Longevity: Starting as a menial servant in the Green Wood Sect

"Make a move?" Qi Yunmeng chuckled self-deprecatingly. The azure light flickered, as if it might be extinguished at any moment. "I am now nothing but a wisp of my soul, barely clinging to life. I can't even leave this Demon Suppression Division. If it weren't for the blood energy of Tai Sui on you, little brat, which awakened me, I'm afraid I would have completely vanished from this world in another ten or eight years."

At this point, the ball of blue light suddenly approached Gu An, its tone becoming extremely serious, even carrying a hint of seduction.

"Young man, you and I are destined to meet. I observe that you have a resolute character and decisive actions, making you a promising candidate for cultivation. Although your aptitude is somewhat lacking, the Great Dao is fifty, and the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine. If you have a master to guide you, you may not be unable to seize a glimmer of hope."

coming!

Alarm bells rang in Gu An's mind, but at the same time, a strong desire surged within him.

This is... the taste of chance.

He immediately sheathed his broken sword, bowed respectfully, no longer displaying his previous wariness, but rather the shrewdness of a merchant and the humility of a disciple.

"Disciple Gu An, though dull-witted, is utterly loyal to the sect. Since the fate of the sect rests on this matter, disciple is willing to go through fire and water. However..."

Gu An raised his head, looking directly at the ball of blue light, his eyes shining with sincerity. "This disciple is currently severely injured, with low cultivation, and there are Foundation Establishment stage demonic beasts eyeing us from outside, plus the sect's seal above my head. Even if this disciple is willing to serve the ancestor, I'm afraid I am powerless to do so."

This translates to: I can do the work, but you have to offer me enough benefits, and you have to help me solve my current problems first.

Qi Yunmeng was an old fox who had lived for hundreds of years, so he could easily understand the unspoken meaning in the young man's words.

But instead of getting angry, he burst into a hearty laugh.

"Hahaha! Good! What a fine example of 'willing but unable'!"

"I despise hypocrites who spout platitudes about benevolence and morality more than anything else in my life. You little brat, you're blatantly afraid of death and openly and honestly driven by self-interest, which is exactly what I like!"

Cultivating immortality is inherently about defying fate and fighting against destiny; without greed and without striving, one is destined for death.

"Since it's a transaction, let's put the terms on the table."

Qi Yunmeng's remnant soul drifted back above the jade skeleton, and his voice regained its composure.

"Let me tell you clearly, your so-called 'Azure Wood Everlasting Spring Technique' is completely distorted! The techniques passed down by those idiots in the sect are already abridged, mass-produced versions. Even if you absorb all the spiritual energy in the earth, you'll never achieve Foundation Establishment in this lifetime."

Gu An's heart skipped a beat; this had hit a nerve.

"In my possession, I possess the complete 'Life-Generating Wood Technique,' a top-tier cultivation method that directly leads to the Golden Core stage. Not only is its cultivation speed three times that of ordinary techniques, but it is also most adept at nourishing the physical body and prolonging life. Since you have devoured the Tai Sui Regeneration Core, if you combine it with this technique, your incomplete four spiritual roots will no longer be a dead end."

"Furthermore," Qi Yunmeng continued, "although my physical body is destroyed, I haven't spent these hundreds of years underground for nothing. I know the secret chambers and mechanisms hidden within this Demon Suppression Division, and even how to avoid the Black Scale Python's senses."

"If you agree to do one thing for me, I will not only teach you martial arts and guide you in your cultivation, but I will also guarantee your survival out of this perilous place!"

Gu An's Adam's apple bobbed.

Top-tier martial arts techniques, a living map, and a life-saving talisman.

Each of these conditions precisely struck at his Achilles' heel.

He had no reason to refuse, nor could he refuse.

"Please enlighten me, Ancestor, what exactly is the matter?" Gu An asked in a deep voice.

"It's very simple."

Qi Yunmeng's voice turned somewhat cold, "I want you to go inside that Tai Sui and retrieve something. Something that I accidentally left deep within its core when I separated it."

"That thing is not only the vital point of the Grand Duke Jupiter, but also... one of my Golden Core seeds!"

Golden Elixir Seed!

Gu An's pupils contracted sharply. No wonder the Blood Blade Sect went to such lengths to dig through here; no wonder that Tai Sui could develop sentience.

It turned out that inside the monster's belly was the nascent form of a Golden Core, condensed from the life's cultivation of a pseudo-Core cultivator!

"Obtain the Golden Core Seed, take it out of Youying Valley, and give it to... never mind, we'll talk about it after you get out." Qi Yunmeng seemed to have some reservations, and changed the subject, "Of course, with your current strength, trying to get it would be suicide. I will first teach you a secret technique, and then we can plan this matter after your cultivation level has improved."

"Now, all you need to do is swear an oath with your Dao heart and agree to this condition of mine."

Gu An remained silent for a moment.

This was clearly a long-term mission with an extremely high risk factor. But as Qi Yunmeng said, if he didn't agree, he would die right now; if he agreed, he could at least live to the Foundation Establishment stage.

This is a worthwhile deal no matter how you look at it.

"Disciple Gu An swears an oath with a sincere heart for the Dao!"

Without further hesitation, Gu An knelt down and kowtowed three times to the jade skeleton.

"Thanks to the Ancestor's favor, this disciple is willing to serve under the Ancestor's command. If I break this vow in this life, may my path to cultivation be severed, may my inner demons devour my body, and may I die a terrible death!"

As soon as the oath was uttered, an invisible force seemed to descend.

"Good! Good! Good!"

Qi Yunmeng said "good" three times in a row, and the ball of blue light trembled violently, seemingly extremely excited.

"In that case, I will accept you as my disciple!"

Before the words were finished, the floating blue light suddenly split apart.

A large clump remained above the skeleton, maintaining the remnant soul; while another small clump, no bigger than a fingernail, a pure and emerald green light, shot into Gu An's brow like a shooting star.

This time, Gu An did not dodge.

"Buzz—"

A vast yet gentle flow of information exploded instantly in his mind.

There was no pain, only a refreshing and clear feeling, like a sudden awakening.

Countless obscure runes, diagrams of meridian pathways, and even insights into cultivating spiritual plants and breaking formations flooded into his memory like a tidal wave.

[Received the skill transfer: Sheng Sen Yi Mu Technique (Qi Refining Chapter/Foundation Building Chapter)]

[Acquired Secret Technique: Withering and Flourishing Concealment Technique (Advanced Version)]

[Gaining insights into the myriad arts of cultivation: The Spirit Plant Chapter (Grandmaster Level, Incomplete)]

Gu An sat cross-legged, his whole being entering a profound state of enlightenment.

The previously sluggish flow of the "Green Wood Everlasting Spring Technique" within his body began to automatically change its trajectory under the guidance of this newly injected intention.

The original route through the dantian and qi sea was abandoned, and replaced by a new, more complex, yet more in line with the Dao of Heaven.

The sparse spiritual energy around them seemed to be summoned by some force, and began to converge frantically towards Gu An.

Even the stubborn poison in his body began to be forced out little by little under the wash of this domineering wood spiritual power, turning into black sweat.