When I Achieved Sainthood, the Immortal Official Actually Called Me to Raise Horses!

"That won't do, how can I take the sword your mother left for you?" Gu An immediately waved his hand in refusal. He was being honest; a sword with such a history was bound to come with trouble.

Li Ya lowered his eyes, gazing at the sword's scabbard as he drifted into memory: "This sword is called Heavenly Solemn. It has been with me since I was three years old, but I can no longer wield its full power. Besides, I’m no longer qualified to use it. It’s better to leave it with you. Perhaps someone destined for it will find it here in Medicine Valley."

Gu An asked in confusion, "Why aren't you qualified to wield it anymore? Is this sword connected to the royal family? If that’s the case, I’d rather not take it."

The thought of getting entangled with the Li family gave him a headache.

Admittedly, the sword was beautiful, and he liked it, but he valued his peaceful life more than any possession.

Li Ya looked at him and smiled. "You wouldn’t understand even if I explained. Rest assured, this sword won’t cause you any trouble. In fact, no one in the Li family dares to claim this sword. It was a token of affection from my father to my mother. If you ever face an unsolvable problem in the future, you can take this sword to Changluo and find my father."

"I'm just a mere servant; how could I possibly meet the Emperor?"

"Don't worry. As long as Heavenly Solemn appears in Changluo, my father will sense it. All in all, you must take it, or else I won’t eat this fruit."

Then don’t eat it!

He looked again at the Heavenly Solemn sword. Come to think of it, he still didn’t have a magic weapon of his own. Among all the things Cheng Xuandan had left behind, there were only talismans, no magic weapons—not even a sword.

What’s the big deal? I’m a Nascent Soul cultivator!

If worse comes to worst, I’ll just throw the sword to the enemy if I run into trouble!

Taking a deep breath, Gu An reached for Heavenly Solemn. The sword was heavy, and his right hand trembled slightly as he lifted it, which caused Li Ya to burst into laughter.

"Junior Brother Gu, even if you don’t have much talent, you still shouldn’t neglect your training. Don’t forget to practice the Li family’s Seven Swords that I taught you," Li Ya said earnestly.

Gu An held the Heavenly Solemn sword in both hands, smiling stiffly as he nodded.

Hehe.

Kid, you’ve got a lot to learn about reading people!

Thus, Li Ya settled down in Medicine Valley, with Gu An personally arranging a secluded courtyard where no one would disturb him.

Li Ya sat cross-legged on the bed, a half-eaten Ancient Vine fruit beside him. His hands formed a series of incantations as he focused on healing his injuries.

A faint blue phantom emerged from his body, swirling within the room. It was an elderly man with a kind face, dressed in flowing Daoist robes that gave him an air of a seasoned cultivator.

Li Ya opened his eyes and spoke, "Old Ancestor, what is this fruit? Its medicinal effects are so intense…"

The old man, addressed as Old Ancestor, waved his hand, causing the space within the room to ripple slightly. He stroked his beard and smiled. "It’s most likely a fruit from the Ancient Vine tree, the sacred tree of the Thousand Autumn Pavilion. Even the lowest-grade Ancient Vine fruit is at least a sixth-tier treasure. You’re quite fortunate."

"A fruit from Thousand Autumn Pavilion? No wonder the Tai Xuan Sect views them as a sworn enemy," Li Ya muttered.

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The Old Ancestor glanced at the Ancient Vine fruit and said, "The Thousand Autumn Pavilion and the Tai Xuan Sect have been at odds for over a thousand years. Both sects have planted countless spies in each other's ranks. Your Junior Brother Gu is quite lucky. If not for meeting you, that Ancient Vine fruit would’ve brought him disaster." �

Li Ya shook his head. "It’s not luck that saved him; it’s his kindness and loyalty. People like him will always have good fortune. In fact, I’m the lucky one."

