Saint Who Lay Low

Seeing Luo Hun's awkward expression, Gu An suddenly realized the truth—this guy enjoyed reading all along! Why didn't he say so earlier?

Gu An immediately patted Luo Hun on the shoulder and laughed, "Brother Luo, I didn't expect we share the same taste! To be honest, compared to the constant battles and sect rivalries in Investiture of the Gods, I much prefer the subtle interactions between people and the experience of traveling through mountains and rivers. Those things truly temper one's Dao heart."

Hearing this, Luo Hun's embarrassment faded, and a smile appeared on his face.

The two began to chat about The Adventures of Green Hero, bringing them even closer.

However, Luo Hun remained reserved, avoiding the topic of the romance in the book and only discussing the strange landscapes and tales.

Watching Luo Hun's fake propriety amused Gu An greatly.

It seemed that life in Tianya Valley wouldn't be so dull after all!

…

Time flew by, and three years passed swiftly.

Another summer arrived, and Gu An, now thirty-eight years old, eagerly anticipated the first harvest of medicinal herbs from the Third Medicine Valley.

As for Tianya Valley, since it contained higher-tier herbs, it would take a bit longer for them to mature.

One morning, Gu An was leading his disciples in exercises at Xuan Valley.

Though Zhen Qin, Su Han, and Ye Yan had moved to the Third Medicine Valley, Xuan Valley remained lively with the arrival of three new servant disciples.

As Gu An was stretching, he suddenly sensed something and smiled.

Xiao Chun noticed the smile and asked, "Senior Brother, what are you smiling about?"

"Nothing, keep practicing," Gu An said, brushing off the question. Xiao Chun had no choice but to let it go.

A while later, the exercises were over, and the disciples dispersed. Gu An headed back to his pavilion.

As he reached the bottom of the stairs, he heard a sharp sound from the sky. Turning around, he saw someone flying toward him on a sword.

It was Li Ya!

After several years, Li Ya was still dressed in his usual black, but his aura had changed. There was even a streak of white in his hair, giving him a weathered look.

From afar, Li Ya spotted Gu An, and his cold face broke into a smile, like ice melting away.

Li Ya's cultivation had reached the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment, and Gu An could sense that he was even stronger than Ji Lin had been. It seemed that Li Ya was not far from reaching the Core Formation stage.

Once Li Ya landed, he opened his arms and hugged Gu An, making Gu An's body stiffen.

"Not bad, you've reached Foundation Establishment! You must've worked hard," Li Ya said with a satisfied smile, squeezing Gu An's shoulder.

Gu An naturally shrugged off his grip with a laugh, "You're finally back! How did things go?"

Li Ya shook his head. "Not smoothly, but it was a blessing in disguise. Let's talk inside."

Gu An nodded and led him upstairs.

An hour later...

Inside the pavilion, Gu An and Li Ya sat across from each other, drinking as Li Ya recounted his experiences over the past few years, leaving Gu An full of emotion.

"It sounds like something that could go into a book," Gu An commented.

Li Ya chuckled, "Indeed. Although I had several near-death experiences, they made me who I am now."

Over the years, Li Ya had traveled south, seeking the inheritance of a Divine Transformation stage cultivator. He competed with various geniuses and narrowly survived several ordeals. However, the Divine Transformation cultivator had tried to possess him, though Li Ya managed to escape. While he didn't reveal exactly how he avoided the possession, Gu An suspected it had something to do with the soul in Li Ya's body.

After surviving the danger, Li Ya gained a powerful sword intent from the cultivator's lair. He spent three years refining this intent, emerging reborn with a sharpened will.

On his way back from Ji Prefecture in the south, Li Ya encountered more trouble. For example, he saved a woman who was being oppressed by a local family. Unfortunately, after he left, the woman and her family were driven to death, and this tragic incident became widely known. Upon hearing the news, Li Ya returned and slaughtered the family, sparking widespread gossip in the region.

