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

After Lü Xian was subdued by Gu An, he became noticeably more reserved. During Gu An’s subsequent visits to Horizon Valley, Lü Xian was always in seclusion, focusing on his cultivation. Luo Hun mentioned that Lü Xian was eager to reach the Nascent Soul Stage as soon as possible.

When Gu An inquired about the reason, Luo Hun admitted he didn’t know. This reassured Gu An—though Lü Xian was eccentric, at least he kept his mouth shut.

With that, the matter was settled.

Gu An studied the map Lü Xian had given him, but the location it marked was far from the Taicang Empire, so he decided to set it aside for the time being.

What if the area housed a Grand Ascension Stage cultivator? He couldn’t take such risks.

For now, the lifespan income from the Three Medicine Valleys was substantial enough that even without advancing his cultivation, his lifespan continued to grow rapidly.

Time flew by, and two months passed in a blink.

By autumn, Xuan Valley was cloaked in a golden hue. Around noon one day, Ye Lan came to visit Gu An.

They hadn’t seen each other in almost a year, and Ye Lan was thrilled. Upon entering, she immediately hugged him.

“Junior Sister!” Gu An’s voice carried a tone of reprimand.

Ye Lan released him with a playful smile. “What’s wrong with a hug? It’s a customary greeting for reunited siblings. Don’t overthink it, Senior Brother. I’m not interested in romance right now—just focused on cultivating immortality.”

Gu An rolled his eyes and turned to prepare tea for her.

Instinctively, he used his lifespan observation ability on Ye Lan, and what he saw weighed on his heart.

[Ye Lan (Foundation Establishment, Level 5): 56/130/130]

A normal Foundation Establishment cultivator’s lifespan exceeded 200 years, but Ye Lan’s cultivation was achieved using Gu An’s pills, so her lifespan was capped.

What would happen when she reached 130 years? Would she succumb to the Five Declines of Heaven and Man, dying suddenly? Or would her heart be consumed by inner demons?

With a sigh, Gu An decided to teach her the Dao Yan Technique, which accumulated spiritual energy. There were still 74 years left—perhaps it could make a difference.

Gu An had an audacious idea: what if she cultivated the Dao Yan Technique while consuming large quantities of Spiritual Energy Pills?

Unaware of Gu An’s thoughts, Ye Lan began recounting her recent experiences.

She had spent the last half-year as part of the Law Enforcement Hall, assigned to protect Crown Prince Li Dai. Their enemies were the Nightshade Sect. During this time, she had experienced seven or eight battles, narrowly surviving each encounter.

Gu An already knew about these events since he occasionally used his divine sense to check on her. Most of the Law Enforcement Hall disciples served as scouts, with actual combat handled by several Nascent Soul Stage cultivators.

“Senior Brother, the reason we made it back alive was because a Void Transformation Stage grandmaster came to protect the prince. Above Nascent Soul is Nascent Soul Transformation, and above that is the Void Transformation Stage. That senior was incredible! With one palm, they killed a Nightshade Sect demonic cultivator at the Transformation Stage. At that moment, we all thought we were doomed, but it turns out the prince had such a powerful protector. Rumor has it this person isn’t even part of the Taixuan Sect,” Ye Lan said, her excitement evident.

Gu An raised an eyebrow and feigned shock. “That powerful? How old are they?”

“Supposedly 900 years old.” Ye Lan watched Gu An closely as she spoke, studying his reaction.

She had once suspected that Gu An was the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path. During the outer sect chaos, her White Spirit Sword had sensed the aura of the Qinghong Sword, which was the weapon that inscribed the characters ”Righteous Path” on the Heavenly Mending Platform.

However, upon further investigation, she learned that the Sword Sovereign’s strength surpassed even the Nascent Soul Stage, which made her doubt.

Having grown up with Gu An, she knew his age.

A Void Transformation Stage cultivator in their fifties? That was unheard of in the cultivation world!

Since Gu An consistently denied being the Sword Sovereign, Ye Lan speculated he might be the Sword Sovereign’s disciple instead.

Regardless of the truth, Ye Lan felt unworthy of him. As a result, she rarely expressed her feelings anymore, choosing to focus on her own cultivation instead.

