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

Chapter 125: The Golden Ranking Invitation, Ghostly Shadows in the Night

"The guy behind him is no ordinary person!"

Lu Lingjun used voice transmission to warn Gu An, her gaze bypassing Zhou Tongyou to focus on the plump old man behind him.

Gu An had already sensed the man’s cultivation but still decided to use his Lifespan Probe.

【Zhou Li (Seventh Level of the Integration Stage): 1,478 / 3,000 / 3,100】

Another Zhou!

Gu An was intrigued. The last time Zhou Tongyou had visited, he hadn’t been accompanied by such a powerful cultivator.

Zhou Tongyou glanced at Lu Lingjun and chuckled, "Brother Gu, it’s been years, and now you even have an expert guarding you. Looks like you’ve been doing well."

Gu An smiled. "Brother Zhou, are you here for the Golden Ranking Tournament?"

"That’s right! This time, I’m aiming for the top spot—to make my name known across the world. How about a sparring match at your Medicine Valley?" Zhou Tongyou asked, his eyes burning with determination.

Though they hadn’t seen each other in years, Zhou Tongyou still believed Gu An had his own strengths, despite his seemingly average cultivation.

Gu An shook his head. "Forget it. I won’t embarrass myself. The Taixuan Sect is filled with geniuses now—go challenge someone else."

"Haha, I actually came early just to meet An Hao. Since you’re not interested, I’ll go find him now," Zhou Tongyou laughed before turning to leave.

Zhou Li, at the Seventh Level of the Integration Stage, smiled politely at Lu Lingjun before following after Zhou Tongyou.

Once they were gone, Lu Lingjun turned to Gu An. "A Nascent Soul cultivator wants to spar with you?"

Zhou Tongyou had already reached the Nascent Soul Stage and didn’t bother concealing his aura.

"He suppressed his cultivation back then when we sparred, and I barely won," Gu An said smugly.

Lu Lingjun chuckled. "Didn’t expect you had it in you. You really can’t judge a book by its cover."

After five years of knowing each other, they had long dropped the formalities.

Of course, Lu Lingjun still held a grudge against Lü Baitian for assigning her to guard Gu An. Because of that, she was far less respectful to Gu An than before.

"Are you saying I’m not good-looking?" Gu An teased.

"You’re somewhat handsome—perfect for becoming a demonic cultivator’s dual cultivation furnace."

"Cough cough! You call yourself a female cultivator? Mind your words!"

Gu An shot her a glare before stepping forward.

Ever since Lu Lingjun had been sent back, her temper had changed. Gu An, feeling somewhat guilty, simply tolerated it.

This was all Lü Baitian’s fault!

What kind of situation was this?

Gu An didn’t even need Lu Lingjun’s protection. Fortunately, she wasn’t too serious about it either—today, she had her own matters to attend to and had merely tagged along.

Watching Gu An’s retreating figure, Lu Lingjun snorted and then turned to leave in another direction.

Gu An set out to visit Wu Jue.

Along the way, he noticed an increasing number of high-level cultivators in the city. Most of them kept their cultivation hidden.

It seemed that the Golden Ranking Tournament was stirring up trouble. If Taixuan Sect succeeded in making it a permanent event, it would only grow more influential, something other sects surely wouldn’t tolerate.

But Gu An wasn’t concerned. Aside from Ancestor Xuan Quan, another Supreme Elder had recently returned to Taixuan Sect. Though slightly weaker than Xuan Quan, he was still in the Profound Mind Realm.

With two Profound Mind Realm experts guarding the sect, no other faction would be able to shake Taixuan Sect easily.

After an incense stick’s time, Gu An arrived at Wu Jue’s courtyard.

Wu Jue was in the middle of practicing his punches—not using any spiritual energy, just refining his movements.

His upper body was bare, revealing a strong and powerful physique. Each punch he threw caused the very air to tremble.

【Wu Jue (Ninth Level of the Foundation Establishment Stage): 69 / 350 / 3,500】

His maximum lifespan had increased again.

