Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses
Chapter 82: The Struggle Between Righteousness and Evil, Protecting Medicine Valley

82  Chapter 82: The Struggle Between Righteousness and Evil, Protecting Medicine Valley

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[Lv Baitian (Core Formation Realm 3rd Tier): 754/1050/3200]

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Core Formation Realm 3rd Tier?

Gu An inwardly exclaimed in alarm upon seeing how greatly Elder Tian's cultivation level had soared.

He would have to keep a closer eye on Elder Tian in the future so that the man didn't surpass him without his knowledge.

Gu An came to realize that the higher the realm, the more people there were who practiced Qi Concealment Sorcery, and it became very difficult to gauge an opponent's cultivation level just by using the senses.

In other words, the world of immortal cultivation was all about who could hide their strength better!

Fortunately, he had hidden his strength deeply enough, and he still had the confidence to continue doing so.

Elder Tian seemed to sense Gu An's gaze, opened his eyes, looked at him, and then nodded slightly before returning to his room.

The Demon Dao was imminent, yet he was not the least bit flustered; he would do what needed to be done.

The Supreme Sect was no soft persimmon, especially with Elder Tian secretly exerting himself as a hidden sect leader. What Gu An needed to do was to protect his Medicine Valley.

...

Late summer, and the weather was cool.

Gu An walked within the Outer Sect City and noticed a significant increase in the number of Law Enforcement Hall disciples there, while many Cultivators in the Divinity Transformation Realm had their presence on the city walls.

The entire city was infused with a tense and somber atmosphere.

The Demon Dao was truly coming!

As was his habit, he first visited the Heaven-Repairing Platform.

The Yellow Springs Demon Emperor and the Ghost Mother of Ephemera were still there, sitting alone like ascetics, free from other disguised demons around them.

Gu An always had the feeling that the Yellow Springs Demon Emperor might be connected to the Demon Dao, but he did not wish to pass this information up the chain, lest he get caught in a maelstrom himself.

His goal was longevity, and who knew if the Supreme Sect would still exist in ten thousand years?

He was never a man of great righteousness intent on bearing the world on his shoulders, just an ordinary person.

After making a round, Gu An saw no unfamiliar strong figures, suggesting the Supreme Sect had tight control over foreigners recently; allowing exit but not entry.

Then, Gu An went to visit Jiang Qiong.

Jiang Qiong was not at her residence, and her servant asked him to wait in the hall.

Standing in the great hall, Gu An observed his surroundings; he could sense that there were intricate restrictions hidden throughout, undetectable by the naked eye.

He often read the Ziwei Array Record Jiang Qiong had given him, and his understanding of formations had grown considerably deep, so now he could discern the intricacies.

As he observed, Gu An suddenly felt something and had a strange expression.

There was a vast space beneath this residence, similar to the Eight Scenic Cave Heaven underneath Profound Valley!

An hour later, Jiang Qiong finally returned.

She entered the hall and with a wave of her right hand, the door slammed shut.

Gu An stood up and looked at her as she sat down at the head seat and said, "No need for formalities, take a seat as well."

Her face was grim, clearly having encountered something displeasing.

Gu An took out a storage pouch from his waist and placed it on the table beside her, saying, "These are the first batch of matured medicinal herbs; please count them."

Jiang Qiong's herbs were all of high tier, hence only now had the first batch matured.

Jiang Qiong did not reach for the storage pouch, but instead asked, "You must have other matters as well, otherwise you could have just had Hu Mo count them."

Gu An nodded, saying, "I received news that the Demon Dao plans to besiege the Supreme Sect, is it true?"

These affairs were best known to the Demon Dao.

Jiang Qiong nodded, replying, "Yes, in no more than half a year, the great battle between righteousness and demons under the Tai Cang Imperial Dynasty will erupt. The cause is the Supreme Sect's growing strength over the years, making the Demon Dao uncomfortable. Also, with the aid of the Demon Race, by combining forces, there's indeed a chance to defeat the Supreme Sect."

Hearing this, Jiang Qiong glanced at him, snorted lightly, and said, "Do you really think the Demon Race is all of one mind? The demons outside of the Nine Imperial Dynasties are not purely of the Demon Race; if they invade, the Demon Race will also face slaughter. And as for the Human Race, when have they ever truly united? Moreover, it is precisely in such times that competition arises."

"The resources of the immortal cultivation world in the Nine Imperial Dynasties are limited. The stronger the Supreme Sect is, the more it squeezes the cultivation resources of other sects. Since ancient times, the so-called battles between righteousness and demons have actually all been about resource contention; only one needs a just cause. This time, the Demon Dao's excuse to wage war is the Supreme Sect's wicked acts. Soon you'll hear about it, and when the Supreme Sect starts wavering, the Demon Dao will launch an assault. If they succeed, the shapes of righteousness and demons will switch. If they fail, the Supreme Sect will not have the strength left to eradicate the Demon Dao."

Upon hearing these words, Gu An fell silent.

He was the one who could relate to this the most; each time he had a breakthrough, he absorbed massive amounts of spiritual energy, affecting the Supreme Sect.

If all the spiritual energy and spirit stones of the entire Imperial Dynasty were concentrated within one sect, those in power within the sect would have greater hopes for advancement, hence even if only a hundred years remained before the demon calamity, they would still compete.

Or to put it another way, the Great Cultivators cared not about the world but about their cultivation levels. As long as they were powerful enough, they could even head south to the sea, seeking their own Immortal Fate.

