Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

Facing Ji Xiaoyu's questioning gaze, Gu An naturally agreed.

Then, the three of them found an inn and sat down, with Gu An choosing a spot on the second floor by the window. He liked to chat in this spot while watching the bustle of the streets below.

Stealing the Five Elements glanced at Gu An and Ji Xiaoyu, then pinched his teacup, looked at the surface of the tea, and said, "Although we are meeting for the first time, this young lady must have an Innate Daoist Talisman hidden within her. Speaking of which, you and I are old acquaintances; in one of your past lives, you had formed ties with me."

After he finished speaking, he first glanced at Gu An and then at Ji Xiaoyu. He was uncertain of the relationship between the two, so he spoke very cautiously.

Gu An understood his concerns and said, "Daoist Friend, feel free to speak; she is very curious about her past life."

Ji Xiaoyu nodded and asked, "How long ago was that?"

Stealing the Five Elements revealed a smile and said with feeling, "It must have been nearly twenty thousand years ago."

Twenty thousand years?

The faces of both Gu An and Ji Xiaoyu changed drastically, Gu An's expression was feigned while Ji Xiaoyu was genuinely shocked since the known history of the Ji Family didn't even span twenty thousand years.

"Who were you twenty thousand years ago, and why did you come to the Supreme Sect?" Ji Xiaoyu asked cautiously.

Gu An could feel that Stealing the Five Elements had already imposed a restriction, making it impossible for other diners to hear their conversation.

Stealing the Five Elements answered, "To be honest, this trip to the Supreme Sect was specifically for you; I can sense that you have reincarnated again. In terms of status, I should respectfully call you a senior. If not for your intervention back then, I would have ceased to exist long ago."

Talking about the past, his face was full of nostalgia, his gaze unfocused as if his thoughts had drifted back to the distant past.

Ji Xiaoyu furrowed her brows and asked, "Why did I reincarnate?"

Stealing the Five Elements said, "I only know you experienced calamities. You weren't forced into reincarnation due to hatred, and you can rest assured about this. No one in this world can do anything to you; I even consider you the strongest person I have ever seen."

This genuinely surprised Gu An because he had been to Divine Exotic City and seen Stealing the Five Elements demonstrate his power. Knowing this, Stealing the Five Elements still believed that one of Ji Xiaoyu's past lives was stronger.

It seemed like the last time, in the Seven Stars Spirit Realm, the Innate Daoist Talisman had not yet displayed its true power, but at that time, it had already been enough for Ji Xiaoyu to seek revenge.

Stealing the Five Elements continued to speak about Ji Xiaoyu's strength at the time.

In that lifetime, Ji Xiaoyu had called herself Reincarnation Path Emperor. The two had met only once, but due to Reincarnation Path Emperor's kindness, Stealing the Five Elements had always wanted to repay her, only to find his freedom in recent years.

He did not reveal his real identity, and the name Divine Exotic Ghost King was already known throughout the world; he also knew his reputation was not good.

From Stealing the Five Elements's story, Ji Xiaoyu could only understand how strong her previous self was, and it didn't unravel the secrets of reincarnation.

She looked at Stealing the Five Elements and asked, "What exactly do you need from me now? I can't help you with anything in my current state."

She was very cautious, worried that Stealing the Five Elements might want to kill her and force her previous life to emerge.

Gu An had been listening silently, noting down the name Reincarnation Path Emperor, planning to investigate further the next time he visited Immortal Seeking Island.

Twenty thousand years might seem an eternity to mortals, but for Great Cultivators such as Wandering Immortals and Heaven and Earth Flying Immortals, it wasn't much, having lived through epochs preceding the fall of the Reincarnation Path Emperor.

After a moment of hesitation, Stealing the Five Elements said, "A catastrophe that will affect all beings is soon to erupt. When it does, many seas and continents will be destroyed, including the continent you are currently on, and I too am deeply trapped, unable to escape. The Reincarnation Path Emperor had a divine skill that could free me, even if it meant undergoing reincarnation, I would be willing."

Upon hearing this, Gu An was somewhat surprised.

From what Stealing the Five Elements said, the Master of Divine Exotic Realm was likely to die. Why would an adversary of the Master of Divine Exotic Realm want to annihilate all living beings?

He had previously felt that the appearance of the Divine Exotic Realm was not a coincidence, and clearly, the Master was wary of something. Otherwise, with the Master's strength, he could have swept away any invaders.

"But I am not the Reincarnation Path Emperor..." Ji Xiaoyu hesitated.

Stealing the Five Elements waved his hand and said, "You needn't worry. I am not here to force you to help me now. When the catastrophe falls, no one will be able to save themselves. At that time, you will undoubtedly awaken your primal consciousness, just remember me then."

After hearing this, Ji Xiaoyu's brows furrowed even tighter.

Stealing the Five Elements looked at Gu An and said, "It is best not to spread the word about this, not even the Supreme Sect or any major powers overseas can prepare for it in advance; it's better if the cultivators here enjoy their current lives unaware, lest the spreading news precipitate the catastrophe."

Gu An nodded and said, "I understand that principle. I just want to know how long until the catastrophe erupts? If it's a few hundred years later, then I am relieved."

Stealing the Five Elements laughed, suddenly finding this Core Formation Realm Minor Cultivator quite amusing.

Ji Xiaoyu couldn't help but shoot Gu An a look, but she had to admit, after Gu An asked that question, a lot of her tension was relieved.

"It could be as soon as a few decades or as long as a few centuries. There are unimaginable powers at play behind the scenes. I can only say, when the oceans begin to rise, that will represent the arrival of calamity."

