Saint Who Lay Low

Gu An heard Xuanmiao Zhenren muttering to himself, which left him silent.

Has he come to find fortune and ended up at my home?

His gaze fell on the compass in Xuanmiao Zhenren's hand. He was curious about what kind of treasure it was, capable of locating fortune, clearly much stronger than his own White Spirit Mouse.

Ever since the appearance of the Mysterious Clear Tree, the White Spirit Mouse had been lazing around, always napping and no longer going out to seek treasures—practically useless now.

The forest at night was eerie, with faint mist swirling through the trees. Xuanmiao Zhenren could see faint figures of wandering spirits passing by, but he remained unfazed.

Whoosh—

A gust of wind came from ahead, blowing Xuanmiao Zhenren's robe and causing him to squint his eyes.

"This is the land of the Mountain Spirit; mortals are forbidden to enter."

A mysterious voice echoed through the air, causing Xuanmiao Zhenren to stop in his tracks. He looked around but could not see the speaker, and even with his divine sense, he could not detect any sign of life.

Xuanmiao Zhenren was certain he hadn't imagined the voice, so he cupped his hands and said, "This humble Daoist comes from the Shen Tang Dynasty's Three Purities Mountain, a disciple of the Taiqing lineage, Li Xuanmiao."

Li Xuanmiao?

Li Xuanmiao and Li Xuandao? If they aren't related, Gu An wouldn't believe it even if someone tried to convince him otherwise.

The name "Three Purities" also made Gu An think of the Daoist mythology from his previous life's China, where the Three Purities were prominent figures. He wondered if there was any connection here.

Probably not. Otherwise, his written work Investiture of the Gods would have already caused some trouble.

Perhaps the Dao of the Three Purities echoes across worlds, appearing in both this world and in China's history?

Gu An's mind raced with thoughts, but he did not respond immediately.

Xuanmiao Zhenren continued, "This humble Daoist seeks fortune. I wonder if I may have the honor of meeting the Mountain Spirit?"

He didn't seem to doubt Gu An's words, which made Gu An curious.

Could there really be Mountain Spirits in this world, so much so that Xuanmiao Zhenren isn't surprised?

This piqued Gu An's interest in perhaps getting to know Xuanmiao Zhenren to better understand this world.

"And why do you seek the Mountain Spirit?"

Gu An's voice sounded again, still impossible to trace.

Xuanmiao Zhenren replied, "The existence of immortals and spirits in this world is elusive. To meet one would be a blessing of a lifetime. Of course, I also have a small personal request."

He was delighted at the chance to meet the Mountain Spirit, which he found more meaningful than simply discovering treasure.

Scanning the surroundings with his Divine Transformation cultivation, Xuanmiao Zhenren couldn't locate the speaker, which only indicated that the gap in their cultivation levels was vast. Even if the speaker wasn't a Mountain Spirit, they were a powerful cultivator far above him.

The fact that the other person didn't attack him directly suggested they weren't a malicious figure. Whether they were a Mountain Spirit or not, they were worth befriending.

Whoosh—

Another gust of wind blew, stirring up the fallen leaves and forcing Xuanmiao Zhenren to shield his face.

When the wind subsided, Xuanmiao Zhenren looked ahead, his eyes widening in shock.

There, standing on a large tree, was a tiny figure dressed in white.

That's right!

Tiny!

The figure was only three inches tall—small enough to fit in the palm of a hand!

The person wore white robes and a traditional opera mask, exuding an air of mystery.

This tiny figure was Gu An, who had used his Size Manipulation ability to shrink himself.

Size Manipulation was a divine ability awakened through his Innate Wishful Technique, which had evolved from his original energy-concealing technique.

Immediately, Xuanmiao Zhenren knelt on one knee and raised his hands in a respectful salute, saying, "Li Xuanmiao greets the Mountain Spirit!"

He could tell this wasn't some illusion or trick. This was the first time he had ever seen such a small person, which made him believe that the figure was indeed a Mountain Spirit.

After all, he had never seen any spell or divine ability that could shrink a person. At most, he had seen spells that could trap someone in a small spatial realm.

Gu An, now perched on the branch, jumped to the branch's edge and looked down at Xuanmiao Zhenren. "What treasure are you holding in your hand?"

