Saint Who Lay Low

That title... it's really not the best choice.

Gu An suddenly hesitated to open the book in his hand. Could Black Hero Adventures have been written by Shen Zhen? If so, it would shatter the image he had of the author.

But then again, that didn't seem right. Shen Zhen was from Dao Tian Sect in the Da Yu Dynasty, so how could she have published a book within Tai Xuan Sect?

After sorting out his thoughts, Gu An calmed down and began to read Black Hero Adventures.

Shen Zhen lowered her head, her long hair covering her face, though the tips of her ears, peeking out from beneath her hair, were slightly red.

After reading the first page, Gu An felt relieved.

She wasn't the author of The Adventures of Green Hero. The style of writing was clearly different, though it was obvious that she had been trying to imitate it.

Patiently, Gu An continued reading.

Like The Adventures of Green Hero, Black Hero Adventures began each story by describing local landscapes, followed by the interactions between people. However, Shen Zhen's descriptions of the scenery fell short of the original's vividness, making it less visually immersive—at least in Gu An's eyes.

The room fell into silence.

After some time, Shen Zhen stood up and walked over to the bookshelf.

It was a good half-hour before Gu An finally closed the book. Shen Zhen, still holding a book in her hands, turned around and asked, "How was it?"

Gu An asked, "Do you like The Adventures of Green Hero?"

Standing in front of the bookshelf, Shen Zhen nodded slightly. "Aside from cultivation techniques, The Adventures of Green Hero was the first book I ever read. But my favorite is still Tai Xuan Immortal Lord."

Ah, very cliché... but also very relatable.

Gu An smiled. "I also love The Adventures of Green Hero. It's because of that book that I couldn't resist picking up the pen myself."

Shen Zhen's eyes lit up, and she immediately walked over, clearly more excited than before, her eyes sparkling. She eagerly began discussing The Adventures of Green Hero with Gu An.

Although Black Hero Adventures had some romantic elements, it was nowhere near as explicit as The Adventures of Green Hero, remaining well within the boundaries of a proper book.

Their shared interest in The Adventures of Green Hero quickly brought them closer.

They discussed the differences between The Adventures of Green Hero, Investiture of the Gods, and Tai Xuan Immortal Lord, exchanging thoughts for a long time.

Finally, Gu An couldn't help but ask, "Have you ever met the author of The Adventures of Green Hero?"

Shen Zhen shook her head slightly. "I love his book, but I feel like he might not be very serious as a person, so I don't want to meet him. But you, on the other hand, are different. The distinct styles between Investiture of the Gods and Tai Xuan Immortal Lord make me very curious about you."

Gu An felt a slight twinge of disappointment.

Who exactly was the author of The Adventures of Green Hero? That was one of the greatest mysteries he had encountered at Tai Xuan Sect.

"After finishing Tai Xuan Immortal Lord, will you continue writing stories like Investiture of the Gods that revolve around conflicts of Daoist traditions?" Shen Zhen asked, looking directly at him.

Gu An answered ambiguously, "Probably. What about you, Miss Shen? Will you stay at Tai Xuan Sect for a while?"

Shen Zhen smiled. "Is Tai Xuan Sect putting pressure on you? Actually, all we need is a symbolic gesture. Dao Tian Sect also wants to ally with Tai Xuan Sect to deter the other sects in the Da Yu Dynasty and to face the coming Great Demon Catastrophe together."

Gu An raised an eyebrow. "What is the Great Demon Catastrophe?"

"There are nine dynasties on this continent, including Tai Cang and Da Yu. Together, they have driven powerful demons out of their lands. The regions beyond the dynasties are now teeming with demons and monsters. Recently, these creatures have grown strong enough to threaten the nine dynasties. Despite the efforts of various cultivation sects that frequently send disciples to exterminate the demons, the vastness of the wilderness allows some of the more talented demons to thrive. In less than a hundred years, the nine dynasties will face a Great Demon Catastrophe—an event that hasn't occurred in thousands of years. When it comes, at least one dynasty will likely fall," Shen Zhen explained, her eyes heavy with worry.

