Liu Xuan and the others needed help, and naturally, Gu An did not refuse.
The development of Liu Xuan and his group in the Merak Sacred Land was also tied to the Cyan Yuan Sect. As Lü Zhenghai had said, their relationship was like that of a root and its stem—they were interdependent and mutually reinforcing.
By providing aid now, the Cyan Yuan Sect naturally hoped to receive something in return from the Merak Sacred Land, allowing the Sect to grow stronger.
It was like investing in a promising project; one had to contribute a certain amount of capital and effort to get involved, and only then could one reap the rewards when the project took off.
Liu Xuan’s group in the Merak Sacred Land was in this exact situation—they were an extremely high-quality project, and the Cyan Yuan Sect needed to invest some of its human resources.
However, this expenditure had to be within a range that the Cyan Yuan Sect could bear.
Even with a relationship of root and stem, if the root itself was gone, nothing would be left. Everything else would be meaningless.
Therefore, Gu An still offered a portion of his people to enter the Merak Sacred Land. He would allow Lü Zhenghai to choose from them—specifically, those with outstanding Talent.
These individuals were talents selected after a rigorous process, the most outstanding people from the entire region of Qing State.
"But don’t even think about the Pharmacists within the Sect."
"The Cyan Yuan Sect doesn’t have many Pharmacists to begin with, and we’ll need their help for the Sect’s future development!"
"Especially Pharmacist Yang Chan. He’s the only one in the Cyan Yuan Sect who can refine Inner Refining Level Elixirs. He’s the hope of all our Inner Masters. If he were taken away now, no one would agree to it—myself included!"
Seeing that Lü Zhenghai was about to speak, Gu An cut in.
He was shutting down the possibility before Lü Zhenghai could even voice it.
The Cyan Yuan Sect needed a Pharmacist who could refine Inner Refining Elixirs. He, in particular, needed Yang Chan’s help to refine Five Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pill Level Elixirs. If Yang Chan left, the cost for him to obtain such Elixirs would be far too great.
If he had to rely on the Merak Sacred Land, it would be like they had him by the throat. He would have no choice but to follow any orders they gave.
That was a terrible position to be in. Gu An disliked it immensely and would naturally never agree.
"Yang Chan’s Talent for Alchemy is so incredible. If he were in the Merak Sacred Land, he’d probably be promoted to Advanced Pharmacist very quickly. He could do so much more and relieve a great deal of our pressure!"
Lü Zhenghai did not give up after hearing this.
Just as Gu An held Yang Chan in high regard, so did he. He became even more eager after learning that Yang Chan could now refine Top Quality Five Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pills.
"You already have Elder Hua, an Advanced Pharmacist, and Xu Gaocen, an Intermediate Pharmacist on the verge of promotion, joining you in the Merak Sacred Land. The people you’re taking are already the Cyan Yuan Sect’s most outstanding talents. You should focus on cultivating them instead!"
"Yang Chan will go to the Merak Sacred Land eventually, but not now. We’ll wait until the Cyan Yuan Sect has recovered and your position in the Holy Land is more stable. Then, I’ll have Yang Chan join the Merak Sacred Land with me!"
Gu An’s stance on this matter was resolute. He wouldn’t be swayed by Lü Zhenghai’s words, as this concerned his own future Cultivation.
’Based on the current situation, it will probably be two or three years before I can go to the Merak Sacred Land, maybe even longer.’
’For the old me, that might have seemed like a long time, and it would have affected my Cultivation. But now, the impact isn’t as significant.’
After all, he wasn’t lacking Cultivation Resources at the moment. He had even obtained the complete Peng Demon Bone Marrow Cleansing Scripture. With the subsequent parts of the Cultivation Technique to study, his needs weren’t as pressing.
’While entering the Merak Sacred Land offers the benefit of Grotto Heaven Spiritual Qi to boost Cultivation, it also comes at a price.’
Fighting the Earth Demons of the Underground World was one such price. Obtaining Cultivation Resources there also came with conditions. How was that any better than his current situation in the Cyan Yuan Sect?
If not for the fact that future Cultivation Resources could only be obtained in the Merak Sacred Land, he might have wished to delay his departure even longer.
"If Yang Chan were in the Merak Sacred Land, he could become an Advanced Pharmacist in a short time. He would definitely be valued more highly by the Holy Land, which would mean more Cultivation Resources for Chiyu Peak. Then, even more Cultivation Resources could be sent back to the Cyan Yuan Sect!"
"Perhaps you could even gather all the Cultivation Resources you need to break through to the Bone Marrow Cleansing Grandmaster Realm!"
Lü Zhenghai still hadn’t given up. He continued his pitch, with each offer better than the last, making them all the more tempting.
It was like a baited hook, making one want to bite down and swallow it whole.
It would be wonderful in the moment of consumption, but after swallowing it, there would be a price to pay.
"No matter what you say today, this is my bottom line. It won’t change!"
Gu An was well aware of the issues at play. Even though they were from the same Sect, they now represented different interests.
No matter how good it sounded now, it was hard to say if the promises could be kept later. Even if they could, it was uncertain how long it would take for him to see any benefits.
Besides, he was not a shortsighted man. Given the Talent Yang Chan had displayed, it was far more worthwhile to invest in him personally.
