In Emei, start by obtaining golden attributes.

Chapter 429 Those who learn from me live, those who imitate me die.
After Gu Santong and Sun Baifa had digested what they had just seen and heard, Gu Shaoan continued, "Regarding the art of war, did Elder Sun previously think that different paths would lead to the same goal?"

Although he didn't understand why Gu Shaoan would ask such a question, Sun Baifa still nodded.

Then, Sun Baifa added, "Is there something wrong?"

In response, Gu Shaoan said, "If it's just the first three realms of the art of war, the difference isn't that big. But starting from the third realm, the difference becomes completely different."

"Just like after the third realm of swordsmanship, there are the Flying Immortal Realm and the Demonic Sword Realm. The former uses qi to control the sword, and if the power is sufficient, one can control the sword to fight enemies from a hundred feet away. The Demonic Sword Realm is to enter the demonic state with the sword heart and create a demonic sword, which is also a kind of death swordsmanship."

"The Cihang Sword Manual of Cihang Jingzhai, which involves walking through death trials and extinguishing the seven emotions and six desires, is a kind of ruthless swordsmanship."

“Besides the Flying Immortal Realm and the Demon Sword Realm, there are other sword realms and sword paths, all of which can be called the fourth realm of sword path, but they are worlds apart.”

"My Heavenly Sword Realm can be said to be the fourth realm of swordsmanship, but it is also a realm that belongs only to me."

Gu Santong asked in astonishment, "So, other people can't reach your current Heavenly Sword Realm?"

Gu Shaoan nodded and said, "That's roughly the idea!"

Take the Tai Chi Classics as an example. The Tai Chi Classics in Zhang Sanfeng's hands and the Tai Chi Classics in other people's hands are completely different levels of martial arts.

The move "Immortal Touches My Head" is now comparable to any martial arts technique in the world in Gu Shaoan's hands, but in the hands of Abbess Miejue, Juechen, and even Zhou Zhiruo, it is just an exquisite palm technique.

As martial artists progress, their realms acquire increasingly more personal attributes, making them almost impossible to replicate.

Gu Shaoan's current Heavenly Sword Realm is the result of combining the [Heavenly Sword] entry he obtained from the system with his own martial arts, various martial arts theories, and his insights into martial arts.

Therefore, Gu Shaoan's own Heavenly Sword Realm will carry an aura like "an immortal touching one's head," like an immortal looking down from above, proud and otherworldly.

Even if someone else obtains the [Heavenly Sword] attribute, their current Heavenly Sword Realm is different from Gu Shaoan's.

Just like that Heavenly Sword Nameless who plays the erhu at full health and roams the whole map when he's low on health, even though they are both in the Heavenly Sword Realm, they are completely different from Gu Shaoan's Heavenly Sword Realm.

It can be said that from the fourth level of swordsmanship onwards, the swordsman will only be walking on a single-plank bridge, which can only be crossed by one person.

For others, it is "those who learn from me live, those who imitate me die."

Seeing the two still looking confused, Gu Shaoan changed the subject and said, "The path of martial arts is a path that one must forge by combining oneself with martial arts. The further one goes, the more one needs to rely on the martial artist himself. If Elder Sun can recover his spirit, reaching the state of oneness with the staff will not be difficult. But if you want to go further, you can only rely on Elder Sun himself. The sword path I follow and the staff path you follow are not the same path."

Hearing what Gu Shaoan said, Sun Baifa gave a bitter smile: "This old man hasn't even entered the third realm of human-stick unity yet, and I don't know if I'll ever have the chance to enter the fourth realm."

Gu Shaoan chuckled and said, "Senior has profound foundation. Now that your injuries have been healed, it is only natural that your cultivation and staff skills will break through in the future."

Sun Baifa nodded in agreement with what Gu Shaoan said.

"Then I'll take your kind words."

Thinking of Gu Shaoan's guidance today, Sun Baifa originally wanted to express his gratitude.