The local authorities pursued Li Ya for several days before giving up and even rescinding the warrant for his arrest.

When Li Ya spoke of this, his tone was cold rather than sorrowful.

Gu An poured Li Ya another cup of wine. Suddenly, Li Ya asked, "Gu Shidi, what do you think we're cultivating for? Is it really just to chase the illusion of immortality? From ancient times to now, has anyone ever truly lived forever?"

Hearing this, Gu An poured himself some wine and replied, "I don't know what cultivators should ultimately pursue. All I know is that we should live in a way that brings us ease. Whatever makes you feel at ease, go and do that."

"I spend my days planting flowers and herbs. To many people, that's a waste of time that could be spent on cultivation. But I find it enjoyable. The herbs I grow can help the sect, so there's some meaning in it, don't you think?"

He didn't think Li Ya was being pretentious. After experiencing certain events, it was natural to feel confused.

Li Ya, listening, held his wine cup, deep in thought.

He remained silent for half an hour, and Gu An didn't disturb him, taking out The Adventures of Green Hero to read instead.

When Li Ya finally came to, his eyes were brighter. He looked at Gu An and said, "The truth never lies in grand ideals. Thank you, Gu Shidi. I think I know what I need to do now."

Standing up, Li Ya pulled out a small white jade bottle from his storage pouch and said, "This contains a pill made from a thousand-year spiritual fat. It can temper your muscles and bones, but you should only take two per year. I need to return to prepare for Core Formation."

With that, he jumped out the window before Gu An could stop him.

Gu An stood in silence. Why did this guy love jumping out of windows so much?

His gaze fell on the white jade bottle.

Why did everyone like giving him gifts?

Gu An smiled helplessly but still stored the bottle in his pouch.

…

On a summer evening, Gu An arrived at the Third Medicine Valley. As soon as he stepped off the teleportation array, he spotted a group gathered at a distant pavilion—Zhen Qin, Su Han, Ye Yan, and Zhou Tongyou were all chatting happily.

Gu An immediately walked over.

As Zhou Tongyou noticed him approaching, he smiled. The others followed his gaze and quickly stood up.

Reaching the pavilion, Gu An asked in an exasperated tone, "You're back again? Haven't you emptied your storage pouch yet?"

Three years had passed, and Zhou Tongyou had visited the Third Medicine Valley at least ten times, each time bringing herbs, pills, or magical tools. During their last sparring session, Gu An had barely won after using ten moves.

Well, he had barely managed to "act" like he was struggling, that is.

Zhou Tongyou grinned, "Don't worry. This time I'm not here to spar with you. I'm here to say goodbye. After spending so many years at Tai Xuan Sect, you're the only real friend I've made. I respect you."

A friend?

Gu An didn't know how to respond to that.

Ye Yan looked at Zhou Tongyou with a touch of reluctance. Over the years, Zhou Tongyou had guided him in his cultivation many times, almost like a second master.

"What do you mean 'spending so many years at Tai Xuan Sect'? Aren't you one of our sect's disciples?" Zhen Qin asked in shock, her eyes wide.

Su Han and Ye Yan were also taken aback.

They all shared the same thought.

Could he be a spy from the demonic path?

Zhou Tongyou proudly laughed, "Well, I was trying to stay low-key to avoid putting pressure on you all. But since I'm leaving, there's no need to hide it anymore. I'm Zhou Tongyou from Jue Shan Sect!"

Upon hearing this, the three disciples froze, which made Zhou Tongyou even more pleased. He lifted his chin and glanced at Gu An, eager to see his shocked reaction.

Gu An's face did change, and Zhou Tongyou's mood soared.

However, Zhen Qin suddenly muttered, "Is he supposed to be famous?"

Zhou Tongyou's pupils slowly dilated, and his body stiffened.

Gu An, fearing that Zhou Tongyou might change his mind and stay longer, quickly said, "Indeed, he's quite famous. He's suppressed all the young disciples of Tai Xuan Sect. I didn't realize... my apologies… my apologies…"

Hearing this, Zhou Tongyou's expression softened, and the three disciples followed Gu An's lead, expressing their surprise.

