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

After Li Ya left, Gu An threw himself into the construction of Mystic Valley, his leisurely days beginning to dwindle, as those young Sheep Demons proved to be quite troublesome.

At four months old, they were running through the mountains and forests as if on flat ground, swift as the cheetahs of Earth in his previous life. Had the valley not been filled with Immortal Cultivators, they would have long since run off.

Gu An had no choice but to study Jiang Qiong's "Ziwei Array Chronicles," learning some low-level Restrictions to seal the sheep pen.

Half a year later, Gu An had Wuxin take Xiaochuan to the Outer Sect to recruit two more Servant Disciples, named Chen Hong and Zhen Xiao'er, both of mediocre aptitude, which pleased him.

The number of Servant Disciples in Mystic Valley reached ten, making it a lively place every day.

Time flew like an arrow, days passed like a fleeting horse, never to return.

Three years had flashed by in an instant.

It was autumn again.

Xiaochuan was patrolling the various gardens, followed by a row of ducks, flocking together in a grand procession.

Around Medicine Valley, atop the mountain peaks, disciples were seated in meditation, absorbing energy, while the forests were occasionally shaken by the noise of Tang Yu and Su Han chasing after the Sheep Demons.

Gu An emerged from the western forests with a smile on his face.

He had just harvested another batch of medicinal herbs, gaining several hundred years of life span, drawing ever closer to his goal of one hundred thousand years.

His life span had now reached eighty thousand years.

In three years, he had earned nearly fifty thousand years of life span, mainly because the medicinal herbs he had been cultivating for many years had reached maturity, including ten thousand years' worth of life span earned by managing the caves for Outer Disciples.

The diminutive Zhen Qin, carrying a bamboo basket on her back, ran out from the forest. She quickly approached Gu An and said, "Master, can you teach me Alchemy today?"

A dry leaf clung to her head, and the hair on her cheeks was slightly disheveled.

Gu An chuckled, "Of course, but you'll have to use your own herbs. That way you'll be more careful."

Zhen Qin had once overheard Gu An taking a Youth-Preserving Pill, and her interest in Alchemy had been piqued since then, pestering him incessantly, which lasted for half a year.

"I've been ready for a long time!" Zhen Qin exclaimed excitedly, jumping around next to Gu An, like a girl who refused to grow up.

Whiz——

A sound of breaking through the air flew over Mystic Valley. Gu An looked up and habitually performed a Life Span Detection.

Another Nascent Soul Realm Cultivator!

This year, more than ten Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators had passed over Mystic Valley, which made Gu An feel vaguely uneasy, as if a major event were about to happen.

The Great Meeting of the Outer Sect from years ago had not attracted so many Nascent Soul Realm Cultivators.

This won't do!

The Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill needs a boost. What if a Great Cultivator far exceeding the Nascent Soul Realm appears and sees through his Cultivation Level? What then?

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Gu An silently decided.

Over the years, the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill's enhancement to life span had been diminishing. Now, a gain of one year for half a year of practice was already quite good. He estimated that in another ten years, this technique would no longer extend his life span.

Afterward, Gu An took Zhen Qin back to his own loft to begin teaching her the Alchemy Technique.

Until late at night, Gu An quietly entered the Eight Scenic Caves.

Since Jiang Qiong had left, Gu An had also explored the other six cave tunnels, finding that their ends were filled with corpses similar to Meng Lang's, which had been refined using different Poison Skills from the Myriad Poison Mystic Skill by Cheng Xuandan and Jiang Qiong.

As for these Poison Corpses, Gu An temporarily had no intention of dealing with them.

He made his way to the Green Vine Tree and arranged his robes before sitting down to meditate on the spot.

At that moment, a shadow fell from the tree and burrowed into his embrace.

A small black dragon!

Slim and about two feet long, it had a pair of dragon horns and whiskers by its mouth. Its body was covered with tiny black dragon scales, and its sharp claws made it resemble the dragons from ancient Huaxia legends, albeit with a different color.

