Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

Gu An manipulated the mana-transformed breeze and safely delivered Sage Xuan Miao, Zhen Qin, and others to the border of the Taicang Dynasty before withdrawing his focus and vanishing from the spot.

This action was primarily for Zhen Qin.

Yet, the feeling of making a move was quite pleasant, allowing him to truly experience the mighty power of the Immortal Path.

No wonder the Nirvana Realm is so special. Without undergoing Nirvana, a Cultivator of Human Race cannot live beyond ten thousand years. The gap between the Nirvana Realm and the Mahayana Realm is not just in terms of Spiritual Power but in all aspects.

Upon returning to the Supreme Sect, Gu An continued to purchase herbs, preparing for planting in the Nianchu Cave.

Before sowing, he had to properly instruct Tian Yao'er.

Now that he possessed the means of an Immortal, he did not need to provide hands-on instruction to Tian Yao'er. A mere touch on her forehead could transfer a vast amount of information into her mind. However, to conceal his strength, he decided to teach her slowly, as he had ample time.

Meanwhile.

By the side of a great river, the Disciples of the Law Enforcement Hall looked at Sage Xuan Miao, hesitating to speak.

They could no longer care about the joy of their narrow escape; they were more worried about the impact on Sage Xuan Miao.

If it weren't for saving them, how could Sage Xuan Miao have ended up like this?

Sage Xuan Miao washed his face and stood up, smiling at everyone, "Don't worry about me. My cultivation level was only sealed by the Mountain God for a year because I did not keep my promise. It's only right that I face this tribulation."

The disciples hurriedly spoke up, taking responsibility onto themselves, but Sage Xuan Miao merely responded with a carefree laugh.

Having his cultivation level suppressed to the Foundation Establishment Realm did not cause him any pain; instead, he felt more excited.

Now, he fully believed that the Mountain God was a true Immortal. The methods of the Mountain God astounded him and were also very inspiring.

The path to Immortal Cultivation can indeed be achieved!

"Alright, everyone, now that we're back in the Taicang Dynasty, it's time to part ways. Remember, do not reveal the existence of the Mountain God to anyone," Sage Xuan Miao said with a salute.

The disciples quickly returned the salute, promising never to reveal it.

If Sage Xuan Miao, being as strong as he was, could have his cultivation sealed, how would they dare to anger the Mountain God?

They shared the same excitement as Sage Xuan Miao, seeing an unprecedented hope.

The Immortal Path is vast and immeasurable, and whether Immortals exist has always been a long-standing debate in the Immortal Cultivation World. Those who have seen an Immortal will be more resolute than others.

...

As autumn passed and winter arrived, heavy snow gradually covered Mystic Valley.

Zhen Qin came back to visit him, telling him how chaotic the outside world was.

"The people from the Ephemera Sect are just too many; even with the combined forces of the nine dynasties, they cannot be completely eradicated..." Zhen Qin sighed.

As a Foundation Establishment Realm Cultivator, her perspective was limited.

Gu An often saw battles involving Mystic Heart Realm Great Cultivators.

Currently, each region was overseen by Mystic Heart Realm Great Cultivators. The total number of Mystic Heart Realm Great Cultivators across the nine dynasties had already exceeded twenty and was still increasing. The situation with the Ephemera Sect was the same, leading to a stalemate in the battles below.

This would be a conflict that lasted many years!

Gu An was not in a hurry; he was just waiting for that Mahayana Cultivator to show up and would eliminate him at the first opportunity!

His Divine Sense could cover the nine dynasties, but the Main Lineage of the Ephemera Sect was in the Nine Nether Road, so he had not yet discovered the whereabouts of that Mahayana Cultivator.

He did not intend to enter the Nine Nether Road to capture him, preferring to wait for the opponent to appear, as only then would the news of his death spread. At that time, the leaderless Ephemera Sect could only disperse.

After Zhen Qin finished speaking, Gu An poured her a cup of tea, smiling as he asked, "You seem quite excited, quite different in spirit compared to when you left."

Zhen Qin chuckled, "Although there's killing everywhere outside, this experience has given me greater motivation to cultivate."

"Master, I plan to go into seclusion next. Our batch of disciples has completed their mission, and the Law Enforcement Hall has allowed us to rest next," she said.

Gu An took out bottles of Elixir from his Storage Bag and handed them to her, saying, "Cultivate well, in the future Master will rely on you."

Zhen Qin did not refuse, and while accepting the Elixirs, she laughed, "Wait till I become an Immortal, then I'll concoct the Elixir of Immortality for Master!"

She looked spirited, causing Gu An to feel amused.

Since Su Han and Ye Yan left, Zhen Qin had been frequently visiting Mystic Valley, still treating it as her home.

Gu An never found it bothersome; every time he saw her coming to visit, he was very pleased.

After Zhen Qin left Mystic Valley, Gu An began wandering around in Mystic Valley, admiring the fruits of his cultivation.

Time continued to pass.

Although the Immortal Cultivation World was already in great chaos, the Supreme Sect had not been attacked, and Gu An's days within the sect remained peaceful.

After the end of the year came the New Year. This year's Spring Festival was not as lively as in past years, and Gu An could only celebrate the festival with the Servant Disciples.

Late into the night, he quietly went to the Nianchu Cave.

He appeared on the grass, feeling the Spiritual Energy within the cave, and his face showed satisfaction. The Spirit Gathering Array he had personally set up was beginning to show results.

At that moment, Tian Yao'er came over excitedly and asked, "Master, did you bring any meat?"

Since Gu An made barbecued meat for her last month, she had completely fallen in love with barbecue, and every time Gu An came, she would first ask if he brought meat.

