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

Chapter 34 Thirty Thousand Years of Lifespan, Records of the Purple Star Array
Gu An originally wanted to use the name of Xu Zhonglin, the original author of Investiture of the Gods, but when he thought about writing other books to earn extra money, he came up with another name.

Liu Chang and Zhu Qinglu didn't think much of it; Pan An was just a different person from Gu An, only with a different surname, which they could understand.

Afterwards, Liu Chang began to instruct Gu An, mainly reminding him of what not to write, and he also subtly instructed Gu An to include the Tai Xuan Sect in the text and to cultivate a positive image for it.

Even if you don't explicitly mention Tai Xuan Sect, you can use metaphors. In short, the more you praise Tai Xuan Sect, the better treatment you will receive in the future.

Gu An could only agree to this, and whether he would actually do it or not would be decided later.

Writing books is something he does in his spare time; he wouldn't put much effort into it.

After Liu Chang finished speaking, Gu Yu leaned over and asked excitedly, "Brother, have you written any other books?"

Gu An shook his head and said, "This is my first time writing."

"Haha, not bad, not bad. I have high hopes for you. You might even surpass Qingxia's status in the Tai Xuan Sect." Gu Yu patted Gu An on the shoulder and said with an overly familiar expression.

Upon hearing this, Gu An immediately became interested and asked, "Do you know Qingxia?"

Gu Yu raised an eyebrow and said, "You also like his travelogue? I don't know him. I only know that he is a cultivator from the Tai Xuan Sect. I asked Elder Liu, but he refused to say anything."

Liu Chang laughed and pulled Zhu Qinglu outside, saying, "Come with me for a walk, catch up, and let the younger generation chat."

Zhu Qinglu nodded, and the two quickly left the hall.

Gu Yu then pressed Gu An for details about writing Investiture of the Gods. Gu An, seeing that Old Liu's attitude towards him was not simple, patiently answered.

A full hour later, Gu An finally left the library with Zhu Qinglu.

“That disciple named Gu Yu is no ordinary person. It’s rare to see a junior treated this way by Liu Chang,” Zhu Qinglu said meaningfully.

Gu An nodded, but he had no intention of getting to know Gu Yu better; such a person would easily disrupt his life.

The two did not travel together. After parting ways, Gu An went to buy medicinal herb seeds and some clothes.

He didn't return to Xuan Valley until nightfall.

The days passed by.

Another Spring Festival has arrived, and Xuan Gu's second Spring Festival went even more smoothly without any setbacks. The atmosphere was even more joyful than the first year, and Gu An delivered food to Jiang Qiong as usual.

He began counting down the days, preparing to welcome Jiang Qiong away.

After Jiang Qiong leaves, he will make great strides in the Eight Views Cave Heaven, planting spiritual flowers and herbs everywhere.

After the Spring Festival, Gu An took Wu Xin to the outer sect and selected three more menial disciples. This time, they were two women and one man, named Yan Mei, Yang Min, and Ye Yan.

The three were all the same age, only eighteen, and they were very much looking forward to their upcoming life in Xuan Valley.

Becoming a handyman disciple not only allows you to earn spirit stones, but also gives you the opportunity to inherit your master's magic.

This time, Gu An wasn't just recruiting handyman disciples, but also to train Wu Xin, so that Wu Xin could fully get used to the identity of the eldest disciple and run errands for him in the future.

After returning to Xuan Valley, Gu An asked Wu Xin to take the three of them to meet the other people in the valley, while he went into the forest on the north side to make some plans.

He wanted to plant medicinal herbs all over the nearby mountains and forests. The amount of medicinal herbs he submitted last year was already among the top ten in the outer sect's medicinal valley. Zhu Qinglu valued him even more and improved his treatment. Now he could easily support nine miscellaneous disciples, and he even wanted to recruit more.

It's hard for people to be content with the status quo. Gu An had the same thought about his annual life expectancy income. If his life expectancy growth was not as good as last year, he would feel bad.

Gu An stood under the tree, scanning the woods, and began to sketch out the park in his mind.

A white rat suddenly darted out of the forest. Upon seeing it, Gu An felt both a headache and anticipation.

I'm afraid it will find something good, yet I also hope it will find something good.

It hopped all the way to Gu An's feet and spat out a jade ring from its mouth.

Gu An raised his hand and tucked the jade ring into his belt, intending to check it privately later.

He picked up the white mouse and wouldn't let it run around.

"Good job. I'll feed you a vine fruit tonight," Gu An said with a smile.

The white mouse seemed to understand, and instead stopped struggling, lying obediently in his arms.

After standing there for about half an incense stick's time, Gu An turned and left the forest. He stood on the grass next to the park, waiting for someone to arrive.

Not long after, a whooshing sound came from the air.

An outer disciple flew over on his sword and quickly landed beside Gu An. His figure attracted the attention of the other Xuan Gu disciples.

"Senior Brother! I'm back!"

The newcomer was none other than Lu Jiujia, who had previously participated in the outer sect assessment. Dressed in an outer sect Taoist robe, he looked completely different from before.

Gu An laughed and said, "I thought you weren't coming back."

Lu Jiujia scratched his head and said, "How could that be? I went into seclusion after obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill. After successfully establishing my foundation, I rushed back to share my joy with you all."

Gu An smiled and reached out to pat his shoulder; his body had indeed become stronger.

At this moment, others gathered around, excitedly asking him about his experience in the Foundation Establishment stage. He answered them one by one, full of pride and confidence.

When Gu An first met Lu Jiujia, he was only fifteen years old. Now, seeing him in such a glorious state, Gu An felt only gratification.

