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

Chapter 149 The Soaring Lifespan

In the past month, Gu An harvested 1.07 million years of lifespan by relying on the epiphyllum. Almost all of it was harvested in the first half of the month. As time went on, it became more and more difficult to take away lifespan. More epiphyllum flowers withered directly after he picked them, which surprised him.

It seemed as if some unseen force had prematurely drained the life force of these epiphyllum flowers.

Although she didn't know the reason, Gu Anxin was satisfied.

Thanks to the Ephemeral Flower Cult, he saved twenty years of effort and his lifespan reached 4.39 million years.

After the destruction of the Tanhua Sect, the land of the Nine Dynasties rejoiced. Various versions of the story spread among the people, and the Tanhua Sect became the most terrifying sect in the world, while the mountain god became a popular belief.

This day.

In a forest in the Beihai Mountains.

The Mysterious Immortal knelt on the ground, his expression devout.

He suddenly heard a voice, his face lit up with joy, and then he walked in another direction.

Two hours later, the Mysterious Immortal stopped. He stood on a hillside and looked up to see the North Sea, its surface shimmering.

"Build a Taoist temple for me here, and cultivate a medicinal herb field for me," Gu An's voice rang in Xuanmiao Zhenren's ears.

The Mysterious Immortal immediately agreed, and he was very much looking forward to the life of service that would follow.

And so, a day and a night passed.

Early morning hours.

Gu An transformed into a small figure in white and appeared on the shoulder of the Mysterious Immortal.

The Mysterious Immortal was sitting cross-legged on the steps in front of the Taoist temple, practicing his exercises with his eyes closed.

Gu An looked at the Taoist temple he had built. It was not bad; it wasn't grand or imposing, but it wasn't stingy either.

The courtyard walls are made of stone, as is the Taoist temple. The beams and pillars are made of redwood, and the eaves are paved with red bricks. It is partially hidden in the woods halfway up the mountain. Inside the courtyard, a large cauldron burns incense and candles, with wisps of smoke rising, creating an atmosphere reminiscent of a celestial realm.

Overall, Master Xuanmiao put in a lot of effort and successfully won him over.

Gu An said, "The name on this plaque is not good. The name 'Mountain God Temple' is too general. There may be more than one mountain god in this world."

Master Xuanmiao suddenly opened his eyes and subconsciously turned his head to look. He saw the Mountain God standing on his shoulder, and his body immediately stiffened, unable to move.

He asked cautiously, "May I ask what your name is, that of a deity or immortal?"

"Not ready yet."

Gu An jumped off Xuanmiao Zhenren's shoulder and walked into the courtyard.

Master Xuanmiao quickly got up and followed, asking curiously, "What do you mean by not having thought it through? Don't you have a group of immortals and gods behind you, like the Heavenly Court in Investiture of the Gods?"

"Investiture of the Gods, what is that?"

The Mysterious Immortal gave a brief account of the Investiture of the Gods, and his tone was filled with respect when he mentioned the book.

After listening, Gu An scoffed, "Mortals dare to speculate about immortals and gods? I don't know if there is a Heavenly Court in this world, but I have never seen any other immortals or gods in my life."

"Then what are you...?"

"You want to ask why I dare to call myself the Mountain God?"

"No, no, that's not what I meant..."

"Immortals and gods are not just statuses, but also a certain realm. If you cultivate diligently, perhaps one day you can reach that level too."

Gu An's words ignited a burning passion in Xuanmiao Zhenren's heart.

He also wanted to be as powerful as the mountain god!
Seeing that the mountain god was in a good mood, he began to inquire about the medicinal field.

"Plant whatever you like, I'll come and harvest it when the time comes, and send these flowers and plants to their final rest," Gu An replied casually, which made the Mysterious Immortal solemn with respect.

He had never heard of flowers and plants needing to pass away.

The mountain god's magnanimity was indeed beyond his comprehension.