This was the Holy Beast of Ancient Sky Sect, Sky Dragon!

As Gu An stroked it, he checked its life span.

[Sky Dragon (Tier 1): 1/965/18000]

Its life span had increased again!

When the Sky Dragon was born, it only had a life span of five hundred years. Now, just a year later, its life span had nearly doubled.

As expected of a Demon Beast with the potential of Tier 9!

Gu An recalled the process from last year when the Sky Dragon acknowledged him as its master, and a smile appeared on his face.

The newborn Sky Dragon had bitten him straight away, infuriating him into tossing it aside, after which it had come over pitifully to snuggle up to him.

Gu An felt that the Sky Dragon was not recognizing a master through blood, but rather identifying who its kin was.

Their bond was a kind of soul resonance; he could understand its thoughts but couldn't directly manipulate its life and death.

Sky Dragon would only be loyal to one master for life, indicating that although it was inherently fierce, it was also exceedingly loyal and righteous.

"Good, go eat," Gu An said.

He took out a Demon Sheep that he had killed from his Storage Bag, which he had just slain that morning, yielding only three years of life span.

The Sky Dragon's eyes lit up, and it immediately grabbed the Sheep Demon's carcass, flying to one side.

The Demon Sheep's body was several times bigger than the Sky Dragon, but held in its claws, it appeared surprisingly light, as if the Sheep Demon had no weight at all.

Gu An brought up the Attribute Panel and focused on the Cultivation Technique column, investing two thousand years of his life span into the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill.

The Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill was fundamental in concealing his Cultivation Level and aura, the basis of his stand in the world, and of utmost importance. He even felt it was more essential than the Divine Wood Pure Yang Skill.

[You have invested two thousand years of life span into evolving and cultivating the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill]

[You have cultivated the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill for ten years, nature's spiritual energy refining your body, increasing your physical Qi-Blood]

[You have cultivated the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill for one hundred years, nature's spiritual energy refining your body, increasing your physical Qi-Blood]

[You have cultivated the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill for two hundred years, and your Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill has reached the pinnacle of perfection.]

[You have cultivated the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill for four hundred years, and on this day, you have grasped the true essence of the earth, elevating your Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill to Earth Lineage Emperor Energy Skill.]

...

[You have cultivated the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill for one thousand five hundred years, feeling the rules of the earth, your Earth Lineage Emperor Energy Skill has broken through its limits, ascending to Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill.]

[You have cultivated the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill for one thousand eight hundred years, and your understanding of the Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill has improved, becoming thoroughly proficient.]

[You have cultivated the Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill for two thousand years, and your understanding of the Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill has reached the pinnacle of perfection, you have comprehended a Divine Skill—Mystic Yellow Dragon Might.]

Line by line notifications popped up before Gu An's eyes.

The Dragon Strength Divine Primordial Skill ascended to Earth Lineage Emperor Energy Skill, then rose again to become Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill!

And he had even awakened a Divine Skill!

Gu An felt overjoyed, thinking that his luck this time was extremely good.

Vast memories rapidly flowed into his mind, immersing him in the vast information of Daoist Sorcery.

Sky Dragon, who was gnawing at the sheep meat, turned around, its eyes, like gems, revealing a look of curiosity.

Wisps of green energy rose from the grass beneath Gu An, encircling his body. His eyes shut, he began to breathe unconsciously, a faint dragon roar lingering in the air.

Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill, which refined the body with the profound yellow energy of the earth, allowed the physical body to become one with nature. The so-called dragon roar was, in fact, the sound of the earth.

A full two ancient hours passed before Gu An finally awoke.

He opened his eyes only to furrow his brow immediately.

All the flowers and plants around him had withered. He hurriedly stood up and took a glance at the Spirit Grass in the Eight Scenic Caves. After a complete sweep, he finally exhaled in relief.

