Gu An had initially considered using the original author of Investiture of the Gods, Xu Zhonglin’s, name, but since he planned to write more books to earn extra income, he thought of using another name instead.
Liu Chang and Zhu Qinglu didn’t think much of it. Changing his surname to Pan An wasn’t a big deal, and they understood his reasoning.
Afterward, Liu Chang began giving Gu An instructions, mainly reminding him what he could and couldn’t write about. He subtly hinted that Gu An should include references to Tai Xuan Sect in his writing and portray the sect in a positive light.
Even if he didn’t explicitly mention Tai Xuan Sect, he could imply it. The more he praised the sect, the better treatment he could expect in the future.
Gu An had no choice but to agree, though he thought to himself that he’d decide later whether to actually do it. Writing was just a hobby for him, something to pass the time, and he wasn’t planning on dedicating too much effort to it.
After Liu Chang finished speaking, Gu Yu, who had been standing nearby, eagerly approached Gu An and asked, "Brother, have you written anything else?"
Gu An shook his head. "This is my first time."
"Hahaha, not bad, not bad! I have high hopes for you. You might even surpass the status of Green Hero in Tai Xuan Sect!" Gu Yu clapped Gu An on the shoulder, acting overly familiar.
Hearing this, Gu An became interested and asked, "You know Green Hero?"
Gu Yu raised an eyebrow. "You like The Adventures of Green Hero too? I don’t know him personally, I only know he’s a cultivator from Tai Xuan Sect. I asked Elder Liu, but he refused to tell me anything."
Liu Chang laughed heartily, pulling Zhu Qinglu along as they left the hall. "Let’s go catch up and let the younger generation chat."
Zhu Qinglu nodded, and the two quickly exited the main hall.
Gu Yu continued asking Gu An about the details of Investiture of the Gods. Seeing that Liu Chang had treated him with respect, Gu An patiently answered his questions.
After a full hour, Gu An finally left the library with Zhu Qinglu.
"That disciple named Gu Yu isn’t someone simple. There aren’t many juniors that Liu Chang would treat so well," Zhu Qinglu said meaningfully.
Gu An nodded, though he had no intention of getting too close to Gu Yu. People like him often brought complications, disrupting peaceful lives.
The two soon parted ways, and Gu An began purchasing herb seeds and a batch of new clothes.
It wasn’t until dusk that he finally returned to Xuan Valley.
Days passed, and another year’s spring festival arrived. The second New Year’s celebration in Xuan Valley went even more smoothly than the first, with no disturbances and an even more joyful atmosphere. As usual, Gu An sent Jiang Qiong some food during the festivities.
He began counting the days, preparing for Jiang Qiong’s departure.
Once she left, he would finally have the chance to fully cultivate the Eight Views Heavenly Cave, filling it with spiritual flowers and herbs.
After the New Year, Gu An took Wu Xin to the Outer Sect to select three more servants. This time, he chose two girls and one boy: Yan Mei, Yang Min, and Ye Yan.
All three were the same age, only eighteen years old, and they were full of anticipation for their future life in Xuan Valley.
Becoming a servant disciple not only meant earning spirit stones but also the opportunity to inherit their master’s techniques.
This trip wasn’t just to recruit new servant disciples—it was also to train Wu Xin. Gu An wanted him to fully adapt to his role as the senior disciple, so he could handle more responsibilities in the future.
After returning to Xuan Valley, Gu An had Wu Xin take the new recruits to meet the other disciples, while he headed into the northern forest to plan.
He wanted to fill the surrounding forest with medicinal herbs. The herbs he submitted last year had already ranked in the top ten of the Outer Sect’s Medicine Valley, and Zhu Qinglu valued him even more now, raising his status. Supporting nine servant disciples was more than manageable, and he even considered recruiting more.
It’s hard to stay content. Gu An thought the same way about his yearly income of lifespan. If his lifespan didn’t grow as much as last year, he would feel dissatisfied.
Standing under a tree, Gu An surveyed the forest, his mind mapping out new herb gardens.
