

Just the thought thrilled him.

”Hopefully, the simulated me will be smart enough to test it!”

Without delay, Gu An invested 100,000 years of lifespan into the Spirit Gathering Divine Finger.

The technique evolved, first into the Sky-Piercing Finger, and then into Dao-Breaking Divine Light.

A flood of memories poured into Gu An’s mind, immersing him completely.

The finger technique transformed—it was no longer limited to the hand. Now, it could be unleashed from any part of the body!

In the Northern Sea Mountains, the flow of spiritual energy continued to descend, drawing the attention of countless beings. By now, the phenomenon had become so frequent that it no longer inspired fear, only curiosity.

Half an hour later, Gu An opened his eyes, filled with awe.

”What a domineering technique! The Dao-Breaking Divine Light!”

This ability specialized in shattering formations, restrictions, and defensive techniques or abilities. It could even directly obliterate opponents, wiping out their existence entirely.

”This was the right choice!”

Smiling, Gu An stood, deactivated his Lifespan Barrier, and began walking into the forest depths.

It was still hours before dawn, so he decided to enjoy the Northern Sea’s scenery and visit Li Ya.

Li Ya was still training on the Northern Sea’s edge, diligently practicing the Taicang Frightening God Sword.

When Gu An had taught him the sword technique, he had also infused the Northern Sea Heavy Sword with a strand of sword intent to guide his practice. With this guidance, Li Ya’s progress had been swift, far surpassing the challenges he had faced relying solely on self-comprehension in the simulations.

The towering trees of the Northern Sea Mountains made one feel minuscule. The forest was filled with demonic energy, and Gu An spotted spirit beasts similar to the White Spirit Mouse—some adorable, others grotesque beyond measure.

At the Northern Sea Shore

Miles away, beneath the moonlight, Li Ya stood shirtless, gripping the Northern Sea Heavy Sword. He swung it under the snowy sky, his reflection shimmering on the lake’s rippling surface.

The full moon hung high above, while snowflakes drifted down like falling stars.

Sweat streamed down his muscular frame, his every movement exuding strength.

“Your swordsmanship aside,” an ancestral voice praised, “your body has fully merged with the Dragon Elephant Divine Essence. Your strength rivals that of a Fourth-Rank Demonic Beast.”

Li Ya smirked but continued his training without responding.

In his mind, he envisioned himself defeating Lü Xian, Zhou Tongyou, and Ji Xuanyu, earning the awe of the Hundred Clans and restoring the Li Family’s glory.

”Impressive swordsmanship. Truly, the younger generation surpasses the old,” a voice suddenly commented.

Startled, Li Ya turned to see a scholar-like man strolling along the beach. He wore white robes, carried a bookcase, and held a folding fan, his figure ghostly under the moonlight.

”What do you want?” Li Ya demanded, frowning.

Years spent in the Northern Sea Mountains had toughened him. He had faced both monsters and malevolent spirits and feared nothing now.

The scholar chuckled. ”I come from the Nightshade Sect. You may call me Jinghong Guest. I see potential in your swordsmanship and vitality. Why not join us?”

The Nightshade Sect!

Li Ya frowned deeply. Over the past two years, he had witnessed their battles with other demonic sects in the Northern Sea Mountains.

”I am a disciple of Taixuan Sect,” he replied coldly. ”Thanks, but no thanks.”

He still took pride in his affiliation with Taixuan Sect. To him, a dubious sect like the Nightshade Sect couldn’t compare to the righteous Taixuan Sect.

”Many within Taixuan Sect have joined us, even elders. It’s only a matter of time before the Nightshade Sect replaces it. Joining us early is the wise choice,” Jinghong Guest said with a smile.

Li Ya’s face darkened as he raised his sword. ”So, I don’t have a choice?”

Seeing this, the scholar laughed. ”Youth, do you think having a grandmaster’s soul fragment inside you makes you invincible?”

With that, he lunged at Li Ya.

Li Ya’s expression changed drastically as he raised his sword to block the attack.

Gu An wandered through the forest for several hours. As dawn approached, he used the Infinite Free Step to leave, arriving at the beach where Li Ya was located. From afar, he noticed Li Ya sitting slumped in front of a reef, his head buried in his arms. The Northern Sea Heavy Sword lay abandoned on the sand, enduring the constant assault of the waves.

Hmm? Something’s wrong!

Focusing his senses, Gu An discovered that the soul fragment within Li Ya’s body had vanished. Without hesitation, he approached Li Ya.

Hearing the sound of footsteps, Li Ya slowly lifted his head. When he saw Gu An shrouded in a faint aura of demonic energy, his face turned pale. He scrambled to his feet and rushed toward Gu An, kneeling before him.

”Ancestor! Please save my ancestor! He’s been taken by the Nightshade Sect’s Jinghong Guest!” Li Ya cried out, his voice tinged with desperation and a trace of sobbing.

He wanted to cry because he had convinced himself that Gu An was the progenitor of the Li family. Faced with what he believed to be his ancestor, his emotions completely unraveled.

With a voice that carried an ancient depth, Gu An asked, ”What happened?”

At the same time, he extended his divine sense, searching for any trace of the soul fragment in Li Ya’s body. He hadn’t encountered Jinghong Guest before and couldn’t track him directly, but he hoped to locate the unique soul energy.

Li Ya began recounting the earlier events. After being defeated by Jinghong Guest, he was humiliated, and the enemy forcibly took the soul fragment from his body. Jinghong Guest claimed that if he wanted to save the soul fragment, he would have to join the Nightshade Sect to find him.

Despite years of arduous cultivation, Li Ya had been utterly powerless against Jinghong Guest. The crushing defeat shattered his confidence.

Gu An didn’t detect the soul fragment’s aura—Jinghong Guest had likely hidden it. He wasn’t worried, though; with a thorough search, he was confident he would eventually locate Jinghong Guest.

”Why didn’t you choose a safer place to practice your swordsmanship? Why here, without even setting up an array for protection?” Gu An suddenly asked.

Li Ya had many commendable qualities, but he had one major flaw—he was reckless.

Relying on the soul fragment within him, he often acted rashly and repeatedly ended up injured. This incident was the perfect opportunity to temper him.

”I...”

Li Ya wanted to answer but was overwhelmed with shame, unable to explain himself. He had chosen this location specifically to draw attacks from monsters and spirits, believing that constant battles would hasten his progress. Of course, his confidence stemmed from having the ancestor’s soul fragment as a safety net.

”You’ve been escaping death time and time again,” Gu An continued, ”but have you ever considered the burden on him? Do you think he bears no cost?”

Li Ya thought of how the ancestor had often scolded him for his recklessness. His guilt deepened, and he wished he could crawl into a hole.

Seeing Li Ya’s distressed expression, Gu An’s heart softened. He didn’t want to be too harsh.

”You should join the Nightshade Sect,” Gu An said abruptly.

Li Ya looked up, shocked, staring at the figure he believed to be his ancestor in disbelief.

”The Nightshade Sect threatens countless lives. By infiltrating them, you can gather information. At the end of each month, find a mountaintop and release your aura. I’ll track you. When the time comes and they gather in force, I’ll act,” Gu An said calmly.

”But isn’t that extremely dangerous?” Li Ya blurted out. ”The entire demonic path can’t stand against the Nightshade Sect. It’s said that they have cultivators surpassing the Void Transformation Stage—and not just one!”

”Void Transformation Stage?” Gu An’s voice turned cold. ”Is that supposed to be strong?”

Li Ya was stunned into silence.