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"Come along," the messenger replied, turning to lead the way into the mansion.

Gu An followed behind, feeling puzzled. Why was Ji Xiaoyu asking for him? When he was younger, he had barely interacted with her due to the vast difference in their statuses.

After Gu An left, the Ji family disciples guarding the gate surrounded Du Ye, bombarding him with questions about Gu An. Du Ye, his face a bit awkward, could only answer them one by one.

Meanwhile, Gu An followed the messenger for about two miles before arriving at Ji Xiaoyu\'s courtyard. The messenger stopped at the courtyard gate, motioning for Gu An to enter before turning and leaving.

Gu An could already sense Ji Xiaoyu’s presence. Based on his assessment, she too was at the ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment realm, but her power far surpassed Ji Lin\'s.

He stepped into the courtyard, which was filled with bamboo, lush and vibrant as if it were spring, though it was clearly autumn.

Following the small path through the bamboo forest, Gu An soon came upon a pond shrouded in white spiritual mist. Amidst the mist, he could faintly make out a figure sitting cross-legged in meditation—a woman.

Gu An approached, then cupped his hands in a respectful salute toward the woman sitting on the water’s surface, saying, "Gu An greets Third Miss."

Ji Xiaoyu, dressed in a green robe, was sitting cross-legged, floating above the pond. Her hands formed a mudra on her knees, her long hair tied up with three pearl-embedded hairpins. Two strands of hair framed her face, and her forehead was smooth and bright like jade, with a faint red line running through it. In terms of appearance, only Jiang Qiong could rival her in Gu An\'s view.

Unlike Jiang Qiong’s charming, mysterious allure, Ji Xiaoyu exuded a celestial purity, as though she were a fairy descended from the heavens. Her face bore no trace of emotion, radiating an aura of untouchable sanctity.

Gu An couldn’t help but recall the first time he had seen Ji Xiaoyu as a child. Even back then, she seemed different from other children; her eyes bore the wisdom of someone who had lived through the trials of time.

He discreetly activated his Lifespan Investigation:

[Ji Xiaoyu (Foundation Establishment Ninth Layer): 34/830/8900]

What in the world?

Eight thousand nine hundred years of maximum lifespan?

And she’s only in the ninth layer of Foundation Establishment—how could she have a lifespan of over eight hundred years?

Gu An was shocked. Clearly, Ji Xiaoyu was no ordinary dual-spirit root cultivator.

"You performed well earlier. After the banquet, go meet Gu Zong. You can become his disciple," Ji Xiaoyu said softly, her voice melodic and gentle yet carrying a certain authority, without even opening her eyes.

So she overheard the conversation at the gate!

Gu An complained inwardly but replied aloud, "Third Miss, in truth, I really don’t want to take him as my master. I can see that his status is extraordinary and his cultivation must be quite high, but with my mediocre aptitude, becoming the disciple of such a renowned master would only bring me endless troubles. I just want to stay in my Medicine Valley, live out my days in peace, and continue offering you herbs every year. That would be enough to make me happy."

Hearing this, Ji Xiaoyu opened her eyes, dispersing the mist in front of her. She turned her head slightly to glance at Gu An.

Her eyes seemed to trace an upward stroke, giving her already beautiful eyes an extra touch of authority. Those bright, alluring eyes seemed to want to see through Gu An’s soul.

Gu An lowered his head slightly, avoiding her gaze—not out of fear, but because his current identity was that of a ninth-layer Qi Refining servant, and he had to play the part convincingly.

"Then you won’t need to become his disciple. However, you will still have to meet Gu Zong; he wants to see you. I understand this situation puts you in a difficult spot, so tell me—what can I do for you? As long as it’s within my power, I’ll make it happen," Ji Xiaoyu said softly.

Perhaps because Ji Xiaoyu had saved him when he was a child, Gu An felt a degree of affection toward her. So, without hesitation, he replied, "Third Miss, my Medicine Valley is too small. I want to plant more herbs. Can you help me secure another valley? But please don’t transfer me out of my current one; I’ve poured my heart into that place, and I’d hate to leave it."

Ji Xiaoyu remained silent for a while.

Gu An wasn’t in a rush.

If she couldn’t manage it, he could always ask Gu Zong.

He had a good idea of what Gu Zong wanted from him anyway.

After all, what else would someone want from a writer like him?

Ji Xiaoyu finally spoke, "I can’t fully promise the matter of another Medicine Valley, as this isn’t the Ji family’s domain, and you don’t want to leave your current valley. However, I’ll try my best. Besides that, you can make one more request."

Without hesitation, Gu An asked, "Could I have a teleportation array? I want to connect the two valleys to make travel more convenient."

"That’s not difficult. Once the banquet ends, I’ll have someone bring it to you," she agreed.

"Thank you, Third Miss!" Gu An smiled and bowed deeply in thanks.

Ji Xiaoyu closed her eyes once more. "By the way, what exactly did you write that made Gu Zong value you so highly and even want to take you as a disciple?"

Gu An pondered for a moment. He realized there was no point in hiding it. After today, Ji Xiaoyu might investigate him, so it would be better to come clean. Perhaps the Ji family could even protect him in the future.

"Investiture of the Gods," Gu An answered.

As soon as those words left his mouth, Ji Xiaoyu’s eyes snapped open, and she turned to look at him, her expression showing surprise for the first time.

"Investiture of the Gods was written by you? How do you know so much?" Ji Xiaoyu asked, her brows furrowing.

Gu An replied helplessly, "It’s all just my imagination—it’s not real."

Many people now claimed that Investiture of the Gods was a true historical account of ancient times. Zuo Lin, Wuxin, and others believed this too, causing Gu An considerable anxiety at one point.