The withered ones were merely weeds; those Spirit Flowers and Spirit Grasses were not greatly affected.

In the future, he mustn't be reckless again!

Whether it was advancing his cultivation technique or having a breakthrough, he would need to leave the Eight Scenic Caves lest he drain its Spiritual Energy dry.

Gu An sat down again, reviewing the Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill while cultivating energy according to the method.

Condensing a breath of Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy, his physical body united with nature!

Sky Dragon, having finished eating, lay beside the sheep carcass, sleeping. Within the Eight Scenic Caves, only the sound of wind remained.

...

During the early hours of the morning.

Gu An came down from the loft, dressed in a set of green robes, his black hair casually tied behind his head, with two long strands by his ears, all exuding the ethereal and unrestrained temperament of a practitioner.

His body hadn't yet fully adapted to the Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill, but he wasn't in a rush. With nightly practice, in at most a month, he would be able to manifest Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy.

As for the Divine Skill that came with the Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill, the Mystic Yellow Dragon Might, he didn't need to cultivate it separately—when the Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy emerged, the dragon might would naturally form.

The so-called dragon might was actually the might of heaven and earth, capable of intimidating all beings.

Gu An began to drill the disciples, and as everyone gathered for the drill, they could feel that the mood of Gu An that day was good.

Zhen Qin inquired with curiosity as to what made her master so happy.

"Nothing much, I read a book last night called 'Investiture of the Gods'; you could also borrow it from the Book Collection Pavilion when you have time," Gu An explained with a smile while doing the drill.

Xiaochuan's eyes lit up, saying, "I know 'Investiture of the Gods'; almost everyone in the Outer Sect has a copy. It's said to contain the ancient secrets of the Immortal Cultivation World."

The disciples became intrigued and began asking Xiaochuan about what was written in 'Investiture of the Gods'.

Gu An did not interrupt further, his mind still pondering the Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill.

Over the next month, he cultivated the Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy Skill every night, finally succeeding in manifesting a breath of Mystic Yellow Dragon Energy in his abdomen, taking his ability to hide his cultivation level and aura to the next level.

Gu An felt a great weight lift from him; now, he could live in peace and quiet.

Just like the previous years, this year passed by uneventfully, which to Gu An, was the best possible outcome.

As the winter snow just began to thaw, Mystic Valley once again welcomed the spring, with all the disciples preparing for the Spring Festival.

Gu An sat beneath a tree deeply engrossed in 'Green Hero Travelogue'.

Zhen Qin came over suddenly, hands clasped behind her back, leaning over to ask, "Master, what would you like to eat tomorrow night? I'll cook for you."

Gu An, without shifting his gaze, replied, "Anything will do; whatever you cook, I'll eat."

Curious, Zhen Qin leaned in to see what book he was reading, but he stopped her.

"Hurry up and prepare the ingredients. If you delay the festival meal for tomorrow night, be careful, I won't teach you Alchemy!" Gu An said feigning severity.

Upon hearing this, Zhen Qin stuck out her tongue and could only turn to leave.

Gu An vaguely heard her muttering, "Always reading those unserious books."

The corner of his mouth twitched involuntarily—just who had spread this rumor?

Smearing his reputation!

Now all the disciples in Medicine Valley knew he enjoyed 'Green Hero Travelogue.' Although they dared not mention it to his face, they often teased him about it behind his back.

Gu An stood up, tucking the 'Green Hero Travelogue' into his chest.

Starting today, he was giving it up!

Gu An stepped out of the courtyard, ready to check the garden, when his gaze was suddenly drawn to the mouth of the valley, his brows knitting together.

He saw a man in white robes strolling towards him, appearing to be in his thirties, with a handsome face and an extraordinary bearing.

What made Gu An frown was that he could not sense the other man's presence.

He immediately cast Life Span Detection towards him.

[Li Xuandao (Divinity Transformation Realm, Eighth Stage):230/899/3020]