"My heavens! Did I hear that right?"

"It's really him…"

"How could this be?"

Zhou Tongyou's face twitched. For some reason, even though their words were flattering, they sounded rather grating to his ears.

Taking a deep breath, he said, "Your Tai Xuan Sect is about to undergo a big change. Be careful in the days ahead. If fate allows, we'll meet again."

With that, he leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of light as he flew off into the distance.

The three disciples were left in awe of his swift departure, staring blankly in the direction he had gone.

Gu An waved his hand. "That's enough. Go back to your training. Reach Foundation Establishment soon, or you won't even have the chance to see him again."

The three quickly bowed and left.

Gu An, on the other hand, pondered Zhou Tongyou's parting words. A big change at Tai Xuan Sect? He hoped it wouldn't affect his Medicine Valleys.

He turned and headed toward his pavilion. After entering, he closed the door behind him and sat at his desk. Taking out pen and paper, he began to contemplate the story of Gu Zong and his son.

The final volume of Investiture of the Gods had already been delivered to the library. It was time to start a new book.

After Investiture of the Gods, he intended to write Journey to the West, but worried about its overwhelming impact, so he decided to hold off for now. Instead, he would write a novel about Gu Zong and his son to tone things down a bit, making Pan An seem less like a divine figure.

Recently, the outer sect disciples had elevated Pan An's reputation to near-immortal status, which made Gu An uneasy.

He planned to use some of the classic plot points from web novels he had read in his previous life for his second book.

Gu Zong had cultivated for five hundred years and had become renowned in the cultivation world as Tai Xuan Sect's strongest elder. The year his Dao companion gave birth to their youngest son, demonic cultivators invaded, and Tai Xuan Sect faced near destruction. Gu Zong used his divine abilities to call upon the forces of heaven and earth, eradicating the demonic forces, but he himself was pulled into a spatial rift caused by his powers.

The world believed him to be dead, unaware that he had fallen onto a remote island overseas, where he discovered an immortal inheritance.

Twenty years later, Gu Zong returned, only to find that his son, Gu Yu, had been demoted to a servant disciple because his Heavenly Spiritual Root had been stolen.

Zhou Tongyou, the same age as Gu Yu, had been his closest friend since childhood. Even after Gu Yu's fall from grace, Zhou Tongyou continued to hope for his friend's rise. After centuries of twists and turns, the two became the pillars of Tai Xuan Sect, protecting the peace of the cultivation world.

As Gu An thought it through, a gleam of inspiration appeared in his eyes.

He began writing.

Chapter 1: The Fallen Genius!

...

A year after Zhou Tongyou's departure, during the spring season, Gu An visited the outer sect to submit his manuscript. Liu Chang was deeply interested in the book Tai Xuan Immortal Lord, keeping Gu An engaged in conversation for a long time.

As Gu An left the Library Pavilion, he overheard the passing disciples discussing some shocking news. It was said that Sect Master Lü Baitian had gone mad during cultivation and had fallen, with Elder Chu Tianqi taking over as sect master.

Gu An was stunned. Had the sect master been killed?

Hastily, he left the outer sect city and rushed back to the Third Medicine Valley.

Upon arrival, he was surprised to find Gu Yu waiting for him. Behind Gu Yu stood a hunched old man with a thin frame, white hair, and ragged clothes. The old man's eyes were carefully inspecting the various areas of the valley.

When Gu Yu saw Gu An flying in on his sword, he smiled and stood up. "You're finally back! This is Old Tian, a distant relative of my father's. His spiritual root aptitude is quite low, so he's never been able to reach Foundation Establishment. He'll be working in the valley, helping you out. Feel free to instruct him however you like."

Gu An's gaze shifted to the old man, his expression changing slightly.

[Lü Baitian (Qi Refining Stage, Sixth Layer): 742/850/3200]