Early the next morning, the Nine-Finger Divine Lord brought Chu Jingfeng to find Gu An, expressing his intention to accept Chu Jingfeng as his disciple.
Gu An was overjoyed and promptly urged Chu Jingfeng to bow and express his gratitude to the Divine Lord.
This moved Chu Jingfeng greatly. Although the prospect of recovering his cultivation under the guidance of the Divine Lord was tempting, he hesitated. Over the years, Gu An had treated him with immense kindness, and he felt torn about making such a decision.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord, in turn, gained a deeper respect for Gu An. He could see that Gu An's joy for Chu Jingfeng was genuine.
And it truly was. While Gu An was strong, he knew that his own experience and knowledge were no match for a figure like the Nine-Finger Divine Lord, who had lived for over 170,000 years. If the Divine Lord were to sincerely guide Chu Jingfeng, it would undoubtedly be a turning point in Chu Jingfeng's life.
Without hesitation, Gu An directly instructed Chu Jingfeng to formally take the Divine Lord as his master, creating an atmosphere of harmony and celebration.
Half an hour later, they used the teleportation array to travel to the Third Medicine Valley and then flew toward the inner sect city.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord had already noticed the Third Medicine Valley but hadn't expected it to also belong to Gu An.
It wasn't until noon that Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley alone, while the Divine Lord and Chu Jingfeng stayed in the inner sect city.
Although he wasn't sure of the Divine Lord's true motives, the addition of a wandering immortal was undoubtedly beneficial for the Tai Xuan Sect.
If the Divine Lord had malicious intentions, Gu An could always step in to deal with him later.
"Is the Tai Xuan Sect's fortune on the rise?" Gu An mused as he sat down.
First came Xuan Tianyi, who sent You Yingying from the Star Sea Sect. Then, Zhou Dai from the Seven Stars Spirit Realm came to pledge allegiance. Now, a mysterious wandering immortal had arrived. These developments made Gu An feel a mix of awe and curiosity about the sect's growing momentum.
Shrugging off the thoughts, he began refining pills.
Late at night, Gu An traveled to Tianhuang Mountain. He first stopped at his personal cave heaven before making his way to the Nianchu Cave Residence.
The two cat demons had grown significantly, now as large as leopards, though they had yet to take human form. They lay crouched on the ground, seemingly napping but actually absorbing the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth.
Tian Yao'er, hearing Gu An's footsteps, immediately appeared from inside the house. She seemed to teleport, arriving before him in an instant. Just as she was about to leap into his arms, Gu An stopped her by pressing his finger against her forehead, preventing her from moving forward.
"You're still too slow; it's not fast enough," Gu An remarked, referring to her progress with the Limitless Carefree Steps.
Tian Yao'er pouted. "Master, did you go to the cave heaven first?"
"Yes."
Gu An nodded and walked past her.
Inside the cave heaven, all the spiritual herbs were at least at the seventh rank, requiring much longer to mature compared to lower-ranked herbs. For now, he could only wait until they were ready to harvest.
Still, even without relying on the cave heaven, Gu An could currently accumulate nearly 300,000 years of lifespan annually.
Tian Yao'er caught up to him, curiosity evident in her voice. "Master, when will we move into the cave heaven?"
The cave heaven was far more spacious, and the Nianchu Cave Residence felt dull by comparison.
"You can move in whenever you want, but don't neglect the Nianchu Cave Residence," Gu An replied.
A hint of disappointment flashed in Tian Yao'er's eyes. She had hoped Gu An would decide to move in so they could live together. With so many high-level spiritual herbs planted in the cave heaven, she assumed it would become his main residence.
Despite her dismay, she didn't press the matter. Instead, she began recounting recent events.
She mentioned a fierce battle between two great demons on Tianhuang Mountain a few nights ago. The commotion had been so intense that she had grown anxious, worried that one of the demons might invade the Nianchu Cave Residence.
As they chatted, the commotion woke Tianqing and Tianbai, the two cat demons. Seeing Gu An, they excitedly bounded toward him.
"Master!"
"Master, you've finally come back!"
