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Meng Lang asked, "What do you mean? You didn\'t defeat that demonic infiltrator?"

Hearing this, Shi Yang’s expression turned sour.

He took a deep breath and said, "Indeed, we were no match for him. My cultivation is at the fifth layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm, and my cousin\'s is at the fourth layer. For a demonic cultivator to defeat us so easily, their cultivation level must be unfathomable. If any of you have any clues, it\'s best to share them early, or you may bring disaster upon yourselves."

Once he revealed their cultivation levels, Meng Lang, Xiao Chuan, and the others all gasped in shock.

Meng Lang, visibly frightened, asked hastily, "If you\'re no match for him, why would you still pursue him? Why not ask the inner disciples for help?"

Shi Yang responded, "We have our own methods."

He was growing increasingly annoyed with Meng Lang. This guy just kept hitting the sore spots with his words.

Seeing the opportunity, Gu An said, "If this person really is a demonic infiltrator, and you two were defeated so easily, it doesn’t quite make sense. From what I can see, your injuries aren’t that severe. Would a demonic cultivator really be so merciful?"

Shi Yang gave him a peculiar look, thought for a moment, then replied, "It’s true that we can’t be sure yet, but since both outer and inner disciples have their own residences, it’s unlikely that anyone from our sect would be breaking through here. Something’s definitely off. You’re sure you haven’t seen anyone?"

Li Xuanyu stared at Gu An, her sharp gaze sweeping over him. Gu An pretended to be nervous and avoided making eye contact with the two outer disciples.

"My disciples truly haven’t encountered any demonic infiltrators," Cheng Xuandan broke the silence, dispelling the tense atmosphere.

Shi Yang wanted to say more, but before he could, Li Xuanyu spoke first, "If that’s the case, we’ll take our leave."

She saluted Cheng Xuandan, then turned to leave.

Shi Yang had no choice but to follow her, though he shot a final glare at Meng Lang before departing.

Xiao Chuan turned to Gu An, about to speak, but Ye Lan quickly stopped him, raising a finger to her lips in a gesture for silence and signaling with her eyes.

Cheng Xuandan didn’t say another word, turning back toward his pavilion.

Once Shi Yang and Li Xuanyu were out of sight, Gu An headed for his courtyard, with the others following close behind. Xiao Chuan hesitated, clearly wanting to say something.

Gu An glanced at him, smiling as he asked, "What, do you think your senior brother’s leg techniques are powerful enough to defeat two Foundation Establishment cultivators?"

Xiao Chuan’s face flushed red, and he scratched his head awkwardly.

Meng Lang snickered and said sarcastically, "Your senior brother is only at the third layer of the Qi Refining Realm, and the Remnant Wind Kick he practices is one of the most basic leg techniques in the outer sect. How could he possibly be the demonic infiltrator those disciples were talking about?"

Lu Jiujia nodded in agreement. He genuinely never suspected Gu An. In his eyes, his senior brother was the kindest and most gentle person he had ever met.

However, Ye Lan seemed a little dissatisfied and retorted, "Even if it’s a basic technique, Senior Brother will definitely master it and make it powerful."

The incident where Gu An had overpowered Meng Lang with one leg hadn’t reached Meng Lang’s ears—Gu An had instructed the younger disciples to keep it quiet, and they hadn’t slipped up.

Meng Lang shook his head and chuckled, then left on his own, heading for the woods to practice some spells.

Ye Lan, watching him leave, angrily clenched her fists, her face puffing up like a little steamed bun.

"Alright, let’s all focus on our cultivation and work hard to join the outer sect soon," Gu An said with a smile, waving his hand to dismiss his junior brothers and sister.

Meanwhile...

High in the mountains, Shi Yang and Li Xuanyu flew side by side on their swords, their speed not too fast as they scanned the land below.

"Cousin, I still feel like there was something off about that Medicine Valley," Shi Yang said, cold glinting in his eyes.