He secretly cast his lifespan investigation technique.

[Xuanmiao Zhenren (Divine Transformation, fifth level): 198/900/4500]

A lifespan limit of four thousand five hundred years?

This doesn't match his level of performance.

It seemed that Three Purities Mountain's inheritance must be quite powerful!

Xuanmiao Zhenren quickly replied, "This is a treasure passed down through generations of Three Purities Mountain. As long as I carry it with me and it becomes attuned to my fate, it will guide me to my destined fortune, speeding up my progress in cultivation."

He smiled as he spoke.

It must have been destined that he would encounter the Mountain Spirit!

Gu An, however, wondered if Xuan Tian Cave Mansion was originally meant to belong to Xuanmiao Zhenren.

That was highly possible. If Gu An didn't possess his own golden finger-like system, he wouldn't have come to the Northern Sea Mountain for his tribulation and wouldn't have shattered the entrance to Xuan Tian Cave Mansion. Without that, the cave would have belonged to someone else by now.

In that sense, Gu An had accidentally taken what was originally Xuanmiao Zhenren's fortune.

Xuanmiao Zhenren then asked, "Mountain Spirit, I recently took in a disciple, but he is suffering from a deadly poison. I have no means to heal him. Might I ask for your assistance?"

Initially, Xuanmiao Zhenren had only come seeking fortune. But now that he had met the Mountain Spirit, he hoped to have his disciple's life saved.

Gu An didn't respond immediately, instead raising his left hand to stroke his chin while propping up his right elbow with his left hand, swaying slightly as he examined Xuanmiao Zhenren.

Seeing this, Xuanmiao Zhenren immediately understood and flipped his hand, revealing a Lingzhi mushroom. Holding it up with both hands, he said, "This is a sixth-level Earth Spirit Lingzhi. I hope it pleases the Mountain Spirit."

Gu An waved his hand, and the Lingzhi flew into his grasp. The mushroom was larger than he was, making the sight rather amusing.

Xuanmiao Zhenren, however, did not find it funny at all. In fact, he felt that the display added to the sense of mystique.

The behavior and thoughts of deities should not be understood or judged by mortals.

"Come tomorrow night at this time and bring your disciple with you," Gu An instructed.

Xuanmiao Zhenren immediately bowed in gratitude. When he lifted his head again, Gu An had already disappeared.

He smiled and left the area without venturing any further. This earned Gu An's approval—at least for now, Xuanmiao Zhenren didn't seem to be the scheming type.

When Gu An had earlier investigated Xuanmiao Zhenren, he had already noticed the demonic disciple he had taken in. Gu An had also identified the poison and realized that he had the means to cure it.

Once Xuanmiao Zhenren had left, Gu An returned to his Eighth Views Heavenly Cave and began preparing an elixir.

He retrieved the Ephemeral Blossom that he had stored away and placed it into his alchemy furnace, using Taiqing True Fire to ignite the kindling beneath.

As he watched the fire, he suddenly thought of something.

Could it be that the alchemical techniques of Xuan Valley also originated from Three Purities Mountain, which is why they can produce Taiqing True Fire?

That was entirely possible!

...

The following night, Xuanmiao Zhenren arrived again, this time with his disciple in tow. They stood in the same mist-covered forest.

The young fox demon appeared nervous, clinging to Xuanmiao Zhenren and scanning the surroundings anxiously as if expecting a ghost to appear at any moment.

Xuanmiao Zhenren lifted his robes and knelt on the ground, signaling his disciple to do the same.

After a while, a gust of wind blew through the clearing.

A thumb-sized pill rolled toward Xuanmiao Zhenren's knees. He picked it up, examining it.

"Have your disciple take it."

Gu An's voice echoed through the air. Without hesitation, Xuanmiao Zhenren had his disciple swallow the pill.

As soon as the pill entered his mouth, it dissolved. Xuanmiao Zhenren grabbed the fox demon's wrist to monitor his condition, and before long, a smile appeared on his face.

He looked up and asked, "Mountain Spirit, what poison was my disciple afflicted with?"

"Ephemeral Blossom Poison. He must have traveled to a place where Ephemeral Blossoms grow and accidentally consumed one," Gu An replied, appearing once more on a tree branch.

The fox demon stared wide-eyed at the tiny figure of the Mountain Spirit.

