Since being informed of his potential by Gu An, Long Qing stopped cultivating his physical body, instead he began to settle his mind and feel the foundation of his own being. Shen Xinzi had no objections to this.
Shen Xinzi felt that he was not worthy to teach Long Qing. He appeared calm on the outside but was very lost at heart.
Having stayed in the Third Medicine Valley for hundreds of years, he had seen through nothing and learned nothing.
Autumn gave way to winter.
Snow fell from the sky, plunging the Great Heaven and Earth into an expanse of whiteness.
That day, after the morning exercises were over, Gu An stood by the wooden rail admiring the snowscape. The snowflakes landing on his body turned into mist, swirling around him.
His eyes were fixed on the garden, but his Divine Thought was cast towards Outer Heaven.
An anomaly had appeared in the Reincarnation Vortex!
After Gu An’s breakthrough, the Reincarnation Rules within the Vortex had been constantly changing. He couldn’t tell whether it was because of him or simply a coincidence.
It was likely due to his traveling back and forth through the Reincarnation Vortex. He had caused a great upheaval in a universe’s path, which in turn affected the Reincarnation Vortex.
He wasn’t worried, though. Even the greatest anomaly in the Reincarnation Vortex would hardly pose a threat to the Xuan Yuan Zizai Xian.
He speculated that beings from other universes would come to the Great Heavenly Spirit Land, which was undoubtedly a disaster for the Great Heaven and Earth.
While he was contemplating, An Xin arrived at his side. She mentioned Long Qing – the boy had been sitting still under the Mystic Pure Tree for a month, and she was afraid he might go mad.
“It’s fine, it’s not been that long. Sometimes it’s good to think things through,” Gu An said casually. Long Qing was born in the Nirvana Realm; Gu An had merely sealed his cultivation level. Now, it seemed that Long Qing was rapidly growing stronger when, in fact, he was merely recovering his original strength.
After hearing this, An Xin couldn’t help but ask, “Master, how high is his potential, really? How does it compare to my senior and junior brothers?”
Gu An replied, “In terms of innate talent, he is stronger, but your senior brother has a sharper intuition.”
In Gu An’s eyes, what was truly terrifying about An Hao was his intuition. Not only did he cultivate quickly, but he also had an astonishing understanding of spells and Divine Skills.
He had been imprisoned by the Immortal Dynasty but had not delayed his cultivation at all, and he was not far from reaching the Nirvana Realm.
He even anticipated the commotion An Hao would cause in the Immortal Dynasty once he reached the Nirvana Realm and looked forward to it.
“That amazing?” An Xin widened her eyes in astonishment.
Before Gu An had revealed Long Qing’s potential, she had always had sympathy for him.
What use was physical strength without Spiritual Power?
“Then why…” An Xin asked cautiously.
Gu An glanced at her and chuckled, “You’re right, I’m intentionally forging him.”
Just as she thought!
An Xin knew that Gu An was an expert in the Sealing Technique. The Blood Prison Great Saint was an example – a mighty Mahayana being suppressed to such a state, and others were completely unaware of Gu An’s sealing methods.
Suddenly, she felt relieved and said with a laugh, “This kid is already arrogant enough. Without restrictions, he could make a huge mess indeed.”
Gu An looked up, noticing that the Reincarnation Vortex was changing, expanding rapidly. Your next read awaits at empire
While An Xin was still pondering Long Qing’s temperament, figures emerged from the Reincarnation Vortex, all humanoid but with Demonic Qi, ghostly energy, and Demon Energy.
They quickly lined up, turning their gaze towards the Great Heavenly Spirit Land.
Their cultivation levels were high. Although none were Free Immortals, the weakest among them were Dao Void Mysterious Immortals.
Gu An could sense that Free Immortals were rushing here from the Reincarnation Vortex.
He couldn’t help but calculate the major trends of the world, and the images of the future came into his vision.
He saw some troubling scenes.
