https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-10-Alchemy-A-Promise-as-Firm-as-Jade/12573972/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-12-Foundation-Building-Stormy-Night/12573974/
Chapter 11: The Ji Clan's Secret Art
Chapter 11: The Ji Clan's Secret Art
After brushing off Xiao Chuan and Lu Jiujia with a few perfunctory words, Gu An made his way towards his courtyard. He took out the Qing Xia Youji from his pocket, intending to indulge in the illustrations within.
Just as he reached the courtyard, Ye Lan approached him, her face flushed with anger.
"Senior Brother, I want to learn the Canfeng Leg too!" Ye Lan demanded.
Gu An closed the book with a smile and asked, "What's the matter? Won't your Senior Brother Meng teach you any spells?"
Ye Lan's anger only intensified, and she pouted, "Yes, he's teaching me, but he's not taking it seriously. I got frustrated and we ended up arguing. He yelled at me, saying he had to prepare for the outer door assessment and didn't have time for me. He told me to scram."
Gu An found her puffed-up cheeks amusing, but he managed to hold back his laughter.
"Since Senior Brother Meng is busy, let's not disturb him," Gu An said gently. "How about this, tomorrow at noon, I'll personally teach you the Canfeng Leg, what do you say?"
Ye Lan asked in surprise, "Why tomorrow? Why not now?"
"Your senior brother is tired," Gu An explained patiently, pointing towards Xiao Chuan and Lu Jiujia in the distance. "I was just accosted by your two senior brothers. You can ask them if you don't believe me."
After saying this, he walked past Ye Lan towards his house.
Ye Lan noticed the book in his hand and wondered to herself, "Is the Qing Xia Youji really that interesting?"
Gu An returned to his room and closed the door. He lay on his bed and picked up the Qing Xia Youji again.
The reason he enjoyed this series so much was that a new installment was released every six months.
Following a serial novel in the cultivation world gave Gu An a sense of being back on Earth.
Soon, he found himself immersed in the story.
He strongly suspected that the author was a cultivator from the Tai Xuan Gate, although he couldn't be sure of their cultivation level since the book lacked detailed descriptions of combat, focusing instead on travel and romance.
Half a shichen later, Gu An suddenly heard noises coming from the neighboring house. It sounded like Meng Lang was rolling on the floor, his breathing erratic.
Hmm?
Did he mess up his cultivation practice?
Gu An hesitated about whether to check on him, but Meng Lang soon stopped, and to his surprise, the young man didn't cry out in pain. Sensing the surrounding spiritual energy flowing towards his house, Gu An realized that Meng Lang had started cultivating again.
Tsk tsk.
First, Li Ya, and now it seems Meng Lang has had a fortuitous encounter as well.
Wow, that would mean that all three of them, who entered the Medicine Valley on the same day and became disciples of the same master, have great opportunities. It's almost legendary.
But then Gu An shook his head, thinking he might be overthinking it.
It would be good enough if Meng Lang could live a long life.
In his opinion, with Meng Lang's temperament, once he left the valley, he wouldn't last long. He lacked social skills and was quick to anger—not the makings of a cultivator.
Gu An stopped his train of thought and continued reading the Qing Xia Youji.
Every day, Gu An absorbed qi for six shichen. He essentially used his sleeping time for cultivation, as cultivators didn't need as much sleep. The process of absorbing qi was, in itself, a better way to relax and rejuvenate than sleep.
During his remaining free time, he didn't just read the Youji. He also studied other books, including the Bai Cao Lu, which Cheng Xuandan had already transmitted to him. The Bai Cao Lu was a record of all kinds of spiritual flowers and grasses created by the Tai Xuan Gate, and Cheng Xuandan had even added notes about their medicinal properties.
Although Cheng Xuandan's cultivation was lacking, having lived for a hundred years, he had accumulated a wealth of knowledge and experience.
One advantage of having poor talent was having more time to acquire knowledge and broaden one's horizons.
...
Another winter arrived, and heavy snowfall blanketed the valley. Gu An directed his junior brothers and sisters to clear the snow from the paths.