But after glancing at Sun Xiaohong, whose eyes were curved into crescents and whose face was beaming with smiles, Sun Baifa rolled his eyes.

After a moment, Gu Shaoan changed the subject and asked, "I just heard Uncle Gu say that Old Master Sun has recently encountered some trouble?"

In response to Gu Shaoan's question, Sun Baifa lit his pipe, took a puff, and nodded, saying, "The family has encountered some problems, and the boys in the family are worried that I might be implicated, so they sent word to me to stay out of the way."

"At home? Old Sun, are there other people in your family?"

Upon hearing Gu Santong's words, Sun Bai paused for a moment, then raised his hand and patted his forehead.

Upon seeing this, Gu Shaoan laughed and said, "It was you, Old Sun, who let it slip. It has nothing to do with me."

His gaze swept back and forth between Sun Baifa and Gu Shaoan. Gu Santong could easily guess that the two had a secret they hadn't told him.

Based on Gu Shaoan's previous remark, Sun Baifa suddenly snorted twice, looking at Gu Santong with a forced smile.

In response, Sun Baifa said irritably, "Stop glaring at me. You didn't ask before, so why should I, an old man, tell you about the family situation?"

As he spoke, Sun Baifa recounted some of the Sun family's situation to Gu Santong.

However, he only mentioned the Sun family behind him and the intelligence network they built, without mentioning any specific individuals.

When Gu Santong learned that the Sun family behind Sun Baifa was actually a reclusive family that had existed since the founding of the Great Wei Kingdom, he couldn't help but show a strange expression.

"You've kept it well hidden!"

After inwardly grumbling, Gu Santong asked, "With a master like you in charge, and an intelligence network at your disposal, has your Sun family offended the imperial court and Shaolin Temple?"

Sun Baifa sighed and said, "It's not the imperial court, it's the Hundred Knowledge Pavilion."

"Bai Xiaoge? Isn't Bai Xiaoge a neutral force in the martial arts world? Why would they cause you trouble?"

After pondering for a while, Sun Baifa said in response to Gu Santong's words, "I can't explain the specifics in a few words. Anyway, the power of Baixiaoge is not as simple as you think. I can't say more."

Seeing that Sun Bai had already spoken to this extent, Gu Santong, though curious, did not press for further questions.

Gu Shaoan, however, seemed thoughtful as he looked at Sun Baifa.

While others may not know the details of Baixiaoge, Gu Shaoan is fully aware of them.

Following the normal trajectory, this year, after all the Celestial Realm cultivators in the Great Wei Kingdom were killed and Zhu Houzhao died in the Great Yuan Kingdom, Bai Xiaosheng would begin to make arrangements within the Great Wei Kingdom.

Sun Baifa will also die at the hands of Shangguan Jin Hong.

Although Sun Baifa was killed by Shangguan Jin Hong, it was Bai Xiaosheng who truly wanted Sun Baifa dead.

The reason, of course, is that the Sun family still possesses the fragments of the He Shi Bi jade that Bai Xiaosheng needs.

At this moment, Gu Shaoan suddenly remembered the fragments of the He Shi Bi jade that he had extracted from the system.

"I wonder if this piece extracted by the system can be combined with the fragments of the He Shi Bi jade in the hands of the Sun family and the Hundred Knowledge Pavilion?"

Thoughts flowed through my mind like water.

Although Gu Shaoan was fully aware of the situation of Sun Baifa and Baixiaoge, since Sun Baifa was unwilling to bring it up, Gu Shaoan would not mention it either.

As for Bai Xiaosheng's side...

From the moment Gu Shaoan joined the Emei Sect, it was destined that he would become Bai Xiaosheng's adversary.

With Bai Xiaosheng's attack on him outside Cihang Jingzhai, the feud between the two had been completely established.

"Collecting enough fragments of the He Shi Bi and then combining them into the complete Yin Yang He Shi Bi is not that simple."

After having this thought, Gu Shaoan chatted with Sun Baifa and the others for a while before returning to the West Garden and plunging into the alchemy room.