He had spoken with Yang Chan before and knew that Yang Chan had no intention of joining the Merak Sacred Land at this time, preferring to stay in the Cyan Yuan Sect. Gu An had already agreed to this.
’If I go back on my word, it would damage my standing in Yang Chan’s eyes. That would be very bad.’
Furthermore, he didn’t believe Yang Chan’s future was limited to just being an Advanced Pharmacist. That was too narrow a view.
’Based on the Talent Yang Chan has shown as a Pharmacist, becoming a Top Level Pharmacist is practically guaranteed. His potential will only increase after he eventually joins the Merak Sacred Land. I absolutely cannot go back on my word now.’
Maintaining a good relationship with Yang Chan, coupled with the favor of having promoted him earlier, would benefit him far more in the long run.
The sum of all these potential benefits far outweighed the grand promises Lü Zhenghai was making.
As the Sect Leader of the Cyan Yuan Sect, he had made plenty of grand promises to others himself, so he knew the game well.
"Don’t be so absolute. I can stay in the Sect for another two days. I’ll be waiting with the other Sect members who are going to the Great Zhou Imperial Dynasty to meet the new Martial Saint, and then I’ll head back to the Merak Sacred Land!"
"You have until then to make your choice!"
"During this time, I will also select the thirty people we agreed upon. I’ll choose from among those who are not Direct Disciples!"
Lü Zhenghai didn’t press the matter further. Gu An’s words had made his attitude clear, and there was no need to strain their relationship, which would conflict with his mission.
However, he didn’t close the door completely. He left Gu An to reconsider, to ponder the interests involved, while also giving himself a chance.
’If I can’t persuade Gu An, I can try my luck with Yang Chan. As long as I can convince Yang Chan, I can still take him with me.’
’Compared to an old fox like Gu An, who has seen too much of the world, a young man like Yang Chan should be much easier to persuade.’
’Making grand promises to an old fox is basically useless because they see right through it and won’t pay it any mind. But it’s a different story with a youngster, especially one who hasn’t experienced such tactics. It works like a charm every time.’
He had tried this on young people countless times, always with excellent results. Naturally, he would now employ the same old trick on Yang Chan.
’Once Yang Chan is dead set on going to the Merak Sacred Land, how could Gu An possibly stop him?’
’Even if Gu An succeeds in stopping him, a rift will form between them. The next time I try, I’ll surely succeed.’
As for how this would affect Gu An, that had little to do with him.
His current goal was to strengthen Chiyu Peak within the Merak Sacred Land, which, in his view, was securing a better long-term future for all Cyan Yuan Sect Members.
In Lü Zhenghai’s eyes, the future of the Cyan Yuan Sect lay in the Merak Sacred Land. Besides, the Cyan Yuan Sect was founded by a disciple of the Merak Sacred Land in the first place. Now, they were simply returning to their parent sect.
It was just that, compared to others, their attention was naturally still on the Cyan Yuan Sect, and they wanted to bring it along to grow and prosper together.
Upon hearing Lü Zhenghai’s words, Gu An nodded. "As long as you know the limits. After all, the Sect doesn’t have many Direct Disciples right now. If you took them all, it would create a talent gap. A shortage of successors is not a good sign!"
It was a good sign that Lü Zhenghai wasn’t planning to drain the pond just to catch all the fish.
"I won’t forbid you from contacting Yang Chan, but do not force him. If he doesn’t want to go, he’ll stay in the Cyan Yuan Sect. He will go to the Merak Sacred Land eventually."
"I don’t want our relationship to become too strained, so on this matter, you must also be mindful of the proper limits. Don’t go too far!"
Gu An had guessed Lü Zhenghai’s intentions not long after he finished speaking. In truth, if their positions were reversed, he would do the same. Therefore, he didn’t stop him, merely offering a reminder.
As for Yang Chan’s choice, he had spoken with him and had a general understanding of his situation. He knew Yang Chan basically had no plans to enter the Merak Sacred Land at this time.
And after hearing about the situation in the Merak Sacred Land today, he felt Yang Chan’s decision would only become firmer, as things in the Holy Land were not yet stable.
Liu Xuan’s Chiyu Peak was still being targeted and lacked the power to protect itself. Joining the Merak Sacred Land at this time would likely lead to being targeted, and they would have no way to deal with it.
Therefore, joining the Merak Sacred Land now was actually somewhat dangerous. From his understanding of Yang Chan, he only liked to practice Alchemy in peace and did not enjoy such perilous environments.
As for the materials needed for Alchemy, he had already promised to give Yang Chan another batch of ingredients to attempt refining the Seven Revolutions Nourishing Organ Pill after some time, along with a supply of other Spiritual Materials. Thus, he felt Yang Chan had no reason to agree to go to the Merak Sacred Land right now.
Of course, nothing was absolute. If Yang Chan chose to go to the Merak Sacred Land of his own volition, Gu An would agree, as there was no need to leave a bad impression on him over it.
Preventing Lü Zhenghai from contacting Yang Chan would be an unwise move. Of course, he wouldn’t just ignore it either. He mentioned the "proper limits"—as long as it was within a reasonable scope and Yang Chan chose to go willingly, he had no problem with it. But if Lü Zhenghai tried to use force, he would not allow it.
This way, he could leave the best possible impression. It was the path to a long-lasting relationship!