As for Meng Lang, that guy had fallen into a demonic path and spent all his time cultivating in his room. Gu An couldn't order him around anymore, and Cheng Xuandan had said to just let him be.
There were special talismans placed at the edges of each garden sector that could generate heat, but these talismans had a time limit. Once they lost their efficacy, it would only take one shichen for the snow to cover everything.
As Gu An watched Xiao Chuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan working, his mind wandered.
He was increasingly dissatisfied with the valley's productivity. They needed to expand! Once this winter was over, Gu An planned to have them cut down trees and cultivate the soil on the mountain.
Suddenly, a sound of tearing through the air caught his attention. Gu An turned to see a man in plain clothes stepping on a flying sword, cutting through the heavy snowfall. He looked like a sword immortal.
Du Ye!
Gu An instinctively sent out a probe to check his lifespan, and he found that Du Ye's cultivation had reached the sixth layer of the Qi Refining Realm.
He's broken through rather quickly!
Du Ye's arrival also caught the attention of Xiao Chuan and the others.
They watched as Du Ye flew towards Gu An, leaped gracefully, and landed. With a flick of his wrist, he sheathed his sword, the sword light shining in the white expanse. The entire sequence was fluid and elegant.
Xiao Chuan and his companions stared, their eyes wide. They hadn't joined the Tai Xuan Gate to be errand boys—they all wanted to cultivate, but their mediocre spiritual roots had landed them in this situation.
They were biding their time in the Medicine Valley, waiting for an opportunity.
Du Ye sized up Gu An and slapped him on the shoulder. "Not bad, you've really grown up. You're not that little brat who used to follow me around anymore."
Gu An smiled and exchanged pleasantries with Du Ye, but inside, he was cursing.
We're both servants, so what's with the act?
After some small talk, Du Ye finally got to the point. He lowered his voice and asked, "How's the preparation of the medicinal herbs going?"
"Come with me to collect them," Gu An said with a nod.
He had indeed stored some medicinal herbs, which was the prerogative of the chief disciple of the Medicine Valley. He intended to give them all to Du Ye.
Although he could take lifespans, it was a time-consuming process.
Until he achieved invincibility, he had to maintain a good relationship with the Ji family; he might need their help in the future.
The Chu family, no matter how powerful, was only influential within the Tai Xuan Gate. The Ji family, on the other hand, was an entirely different story. They were a top-tier aristocratic family in the entire Tai Cang Empire, and the Ji family that Gu An had previously served was merely a branch in one city. Members of the Ji family could be found in all the cultivation sects of the Tai Cang Empire.
Along the way, Du Ye started chatting about the Outer Sect.
"Li Ya is from your Medicine Valley, right? He's been making quite a name for himself lately. He's a descendant of the royal family of Tai Cang and is currently in a fierce competition with his royal brother. The two have even made a pact to duel to the death, causing quite a stir."
"I heard that Li Ya was a good-for-nothing a few years ago. I wonder what opportunity he stumbled upon, but his cultivation has been progressing by leaps and bounds. Now, he's already at the second layer of the Foundation Establishment realm."
Hearing Du Ye mention Li Ya, Gu An also became interested.
Why does Li Ya sound like the male lead of a bitter and revenge-filled fantasy novel?
Gu An asked curiously, "Must one reach the Foundation Establishment realm to become an outer disciple?"
Du Ye nodded. "Of course. Take me, for example. Although I'm in the Outer Sect, my cultivation is insufficient, so I'm still considered a menial worker. However, since I'm in the Outer Sect city, I get to hear about these things."
"Reaching the Foundation Establishment realm allows one to directly become an outer disciple. Achieving the Pill Formation realm will promote one to an inner disciple. Above the inner disciples are the formally accepted disciples and the true disciples. These are the official rules, but if one has exceptional talent, they can break these rules."
"Our Third Miss is such a person. She became a formally accepted disciple upon joining, and she already has her sights set on becoming a true disciple. To become a true disciple, one must not only have sufficient cultivation but also be able to command respect and have sufficient prestige. That's why we have to pave the way for her."
