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

Outside the Valley of Broken Souls, dark clouds loomed overhead, and a cold wind, carrying a strange stench of blood and herbs, howled and whistled through the withered treetops.

This place was originally an outer outpost of the Green Wood Sect, but now it has become a huge meat grinder of war.

Hundreds of ragged, individual cultivators, each with a different expression, huddled together like livestock awaiting slaughter in a makeshift camp at the valley entrance. The clamor, curses, and the painful groans of the wounded mingled together, creating a vivid picture of the lower echelons of the cultivation world.

In the crowd, a hunched-over, sallow-faced middle-aged man was huddled in a corner, his hands tucked into his greasy sleeves. His slightly cloudy eyes seemed to be staring timidly at the ground, but in reality, he was subtly observing his surroundings out of the corner of his eye.

This person was none other than Gu An after his transformation.

Or rather, he should now be called a rogue cultivator, Lu Guan.

"Who is that? A mere fifth-level Qi Refining cultivator dares to make such a racket here?"

Beside Gu An, an old rogue cultivator with a missing arm chuckled softly.

At the registration point ahead, a burly man with a face full of scars and carrying a large ghost-headed saber was slamming his fist on the table, yelling at the Green Wood Sect deacon in charge of registration: "I'm a Qi Refining Level 5 expert! Why should I fill out that 'Suicide Squad' form? I want to be a guest elder! I want to receive offerings!"

The burly man's body was surging with spiritual energy, clearly indicating that he possessed some skill. The surrounding low-level rogue cultivators were forced to retreat by this aura.

The Aoki Sect deacon sitting behind the table was an old man with a hooked nose and a sinister face. He didn't even lift his eyelids, but merely gave a cold snort.

"Here, even a dragon has to coil up before me."

Before he finished speaking, two law enforcement disciples dressed in blood-red armor suddenly sprang out from the shadows behind the hook-nosed old man.

No nonsense, no warnings.

Only two sharp, cold glints flashed by.

"ah--!"

The burly man who was still shouting screamed as his knees were shattered by the magic weapon. He collapsed to his knees with a thud, his blood staining the ground.

"Qi Refining Level 5? Is that very strong?"

The old man with the hooked nose slowly raised his head, his eyes full of mockery and cruelty. "Since you have so much energy, then you shall be assigned to the first echelon of the 'Vanguard Breaking Camp' and set off immediately to the front line to scout the way for the sect's grand formation."

"No! I'm not going! I came here to make money, I won't..."

The burly man's wailing abruptly stopped as a rag was stuffed into his mouth. Two law enforcement disciples dragged him like a dead dog, pulling him deeper into the misty, death-filled valley.

The camp fell into a deathly silence.

A flicker of fear, like the fear of a rabbit mourning the death of a fox, flashed in the eyes of all the rogue cultivators, and the previously restless crowd immediately became much more obedient.

Gu An felt a slight chill run down his spine.

The Green Wood Sect is becoming increasingly shameless, abandoning even the most basic pretense of decency. Their so-called recruitment is essentially just the forced conscription of cannon fodder.

He subconsciously touched the unassuming gray jade pendant at his waist—the broken [Concealing Breath Pendant].

A strange fluctuation enveloped his entire body. His spiritual energy, which was originally at the mid-stage of the fourth level of Qi Refining, was suppressed to the early stage of the third level of Qi Refining, and it was even in a state of unstable spiritual energy and unstable foundation.

"You can't be too assertive, but you also can't be too useless."

Gu An secretly made plans in his heart.

Too strong, and you'll be used as high-level cannon fodder; too weak, and you'll be thrown into the pit. Only by demonstrating a skill and becoming a useful "tool" for logistics can you secure a safe place in this meat grinder.

"Next!"

The old man with the hooked nose tapped the table impatiently.

Gu An took a deep breath, adjusted his facial muscles, and put on a look of fear and trepidation. He jogged forward, bowing and scraping as he handed over a worn-out wooden identity plaque.

"Immortal... Immortal Master, I am Lu Guan, a humble cultivator from Black Mountain Market."

The old man with the hooked nose took the wooden plaque, glanced at it, and then used his divine sense to scan Gu An without restraint.