“Destiny, huh…”
Gu An thought to himself but outwardly nodded along with An Xin, talking about Long Qing.
After a long while.
An Xin bid her farewell and did not disturb Gu An any further.
Gu An continued to watch Outer Heaven. He saw the Holy Court and the Immortal Dynasty dispatch a large number of cultivators to investigate.
The three forces coexisted under the outer layer of light without clashing, at least for the time being; further probing would be needed later on.
Gu An turned and flew towards the Outer Gate City.
He was preparing to release the Immortal Cultivation version of “Dream of the Red Chamber,” following the “Romance of the Three Kingdoms.” Many in the Immortal Cultivation World awaited Pan An’s fine work with anticipation.
Writing was no longer a source of profit for Gu An. Instead, he was more interested in sharing and reminiscing, passing down the works of earth literature to the Immortal Cultivation World to have beings remember for him.
An Ancient Hour later, Gu An left the Book Collection Hall under the respectful farewell of its disciples.
He decided not to leave the city immediately, choosing instead to continue wandering the streets.
Strolling through the streets was also his hobby; by glimpsing the cause and effect of passersby, he could further enhance his understanding of fate and destiny.
As always, Gu An would encounter acquaintances.
Although his mindset had changed, his attitude towards others had not; he remained friendly and enthusiastic.
Gradually, Gu An arrived near the Heavenly Repair Platform. From a distance, he saw many people gathered around the Heaven-Cutting Axe. Even on the platform, there was a Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal, who concealed his cultivation and appeared very ordinary, unable to draw attention, at least on the Heavenly Repair Platform.
Zuo Yijian stood steadfast beside the Heaven-Cutting Axe, straight as a rod. Like a faithful devotee, he had not brought any benefit to Gu An, but his dedication and perseverance moved him.
After all, the stronger Zuo Yijian became, the more he underscored the might of the Sword Venerable Fudao.
Gu An stepped onto the Heavenly Repair Platform, making his way through the crowd towards the Heaven-Cutting Axe.
Even on the platform, Gu An would encounter acquaintances, necessitating some small talk. By the time he reached the Heaven-Cutting Axe, half an incense stick’s time had passed.
Zuo Yijian saw Gu An and smiled; a rare sight on his stern face. He greeted Gu An proactively, asking, “What brings you here today?”
Gu An replied, “I’ve been to the Book Collection Hall.”
Zuo Yijian’s eyes lit up as he asked, “Could it be a new book?”
He knew that Gu An was the author of Investiture of the Gods, of which he was a dedicated reader. It was the work he read the most, but he also greatly enjoyed Journey to the West and Romance of the Three Kingdoms.
Gu An did not conceal anything and nodded in response, which thrilled Zuo Yijian.
At that moment, a cultivator who had been trying to pull out the Heaven-Cutting Axe failed. He released his grip, stepped back three paces, and remarked with emotion, “The legacy of Sword Venerable Fudao truly is not easy to obtain, even I, a Wandering Immortal, could not succeed.”
Wandering Immortal!
A stir went through the crowd, and someone complained in a low voice, “Can this legacy really be obtained by someone?”
As soon as these words were spoken, he faced criticism from those around him.
“Couldn’t you feel the Sword Intent of Sword Venerable Fudao when you were on the platform?”
“That’s right, even if you can’t obtain Sword Venerable Fudao’s legacy, at least you can experience his Sword Intent, which is a great honor.”
“Sword Venerable Fudao is so formidable; if his legacy were obtained within a few hundred years, it wouldn’t seem as precious.”
“That just means the fated person hasn’t arrived yet. I really look forward to that day. When it comes, the commotion caused by the Heaven-Cutting Axe will surely shake heaven and earth.”
Gu An listened to the discussions around him and reflected inwardly. Was he being too harsh?
Without speaking of someone’s talent, to pull up the Heaven-Cutting Axe, one must at least possess the cultivation level of a Free Immortal…
Due to the appearance of the Sun and Moon Netherworld Emperor, Gu An had quietly strengthened the Mana within the Heaven-Cutting Axe, so none but a Free Immortal could shake the Heaven-Cutting Axe.