On the path to immortality, being alone is too lonely. If those one associates with can die peacefully, one will have fewer regrets. Lu Jiujia's return has enlivened Xuan Valley, and Yan Mei and the other two who have just entered the valley are also greatly encouraged, as they have seen a path to advancement.

Hard work in Xuan Valley gives you a chance to advance to the outer sect!
That night, Gu An studied the jade ring that the white spirit rat had brought back. He forcibly broke through the restrictions inside with his divine sense and found that it was full of spirit stones.

Unexpected windfall?

Gu An had higher expectations for the White Spirit Mouse, which successfully obtained the right to eat the Azure Vine Fruit.

Lu Jiujia stayed in Xuan Valley for a month before leaving. Everyone knew that once he left, they might never see him again in this life, unless they could also become outer disciples.

……

In the blink of an eye, two years have passed. Gu An is already thirty years old, but after taking the Youth Preservation Pill, he looks only about twenty.

His lifespan has exceeded 30,000 years!
Xuan Gu is expanding, and the number of outer disciples who have asked him to manage their cave dwellings has reached eleven. His lifespan is increasing every month.

His life is busy and fulfilling, but he doesn't feel tired at all; on the contrary, he is full of fighting spirit.

Summer has arrived, the moon is bright and the stars are few, and fireflies flicker in the secluded mountain forest.

In the mountains and forests, Jiang Qiong, dressed in white, walked ahead. She was barefoot, and even when she stepped on tree branches, she did not feel any discomfort.

Gu An followed behind, remaining silent.

"Okay, that's it."

Jiang Qiong stopped, turned around and looked at Gu An.

Gu An nodded, hesitated for a moment, and said, "Grandmaster, be careful on the way out, after all, this is still within the territory of the Tai Xuan Sect."

After spending so many years together, and with Jiang Qiong teaching him so many spells, it would be a lie to say there wasn't a trace of affection between them.

However, compared to these feelings, Gu An would rather she leave.

Jiang Qiong nodded, raised her right hand, and a blue book appeared in her hand. She tossed the book directly to Gu An.

“Cultivate diligently. When I return next time, I will test your cultivation level. If you disappoint me, your grandmaster will beat you up.” Jiang Qiong spoke in a threatening tone, even waving her fist, leaving Gu An both amused and exasperated.

Before he could reply, Jiang Qiong vanished into thin air, and Gu An could feel her demonic energy rapidly dissipating.

In the dim mountain forest, Gu An's lips curled up slightly as he turned and walked towards Xuan Valley, glancing at the secret manual in his hand.

Ziwei Array Record!

He glanced through it briefly and found that each page of the book had special restrictions. The pages described the formations in words, but the methods of cultivating the formations required the use of divine sense to explore them.

Something!

Gu An thought of the array formations in the Eight Views Cave Heaven. It was precisely those array formations that prevented so many powerful cultivators from the Tai Xuan Sect from detecting the presence of the Azure Vine Tree when they flew over the Xuan Valley.

Although Jiang Qiong was only at the ninth level of the Core Formation Realm, her mastery of formations and alchemy far surpassed that of the Core Formation Realm. After all, she reached the Core Formation Realm at the age of forty and had been studying formations and alchemy ever since. She said that during the years she faked her death, she had also been thinking about formations.

Gu An suddenly felt the Ziwei Array Record in his hand was very heavy.

The moon sets and the sun rises.

Early morning arrived.

Jiang Qiong's departure only affected Gu An; Xuan Gu's life continued as usual.

After leading his disciples in practice, Gu An took Ye Lan back to his pavilion.

He took out a small wooden box that he had prepared beforehand and handed it to Ye Lan. The small wooden box was square and exquisitely crafted, as if it contained jewels.

Ye Lan was stunned for a moment, then curiously opened the wooden box. She then saw a pill placed inside.

"Senior Brother, what kind of pill is this?" Ye Lan asked.

Gu An sat at the table, pouring himself tea as he smiled and said, "The Foundation Establishment Pill was specially prepared for you. Don't tell anyone. If any disciple in the valley reaches the ninth level of Qi Refining in the future, I will also give them one, but they can't know in advance that I have a Foundation Establishment Pill, lest it cause trouble."

Foundation Building Pill!
Ye Lan's eyes widened, and she subconsciously wanted to refuse, but Gu An spoke first, saying, "Don't worry, I've saved a Foundation Establishment Pill for myself. Once you successfully establish your foundation, you might become my support in the outer sect. Cultivating well is the best way to repay me."

"I..." Ye Lan's feelings were complicated. She had a lot to say, but she couldn't bring herself to say it.

Gu An said earnestly, "Life is a long journey, and people will always have many thoughts. Don't forget what your greatest pursuit in this life is."

Although Ye Lan hadn't bothered him much over the years, the way she looked at him was always so tender. Sometimes he could even overhear the other disciples' discussions, and everyone could see her feelings for him.

Gu An's feelings for Ye Lan were merely those of a brother and sister; they hadn't reached the point where he wanted to spend his life with her, and his heart was only set on cultivating immortality.

After hearing this, Ye Lan nodded emphatically and said softly, "Senior Brother, don't worry, I will definitely work hard to cultivate and I won't let you down. I will strive to climb up the ranks and take care of you in the future."

As she said this, she winked at Gu An.

Gu An smiled and then waved for her to leave.

Ye Lan put away the Foundation Establishment Pill and turned to leave. She closed the door behind her, but just before she closed it, she suddenly said, "Senior Brother, no matter where I go in the future, I will not fall for any other man. There will only be you in my heart."

After saying that, she slammed the door shut and fled as if she were escaping.

(End of this chapter)