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

Chapter 35 Flying Leaf Sword Immortal, Inheritance of the Divine Transformation Realm
After obtaining the Foundation Establishment Pill, Ye Lan successfully established her foundation in just one month. That night, Gu An secretly protected her during her tribulation, and she escaped unharmed.

The day after the foundation was successfully established, Ye Lan took her leave in a hurry.

Her sudden attainment of Foundation Establishment became a great mystery in Xuan Valley, and the disciples had many speculations about it. Some said that Gu An gave her the Foundation Establishment Pill, some said that Ye Lan had a fortuitous encounter, and others said that she was blessed by heaven while cultivating in the mountains.

Regardless, Ye Lan eventually left.

Under the scorching summer sun.

Standing on the rooftop, Gu An looked at his busy disciples and suddenly felt a sense of loss and change.

Cheng Xuandan, Zhang Chunqiu, Li Ya, Meng Lang, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan have all left.

The remaining people are now his successors.

The most senior person under him is Ogawa.

Xiao Chuan had given up on the idea of ​​joining the outer sect, but he was not discouraged and continued to live a positive life. In addition to cultivation, he found other meanings in life.

Gu An looked at a corner of the medicine valley, where a bamboo fence enclosed a flock of ducks. Xiao Chuan was perched on the fence, talking to the ducks.

These ducks weren't ordinary ducks from farmers; they all had a trace of the bloodline of a third-tier demon beast. Each duck cost one hundred low-grade spirit stones. Xiao Chuan emptied his pockets and only managed to buy two. The remaining ten were paid for by Gu An, which made Xiao Chuan even more grateful to him.

It's said to have the bloodline of a third-tier demon beast, but it would be a miracle if this duck could even grow to the first tier.

"The flesh and blood of low-level demonic beasts are also helpful to cultivators. Should I start a livestock business? That way I can earn more lifespan and also make spirit stones..."

Gu An suddenly felt a flutter in his heart.

It's perfectly acceptable to herd sheep and cattle in the mountains!
However, doing so would inevitably require constantly expanding manpower, and he feared that things would escalate and the Tai Xuan Sect would have a problem with him.

He had considered running away and finding a secluded mountain to do it himself, but he quickly rejected the idea. Not only was the Cang Teng tree difficult to move, but he also didn't want to miss out on the resources of the Tai Xuan Sect.

Within the Tai Xuan Sect, as long as he has enough spirit stones, he can buy anything he wants; however, this is not necessarily the case outside.

There are always some rare things that are hard to find!

At worst, we can embellish the Tai Xuan Sect in future books.

Gu An thought to himself, as long as he handed over enough herbs and monster flesh, why would the Tai Xuan Sect make things difficult for him?
It might even lend him a helping hand!
Okay, that's it!
From now on, Xiao Chuan will be the beast tamer, and Wu Xin will be the eldest disciple in charge of planting. They will be my left and right protectors in Xuan Valley.

Gu An thought about it more and more and it seemed feasible, so he began to think about a plan.

The jade ring that the White Spirit Rat found contained a huge fortune. He calculated that it was equivalent to two million low-grade spirit stones, or two hundred high-grade spirit stones, enough for him to make a big splash.

Do it when you think of it!

Gu An called out to Xiao Chuan, who immediately ran over, leaped, and landed on the balcony.

"Senior Brother, is there anything I can help you with?" Xiao Chuan asked.

Gu An shared his thoughts, and Xiao Chuan's eyes lit up; he became more and more excited as he listened.

The two hit it off immediately!
In the end, Gu An asked Xiao Chuan to go to the outer sect and make a list on paper. Xiao Chuan agreed immediately and set off that day.

Xiaochuan also mastered the sword control technique, but his spiritual power was insufficient, so a round trip would take two days, and he would need to rest for one night in between.

Three days later, Xiao Chuan returned and handed the paper he had already written to Gu An. He was excited and kept talking. It turned out that he had met Lu Jiujia in the outer sect. Lu Jiujia personally led him to investigate the demon beasts, saving him a lot of trouble.