Hearing this, Gu An felt an overwhelming pressure settle upon him.

In his mind, he could already picture the horrors: mountains shattered, rivers running dry, Tai Xuan Sect on the front lines struggling to hold back the tide, and even conscripting outer disciples to the battlefield.

No way! Gu An thought.

Within a hundred years, he had to accumulate a million years of lifespan, unlock the next system feature, and dramatically boost his cultivation!

Gu An silently resolved, then asked, "If that's the case, why aren't you focusing on cultivation? Why are you spending time writing books?"

Shen Zhen's talent wasn't as extraordinary as that of Ji Xiaoya, Zhou Tongyu, or even Li Ya, but with the backing of Dao Tian Sect, she could certainly improve her cultivation if she chose to.

Shen Zhen chuckled softly. "People have different fates. Cultivation isn't mine. I prefer reading and writing books. Who knows? Maybe one day I'll find enlightenment in a story. Who says one has to absorb spiritual energy to achieve enlightenment? I've read through countless books, and from what I can see, there haven't been any cultivators who live forever by simply absorbing spiritual energy."

Gu An couldn't help but look at her in a new light. She had some interesting ideas.

After chatting a bit longer, Shen Zhen prepared to leave, and Gu An rose to see her off.

At the foot of the tower, she summoned a flying sword, stepped onto it, and left him with a parting message as she flew away: "Young Master Gu, I'll set up my residence nearby. Let's exchange ideas more often."

Watching her leave, Gu An smiled.

What made him happy wasn't that Shen Zhen would be living nearby, but the fact that the deal for the seventh-grade spirit tree had gone through.

...

Tai Xuan Sect wasted no time. Just three days after Shen Zhen's departure, the seventh-grade spirit tree sapling arrived, personally delivered by Gu Zong.

Once Gu Zong left, Gu An carried the sapling to the center of the herb fields.

Although it was called a sapling, the tree was already about three meters tall. Gu An planted it in the grassy area connecting the four fields, with Old Tian and Ye Yan watching from behind.

After planting the tree, Gu An gazed at it, his face beaming with joy.

[Mysterious Clear Tree (Seventh Grade): 48/8999/65000]

It had a lifespan of 65,000 years—something no mere mortal could ever hope to match!

Old Tian chuckled. "The Mysterious Clear Tree is extraordinary. Although it doesn't bear fruit, cultivating under it helps calm the mind and sharpen one's focus."

Gu An's grin grew even wider. "Old Tian, you'll have to keep a close eye on this tree. Make sure nothing happens to it."

"Don't worry. Now that it's rooted, it has more life in it than these old bones of mine," Old Tian joked.

Hearing this, Gu An couldn't help but laugh.

Afterward, Gu An left Old Tian and Ye Yan to chat by the tree and made his way to the edge of the herb valley near the mountain wall. There, in a patch of grass, a different tree had been planted, though it had yet to show any signs of growth.

It was the root of the sixth-grade Human-Face Tree that Ye Lan had gifted him.

The root had been buried for years, but it was still in a dormant state, with its age displayed as zero.

Gu An had once tried using his wood-element spiritual energy to nourish it, but it had absorbed his energy like a bottomless pit, showing no sign of change.

He crouched before the Human-Face Tree's root, which was barely visible above the soil.

As he observed it, Gu An suddenly noticed a faint flow of spiritual energy moving toward the Human-Face Tree from the Mysterious Clear Tree in the distance.

Could the Mysterious Clear Tree be helping the Human-Face Tree revive?

Gu An's heart swelled with excitement, but he also felt a tinge of worry. He feared the Human-Face Tree might drain the Mysterious Clear Tree dry—after all, it came from Thousand Autumn Pavilion, and its name alone sounded sinister.

