Chapter 94: A Million Years of Lifespan, Five Elemental Treasure Body!
Just seven days after Crown Prince Li Dai's departure, he returned to visit Gu An again. This time, he brought many medicinal plant seeds, clearly putting in considerable effort.
Although Gu An wasn't sure why Li Dai was being so generous, he gladly accepted the gifts and even invited him for a drink. Their conversation was more pleasant than during their previous meeting.
Even by the time he left, Li Dai hadn't attempted to recruit Gu An, as if he simply wanted to make friends.
However, after Li Dai left, Yang Ni's gaze toward Gu An changed.
"I've never seen him treat anyone with such courtesy before," Yang Ni said in a complicated tone.
Gu An smiled, "It's probably because I'm so kind to people."
He wasn't naive—he suspected that it had something to do with Lü Baitian, though he wasn't sure what exactly had transpired.
Li Dai had come to Tai Xuan Sect seeking powerful backing, and it certainly wouldn't be from a mere family, especially not from the Ji Family. Besides Lü Baitian, no one else had such influence.
Yang Ni had guessed that Gu An must have someone powerful behind him. After all, not even Li Xuandao could make the Crown Prince behave so deferentially.
She was increasingly curious about who Gu An truly was.
"It's best not to inform His Majesty of this. You've been by my side for so many years—you should know my temperament by now. I don't seek power or position, nor do I want to attract unnecessary suspicion," Gu An said, looking at Yang Ni seriously.
Yang Ni nodded and teased, "It seems that Li Ya isn't your blessing—in fact, you are Li Ya's blessing. With your diligence, growing so many medicinal herbs while avoiding all political struggles, if I were one of the higher-ups in Tai Xuan Sect, I'd favor you as well."
Gu An took the storage bag that Li Dai had given him and pulled out a hundred seeds, handing them to Yang Ni. "These are fifth-tier seeds. Take care when planting them. If you do a good job, you can keep one-tenth of the yield. Afterward, I'll give you more seeds."
Yang Ni accepted the seeds, her face beaming with joy, and immediately agreed to the task.
Watching her, Gu An felt satisfied.
There were many people working in the Third Medicine Valley, but only Yang Ni seemed to truly enjoy cultivating plants. Xiao Chuan preferred raising spirit beasts, while most of the other disciples only labored because they had no choice in their cultivation path.
Gu An had high hopes for Yang Ni.
...
Summer gave way to autumn, and the golden hues of fall spread across Xuan Valley, Tianya Valley, and the Third Medicine Valley.
Autumn's colors added a touch of beauty to Tai Xuan Sect, as fallen leaves blanketed the mountains and valleys, creating a picturesque scene.
In late autumn, one afternoon at Tianya Valley...
Gu An wrapped the herbs he had just harvested in spirit-protecting paper. As he did so, three notifications popped up before his eyes:
[You successfully harvested Deer Bone Grass (fifth-tier), gaining 52 years of lifespan.]
[Your lifespan has surpassed one million years for the first time, unlocking the Lifespan Forewarning feature.]
[Lifespan Forewarning: Once activated, it automatically detects and warns of threats. Should any being harbor malicious intent toward you, you will receive a warning. This feature does not consume lifespan. Using Lifespan Investigation on a target will consume lifespan.]
Gu An was momentarily stunned by the new feature.
What a great ability!
This feature could alert him to potential enemies and help him avoid dangers.
He immediately activated Lifespan Forewarning.
For now, there were no warnings, likely because it only began tracking from this moment.
Feeling elated, Gu An realized how significant this new ability was. It made all the years of waiting worth it. Not only had he reached a million years of lifespan, but he was also about to break through to a higher realm!
He quickly finished harvesting the matured herbs in Tianya Valley and moved them to the storage building, where he noticed that most of the herbs had already been taken, leaving the storage mostly empty.
Without giving it much thought, Gu An left after storing the herbs.
Just as he was about to leave the area, Lü Xian appeared in front of him and said, "Don't leave just yet. We haven't gone over the Xuanwu Tempest Palm today."
Lü Xian had already taught Gu An eight different techniques. Two years ago, he decided that Gu An should focus on mastering just one skill.
I refuse to believe that anyone could be this slow to learn!
He had resolved to spend fifty years ensuring that Gu An would master at least one technique.
Fifty years of practice—for anyone, even a pig, should be enough to learn!
Gu An pushed him aside and replied, "Not today. Maybe next time."
Lü Xian, surprised at being pushed, stood there in shock.
Did he just push me?
And more than that, I actually moved!
"No, you can't leave!" Lü Xian grabbed Gu An's shoulder, determined to make him stay.
With a sigh, Gu An turned and said, "I think I've already mastered Xuanwu Tempest Palm. Want to take a look?"
"Really? Show me!" Lü Xian let go of him and urged excitedly.
Gu An stepped into an open space, raised his palm, and struck. Instantly, a wave of energy surged from his palm, creating rippling waves of air several meters ahead.
He then lowered his hand and said, "See? I've been practicing in private. If you can teach me how to make it even stronger next time, I'll be all ears."
With that, Gu An leaped into the sky and flew away.
Lü Xian didn't stop him but stood there, frowning in contemplation.
After a long while, he muttered to himself, "Effortless execution... complete control... Could it be...?"
...
After returning to Xuan Valley, Gu An first went to the Third Medicine Valley to gather more herbs before heading back to his pavilion.
