When I Achieved Sainthood, the Immortal Official Actually Called Me to Raise Horses!

Chapter 84: Shrouding the Sky, Swallowing the Heavens—The Netherbird!

“Mastering the Emperor’s Extreme Sword Art ensures the position of Crown Prince?”

Gu An picked herbs as he eavesdropped.

The Emperor’s Extreme Sword Art? I’m pretty familiar with that!

He decided he would ask Li Ya about it later. If Li Ya wanted to vie for the throne, Gu An figured he could give him a few pointers.

Wait a minute!

This old schemer isn’t up to any good!

Gu An’s instincts flared with unease. He suspected Li Xuandao had deliberately let him overhear this conversation since the pavilion wasn’t warded against sound.

He recalled something else—Li Xuandao’s ultimate ambition was to become an immortal emperor. To emperors, the greatest threat was often the crown prince. Even in mortal dynasties, aging emperors were wary of their heirs, and crown princes who ascended smoothly were a rare breed.

That’s actually quite likely!

Gu An dismissed these thoughts and focused on picking herbs. Let the father and son fight it out amongst themselves.

Since Li Xuandao was present, Gu An didn’t leave immediately after harvesting the herbs. He only departed early the next morning. When he left, Li Xuandao was still lingering, claiming he would stay longer to watch the unfolding conflict between the righteous and demonic factions.

Returning to Xuan Valley, Gu An gave Wu Xin and the others some instructions:

“The demonic faction is about to launch an attack. Don’t wander around unnecessarily.”

This warning made the disciples, including Wu Xin, quite nervous.

Gu An decided to spend his nights in Xuan Valley from now on. The Third Medicine Valley, guarded by Elder Tian and fifty Core Formation cultivators, was very secure. Xuan Valley, on the other hand, was home to only a group of errand disciples.

Even though Xuan Valley’s contribution to his lifespan income was dwindling, the Eight Views Celestial Realm beneath it was an entirely different matter. Besides, Gu An couldn’t bear to abandon Xuan Valley entirely.

Ten days later, the Nascent Soul cultivator Li Xuandao had arranged for arrived at Xuan Valley.

Standing by the wooden fence, Gu An looked into the distance. A woman in a green robe and conical hat approached, carrying a sword. The cold wind stirred her clothing, giving her an ethereal aura.

[Yang Ni (Ninth-Level Nascent Soul Stage): 214/780/1360]

A two-hundred-year-old Nascent Soul cultivator—quite a talent.

Gu An silently mused as he stepped forward to greet her.

“I’m Gu An, the master of this Medicine Valley. May I ask who you are?” he inquired as he approached, raising a hand.

Before he could react, Yang Ni appeared directly in front of him. Startled, he feigned a step back.

“Let me see your other valley master token,” Yang Ni transmitted her voice, her tone cold yet melodious—a voice that hinted at beauty.

Gu An immediately took out the Horizon Valley token. Yang Ni snatched it, examined it, and returned it to him.

“The Emperor sent me to protect you. From now on, I’ll be an outer sect disciple at your side,” she transmitted again.

Gu An nodded and spoke aloud, “So it was Elder Han who recommended you. I’ve been waiting for you for quite some time.”

With that, he turned and led Yang Ni toward the pavilion.

As Yang Ni followed, the other disciples in the valley cast curious glances her way. Her appearance alone made it hard not to stare.

Once inside, Gu An closed the door and said, “The valley is full of Qi Refining cultivators. You don’t need to worry.”

Yang Ni raised her hand, conjuring a blue restriction with spiritual energy and imprinting it onto the door.

So cautious!

After finishing, Yang Ni walked to the table, placed her sword down, and removed her conical hat. Her long white hair cascaded like a waterfall as she turned to look at Gu An. Though her face appeared youthful, seemingly in her early twenties, her exquisite features were marked by a cold demeanor—an icy beauty that commanded distance.

She studied Gu An and asked, “I heard you’re close to Li Ya?”

“That’s right. Senior Brother Li and I started as errand disciples in this Medicine Valley on the same day,” Gu An replied.

Yang Ni’s lips curved into a smile—a smile so breathtaking it could enchant the onlooker.

Gu An, however, didn’t think much of it. After all, he knew Ji Xuanyu, who was even more beautiful.

“That boy was always stubborn and never got along with his siblings. I didn’t expect him to form a friendship with someone like you,” Yang Ni remarked with admiration.

What a backhanded compliment…

Yang Ni pulled out a green jade bracelet from her storage pouch. “This is a high-grade artifact that can store spiritual energy. Consider it a meeting gift.”

“A spiritual energy storage artifact? How rare!”

Gu An quickly waved his hands. “I can’t accept this, Senior. You’re here to protect me; how can I accept a gift from you?”

“Take it when I tell you to. Li Ya’s mother is my elder sister. Since you’re close to Li Ya, you’re naturally my junior!” Yang Ni said impatiently. She tossed the jade bracelet to him and turned toward the bookshelf.

“Go about your business. Don’t mind me,” she added.

Gu An caught the bracelet and wanted to say, This is my pavilion. It’s not that convenient for you to stay here. However, seeing Yang Ni’s determined demeanor, he had no choice but to let it slide.

Ever since his encounter with Shen Zhen, Gu An had ensured nothing incriminating was left in his pavilion. After a brief moment of hesitation, he left to avoid disturbing Yang Ni.

Yang Ni’s presence didn’t disrupt life in Xuan Valley much. She rarely left her room or interacted with other disciples.

However, when Gu An planned a trip to the Third Medicine Valley, she insisted on accompanying him. Gu An had no choice but to take her along.

