The Path to Immortality Begins as a Sect's Menial Servant

The night was anything but calm.

Li An stayed awake, pushing his Super Sense Technique to the limit. His ear pressed against the cave’s stone wall, catching every sound from above, his mind constantly analyzing.

“Low Grade First Rank spirit beasts are the most numerous, maybe a hundred. Mid Grade First Rank next, around 50 or 60. High Grade ones are fewer, 20 or 30?” He estimated based on their running sounds, roars, and his past life’s experience.

He couldn’t sense flying beasts, though.

But flying beasts were hard to control and highly valued when tamed. They likely wouldn’t be used as frontline chargers, so their numbers wouldn’t skew the total much.

“The Hundred Beasts Sect planned this for so long, aiming straight for the Clear Sun Sect’s core. There’ll likely be Second Rank spirit beasts… maybe even Core Formation experts involved!” he murmured.

The Hundred Beasts Sect wouldn’t expect a single beast tide to destroy or cripple the Clear Sun Sect.

But it could tie up their forces significantly.

The fight over that rumored Mid Grade Spirit Mine must be intense.

“This battle won’t end quickly. It’ll take at least a day for the sect to push here!” Li An stayed patient, keeping hidden.

A couple of beasts passed the rock pile, their footsteps making his heart race, but thankfully, they weren’t spotted.

…

Time dragged on.

Faint daylight at the cave’s entrance came and went.

A day and night passed!

On the morning of the third day, Li An heard footsteps and voices.

“There’s a shelter here, but it’s smashed to bits. No sign of your menial friend,” a male voice said.

Li An’s ears perked, identifying the speaker.

“Even Fan Jie was killed. With such low cultivation, he was probably eaten by a beast… Qingwan, no need to keep looking, right?” The man sounded impatient.

A clear, familiar sigh followed. “Let’s look a bit more. We knew him. Collecting his body would settle some karmic ties from our cultivation path.”

“Brother Chen, you rest. I’ll search alone.”

The man’s voice moved closer to hers. “What’s wrong, still upset? Qingwan, I told you, this trap was top-secret. You knew in advance, but you couldn’t leak it for a menial.

Your spirit root is exceptional. You’re a lock for the inner sect. Don’t let a mere menial ruin your future.

Fine, I’ll search with you. If we don’t find him, you’ve done enough.”

The female voice was silent for a long moment, then softly said, “Mm.”

Li An listened calmly, no ripples in his heart. He didn’t go out.

Mu Qingwan and the man soon passed the area, heading toward the pass.

“Others should arrive soon…” Li An muttered, then took out a dark Mixed Spirit Pill and swallowed it.

Of the three he’d bought, two went to Zhang Susu to poison Fan Jie.

The last was for him. If he’d bought Mixed Spirit Pills but showed no poison, it’d look suspicious.

So, he saved it until now, just before meeting people.

Eating it earlier would’ve weakened his fighting ability.

The Pill entered his body, a bit of spiritual qi absorbed, but pill poison built up inside.

Suddenly, a green aura from his Life Seed in his dantian spread, slowly dissolving the poison.

Li An froze, then grinned.

The Life Seed could neutralize poison?

This was a new discovery!

But he quickly suppressed the Life Seed. The poison needed to stay for now.

…

Soon after, a female voice spoke. “Elder Lu, the qi-stealing array wasn’t something Fan Jie could set up alone. Someone else was behind him…”

Li An’s heart stirred.

Xu Qiuhui!

The person he’d been waiting for!

“Fan Jie’s dead. It’s a dead end now…” an older voice replied.

“But Alchemist Hall’s Lu Zhoumei rushed to Spirit Plant Mountain first. Doesn’t Elder Lu find that odd?” Xu Qiuhui pressed.

“I get your point, but this involves too many people. We need to be careful… Enough, others are coming. Drop it,” Elder Lu said gravely.

…

In the cave, Li An slowly channeled a wisp of spiritual qi into Wang Zilin.

Then he let himself slip into a faint.

Wang Zilin woke, horrified to find himself and Li An in the cave. He shouted, “Anyone there? Help, help!”

…

His voice, through the seven- or eight-meter cave, was faint by the time it reached the surface.

