Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

"You..."

Zong Ying's eyes widened, his voice trembling. He couldn't believe what he was feeling.

He had exerted all his strength, yet he still couldn't break free from Gu An's grasp. It wasn't just about not being able to break free; he couldn't even vent his power. Normally, as soon as the power of the Unification Realm exploded, the entire Medicine Valley would instantly collapse.

His physical strength and Spiritual Power couldn't be transmitted out of his body. An unimaginable force was suppressing him all around, and he experienced a suffocation he had never felt before.

He was, after all, a Cultivator of the Unification Realm!

A figure free to roam the lands of the Nine Dynasties!

Zong Ying's heart was filled with despair as he realized he was doomed, but he didn't want to die!

"Senior, please spare my life!" Zong Ying said through gritted teeth, void of any demeanor befitting his realm.

Gu An had already isolated the surrounding space with his own Spiritual Power, making their voices inaudible to the outside world.

He had a good guess about Zong Ying's identity, so he did not kill him directly. Instead, he asked, "Give me one reason to spare your life."

By now, Zong Ying bore no hostility toward Gu An, likely because he was terrified.

"I am known as the Ghost Thief... I came to steal the Mystic Pure Tree not for myself, but for all the mortals of the world... Senior, as a high being of the Supreme Sect, you must understand the disparities in the resources of the Immortal Cultivation World. The Supreme Sect holds too many Immortal Cultivation resources.

The Spiritual Energy in the common areas is weak; those without illustrious family backgrounds simply cannot make their way. If this continues, only families of noble lineage will exist in the Immortal Cultivation World..."

Zong Ying spoke hurriedly, his eyes even reddening as he spoke.

Gu An felt a pang in his heart—such impressive acting skills.

He acknowledged the ideology of the Ghost Thief, protecting the common people was indeed a heroic deed, but you shouldn't be stealing from me!

"You are now aware of my strength. I have no choice but to kill you to avoid any leaks," Gu An said expressionlessly.

MVLeMpYr-original-content

At these words, Zong Ying almost lost his soul in fright. His eyes darted, and suddenly, he blurted out, "I have a sorcery that can make me utterly obedient to you. I cannot defy you, or else I will suffer misfortune and die a violent death!"

There's a chance!

I can deceive him!

The fear in Zong Ying's heart receded, replaced by excitement.

[Zong Ying harbors hostility toward you, hatred to the bone. Do you wish to perform a Life Span Detection on him?]

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Just about to let you off, and you harbored hostility toward me?

Interesting.

Upon hearing this, Gu An grew interested and asked, "What sorcery?"

Zong Ying explained, "This is the Heavenly Judgment Curse. Once we form a Skill Style pact, and I swear allegiance to you, it will be established."

"Alright, then follow me. Let's find a secluded place to form the curse," Gu An said, pulling Zong Ying toward a distant Transmission Array Platform.

Zong Ying was still suppressed by his Spiritual Power and couldn't move, but he relaxed inside, believing the other party had truly fallen for his story.

While Gu An pulled him along, Zong Ying pondered in his mind.

Who exactly is this person?

To suppress him, a Cultivator of the Unification Realm, so effortlessly, could he have reached the Mystic Heart Realm?

Could this person be a retired Supreme Elder of the Supreme Sect?

The more he thought, the more frightened he became. He must report this to the sect.

Thus, the two of them were transported to Mystic Valley and left there. They drew curious glances from disciples along the way, but upon seeing them chatting and laughing, the onlookers quickly diverted their gaze.

Dozens of miles from Mystic Valley, Gu An made sure no one was following them before finally stopping.

The two of them remained in a forest, Zong Ying unable to escape Gu An's suppression of Spiritual Power the entire time.

Zong Ying's face carried a forced smile as he asked, "Senior, shall we begin?"

Gu An nodded, a smile appearing on his face as well.

Seeing Gu An's smile, Zong Ying's complexion changed drastically, instinctively sensing danger. Before he could contemplate further, a strong Divine Sense surged into his mind.

Soul Capturing Skill!

...

In a dim grand hall, Zong Ying knelt on the floor, his gaze directed toward a mysterious shadow atop the steps, enveloped in dark mist, its true form indiscernible.

"You have the most potent Energy Concealing Skill. You will probe the depths of the Supreme Sect." A cold male voice came from the shadow, devoid of any emotions.

Zong Ying hesitated, "Lv Baitian has returned to his position as Sect Leader of the Supreme Sect, his Cultivation Level reaching the ninth layer of the Unification Realm. Are we really going head-to-head?"

The mysterious shadow replied, "This is the mandate from the main branch, to assimilate the Taicang Dynasty before the great demon calamity arrives. The Taicang Dynasty, being coastal, plays a crucial role in our future plans."

Hearing this, Zong Ying asked excitedly, "The mandate from the main branch? Is the main branch finally free to help us?"

"Mm. The failure two hundred years ago left the main branch unsatisfied with us. Although we have infiltrated the Taicang Dynasty, compared to the actions of other branches, we have brought disgrace to the Ephemera Sect. Begin your mission to probe the current foundation of the Supreme Sect while waiting for the Mystic Heart Realm Great Cultivator from the main branch to arrive.

Then, wage war against the Supreme Sect."

Upon hearing the words of the mysterious shadow, Zong Ying excitedly complied, seeing this as a great opportunity to prove himself.

The scene shattered, and Gu An's Divine Sense moved on to other memories within Zong Ying.

This guy wasn't the Ghost Thief at all; he was merely using the Ghost Thief's identity to make the Supreme Sect prepare in advance, allowing him to determine how many powerful cultivators the Supreme Sect had hidden.

He avoided using the name of the Ephemera Sect because he feared alerting the enemy. If he failed, he could still survive under the identity of the Ghost Thief.