As Du Ye mentioned Ji Xiaoyu, he became more talkative.
For once, Gu An didn't find him long-winded and listened attentively.
The two entered the house, and while Gu An listened, he took out a bundle that he had prepared earlier.
Du Ye chatted for a while before finally stopping. He raised his hand to lift the bundle and complained, "Is this all?"
Gu An smiled. "There's plenty of time for that. Cultivation is not something that can be achieved in a year or two. Instead of overstepping my bounds and being expelled from the valley, I'd rather stay put and provide spirit herbs year after year. I won't keep a single one for myself and will offer them all to you."
Upon hearing this, Du Ye's expression softened, and he asked, "Are you serious?"
"Of course," Gu An nodded. "With my talent, what use do I have for spirit herbs? My pursuit is to live a peaceful life."
Du Ye opened his mouth, but in the end, he sighed. His right hand reached for the storage bag at his waist, and he took out a secret manual, which he handed to Gu An.
Gu An took it and saw the words 'Eight Directions Step' written on it.
This surprised him.
Has this guy finally developed a conscience?
Du Ye introduced, "This is the Ji family's footwork technique. Although it's only the basic footwork of the Kirin Step, a supreme technique of the Ji family, if you learn it, your movements will be faster, and you might be able to escape danger in the future. This kind of footwork doesn't depend on spiritual roots or talent. As long as you put in the time, you'll definitely be able to learn it."
Gu An looked at Du Ye with newfound respect and was about to say something when Du Ye picked up the bundle and patted him on the shoulder again, walking past him.
Gu An turned and followed his steps, seeing him out.
In the courtyard, Du Ye turned back and said to him, "After all, you and I grew up together since we were young. Even if we gradually drift apart because of our choices in the future, our bond will always remain. If you ever fall on hard times, you can come find me."
After saying this, he slapped his sword sheath, and with a clang, his sword left its sheath. He leaped into the air and rode his sword away.
What a handsome sword-riding technique!
Gu An lowered his eyes to look at the secret manual in his hand, and the corners of his mouth curved up.
He began to flip through the Eight Directions Step manual and started practicing the steps right there in the courtyard.
A supreme technique of the Ji family?
I wonder if I can deduce that supreme technique of the Ji family by evolving and cultivating it with my lifespan.
After Xiao Chuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan finished clearing all the paths, they hurried over to Gu An's courtyard, curious about the technique he was practicing.
"Senior Brother, what cultivation technique are you practicing?" Ye Lan asked curiously.
Gu An shifted his steps and smiled as he asked, "Do you guys want to learn it?"
"Yes!"
The three answered in unison.
Gu An replied, "Wait until I've mastered it, then I'll teach you."
Bang!
The door of the neighboring house was pushed open, and Meng Lang, with bloodshot eyes and bloody veins visible on his forehead, walked out. He looked terrifying.
Xiao Chuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan were all startled.
Meng Lang charged straight at Ye Lan, who was the closest to him, like a wild beast, his aura fierce and violent.
Ye Lan was so scared that she froze, unable to react in time.
In less than a breath's time, Meng Lang was about to collide with Ye Lan.
Gu An grabbed Ye Lan's shoulder and pulled her back, while at the same time, he stepped on Meng Lang's chest with his right foot.
Boom!
Meng Lang's aura exploded, and his spiritual energy surged around him. His feet dug two long grooves into the ground.
Gu An slowly straightened his right leg, forcing Meng Lang to retreat.
Xiao Chuan and the others stared with wide eyes. Gu An's figure was deeply imprinted in their minds, shocking them.
Is Senior Brother that amazing? Although Gu An always won when they sparred, that was without using spiritual power. Xiao Chuan and Lu Jiujia both believed that they would eventually surpass Senior Brother.
Meng Lang suddenly grabbed Gu An's right foot with both hands, intending to break it with brute force.
Gu An jumped up and forcefully stomped down, causing Meng Lang to fall to his knees with a thud.
Meng Lang's knees sank into the soil, and he trembled all over. He couldn't push away Gu An's foot and looked extremely pathetic.
(End of Chapter)
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