"Master, I can't practice anymore…"
An Xin approached Gu An, her voice weary as she spoke with visible fatigue.
Gu An came back to his senses, nodded slightly, and then stood up, signaling An Xin and the Blood Prison Saint to follow him.
"Master, do you think the Immortal Dynasty and the Sacred Court will eventually go to war? Everyone outside is saying that the world is on the brink of major upheaval," An Xin asked curiously, walking alongside Gu An.
The Immortal Dynasty had garnered immense reverence among the people ever since the Primordial Void Ancestor blessed the masses, rapidly elevating its status. To the majority of living beings now, the Immortal Dynasty seemed even mightier than the Sacred Court.
If the Immortal Dynasty were to defeat the Sacred Court, it would usher in an entirely new era!
"Perhaps, but it's not something that concerns us. For now, the Tai Cang Continent isn't involved in such conflicts," Gu An replied.
As he gazed at the distant celestial light layers, Gu An felt that his actions had inadvertently delayed the conflict between the Immortal Dynasty and the Sacred Court.
With the entire Heavenly Spirit World wary of the Desolation Domain, it was unlikely they would recklessly initiate a war.
Amused by the thought, Gu An quietly praised himself for his "greatness." Even breaking through could inadvertently contribute to world peace.
Of course, such peace might last only decades, maybe a century or two, but for mortal beings, that was already a lifetime.
An Xin continued to bombard him with questions, brimming with curiosity about who was stronger: the Immortal Dynasty or the Sacred Court. Gu An refrained from making a definitive judgment, offering ambiguous answers instead. Unfazed, An Xin carried on speculating, and when she saw that Gu An didn't want to engage further, she turned to chat with the Blood Prison Saint.
In the days that followed, Gu An's divine sense frequently scanned the Desolation Domain, searching for the perfect moment to make his breakthrough.
The earlier disturbance he caused had drawn the attention of powerful beings near the Heavenly Spirit World. Both the Heavenly Spirit World and the forces within the Desolation Domain were on edge. Many within the Desolation Domain mistakenly believed the Heavenly Spirit World was preparing to invade.
Autumn transitioned into winter, and the first snowfall of the year blanketed the land as expected.
Early in the winter season, Gu An brought An Xin to Mortal Peak. An Xin dutifully stepped aside to begin her cultivation.
Before long, Zhu Xinglan arrived to visit Gu An.
"Master, there's been a thief on Mortal Peak recently," Zhu Xinglan reported with a grave expression.
Gu An raised an eyebrow, surprised. "A thief? Were there any injuries?"
"No injuries, but many herb gardens were raided. Even the medicine garden on Mortal Peak wasn't spared. Fortunately, it was limited to harvesting herbs—there wasn't any destruction. Even the Supreme Elder on the main peak couldn't track down the culprit. On top of that, we've heard rumors of celestial anomalies. Master, could this be the work of the Heavenly Demons?" Zhu Xinglan asked, his tone filled with concern.
The higher one stood, the more dangers one could perceive. With Heavenly Demons stirring outside and the Immortal Dynasty and Sacred Court at each other's throats, how could he not overthink things? Especially when there were Heavenly Demons hidden beneath Mortal Peak itself!
Gu An frowned slightly, pretending to calculate with his fingers.
Zhu Xinglan, recalling something, added, "Oh, and it's not just Mortal Peak. Other sects have reported similar incidents—herbs mysteriously harvested without any clue as to who's behind it."
"How many times has this happened on Mortal Peak?" Gu An inquired.
"Just once."
"Then let's wait and see. It might just be a false alarm."
"Perhaps," Zhu Xinglan agreed, nodding.
Reassured, Zhu Xinglan began discussing the situation on Ding Tian Peak.
After a brief conversation, Zhu Xinglan took his leave, and Gu An returned to enjoying his rare leisure. With tensions running high across the realm, there was no need for him to rush to harvest any more herbs. The one billion years of lifespan he had accumulated should be sufficient for his breakthrough.
After reading for a while, Gu An's gaze drifted toward the sky.
