Catching monsters?

Upon hearing this, Gu An’s interest was immediately piqued.

As they continued to descend, Tianya Valley’s landscape gradually emerged from the snowy mist. From mid-air, it resembled a vast ocean of green. Streams flowed into the valley from all directions, and two small rivers ran along the valley’s edge, disappearing into the ground upon closer inspection.

Before long, Luo Hun landed with Gu An, then took out a cloth to wrap his long spear.

“From now on, you are the master of this valley. Do whatever you wish, and feel free to command me at any time,” Luo Hun said.

Gu An nodded and directly took out the Heavenly Solemn Sword, saying, “Build a few pavilions in the outskirts. I’ll take care of clearing the weeds.”

Luo Hun’s gaze fell on the scabbard of the Heavenly Solemn Sword, his pupils suddenly dilating as he immediately knelt, saying solemnly, “Luo Hun, your humble servant, greets the master of the Heavenly Solemn Sword!”

Gu An had deliberately taken out the Heavenly Solemn Sword to ensure that Luo Hun would take him seriously.

The effect was perfect!

“Why are you doing this? Get up quickly,” Gu An said, pretending to be flustered as he hurriedly helped Luo Hun to his feet.

After Luo Hun stood up, his expression became complicated. He sighed, “I didn’t expect His Majesty to give you the Heavenly Solemn Sword.”

Gu An asked in surprise, “Why are you so shocked?”

Luo Hun explained, “The Tai Cang Dynasty has three imperial swords: Heavenly Inquiry, Heavenly Solemn, and Heavenly Punishment. Holding these swords is akin to holding imperial authority. His Majesty holds the Heavenly Punishment Sword, while the Heavenly Inquiry Sword is in the hands of the Crown Prince. Without His Majesty’s permission, no one can claim these swords on their own, which is why having one is the same as meeting the emperor.”

Hearing this, Gu An suddenly realized how highly Li Ya was regarded by Li Xuandao. To be on par with the Crown Prince, Li Ya must have held significant importance in Li Xuandao’s heart.

Without Li Xuandao’s approval, it would have been nearly impossible for Li Ya to inherit the Heavenly Solemn Sword.

But now that the sword was in his hands, Gu An wondered if Li Xuandao had other plans for him.

Gu An was accustomed to considering the worst-case scenarios, so he didn’t think Li Xuandao’s intentions were that simple. After all, an emperor’s mind was as deep as the sea.

“I see. Well, let’s get to work,” Gu An replied.

Luo Hun had no objections, but he couldn’t help glancing at the Heavenly Solemn Sword several more times.

Soon after, he saw Gu An using the Heavenly Solemn Sword to clear weeds, which made him hesitate to speak.

Luo Hun struggled for a while but eventually turned away and left.

Half an hour later…

The formation pillars surrounding Tianya Valley were activated, each one emitting a brilliant blue light that shot into the sky. The beams converged to form a dome-shaped barrier that covered the entire valley, before gradually turning transparent.

After completing the formation activation, Luo Hun began constructing the pavilions.

By noon, Gu An had cleared all the weeds at the bottom of the valley with impressive efficiency. If it weren’t for the need to hide his true strength, he could have cleared them all with a single stomp.

Three days later…

Gu An had finished planting seeds. Luo Hun had brought an abundance of high-grade herb seeds from his seemingly endless storage bag.

During those three days, Luo Hun also built five pavilions and captured three demon monkeys.

The three demon monkeys were second-tier beasts, capable of walking upright. Aside from the fur on their bodies, they resembled humans.

Luo Hun asked Gu An to name them, and Gu An, without much thought, named them based on their cultivation levels, calling them Sun Da, Sun Er, and Sun San. Luo Hun was silent for a long time after this.

The three demon monkeys, however, seemed quite pleased with the surname Sun.

Gu An led the three demon monkeys around the valley, explaining their daily tasks.

The monkeys, capable of speaking human language and displaying a certain cleverness, were easy to communicate with. Gu An wasn’t worried about them causing trouble, as Luo Hun had placed curses on them, making their lives and deaths beyond their control.