The Old Ancestor nodded. "You’re right. In the world of cultivation, people like him are rare. But you needn’t feel too guilty. Giving him Heavenly Solemn is more valuable to him than the Ancient Vine fruit."

Upon hearing Heavenly Solemn’s name, Li Ya sighed. "I’ve disappointed my mother’s expectations. I don’t wish to fight for the throne. I only seek revenge for her, and then I want to travel the world, far away from the palace intrigues."

"Heavenly Solemn is one of the three great imperial swords of Tai Cang. To fully unleash its power, you’d need to master the Royal Extreme Sword Art. Right now, your mastery of the Nine Strikes of Supreme Swordsmanship is only at the beginner level. It’ll take at least another hundred years to master the Royal Extreme Sword Art," the old man mused.

Li Ya remained silent.

The Old Ancestor chuckled. "You couldn’t even defeat that boy Shi Yang with ease. You still have a long way to go. Remember, your fourth brother has already reached the Core Formation stage."

Li Ya took a deep breath, choosing not to respond. He closed his eyes and resumed his healing.

The Old Ancestor, on the other hand, gazed out the window. Even though it was shut, he could still hear the laughter of Xiao Chuan and the others outside.

"This is indeed a nice place, far from the conflicts of the world. Unfortunately, those with burdens like ours are not suited for such a place."

"Ah, well, no time for sentimentality. Time to go back into slumber and recharge."

...

Late at night, Xuan Valley was still and silent.

Gu An concealed his aura using the Dragon Force Divine Essence Art and quietly left the valley, heading to a forest more than twenty miles away.

Sitting beneath a tree, he pulled up his attribute panel, his focus settling on the Li Family’s Seven Swords technique.

How many years of lifespan should I invest?

After pondering for a moment, he decided to invest heavily to enhance his combat strength.

Let’s go with two thousand years!

With this expenditure, I’ll save up to 100,000 years afterward!

He immediately selected the option to invest two thousand years of lifespan. As soon as this thought formed, the first digit of his lifespan dropped from four to two.

[You have invested 2,000 years of lifespan to evolve and cultivate 'Li Family’s Seven Swords']

[You have practiced the Li Family’s Seven Swords for 10 years. Your swordsmanship has reached mastery. You begin contemplating greater possibilities.]

[You have practiced the Li Family’s Seven Swords for 50 years. Your swordsmanship has reached the pinnacle. The Li Family’s Seven Swords has evolved into the Seven Swords Technique.]

...

[You have practiced the Li Family’s Seven Swords for 300 years. Your Seven Swords Technique has reached the pinnacle. It evolves into the Nine Strikes of Supreme Swordsmanship.]

[You have practiced the Li Family’s Seven Swords for 500 years. Your mastery of the Nine Strikes of Supreme Swordsmanship has reached completion, and you have condensed your own sword intent.]

...

[You have practiced the Li Family’s Seven Swords for 1,000 years. Your Nine Strikes of Supreme Swordsmanship has reached a state of transcendence. It evolves into the Royal Extreme Sword Art.]

[You have practiced the Li Family’s Seven Swords for 1,200 years. Your sword intent condenses into your own Imperial Sword Aura. Your comprehension of swordsmanship deepens.]

...

[You have practiced the Li Family’s Seven Swords for 1,800 years. Your Royal Extreme Sword Art has reached transcendence. Your sword intent resonates with the way of the sword, and you gain insight into the essence of swordsmanship. You enter a state of enlightenment. The Royal Extreme Sword Art evolves into the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword.]

[You have practiced the Li Family’s Seven Swords for 2,000 years. Your mastery of the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword has reached a state of complete understanding. Your comprehension of swordsmanship deepens.]

A series of notifications flashed rapidly before Gu An’s eyes. When the evolution reached the 1,000-year mark, Gu An immediately activated his Lifespan Barrier.

He feared disturbing the mysterious entity underground or the spirit within Li Ya.