Gu An realized that whenever he went more than two months without checking on Wu Jue, the guy would always gain new insights into the Dao.

One year, when Gu An visited every month, Wu Jue didn’t have a single breakthrough.

Every time he gained enlightenment, Wu Jue exuded an air of loneliness and solitude.

Gu An couldn’t help but find it amusing.

Could it be that this guy needed to be ignored in order to gain insights?

Hmm… Maybe he should avoid visiting for a whole year and see just how far Wu Jue could progress.

If Wu Jue could catch up to An Hao, it would be ideal—giving An Hao a strong competitor and preventing him from becoming arrogant.

A smooth path wasn’t always a good thing.

Seeing Gu An approach, Wu Jue shot him a wary glance but remained silent.

"Look what I brought for you!" Gu An called out.

Hearing this, Wu Jue immediately stopped and, though reluctant, walked toward Gu An. "What is it?"

Gu An pulled out a golden-red invitation from his storage pouch.

Four large characters were engraved on it: Golden Ranking Tournament!

"You… how did you get this?" Wu Jue asked in shock.

The Golden Ranking Tournament wasn’t open to just anyone. Participants needed a certain level of fame and had to pay ten High-Grade Spirit Stones to receive an invitation.

The tournament’s rewards were abundant, with prizes for the top hundred contestants—the higher the ranking, the greater the rewards.

Wu Jue had learned all about it and had always admired those qualified to participate.

Gu An grinned smugly. "I went through a lot of trouble to get it."

"But with my current cultivation, entering would be pointless." Wu Jue shook his head.

Gu An reassured him, "Don’t worry. The Golden Ranking Tournament is about talent, not cultivation level. As long as your strength within your realm is strong enough, you can fight your way to the top."

"Really?"

"Really."

Of course it’s real—I made the rules myself!

Gu An smirked internally.

What Wu Jue lacked most was resources. Staying in seclusion forever wasn’t an option. Deep down, Wu Jue wanted to prove himself—he just wasn’t comfortable asking for opportunities.

Wu Jue accepted the invitation, then suddenly pulled Gu An into a hug and pounded his back hard.

Gripping Gu An’s shoulders, he said firmly, "Brother, I won’t say much, but I swear I won’t disgrace you!"

Having gained enlightenment many times, Wu Jue could feel the changes within himself.

His confidence had been forged, and it was now reshaping his very personality.

The confidence of a true expert!

Gu An chuckled. "There are five years until the tournament—you’d better train hard. I won’t visit you during this time."

Wu Jue instantly panicked. "Why? What’s keeping you busy for five years?"

"It’s sect business—I can’t tell you," Gu An said, shaking his head.

Could it be because of this invitation?

Wu Jue suddenly felt the Golden Ranking Tournament invitation in his hands grow heavier.

He hesitated to speak.

Gu An advised, "Aside from Falling Sun Fist, don’t forget to train your Fierce Wind Phantom Kick—it’ll make you faster."

Wu Jue nodded solemnly.

This time, he would make a name for himself in the tournament!

Late summer, Xuan Valley.

Gu An lay under a tree, one hand propping up his head, the other holding a book. He read leisurely, completely absorbed.

A shadow loomed over him.

Looking up, he saw Li Ya standing before him.

Li Ya still carried his massive sword on his back, clad in a fitted black outfit. His long hair was tied behind his head with a blue cloth, revealing his sharp and determined features.

"Ahem, Brother Gu." Li Ya cleared his throat.

Didn’t expect Junior Brother Gu to read this book.

Then again, with the same name, he must feel a deep sense of immersion.

Li Ya mused silently to himself.

Gu An quickly stood up, stuffing the Secrets of Taixuan into his robes.

He had sensed Li Ya’s approach long ago, but Li Ya had mastered a technique to conceal his aura, so Gu An had pretended not to notice.

"Senior Brother Li, what brings you here?" Gu An asked, feigning surprise.

