Chapter 148: Chapter 148 Exploding Life Span

Within a month, thanks to the Ephemera, Gu An reaped 1.07 million years of life span. Most of this was harvested in the first half of the month. As time went on, it became increasingly difficult to seize life spans. More Ephemera withered directly after he picked them, which intrigued him.

It was as if some force was drawing away the vitality of these Ephemera prematurely.

Although he did not know the reason, Gu An felt satisfied.

Thanks to the Ephemera Sect, he saved twenty years of effort, extending his life to 4.39 million years.

After the fall of the Ephemera Sect, the lands of the Nine Dynasties erupted in celebration. Various versions of the story spread among the people. The Ephemera Sect became known as the most terrifying sect in the world, while the Mountain God became a revered faith among the folk.

On this day,

In a forest in the North Sea Mountain range,

Sage Xuan Miao knelt on the ground, his expression devout.

Suddenly, he heard a voice and showed a look of joy, then walked in another direction.

After two hours, Sage Xuan Miao stopped. He stood on a hillside, gazing out at the sparkling North Sea.

“Build a temple for me here, and open up a medicine field to plant herbs for me,” Gu An’s voice sounded in Sage Xuan Miao’s ear.

Sage Xuan Miao immediately agreed. He was very excited about the life of serving to come.

Just like that, a day and a night passed.

At dawn,

Gu An appeared as a little figure dressed in white on Sage Xuan Miao’s shoulder.

Sage Xuan Miao was meditating on the steps in front of the temple, eyes closed in cultivation.

Gu An surveyed the temple that Sage Xuan Miao had built. It was decent, not magnificent but not shabby either.

The courtyard walls were made of stone, as was the temple, with redwood beams and pillars, and red tiles lining the eaves. Nestled in the forest halfway up the mountain, it appeared faintly visible. A great cauldron in the courtyard burned incense, with wisps of smoke curling upwards, giving it the feel of an immortal’s abode.

Overall, Sage Xuan Miao had put in a lot of effort, successfully pleasing him.

Gu An said, “The inscription on the plaque is not good. ‘Mountain God Temple’ is too generic. There may be other mountain gods besides me in this world.”

Sage Xuan Miao’s eyes snapped open, and he instinctively turned to look, seeing the Mountain God standing on his shoulder. His body instantly stiffened, not daring to move.

He cautiously asked, “May I ask for your deity’s name…”

“I haven’t decided yet.”

Gu An jumped off Sage Xuan Miao’s shoulder and walked into the courtyard.

Sage Xuan Miao quickly stood up to follow, curiously asking, “What do you mean by not decided? Don’t you have a divine group behind you, like the Heavenly Court in ‘Investiture of the Gods’?”

“‘Investiture of the Gods’—what is that?”

Sage Xuan Miao briefly explained the ‘Investiture of the Gods,’ speaking of it with reverence.

After listening, Gu An snorted disdainfully, “Mere mortals dare to speculate about deities? I do not know if there is a Heavenly Court in the world, but I have never seen other deities since my birth.”

“Then how are you…”

“You want to ask why I dare to call myself a mountain god?”

“Dare not, dare not. I don’t mean that…”

“Deities are not just about status; it is also a certain realm. Cultivate well, and perhaps one day you, too, can achieve it.”

Gu An’s words made Sage Xuan Miao’s heart burn with excitement.

He also wanted to be as powerful as the Mountain God!

Seeing that the Mountain God was in a good mood, he began to inquire about the medicine field.

“Plant whatever you wish, and I will come to harvest and send these herbs to rebirth,” Gu An answered casually, making Sage Xuan Miao revere him all the more.

He had never heard that plants also needed to be reborn.

The Mountain God’s broad-mindedness was indeed beyond his imagination.

After instructing Sage Xuan Miao on a few things, Gu An disappeared into thin air. He said he was going to sleep in the ground and to not disturb him unless necessary.

Sleeping in the ground?

Sage Xuan Miao gained a new understanding.

…

Two months after the fall of the Ephemera Sect, Great Cultivators of the Supreme Sect returned with their disciples one after another. Their return also brought back many inside stories, once again spreading the legend of the Mountain God in the Supreme Sect.

Lu Lingjun also returned.

She was listed in the Hall of Elders by Lv Baitian, her status soaring. Lv Baitian originally wanted to transfer her out of the Third Medicine Valley, but this time she refused.

“From now on, I will cultivate in the Third Medicine Valley, continuing to protect you. However, don’t expect me to be at your beck and call. If you can offer some herbs during normal times, I can do some things for you,”

Lu Lingjun said leisurely, sitting opposite Gu An in the pavilion.

Such an attitude…

Really pretending!

Gu An laughed, saying, “It’s not impossible to give you herbs. Actually, you can buy seeds, and I’ll help you plant them. The yield will be all yours. It’s a simple matter for me. With you guarding the Third Medicine Valley, I can be at ease.”

Lu Lingjun, hearing this, thought it was reasonable and said, “Indeed. In a couple of days, I’ll go to the main city of the sect. The seeds and ranks there are higher.”

Then, she began to recount the fierce battle in the Wanji Forest she experienced firsthand.

She held great respect for the Mountain God. As an Ascender, deities had greater significance in her heart.

Listening to her reverence for the Mountain God, Gu An secretly felt pleased.

Gu An didn’t let his emotions show, occasionally expressing amazement.

Once she finished speaking, Gu An lamented, “The realm of the Mountain God is truly unimaginable. I wonder if mortals can reach such a realm in their lifetime.”

