If I become a saint, a celestial official will summon me to raise horses.

Chapter 43 Do you know what realm lies beyond the Nascent Soul stage?
"My master suspects that the Demon Lord Jiye of the Tianjue Sect is about to arrive!" Ye Lan said solemnly.

Gu An frowned and asked, "Why do you make this assumption?"

“Last night, the spiritual energy of the outer sect was drained, and it even affected the inner sect. In addition, Lin Futian of the Wanyin Sect was killed by the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal some time ago. All these events combined prove that the demonic path is preparing to besiege the Taixuan Sect. Draining the spiritual energy of the outer sect is the first step in their plan. Looking at the demonic path, only the Jiye Demon Lord of the Tianjue Sect can do this. His Devouring Heaven Demon Art is said to be able to make life disappear from a thousand miles away.” When Ye Lan said these words, a look of fear appeared in her eyes.

This……

Gu An was somewhat choked up.

He killed Lin Futian, and he was also responsible for what happened last night...

Did the Demonic Cultivation Sect take the blame for him?
Although Gu An was forced to become a spy for Qianqiu Pavilion, he never considered himself a demonic cultivator.

He thought for a moment and comforted her, "Junior sister, don't worry. If the sky falls, there are tall people to hold it up. Tai Xuan Sect is the number one sect in the Tai Cang Dynasty. Even if the demonic path attacks, how difficult would it be to shake Tai Xuan Sect?"

Ye Lan took a deep breath, her eyes fixed on Gu An with a resolute look. She gritted her teeth and said, "Senior brother, let's run away together. I'm already at the Foundation Establishment stage. Let's hide in the deserted mountains and forests to cultivate in seclusion. I will help you achieve Foundation Establishment!"

Gu An almost couldn't hold back.

Good grief, is he trying to use this opportunity to secretly pledge his life to me?

Gu An said helplessly, "Junior sister, you're exaggerating too much. Besides, where in this world is there an absolutely safe place? If we hide in the deep mountains and encounter a demonic cultivator at the Core Formation stage, how will we deal with it? Moreover, you're just guessing. I don't think the demonic path is going to attack."

"If the demonic path truly intends to besiege the Tai Xuan Sect, shouldn't they be here by now? Making so much noise but delaying their attack, are they perhaps giving the Tai Xuan Sect time to gather their powerful cultivators from elsewhere?"

Ye Lan thought it made sense.

She thought for a moment and said, "Why don't you come with me to the outer sect to lay low for a while?"

Gu An said seriously, "Junior sister, you really don't need to worry about me. Don't let me affect your cultivation. Just remember, if you really care about me, then work hard to become stronger and take care of me later. This is also for your own good. If a cultivator doesn't prioritize cultivation, sooner or later they will encounter a time when they are powerless."

Ye Lan felt ashamed, realizing that she had indeed been a bit too anxious.

"Senior brother, I am now at the ninth level of Qi Refining. It won't be so easy for ordinary demonic cultivators to kill me!" Gu An said smugly.

Upon hearing this, Ye Lan burst out laughing. She quickly covered her mouth and said, "Senior brother, how could a demonic cultivator who dares to infiltrate the Tai Xuan Sect be only at the Qi Refining Realm? The Lin Futian who died before was said to be a Nascent Soul Realm old monster."

Gu An snorted, "What? A Nascent Soul Realm old monster doesn't need to lift a finger to kill me?"

"Yes, yes, senior brother is the best." Ye Lan said with a smile, her nervousness dissipating.

Afterwards, Gu An inquired about the situation at the outer gate, and Ye Lan did not hide anything, explaining everything in detail.

It wasn't until evening that Gu An saw her off.

He had originally planned to further improve his cultivation and spells tonight, but upon hearing that the outer sect had entered a state of preparation for war, he dared not act recklessly and decided to lay low for the time being.

He still had a question in his mind.

If the surrounding spiritual energy is drained and he continues to break through, what consequences will it cause?
It is estimated that the life-sustaining barrier will devour spiritual energy from even more distant places. If that happens, then the Tai Xuan Sect will be completely unable to sit still.