Suddenly, the White Spirit Mouse darted out from the woods. Seeing it, Gu An felt both troubled and expectant.
He dreaded it finding something troublesome, yet also hoped it would find a treasure.
Gu An nodded, hesitating for a moment before saying, "Master, please be careful on your journey. After all, we’re still within Tai Xuan Sect’s territory."
After all these years of being taught by Jiang Qiong, Gu An couldn’t deny there was some affection between them. But more than that, he wanted her to leave.
Jiang Qiong nodded and raised her right hand. A blue-covered manual appeared in her hand, and she casually tossed it to Gu An.
"Train hard. When I come back, I’ll test your progress. If you disappoint me, I’ll give you a beating," she said with a playful, childlike threat, even waving her fist at him. Gu An couldn’t help but laugh.
Before he could respond, Jiang Qiong vanished into thin air, her demonic energy quickly fading away.
In the dim forest, Gu An’s lips curled into a slight smile. He turned and headed back toward Xuan Valley, looking at the manual in his hands.
Ziwei Formation Manual!
As he skimmed through it, he found that each page was layered with unique restrictions. The pages introduced formations in text, but the cultivation methods for these formations required divine sense to probe.
This is something special!
Gu An thought of the formations in the Eight Views Heavenly Cave. It was those formations that had prevented even the highest-level cultivators from Tai Xuan Sect from detecting the Ancient Vine Tree while passing over Xuan Valley.
Although Jiang Qiong was only at the Core Formation ninth level, her knowledge of formations and alchemy far exceeded the Core Formation stage. After all, she had reached the Core Formation stage at just forty years old and had spent the years since delving into formations and alchemy. She had even spent her years of hiding refining her understanding of formations.
Gu An suddenly felt the Ziwei Formation Manual in his hands become much heavier.
As the moon set and the sun rose, morning arrived.
Jiang Qiong’s departure affected only Gu An, while life in Xuan Valley continued as usual.
After leading the disciples through their morning exercises, Gu An returned to his study with Ye Lan.
He pulled out a small, intricately crafted wooden box, already prepared, and handed it to Ye Lan. The box was finely made, almost as if it contained some kind of treasure.
Ye Lan hesitated, then curiously opened the box. Inside, she saw a single pill.
"Senior Brother, what kind of pill is this?" Ye Lan asked.
Seated at the table, pouring himself some tea, Gu An smiled and said, "It’s a Foundation Establishment Pill, prepared just for you. But don’t tell anyone. In the future, if other disciples reach the ninth level of Qi Refining, I’ll give them one too. But if they know about it too early, it could bring trouble."
Foundation Establishment Pill!
Ye Lan’s eyes widened, and she instinctively wanted to refuse, but Gu An spoke first. "Don’t worry, I saved one for myself. Once you’ve successfully established your foundation, maybe you can be my support in the Outer Sect one day. The best way to repay me is to cultivate diligently."
"I..." Ye Lan felt conflicted, many words rising in her heart, but none of them came out.
Gu An spoke sincerely, "Life is long, and people will have many thoughts. But never forget what your ultimate goal in this life is."
Though Ye Lan hadn’t been clingy these past years, the way she looked at him had always been full of warmth. Sometimes, Gu An overheard other disciples discussing her feelings for him—everyone could see it.
Gu An’s feelings for Ye Lan were purely brotherly, far from wanting to be with her for life. His heart was focused on cultivation.
Ye Lan nodded firmly, her voice soft. "Senior Brother, don’t worry. I’ll cultivate diligently and won’t disappoint you. I’ll work hard to climb higher, so I can take care of you one day."
As she said this, she playfully winked at Gu An.
Gu An smiled and waved her off, signaling her to leave.
Ye Lan carefully stowed the Foundation Establishment Pill, turned, and walked to the door. Just as she was about to close it, she said, "Senior Brother, no matter where I go in the future, I’ll never have feelings for another man. You’ll always be the only one in my heart."
With that, she quickly shut the door and fled in embarrassment.