The Ghost Thief acted in the name of chivalry, and the Supreme Sect was a part of the Righteous Path, so they might not kill the Ghost Thief.

Had it not been for the life span detection, Gu An might have indeed been deceived by him.

After a long time.

An hour had passed in the real world, within the forest.

Zong Ying fell to the ground with a thud before Gu An, his eyes rolled back, his body rigid, completely dead. His Primordial Spirit was shattered by the powerful Spiritual Power of Gu An, his soul perishing before his body.

Gu An expressionlessly snatched Zong Ying's storage bag and then incinerated Zong Ying's body with Spirit Power Fire.

Killing Zong Ying granted him two hundred forty years of lifespan, but this did nothing to improve his mood.

In Zong Ying's memories, there was no trace of the Heavenly Judgment Curse. Gu An did see his acts of murder, treasure theft, annihilating entire families, humiliating female cultivators, and crafting ghostly devices with Soul Refining. He was indeed utterly wicked.

This gave Gu An an extremely poor impression of the Ephemera Sect.

He had thought the conflict between the Ephemera Sect and the Supreme Sect was just a typical inter-sect conflict, but now he felt that if the Ephemera Sect were to unify the Taicang Dynasty, life would only become more difficult.

There were darknesses within the Supreme Sect too, but the Unification Realm cultivators within it were not so despicable.

"Mystic Heart Realm, huh..."

Gu An thought to himself and then turned to leave.

The autumn wind blew into the forest, scattering Zong Ying's ashes in the air, where they completely disappeared.

Gu An first went to the Eight Scenic Caves, checking Zong Ying's storage bag, destroying any suspicious items to avoid exposing the location of the Eight Scenic Caves, keeping only the Immortal Cultivation resources.

The storage bag of a Unification Realm Great Cultivator was indeed exceptional, filled with countless magic artifacts of all sorts and many Elixirs, some of which were quite nefarious.

After toiling for an hour, Gu An finally left the Eight Scenic Caves.

Upon returning to Mystic Valley, Gu An went to find Yang Ni, wanting to see how the Ephemera was growing.

He saw Yang Ni meditating within the Ephemera Garden. Previously, she was busy with cultivation and hadn't been distracted by Gu An and Zong Ying. She had grown accustomed to frequent visits from the people of Elixir Hall, Law Enforcement Hall, and the Ji Family.

Of course, the main reason was that Zong Ying's Energy Concealing Skill was too strong.

"Why are you cultivating here?" Gu An asked, noticing Yang Ni absorbing the Spiritual Energy of the Ephemera, which was not good for the growth of the Ephemera!

Yang Ni opened her eyes and said, "I'm cultivating in the valley to avoid exposing my cultivation level."

Gu An directly pulled her up and headed towards his loft, saying, "Come practice in my room. I just set up restrictions there recently, so the disciples cannot see inside."

Yang Ni frowned but could not outright refuse Gu An, so she followed him back to the valley.

...

Winter came, and thick snow covered the Third Medicine Valley.

Gu An was reading in his room when Ji Xiaoyu suddenly came to visit. He quickly hid the Supreme Secret Records and then stood up to welcome Ji Xiaoyu.

Ji Xiaoyu closed the door, set up a Restriction, and then asked, "Is the Shenzhou Scripture something you comprehended in your dreams?"

Having studied the Shenzhou Scripture for half a year, she had many insights.

Gu An seriously said, "This is not a technique for cultivation but principles for life that can stabilize your mentality. A calm mind will allow you to cultivate better."

"Not something comprehended in dreams?"

"Certainly not. I met an old senior outside the Outer Sect before, who gave me the Shenzhou Scripture and spoke of grand simplicity among other confusing things. But over the years, I have studied the Shenzhou Scripture intensively. Although my cultivation level has not increased, my mindset has become more tranquil and open-minded; nothing worries me, and I don't obsess over things."

Gu An shook his head, and upon hearing this, Ji Xiaoyu looked at him deeply.

Ji Xiaoyu said, "This book is indeed useful. My mind is much calmer now than before I came here, and I no longer think about things that can't be achieved at the moment."

"I would like to take this book back to the Ji Family. If you agree, I will try to obtain a seventh-grade Spirit Tree for you. The foundation of the Ji Family is no less than that of the Supreme Sect."

"Of course, if you don't agree, I won't insist, and I promise not to reveal the Shenzhou Scripture."

A seventh-grade Spirit Tree?

Is the Ji Family that powerful?

Gu An suppressed the surprise in his heart and calmly said, "Naturally, I am willing. The Confucius in the scripture had the aspiration to share his ideals with the world. How could I keep it to myself?"

The Shenzhou Scripture is a compilation of phrases from many ancient Huaxia sages like Laozi, Confucius, Zhuangzi, among others. Gu An had also marked their names in the book, portraying their extraordinary images.

Upon hearing this, Ji Xiaoyu's face showed a smile, and she began discussing the Shenzhou Scripture with Gu An.

After a long conversation, she finally took her leave.

Just as she was about to reach the door, Ji Xiaoyu suddenly turned back and said to Gu An, "Now that you own such a vast Third Medicine Valley and your status has changed, you must have heard of the Ephemera Sect. If someone from the Ephemera Sect tries to win you over, do not agree."

"Why?"

"The Ephemera Sect conducts itself in sinister ways and does not follow the Righteous Path. Engaging with them seldom leads to good outcomes, and furthermore, the Ji Family and the Ephemera Sect are sworn enemies."

The real reason is at the end, right?

Gu An mused internally while sensing the impact of the Ephemera Sect on the Supreme Sect. Ji Xiaoyu's words signified she was aware that many people had been swayed by the Ephemera Sect.