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

Integration Stage, Level 2!

What an astonishing lifespan!

First, the Huangquan Demon Emperor, and now the Nightshade Ghost Mother—why did they all seem like characters straight out of the underworld?

Gu An mused silently. It was fascinating that ghosts could have lifespans, implying that even in death, they couldn’t exist indefinitely.

Come to think of it, it made sense. If ghosts could exist forever, wouldn’t this world be dominated by them?

Stories of millennial evil spirits were common, but tales of million-year ghost emperors were unheard of—at least, not at Gu An’s current level. Perhaps such beings existed, but in this human-dominated realm, the balance was clearly tilted.

Maybe there was an unseen force suppressing ghosts, ensuring harmony across all living things.

Humans, though short-lived, had the advantage of rapid cultivation. Each had their strengths and weaknesses.

The Nightshade Ghost Mother disguised herself as a young female disciple of the Taixuan Sect, her cultivation aura suppressed to the Foundation Establishment Stage, making her nearly undetectable.

Gu An avoided staring at her, lest he attract her attention.

The Taixuan Sect was teeming with enigmatic figures. As long as they didn’t threaten him, Gu An couldn’t be bothered to intervene.

“Gu Xiaoyou.”

Han Ming’s voice suddenly rang out as he approached with a smile.

Though he’d suffered a crushing defeat, Han Ming didn’t see it as shameful. On the contrary, he was grateful.

The Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path had pinned him to a city wall with a single leaf, and the sword intent embedded in it had profoundly benefited him. It was clearly meant as guidance.

With the Sword Sovereign’s capabilities, if he’d wanted Han Ming dead, Han Ming wouldn’t have survived.

Gu An saw Han Ming coming and raised his hand in greeting. But before he could say a word, Han Ming clasped his hand enthusiastically.

“Gu Xiaoyou, since you’re here, you must spar with me! That disciple you recommended is impossibly dull—it’s driving me mad!” Han Ming exclaimed while dragging Gu An toward Zuo Lin.

Gu An, concealing his cultivation, couldn’t break free from Han Ming’s grip and had no choice but to follow.

Han Ming made Gu An sit beside Zuo Lin and began instructing him in sword techniques. Zuo Lin, delighted to see Gu An, chatted incessantly, much to Han Ming’s frustration. A barrage of scolding soon followed.

Meanwhile, Zuo Yijian, seated nearby, watched his son being berated while wearing an amused expression. He also scrutinized Gu An.

Other than being handsome, Gu An seemed utterly ordinary in cultivation. What on earth did Han Ming see in him?

Zuo Yijian closed his eyes, alternating between sensing the sword intent within the characters "Righteous Path" and recalling the scene of Han Ming’s defeat. In a peculiar state of clarity and confusion, he felt as if he’d grasped something profound—or perhaps it was a mere illusion. The complexity of it all consumed him.

An entire hour passed before Gu An managed to escape Han Ming’s persistence.

Though he’d memorized the sword techniques after hearing them once, he pretended to struggle and endured six repetitions to keep a low profile. It was utterly exhausting. Ꞧ

Gu An quickly departed under Han Ming’s disappointed gaze.

From now on, I need to avoid Han Ming whenever I visit the Heavenly Mending Platform! That guy is relentless!

Afterward, Gu An completed tasks at the Alchemy Hall and the Library Hall before paying a visit to Jiang Qiong at the Grand Elder’s residence.

Inside the main hall, Jiang Qiong tossed a storage pouch to Gu An. “Inside are all the high-grade herbs I’ve collected. Once they mature, you can keep twenty percent for yourself. Isn’t your master ancestor generous?”

Using his divine sense to inspect the pouch, Gu An’s expression brightened.

So many seeds! The lowest grade was fourth rank!

“Thank you, Master Ancestor!” Gu An said sincerely.

Jiang Qiong could have assigned anyone to handle this. As the Grand Elder, her authority was immense.

Pleased by his gratitude, Jiang Qiong smiled. “Try not to sell any Spirit Tree Fruits. They’re invaluable treasures for enhancing vitality and constitution—beyond what Spirit Stones can measure.”

Clearly, she had discovered Gu An’s record of selling Spirit Tree Fruits.

Gu An nodded. Now that he didn’t need Spirit Stones to buy seeds, he naturally wouldn’t sell them.

“I’m preparing to advance further in my cultivation. Your Medicine Valley’s success will reflect well on me. Tend to it carefully, and I’ll secure a Golden Core for you from a Golden Core cultivator, using secret techniques to help you reach that stage,” Jiang Qiong continued.

Gu An immediately expressed his gratitude again with a bow.

Jiang Qiong waved him off, signaling he could leave.

As Gu An turned to go, her voice called out from behind him.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Gu An, do you write books?”

Her question sent a shiver down his spine.

What does she mean?

Did she discover something?

Or is she testing me?

Gu An turned back, puzzled. “What book?”

Jiang Qiong scrutinized his face. Seeing no trace of guilt, she shook her head and said, “Nothing. Go on.”

Scratching his head in confusion, Gu An left, still perplexed.

Jiang Qiong sat in her chair, deep in thought. After a while, she retrieved a book from her storage pouch and began flipping through it.

The cover bore four bold characters:

Secrets of Taixuan

The summer heat was oppressive.

Thirteen-year-old An Hao lay by the riverbank, face to the sky, with his head submerged in the water. Bubbles rose steadily from his mouth.

Not far away, An Xin sat cross-legged under a tree, meditating. Her furrowed brow revealed her struggles with cultivation.

A shadow suddenly loomed over An Hao, prompting him to open his eyes. Recognizing the figure, he scrambled to his feet.

“Master!”

An Hao quickly stood, rubbing his dripping wet hair before channeling his spiritual energy to dry it. Wisps of white steam rose from his head.