After explaining some things to Master Xuanmiao, Gu An disappeared into thin air, saying that he was going to sleep in the ground and not to be disturbed unless necessary.

Sleeping in the field?

The Mysterious Immortal gained a new understanding.

……

Two months after the destruction of the Ephemeral Flower Sect, the great cultivators of the Tai Xuan Sect and their disciples returned one after another. Their return also brought back many inside stories, causing the Tai Xuan Sect to once again spread the spirit of the Mountain God.

Lu Lingjun has also returned.

She was placed in the Elders' Hall by Lü Baitian, which greatly elevated her status. Lü Baitian originally wanted to transfer her out of the Third Medicine Valley, but this time she refused.

"From now on, I will cultivate in the Third Medicine Valley and continue to protect you. But don't even think about ordering me around. If you can offer some medicinal herbs as tribute, I can help you with some things."

Inside the attic, Lu Lingjun sat opposite Gu An and spoke leisurely.

This gesture...

So pretentious!
Gu An smiled and said, "Giving you herbs is fine, but you can actually buy seeds and I'll help you plant them. All the yield will be yours. It's something I can easily handle. I can rest assured that you'll be in charge of the Third Medicine Valley."

Upon hearing this, Lu Lingjun thought it made sense and said, "That's true. I'll go to the sect's main city in a couple of days. The seeds there are of a higher grade."

Then she began to talk about the previous Battle of Wanjilin, recounting the battle from her own experience, which was even more brutal.

She held the mountain god in the highest esteem, and as an ascended being, the immortals and gods held even greater significance in her heart.

Gu An felt a secret pleasure as he listened to her reverence for the mountain god.

Gu An didn't give himself away, occasionally joining in with exclamations of surprise.

After she finished speaking, Gu An sighed, "The realm of the mountain god is truly unimaginable. I wonder if a mortal could ever reach such a realm in their entire life."

Lu Lingjun said earnestly, "It may be difficult, but since we have embarked on the path of cultivation, we must strive towards this goal, even if it means dying without regret."

Gu An saw that her lifespan had reached its limit, which was 3,700 years. She still had nearly 1,700 years left. He wondered if she could defy fate and reach the state of Nirvana in the remaining years.

He has no intention of teaching the Innate Reincarnation Technique for the time being; his relationship with Lu Lingjun is not yet that good.

Let's see how she behaves next. If she pleases him, he might be willing to lend a hand.

If this guy treats him badly, then forget about it.

Half an hour later, Lu Lingjun got up and left. Before leaving, she reminded him, "Don't read those lousy books. Write another one of Investiture of the Gods when you have time. I want to see what kind of stories those people have after they are made gods."

A tattered book?

You don't understand at all!
Gu An glared at Lu Lingjun's retreating figure, and only after she closed the door did he take out the Tai Xuan Secret Manual.

This was the last volume of the Tai Xuan Secret Transmission. After reading it, he planned to burn it.

He turned to the first page and began to appreciate it.

Huh?
Shen Zhen's writing style has changed; this last volume has taken a melancholic turn, lacking the boldness of his earlier works.

Okay, I like it.

As a melancholic person, Gu An decided not to burn the Tai Xuan Secret Manual.

Watching the male protagonist and his confidante's emotions erupt at the moment of parting, as they recount their bitter experiences, the emotional conflicts that have been building up for so many years are finally released.

Next up are the illustrations that Gu An usually disdains.

He had to take a close look to see if there were any flaws in Shen Zhen's painting skills.

……

As the new year arrived, Gu An participated in the Spring Festival activities in the Third Medicine Valley and Xuan Valley. Later that night, he arrived at Nianchu Cave in Tianhuang Mountain.

He brought Tian Yao'er fine wine and delicious food, preparing to celebrate the festival with her.

Besides tending to the herbs, Tian Yao'er spent the rest of her time cultivating, which was quite a monotonous life. So Gu An would always give her all sorts of delicious food whenever he came to visit.

This was Tian Yao'er's first time drinking alcohol.