Meanwhile, Luo Hun reclined on the stairs of one of the pavilions, pulling out a book titled Investiture of the Gods.

He was also a fan of Investiture of the Gods. When Gu An had previously discussed the book with him, Luo Hun had become quite animated, shedding his usual cold demeanor.

Near dusk, Gu An approached Luo Hun and mentioned that he was returning to Xuan Valley.

Luo Hun was concerned about Gu An’s safety, as the road was fraught with monsters, but Gu An insisted on returning.

Gu An reassured him that he would be careful.

After some thought, Luo Hun took out ten talisman papers from his storage bag and said, “These talismans contain an invisibility spell. Once you infuse them with spiritual energy, they will make you invisible, even masking your aura. Unless you encounter a third-tier or higher cultivator, or someone at the Core Formation stage, it will be difficult to detect you. Each talisman lasts for five hours, so use them sparingly—you’ll need them for the return trip.”

Gu An accepted the talismans and expressed his thanks with a cupped fist.

Luo Hun, still worried, said, “Why not break through to Foundation Establishment first? I have a Foundation Establishment Pill.”

Gu An shook his head, “I already have a Foundation Establishment Pill. You don’t need to worry. I’ve memorized the way back, and I have plenty of Spirit Qi Pills with me.”

With that, he soared into the sky on his sword and departed.

Exiting Tianya Valley wasn’t hindered by the formation, but returning would be much more difficult.

Luo Hun watched Gu An’s silhouette disappear into the distance, his brows furrowed.

Recalling the emperor’s words, Luo Hun could only sigh.

Li Xuandao had instructed that if Gu An were to die, he would appoint someone else to be the master of the valley. Luo Hun’s task was only to guard Tianya Valley.

…

After traveling a hundred miles away from Tianya Valley, Gu An suddenly increased his speed. Before nightfall, he had already returned to Xuan Valley.

With Tianya Valley in his control, Gu An knew his future days would be busy. The outer disciples’ residences needed his attention, and he would have to check on Tianya Valley regularly. He couldn’t fully trust the monkeys.

Despite the hectic schedule, Gu An didn’t feel tired; instead, he was full of vigor.

In a few years, his lifespan would increase dramatically!

Once the Medicine Valley that Gu Zong promised him was in his possession, a lifespan of a million years wouldn’t seem so distant.

Gu An even considered studying puppet techniques, so he could leave puppets in each of his Medicine Valleys to help monitor the herbs.

But before that, he needed to raise his cultivation level.

Being at the ninth level of Qi Refining wasn’t sufficient. Traveling back and forth between Xuan Valley and Tianya Valley would become more troublesome.

Fifteen days passed quickly.

Gu An went to visit Elder Liu Chang of the Scripture Pavilion.

He felt that Liu Chang held more influence than Elder Zhu Qinglu of the Pill Hall.

The two met alone in Liu Chang’s inner room. Liu Chang, flipping through the latest volume of Investiture of the Gods, smiled and said, “Not bad at all. Just a quick glance makes me eager to read more.”

Gu An hesitated before saying, “Elder Liu, I have a favor to ask.”

Without looking up, Liu Chang asked, “What is it?”

“I’m preparing to reach Foundation Establishment, but I don’t want to become an outer disciple. I wish to remain the master of Xuan Valley, as it would make it easier for me to write books. If I become an outer disciple, I’ll have to take on missions, and I’m afraid I might die outside…”

“Is that all?”

“Elder Liu, can you arrange it?”

“Of course. Haha, I’ll go directly to Gu Yu. He’s told me before that his father values you highly and asked me to look after you, to meet your requests whenever possible.”

Liu Chang chuckled, sounding like a sly old fox.

Gu An immediately thanked him.

Liu Chang set down his book and said, “You’re already considered a special talent of Tai Xuan Sect. The harvest you contribute every year ranks among the top three Medicine Valleys of the outer sect. Moreover, your book Investiture of the Gods has increased our sect’s recruitment by fifty percent each year. Your contribution far exceeds that of outer disciples going on missions.”