When her cultivation was strong enough, and if her senior brother still wanted a dao companion, then it would be her chance!

Gu An remarked, “Junior Sister, the cultivators you’re encountering are growing stronger, but your progress seems stagnant. Why not try cultivating with a technique I’ll teach you?”

“What technique?” Ye Lan asked curiously.

The Fierce Wind Phantom Kick Gu An had given her was already her strongest combat skill, so she didn’t underestimate his teachings.

Perhaps this technique came from the Sword Sovereign!

Gu An began explaining the Dao Yan Technique, and Ye Lan listened intently.

When he finished, she couldn’t help but ask, “Senior Brother, with so many herbs at your disposal, is your cultivation progress slow because of the Dao Yan Technique?”

Gu An nodded. “This is a supreme technique. I’ll only teach it to you, but you mustn’t tell anyone.”

Ye Lan felt a sweetness in her heart at his words. Hesitating, she asked, “If I cultivate the Dao Yan Technique, will it burden you?”

She knew Gu An would likely provide her with countless pills to aid her cultivation, which might delay his own progress.

Gu An chuckled. “If you’re worried, then don’t practice it. Just wait until your lifespan runs out while I live for a few more centuries. Then I’ll take a few younger junior sisters and enjoy the life of a blessed man.”

“No way! I’ll learn it!” Ye Lan said firmly, her eyes glaring.

Gu An immediately handed her a pre-written copy of the Dao Yan Technique.

Ye Lan took it, then pulled a black wooden box from her storage pouch. “This is a gift I prepared for you. I was planning to give it after our chat, but since you gave me this technique first, it feels like my gesture isn’t enough.”

Gu An accepted the box with a smile. “Junior Sister, what are you saying? Over the years, you’ve given me so many wonderful things. You’re undoubtedly the person who treats me the best.”

The Sixth-Grade Human-Face Tree had come from Ye Lan. On every visit, she brought medicinal herbs. Though Gu An initially refused, Ye Lan justified her gifts as repayment for his pills, leaving him unable to reject her kindness further.

Hearing his words, Ye Lan smiled and explained, “This is a Fifth-Grade Shadow Vine. It’s only a small fragment now, and it will take 10–20 years to fully recover. Once matured, it can guard a residence and block divine sense probes.”

Opening the box, Gu An saw a piece of what looked like black charcoal, faintly exuding life.

He wasn’t disappointed. Given Ye Lan’s cultivation level, obtaining such a fragment was already impressive. Even the Human-Face Tree had started as a root but was now reviving.

The conversation shifted to recent happenings in the cultivation world.

Ye Lan spoke of the emergence of the Thirteen Fiends of the Nine Nether Path, mysterious cultivators who stormed the Wan Yin Sect, seizing its treasures and shocking the entire cultivation world.

Another significant event was the Sacred Beast Hao Long nurtured by the Gu Hao Sect, which had revitalized the sect’s morale. Across the provinces, people speculated that Gu Hao Sect was poised to rise.

This sacred beast, however, was none other than Hao Long, whom Gu An had raised. Gu An had already checked on the sect and found Hao Long living happily, pampered by the Gu Hao Sect, so he had no concerns.

From Ye Lan’s account, the cultivation world seemed relatively calm. The Nightshade Sect had also quieted down, ceasing its battles with the demonic factions. Yet Gu An knew all too well—this was merely the calm before the storm.

When the Grandmasters of the Nightshade Sect’s main bloodline arrived, the cultivation world would once again be thrown into chaos and bloodshed.

Late at night in the Northern Sea Mountains, spiritual energy began to sink, stirring the world.

Inside a Lifespan Barrier, Gu An was meditating, enjoying the rapid progress of his cultivation. He had just spent 3,000 years of lifespan to advance his cultivation to the Ninth Level of the Grand Ascension Stage.

After meditating for a short while, he invested another 50,000 years of lifespan into enhancing his alchemy skills.

Initially, Gu An had hoped to improve his alchemy through sheer effort, but he had since realized that talent also played a crucial role in mastering it. The 50,000-year investment elevated his alchemy to the Taichedan Dao, greatly enhancing his comprehension.