When the notifications finally stopped, a flood of immense knowledge surged into Gu An’s mind. The ground began to stir with spiritual energy, though none of it entered his body. Instead, it gathered around him, forming thin threads of cold light resembling sword energy, glimmering with an eerie radiance in the darkness.

Gu An entered a deep state of enlightenment.

After what seemed like an eternity, he slowly awakened.

It was still before dawn.

The first thing Gu An did was check how much lifespan the Lifespan Barrier had consumed.

Damn! Just from comprehending a technique, I used up 300 years of lifespan!

Thankfully, I’ve fully mastered the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword. My understanding of swordsmanship has reached the pinnacle, and this profound feeling fills me with joy.

Looking at his attribute panel, Gu An noticed that the Li Family’s Seven Swords had now been replaced with the Tai Cang Divine Shocking Sword, marked with the words "Complete Understanding" in parentheses.

Without standing up, Gu An pulled out Heavenly Solemn and rested the sword across his lap. He closed his eyes and placed his hands on the scabbard.

He was feeling the sword’s intent.

Once his sword intent resonated with the sword, he could truly claim it as his own.

Inside the sword were numerous seals, like layers of spells awaiting the swordmaster’s spiritual energy and intent to break through.

Gu An wasn’t well-versed in breaking seals, but fortunately, he now had his own sword intent. His sword intent pierced through the seals.

After half an hour, Gu An stood up, placed Heavenly Solemn back into his storage bag, and began walking toward Xuan Valley.

With a single step, he hovered in mid-air, sword energy forming beneath his feet, carrying him forward.

As he approached within ten miles of Xuan Valley, he descended and continued walking on foot, completely concealing his aura.

The night gradually passed, and the sky in the east began to turn pink.

Morning had arrived.

Li Ya pushed open his door, stretching in the morning sun. He felt completely refreshed.

The Ancient Vine fruit’s medicinal power was incredible!

He no longer felt much discomfort, and in a few more days, he would be fully recovered!

Smiling, Li Ya glanced toward the field beside the garden, where Gu An was leading the junior disciples through their exercises.

The slow, rhythmic movements piqued Li Ya’s curiosity.

Though the actions were simple, they had an inexplicable sense of profoundness.

Intrigued, Li Ya walked over and greeted Gu An, who smiled and returned the greeting.

"What are you all practicing?" Li Ya asked, intrigued.

Gu An chuckled. "This is something I learned from an old man in my childhood. It’s meant to strengthen the body and keep the mind sharp. I lead them through these exercises every day so they can start their day in the right mindset."

Lu Jiu Jia grumbled, "I don’t really feel like it’s helping."

Xiao Chuan glared at him. "That’s because you’re too thick-headed."

Li Ya added, "Actually, it does work. You just need to stick with it over a long period of time."

Coming from an Outer Sect disciple, his words naturally carried weight.

Gu An glanced at Li Ya, noting that he seemed much softer and more amiable than before, even capable of saying such tactful things.

In truth, the reason Gu An had the junior disciples practice these exercises was to help clear their minds from cultivation and dreams, preventing them from messing up his precious herbs and flowers.

"After you’re done with your exercises, how about I teach you a sword technique?" Li Ya suggested with a smile.

The juniors were immediately thrilled, thanking him profusely, calling him "Senior Brother Li" at every turn.

Li Ya looked at Gu An and said, "You should join in too. Since you’ve got a sword now, it’s a good idea to practice."

Gu An smiled and nodded.

Alright.

Let me see how well you’ve mastered the Li Family’s Seven Swords!

Li Ya’s presence lifted everyone’s spirits. Watching the junior disciples bicker playfully, he didn’t feel annoyed. In fact, it made him feel quite happy.

It wasn’t until midday that Li Ya pulled Gu An aside into the forest.

"Show me how much progress you’ve made with the Li Family’s Seven Swords. The sooner you master it, the sooner I can teach you real sword techniques. The Li Family’s Seven Swords is just the basics," Li Ya said seriously.