When they arrived, Yang Ni was astonished. She began reassessing Gu An.

This errand disciple isn’t so simple after all!

Gu An wasn’t worried about her reporting to Li Xuandao. It was likely Li Xuandao already knew about the Third Medicine Valley—it was almost impossible to keep such a thing secret.

My conscience is clear, Gu An thought.

If Li Xuandao became suspicious because of this, Gu An didn’t care. Compared to Taixuan Sect, Li Xuandao was a far smaller threat in his mind.

Thus, Yang Ni followed Gu An as he inspected the valley, watching him harvest herbs and sow seeds.

A month later, Yang Ni had developed a certain admiration for Gu An.

Gu An was so straightforward and treated the errand disciples kindly. A person like this posed no threat to anyone. She finally understood why Li Ya had taken a liking to Gu An.

And so, the days passed, one after another.

Snow Blankets Every Medicine Valley of Gu An

Snowflakes fell steadily, covering every corner of Gu An’s Medicine Valley.

Li Xuandao had once mentioned that the demonic faction would invade the Taixuan Sect by the end of the year. The thought preoccupied Gu An daily—who knew when the attack would begin?

Xuan Valley.

Gu An and Wu Xin were leading the disciples in clearing the snow, while Yang Ni stood at the wooden fence, arms crossed over her sword, silently watching from a distance.

“Senior Brother, what realm is that outer sect disciple in?” Wu Xin asked in a low voice, his curiosity piqued. Yang Ni’s posture alone exuded a powerful presence.

“What’s it to you? She’s my disciple. Don’t even think about it,” Gu An retorted with feigned annoyance.

Wu Xin chuckled. “Senior Brother, you know me so well. When will you arrange for a Foundation Establishment disciple to assist me? That’d make me look so impressive wherever I go.”

“Even if I did, would you dare accept it?”

Wu Xin fell silent, seemingly recalling something, and awkwardly stopped talking.

Gu An continued shoveling snow, though after a while, he frowned slightly, sensing something. However, he didn’t stop working.

At the same time, Yang Ni seemed to have noticed something as well. She leaped into the air, landing atop the southern peak in one fluid motion. Her sudden movement drew all eyes in the valley toward her.

Snow continued to fall heavily, enveloping the world in a vast white haze. From the valley’s perspective, Yang Ni’s figure on the mountaintop was hazy and indistinct, as if the blizzard might swallow her at any moment.

“What’s she doing?” Wu Xin couldn’t resist asking Gu An.

Gu An looked up. “I don’t know. We’ll ask her when she comes back down.”

A soft, ethereal bird cry echoed through the heavens, piercing even the howling wind. The sudden sound made everyone frown, glancing around in search of its source.

Wu Xin seemed to realize something, his face changing drastically. He shouted urgently, “Everyone, get inside! Quickly!”

As he spoke, he grabbed Gu An and bolted toward the cluster of pavilions.

Gu An shook off his hand and said, “You go first. I need to watch over the Medicine Valley.”

Wu Xin turned back, his voice anxious. “That’s the demonic creature from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion—the Netherbird! It’s not something a Foundation Establishment cultivator can handle!”

“You go inside first. I’m not going to fight it! Don’t forget your role!” Gu An said firmly.

Wu Xin hesitated before gritting his teeth and running back.

Soon, the valley was empty except for Gu An. The other disciples peeked nervously from their windows, their eyes glued to the sky.

Gu An could already feel the aura of the Netherbird.

It was powerful—on par with a Void Transformation cultivator.

A fierce wind howled from the south, rolling waves of snow toward the valley. Gu An’s heart ached as he watched the rare herbs swaying in the storm. But with Yang Ni and the other disciples around, he couldn’t reveal his true cultivation level. He walked to the most valuable herb garden and shielded it with his Foundation Establishment spiritual energy.

At that moment, Yang Ni appeared beside him out of nowhere. She took out a large flag, planted it into the ground, and infused it with spiritual energy through her palm.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The flag fluttered, forming a light barrier that shielded them from the snow and wind.

Yang Ni sighed in relief and turned to Gu An, scolding, “Are you crazy? What do these herbs have to do with you? Can’t you feel the demonic aura?”

Gu An replied calmly, “I felt it, but if I can sense it, then the grandmasters of Taixuan Sect certainly can too…”

Boom!

A terrifying pressure descended abruptly. Gu An looked up, as did Wu Xin and the other disciples, their eyes widening in shock.

The swirling snow clouds were dispersed, revealing a massive, terrifying bird in the sky. Its enormous form blotted out the sun, plunging the valley into darkness that lingered.

Even Gu An was stunned by the Netherbird’s sheer size. From what he could see, its wingspan exceeded a hundred miles—utterly absurd.

On the bird’s back, he sensed the presence of numerous demonic cultivators—at least ten thousand. Its destination was the Taixuan Sect’s outer sect city!

“The Netherbird of the Thousand Autumn Pavilion… a sixth-rank demonic creature. It wields the power to destroy dynasties. This is my first time seeing it,” Yang Ni murmured, gazing at the monstrous creature. Fear flickered in her usually composed eyes.

Gu An didn’t respond, his eyes fixed on the Netherbird, silently praying it wouldn’t target his Xuan Valley.

As the Netherbird passed over the valley, sunlight broke through, illuminating the Medicine Valley. Moments later, snowflakes drifted down like a dense, vast fog.

This sight brought a collective sigh of relief from the disciples.

Gu An could already sense battles between Void Transformation cultivators in the distance.

Void Transformation!

And not just two of them!

The battle was far from their location—likely in another outer sect city.