But Elder Lu and Xu Qiuhui, both experts, caught it.

Their faces shifted, and they landed at the sound’s source.

“Who’s down there?” Xu Qiuhui asked, sword drawn.

“Wang Zilin, Li An… Save us!” The voice was halting.

Li An?

Xu Qiuhui was surprised. “The menials from Spirit Plant Mountain!”

Elder Lu said, “Pull them up!”

…

Soon, Wang Zilin stood in the forest, nearly crying with relief. Under questioning from Elder Lu and Xu Qiuhui, he recounted everything that happened.

Li An remained unconscious. Elder Lu fed him a Pill.

“Falling into a cave turned out to be a blessing, dodging a deadly trap…” Elder Lu marveled at Li An and Wang Zilin’s luck.

But he was puzzled. “Why would Fan Jie target two mere menials?”

Xu Qiuhui glanced at the unconscious Li An. “I know this one. He showed promise during the entrance exam but damaged his spirit root on the Thunder Spirit Path, becoming a menial. Later, he ate Prime Spring Grass by mistake, healing his root, and he’s got talent in talismans…

He probably wanted to kill Li An to keep him from becoming a registered disciple and exposing his deeds on Spirit Plant Mountain.”

Elder Lu nodded.

Li An let out a pained groan, waking up. “What happened? Where am I…”

He looked confused, seeing Xu Qiuhui and Elder Lu, and tried to stand and bow.

“Don’t move. Your leg is broken,” Xu Qiuhui stopped him.

“Greetings, Immortals!” Li An sat, bowing slightly, pressing his calf and wincing in pain.

He’d broken his own leg against the cave wall and deliberately torn his clothes to leave scrapes on his back.

Elder Lu asked more questions, probing about the qi-stealing array and Fan Jie’s secret herb growing.

Li An’s answers matched Wang Zilin’s: they’d seen pests but nothing unusual, and Fan Jie never let them up the mountain.

“You solved the pest problem?” Elder Lu asked.

“Yes, I read in a medical book that Stink Rat Wolf glands, camphor roots, and crow poison roots have slight toxicity, so I tried them on rice borers…” Li An said.

Elder Lu nodded again. “Using poison to kill pests is sound logic. The crow poison root did the trick. You got lucky picking the right herb.”

“Elder Lu,” Xu Qiuhui said, “Weren’t you worried about who’d manage Spirit Plant Mountain after Fan Jie’s death?”

“Li An’s capable and has a good character. Why not let him take charge?”

Elder Lu smiled. “A menial running a hall? That’s unheard of… But in these times, rules can bend. It’s settled. Li An, you’re temporarily in charge of Spirit Plant Mountain.”

Li An beamed, thrilled. “Thank you, Immortal Xu! Thank you, Elder Lu!”

Beside him, Wang Zilin felt envy but no jealousy. Li An was stronger, and this time, his survival owed to Li An, so he felt grateful.

“Elder Lu, we’ve cleared the area. The beasts have retreated, no lingering threats…” Mu Qingwan and her companion returned from the pass.

Seeing Li An and Wang Zilin, Mu Qingwan was stunned, her face lighting up. “Li An… you’re alive?”

The purple-robed man beside her frowned slightly.

“Immortal Mu, you’re here too?” Li An said, his joy tinged with humility.

At his words, the man’s frown eased, a faint smile forming.

…

The next day, the Clear Sun Sect thoroughly searched Spirit Plant Mountain.

They cleared out remaining beasts and investigated Fan Jie’s qi theft and secret herb growing.

With Fan Jie dead, it was a dead-end case. Though Xu Qiuhui and others suspected someone behind him, without solid proof, they couldn’t pursue it.

The matter was dropped.

Fan Jie’s death was pinned on the Hundred Beasts Sect. The Fire Spirit Fruits and his storage bag were assumed to be taken by them.

No one suspected Li An. Wang Zilin’s testimony confirmed he was unconscious in the cave the whole time.

Besides, who’d believe a Second Layer Qi Refining cultivator like Li An could kill a Fourth Layer like Fan Jie?

Li An had landed safely!

(Chapter End)