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

Chapter 63: Breaking Through to the Integration Stage!

After Chen Xuanjin was pierced through the chest by the leaf infused with sword energy, the spiritual energy in his body dissipated. His eyes widened in terror, his heart pounding with dread.

He immediately abandoned his body, releasing his Nascent Soul to flee into the sky.

Amid the swaying forest, Gu An stood quietly, watching Chen Xuanjin’s retreat. He deliberately let him live. Killing him would only yield twenty or thirty years of lifespan—not worth it. Allowing him to return would send a warning to those behind him.

Even if Gu An killed Chen Xuanjin, someone else would merely take his place. This approach would address the symptoms, not the root cause.

However, if this deterrent failed and his Xuan Valley was threatened, Gu An wouldn’t hesitate to root out the problem himself.

Under the dark sky, Gu An’s gaze was icy cold. He turned and disappeared swiftly into the forest.

Amidst the ruins, Zuo Yijian struggled to his feet, his body covered in blood and dirt, his appearance utterly wretched. He called out loudly for the senior who had saved him, but no one responded.

Left with no choice, he sat cross-legged and began healing his wounds on the spot.

Hiding within the woods, he smoothed his robes, sat down in front of a tree, and brought up his attribute panel.

Looking at his lifespan, which exceeded 100,000 years, he took a deep breath.

Breaking through the Void Transformation Stage by undergoing tribulation… who knows how many times I’ll fail?

But he was resolute. No matter how many failures it took, he would succeed. Without advancing, he would never feel truly safe.

Let’s start by investing 10,000 years of lifespan!

[You have invested 10,000 years of lifespan into cultivation to evolve your realm.]

[You cultivated for 100 years, using your profound mastery of the Yang Wood Primal Art to forcefully attempt an Integration Stage breakthrough. You began undergoing tribulation but failed to withstand the Five-Aspect Divine Thunder Tribulation.]

[You cultivated for 400 years, using your profound mastery of the Yang Wood Primal Art to forcefully attempt an Integration Stage breakthrough. You began undergoing tribulation but failed to withstand the Five-Aspect Divine Thunder Tribulation.]

Failure after failure!

Every 300 years, he attempted another tribulation.

No wonder the Taixuan Sect resorts to demonic cultivation to defy fate—this realm is truly daunting to break through.

After ten consecutive failures, Gu An’s confidence wavered.

Is it really this difficult?

Even with his cultivation of techniques like the Limitless Traceless Profound Heaven Step, the Great Yin-Yang Transformation, and mastery of two divine abilities, he still struggled to overcome the tribulation.

Noticing that his tribulations were often tied to the five elements, he began to suspect that his trials were harder than most.

After reaching the Core Formation Stage, Li Ya had once mentioned that tribulations varied by type. A cultivator’s tribulation depended on their aptitude and techniques.

Gu An’s eyes sharpened.

No matter how hard it is, I must succeed!

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Heaven rewards those who spend their lifespan!

[You cultivated for 5,400 years, using your profound mastery of the Yang Wood Primal Art to forcefully attempt an Integration Stage breakthrough. You began undergoing tribulation but failed to withstand the Five-Aspect Divine Thunder Tribulation.]

[You cultivated for 5,700 years, using your profound mastery of the Yang Wood Primal Art to forcefully attempt an Integration Stage breakthrough. You began undergoing tribulation but failed to withstand the Five-Aspect Divine Thunder Tribulation.]

Failure notifications continued to appear relentlessly.

Glancing at his attribute panel and seeing his remaining lifespan, Gu An felt somewhat reassured.

I still have enough to keep going.

Yet, even after 10,000 years had passed, he had not succeeded. His mental state was nearing its breaking point.

He hastily invested another 1,200 years of lifespan.

Failure.

Failure.

Failure.

Failure.

His eyes turned red as frustration boiled over. He poured in another 1,200 years.

Failure.

Failure.

Success!