Gu An, masked and speaking in a hoarse, low voice, said, “Today, I won’t teach you swordsmanship. Instead, I’ll pass on leg technique.”

An Hao’s eyes lit up with excitement. “Finally, no more sword techniques!”

In addition to his outstanding spiritual root, An Hao possessed remarkable comprehension. After a year of training in the Taicang Frightening God Sword, he had completely mastered its forms and mental cultivation methods. What remained was developing his sword intent.

Gu An lifted one leg, assuming a Golden Rooster Stands Alone stance. His posture immediately captivated An Hao, and even An Xin, who had been gathering spiritual energy, turned her attention to him.

“This technique is called the Fierce Wind Phantom Kick. Watch closely,” Gu An said gravely.

Currently, only Ye Lan had inherited this technique. Others practiced the Residual Wind Kick, a foundational version. Despite their connection, few would associate the two techniques unless they examined them closely.

Gu An didn’t worry about Ye Lan or An Hao recognizing each other’s techniques in the future. If they did, it would likely be in battle—an opportunity for An Hao to show mercy.

After spending over a year together, Gu An had grown attached to An Hao, seeing him as his own child. The boy’s nature wasn’t bad; deep down, he harbored a heroic spirit, though he often came across as carefree and reckless.

With a swift motion, Gu An’s leg shot forward, unleashing countless leg shadows. A sudden gale erupted, spraying water into the air. The forest across the river collapsed, and the distant mountain wall cracked, riddled with countless footprints. Even the sea of clouds in the sky was scattered by the force.

An Hao was left trembling in awe, his mouth agape. An Xin, too, stared wide-eyed in amazement.

What a domineering leg technique!

“I want to learn! I want to learn! This looks even cooler than the Taicang Frightening God Sword!” An Hao shouted excitedly, kicking the air a few times in his eagerness.

Gu An remarked, “The Taicang Frightening God Sword is stronger than the Fierce Wind Phantom Kick

. I just haven’t shown you its full power yet.”

“Hehe, I get it now! I promise I won’t slack off on my sword training!” An Hao quickly assured him.

Gu An began teaching him the technique. As always, An Hao memorized the moves after just one demonstration and immediately began practicing.

Again and again, he repeated the moves, becoming increasingly proficient.

Watching An Hao’s progress, Gu An suddenly felt it was time to send him to the Taixuan Sect.

This boy’s talent was terrifying. If he could join the sect earlier, he might build an even stronger foundation. Gu An could only teach techniques and combat skills, but the sect could offer so much more.

But...

Gu An thought of An Xin. The girl’s aptitude was painfully mediocre.

Oh well. Let them go. There was no point fretting over something he couldn’t change.

Gu An decided to wait another six months before sending the two to the Taixuan Sect.

Ten years from now, An Hao would likely make a name for himself.

I wonder how long it’ll take for him to catch up to Li Ya or Ji Xuanyu.

Gu An even began to anticipate a duel between Li Ya and An Hao. Li Ya was competitive by nature and would undoubtedly cross swords with An Hao someday.

The Taixuan Sect allowed inter-sect duels, and while the two were separated by over 30 years, they could still be considered peers.

Under the scorching sun, An Hao soon became drenched in sweat, but his excitement kept him going. Though young, the sweat-soaked clothes outlined his muscular frame, exuding an impressive strength.

Gu An stood by silently, watching over him.

At Horizon Valley.

Gu An was sowing seeds while Sun San followed him closely, carrying a basket.

To avoid drawing suspicion, Gu An didn’t just harvest herbs—he occasionally performed other tasks as well.

“I’m back!”

A voice echoed from the entrance of the valley, and without turning his head, Gu An knew Lü Xian had returned.

Dressed in a blue robe, Lü Xian walked into the valley, folding fan in hand. His striking appearance now carried a slightly more masculine air compared to the flamboyance of his previous red attire.

“How did it go? Smoothly?” asked Yi Liuyun, who was meditating atop the mountain. His voice resonated throughout Horizon Valley.

Luo Hun, wielding a long spear, appeared at the pavilion’s entrance to greet Lü Xian. Gu An, too, had to pay attention, though his thoughts were more preoccupied with Li Ya’s performance at the Hundred Clans Conference than with Lü Xian’s return.

Lü Xian wore a calm smile as he replied, “Naturally, it went smoothly. There were some minor hiccups, but as expected, I secured the top spot.”

Hearing this, both Luo Hun and Yi Liuyun smiled. They all served Li Xuandao, and their futures would inevitably be intertwined through life and death. The stronger Lü Xian became, the more secure their collective position.

Yi Liuyun, his voice carrying across Medicine Valley, asked again, “Did the prodigies of the Ji Family, Gu Family, or Zhou Family pose any threat to you?”

Lü Xian replied, “The Ji Family had a young woman named Ji Xuanyu who gave me some trouble. Unfortunately, she withdrew partway through, so I didn’t get the chance to defeat her outright. It’s a pity. Besides her, fewer than five people were worthy opponents.”

“Were any of His Majesty’s children impressive enough to earn your respect?” Luo Hun asked, his tone tinged with anticipation.

Lü Xian shook his head, his expression disdainful. “Though I admire His Majesty, his children are a disappointment—not a single one lives up to his name. That said, there was a prince named Li Ya who caught my attention. His determination surprised me. To win, I had to break his arms and legs. He’ll probably need a year or two to recover.”

At this, Luo Hun’s expression changed drastically, and even Gu An frowned.

Lü Xian’s return heralded a ripple of unrest within the valley. Gu An’s mind, however, lingered on Li Ya’s tenacity. Breaking Li Ya’s limbs might have halted him for now, but it would undoubtedly fuel his drive to rise even stronger in the future.