What really annoyed him was the memory of Meng Lang’s obnoxious attitude. The more he thought about it, the more irritated he became.

Li Xuanyu’s expression remained icy as she softly replied, "I think that servant disciple had a point. Maybe the person we fought wasn’t a demonic infiltrator at all, but someone who didn’t want to be recognized. The fact that we’re both still alive is proof enough."

Shi Yang frowned and said, "Is there really someone like that in the outer sect? It felt like he was at least at the ninth layer of the Foundation Establishment Realm, and I didn’t recognize his leg technique. It must be some sort of secret technique, and I suspect he has a powerful background."

"We’ll find out sooner or later," Li Xuanyu said, her gaze drifting toward the distant horizon, her brows furrowing as if deep in thought.

Shi Yang fell silent too. Both of them were considered geniuses within the outer sect, but knowing that the person they had faced might also be an outer disciple left Shi Yang feeling dispirited.

...

Summer gradually arrived, and the heat within the Tai Xuan Sect was intense, distorting the very air. Lu Jiujia, busy tilling the land, was drenched in sweat, white vapor rising from his body.

Gu An, now twenty-one, was in his courtyard refining pills. A small cauldron sat before him, filled with bubbling potion, and he hesitated over whether to toss in the herb in his hand.

Pill refining really was a meticulous art!

Just as Gu An was caught in indecision, Meng Lang hurriedly rushed into the courtyard. He darted into his room, and within ten breaths, emerged with a packed bag.

"Gu An, I’m off to participate in the outer sect entrance exam! When I make a name for myself, I’ll come back and take care of you!"

With that, Meng Lang excitedly dashed off.

Outer sect exam?

Gu An was surprised. Meng Lang was only at the seventh layer of the Qi Refining Realm. How was he eligible to participate?

If you didn’t show exceptional talent during the entrance process, you could only join the outer sect after successfully reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm.

This was the Tai Xuan Sect, the number one sect in the Great Cang Dynasty!

In some third-rate sects, Foundation Establishment cultivators would be revered, but here in the Tai Xuan Sect, they were merely outer disciples.

As Meng Lang disappeared into the distance, Gu An saw Cheng Xuandan descending from his pavilion.

Cheng Xuandan was actually going to escort Meng Lang out of the valley.

Something was off about this. But even if Gu An tried to stop him, Meng Lang wouldn’t listen. Meng Lang had become obsessed with joining the outer sect.

"Why should I care? I’m pursuing the path of immortality. If I meddle in everything, how can I have peace in the future?"

With that thought, Gu An steeled his resolve.

He resumed his pill refining, forcing himself not to dwell on Meng Lang’s situation.

After an entire day of painstaking work, all he had produced was a pile of medicinal dregs.

By nightfall, Gu An slipped away quietly.

He wasn’t leaving the valley because of Meng Lang—this was for his own cultivation. It had been two months since Shi Yang and Li Xuanyu had left, and Gu An was ready to implement his daily plan.

From now on, every night, he would sneak out and invest a year of his lifespan into increasing his cultivation.

This time, his advancement caused some disturbance, but fortunately, it wasn’t as severe as before, and it ended quickly.

The next day, Gu An casually asked Ye Lan how her cultivation had gone the previous night. Ye Lan reported that everything had been smooth—no strange winds or disturbances.

With that, Gu An was completely relieved. His daily plan was feasible!

Days passed.

Half a month had gone by since Cheng Xuandan and Meng Lang left, and there was still no sign of their return. Gu An was convinced that Meng Lang was in trouble.

When Zhang Chunqiu had gone to the outer sect, he had returned within seven days at the most, never staying this long.

Xiao Chuan and the others repeatedly asked when their master would return, but Gu An skillfully diverted their attention and urged them to focus on their cultivation.

Two months later, Cheng Xuandan finally returned.

His hair had turned completely white, and he no longer wore his usual cloth hat. His appearance shocked Xiao Chuan, Lu Jiujia, and Ye Lan, who immediately rushed to his side, with Gu An following suit.