Had he not checked the Outer Sect’s Library Pavilion and found no records related to China, he might have thought Investiture of the Gods was based on real events.

"Just your imagination? But the world you depicted in Investiture of the Gods is so vast, and the Daoist arts are awe-inspiring," Ji Xiaoyu said softly.

It was clear that she was a fan of the book too.

Gu An feigned awkwardness, as though unsure how to respond.

"This is something you mustn’t tell anyone else. Investiture of the Gods has had a massive impact, and the name Pan An has spread throughout the Tai Cang Dynasty. Other sects are all looking for you," Ji Xiaoyu warned him.

After a moment’s thought, she raised her right hand. The jade ring on her middle finger glowed, and a small bronze sword appeared in her palm.

"This is a talisman treasure. Simply inject spiritual power into it to activate it. It can kill a Core Formation realm cultivator. Keep it for your protection," Ji Xiaoyu said.

Gu An eyed the bronze sword curiously.

It was his first time encountering such a talisman treasure. Jiang Qiong had once mentioned them to him: talisman treasures couldn’t be bound to a master and required stored spiritual energy to activate. Often passed down by powerful cultivators to their juniors for protection, it was a luxury Gu An hadn’t expected to receive today.

He didn’t refuse and accepted the bronze sword gratefully.

"Go back and rest. You don’t need to stand guard anymore," Ji Xiaoyu said, her tone returning to its usual detached coolness as she closed her eyes.

Gu An bowed again before turning to leave.

As he left the courtyard, Gu An couldn\'t help but wonder about the strange aura he had sensed around Ji Xiaoyu earlier. It was elusive, yet somehow intoxicating, making one inexplicably drawn to it.

He shook off the thought and made his way back to his own courtyard.

As more and more guests arrived, the Ji family mansion grew lively. Everywhere, people were rushing about.

Divine Transformation cultivators exchanged pleasantries while Nascent Soul cultivators hovered nearby. Those in the Core Formation realm were left to scurry about, serving their betters. The stark divide in status brought on by cultivation level was on full display here.

As he walked, Gu An suddenly spotted someone familiar.

Jiang Qiong.

The two of them met in a narrow hallway, coming face to face. Gu An remained calm, his expression unchanged. Jiang Qiong did the same.

They passed by each other, leaving only half a meter between them. Just then, Gu An felt something being pressed into his left hand—a jade pendant.

"Go back to your room and investigate it with your divine sense. Let’s pretend we don’t know each other."

Jiang Qiong’s voice reached Gu An’s ear via a sound transmission technique.

Clutching the jade pendant in his hand, Gu An continued walking without looking back. They parted as if they were strangers.

…

Back in his room, Gu An sat cross-legged on his bed, gripping the jade pendant in his left hand with the back of his hand facing upward. Even indoors, he was careful not to let the pendant be seen.

He extended his divine sense into the pendant and soon furrowed his brow.

The pendant contained a fragment of Jiang Qiong’s divine sense, explaining the reason for her presence at the Ji Mansion.

Jiang Qiong’s target was none other than Ji Xiaoyu.

And it wasn’t just her—other spies from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion and several demonic sects had been sent here to seize the Innate Dao Seal within Ji Xiaoyu.

The Innate Dao Seal was an incredibly rare and powerful force, akin to a bloodline power, and was something one was born with. Once the owner reached Core Formation, the Dao Seal would manifest on their golden core. At that point, if the golden core was stolen, the Dao Seal would be taken along with it.

According to Jiang Qiong, the Dao Seal was even rarer than Heavenly Spiritual Roots, possessing the ability to alter one’s destiny on an enormous scale.

No wonder Ji Xiaoyu had such a ridiculously long lifespan—she had the Innate Dao Seal!

Now Gu An was in a bind. On one side was Jiang Qiong, and on the other was Ji Xiaoyu. Who should he support?

Forget it!

He decided to stay out of it. After all, Jiang Qiong wouldn’t make a move until Ji Xiaoyu reached Core Formation, and by then, Gu An would be back at his Medicine Valley.

Still, Gu An was intrigued by the Dao Seal. Was that strange aura he had sensed from Ji Xiaoyu earlier the presence of the Innate Dao Seal?

Even as a Void Crossing cultivator, Gu An couldn’t help but feel a twinge of greed. The power contained within the Dao Seal must be unimaginable.

As time passed, the banquet proceeded smoothly, and the lurking demonic cultivators remained inactive.

At noon, Ji Xiaoyu even demonstrated her mastery of the Soaring Eagle Ascends. Gu An watched from the courtyard.

Ji Xiaoyu ascended step by step, with each step forming the image of a qilin beneath her feet. After seven steps, the qilin image enveloped her, making it appear as though seven dark red qilins were standing in the air around her—an impressive sight.

With his keen vision, Gu An could tell that Ji Xiaoyu could take two more steps, making her limit nine steps.

However, the true limit of the Soaring Eagle Ascends was not nine steps. At the peak of mastery, one could take a thousand steps, creating a thousand qilin avatars that could either attack or confuse an opponent.

Nonetheless, for Ji Xiaoyu to master the Soaring Eagle Ascends at just thirty-four years old was an incredible achievement. With this technique, she could dominate anyone in her realm.

As dusk approached, Du Ye arrived, bringing Gu Zong and Gu Yu with him.

After showing them the way, Du Ye tactfully left, not wanting to intrude.

An hour later, Gu Zong left with a satisfied smile.

Gu An saw them to the gate. Before leaving, Gu Yu turned back and winked at him, saying, "Remember, make sure I have plenty of love interests in your next book! I’ll come find you within six months. The Medicine Valley you want won’t be small!"