As a flood of vast alchemical knowledge poured into his mind, Gu An was deeply engrossed.

The alchemy techniques he had cultivated up to now were based on the foundational methods of the Taixuan Sect. However, alchemy varied across different sects, leading to unique interpretations of the craft.

The Taichedan Dao also included a specialized technique: the Taichedan Flame, a mystical fire that could not only refine pills but also serve as a deadly weapon.

The 50,000 years of lifespan were well worth it!

When Gu An awoke, he raised his right hand, igniting a vibrant azure flame on his fingertip. His lips curved into a satisfied smile.

He then glanced at his attribute panel, which still showed a remaining lifespan of 490,000 years.

So rich!

Closing the barrier, Gu An stood and prepared to leave.

Just as he turned, his gaze fell upon a rocky cliff not far away.

The spiritual energy disturbance had blown the grass near the cliff askew, revealing a narrow fissure. Thin wisps of spiritual energy were emanating from the crack—energy that felt distinct from the usual five elemental spiritual energies.

Curious, Gu An approached the cliff and extended his divine sense into the fissure.

Before long, his senses encountered a restrictive barrier.

Breaking through would be challenging without at least a Void Transformation Stage cultivation level.

Recognizing the risk, Gu An refrained from brute-forcing his way through. Instead, he used his Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body to transform into a shadowy demonic form. Then, utilizing the Infinite Free Step, he crossed into the fissure with a single stride.

After navigating layers of restrictions, Gu An found himself in a vast underground space.

This chamber was even larger than the Eight Views Celestial Realm. At its center lay an underground lake, bordered by a grassy field about 300 meters long and 100 meters wide, as well as a row of ancient trees.

Beneath one of these trees stood a dilapidated wooden hut.

Using his divine sense, Gu An detected no signs of cultivators or demonic beasts in the area. However, the lake teemed with fish, including a massive one nearly 20 feet long, which appeared to be a type of spirit beast.

Walking forward, Gu An passed a stone stele inscribed with four bold characters:

”Xuantian Cave Dwelling”

The surrounding spiritual energy was incredibly dense, surpassing even that of the Eight Views Celestial Realm. Gu An extended his lifespan observation ability toward the ancient trees.

All were Sixth-Grade Spirit Trees, known as ”Spirit-Calming Trees.”

Excellent!

Excitement flickered across Gu An’s face. If this cave dwelling was truly uninhabited, it could serve as his Fourth Medicine Valley.

His other valleys—Xuan Valley, the Third Medicine Valley, and Horizon Valley—were all in areas visible to others. While he kept his most valuable items in the Eight Views Celestial Realm, its space was limited.

Gu An continued forward, stopping in front of the wooden hut. A moss-covered stone table sat outside, atop which lay two books:

One was a plain, unnamed book; the other, a technique manual titled Heaven-Splitting Divine Axe.

What a domineering name!

Gu An picked up the unnamed book and began reading.

It turned out to be a final testament, left by the original master of Xuantian Cave Dwelling.

The master was known as the Xuantian Ancestor, a cultivator at the Profound Mind Stage.

As Gu An read further, his brow furrowed.

The Xuantian Ancestor was once a Supreme Elder of the Taixuan Sect. After leaving the sect, he established the Xuantian Cave Dwelling in hopes of achieving enlightenment. However, he ultimately succumbed to inner demons. Before his death, he chose to leave the cave dwelling and venture into the Demonic Domain beyond the Nine Dynasties.

The Heaven-Splitting Divine Axe was the Xuantian Ancestor’s most powerful technique, inherited from the Sacred Land—one of its nine great legacies.

A Sacred Land technique?

Gu An felt his heart race.

This axe technique represented the culmination of one of the Sacred Land’s most formidable inheritances. If mastered, it could undoubtedly shake the heavens.

Still, Gu An remained cautious. The Xuantian Ancestor had left this place voluntarily, implying that even this profound dwelling could not solve all his problems. There could also be latent dangers lurking.

For now, Gu An decided to carefully study the manuals, explore the underground space in depth, and determine whether this cave dwelling could truly become his fourth domain.