The two cat demons spoke in melodious voices, sounding like young girls coquettishly greeting Gu An.
Gu An nearly shuddered. It seemed these two had been corrupted by Tian Yao'er.
They all sat around a stone table. Tian Yao'er took out some fine wine and said, "Master, do you have more Journey to the West? I just got to the part where Sun Wukong battles the White Bone Spirit, and Tang Sanzang is so infuriating!"
Gu An retrieved the latest volume from his storage pouch and placed it on the table. He teased, "Why are you so mad? Shouldn't you be siding with the demons?"
"Sun Wukong is a demon too! I support him. But Tang Sanzang—he saves demons but can't tell right from wrong. Master, is the idea of retrieving scriptures a real tradition among humans?" Tian Yao'er fumed.
"No, it's just a story I made up."
"Really? It feels so real."
"When you become a great demon someday, you could rule Tianhuang Mountain and proclaim yourself king."
"Hehe, that's exactly what I plan to do! I'll call myself the 'Beautiful Phoenix King' and gather my own Seven Great Sages."
Talking about such grandiose ambitions made Tian Yao'er even more animated. She chattered on enthusiastically.
Gu An couldn't help but chuckle. Truly, no one needed lessons in boasting; as long as one had an imagination, they could dream big.
As the conversation continued, Gu An suddenly sensed a vast and majestic aura emanating from the distance. Instinctively, he extended his divine sense, only for the aura to vanish in an instant.
Gu An speculated that it likely originated from a hidden minor world, possibly linked to the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. The concealment of such an aura was unparalleled, leading him to suspect that only a minor world associated with the Seven Stars Spirit Realm could achieve such secrecy.
Though his divine sense could pinpoint the location of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm's minor world, the advanced restrictions in place prevented him from exploring unnoticed. Any forced intrusion would undoubtedly alert the cultivators of the realm.
"Are they up to something again?" Gu An mused while absentmindedly responding to Tian Yao'er's chatter.
The transition from summer to autumn arrived, yet the heat lingered.
At noon, Gu An, riding on the Blood Prison Saint, arrived at the outer sect city. Along the way, he overheard numerous cultivators discussing a singular topic.
The Immortal Treasure!
"Have you heard? There's news of an Immortal Treasure appearing in the Demonic Lands."
"What exactly is an Immortal Treasure?"
"I'm not entirely sure, but some say it's a divine artifact belonging to immortals. Possessing it grants the power of an immortal."
"I heard the same, though no one seems to know its exact location yet."
"Do you think this Immortal Treasure is more powerful than the Heaven-Sundering Axe?"
Gu An listened silently, while the Blood Prison Saint, unable to suppress his curiosity, asked, "Master, does such a thing as an Immortal Treasure truly exist?"
Gu An didn't answer. Instead, he raised his gaze and spotted You Yingying approaching. With her hands clasped behind her back and a cheerful smile on her face, she seemed particularly spirited.
"It's true," You Yingying chimed in. "Want to know more?"
The Blood Prison Saint nodded eagerly, his anticipation written across his face.
But You Yingying merely shot him a disdainful glance before turning to Gu An.
Gu An chuckled, "Of course, I'd like to hear more."
"Come to my residence; I was planning to look for you anyway," You Yingying said, leading the way without waiting for a reply.
Gu An patted the Blood Prison Saint's shoulder, signaling him to follow.
A stick of incense's time later, Gu An and You Yingying sat across from each other at a stone table within her courtyard. You Yingying began explaining the origins and nature of Immortal Treasures.
"The world knows of tools such as magical artifacts, spiritual treasures, and immortal treasures. Immortal treasures are tools forged by immortals of the Immortal Dao, requiring the power of an immortal to wield. An Immortal Supreme Treasure, however, is an artifact crafted by the most powerful beings of the Immortal Dao. Each of these treasures possesses its own spirit."
"An Immortal Supreme Treasure not only contains immense power but is also immune to the ravages of time. While their creators may have either ascended beyond the mortal realm or perished, these treasures remain eternal. For example, the Star Sea Sect possesses an Immortal Supreme Treasure called the Star Sea Primordial Banner, which serves as their sect's defining artifact."