……

For the next three days, Gu An stayed in Xuan Valley and did not even go to the Eight Scenery Cave.

Haolong has already begun cultivating, and it can go without meat for many days without any problems. Moreover, he has prepared a batch of ripe Cang Teng fruits in advance, so it can eat them whenever it is hungry.

Gu An and Haolong have a soul resonance, so it can remember everything he tells it. Since birth, it has never caused him any trouble and is a child he can trust.

This day, night.

Gu An was reading in the attic. With his top-grade Five Elements Heavenly Spiritual Root, he could absorb all the spiritual energy within a ten-foot radius with just a breath, and the efficiency of converting it into spiritual power was extremely high.

Because the spiritual energy in the outer sect was still recovering, he couldn't cultivate properly and had to restrain himself.

Suddenly, Gu An sensed something, and his expression changed slightly.

He didn't get up, but continued reading.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a figure appeared outside his window. The person quietly pushed open the window and then jumped in.

Gu An immediately sent over a lifespan probe.

Fu Xiong (Foundation Establishment Level 2): ​​160/198/240

After encountering Li Xuandao and Lin Futian, Gu An relied more on lifespan probing, since there were too many powerful figures in the cultivation world.

Fu Xiong looked to be around fifty years old. He wasn't very tall, and he was dressed in all black. He had dark circles under his eyes and eagle-like eyes, giving him a very shrewd and calculating appearance.

He stood up, looked at Gu An, and asked, "Are you the Valley Master?"

Gu An frowned and asked, "I am, but who are you?"

Fu Xiong did not answer, but instead sized him up. After a few breaths, he suddenly spoke: "The vines of a thousand autumns never regret their love!"

Gu An remained silent.

His divine sense had already spread out, confirming that Fu Xiong had come alone.

He reluctantly replied, "All things wither and die, their roots are hard to find..."

Upon hearing this, Fu Xiong's expression softened. He walked to the table and sat down as if he were back in his own home. While pouring himself some tea, he asked, "Where is Cheng Xuandan? Is he dead?"

Gu An nodded and said, "Master has already left. May I ask what business you have with me, senior?"

"Do you know the whereabouts of the Azure Vine Tree?" Fu Xiong asked after taking a sip of tea, his gaze sweeping across the room as he spoke.

Besides books, the room was filled with various herbs wrapped in protective paper.

Seeing that he didn't seem to really care about the vine tree, Gu An asked, "What is the vine tree?"

Upon hearing this, Fu Xiong withdrew his gaze and looked at Gu An again, asking, "Didn't your master tell you?" Gu An shook his head, indicating that he hadn't.

“The Azure Vine Tree is the sacred tree of my Thousand Autumns Pavilion. More than two hundred years ago, my pavilion sent someone to bring an Azure Vine Tree to the outer gate of the Tai Xuan Sect. However, as time has passed, the clues have been lost, and we do not know where the Azure Vine Tree is hidden.” Fu Xiong said with a frown.

They came more than two hundred years ago?

Gu An frowned, pondering to himself, could it be that Jiang Qiong was hiding something from him?

Fu Xiong sighed and said, "To be honest, my master is about to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. The tribulation is too dangerous, so I want to find the Azure Vine Fruit to help him."

Upon hearing this, Gu An asked curiously, "What realm is the Nascent Soul stage?"

"Beyond Foundation Establishment is Core Formation, then Nascent Soul, and above Nascent Soul is Deity Transformation," Fu Xiong said with a smile, stroking his beard, as if he were the one about to break through to Deity Transformation.

"Even Nascent Soul cultivators face dangers when undergoing tribulation? I've heard that Nascent Soul cultivators are practically immortals!" Gu An exclaimed in astonishment.

"What immortal? It's still a long way off. From Foundation Establishment to Core Formation, one needs to undergo tribulation. All tribulations are very dangerous, a matter of life and death. The higher the realm, the more dangerous the tribulation. My master prepared for his tribulation for ten years." As Fu Xiong spoke, a look of longing appeared on his face.

Gu An asked, "What do I need to prepare? Can't I just undergo the tribulation directly?"