Through his divine sense, he observed a fierce battle unfolding in the Desolation Domain. The combatants were Divine Thought True Immortals, neither of whom originated from the Heavenly Spirit World.
Living beings born in the Desolation Domain were distinctly different from those in the Heavenly Spirit World, with an aura that set them apart. It was easy to distinguish them as Heavenly Demons.
Gu An watched intently, curious to see how these Divine Thought True Immortals fared compared to the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor.
The fighting style of the combatants mirrored the ruthless efficiency of the simulated Sun and Moon Nether Emperor—each move was fatal, every strike carrying an air of deep-seated hatred.
After observing for a while, Gu An concluded that these two were weaker than the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor. Even if they joined forces, they likely wouldn't stand a chance against him.
No wonder the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor had been able to storm the Sacred Court from the Yin-Yang Domain, rob the Reincarnation Dao Emperor of his soul jade, and leave unscathed.
Gu An speculated that there must be some karmic entanglement between the Reincarnation Dao Emperor and the Sacred Court. Otherwise, the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor wouldn't have been able to retrieve the soul jade so effortlessly.
By the time Gu An and An Xin returned to the Tai Xuan Sect, the two Divine Thought True Immortals were still locked in combat, with no clear victor in sight.
As night fell, Gu An sat in his pavilion, reading by the light of a nearby fire. A kettle of wine warmed atop the stove, creating a cozy atmosphere amidst the cold of winter.
The door suddenly swung open, and Ji Xiaoya strode in.
"Why don't you knock?" Gu An asked without looking up, a playful idea forming in his mind.
He entertained a whimsical thought of capturing Xuan Tianyi and locking him in a room, forcing him to write books every day. With such talent for storytelling, cultivation felt like a waste for him.
Ji Xiaoya closed the door behind her and walked over to the table, seating herself across from Gu An. "You've changed recently. Your demeanor feels… different. Are you cultivating some kind of unusual technique?" she asked, her tone tinged with curiosity.
Gu An glanced at her and replied, "Because I enjoy reading. Books nourish the spirit."
Ji Xiaoya chuckled, her gaze falling on The Adventures of Green Hero. With a smirk, she said, "Books like this can nourish the spirit? It's fortunate your cultivation isn't too high. Otherwise, you'd be a calamity to the world."
Gu An put the book away with a deliberate cough and asked, "Do you have something to discuss?"
Ever since Ji Xiaoya absorbed the soul jade from the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor, her cultivation had advanced at a terrifying pace. Now, she had reached the Ninth Layer of the Void Crossing Realm.
And she was only 263 years old.
"I plan to leave for a few years. I'll depart tomorrow morning," Ji Xiaoya said casually, her eyes scanning the room.
"What for?"
"To break through."
"Another breakthrough? What's your current cultivation?"
Seeing Gu An's shocked expression, Ji Xiaoya's lips curved upward. She met his gaze and spoke softly, "Ninth Layer of the Void Crossing Realm, preparing to ascend to the Body Fusion Realm."
Gu An's eyes widened in astonishment as he murmured, "You're almost catching up with Wu Jue."
"That's what happens when you slack off in cultivation. The gap between us will only grow wider," Ji Xiaoya replied with a hint of reproach.
She had assumed Gu An's recent change in demeanor was due to cultivating some extraordinary technique, but it seemed she had expected too much.
Gu An retorted defensively, "I'm at least at the Nascent Soul Realm! A Nascent Soul cultivator at 400 years old—how am I not a genius? I was just born in the wrong era. If I had lived a few hundred years ago, Tai Xuan Sect would have made me a legend!"
Ji Xiaoya shook her head and laughed. "Have you ever considered that your current achievements are only possible because Tai Xuan Sect has grown stronger? When comparing talent, it's not about comparing yourself to your past self—it's about comparing yourself to those around you."
Gu An gave an awkward laugh, unable to respond.
Seeing his expression, Ji Xiaoya's heart softened. She decided not to tease him further and asked, "Is there anything you need me to bring back for you?"
"No, I don't need anything," Gu An replied.
The two fell into casual conversation, talking about whatever came to mind. There was no awkwardness, just a comfortable exchange of words.