He found Yang Ni and informed her that he would be leaving for two days to handle some matters in the Inner Sect. Yang Ni didn't question him.
At dusk, Gu An left, flying toward the Outer Gate city. After taking a wide detour, he circled back near Xuan Valley and, under the cover of night, snuck into the Eight Views Heavenly Cave to release the Sky Dragon.
The Sky Dragon was ecstatic, looking around with boundless excitement.
Gu An then left Tai Xuan Sect, traveling with the Sky Dragon.
Utilizing the Limitless Celestial Step, Gu An bypassed Tai Xuan Sect and headed straight for the North Sea Mountain Range.
The Sky Dragon marveled at Gu An's footwork but wasn't shocked, as it considered its master to be the closest person to it and had yet to see the rest of the world.
The North Sea Mountain Range was more than three hundred thousand miles away from Tai Xuan Sect. Gu An, using his step technique at full speed, covered the distance without pause.
Upon reaching the vicinity of the North Sea Mountain Range, Gu An set the Sky Dragon free.
"Master, goodbye!" the Sky Dragon exclaimed joyfully before flying off, leaving Gu An smiling.
Afterward, Gu An donned a mask and changed into black robes, continuing his journey toward the depths of the North Sea Mountain Range to break through.
The North Sea Mountain Range was a chain of mountains surrounding an ocean, though the "North Sea" was actually an enormous lake, so vast it resembled the ocean.
As Gu An walked on air, he saw the shimmering lake reflecting the moonlight, with mist rising over its endless expanse.
In the distance, a massive fish over a hundred meters long leaped out of the lake, stretching its body in mid-air. The sight was magnificent.
The North Sea Mountain Range was home not only to beasts but also to cultivators and ghosts.
Gu An sensed a fierce battle between two Nascent Soul cultivators nearby. He merely glanced at them and quickly passed by without stopping.
First, I need to break through. Sightseeing can wait.
He also briefly wondered where Li Ya was.
With his divine sense, Gu An searched for a suitable place to make his breakthrough.
After half an hour, Gu An found a deep, secluded forest. He sat down under a large tree, surrounded by the eerie presence of ghosts, as this area was filled with ghostly energy, making it an ideal place to remain undisturbed.
Activating his Lifespan Barrier, Gu An concealed himself completely.
He then opened his status panel:
[Name: Gu An]
[Lifespan: 58/1,002,060]
[Spiritual Root: Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Roots]
[Cultivation Level: Body Fusion Realm, Ninth Level]
[Techniques: Fire Control Art (Proficient), Yang Wood Mixed Essence Art (Mastered), Mysterious Yellow Dragon Qi Technique (Peak), Alchemy Technique (Intermediate), Ten Thousand Gu Mysterious Technique (Untrained), Yin-Yang Art (Untrained), Dao Yan Technique (Untrained)]
Looking at the seven-digit lifespan figure, Gu An couldn't help but feel a sense of accomplishment.
He planned to invest one hundred thousand years of lifespan into enhancing his spiritual root, Yang Wood Mixed Essence Art, and Mysterious Yellow Dragon Qi Technique. As for spells, skills, and divine abilities, he'd allocate less since he rarely fought.
He first directed one hundred thousand years into evolving his spiritual root, deciding not to overspend.
[You have invested 100,000 years of lifespan into evolving your spiritual root.]
[You gain one thousand years of comprehension of nature and enhance the sensitivity of your Five Elemental Spiritual Root.]
...
[After comprehending nature for nine thousand years, your Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root has undergone refinement.]
The notifications kept popping up, much faster than Gu An had anticipated. Although he was prepared, he still couldn't help but feel slightly regretful.
Maybe I shouldn't have enhanced my spiritual root—Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Roots are already good enough.
But since he had already invested, there was no turning back.
Though it didn't evolve, the refinement should still make his aptitude stronger.
Gu An consoled himself as the notifications continued to flood in.
[After comprehending nature for ten thousand years, your Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root has undergone refinement.]
[After comprehending nature for eighty thousand years, your Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root is finally evolving. You enter a nirvana state, enveloped by the essence of the five elements.]
[After comprehending nature for ninety thousand years, you successfully undergo nirvana, merging your Supreme Five Elemental Heavenly Spiritual Root with your body and soul to achieve the Five Elemental Treasure Body.]
[After comprehending nature for one hundred thousand years, your Five Elemental Treasure Body is refined.]
Seeing the words "Five Elemental Treasure Body," Gu An's eyes brightened with excitement, as if a new world had opened up before him.
Hard work truly pays off!
Just as Gu An was about to revel in his success, the spiritual energy in the ground began to surge violently toward him. The intensity of this energy was far beyond what he had experienced when breaking through to the ninth level of the Body Fusion Realm.
Sorry, creatures of the North Sea Mountain Range—looks like I'm going to give you all a scare.
Gu An immersed himself in the process of absorbing the vast spiritual energy.
Throughout the North Sea Mountain Range, all beings felt the sudden drop in spiritual energy. Within fifteen breaths, even those at the outskirts of the mountain range noticed the disturbance.
In a remote valley...
Li Xuandao, dressed in white, was meditating on a platform surrounded by hundreds of medicinal pills and storage bags. Banners stood around the platform, and even the cliffs surrounding the valley were covered in flags and talismans, creating a complex formation.
Li Xuandao opened his eyes, frowning.
"Another spiritual energy disruption... What's causing this? Even the North Sea Mountain Range is affected now?" Li Xuandao muttered to himself, his expression tinged with unease.