“Rest assured, even if you reach the Core Formation stage in the future, you won’t be sent on missions.”

He chuckled as he said this, clearly amused.

He couldn’t achieve Core Formation himself—could Gu An?

Gu An felt relieved. This made things much easier.

As long as he didn’t appear too talented, he could slowly raise his cultivation level, which would make his future plans easier to execute.

Liu Chang seemed to think of something and added, “Recently, Zhou Tongyou, the genius from Jue Shan Sect, is coming to challenge the younger cultivators under a hundred years old at Tai Xuan Sect. It’s going to be quite the event. You should gather some information and get inspiration for your next book. Remember, include Tai Xuan Sect in it.”

With Investiture of the Gods nearing completion, Liu Chang had already received instructions from higher up.

Gu An nodded and curiously asked, “Is Zhou Tongyou really that powerful?”

“Naturally. He’s born with dual spiritual roots, and his physique was cultivated over millennia by the Zhou family into a powerful Golden Body of Evil Suppression. He’s unmatched in his realm. At the ninth level of Foundation Establishment, he once killed a Core Formation stage cultivator at the third level, earning a reputation as the strongest genius in the cultivation world of Tai Cang over the past hundred years.” Liu Chang spoke with great admiration as he recounted that battle, and Gu An listened attentively.

To Gu An, geniuses capable of defeating enemies across realms were like protagonists of a story.

After all, he couldn’t do that—or rather, he wouldn’t dare.

He preferred using overwhelming power to crush weaker opponents rather than defeating stronger enemies through risky battles.

Half an hour later, Gu An left the Scripture Pavilion.

After buying a few things in the city, he hurried back to Xuan Valley.

The next morning, Gu An gathered the disciples for their training session and announced that he had successfully reached Foundation Establishment the previous night, which filled the disciples with joy.

Wu Xin was both excited and a bit sad.

Now that his senior brother had achieved Foundation Establishment, he would undoubtedly leave for the outer sect, and Wu Xin would become the valley master!

“Master, does that mean you’re leaving us?” Zhen Qin quickly asked, her tone filled with reluctance, while putting on an exaggeratedly pitiful expression.

The other disciples also anxiously looked at Gu An, and Wu Xin suppressed his joy, pretending to be downcast.

Gu An sighed and said, “Yes…”

The disciples’ expressions instantly darkened, and Wu Xin’s heart raced uncontrollably.

The one who felt the worst was Xiao Chun, knowing he would soon become the oldest remaining member of the valley.

“But because our Medicine Valley has had such a good harvest, I applied to the outer sect to stay on as the master of Medicine Valley, and they’ve agreed,” Gu An quickly added.

The disciples froze for a moment, then erupted in cheers, rushing toward Gu An.

Wu Xin stood there, stunned for a few moments before forcing a smile.

Xiao Chun, however, was the happiest. Knowing he had no hope of reaching Foundation Establishment, he was overjoyed at the prospect of having Gu An with him for the rest of his life. After all, only Gu An indulged his fascination with raising demons.

Xuan Valley was filled with a lively atmosphere, and it took Wu Xin a long time to calm down.

Gu An noticed his emotions and pulled him aside, explaining that he would soon have a new Medicine Valley to manage. Even though he would remain in Xuan Valley, Wu Xin would be in charge.

Wu Xin was thrilled at the prospect of gaining real authority as valley master.

Seeing Wu Xin’s elated expression, Gu An couldn’t help but think of Cheng Xuandan and Zhang Chunqiu.

Times had changed.

The days passed quickly. Gu An left the valley every two days to manage the outer disciples’ residences, and once every half a month, he visited Tianya Valley.

After learning that Gu An had reached Foundation Establishment, Luo Hun completely trusted him and stopped being overprotective.

Noticing Luo Hun’s love for books, Gu An brought him The Adventures of Green Hero.

Strangely, after that, Gu An didn’t see Luo Hun reading The Adventures of Green Hero when he visited Tianya Valley.

Did Luo Hun not like the book?

If so, he wouldn’t bring any more in the future!

But why wasn’t Luo Hun even reading Investiture of the Gods anymore?

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep