Chapter 53: So-called Insight, Gu An's Fury
Evening fell as the setting sun bathed the land in a warm orange glow.
Gu An stood on a cliff, gazing down at the newly established Third Medicine Valley with a look of satisfaction.
The valley stretched across several modest mountains, with a vast expanse between them spanning over a dozen miles long and two to three miles wide. The edge of the valley was lined with rows of trees, forming a natural barrier against the elements.
Standing beside Gu An, Gu Yu explained, “There are caves belonging to inner sect disciples nearby, more than one of them. As long as you stay within a hundred-mile radius, you won’t encounter any demonic beasts.”
Gu An nodded, his eyes full of expectation.
What he saw wasn’t just a valley—it was an endless stream of potential lifespan digits.
Patting Gu An on the shoulder, Gu Yu took off on his sword. Gu An, on the other hand, leaped into the valley, his limbs surrounded by visible gusts of wind—the Wind Manipulation Technique.
Looking back mid-flight, Gu Yu raised an eyebrow, a flicker of surprise crossing his face. However, he didn’t turn back.
After landing, Gu An first approached the valley’s entrance, where a bare stone tablet stood. Using his finger as a sword, he carved four large characters into the stone:
Third Medicine Valley!
The name was deliberately simple—he planned on having more valleys in the future.
Admiring his handiwork, Gu An felt a sense of pride. His calligraphy, honed through his writing endeavors, exuded sharpness and a unique energy.
After a moment of admiration, Gu An began scouting for a location to build pavilions. His first priority was setting up a teleportation formation.
Twilight gave way to night, and by the light of a bonfire, Gu An sat on a rock, flipping through a book. It had been given to him by Ji Xiaoyu and detailed the steps for constructing the teleportation formation she’d provided.
The book’s simplicity was astonishing, akin to a manual for assembly. Ji Xiaoyu had already placed restrictions on the formation; all Gu An needed to do was follow the instructions step by step.
Determined, he decided to work through the night to complete the formation. Once operational, he would bring some disciples to begin sowing seeds.
Teleportation formations required spirit stones for activation, but Gu An was well-funded. Besides his earnings from Romance of the Gods, Gu Yu had recently handed him a thousand high-grade spirit stones—enough for a long time.
By dawn, the formation platform was complete. Gu An immediately flew back to Xuan Valley.
Returning to his pavilion, he began constructing a corresponding teleportation formation. His activity quickly drew the attention of all the disciples, who gathered to watch.
Xiao Chuan curiously asked what he was doing, and Gu An didn’t hide the truth.
Upon hearing that Gu An was taking over a second Medicine Valley and constructing a teleportation formation, the disciples grew excited and bombarded him with questions.
Gu An answered as he worked, and by noon, the formation was complete. Under everyone’s watchful eyes, he placed spirit stones into the grooves of the formation pillars. Infusing spiritual energy into the activation mechanism, the formation roared to life.
The ground trembled slightly as the pillars emitted brilliant light, merging to form a shimmering curtain of energy.
Turning to the group, Gu An announced, “Wu Xin, go to the outer sect and recruit three labor disciples. Su Han, Zhen Qin, and Ye Yan, come with me. The rest will remain in Xuan Valley.”
Upon hearing this, the three named disciples eagerly stepped forward, following Gu An into the teleportation formation. Moments later, the light curtain dissipated, and the platform fell silent.
On the other side, in the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An assigned the three disciples to weed the area while he focused on building pavilions.
Su Han wielded his sword, Ye Yan used a spear, and Zhen Qin relied on her leg techniques to clear the weeds.
Ever since Luo Hun had taught Ye Yan a spear technique, he had pleaded with Gu An for a spear of his own. Gu An eventually purchased one from the outer sect—a low-grade magical artifact capable of channeling spiritual energy. ŗ
“No, it was a friend of his.”
“Your master must be extraordinary to have such connections. May I know his name?”
“My master is Gu An,” Ye Yan answered, his confusion growing.
The man paused, raising a hand. “Let’s spar. I won’t use spiritual energy or artifacts—just pure techniques. What do you say?”
Ye Yan hesitated, frowning deeply.
“What? Are you afraid?”
The man’s taunt ignited Ye Yan’s competitive spirit. If he hadn’t feared a demonic cultivator back then, how could he fear this stranger now?
By noon the next day, Gu An arrived at the Third Medicine Valley through the teleportation formation.
Scanning the area with his spiritual sense, he found no issues until his gaze settled on Ye Yan practicing near the valley’s entrance.
Noticing Gu An’s approach, Ye Yan turned away slightly, his back facing him.
“Yan’er, why are you injured?” Gu An asked, stepping closer.
After a brief pause, Ye Yan turned to face him, revealing bruises and even a handprint on his left cheek.
Reluctantly, he recounted the events of the previous evening.
Hearing this, Gu An’s expression darkened.
Someone dared to bully his disciple?
“What’s his name? Will he return?” Gu An demanded.
“I don’t know. He didn’t say, but he mentioned he’d come back
after finishing his business.”
“Don’t worry, your master has your back!” Gu An reassured him, placing a hand on Ye Yan’s shoulder and handing him some healing pills.
Over the next few days, Gu An stayed in the Third Medicine Valley, waiting for the man to reappear. But each time he left to manage the outer disciples’ caves, he returned to find Ye Yan had been beaten again.
The mysterious man came and went like a ghost, evading Gu An repeatedly.
Over the course of two months, Ye Yan was attacked four times, always in Gu An’s absence.
By now, Gu An was convinced the man was avoiding him on purpose.
One afternoon, while Gu An was reading beneath a tree overlooking the valley, he sensed something.
His brow lifted.
Finally, he’s here!
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