After discussing it, Gu An decided to buy fifty young beasts to test the waters first, because only if they bought that many would the outer sect's beast hall be willing to send them to Xuan Valley.

After resting for a day, Xiao Chuan set off with the spirit stones given to him by Gu An. He was accompanied by Tang Yu and Su Han, both of whom had reached the fifth level of the Qi Refining Realm. The group was large and their presence was impressive.

If it weren't for the fact that a batch of medicinal herbs was about to be harvested, Gu An would have gone himself, fearing he might be ripped off.

Fortunately, such a thing did not happen; after all, the Tai Xuan Sect is a prestigious and righteous sect.

Five days later, Xiao Chuan and his two companions returned on their swords. Behind them followed three white eagles with wingspans of five zhang and two horns. On the backs of each eagle stood a cultivator, and in their talons carried large cages containing lambs. These lambs had not yet grown horns, and the flight was not bumpy, which was related to the talismans on the cages.

After everyone landed, Gu An stepped forward to express his gratitude. The three disciples from the Medicine Hall were not particularly enthusiastic, but they did not make him feel awkward. After exchanging a few polite words, they rode away on their eagles.

"Xiao Chuan, these sheep cost me a thousand low-grade spirit stones, so you'd better take good care of them," Gu An said meaningfully, patting Xiao Chuan on the shoulder.

It's not just spirit stones, it's my life!
These lambs, once they reach adulthood, possess the strength of a first-tier cultivator, equivalent to the third level of the Qi Refining Realm, but they cannot develop intelligence like humans.

Xiao Chuan nodded solemnly, scratched his head, and said, "Senior Brother, could you recruit two more handyman disciples to assist me?"

Gu An said, "You should ask others to help you first, and then recruit disciples in six months. My storage bag is a bit tight."

Ogawa beamed and quickly thanked him.

Gu An actually had many spirit stones, but he was afraid of attracting too much attention, so he chose to restrain himself for half a year.

After dealing with Xiao Chuan, Gu An returned to the attic.

Everyone in the valley rushed over to watch these first-tier sheep demons. For them, who usually focused on flowers and plants, the appearance of sheep demons was a novel experience.

Gu An returned to the attic to prepare to write the next volume of Investiture of the Gods. Liu Chang from the library had urged him several times, and it was time for him to start writing.

Listening to the cheerful laughter of his disciples outside the window, Gu An's lips unconsciously curled into a smile.

……

In a courtyard, Zuo Yijian, with a full head of white hair, sat cross-legged under a tree, his right hand holding a leaf, his brows furrowed. Compared to when he successfully transcended tribulation several years ago, he looked much older, had lost his sharpness, and did not look like a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator.

Zuo Lin walked into the courtyard. He turned his head and saw his father under the tree. He immediately went up to Zuo Yijian and snatched the leaf from his hand.

"Father, how long are you going to remain so depressed?"

Zuo Lin angrily questioned, throwing the leaf in his hand to the ground and stomping on it.

Zuo Yijian looked up at him, his eyes calm as still water, and said, "Your father is not despondent."

"How long have you been looking at these leaves all day? How long has it been since you last absorbed your inner energy, and how long has it been since you last tempered your sword intent?"

Zuo Lin said with a tone of disappointment and frustration. He felt a surge of anger rising within him as he thought about the humiliation he had suffered over the years, and he could hardly contain himself.

Zuo Yijian bent down to pick up the leaf and asked, "Then why were you holding your sword and pondering so deeply, without even gathering your breath? Were you, wielding the sword, working harder than I was wielding the leaf?"

"I……"

Zuo Lin choked for a moment, his face turning red. He gritted his teeth and said, "A sword is a sword, and a leaf is a leaf. I am sitting here in meditation because I have not attained the way of the sword. You are different. Do you want to pursue the way of the leaf?"

"But the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal defeated me with just one leaf. Do you think the leaf in his hand isn't a sword?"

"This is different..."

"True swordsmanship is never limited to a single sword."

Zuo Yijian said softly, his gaze returning to the leaf in his hand, his eyes becoming unfocused.