If the Human-Face Tree turned out to be a malevolent force, Gu An wouldn't hesitate to uproot it. There was no way he'd let it destroy the Third Medicine Valley.

Someone would need to keep a close watch on it.

Ye Yan had reached the eighth level of Qi Refining, and his cultivation had advanced largely thanks to pills. While his daily spear training helped him absorb some spiritual energy, it didn't contribute much to his overall progress.

Once Ye Yan left, it would be time to bring in some new people.

...

Late summer had just passed when a forty-three-year-old Gu An visited the outer sect's city. After submitting his latest manuscript, he wandered around the streets.

He quickly noticed that the city wasn't as lively as it had once been. Though the streets were still bustling with disciples, most of them had solemn expressions and spoke in hushed tones.

Looking up, Gu An saw four disciples from the Demon-Suppressing Hall descend from the sky and land in front of a nearby building. They surrounded a disciple who had just stepped outside and began interrogating him.

The disciple was visibly annoyed, and a heated argument ensued. However, when one of the Demon-Suppressing Hall disciples flashed his badge, the disciple relented, allowing himself to be taken away without further resistance.

Still catching demonic spies after all this time?

Gu An frowned. He was perplexed but had no intention of getting involved, as long as they didn't come after him.

He made his way to the Beast Hall, intent on bringing some spirit beasts back to the Third Medicine Valley. That way, Old Tian wouldn't feel too lonely.

Old Tian's diligent work had earned Gu An's trust, and Gu An now regarded him as a proper servant disciple.

Half an hour later, Gu An emerged from the Beast Hall with three new pouches strapped to his waist. These were spirit beast pouches, each capable of holding one beast.

Just as he exited, he ran into Lu Jiujia.

This time, Lu Jiujia was alone, heading toward the Beast Hall with a grim expression. But upon seeing Gu An, his face lit up with a smile, and he quickly approached.

"Senior Brother, you came to buy spirit beasts?" Lu Jiujia asked warmly, though his face was paler than usual, and there was a sinister aura between his brows, giving off an eerie, foreboding air.

Gu An nodded and asked with concern, "You don't look so well. Are you alright?"

"What could be wrong? I've just been overexerting myself in training," Lu Jiujia said with a shake of his head.

But Gu An noticed faint traces of demonic energy within him, hidden so deeply that it would be easy to miss.

Has he turned to demonic cultivation?

Since Lu Jiujia clearly didn't want to discuss it, Gu An refrained from prying.

After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Lu Jiujia offered a parting piece of advice: "Senior Brother, it's best to avoid going out at night these days. There's been a powerful demonic cultivator lurking in the outer sect recently."

With that, he turned and left.

Gu An watched his retreating figure but thought little of it as he made his way back to the Third Medicine Valley.

Upon arriving, he released the three spirit dogs he had purchased, all of which had second-grade beast bloodlines and hadn't come cheap.

"I'll be staying in Xuan Valley for the next little while. Look after them for me," Gu An instructed Old Tian.

Old Tian nodded, and Gu An turned toward the teleportation array.

Perhaps it was just his imagination, but as Gu An stood on the array, he noticed a hint of concern in Old Tian's gaze as he looked at him.

Before he could dwell on it, the array activated, and Gu An arrived at Xuan Valley.

No sooner had he arrived than he sensed a familiar presence.

Li Ya!

Stepping down from the array, Gu An looked into the distance, where he saw Li Ya instructing the disciples in swordsmanship. Even Xiao Chuan was among them, diligently practicing.

After giving his students a few words of guidance, Li Ya turned and made his way toward Gu An.

When they met, Gu An asked curiously, "What brings you here?"

Core Formation, Stage 1!

At forty-five years old, Li Ya had reached Core Formation, only five years slower than Jiang Qiong!

Li Ya chuckled. "I'm here to protect you. I've heard that a Demon Lord from Tianjue Sect has infiltrated the outer sect, and I couldn't let you stay here unguarded. I'll stay until the situation is resolved, then head to the inner sect."