"I've been back for a few years now," Li Ya replied. "I plan to return to Cangzhou for a while and then come back for the Golden Ranking Tournament."

Gu An sighed. "You’re really busy. Senior Brother Li, you must be incredibly strong now."

Li Ya lifted his chin, exuding confidence. "Not invincible, but securing a top ten spot in the tournament won’t be difficult."

"As expected of Senior Brother Li—the pride of Xuan Valley."

"Of course."

"You haven’t been injured these past years, have you?"

"Impossible. Ever since we last met, I haven’t bled even once. Your senior brother is not what he used to be," Li Ya declared seriously.

Such a show-off!

Gu An secretly wished Li Ya would call him Grand Ancestor just once.

Li Ya pulled two objects from his storage pouch—a tournament invitation and a long wooden box.

"This is an invitation to the Golden Ranking Tournament. You should participate. The box contains Ten-Thousand-Year Wood Spirit Ginseng. If you spend five years absorbing it, your spiritual energy will transform, helping you achieve a solid ranking."

Gu An was stunned.

Li Ya pushed both items into his arms. "No refusing, or I’ll be upset."

With that, he let go, forcing Gu An to catch them.

Then, Li Ya turned and walked away.

"You're leaving already?" Gu An asked hastily.

Li Ya waved without looking back. "The path of cultivation leaves no time for idle chatter. If you want to see me, then perform well in the Golden Ranking Tournament."

With a leap, he transformed into a streak of sword light, soaring over the mountains and vanishing into the horizon.

Gu An stared at the invitation in his hands, lost in thought.

On the mountain peak, Chu Jingfeng turned his gaze toward Li Ya’s departing figure, frowning.

He remembered Li Ya.

Back then, he had spoken with him briefly, encouraging him to cultivate diligently because of his royal background.

But now, after years apart, their statuses were worlds apart.

And he… was no one.

Gu An shook his head with a smile and tucked the items into his storage pouch.

That guy… Every time they met, Li Ya always gave him something, as if he knew Gu An’s temperament and deliberately gifted him things that improved his cultivation and talent.

As night fell, Xuan Valley bustled with activity.

Gu An had just returned from the Third Medicine Valley.

Sitting around a long table with his disciples, he enjoyed the lively atmosphere.

Zhen Qin sat to his right, constantly refilling his cup while recounting the latest events in the cultivation world.

"The Hatred Heaven Divine Sword has appeared in the Great Jiang Empire, throwing the cultivation world into chaos. Rumor has it that the wielder has fully mastered the sword’s power and is accompanied by demons—utterly terrifying. I wonder… could it be Senior Brother Su Han?"

As she spoke, Zhen Qin sighed.

Mentioning Su Han always made her melancholic.

After all, they had once been close. Now, they stood on opposite sides of good and evil.

Gu An spoke calmly. "He’s no longer your senior brother. Stop calling him that—it’ll only bring trouble to you and us."

Zhen Qin wanted to argue, but seeing so many disciples from Medicine Valley around her, she chose to remain silent.

Gu An picked up some food for her while watching the other disciples play drinking games.

After a bowl of wine, Zhen Qin straightened her posture and switched topics to An Hao.

The moment she mentioned him, her face lit up with admiration, and she started talking nonstop.

Gu An listened attentively but suddenly felt something off.

His expression subtly changed.

Waiting until Zhen Qin finished speaking, he stood up and said, "I need to step inside for a moment. When I return, I want to hear the full story about An Hao’s feud with the Wan Yin Sect."

With that, he left.

Zhen Qin didn’t find it suspicious and instead clinked cups with Lu Jiu Jia.

Back in his room, Gu An activated the protective formation before taking a single step—traveling a hundred miles away in an instant.

In the depths of a dark forest, thirteen ghostly figures were advancing.

Four of them carried a large coffin.

They hadn't noticed Gu An’s arrival.

He hid in the shadows, silently observing them.

A group of Integration Stage cultivators!