Zuo Lin cursed under his breath, then reached into his storage bag with his right hand, took out a book, and said, "Father, take a look at this book, it's called Investiture of the Gods. It's become popular in the cultivation world in the last two years, and many sects are reading it. Some people say that it records the ancient cultivation war."

Zuo Yijian remained unmoved.

Zuo Lin placed the Investiture of the Gods at his feet, then turned and left.

As soon as he stepped out of the courtyard, he couldn't resist taking out another copy of Investiture of the Gods from his storage bag.

Zuo Yijian started to space out.

After an unknown amount of time, he finally couldn't help but blink, his gaze unconsciously drifting to the Investiture of the Gods on the ground.

……

In autumn, the valley is covered in a pale yellow color.

Inside the attic, Gu An and Li Ya sat facing each other, drinking tea. Li Ya was talking non-stop, holding a book in his hand.

It is the Investiture of the Gods.

"In the past two years, the Tai Xuan Sect has been making headlines. First, the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal defeated the Nascent Soul Realm Canghu Sword Maniac with a single leaf, making him famous throughout the cultivation world. Second, it's because of this book, Investiture of the Gods. The cultivation stories recorded in it are so grand, and those incredible spells have sparked discussions among various sects. Some even say that it might be a true story from ancient times..."

As Li Ya rambled on about the Investiture of the Gods, Gu An frowned.

Is it that popular?

But his share of the profits wasn't much.

Did the library take kickbacks, or were the books read by other sects not genuine?

On second thought, that makes sense. How could the cultivation world possibly talk about copyright?
Li Ya spoke for a long time before finally saying, still not finished, "I wonder who this Pan An really is. He is truly a great talent. I really want to get to know him. I heard that even inner disciples and disciples of the master's lineage are reading this book."

Gu An asked curiously, "It's so powerful, I have to see if it can compare to The Journey of the Green Knight."

"How can such a low-quality book be compared to Investiture of the Gods?" Li Ya said disdainfully.

Gu An simply smiled.

Li Ya put down the book in his hand, picked up the teacup, drank it all in one gulp, and then said, "I'm leaving to gain experience. I estimate it will be difficult to return in less than ten years."

For him, ten years is nothing, but for Junior Brother Gu, it's a different story, which is why he came here specifically to clarify this matter.

Gu An wasn't surprised. Cultivators don't stay in the sect all their lives; they always have to go out to train, seek opportunities, and cultivate their minds and bodies.

"Do you have a target?" Gu An asked casually.

Li Ya smiled and said, "Indeed, there is. A Nascent Soul Realm cultivator has appeared in Jizhou, the southernmost province. He is about to reach the end of his life and wants to choose a suitable successor before he dies. This person is a sword cultivator, and I plan to give it a try."

"Transformation into a Divine Realm? What realm is that? How many levels higher than the Nascent Soul Realm?" Gu An asked, feigning curiosity.

Li Ya laughed and said, "The Nascent Soul Realm is above the Spirit Infant Realm. If it is several levels higher than the Spirit Infant Realm, then he would not appear in Taicang. This land is not only home to the Taicang Dynasty, but it is said that there is an even wider world on the other side of the sea. However, without the Spirit Infant Realm, it is difficult to travel there."

He stood up and said with a smug smile, "Junior Brother Gu, when I return, I will be the successor of a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator. At that time, you can call me Senior Brother, and I might be able to show you the magic of the Nascent Soul Realm."

After saying that, he turned around, walked to the windowsill, leaped out, and flew away on his sword.

Gu An raised an eyebrow as he looked at the footprints on the windowsill.

Nascent Soul Realm?

It must be achieved before Li Ya returns!

Thank you to reader 2023071111191309972 for the 100 Qidian coins!
I'm keeping up my daily reading habit; reading statistics are crucial during the new book season!
Please vote with your monthly tickets! The book should be available for purchase later this month. In addition to the bonus chapter on the day of release, I'll be adding an extra chapter for every 500 monthly tickets voted.


(End of this chapter)