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Gu An saw that it was a disheveled woman, her hair a tangled mess, and her body frighteningly thin, as if all the flesh had been drained from her. Her tattered clothing revealed a faint image of a white robe, though her sleeves and pants were torn. She staggered out, resembling a vengeful ghost.

Jiang Qiong slowly lifted her face, which was equally emaciated. Her eye sockets were deep, and her bulging eyes were terrifying.

Her gaze fell on Gu An, causing him to hurriedly lower his head.

"Good disciple, thanks to you helping me refine pills these past five years, I’ve recovered much faster..." Jiang Qiong forced a smile, which only made her look more horrifying, as a foul breath escaped from her mouth.

She no longer referred to herself as "this seat" but used "I," signaling that their relationship had become more personal.

Suppressing his discomfort, Gu An said, "It\'s my duty as your disciple, but I do have some questions."

"Ask away."

Jiang Qiong replied as she shakily made her way toward the pill furnace.

Watching her, Gu An asked, "Since refining pills can help you recover faster, why didn’t you let my master help you with it before?"

Cheng Xuandan had believed that Jiang Qiong had been dead for seventy years, which meant she had been hiding here for that long, and he had never discovered she was still alive.

Jiang Qiong gave a creepy, forced smile. "Because I didn’t trust him. Your master was forced to become my disciple, and his heart was always wavering. There’s no telling when he might have betrayed me. Half of the coffins in this cave are filled with the corpses of his former disciples."

Gu An remained silent.

He believed Jiang Qiong’s words. After all, Meng Lang had suffered such a fate.

Jiang Qiong sat down before the pill furnace, waving her hand as various herbs piled nearby flew into the furnace.

"Five years have passed. What level of the Foundation Establishment realm have you reached now?" Jiang Qiong asked.

Gu An’s outward cultivation appeared to be at the fifth layer of the Qi Refining realm, but Jiang Qiong was convinced he had already reached the Foundation Establishment realm.

Gu An answered, "I’m about to reach the third layer."

"That’s slow. Don’t neglect your cultivation. Back in the day, I reached Foundation Establishment at eighteen and formed my core by forty. If I hadn’t spent decades studying pill and formation arts, I would have already reached the Nascent Soul realm. Have you heard of the Nascent Soul realm?" Jiang Qiong asked absentmindedly as she stared at the pill furnace.

Gu An quickly nodded and said, "The Nascent Soul realm is like being an immortal. You rarely see one in the Outer Sect."

"Hmph, immortal? They’re just stronger cultivators. Once I’ve fully recovered, I’ll find a place to break through to the Nascent Soul realm. When that happens, you’ll have a Nascent Soul backer. Excited?" Jiang Qiong’s voice turned proud as she spoke.

Her voice was seductive, a stark contrast to her terrifying appearance.

"Thank you for your care, Grandmaster. Is there anything I can assist you with?" Gu An stepped forward and asked.

Jiang Qiong replied, "Just watch me refine pills, and let’s chat a bit."

She motioned for Gu An to sit beside her.

Gu An sat down but kept a cautious distance, remaining alert.

No matter how kind Jiang Qiong seemed, Gu An wouldn’t let his guard down until she left.

Meng Lang was a grim reminder. He probably hadn’t suspected Cheng Xuandan’s betrayal until his dying moments.

Jiang Qiong inquired about Gu An’s background, and he shared the general outline of his life without mentioning the Ji family. He only said he came from a servant background and was recruited into the Tai Xuan Sect after his spirit root was detected.

They talked for half an hour before Jiang Qiong allowed him to leave, instructing him to return for the next three nights, promising a significant reward after.

Gu An complied.

On the third night.

Gu An sat cross-legged across from the pill furnace, holding the Yin-Yang Art and occasionally asking Jiang Qiong questions.

Irritated by his inquiries, Jiang Qiong finally snapped, "Are you messing with me on purpose? You’re already at the Foundation Establishment realm at such a young age, yet how can your comprehension be this poor?"

Gu An protested, "Refining pills is one thing, but breathing techniques are another."

Jiang Qiong was momentarily speechless, her attention suddenly drawn to the pill furnace.

The steam rising from the furnace grew thicker, and the steam vents on the lid turned an eerie green.

Gu An felt a chill. What kind of pill was she refining?

Why did it feel like poison?

Jiang Qiong’s eyes gleamed with excitement, and she stopped speaking, her gaze locked on the furnace.

Time passed slowly.

Gu An remained on guard, ready to defend himself in case Jiang Qiong attacked.

After an unknown period, a muffled sound came from the furnace, and Jiang Qiong’s face lit up with a ghastly smile.

She raised her right hand, and with two fingers, the lid of the furnace flew off. In one swift motion, she snatched a pill from the furnace and immediately swallowed it.

So fast!

It was as if she feared Gu An would steal it.

After consuming the pill, Jiang Qiong sat cross-legged and began channeling her energy. In less than three breaths, white smoke began to rise from her body.

Gu An stood up and slowly backed away, putting some distance between them.

More and more white smoke swirled around her, shrouding her in a mist, making her look like a zombie emerging from the fog.

Gu An continuously checked her lifespan, ready to act if she suddenly broke through to the Nascent Soul realm.

Jiang Qiong’s current lifespan began to increase, and for the first time, Gu An witnessed someone’s lifespan grow like this. The numbers were staggering.

He couldn’t help but feel curious about what kind of miraculous pill she had taken.

