When I Achieved Sainthood, the Immortal Official Actually Called Me to Raise Horses!-Chapter 267: Stronger Physique

Chapter 267 Stronger Physique

Hearing Ji Xuanyu’s words, Gu An couldn’t help but feel curious.

Why would she have such thoughts?

In her previous life, right before her death, Gu An had indeed stepped in to help her—but that was as the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path.

Could it be that Ji Xuanyu had already seen through his true identity back then?

That was impossible. The Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body could block all divination and karmic calculations. Seeing through his identity would require a cultivation level far beyond his own.

Or was it because of Gu An’s identity?

Gu An suddenly recalled how Ji Xuanyu had spoken up to help him when they were young. Thinking back carefully, it seemed she had only ever saved him. She wasn’t as kind to other servants, or rather, she didn’t usually meddle in such affairs.

Gu An chuckled and said, “Since you trust me so much, I should treat you even better. As long as you stay in Medicine Valley, you can cultivate in peace—no one will harm you.”

Ji Xuanyu nodded, then brought up Journey to the West.

Recently, besides cultivating, she had taken up reading like Gu An. The more she read, the more fascinated she became with Journey to the West.

The two of them chatted for half an hour before Ji Xuanyu finally left.

Autumn Arrives.

Gu An once again arrived at Seeker’s Island.

After experiencing an attack from the Divine Anomaly Wraiths, the island had become noticeably quieter. But overall, it wasn’t in decline.

Seeker’s Island was still powerful. Without Divine Anomaly Wraiths beyond the Scattered Immortal Stage attacking, it was hard to shake its foundation.

Gu An sent a voice transmission to Hu Xiaojian, and before long, Hu Xiaojian appeared before him.

After paying his respects, Hu Xiaojian immediately began talking about the previous attack on Seeker’s Island. When he mentioned the Divine Anomaly Wraiths, his face was full of fear and lingering dread.

“Those creatures… even after being scattered, they reformed in less than five breaths. They were impossible to deal with! Thankfully, the Island Lord used a divine ability to send them all away. They couldn’t break through and eventually had to retreat…”

As Hu Xiaojian spoke, his body trembled uncontrollably.

Gu An reassured him, “It’s over now, don’t worry. Seeker’s Island has stood for countless years—it won’t fall so easily.”

“I just fear a Divine Anomaly Wraith King might descend…” Hu Xiaojian sighed.

“What would bring a Wraith King to Seeker’s Island?”

“True… Wraith Kings don’t seek treasures, they only hunt powerful cultivators to absorb their strength.”

Hu Xiaojian nodded, his mood improving slightly.

He then led Gu An on a shopping trip, all the while discussing the Severed Sea Rift and the growing presence of Divine Anomaly Wraiths.

Gu An listened intently. Divine Anomaly Wraith attacks were increasing across the ocean, forcing even reclusive sects to take action. Many sects Hu Xiaojian had never even heard of before had stepped in, showcasing their incredible strength and broadening his horizons.

Deep Sea Spirit Palace, Mortal Peak, Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect, Purple Pill Palace, Fallen Immortal Gorge, Haoqi Dao Sect, Temple of Eternal Time…

The vastness of this world left Hu Xiaojian deeply awed.

But Gu An wasn’t as impressed. His divine sense had already probed the land—there were over a hundred sects here stronger than the Starsea Sect Alliance. That alone spoke volumes about the strength of this world.

Some sects had even developed the ability to ascend beyond the sky, yet they remained here. Perhaps, beyond the sky, there existed dangers mortals could never imagine.

What intrigued Gu An was the force shrouding the Heavenly Great Realm, preventing anyone below the Celestial Ascension Stage from leaving.

Was it a law of this world? Or the work of an even greater power?

Either way, Gu An had no intention of venturing beyond carelessly.

Since only Celestial Ascension cultivators could leave the Heavenly Great Realm, he needed to surpass that level by at least two major realms before considering exploration. Otherwise, dying out there would be far too humiliating.

His thoughts returned to the present when Hu Xiaojian mentioned medicinal herbs.

Compared to the Divine Anomaly Wraiths, Gu An cared more about extending his own lifespan.

Time passed, tribulations never ceased, but those who could live forever were few and far between.

Eternal life—that was what mattered most to Gu An.

Five Years Passed in the Blink of an Eye.

Gu An’s lifespan had already exceeded 28 million years, drawing close to 30 million.

During those five years, disasters raged across the ocean. Seeker’s Island endured two more attacks, but the continent where Taixuan Sect resided remained peaceful, untouched by the ocean’s calamities.

Deep in the Forest.

Gu An sat atop the Blood Prison Great Saint, watching Yang Jian and Li Lingtian spar.

Li Lingtian, now at the Core Formation Stage, Second Layer, was still being completely suppressed by Yang Jian, who, outwardly, only appeared to be at the Foundation Establishment Stage.

In truth, Yang Jian had already formed his Nascent Soul. Even though he suppressed his cultivation to the Foundation Establishment Stage, his physical strength alone was beyond what Core Formation cultivators could handle.

BANG!

Li Lingtian slammed into a tree trunk, causing the ancient thousand-year-old tree to tremble violently as leaves scattered to the ground.

Ten feet away, Yang Jian withdrew his leg and dusted off his robe. His sharp, overwhelming presence faded instantly.

Sitting on the ground, clutching his chest, Li Lingtian grimaced in pain.

The Blood Prison Great Saint’s voice boomed, “Li Lingtian, is this really all you’ve got? And you dare call yourself ‘Lingtian’?”