Xuanmiao Zhenren's expression darkened, and he gritted his teeth. "The Ephemeral Blossom Sect truly brings calamity wherever it goes. Their sins cannot be forgiven!"

Gu An, still crouched on the tree branch, looked down at the two of them. "Your disciple has been saved. Now, leave. And remember, don't reveal my existence to anyone, or I'll make sure to deal with you personally."

Xuanmiao Zhenren raised his head. "Mountain Spirit, may I ask if you could impart to me a technique to become the strongest in the world? I am willing to give up everything in exchange."

His defeat at An Hao's hands had become a thorn in his side, a humiliation that weighed heavily on him.

That was also why he had been reluctant to return, feeling too ashamed to face his fellow disciples.

"To be the strongest in the world? If you had the potential to be the strongest, you wouldn't be seeking me. And if you can't become the strongest, everything you have is worthless compared to the value of being the strongest," Gu An replied nonchalantly.

Xuanmiao Zhenren's face turned grim, but deep down, he felt a spark of hope.

The Mountain Spirit hadn't outright refused him!

He had only been testing the waters, and now he felt that there was a real chance.

After all, none of the disciples of Three Purities Mountain had ever encountered a land-bound deity before, which showed how rare such encounters were.

Xuanmiao Zhenren said, "Please, Mountain Spirit, tell me what I need to do. As long as it doesn't go against the principles of Three Purities Mountain, I will do it!"

Gu An pretended to ponder for a while, crossing his arms as if deep in thought. After some time, he suddenly said, "I've got it. Earlier, you summoned a Divine Transformation cultivator, didn't you? Trade me that technique."

Xuanmiao Zhenren's expression shifted dramatically.

His respect for the Mountain Spirit deepened.

Not only had the Mountain Spirit discerned the level of the cultivator he had summoned, but he had also done so from a great distance. This demonstrated the profoundness of the Mountain Spirit's cultivation.

Xuanmiao Zhenren quickly said, "The technique is called the Celestial Summoning Gate. It only allows the summoning of others and does not harm the common people. I am willing to trade it with you, Mountain Spirit."

As he spoke, he pulled out a scroll from his sleeve and presented it with both hands.

Gu An beckoned with his hand, and the scroll flew to his side. After quickly scanning it with his divine sense and confirming its authenticity, he waved his hand once more.

A book materialized in front of Xuanmiao Zhenren.

The Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body!

Seeing these five words, Xuanmiao Zhenren's eyes lit up.

Gu An intended to cultivate the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body to an even higher level in the future, so he wasn't reluctant to teach it. Besides, this technique originated from the Thousand Autumn Pavilion.

He was curious to see how many years it would take for someone as talented as Xuanmiao Zhenren to master the Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body.

Xuanmiao Zhenren picked up the manual and began reading through it. Gu An wasn't in a hurry; he stashed away the Celestial Summoning Gate scroll into his storage bag.

After reading for a while, Xuanmiao Zhenren's hands began to tremble.

He abruptly closed the manual and stowed it in his sleeve, then took out several wooden boxes from his thumb-sized storage ring—seven in total.

He said, "This technique far surpasses the value of the Celestial Summoning Gate. I cannot take advantage of you. These are all seeds of seventh-grade heavenly treasures, gifted to me by various dynasties. I had planned to use them to enhance my cave dwelling, but now I present them to you!"

Huh?

Smart move!

Gu An's impression of Xuanmiao Zhenren improved.

With a wave of his hand, the seven boxes flew to the tree branch beside him. "You may leave now."

Xuanmiao Zhenren immediately kowtowed, instructing the fox demon to do the same, before swiftly departing without any further delay.

Gu An watched their retreating figures and muttered to himself, "What a fateful encounter."

But the fateful encounter he was referring to wasn't between him and Xuanmiao Zhenren. It was between Xuanmiao Zhenren and the young fox demon.

Unable to resist, Gu An cast another lifespan investigation.

[Huangquan Fox Demon (Qi Refining, fourth level): 14/999/14000]

The maximum lifespan was identical to that of the Huangquan Demon Emperor, and both carried the name "Huangquan." There must be a connection!

Gu An even began to suspect that this young demon might be the reincarnation of the Huangquan Demon Emperor himself!