[You cultivated for 900 years, using your profound mastery of the Yang Wood Primal Art to forcefully attempt an Integration Stage breakthrough. You began undergoing tribulation and withstood the Five-Aspect Divine Thunder Tribulation, achieving success. You have broken through to Integration Stage Level One.]

[You cultivated for 1,200 years, and your cultivation base grew stronger.]

Success!

Gu An finally let out a long breath of relief.

Gu An exhaled deeply, realizing it had taken him a staggering 12,400 years of lifespan to finally break through!

Although the lifespan consumed by evolutionary cultivation far exceeded what would have been used in actual practice, the experience still weighed on him.

If it’s this hard to reach the Integration Stage, what about the realms to come?

Yet, upon reflection, he found the thought amusing. For someone with his initial aptitude to reach the Integration Stage before the age of fifty was nothing short of miraculous.

It’s not life I’m sacrificing—it’s just numbers!

Adjusting his mindset, Gu An activated the Lifespan Barrier and prepared to enjoy the benefits of his breakthrough.

Spiritual energy began surging from the ground, visibly coalescing within moments. In less than three breaths, the area was awash with a verdant tide of wood-element energy.

The energy rushed into his body, whipping up a whirlwind that circled around him.

The commotion quickly intensified. Gu An could feel that this breakthrough was far more demanding than any before. While it seemed like a single stage advancement, the sheer volume of spiritual energy required far surpassed the earlier stages.

As the energy poured into him, Gu An’s cultivation base climbed steadily. At the same time, insights into the Integration Stage flooded his mind as though he had truly experienced centuries of cultivation.

Outer Sect City

Inside a certain estate, Chen Xuanjin’s Nascent Soul floated above a desk, his expression dark and ominous. He stared intently at a bronze mirror in front of him.

Soon, the mirror reflected a hazy, indistinct face. A cold, indifferent voice emerged from it.

“So late—what do you need?”

“I was nearly killed by the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal… and Zuo Yijian is obstructing our plans!” Chen Xuanjin growled, his tone laced with resentment and a trace of fear.

When that single leaf pierced his body, he had felt the shadow of death looming over him. He was now consumed by dread, his heart still pounding from the experience.

If he had been just a fraction slower to react, he might have perished entirely.

The figure in the mirror fell silent for a long time.

Chen Xuanjin waited quietly, not daring to interrupt.

Moments later, his expression shifted as though he sensed something. His face turned pale.

“The spiritual energy is sinking again!”

His voice was urgent, and he cast a nervous glance toward the door, half-expecting the Flying Leaf Sword Immortal to storm in at any moment.

“I’ll come to the outer sect myself tomorrow,” the voice from the mirror declared. The reflection vanished immediately after.

Chen Xuanjin turned to the window. Dark clouds rolled in, shrouding the moon, as though heralding an ominous disaster. His unease only deepened.

It wasn’t just Chen Xuanjin who sensed the sinking spiritual energy—the entire Outer Sect City was in an uproar. Increasing numbers of disciples soared into the skies in alarm.

With demonic cultivators running rampant and disciples vanishing periodically, this sudden plummet in spiritual energy had everyone on edge.

Ye Lan was heading toward the Enforcement Hall when she encountered Lu Jiu Jia flying toward her on his sword. Both stopped midair.

Lu Jiu Jia’s expression was grim. Seeing Ye Lan, he hesitated as though wanting to speak but held back.

Ye Lan’s face was impassive. “Is this another one of your schemes?”

Lu Jiu Jia shook his head. “No. The Demon-Slaying Hall has already issued a warning. This time, it might truly be a demonic cultivator invasion.”

“Truly?” Ye Lan asked mockingly.

Lu Jiu Jia frowned.

Ye Lan pressed further. “Senior Brother Lu, do you truly believe this path is right? They’ve been cruel to other disciples—are you so sure they won’t eventually turn on you?”

Lu Jiu Jia shot back, “And if not this path, then what? Join you in the Enforcement Hall, which could be disbanded at any moment?”

The two locked gazes, their tension palpable.