He had originally planned to ease the conditions when the destined one arrived, but as it stood, finding someone who met his criteria seemed difficult.
Nevermind, it was just as well if no one obtained it. A legacy that stands for ten thousand years, a million years—that would become legend, embodying even deeper foundations.
“Do you want to give it a try?” Zuo Yijian asked Gu An.
In the meantime, someone else approached and grabbed the axe handle of the Heaven-Cutting Axe, but just like the person before, no matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t move the Heaven-Cutting Axe one bit.
Most people who came to the Heavenly Repair Platform were there to feel the power of Sword Venerable Fudao, and even if they failed, they had no regrets. As such, those who failed to obtain the legacy left with excitement.
“Forget it, what I really want to ask is, what are you seeking by staying here so long?”
Gu An looked at Zuo Yijian and asked with a smile on his face, as if making small talk.
After hearing the question, Zuo Yijian shook his head and said, “What can I seek? Being here allows me to comprehend the Sword Dao, and I am already content.”
“Sword Dao, huh?”
Gu An murmured then cupped his hands and turned to leave.
Zuo Yijian saw Gu An walk away in confusion and was about to speak when…
Boom!
A majestic Sword Intent rose from beneath his feet, engulfing his entire body and lifting his robes upwards, fluttering as if they would burst at any moment.
Zuo Yijian’s face changed dramatically, his eyes filled with surprise and joy.
His gaze followed Gu An, who was walking away with his back toward him.
All around, there was a sound of astonishment as everyone watched him in shock; only Gu An, turning his back on the crowd and not turning around, seemed out of place—as if he were in another dimension.
Could it be…
Zuo Yijian’s eyes widened; Gu An had just inquired about his aspirations, and now he had received the Sword Intent of Sword Venerable Fudao. It couldn’t be a coincidence.
At that moment, Zuo Yijian felt a familiar Sword Intent emanating from Gu An.
The Sword Intent of Sword Venerable Fudao!
And it was even stronger than his own…
It could only be…
Zuo Yijian was shocked and excited. He felt no anger at being deceived by a junior; instead, he was pleasantly surprised.
Because he liked Investiture of the Gods, he had always held a wonderful fantasy about Pan An, and he had been saddened for a long time upon learning that Gu An was Pan An.
Now, knowing Pan An was Sword Venerable Fudao, how could he not be thrilled?
He didn’t believe Gu An was a few hundred years old. He must be some old monster in disguise.
The thought of how well he had treated Gu An over the years filled him with a sense of excitement.
Perhaps he had the chance to take Sword Venerable Fudao as his master.
As he watched Gu An walk in the opposite direction of the crowd, Zuo Yijian was filled with infinite longing.
Such capability, yet content to cultivate here—what an extraordinary state of mind!
The cultivators from all sides marveled at Zuo Yijian’s fortune, as the vast Sword Intent of Sword Venerable Fudao was directed only at him, clearly a reward.
More and more disciples of the Supreme Sect appeared as if from nowhere, gathering atop the Heavenly Repair Platform. They saw Zuo Yijian enveloped in Sword Intent and couldn’t help but feel delighted.
Whoever received the guidance of Sword Venerable Fudao was a treasured asset for the Supreme Sect, and as a community of shared interests, how could they not rejoice?
Rumbling—
A suppressive roar echoed through the sky, causing all the creatures of heaven and earth to look up, but the cultivators on the Heavenly Repair Platform were not concerned, assuming it was an anomaly caused by the Sword Intent of Sword Venerable Fudao.
Walking through the crowd, Gu An paused and looked up, his brow lifting.
“Is this power from the past?”
Gu An thought curiously. His Divine Thought pierced through the sky, peering into the Reincarnation Vortex beyond.
A powerful entity was descending, one that could directly threaten the safety of the Great Heavenly Spirit Land!