When I Achieved Sainthood, the Immortal Official Actually Called Me to Raise Horses!-Chapter 212: A Strange Aura

After brushing past Nine-Fingered Divine Lord, Gu An quickly left Seeker’s Island.

Although he wasn’t afraid of Nine-Fingered Divine Lord, the fact that the man was 170,000 years old made him reluctant to associate with him.

Gu An had no interest in befriending powerful figures—he simply wanted to avoid trouble.

Upon returning to Taixuan Sect, he would visit the First World Cultivation Tournament every few days, finding it quite entertaining.

Taixuan Sect had crafted various heavy treasures for different cultivation realms. It was said that the materials had been brought back from overseas by Xuantian Yi, with the heaviest being a Grand Ascension-grade treasure—heavier than a mountain.

To accommodate it, Taixuan Sect had even opened a new arena with multiple restrictive formations to prevent the ground from collapsing.

Since the tournament did not involve combat, it lasted much shorter than previous ones.

In less than half a month, Qiao Dai claimed first place and was granted the title of "Great Saint of Tianyue" by Taixuan Sect!

Shortly after, Qiao Dai announced his decision to join Taixuan Sect as an elder, which caught Gu An off guard.

What is Seven Star Spirit Realm up to?

Why would they send a Grand Ascension cultivator to Taixuan Sect for no reason?

Or… was this a strategic infiltration?

Gu An didn’t bother asking Lü Baitian.

Even if Qiao Dai had ulterior motives, Gu An wasn’t concerned.

Killing a Divine Soul Lord only took him one move. The same would apply to Qiao Dai.

As autumn arrived, Ji Hantian brought Qiao Dai to meet Gu An, who happened to be available and received them in his residence.

Qiao Dai sat at the table, looking around the room before asking, "You're Pan An?"

Gu An carried over a cup of tea and replied, "I am. May I ask what brings you here, senior?"

The Ji Family had aligned itself with the Seven Star Spirit Realm, and now Ji Hantian was bringing Qiao Dai to meet him—this made Gu An think deeply.

"Sit, let's talk," Ji Hantian said with a warm smile as he poured tea for everyone.

Gu An sat down, his gaze settling on Qiao Dai, who was scrutinizing him with an intense pressure in his eyes.

"What is your impression of the Holy Land—Seven Star Spirit Realm?" Qiao Dai asked.

Gu An blinked in surprise and replied, "The Seven Star Spirit Realm is hailed as a Holy Land. Naturally, I respect it. Why do you ask?"

Qiao Dai continued, "In your book, 'Journey to the West,' you wrote that the Buddhist master Bodhi Patriarch resided in the 'Oblique Moon Three Stars Cave.' Was this a homage to the Seven Star Spirit Realm?"

Bodhi Patriarch, the master of Sun Wukong, had become a widely discussed figure after Journey to the West gained immense popularity. Some people even believed the Oblique Moon Three Stars Cave and Lingtai Fangcun Mountain truly existed.

Gu An nodded.

Since the Ji Family had pledged loyalty to Seven Star Spirit Realm, and Qiao Dai was from there, Gu An decided to play along with their assumptions.

If these two still suspected him, then he would have to call upon the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path to intervene.

However, Qiao Dai did not seem pleased with his response. Instead, he frowned and said, "Actually, the Seven Star Spirit Realm is not as great as you think."

Gu An raised an eyebrow.

What does he mean?

Did Qiao Dai hold resentment toward Seven Star Spirit Realm?

Ji Hantian followed up, "The previous Demonic Calamity was connected to Seven Star Spirit Realm. We came to speak with you because we fear you might hold the Holy Land in too high regard. There are some things you should know."

Without waiting for a response, Ji Hantian proceeded to reveal the origins of the Demon Ancestor and Sealed Demon, leaving Gu An stunned.

Of course, Gu An already knew everything, but he had to put on an act while pondering their true intentions.

