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

Chapter 97: The Terrifying Grand Ascension Stage

The rising sun cast its rays over the Northern Sea, illuminating the mountains and the forested area where Gu An was. At this moment, his cultivation had reached the seventh level of the Grand Ascension Stage, and he was attempting to break through to the eighth.

Gu An pulled up his attribute panel, noting he still had 370,000 years of lifespan left. He figured it was a good opportunity to improve his combat techniques further—but not today. After a night of intense cultivation, the spiritual energy in this area had thinned significantly. Worried about disrupting the Northern Sea mountain range’s ecosystem, he decided to wait for its recovery before resuming.

His next goal? Accumulating a million years of lifespan! Just thinking about it was overwhelming, but Gu An was brimming with determination. The life of an immortal cultivator was unimaginably long, and he could take his time. For now, he focused on deciding which spells, divine abilities, and supreme techniques to enhance.

As time passed, Gu An advanced to the eighth level of the Grand Ascension Stage, though his body’s ability to absorb spiritual energy had slowed. Patiently, he awaited the completion of his breakthrough.

An entire night passed, during which the Lifespan Barrier consumed more than 20,000 years of lifespan, a testament to the magnitude of the commotion caused by his cultivation. Gu An extended his divine sense, curious to test its range at his new level.

His vision encompassed vast mountain ranges, revealing numerous monsters, ghosts, and cultivators. He even spotted colossal primeval offspring as large as mountains. Gu An savored the unparalleled perception that came with his cultivation stage.

Suddenly, he noticed a familiar figure—Li Xuandao! The man was undergoing a tribulation in a secluded valley. Gu An observed the valley’s formations, spirit stones, and numerous jars and bottles. His mouth twitched involuntarily.

No wonder Li Xuandao progressed so quickly. It wasn’t just due to his exceptional talent; the man was also dumping resources into his cultivation like crazy! Thinking of his own tribulation experiences—relying solely on his physical body—Gu An couldn’t help but feel a pang of bitterness.

“Forget it,” he muttered. “There’s no comparing. It’s not like I’ve actually undergone a real tribulation. I should be grateful.”

After confirming that Li Xuandao’s tribulation was stable, Gu An shifted his focus to locate Li Ya. It wasn’t long before his divine sense locked onto the young man’s aura. Li Ya was hiding in a mountain cave, seemingly injured again.

“Sigh, what a reckless fool,” Gu An thought. “Don’t die out there.”

Determined to help Li Ya, Gu An decided he’d take on another identity to offer guidance. After all, the “old grandpa” within Li Ya’s body clearly wasn’t up to the task!

He also noticed Hao Long, who was bullying a group of small demons and loudly declaring his ambition to become their king. Gu An chuckled before expanding his divine sense further, encompassing the entire Northern Sea mountain range. Every corner of the region fell within his perception, and the sensation of surveying everything filled him with delight.

Even the Integration Stage monsters and cultivators appeared as mundane beings to him. Yet, he had to admit that the Northern Sea mountain range was truly a haven for hidden dragons and crouching tigers. He detected no fewer than a hundred Integration Stage presences, though only a handful were at the ninth level. Among them was Lu Lingjun, who had yet to leave the region.

Gu An reveled in his newfound strength. When his cultivation finally stabilized, and his body ceased absorbing spiritual energy, he dispelled the Lifespan Barrier and stood up. Stretching lazily, he allowed the sunlight filtering through the trees to wash over him. He felt rejuvenated, as though he’d been reborn.

Indeed, nothing in the world—be it fame, fortune, or love—could compare to the joy of growing stronger!

Meanwhile, Li Ya emerged from his cave residence. The sunlight made him squint and frown. His upper body was wrapped in blood-stained bandages, and dried blood speckled his torso. Raising his right hand, he beckoned in the air, summoning a massive sword from within the cave. The weapon landed heavily in his grasp, causing his arm to tremble and his face to twist in pain.

“Kid, your wounds just healed, and you’re already training? Are you underestimating the weight of Northern Sea darksteel, or overestimating the power of the Dragon Force Divine Essence Art?” an exasperated voice echoed in his ears. It was the voice of his ancestor.

Li Ya grinned and replied, “I have to make the most of my time. There isn’t much left. I need to prepare for the recruitment at the Holy Land you mentioned.”

The ancestor snorted. “The Holy Land isn’t mandatory. It’s just one path the aristocratic families take.”

“But didn’t you say the Li family once rivaled the Zhou and Gu families in glory? I may not aspire to be a prince, but I have a duty to revive the Li family!”

Gripping his massive sword, forged under his ancestor’s guidance from the rare darksteel native to the Northern Sea, Li Ya headed to a clearing. The blade weighed ten thousand pounds, and when infused with spiritual energy, its weight doubled. Wielding it without activating spiritual energy was a grueling task, especially with his injured body.

Suddenly, a fierce wind swept through the forest, startling Li Ya. He instinctively raised his sword to block.

Bang!n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Li Ya was sent flying, crashing into the mountain wall amidst a spray of rubble. Blood spurted from his mouth as he fell to the ground, using his sword for support. Kneeling, he watched helplessly as his bandages were soaked red, and his reopened wounds bled profusely.

“Hmph! Human brat, hand over the Dragon Force Divine Essence Art!” a cold voice growled.

A raspy voice echoed through the forest as a sinister figure emerged from the trees. It was a man in a black robe with a fox's head atop a human body. His hands bore razor-sharp claws, each resembling a set of five gleaming blades, and his entire form radiated demonic energy.