After a moment of thought, Gu An asked, "Ancestor, which side do you stand on?"

Jiang Qiong laughed, "I stand on the side of the victor. Don't worry, I can ensure that this Outer Sect City remains unharmed, and due to the many Great Cultivators here, the Demon Dao won't attack this front."

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"Thank you, Ancestor!"

Gu An said, smiling cheerfully, but his mind was full of complaints.

A fifty-year-old at the ninth tier of the Integration Realm, have you ever heard of such a thing?

It would scare you to death!

Next, Gu An asked about the highest cultivation level of the strongest Demon Dao cultivator, but Jiang Qiong didn't know. She frankly said that if Lv Baitian were present, the Demon Dao would not dare to invade, but now that the Sect Leader was Chu Tianqi, it would be difficult to determine the outcome of the battle between the strongest of the Righteous and Demon paths.

That statement made Gu An silently mourn for the Demon Dao.

Lv Baitian isn't even dead!

"By the way, Ancestor, have you ever heard of the Yellow Springs Demon Emperor?" Gu An suddenly asked.

After thinking for a moment, Jiang Qiong shook her head and said, "I haven't heard of it, what about it?"

"Oh, it's nothing, I just read about it in a book, and it's said to be very powerful. Since you don't know, let's drop it. I should take my leave now."

Gu An replied, then stood up to bow and turned to leave.

Jiang Qiong watched his departing figure, deep in thought.

...

Since talking with Jiang Qiong, Gu An's worry about the great war between Righteous and Demon paths had significantly subsided, and his days continued to be uneventful.

Three months later.

08:43

In the Late Autumn, the Third Medicine Valley still had many dry, yellow fallen leaves piled up.

At dawn, Gu An was leading his disciples in exercises, and Elder Tian was participating too. Only Gu An noticed that Elder Tian's body was even more robust than before.

The old guy had reached the ninth tier of the Core Formation Realm.

I have no idea how he cultivates, Gu An thought. When he was present, there were never any fluctuations in spiritual energy.

After finishing the exercises, Gu An dismissed the disciples and then walked towards the loft. Sixteen Ancient Gold-Swallowing Insects circled him, making it seem as if there were stars shining around him.

As he reached the foot of the building, he stopped.

He saw two figures speeding across the sky, heading his way—it was Vice Sect Leader Ji Hantian and Elder Gu Zong.

Elder Tian, who was inspecting the medicinal herbs in the garden, turned his head to look, but after a glance, he returned his attention to the herbs.

After landing, Gu Zong and Ji Hantian called for Gu An to go upstairs to talk.

Once inside the house, Gu Zong, as always, set up a restriction.

Bang!

Ji Hantian abruptly slapped the table, making Gu An's heart race.

Damn it!

Do you have to smack the table every time?

Gu An really wanted to cast the Great Yin-Yang Transformation, turn into a Demon Cultivator, and give Ji Hantian a good thrashing.

The furniture in this room was made of fine wood, and he would feel bad if it were damaged.

"Chu Tianqi has gone too far. I didn't expect the entire Chu Family to be so rotten. Pan An, you must write a book about this matter and reveal it to the world. As a supreme righteous sect, the Supreme Sect must be held accountable by the people!" Ji Hantian fumed.

Gu An looked at Gu Zong; his words were always more agreeable to hear.

Ji Hantian sighed, "I do want to be the Sect Leader. I believe if I were Sect Leader, I could make the Supreme Sect better. Just look at the 'good deeds' Chu Tianqi has done. He has subordinates crafting Demons of Greed and Wrath, and some even planning to sacrifice an Outer Sect. I had thought he was the Supporting Dao Sword Venerable and trusted him, but he is not. Now with the Demon Dao coming on strong, the unfavorable talk about Chu Tianqi is already spreading wildly within the sect, causing unrest—The Supreme Sect is in danger!"

Crafting Demons of Greed and Wrath?

Gu An was surprised; he had previously thought, based on what Chu Jingfeng said, that Chu Family's rivals were behind it.

It seems there's more to it.

Is it an internal struggle within the family, or is it self-directed?

"Chu Tianqi indeed disappoints. Initially, when he severely punished Chu Xian's descendants, I thought he was being righteously ruthless, but now it seems it was just self-preservation. However, it will be difficult to make a move on Chu Tianqi; many in the Elder Hall are his supporters, and he has very good relations with the Daoist Heaven Sect," Gu Zong said, shaking his head.

At this point, Gu An was confused.

What game were these two playing?

What's the point of telling him, an Outer Disciple, all this?

They're probably acting, trying to incite his emotions, make him outraged, and willingly expose the Supreme Sect's darkness.

The two continued criticizing Chu Tianqi, listing all his sins. As Gu An listened, he couldn't help feeling angry.

If Chu Tianqi really did those things, he would indeed be unforgivable.

But Gu An remained rational and unmoved.

Gu Zong looked at Gu An and said, "The Supreme Sect may encounter calamities soon, and your Third Medicine Valley's herbs are far too numerous; we must have someone guard them. We are prepared to dispatch fifty Core Formation Realm cultivators to protect the Third Medicine Valley, what do you think?"

Ji Hantian added, "The Gu Family and Ji Family will each contribute twenty-five people. Oh, and Xiao Yu will be there too. It's a chance to both help you guard the Medicine Valley and stay away from the grand battle."

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