Lu Lingjun seriously said, “Perhaps it is very difficult, but since we have embarked on the path of immortal cultivation, we must strive for this goal, even if we die without regret.”

Gu An noticed that her life span had reached its limit, which is 3,700 years. She still had nearly 1,700 years left. He wondered if she could defy the heavens and reach the Nirvana Realm in the remaining years.

For now, he had no intention of teaching her the Primordial Reincarnation Skill. His relationship with Lu Lingjun hadn’t reached that level yet.

He would observe her next actions first.

If she pleased him, he might give her a hand.

If she treated him poorly, she could forget about it.

An hour later, Lu Lingjun stood up to leave. Before departing, she reminded him, “Don’t pay attention to those worthless books. If you have time, write another ‘Investiture of the Gods.’ I want to see what happened to those people after they became deities.”

Worthless books?

You don’t understand at all!

Gu An glared at Lu Lingjun’s back. After she closed the door, he took out the Supreme Secret Records.

This was the last volume of the Supreme Secret Records. After reading it, he planned to burn it.

He opened the first page and began to savor it.

Hmm?

Shen Zhen’s writing style had changed. The final volume had a melancholic tone, unlike the previous boldness.

Nice, I like it.

As a melancholic person himself, Gu An decided not to burn the Supreme Secret Records.

Watching the male protagonist and his soulmate expressing their feelings during a farewell, releasing years of emotional conflict,

Next came the illustrations Gu An usually despised.

He decided to take a careful look to see if Shen Zhen’s drawing skills had any flaws.

…

As the new year arrived, Gu An participated in the Spring Festival celebrations in the Third Medicine Valley and the Mystic Valley. Late at night, he arrived at Nianchu Cave in the Heavenly Phoenix Mountain.

He brought fine wine and delicacies to Tian Yao’er, intending to celebrate the festival together.

Apart from tending to the herbs, Tian Yao’er spent her time cultivating. Life was quite dull, so every time Gu An visited, he would bring her various delicacies.

This was Tian Yao’er’s first time drinking wine.

She held the jar and was choked by the first sip.

This was Spiritual Wine; even Core Formation cultivators would get drunk if they drank too much.

Although intoxicated, this wine could boost cultivation, making it an excellent aid for cultivation.

Tian Yao’er’s delicate face turned visibly red, and Gu An reminded her, “If you can’t handle it, don’t rush. Save it for later. You’ll get used to it after a few drinks.”

A demon getting flushed from drinking wine?

This was unexpected for Gu An.

Tian Yao’er shook her head and said, “I can drink. Why wouldn’t I be able to drink?”

She saw Gu An finish a bowl of Spiritual Wine and naturally didn’t want to admit defeat.

Moreover, despite the heat it induced, she found the sensation quite pleasant and wanted to drink more.

Gu An was about to speak when he suddenly sensed something. He stood up, saying, “You eat some meat first. I’ll be back.”

As his words fell, he disappeared from where he stood.

Tian Yao’er picked up the wine jar again, licked her lips, and took another sip. This time, she forced herself to endure the nasal sting and continued drinking.

…

Under the dark night, amidst the continuous mountains, a rising and falling ridge appeared. On closer inspection, it turned out to be a giant snake with human features and legs.

It was Chen Snake, who had previously appeared in the Wanji Forest.

Chen Snake was covered in blood, its breath weak, and its breathing sounded like muffled thunder. Around it, demon fog churned, with faint ghostly shadows approaching.

Chen Snake’s lively eyes were extremely fatigued, ready to close at any moment.

“Such powerful Qi-Blood, an Ancient Species.”

A chilling laughter sounded, startling Chen Snake. It opened its eyes to see a figure floating above the demon fog in the distance. It was an old woman in a black robe, with two horns on her head and a pair of wings on her back. The black fur on her cheeks made her appear even more terrifying.

The Heaven Phoenix Demon Mother gazed at Chen Snake with eyes full of greed.

Chen Snake moved slightly but could not get up.

The Heaven Phoenix Demon Mother began to approach Chen Snake, black demon energy swirling around her like two black dragons encircling Chen Snake’s huge body.

“If you don’t want to die, turn and leave now.”

A voice came from Chen Snake’s direction. The Heaven Phoenix Demon Mother stopped and squinted to see a little figure in white standing on Chen Snake’s forehead, wearing a mask.

The Heaven Phoenix Demon Mother sneered, “Who are you? Don’t you know who I am?”

Gu An heard this, was about to answer, but then thought it was bothersome.

So, he waved his sleeve, and terrifying mana surged toward the Heaven Phoenix Demon Mother, instantly turning her to ashes.

[You successfully seized 203 years of life span from the Heaven Phoenix Demon Mother (Unification Realm, Nine Layers)]

The Demon King that Tian Yao’er feared the most died under Gu An’s hand, without any resistance.

Chen Snake struggled to keep its eyes open and spoke weakly, “You… are you the Mountain God…”

Its voice was androgynous, barely audible.

That day, during the Ephemera Sect battle, it was injured and saw the wooden figure.

The wooden figure looked a lot like Gu An now.

Gu An spoke, “Since you have saved lives, I will save you this once.”

He took out a bottle of elixirs he had already refined and poured them into Chen Snake’s mouth.

Chen Snake was seriously wounded and poisoned by the Origin Tree of Ephemera’s Ephemera Poison, which could only be cured by the Ephemera Elixir made from Ephemera.

“Mountain God… someone… has inherited the Ephemera Sect’s power…” Chen Snake said weakly, its snake eyes glowed, revealing a figure.

Gu An focused his eyes, and his expression under the mask turned peculiar.

How could it be him?