Stealing the Five Elements's answer caused Ji Xiaoyu to frown again.

After speaking, he stood up and said, "Well, that's all I have to say. I won't disturb you any further."

He raised his hand in a salutation and then left.

Once he left the floor, the invisible restriction vanished.

Gu An turned to Ji Xiaoyu and chuckled, "You certainly have an impressive background. I might have to think twice before joking with you in the future."

Ji Xiaoyu huffed, "Aren't you joking now?"

"After hearing his words, what do you think?"

"I am not pleased. Although I had already guessed that I and the Third Miss you spoke of are the same person, I actually hoped my guess would be incorrect. Now, learning even more identities has only increased my displeasure." Ji Xiaoyu spoke calmly, her tone devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

Gu An looked at her, his gaze turning thoughtful.

Normally, he subconsciously considered this life's Ji Xiaoyu and her previous life as the same person, even if their characters differed. In his heart, they were the same.

However, different memories and experiences had shaped a different person, even though the soul remained the same.

The essence of being human is more than just the soul.

Gu An tried to comfort her, "If you are unhappy, then focus on cultivating, making your life in this incarnation last longer, or perhaps even achieving enlightenment."

Ji Xiaoyu shook her head, "I can't achieve enlightenment. I will eventually die. The reason I cultivate is merely to make this life last longer and experience more. I often bother you just to enrich this life's experiences."

She paused, then smiled and added, "Besides, you can only live for a few hundred years yourself, so why comfort me? Don't worry, even if I am unhappy, I am willing to accept this reality."

Acceptance, huh?

Gu An chose not to probe further. He then called for the waiter and ordered a table full of exquisite food and drinks, shifting the conversation to the alchemy conference.

Ji Xiaoyu's attention shifted as well, and it was as if the conversation with Stealing the Five Elements had never happened.

...

The Alchemy Conference eventually ended, and the cultivator who won first place was from overseas, a disciple of the Purple Pill Palace. It was the first time the disciples of the Supreme Sect had learned about Purple Pill Palace, an ancient Alchemy Sect that brought many alchemy techniques through this conference.

Purple Pill Palace also offered to take a group of Supreme Sect disciples to their palace to cultivate the Alchemy Dao, stirring excitement throughout the Supreme Sect.

Gu An was mainly concerned about Stealing the Five Elements, who remained at the Supreme Sect and even formally became an Inner Sect Disciple.

Except for Gu An, no one knew his true cultivation level.

Even Shen Xinzi and the Nine-Finger Divine Lord could not see through him. By the end of summer, Stealing the Five Elements had become a regular at the chess area of the Third Medicine Valley.

One day.

Gu An had just returned from the North Sea Mountain and was discussing the affairs of Mystic Valley with Lu Jiujia.

He suddenly felt a strong aura of battle coming from afar.

From within the Sea Breaking Rift!

This pressure had surpassed that of the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal!

That meant the Master of Divine Exotic Realm might have made a move.

It seemed that Stealing the Five Elements's words might indeed be true.

"Alright, I agree. I'll discuss with the Sect next time to expand Mystic Valley," Gu An nodded.

Lu Jiujia immediately showed a smile. Gu An shared the profits of Mystic Valley with him every year. The bigger the Mystic Valley, the more he would gain.

Since he had begun cultivating the Daoist Expansion Skill, Lu Jiujia had rekindled his fighting spirit. For this skill, he needed a lot of medicinal herbs.

Gu An suddenly remembered something and said, "Let's release your cultivation level by the end of this year. Take all the elixirs you have."

Lu Jiujia frowned and asked, "Why? Can't we wait a bit longer?"

Why?

Because you only live to be 190 years old!

Gu An did not reveal this fact; instead, he said, "I have obtained a higher-level mental method. I will pass it on to you later, and then you can release your cultivation level multiple times."

Upon hearing this, Lu Jiujia was instantly overjoyed and quickly agreed.

Gu An patted his shoulder and then left.

Lu Jiujia had begun to fantasize about what kind of transformation he would undergo after lifting the restrictions on his cultivation.

Gu An arrived at the Third Medicine Valley and went to the chess area.

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord had encountered an opponent again: it was Stealing the Five Elements.

Stealing the Five Elements mastered the rules of Go and swiftly dominated the chess scene of the Supreme Sect. The Nine-Finger Divine Lord, unable to see through his hidden cultivation, was quite frustrated.

Of course, in the heart of the Nine-Finger Divine Lord, Stealing the Five Elements was definitely not an ordinary person. Gu An's background was easier to investigate, having entered the Supreme Sect at the age of fifteen and being a house servant of the Ji Family when he was young; his age could not be hidden. But Stealing the Five Elements was different; he came from overseas.

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord looked up at Stealing the Five Elements, feeling annoyed.

Who exactly is this guy?

Stealing the Five Elements, smiling, waved his fan. He was not afraid of the Nine-Finger Divine Lord's suspicions. With his cultivation level, it was impossible for the Divine Lord to see through him.

In the entire Supreme Sect, there was only one person he feared: Sword Venerable Fudao, who seemed to have accepted him as long as he did not cause trouble.

"I lost," the Nine-Finger Divine Lord inhaled deeply and declared gravely.

He had lost to Stealing the Five Elements six times and felt utterly humiliated.

The surrounding crowd cheered, exacerbating his depression.

Stealing the Five Elements stood up and laughed, "To celebrate this victory, how about I teach everyone a spell for close combat?"

The disciples were even more delighted, their cheers drawing the attention of other disciples from afar.