"Similarly, the Seven Stars Spirit Realm on the continent has an Immortal Supreme Treasure known as the Seven Stars Mirror, also a sect-defining artifact. Recently, however, rumors have emerged of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm uncovering a damaged Immortal Supreme Treasure. The entire ocean realm is vying for it, and somehow, even the lower-level disciples of Tai Xuan Sect have caught wind of it."
Hearing this, Gu An grew curious. "What exactly is a damaged Immortal Supreme Treasure?"
You Yingying explained, "It's an Immortal Supreme Treasure that has suffered damage, causing its spirit to fall into a dormant state. While it still wields great power, it is far less potent than a complete Immortal Supreme Treasure."
Gu An couldn't help but suspect that the Nine-Finger Divine Lord's arrival at the Tai Xuan Sect might be connected to this damaged treasure.
Though Gu An rarely engaged in combat, Immortal Treasures held little appeal to him. He had always trusted in the strength of his own cultivation and techniques.
You Yingying continued to elaborate on other renowned Immortal Supreme Treasures, weaving tales of their legendary status and how obtaining one could grant access to the Immortal Dao itself. Her descriptions painted the treasures as almost mythical.
The Blood Prison Saint lay nearby, attentively listening with eyes filled with longing.
While You Yingying spoke, Gu An quietly spread his divine sense across the continent. He observed countless cultivators and demons making their way from overseas, including beings of the Immortal Dao. Among them, he identified three wandering immortals and over a dozen Nirvana Realm experts heading toward the continent.
Within the continent itself, Gu An detected over twenty wandering immortals dispersed in various locations, scouring the land for the Immortal Treasure. Some even approached the minor world of the Seven Stars Spirit Realm, seemingly plotting how to infiltrate it.
Of particular note, Gu An spotted An Hao, Li Ya, and Zhang Buku traversing the Demonic Lands. An Hao, traveling alone, was currently engaged in combat with a Core Formation Realm great demon.
After finishing her discussion of Immortal Treasures, You Yingying turned to Gu An with bright, expectant eyes. "Let's talk about Journey to the West now," she said eagerly.
She had always loved reading all kinds of books, particularly fantastical stories. This shared interest had been the foundation of her friendship with Xuan Tianyi.
Ever since Xuan Tianyi had introduced her to Investiture of the Gods, she had been fascinated by Pan An.
"What do you want to know?" Gu An asked.
You Yingying immediately bombarded him with questions—whether Investiture of the Gods and Journey to the West were connected, how many years apart the stories were set, and on which continent the events unfolded.
She even asked how Gu An had come up with the ideas for these two remarkable books.
Gu An answered her questions one by one. As for the source of his inspiration, he claimed to have encountered two Daoists in his past—one named Xu Zhonglin, who recounted the story of Investiture of the Gods, and the other named Wu Cheng'en, who narrated Journey to the West.
You Yingying didn't doubt him. Instead, she became more intrigued by these two mysterious Daoists.
In her opinion, Gu An's cultivation was far too low to possess such profound knowledge; at best, he was simply talented at storytelling.
The Blood Prison Saint, listening intently, grew curious. He had known that Gu An wrote books, but he hadn't realized what they contained. Hearing You Yingying mention the Bull Demon King piqued his interest.
After all, Gu An had given him the name Bull Demon King! Could his master have written a book about him?
But who was Sun Wukong? Could it be the monkey from Tianya Valley?
The thought of those three monkeys infuriated the Blood Prison Saint. Those little pests constantly pulled out his hair, and he could never catch them.
Time passed quickly as they chatted, and two hours soon slipped by.
You Yingying brought out tea and snacks, showing no intention of letting Gu An leave.
During her years at Tai Xuan Sect, she hadn't sought out Gu An because she was engrossed in reading. She had gone through the entire library of the Scripture Pavilion—a feat that even Gu An found impressive.
Just then, a high-pitched dragon's roar echoed across the sky, shaking the heavens and earth.
You Yingying's expression changed instantly. In a low voice, she murmured, "The Dragon-Slaying Spear... Chi Jiuxiao."