I can't even sleep peacefully!

Gu He stood up and looked at the Great Clan Elder.

"Great Clan Elder, have you known this all along?"

The Great Clan Elder looked at everyone's gazes.

"Even if I knew, I wouldn't say, and you shouldn't ask either. Just focus on Cultivating your Gu Spirit and act as if this never happened."

The people in the village did not know what was happening inside Gu He's body, but seeing Gu He's miserable state, they felt a bad premonition.

Could there be some great secret hidden within their small village?

The Great Clan Elder looked at Gu He.

"You were already going to be the next Great Clan Elder. Since you know this secret, come with me!"

After saying this, the Great Clan Elder's gaze fell upon Chu Xinghe.

He had not expected that allowing a young man to stay would also bring disaster to their small village.

Perhaps this was fate!

"Young man Chu Xinghe, you come with me too."

The Great Clan Elder finished speaking and walked toward the ancestral hall room, leaning on his cane.

Gu He comforted his wife, then glanced at Chu Xinghe.

The two of them followed the Great Clan Elder toward the ancestral hall.

The crowd looked at the Second Clan Elder and the Third Clan Elder.

The two Elders shook their heads; they did not know the secret either.

Only by becoming the Great Clan Elder could one know these secrets.

"Let's disperse for now. We will talk to the Great Clan Elder later. Those who have served as the Great Clan Elder all these years have guarded this secret and not spoken of it; they must have done so for the good of the village."

The Second Clan Elder waved his hand, dispersing the villagers.

Originally, this small village only had about a hundred people.

There were very few things that could be considered secrets.

After Chu Xinghe and Gu He followed the Great Clan Elder to the ancestral hall, the Great Clan Elder closed the door.

"You two, sit down."

The Great Clan Elder looked at Gu He.

"Even if Chu Xinghe hadn't spoken up, I would have told you eventually. It's just that there hasn't been a suitable opportunity. Now that this Young Master has discovered it, it is the perfect time to tell you."

The Great Clan Elder sat down.

"Actually, the Gu Spirit we are Cultivating all have problems."

When the Great Clan Elder said this, he sighed as well.

"Gu He, you must have seen just now that your life force was draining away, right?"

Gu He nodded.

The Great Clan Elder sighed.

"Those who Cultivate can naturally extend their Lifespan, but we in this village only have a Lifespan of a hundred years. Even if the Gu Spirit is powerful, our Lifespan will not exceed one hundred and fifty years. To be precise, the moment we start Cultivating the Gu Spirit, our Lifespan is destined to be only one hundred years.

Even so, everyone must Cultivate the Gu Spirit, otherwise, they will be executed by the Saint Envoy."

Gu He's heart tightened, and even Chu Xinghe continued to listen.

"If we were Cultivating the correct Gu Spirit, our strength wouldn't be this poor, and we would definitely be able to leave the Southern Border. But generation after generation, no one has managed to do it. It's not that they couldn't, but that they were not allowed to."

Hearing the Great Clan Elder's sigh, Gu He's expression changed.

"Great Clan Elder, does the Great Clan Elder of every village know this news?"

The Great Clan Elder shook his head.

"Not every village knows. Our village knows because it is a secret passed down, told from generation to generation according to the last words of the previous Great Clan Elder."

"In the past, our village was very glorious, and there were even legends of Immortals who had surpassed the Physical Body Realm guarding it.

For some unknown reason, they perished, and our village subsequently declined. Several hundred years ago, we were jointly besieged by other villages, leaving only these few clansmen, Cultivating this harmful Gu Spirit."

Hearing this, Gu He's eyes filled with anger.

"Did our village never resist?"

The Great Clan Elder gave a miserable smile upon hearing this: "How could we not have resisted? Wasn't that why we were besieged by other villages?

Those villages were all driven by the Saint Envoy. Even our village's Cultivation Technique and Martial Skill were plundered. Even the most talented Cultivators from back then were successively executed; that was the warning given to us."

"Everyone who has served as the Great Clan Elder knows this secret, but they cannot speak of it.

By peacefully Cultivating this harmful Gu Spirit, one can still live safely and securely. If one refuses to Cultivate, the Saint Envoy will execute them."

Gu He stood up and poured a cup of tea for the Great Clan Elder.

"Great Clan Elder, is this why, when you see people in the clan with talent for Cultivation, you deliberately give them tasks to reduce our time for Cultivation?"

The Great Clan Elder nodded.

"Only in this way can you live safely. This secret was always meant to be told to you."

Gu He took a deep breath, his fists clenched tightly: "No wonder a Saint Envoy appears every month. Under the guise of collecting the poison contained in the Gu Spirit, they are actually monitoring us, draining our Lifespan and Spiritual Qi, and then giving us some pitiful resources. They are truly ruthless."

The Great Clan Elder patted Gu He's shoulder.

"Back then, I was the same as you. When I learned this news, I wanted to do something for the village. But those Saint Envoys would specifically inspect us every time they came.

Plus, the whole village was no match for them, so I could only keep it in my heart. Just like that, I slowly abandoned the idea. Sitting in the position of Great Clan Elder, one has to consider many things: the villagers' food, drink, and lives."

Gu He sighed, his eyes full of helplessness.

Chu Xinghe did not speak.

Because these people relied on the Gu Spirit, they had only reached the Physical Body Realm.

This was merely the starting Realm of Cultivation.

The Great Clan Elder looked at Chu Xinghe.

"Since you have the ability to discover this, you must also be a Cultivator. Leave as soon as possible. There are only seven days left before the Saint Envoy arrives. At that time, you might be in mortal danger."

Chu Xinghe rubbed his chin.

"What if I could give you the power to resist?"

The Great Clan Elder was stunned and instead asked, "In our ancient records, we have heard that after breaking through the ninth level of the Physical Body, one can achieve Immortal Ascension. I wonder what level of the Physical Body you are at, Young Master?"

Chu Xinghe pondered for a moment: "In my memory, the Physical Body seems to be unranked; it is the first Realm of Cultivation.

Physical Body, Qi Nourishing, Meridian Opening, Core Condensation, Spirit Sea, Divine Soul, Divine Organ, Divine General, King Conferment, Emperor Conferment, Heaven Ascension, Void God, True God, Heavenly God, God King, God Emperor, Saint, Great Saint, Heavenly Saint, Supreme, Great Emperor."

The Great Clan Elder stood up abruptly.

"Young Master, you are not lying to me, but why do the clan records state that anything beyond the Physical Body Realm is an Immortal?"

Chu Xinghe looked at the excited Old Man: "Uh, in my fragmented memories, some people are born as Saints."

Gu He and the Great Clan Elder were dumbfounded.

Really?

But looking at Chu Xinghe's demeanor, it shouldn't be fake.

The Great Clan Elder took a deep breath, his hands even trembling.

"Then what level of expert is the Young Master?"

Chu Xinghe pondered for a moment: "Not particularly strong, nor particularly weak. With one breath, your village would be gone."

Upon hearing this, the Great Clan Elder stood frozen in place.

"Young Master, are you serious?"

Chu Xinghe nodded.

The Great Clan Elder narrowed his eyes.

"Screw them."

Chu Xinghe and Gu He were both stunned.

Gu He asked in disbelief: "Great Clan Elder, didn't you say we should be safe and secure?"

The Great Clan Elder slammed his cane hard onto the ground.

"When we had no ability, being timid didn't matter. Now that there is an opportunity, if I don't seize it, I, this Old Man, won't be able to sleep peacefully."