Li Ya gritted his teeth and uttered the intruder's name: "Resentful Venom Fox King!"

The Fox King's eyes narrowed as he stared at Li Ya. His expression twisted into a fierce snarl. "You’ve been poisoned by my fox venom, yet you’re still standing? Have you consumed the Dragon Force Divine Essence Art?"

His voice grew sharper as he spoke, causing the surrounding trees to tremble violently.

Li Ya clutched the hilt of his sword with both hands, gasping for breath, and called out in his mind: "Ancestor, I really need your help here!"

The ancestor groaned in frustration. "Do you think my soul power is limitless? Just saving you these past nights has almost drained me dry!"

"I don’t believe you! You say that every time!"

"You ungrateful brat! How did the Li family produce such a disgrace?"

"Well, who told you to reside in my body, leeching my spiritual energy and altering my spiritual root to make me test as having a mixed root aptitude?"

"You—"

Their argument escalated, and Li Ya grew so agitated that he started coughing violently.

The Resentful Venom Fox King stepped closer, his killing intent locking onto Li Ya, who felt as though he had been plunged into an icy abyss.

At that moment, darkness fell over Li Ya's vision. He instinctively looked up and saw a shadowy figure cloaked in dark purple standing before him.

It was him.

Li Ya’s thoughts raced back to the time outside Xuan Valley, when he had been gravely injured by Elder Chen. It was this mysterious demonic cultivator who had saved him then. According to the ancestor, the cultivator had used the Demonic Shadow Divine Art of the Thousand Autumn Pavilion.

Li Ya had racked his brain trying to figure out any connection he might have with the pavilion, ultimately chalking it up to coincidence. But now, seeing this figure appear once again, he was utterly stunned.

Gu An, having used the Grand Yin-Yang Transformation, glanced at the Fox King and quickly assessed his power. The fox was merely at the fourth level of the Transformation Stage. For safety's sake, Gu An performed a lifespan inspection, which fortunately didn’t consume his own lifespan.

• Resentful Venom Fox King (Transformation Stage, Level 4): 1,409/2,900/3,400

A rather unremarkable demon.

The Fox King, unable to discern Gu An’s cultivation level, grew tense and cautiously asked, "Who are you?"

Gu An raised his hand and pointed to the distance, silently signaling for the demon to leave.

Gu An had no desire to kill those without enmity. Now capable of absorbing lifespan from plants and herbs, he wanted to preserve a measure of humanity, avoiding a descent into bloodthirsty tendencies that might make him reckless or arrogant and lead to his downfall.

The Fox King’s expression flickered uncertainly. Finally, he clasped his hands in a gesture of submission and turned to leave.

Suddenly, a notification appeared in Gu An’s field of vision:

"The Resentful Venom Fox King harbors deep resentment toward you. Would you like to inspect his lifespan again?"

Huh? Resentment to the point of hatred?

Seeking death!

Gu An raised his right hand and clenched the air. The overwhelming spiritual power of the Grand Ascension Stage erupted, instantly causing the Fox King’s body to explode. His soul was completely annihilated.

There had been no need for spells or divine abilities—raw spiritual energy sufficed.

Had the demon been carrying a storage pouch, Gu An might have shown some restraint. Nevertheless, the system notified him that he had gained 190 years of lifespan, confirming his earlier speculation: lifespan absorption ranged from 5% to 20% of the target’s remaining lifespan.

Li Ya, still kneeling on the ground, was dumbfounded. The Transformation Stage demon king had been killed just like that? He hadn’t even seen how the mysterious cultivator acted—just a gesture from afar had sufficed.

"How is this possible? What level is he at?" The ancestor’s voice trembled with shock.

This time, Gu An overheard the soul’s voice. While the Grand Ascension Stage didn’t grant the ability to hear thoughts, the soul within Li Ya communicated through spiritual fluctuations that couldn’t escape Gu An’s heightened senses.

Gu An turned to Li Ya, whose face turned pale with fright. Pressing himself against the mountain wall, Li Ya was terrified.

"This person’s cultivation must exceed even mine in my prime!" the ancestor murmured, his tone tinged with despair. "We’re both doomed."

Hearing this, Li Ya panicked completely. He had always relied on the ancestor as his ultimate safety net. Now, with even the ancestor admitting defeat, how could he not be terrified?

Gu An found Li Ya’s sheer terror amusing but refrained from laughing, worried the young man might truly die from fright. Concentrating spiritual energy in his throat to alter his voice, he spoke: "This is the second time I’ve saved you. Do you think I would want to kill you?"

Li Ya sighed in relief—until Gu An’s next words sent a shiver down his spine.

"If I truly wanted to kill you, even the soul inside you wouldn’t be able to save you."

He can sense the soul within me?! Li Ya’s face turned ashen. The thought was more horrifying than the prospect of death.

Gu An extended his hand, and the massive Northern Sea heavy sword flew into his grasp. Though the weapon weighed ten thousand pounds, Gu An held it as though it were weightless. The powerful gusts stirred by the sword as it moved hinted at its immense weight.

Seeing Gu An wield his sword, Li Ya’s heart leapt into his throat. He had no idea what the man intended to do.

"Kid, your swordsmanship is too slow, and your progress disappoints me. How about I teach you a new technique?" Gu An’s deep, aged voice echoed, leaving Li Ya momentarily stunned.