Eventually, they passed by one another without exchanging further words.

The swirling clouds overhead gave way to an enormous, inverted vortex in the night sky. Vast and oppressive, it churned above the forest, where the trees swayed like ocean waves under its weight.

Deep within the woods, hidden from view, Gu An remained seated in meditation.

Half an hour had passed, and his cultivation was still climbing. He had yet to fully break through to the Integration Stage.

The spiritual energy required was far beyond anything Gu An had imagined.

If the tribulation in reality is this intense, how terrifying must it be?

Suddenly, the repeated failures during his evolutionary cultivation didn’t seem so bad. After all, a single failure in reality could mean utter annihilation.

Feeling the surging power within him, Gu An’s emotions were a mix of awe and elation.

If the Integration Stage already possesses such immense spiritual energy, how powerful must a true immortal be?

As spiritual energy poured into him, the earth beneath his feet erupted with waves of green energy, as though he were submerged in an ocean of vitality.

Beyond the Lifespan Barrier, the forest shook violently. Cultivators flew past overhead, but none noticed Gu An’s presence.

The disturbance extended far beyond the immediate area. In truth, the entire Taixuan Sect was affected. The forests surrounding all outer sect cities swayed unnaturally, plunging the sect into panic.

This wasn’t the first time Gu An had caused such a scene. Consequently, he felt no panic. If anything, there was a hint of amusement in his demeanor.

You want to practice demonic arts and sacrifice outer sect disciples? Let’s see how panicked you’ll get!

Gu An harbored deep disdain for the notion of sacrificing a few to benefit the majority. It wasn’t that he was particularly noble—it was simply that he was one of those "few."

Time continued to pass.

The number of cultivators flying overhead steadily increased, prompting Gu An to continuously use his lifespan-enhanced perception to monitor the situation.

Over ten Transformation Stage cultivators had already passed by, and he even spotted a Void Transformation Stage expert.

As expected, the Taixuan Sect truly hides its strength!

As more Void Transformation cultivators passed, Gu An saw a familiar face—Gu Zong.

Unlike his usual amicable demeanor toward Gu An, Gu Zong now exuded an imposing aura that shook the surroundings with its intensity, making all life beneath him tremble.

This night was destined to be anything but peaceful.

Roughly another half-hour passed, and Gu An finally broke through to the Integration Stage.

In that instant, every aspect of his perception underwent a profound transformation.

His physical body and nascent spirit felt perfectly harmonized. The process of his nascent spirit leaving his body became effortless. Whether it was his command over his physical body or his control of his nascent spirit, both had improved immeasurably.

The sensation was indescribably sublime, leaving Gu An nearly speechless in awe.

Upon reaching the Integration Stage, Gu An’s spiritual energy also transformed. It grew not only stronger but far more abundant.

His spiritual sense expanded exponentially, but he refrained from probing too far, wary of alarming the powerful cultivators soaring through the skies above.

More than ten Void Transformation Stage Grandmasters have already passed through!

Among them, he even spotted a Ji Family Void Transformation cultivator. No wonder the Ji Family dared to establish their residence in the Taixuan Sect.

This person hadn’t shown up at Ji Xiaoyu’s banquet before, but their presence now made their strength clear.

After yet another half-hour, the pace of Gu An’s spiritual energy growth began to slow.

This signaled that the breakthrough was nearing completion.

Gu An’s heart gradually calmed.

The Lifespan Barrier had already consumed over 1,000 years of his lifespan, but he didn’t feel the least bit regretful.

After all, the barrier had shielded him from the detection of over a hundred powerful cultivators.

By his estimation, these “grandmasters” were at least at the Nascent Soul Stage.

And that was only in one direction of the Taixuan Sect. When accounting for the other seven outer sect cities, how many such experts were there in total?

The only solace for Gu An was that he hadn’t yet seen an Integration Stage Grandmaster.

While this didn’t definitively prove that the Taixuan Sect lacked Integration Stage experts, it at least confirmed that such cultivators were among the sect’s highest echelon.