"How is that possible? To transcend tribulation, one must prepare pills to maintain spiritual power and heal injuries, as well as formations to hold one back. One must also have several sets of magical artifacts on one's person. I have never heard of anyone being able to transcend tribulation directly."

Fu Xiong glared at Gu An, thinking his question was incredibly stupid.

After hearing this, Gu An felt much better.

Fu Xiong suddenly laughed and said, "I see that your Medicine Valley has a lot of medicinal herbs. Why don't you become my disciple? I will support you and teach you magic. In return, you can give me 30% of the Medicine Valley's harvest every year. How about that?"

Gu An frowned again.

Fu Xiong whispered, "Boy, my master, who is also your grandmaster, is in the inner sect. Once he breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage, he will definitely become an elder. At that time, you can get whatever you want!"

Gu An's eyes widened in surprise as he asked, "If your master could become an inner sect elder, wouldn't that mean he has been lying low for many years? Why doesn't he know the whereabouts of the Azure Vine Tree?"

"This is a long story, let's start with the matter of becoming an apprentice," Fu Xiong said in a deep voice.

Gu Anchi asked doubtfully, "Is this what Senior Master meant?"

“How could that be? My master doesn’t even know I’ve come to this medicine valley. Boy, you’re just a menial disciple. My master is such a person, how could he possibly notice you?” Fu Xiong was very displeased.

Gu An stood up, looked down at him, and asked, "One last question."

Fu Xiong frowned and said in a deep voice, "What's the problem?"

He really wanted to beat this kid to death; he talked too much nonsense!
Do you know what realm lies beyond the Nascent Soul stage?

"what?"

Fu Xiong was stunned for a moment, then flew into a rage. He had no idea about the realms above the Nascent Soul stage, and he felt that the other party was toying with him.

Just as he was about to get up, Gu An's right hand was already on his head.

He looked up and saw that Gu An's face was so cold, his eyes were flashing with a cold light, and his whole demeanor suddenly changed.

At this moment, Fu Xiong felt as if he were facing his master.

No, even his master wasn't that scary!
He tried to speak, but his mind quickly went blank, and his eyes went vacant.

Gu An is using the Soul-Seizing Technique. He had been unable to master it before, but now, with his top-grade Five Elements Heavenly Spiritual Root, he understood it immediately.

Perhaps not very skilled, but enough to deal with Fu Xiong.

His spiritual power suppressed Fu Xiong, while his divine sense forcibly entered Fu Xiong's mind, ruthlessly searching for him.

Half an hour later, Fu Xiong had already died.

Gu An opened his eyes again and breathed a sigh of relief.

This guy really didn't know the whereabouts of the Azure Vine Tree, nor was he sent by his master.

Gu An moved his right hand upwards, lifting Fu Xiong into the air. Spiritual fire surged from his palm and began to burn the other man.

He closed his eyes, unable to bear watching this cruel scene.

The spiritual fire of the Transcendent Realm was incredibly powerful. In less than four breaths, Fu Xiong was reduced to ashes, leaving only a storage bag. He had successfully seized four years of lifespan.

Gu An inspected the contents and took out all the medicinal herbs and spirit stones. As for the magical artifacts and talismans, he dared not touch them and burned them along with the storage bag to prevent anyone from tracking him here.

The next morning, Gu An went downstairs as if nothing had happened.

He felt a pang of guilt as his disciples gathered to practice.

Oh no, I'm acting like a demon!

This continued until a month later, when no more cultivators from Qianqiu Pavilion came looking for Gu An, and he finally felt relieved.

On this day, Du Ye suddenly came to visit, and the two talked in the attic.

"The clan leader is very pleased that the Third Miss has mastered the Qilin Step and is preparing to celebrate with her. At the same time, a banquet will be held in the inner sect, and all servants of the Ji family must attend to help welcome the guests. I will be waiting for you in front of the outer sect's law enforcement hall in ten days. In the next few days, prepare a batch of medicinal herbs as a congratulatory gift. Perhaps you can gain the Third Miss's favor," Du Ye said earnestly.

Gu An nodded, having made up his mind.

Let's use Eight Directions Steps tonight!

Let's see how powerful Ji Xiaoyu's Qilin Step is.

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