He was at the third level of Qi Refining, and his aura was mixed and disordered. He was clearly the kind of old scoundrel who had relied on inferior pills to get to the top and had no hope of ever reaching the Foundation Establishment stage in this lifetime.

Such people are as numerous as weeds in the cultivation world.

"What can you do?" the old man asked lazily. "If all you know are a few farming tricks, go over there and get a hoe, then go dig in the trenches."

Digging? That's the most dangerous job on the front lines; you could be blasted to smithereens by stray bullets or spells at any moment.

Gu An's face immediately showed a look of fear, and he quickly took out a crumpled cloth bag from his pocket and carefully unfolded it.

"In reply to the Immortal Master, although my cultivation is low, I have worked as an assistant to the pharmacy owner in the market for several years, so I have some experience in handling spiritual herbs."

Inside the cloth bag were a recently picked "hemostatic herb" and several lower-grade "purple star vines".

These are the most basic first-grade low-level spiritual herbs, and also the raw materials for hemostatic powder that are consumed in the largest quantities during wartime.

"Oh? Processing spirit herbs?"

A hint of surprise flashed in the old man's eyes, and he finally looked at Gu An properly. "We are indeed short-handed in logistics right now. You'd better demonstrate it on the spot. If you dare to fool this old man..."

He pointed to the still-dry bloodstain next to him, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Gu An nodded repeatedly, like a frightened quail.

He picked up the hemostatic herb, but instead of refining it with the smooth hand seals of a high-level alchemist, he clumsily pulled out a rusty little silver knife from his waist.

"hey-hey……"

Gu An squatted on the ground, his expression extremely "focused," and fine beads of sweat even appeared on his forehead.

With his innate perception of [Spiritual Plant Affinity], every vein and every medicinal node of this spiritual herb was clearly visible to him. Perfectly separating it was easier for him than eating.

But he can't.

His hand trembled slightly as he cut along the rootstock with the blade, his movements appearing somewhat clumsy.

While removing the miscellaneous leaves, he deliberately let his hand tremble slightly, scraping off a tiny bit of a perfectly good leaf, his lips twitching with heartache.

After a full half-cup of tea time, Gu An finally presented a prepared hemostatic herb, his forehead covered in sweat.

The roots are intact, and 70% of the medicinal properties are retained. Although the appearance is unappealing, it is qualified as a raw material for refining low-grade pills.

"this……"

The old man picked up the herb and examined it, his brow furrowing slightly before relaxing.

The technique was crude, clearly lacking proper training; however, the basic skills were solid, and the main medicinal properties were not compromised.

Just like the character of "Lu Guan" - a skilled worker who has worked at the bottom of society.

"So-so," the old man casually tossed the herb aside, made a mark on the roster, and added, "It's better than those idiots who can only turn herbs into mush. Go to Camp C and find..."

"Wait!"

A thunderous shout suddenly interrupted the old man's words.

A middle-aged, burly man wearing dark brown leather armor, with a full beard and reeking of blood, strode over.

This person possessed an overwhelming aura; he was actually a master at the sixth level of Qi Refining! With each step he took, the ground seemed to tremble.

"Greetings, Steward Ma." The hook-nosed old man quickly stood up and bowed respectfully.

This Manager Ma was a powerful figure in the logistics department, in charge of personnel allocation in this area, and was notoriously ruthless.

Manager Ma ignored the old man, his eyes, as big as copper bells, fixed on Gu An as if he were looking at a handy tool.

"I'm taking this old bastard."

Manager Ma pointed at Gu An, grinned, revealing a set of yellowed teeth, "That knife technique you used to cut off the root just now, although it was ugly, was steady. My 'waste incineration zone' just happens to need someone with a steady hand."

Waste incineration area?

Gu An's pupils contracted slightly beneath his lowered eyelids.

He had inquired before entering the valley; it was a place for disposing of battlefield medical waste. Poisonous bandages, severed limbs, and discarded poison pills... all had to be incinerated and destroyed there. The place was perpetually filled with poisonous smoke; an ordinary cultivator would die from the corpse poison entering their body and causing their meridians to atrophy if they stayed there for a month.

This is a slow execution ground!

"M-Master, I...I only know how to process spirit herbs..." Gu An's legs went weak, and his voice was trembling with sobs.