Not only was her lifespan increasing, but her aura was also surging, quickly surpassing that of the Foundation Establishment realm.

A true Core Formation cultivator!

Gu An keenly observed that Jiang Qiong’s body was also restoring itself. Her previously emaciated figure was filling out, as if air was being pumped into a balloon.

Impressive.

He patiently waited.

Gradually, the sound of Jiang Qiong’s breathing grew heavier, eventually resembling the growls of a wild beast.

After a long while.

Her breathing suddenly ceased. Gu An noticed that she hadn’t broken through to the Nascent Soul realm, so he wasn’t too worried.

From within the mist, Jiang Qiong stretched lazily, her now graceful figure emerging, entirely different from before.

She stepped out of the mist, still disheveled and wearing tattered clothing. However, beneath her ragged robes, her pale skin glistened in the dim cave light, causing Gu An’s face to flush with embarrassment as he averted his gaze.

"It’s been a long time since I’ve felt this way," Jiang Qiong said nostalgically. She walked up to Gu An, leaning forward and pushing her hair back. "So, what do you think, good disciple? Is your master beautiful?"

Gu An stole a quick glance. Despite her dirty face, her features were indeed stunning. In his experience, only Ji Xiaoyu from the Ji family and Li Xuan Yu from the Outer Sect could compare to her beauty.

"Grandmaster is undoubtedly a rare beauty, but I’m more concerned about your health. Have your injuries fully healed?" Gu An asked, his tone sincere.

If she was fully recovered, she could leave quickly.

"I’m far from fully recovered. I’ll need another five years to rest," Jiang Qiong said with a smile, her bright eyes studying Gu An, as if contemplating something.

Whoosh!

Suddenly, she thrust her palm at Gu An with lightning speed, stopping just inches from his chest. The force of the wind caused his robes to billow.

Jiang Qiong smirked. "Why didn’t you dodge?"

Gu An stiffly replied, "I didn’t have time to react..."

In truth, that wasn’t the case. To him, Jiang Qiong’s movements had been slow, and he could have easily countered with his Dragon Force, repelling her attack with his own energy.

She didn’t stop out of mercy; she stopped to save herself.

Jiang Qiong burst into laughter, her body shaking with amusement, eventually holding her stomach as she laughed.

Gu An watched her quietly, not interrupting.

After a long while, Jiang Qiong finally composed herself and walked back to the pill furnace. "Don’t worry, I won’t kill my own disciples. Even when Cheng Xuandan betrayed me, I spared his life and used his protection to hide within Tai Xuan Sect. As long as you remain loyal to me, I’ll never wrong you. If anyone dares bully you, I won’t sit idly by."

Hearing this, Gu An couldn’t help but chuckle.

Jiang Qiong turned back to face him at the furnace. "Leave a new set of clothes and return tomorrow night. I’ll teach you some spells."

Gu An promptly retrieved a set of his white robes from his storage bag, gently placing them on the ground. He then cupped his hands in salute and took his leave.

Once he disappeared into the darkness, Jiang Qiong turned to the robes. She reached out, lifting them with her fingers, and brought them close to her face, inhaling deeply before letting out a soft chuckle.

...

At dawn, Gu An was leading the disciples of the Medicine Valley in their morning exercises.

A figure approached the entrance to the valley.

It was Li Ya.

Li Ya was still dressed in black, but compared to five years ago, he radiated an intense, commanding aura, the presence of a strong cultivator.

His arrival immediately drew everyone’s attention.

"It’s Senior Brother Li Ya!" Xiao Chuan exclaimed excitedly.

Gu An quickly walked toward Li Ya, instructing the others to continue their exercises.

He approached Li Ya, just about to speak, but Li Ya beat him to it: "Let’s talk upstairs."

Huh?

Something serious?

Gu An felt a surge of tension. What could be so important that Li Ya came in person?

He immediately led Li Ya to the pavilion, shutting the door behind them once they were inside.

Li Ya walked to the table, waved his hand, and a Ancient Vine Fruit appeared on the table, leaving Gu An stunned.

"Four years ago, the Outer Sect\'s Pill Hall had a Ancient Vine Fruit. I bought it, but I’ve been too busy with missions to bring it to you until now," Li Ya said with a smile.

Gu An looked at him, feeling a bit awkward.

Li Ya noticed and asked, "What’s wrong?"

Realizing he couldn’t hide the truth, Gu An coughed lightly and said, "I was the one who sold that fruit to the Pill Hall."

To avoid suspicion, Gu An had sold it at a low price, earning praise from the Pill Hall elders for his gratitude to the sect.

He never imagined Li Ya would buy it back...

Li Ya sighed. "What a mess... That fruit is a rare treasure that strengthens one’s vitality. How could you sell it? How much did you sell it for?"

"Twenty mid-grade spirit stones..."

"What? I spent ten high-grade spirit stones!" Li Ya’s eyes widened.

A single high-grade spirit stone was worth a hundred mid-grade spirit stones.

Both of them fell into a brief silence.

In truth, Gu An didn’t feel he had lost out. Thanks to the Ancient Vine Fruit, he had developed a good relationship with Zhu Qinglu from the Pill Hall. Over the past four years, Zhu had done him many favors and opened several doors for him. However, standing before Li Ya, Gu An felt a bit embarrassed.

Li Ya sighed softly. "Let’s just consider it a contribution to the sect. Besides the fruit, I’m here for another reason."