Once Ji Hantian finished speaking, Qiao Dai added, "Seven Star Spirit Realm's actions disgust me. Since the day I embarked on the path of cultivation, I have dreamed of becoming an immortal who saves the people. That's why I initially joined Seven Star Spirit Realm. But my closest friend uncovered their crimes."

"He was from the Lin Family—"

Gu An’s eyes flickered.

The Lin Family!

Their patriarch had once attacked Taixuan Sect and was slain by the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path.

Later, during the siege against the Sealed Demon, the Lin Family suffered massive casualties.

Qiao Dai continued, "While the Lin Family was at its weakest, their enemies within Seven Star Spirit Realm took the opportunity to wipe them out. Before my friend escaped, he left me a letter exposing the heinous crimes committed by the upper echelons of the Six Star Cave. It took me years to accept the truth."

Gu An sighed in mock sympathy.

Of course, the Lin Family’s fate wasn’t unjustified—just a case of villains devouring villains.

He furrowed his brows and said, "I am merely a small Foundation Establishment cultivator. Why tell me all this? I can’t help you, and if you want me to expose the Holy Land as 'Pan An,' that’s impossible. I cannot afford such trouble."

Ji Hantian chuckled, "Relax, we’re not that reckless. Right now, Seven Star Spirit Realm is too powerful. Even if all three dynasties joined forces, we couldn’t shake them. We just hope that in the future, you will stop glorifying them in your books."

Qiao Dai nodded, "Exactly. Your influence is far greater than I initially thought. I used to scoff at it, but after reading Romance of the Gods and Journey to the West, I realized your impact. However, my favorite is Taixuan Immortal Venerable. The story of a great reversal fascinates me the most."

So that’s what this is about...

Gu An chuckled to himself. It was just a coincidence—in truth, he had subtly hinted that Seven Star Spirit Realm was akin to Western Buddhism.

Feigning contemplation, he reluctantly agreed.

Seeing his hesitation, Ji Hantian and Qiao Dai weren’t offended.

It had taken them years to process this truth themselves.

Revealing the dark side of Seven Star Spirit Realm was one thing, but bearing the burden of defying them was another.

After all, Seven Star Spirit Realm was undeniably the strongest force on the continent.

Gu An suddenly asked, "If they truly want to enslave the world, why go through all these convoluted schemes? Even if all three dynasties combined their power, they wouldn’t be able to resist, right?"

Qiao Dai explained, "Not everyone in Seven Star Spirit Realm is evil. On the oceans, it is still regarded as a righteous Holy Land. Our continent is only one of their territories, governed by Six Star Cave and Seven Star Cave. After thousands of years, the higher-ups of Six Star Cave have resorted to extreme methods in pursuit of breaking through fate.

"Karma and faith exist in the unseen forces of the world. If the people of the continent were to collectively hate Seven Star Spirit Realm, the other Star Caves would take notice. And if the people were to be wiped out entirely, it would draw attention from surrounding factions. Even within Seven Star Spirit Realm, the majority of cultivators are unaware of this—they believe themselves to be righteous disciples."

After parting ways, Gu An wandered the Outer Sect City.

As winter set in, snow blanketed the world.

While strolling through the Outer Sect Library, he noticed a lone figure reading 'Journey to the West' beneath an ancient tree.

Curious, Gu An approached. "Brother, why read outside? You could go in and sit comfortably."

The person looked ordinary, their cultivation was only at the Eighth Level of Foundation Establishment, but Gu An felt something off about their aura.

The source of this c𝓸ntent is frёeweɓηovel.coɱ.

Using Lifespan Perception, he checked.

【You Yingying (Foundation Establishment, Eighth Level): 124 / 400 / 5000】

Huh?

A max lifespan of 5,000 years, yet such low cultivation?

And… that’s a woman’s name?

You Yingying looked up at Gu An and hesitated before asking, "Are you… Gu An?"