"Stop your damn nonsense!" Steward Ma sneered. "What's the difference between processing waste and processing spirit herbs? Isn't it all the same: sorting, cutting, and throwing into the fire? Going there is your good fortune; at least you won't have to go to the front lines as cannon fodder!"

With that, he tossed out a dark, metal plaque. "Take this! Report to your post now!"

Gu An picked up the iron plate shakily, his mind racing.

Although this incineration zone doesn't require going to the front lines, it's located in a remote area, far from the core region, and is constantly being watched by people like Steward Ma, so there's no chance to investigate clues about the Nine Dragons Demon-Suppressing Cauldron.

We need to find a different place.

A place where there is both a reason to get close to the core and a feeling that "this person is afraid of death, so they went there."

Just then, two medical apprentices in white protective suits rushed by carrying a stretcher. On the stretcher lay a wounded man whose body was covered in sores and who was screaming wildly.

"Quick! Get him to the special ward! This man has been poisoned by the Blood Blade Sect's Blood-Transforming Gu, and he's losing control!"

"The intensive care unit is short-staffed! Two more caregivers died yesterday, and now nobody dares to go in to administer medication!"

Special protected area?

Gu An quickly recalled the information he had heard from the random cultivator.

The place treats elite disciples who have suffered bizarre and severe injuries or have been afflicted by deadly poisons or curses. Because it is extremely dangerous, the wounded may go berserk and harm others at any time, so the mortality rate is extremely high.

But precisely because of this, the caregivers there are paid extremely high salaries, and...

The special protected area is right next to the sect's temporary command post and the entrance to the underground mine! That is one of the key locations mentioned by Ancestor Qi Yunmeng as a possible hiding place for the cauldron!

Therefore, fortune favors the bold, and Gu An decided to take a gamble.

Gu An suddenly raised his head, and a red light called "greed" suddenly emerged on his sallow face, which was originally filled with fear.

As if he had made a tremendous decision, he threw the metal sign for the incineration zone on the ground and shouted:

"My lord! I'm not going to the incineration zone! I heard... I heard that the special protection zone gives five spirit stones a month? Is that true?"

Upon hearing this, everyone around looked at this reckless rogue cultivator as if he were a fool.

Manager Ma was also taken aback, then let out a strange laugh like that of a night owl.

"Hey, what a money-grubber. Five spirit stones? Yes, five, and if he does a good job, he might even get some pills as a reward. But..."

Manager Ma walked up to Gu An, the strong smell of blood hitting him immediately. He lowered his voice, his tone chilling, "That was earned with lives. The wounded there, when they go berserk, will even bite Foundation Establishment elders. Your little body wouldn't be enough to fill their teeth."

"As long as you give me enough spirit stones!"

Gu An, his neck stiff, gleamed with a madness born of a deep-seated fear of poverty, "My worthless life is worthless, but if I can save enough spirit stones to buy a Breakthrough Pill... even death would be worth it!"

He acted like a gambler who would jump into a mountain of knives and a sea of ​​fire for that sliver of hope of Foundation Establishment.

This type of person is the most common in the cultivation world, and also the most despised.

Manager Ma stared at Gu An for a long time, the murderous intent in his eyes gradually fading, replaced by a kind of contempt for a dead man.

"Fine, since you want to die, I'll grant your wish."

He took out a dark red wooden plaque from his storage bag and casually tossed it into the mud at Gu An's feet.

The wooden plaque still bore half a dark red bloody handprint, clearly indicating that its previous owner had met a less than pleasant end.

"Category C Special Care Area, that's the intensive care unit. Take this sign and get out of here. I hope you'll live to receive your first month's allowance."

Gu An picked up the bloodstained wooden plaque as if it were a priceless treasure, wiped it vigorously with his sleeve, and revealed a fawning and humble smile on his face.

"Thank you, sir! Thank you for your kindness!"

He thanked them as he scrambled and stumbled toward the depths of the camp, his back view looking both disheveled and ridiculous.

Watching Gu An's departing figure, the hook-nosed old man shook his head: "Another one who's gone crazy for spirit stones. At the third level of Qi Refining, going to the special protection zone, he probably won't live more than three days."

Manager Ma sneered, "Who cares? He's just a expendable resource anyway. We can just recruit him again if he dies. In this world, what we have in abundance are rogue cultivators willing to risk their lives."