In mid-March, Mount Emei is no longer as desolate and bleak as it was in winter. New green shoots are emerging on both sides of the mountain road, shining brightly, and morning mist rises slowly from the ravines and forests, wandering along the mountain ridges like a thin veil draped over the shoulders of the peaks.

In the West Garden of Mount Emei, the scenery is even more serene.

The courtyard wall is not high. Outside the wall are bamboo groves and pine paths. Inside the wall, a few early-blooming peach and plum trees peek out from their branches. Their flowers are elegant and unassuming, yet they make this small courtyard feel exceptionally peaceful.

The stone steps were clean, and the wind chimes under the corridor tinkled softly. The only difference from usual was that there was now a lingering medicinal fragrance in the West Garden.

The fragrance is not the bitterness of a single herb, but rather a series of layers: first, a pungent and warm aroma, like ginger and cinnamon sizzling on a fire; then, a sweet and mellow aftertaste, like ginseng rootlets added to water.

Inside the pavilion outside the villa, Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan sat side by side.

A cup of tea was placed in the pavilion, but as the two women sipped their tea, their eyes kept glancing towards the medicine-making room.

The doors and windows were tightly shut, but a wisp of extremely thin white steam occasionally escaped from the gaps under the eaves, like the lingering breath of a furnace fire that refused to be completely extinguished.

"Senior sister, do you think there really is a medicine in the world that can make people stay young forever?"

"Yes, I think so! I heard my Uncle-Master Insulation mention that a hundred years ago, there was a martial art called the 'Eternal Youth Technique' in the Xiaoyao Sect of the Great Wei Kingdom. After practicing it, one could maintain the appearance of a twenty-year-old even at the age of one hundred. Moreover, Junior Brother is never one to speak without reason. Since you said there is such a medicine, it must be true."

As she spoke, Zhou Zhiruo couldn't help but glance at the alchemy room again.

As a woman, who doesn't wish to stay young forever and save their best look for their beloved?

But time is merciless; throughout history, how many people have been able to maintain their youthful appearance?
While the two were waiting, the alchemy room, which had been closed for almost two hours, finally opened.

Upon seeing this, both women immediately used their lightness skills to meet the attacker.

As he stepped across the threshold, under the expectant gazes of the two women, Gu Shaoan raised his hand and gently stroked the tips of their noses one after the other.

They then went together to the pavilion outside.

After sitting down, Gu Shaoan uncorked the bottle and gently wiped the bottle opening with his fingertip.

The next moment, three pills rolled into his palm.

The pill was small, but it was almost perfectly round, with a color between blue and jade white. There was a faint halo around the outer layer, as if spring water had condensed into a pearl, or as if the greenness of newly sprouted bamboo had been refined into medicine.

If you get closer, you can smell a sweet and slightly cool aroma that refreshes the mind even before you take a bite.

Following Gu Shaoan's instructions, Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan each picked up a pill. The pill felt cool in their palms, like holding a piece of thin jade, which actually calmed the restlessness in their fingertips.

When the pill entered my mouth and went down into my stomach, it didn't have the spicy and burning sensation I had imagined. Instead, it felt like a warm, refreshing spring flowing into my stomach and dissolving in a moment.

The medicinal effect was initially very mild, like snowmelt just melting in spring, slowly seeping into every part of the body.

After a few more breaths, the medicinal properties gradually "rise" up. It's not forceful; it doesn't disrupt the meridians but spreads naturally along with the flow of qi and blood.

Gu Shaoan felt the barely perceptible tightness in his chest gently dissipate, his breathing became smoother, his shoulders and back relaxed, and he felt inexplicably lighter.

In his internal state, Gu Shaoan discovered that a portion of the medicinal power had penetrated into his essence, energy, and spirit, causing the three seeds to solidify further.

A moment later, after the effects of the medicine had worn off, Gu Shaoan looked up at Zhou Zhiruo and Yang Yan beside him.