"I’m fine. I just need to rest for a few days," Cheng Xuandan said weakly, gently pushing Lu Jiujia aside before heading back to his pavilion.

Gu An frowned deeply.

He noticed that Cheng Xuandan’s cultivation had regressed to the second layer of the Qi Refining Realm, and his lifespan had shortened drastically—only two years remained.

Gu An had originally suspected that Cheng Xuandan had sinister intentions toward Meng Lang, possibly planning to possess him or turn him into a puppet. But now, it was Cheng Xuandan who looked like he was on the brink of death.

Watching Cheng Xuandan’s frail figure, Gu An fell into deep thought.

Ye Lan, noticing his concern, tried to comfort him, "Senior Brother, don’t worry. Master will be alright."

Gu An smiled and nodded in response.

After chatting with his junior brothers and sister for a while, Gu An quietly left.

"I don’t think Master is alright," Lu Jiujia whispered to Xiao Chuan, his brows furrowed, his gaze sharp.

Xiao Chuan nodded, "Yeah, something’s definitely off."

Lu Jiujia leaned in close and began whispering in Xiao Chuan’s ear.

Meanwhile, Ye Lan kept her eyes fixed on Gu An’s retreating figure.

...

After Cheng Xuandan’s return, he remained confined to his room, recuperating. Gu An could sense that he was practicing to heal himself, but his aura grew weaker by the day.

As winter approached, Cheng Xuandan finally emerged from his room and called out to Gu An from afar. Gu An immediately rushed over.

"Master," Gu An greeted respectfully.

Cheng Xuandan’s hair was now completely white. Even his beard and eyebrows had turned gray, and his face was mottled with age spots. He looked frail and withered.

"Come, I’ll take you to the outer sect," Cheng Xuandan said, stroking his beard with a kind smile.

Gu An couldn’t help but ask, "Why are we going to the outer sect?"

"Don’t you want to become the valley’s next master?" Cheng Xuandan replied with a question of his own.

Hearing this, Gu An’s heart raced, though his expression turned to one of alarm as he asked nervously, "Master, what’s happening to you? Don’t scare me!"

Seeing Gu An so flustered, Cheng Xuandan’s gaze softened even more.

"Come on, I’ll explain on the way," Cheng Xuandan said as he turned to walk out of the valley.

Gu An quickly told Xiao Chuan to look after things in the valley, then hurried to catch up with Cheng Xuandan.

Exiting the valley, Cheng Xuandan headed into the forest. He could no longer fly on his sword, meaning they would have to walk all the way to the outer sect.

Gu An suddenly had the urge to turn back and tell his junior brothers and sister not to harvest the herbs that were about to mature, to wait until he returned to do it himself.

The two of them walked through the forest, with Gu An offering to support Cheng Xuandan, though the elder gently declined.

"The sect only gives the valley master a limited stipend. When you recruit new servant disciples in the future, you’ll need to think it through carefully. And don’t forget, there’s a certain amount of harvest you’ll need to hand in each year..." Cheng Xuandan spoke casually as he led the way.

Gu An appeared to be listening intently, but in truth, he was growing more and more cautious.

After all, Meng Lang’s fate was still unknown.

Cheng Xuandan’s pace was slow, and with the mountainous terrain, it took them half an hour to walk just a few miles.

Gu An was starting to lose patience. How long would it take at this rate to reach the outer sect?

He was almost tempted to carry Cheng Xuandan on his back.

The two crossed a small stream, and suddenly, Cheng Xuandan asked, "Why haven’t you asked about Meng Lang?"

Feigning confusion, Gu An replied, "Didn’t he go to participate in the outer sect exam? Did he not pass?"

"I lied to him. I’ve already turned him into a Gu Poison," Cheng Xuandan said matter-of-factly as he continued walking, as if he wasn’t afraid of Gu An attacking him from behind.

Hearing this, Gu An’s expression didn’t change, but he discreetly scanned the surroundings, confirming that they were alone.