It felt almost like an old married couple...
Cough, cough!
What am I thinking?! Gu An chided himself inwardly, then focused his thoughts.
Out of curiosity, Gu An decided to peek into Ji Xiaoya's karmic threads. Since reaching the Ninth Layer of the Free Immortal Realm, his understanding of karma and fate had grown significantly. He could now glimpse the development of Ji Xiaoya's fate over the next thousand years.
While her destiny was fraught with variables, there was one undeniable overlap with others—she would be drawn into the war between the Immortal Dynasty and the Sacred Court.
In the future, this conflict would engulf the entire world, including Tai Xuan Sect. The sect would side with the Sacred Court, largely because the Sword Sovereign of Support had already joined the Sacred Court. The Sacred Court would undoubtedly strengthen its ties with Tai Xuan Sect to ensure the Sword Sovereign remained firmly in their camp.
Through Tai Xuan Sect's collective fate, Gu An saw glimpses of the future. Yet he felt no need to intervene or alter anything. Instead, he experienced a sense of detachment, as though standing outside the world, observing its inevitable course.
At first glance, all living beings seemed to follow the script laid out by fate. But Gu An, with his ability to foresee and even alter these outcomes, felt a strange satisfaction in his transcendence.
After an hour of conversation, Ji Xiaoya finally left.
Gu An stood and walked to the fire. Picking up the wine pot, he poured himself a drink.
Ji Xiaoya was preparing for a breakthrough, and so was he. A dual celebration was in order. Tonight, he would indulge a little.
Early the next morning, Ji Xiaoya departed from the Third Medicine Valley.
After accompanying his disciples in their morning exercises, Gu An also left. First, he lingered for a while in Xuan Valley before making his move.
He employed the Extreme Transformation of the Void technique to conceal his form. Coupled with the Dao Aspect Divine Sense Art, which hid his presence and karma, he slipped through the celestial light layers unnoticed by the great cultivators stationed there and headed straight for the Desolation Domain.
This time, Gu An chose a different direction.
Before long, he reached the Desolation Domain and landed within a swirling nebula.
He could sense living beings moving in every direction. The two Divine Thought True Immortals from earlier were still locked in combat.
But Gu An could no longer afford to delay. He had to break through.
Sitting cross-legged, he activated his lifespan barrier and summoned his attribute panel.
Name: Gu An
Lifespan: 419 / 1,004,613,224
Physique: Hunyuan Refining Void Physique
Cultivation: Ninth Layer of the Free Immortal Realm
"One billion years of lifespan should be enough for a breakthrough!" Gu An reassured himself, though a trace of worry lingered. This time, he decided not to enhance his divine abilities or techniques. Instead, he would channel everything into advancing his realm.
After all, the potential for growth in techniques and abilities was limitless. But his priority now was his cultivation level—there was no reason to wait any longer.
No hesitation. If one billion years weren't enough, he would simply wait and try again!
Resolute, Gu An focused his gaze on the cultivation section of his attribute panel.
Invest one hundred million years of lifespan!
[You practiced Qi absorption for two million years. Using your profound mastery of the Eternal Great Infinite Art, you forcibly attempted to ascend to the Dao Fruit Realm. You began your tribulation, but you failed to endure the Heavenly Dao Taiyi Divine Origin Tribulation. Your tribulation failed.]
[You practiced Qi absorption for four million years. Using your profound mastery of the Eternal Great Infinite Art, you forcibly attempted to ascend to the Dao Fruit Realm. You began your tribulation, but you failed to endure the Heavenly Dao Taiyi Divine Origin Tribulation. Your tribulation failed.]
What the—?!
"Two million years per tribulation attempt? The leap is that massive?" Gu An's eyelid twitched.
But the thought of Long Zhan's power after his breakthrough steadied Gu An's resolve.
Two million years? So what? He had one billion years to gamble with!
One prompt after another flashed across his mind. Gu An deliberately ignored the details, focusing only on the length of the notifications.
No change.
After exhausting a full one hundred million years of lifespan, he still hadn't broken through.
Taking a deep breath, Gu An invested another one hundred million years of lifespan!