The two women already had excellent natural features, and now, after taking the Linglong Qingyu Pill, their cheeks had an even more radiant glow. It wasn't the brightness from makeup, but rather a natural luster like after being washed with water, and even their lip color was more vibrant than before.

Yang Yan opened her eyes, first looked at herself in the mirror on the table, then touched herself, and said with a curious look, "Senior brother, I feel that apart from my complexion being a little better, there is no difference!"

Zhou Zhiruo smiled and said, "This medicine is meant to keep you young forever. You're already young, so how can you see the effects now? In a few years, when you're seventy or eighty, you'll naturally see the effects."

"When I'm in my seventies or eighties, won't you be in your seventies or eighties too, senior sister? Maybe you won't look old then, but you'll have lost all your teeth."

"You're the one who's lost all your teeth."

As they played around, the two women began to use their lightness skills to chase each other around the villa.

However, just as Yang Yan caught up with him to the alchemy room, she seemed to sense something and suddenly sniffed again. Then she looked at Gu Shaoan and asked, "Senior brother, are you still refining other medicines?"

Upon hearing the sound, Zhou Zhiruo stopped and turned to look at Gu Shaoan.

Gu Shaoan nodded and said, "This time when I went out, in addition to the Acacia Linglong Flower, I also obtained a Spider King Flower from the Five Poisons Saint Son of the Five Poisons Sect. In the past half month, in addition to refining the Linglong Qingyu Pill, I have devoted more energy to using the Spider King Flower in combination with other medicines to refine this Mingyu Pill."

"However, it is still in the nurturing stage and will take another twelve hours to complete."

Yang Yan asked curiously, "What is the effect of this Bright Jade Pill that makes Senior Brother value it so much?"

Gu Shaoan explained, "Besides increasing a martial artist's power and purifying their true essence, the Spider King Flower's greatest function is to grant them immunity to all poisons."

As he spoke, Gu Shaoan also had a smile on his face.

Upon hearing the words "immune to all poisons," both Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo took a deep breath.

Yang Yan jumped up and returned to the pavilion, exclaiming in surprise, "If one is immune to all poisons, wouldn't that mean we won't have to worry about being poisoned when we're out and about?"

Gu Shaoan shook his head and said, "How could there be such a good thing?"

Upon hearing the voice, Yang Yan and Zhou Zhiruo couldn't help but look at Gu Shaoan with curiosity.

Meeting the gazes of the two women, Gu Shaoan said, "Being immune to all poisons does not mean being immune to all poisons; it simply means being able to deal with some common medicines in the martial arts world."

Upon learning of its immunity to all poisons, Yang Yan was immediately disappointed.

Seeing this, Gu Shaoan said, "Don't be ungrateful for your good fortune. The true value of being immune to all poisons lies in its drug resistance. After taking this Mingyu Pill, ordinary poisons will be useless to you. Even those deadly poisons will be reduced by 70%. With the antidote pills I have made, even the most peculiar poisons can keep you from taking effect for three months, which is enough to save your lives."

It was also a stroke of luck. Originally, when refining the Bright Jade Pill, we were still missing one ingredient, the Nine-Bend Ghost Grass, to serve as an auxiliary ingredient to neutralize the toxicity of the Spider King Flower.

However, Gu Shaoan had just obtained a Manggu Zhuha liver from the treasure chest after killing Ren Zhenbei.

This Manggu Toad is entirely crimson like blood, and its cry is like that of a bull; it is known as the king of all poisons.

Its liver can be described as a superb detoxifying agent.

This makes the Mingyu Pill even more effective, not only increasing a martial artist's skill level from five years to seven years, but also giving the user additional drug resistance after taking the Mingyu Pill.

The fact that the poison won't take effect for three months means that even if Abbess Miejue, Zhou Zhiruo, and the others are ambushed outside, they will still have the ability to deal with the poisoning.

Even if things go badly, they should be able to hold out until they get back to the Emei Sect, so they don't die from the poison on the way.

It can be said to save one's life.

(End of this chapter)