Hearing that, Li Lingtian was furious, but with Gu An and Yang Jian present, he could only swallow his anger.

“D*mn it… What kind of monster is this guy…?”

Struggling to his feet, Li Lingtian looked at Yang Jian, his gaze filled with fear.

If this had been a life-or-death battle, he wouldn’t have just died—he would have died in the most miserable way possible.

He could sense the growing bloodthirst in Yang Jian. Even he, who feared nothing, felt uneasy, worried about provoking him.

“Jian’er, you went too hard. Apologize,” Gu An’s voice came.

Yang Jian glanced at Li Lingtian and noticed the severe internal injuries he had inflicted. Feeling guilty, he quickly stepped forward.

“Apologies, I got distracted,” Yang Jian said sincerely.

Seeing his remorse, Li Lingtian didn’t feel any better—instead, he felt even more defeated.

Forcing a smile, he said, “No worries, I lost fair and square.”

A thought crossed his mind—he wanted to leave the Third Medicine Valley.

He had hoped to learn from Yang Jian by staying near him, but now he only felt the gap between them growing wider.

He couldn’t even remember what winning felt like—no, in truth, he had never won.

As an adult, he only sparred with Yang Jian and never bullied weaker disciples.

Gu An called them back to the valley while sweeping his divine sense across the ocean.

Five years had passed, and now, Divine Anomaly Wraiths had started appearing near the continent’s coastline. Their numbers were small, but it was still an ominous sign.

When he had once wiped out a thousand-foot-tall wraith and shattered the tidal waves, he must have drawn the attention of the mysterious presence within the Severed Sea Rift.

Yet, for years, there had been no retaliation. That wasn’t luck.

That mysterious being was plotting something.

Gu An’s desire to break through grew stronger.

At Free Soaring Immortal Stage, Ninth Layer, he wouldn’t fear calamities. Even if he couldn’t win, he could escape.

But he could escape.

What about the people in Medicine Valley?

Would he have to take them all and flee? That would expose his true cultivation.

“D*mn fate… is this blocking me from reaching a hundred million years of life?”

Gu An sighed.

Meanwhile, the Blood Prison Great Saint couldn’t read his thoughts—it was too busy mocking Li Lingtian, who was now red with embarrassment, ready to explode.

As they arrived at the entrance of the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An spotted a familiar figure.

He patted the Blood Prison Great Saint on the back, signaling it to speed up.

But before they could get closer, Li Lingtian bolted ahead like a gust of wind.

“Xuanyu, what brings you here?” Li Lingtian asked with an eager smile.

Ji Xuanyu, now sixteen, stood at the valley entrance. She was tall and slender, dressed in a form-fitting blue outfit with a cinched waist. Her delicate features were framed by her long hair, which was styled into a graceful updo beneath a violet crown. She looked like a celestial maiden from a painting.

Even some passing disciples couldn’t help but steal glances at her.

Compared to her past life, she was even more beautiful now, and her presence no longer carried an icy distance.

However, when Li Lingtian approached, her smile faded, and she took a small step to the side.

That single step stung Li Lingtian more than any physical wound.

As the Blood Prison Great Saint drew near, Ji Xuanyu’s expression brightened once more.

“Brother Valley Lord, are you done with your work?” she asked cheerfully.

Gu An nodded. “You need something?”

“Let’s talk inside.”

With that, Ji Xuanyu turned and headed toward Gu An’s pavilion.

Li Lingtian watched her retreating figure, hesitant to speak.

Gu An rode after her, following on the Blood Prison Great Saint, while Yang Jian quietly left to resume his training. He knew he still wasn’t strong enough—not strong enough to face Tian Wuchang.

Soon, only Li Lingtian remained at the valley entrance.

He looked left, then right, then sighed in frustration.

“They beat me up and just left like that? Seriously?”

Inside the Pavilion.

Gu An and Ji Xuanyu arrived at the second floor.

He sat down, stretched lazily, and asked, “So, what’s up?”

Ji Xuanyu took a seat, grabbed a brush and some paper from the side, and began writing.

Gu An, unfazed, picked up a book and started reading while he waited.

His mind, however, wandered elsewhere.

If he broke through early, should he enhance his physique and cultivation techniques as well?

His Profound Saint Body was already superior to most treasure bodies, having evolved from the Five Elements Treasure Body to the Innate Dao Body, before finally transforming into its current state.

But… could it evolve further?

The path to power was endless.

After a while, Ji Xuanyu finally stopped writing.

She looked up at Gu An and pouted.

“You’re not even curious about what I’m writing?”

Gu An set his book down and chuckled.

“I was waiting for you to finish. Besides, I’m over 150 years older than you—do you really think I’m that easily intrigued?”

Ji Xuanyu slid a stack of ten or so pages toward him.

“I came up with a new cultivation technique last night. Take a look.”

Gu An picked up the pages and began reading through them.

When he finished, he looked up in surprise.

“This is a brilliant technique! You really came up with this?”

The technique was incredibly refined. While it wasn’t nearly as advanced as his own cultivation methods, in the Taixuan Sect, it would be considered a highly valuable technique—far beyond what ordinary Inner Sect disciples could afford to purchase.

Ji Xuanyu nodded. “More or less. This technique can cleanse the meridians and refine the body. You always complain about talent limitations—why not give it a try? It won’t interfere with your energy absorption techniques, so it’s completely safe to practice.”

Gu An raised an eyebrow. “Can I teach it to others?”

Ji Xuanyu hesitated, frowning slightly.

Seeing her reaction, Gu An grinned.

“Forget it, then. Thanks anyway.”