Nianchu Cave had no entrance, so Tian Yao'er could not leave it; she could only cultivate and wait.

"I brought some, but we need to sow first. Based on your performance, I will decide how many pieces of meat you get to eat," Gu An replied, hearing Tian Yao'er's eyes widen.

Subsequently, Gu An began teaching Tian Yao'er how to sow the seeds, passing on his knowledge through both words and actions.

After teaching her once, Gu An watched Tian Yao'er sow, which took up half the evening.

Gu An noticed that Tian Yao'er had quite a talent for planting. Although she seemed dull, she was meticulous and skilled with her hands.

After they finished sowing, Gu An took out a leg of lamb and some specially made seasonings. Tian Yao'er's eyes lit up, and she took the initiative to fetch some firewood.

30 minutes later.

Tian Yao'er sat on the ground, gnawing on a sizzling, oily lamb leg while eyeing another one still on the rack.

"They're all yours, eat slowly," Gu An said with a laugh, unable to hold back.

Why did he feel like he was raising a cat?

In fact, Tian Yao'er was not a cat demon but a bird demon. Observing her potential life span, Gu An suspected she had Phoenix blood lineage.

With her mouth full of meat, Tian Yao'er asked unclearly, "Master, what brings you to Heavenly Phoenix Mountain?"

Although they had been together for several months, she still knew nothing about Gu An. Seeing him in a good mood today, she mustered the courage to ask.

"Heavenly Phoenix Mountain is rich in resources. I came specifically for the herbs. What we planted is what I've gathered from the mountain."

"Master, can you perform alchemy?"

"Of course."

"The Demon Mother has a demon under her who can perform alchemy and is highly favored by her. Can you teach me alchemy in the future?"

"It depends on your performance."

"Master, where are you from?"

The quiet cave echoed with the conversation of the man and the demon, the firelight casting their shifting shadows against the cave walls.

Tian Yao'er looked at Gu An, feeling an unprecedented sense of relaxation.

Although she was still trapped in the cave, she felt at peace with Gu An and no longer lived in constant fear.

In the days that followed, Tian Yao'er memorized all the details of cultivation, which meant that Gu An no longer needed to come to Nianchu Cave every night.

On the days when Gu An was away, Tian Yao'er diligently cultivated. She was afraid that Gu An would be disappointed with her and abandon her, so since she began her cultivation, she never slacked off.

In the blink of an eye,

half a year passed.

Gu An, at the age of seventy-four, had his lifespan break through to two million years, and everything was developing in a favorable direction.

One day, Gu An went to the Outer City to deliver the last year's harvest to Mystic Valley.

After leaving the Elixir Hall, he heard passing disciples discussing the major events in the Immortal Cultivation World."

It was said that the Ephemera Sect was building a massive sacrificial altar in the Wanji Forest of the Taichen Dynasty, planning to sacrifice living beings. Now, people were disappearing from all the dynasties, and sects from the other eight dynasties were rushing to the Taichen Dynasty. Everyone felt that a major battle was imminent.

Using his Divine Sense, Gu An saw the altar, and indeed, it was huge, covering an area of a hundred miles. At the center of the altar was a large cauldron with a flag in it, harboring countless aggrieved souls.

Surrounding the altar were at least forty Mystic Heart Realm Great Cultivators, suggesting that the Ephemera Sect was going all-in.

This also indicated that the Mahayana Cultivator was about to make an appearance.

Gu An withdrew his Divine Sense and headed to Wu Jue's residence.

Wu Jue had already become an Inner Sect Disciple, but he hadn't sold his separate courtyard in the Outer City; he just didn't stay there regularly.

Feeling Wu Jue's presence meant Wu Jue was specifically waiting for him.

On his way to the yard, the practicing Wu Jue saw Gu An entering and smiled, "You've finally come. I thought I wouldn't see you before I left."

Although Wu Jue's potential lifespan had not increased, his cultivation had reached the first level of the Core Formation Realm.

After closing the gate, Gu An turned to look at Wu Jue and asked with a smile, "What are you waiting for me for?"

"Master is planning to take me to the Taichen Dynasty to eradicate the Ephemera Demon Path. Taichen is far from Taicang. It's uncertain how long it will take to return, so I wanted to say goodbye to you," Wu Jue replied, halting his practice.

He tried to appear calm, but Gu An could see the nervousness and fear in his heart.

Indeed, Wu Jue had never experienced a life-or-death fight, and he had a particular fear of the Ephemera Sect since his master had died at their hands.

"A genius like you should find it easy to stay, shouldn't you?" Gu An asked.

Wu Jue shook his head, "The Ephemera Sect is powerful. The Supreme Sect must devote all its strength to eliminate demons. Moreover, I have reasons that make it impossible for me not to go."

His expression was resolute.

He had to avenge his master!

Although he did not know which Ephemera Sect Demon Cultivator had killed his master, to him, it did not matter—as long as he could destroy the Ephemera Sect, he would consider it revenge.

"Then you must be cautious. The Demon Path employs a myriad of strange and extreme tactics. You can't judge someone's strength based on their cultivation level alone..." Gu An began to admonish.

Listening to his lengthy advice, Wu Jue did not find it tedious; instead, he smiled.

Having such a brother made him even more determined to go!

If the Ephemera Sect's sacrifice was successful, the Demon Cultivators would eventually attack the Supreme Sect, and then Gu An would be in danger.

Subsequently, Wu Jue began to talk about the scale of the Supreme Sect's expedition this time. The Sect Leader had dispatched one-third of the Inner Sect Disciples to Wanji Forest, indicating the emphasis placed on this mission.