She choked on her first sip while holding the jar.

This is a spirit wine; even a Core Formation cultivator would get drunk if they drank too much of it.

Despite the intoxication, this wine can enhance one's cultivation level, making it a valuable remedy for cultivation.

Tian Yao'er's pretty face turned red at a visible speed. Gu An reminded her, "Don't rush if you can't drink it all. Save it for later. You'll get used to it after drinking more."

Does a monster blush when drinking?
This was beyond Gu An's expectations.

Tian Yao'er shook her head and said, "I can drink, why can't I drink?"

Seeing that Gu An had finished the bowl of spirit wine, she naturally refused to admit defeat.

Moreover, although the wine made her feel warm all over, she felt quite comfortable and wanted to drink more.

Gu An was about to speak when he suddenly realized something. He stood up and said, "Eat some meat first, I'm going out for a bit."

As soon as he finished speaking, he vanished from the spot.

Tian Yao'er picked up the wine jar again, licked her lips, and took another sip. This time, she forced herself to endure the choking sensation and continued drinking.

……

Under the cover of darkness, the mountains stretched endlessly, with one ridge undulating incessantly. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a giant snake with two legs and a human face.

It was none other than Chen She, who had previously appeared in Wanji Forest.

Chen She was covered in blood, his breath was weak, and his panting sounded like muffled thunder. The surrounding demonic mist churned, and many ghostly figures were vaguely approaching.

Chen She's once bright and lively eyes looked extremely tired, as if they might close at any moment.

"Such powerful blood and energy, an ancient remnant."

A cold laugh rang out, startling Chen She into opening his eyes. He saw a figure appear in the distance above the demonic mist. It was an old woman dressed in a black robe, with two horns on her head and a pair of wings on her back. Her cheeks were covered with fine black hair, making her look even more terrifying.

The Heavenly Phoenix Demon Mother looked down at Chen She, her eyes filled with greed.

Chen She moved slightly, but was unable to get up.

The Heavenly Phoenix Demon Mother began to approach Chen She, her body emanating billowing demonic energy, like two black dragons encircling Chen She's massive body.

"If you don't want to die, turn around and leave."

A voice came from Chen She's direction. Tianhuang Demon Mother stopped, squinted, and saw a small white figure wearing a mask standing on Chen She's forehead.

The Heavenly Phoenix Demon Mother sneered, "What? Who are you? Don't you know who I am?"

Upon hearing this, Gu An was about to reply, but then felt it was too much trouble.

He immediately waved his sleeve, and terrifying magical power rushed towards the Heavenly Phoenix Demon Mother like the wind, instantly turning her into ashes.

You have successfully seized 203 years of the Heavenly Phoenix Demon Mother's lifespan (Ninth Level of the Integration Realm).

The demon king that Tian Yao'er feared most died at Gu An's hands without any power to resist.

Chen She struggled to open its eyes and spoke in human language: "You...you are the mountain god..."

Its voice was neither male nor female, and it sounded weak and listless.

On the day of the battle with the Ephemeral Flower Sect, it was injured and fell to the ground, where it saw the wooden figure.

The wooden figure bears a striking resemblance to Gu An in the present day.

Gu An said, "Considering your efforts to save the common people, I will save your life."

He took out bottles of pills that he had already prepared and poured them into Chen She's mouth.

After Chen She was seriously injured, he was also poisoned by the Epiphyllum poison from the Epiphyllum mother tree. The Epiphyllum poison can only be cured by the Epiphyllum Pill made from Epiphyllum flowers.

"Mountain God... someone... has inherited the power of the Ephemeral Flower Sect..." Chen She said with difficulty, its snake eyes flashing with strange light, revealing a human figure.

Gu An stared intently, and the look in his eyes behind the mask became strange.

Why is it him?

This book doesn't involve ascending to immortality upon reaching a certain level. The protagonist's world is vast, and ascension occurs from a lower realm to this one.


(End of this chapter)