Chapter 576: Chapter 571: The First Calamity, Dao Court
Gu An and Su Jin accompanied Bai Sheng on his way to the Imperial City, with laughter and joy along the way; Bai Sheng had never been so happy. During this period, Gu An would use a clone to replace himself while his real body went to pick medicinal herbs.
Su Jin was a ten-thousand-year-old Great Demon, already in the Nirvana Realm, but still had not seen through the switch between Gu An’s true body and his clone.
In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.
They had not yet reached the Imperial City, and with two years until the examination, Bai Sheng was not in a hurry; he had set out early, wanting to travel and expand his horizons.
On this day, the rain drizzled incessantly.
Bai Sheng and Gu An came to a small pavilion in the mountains to rest, and Su Jin leaped out of the bookcase, perched on Bai Sheng’s shoulder, and licked his face as if trying to help him wipe the rainwater away.
…
Bai Sheng had grown accustomed to her affection and didn’t pay it much mind; he was discussing the local customs and culture with Gu An. Although it was his first visit, he had read about this place in books and was very excited; the rainy weather did not dampen his spirits.
Gu An held the Wine Gourd in his hand, drinking while listening to Bai Sheng talk about the past and present, discussing the masterpieces that had been born here and the stories that were worth singing and weeping over.
When Bai Sheng had talked until his mouth was dry and his throat parched, Gu An tossed him the Wine Gourd; Bai Sheng caught it and poured it directly into his mouth.
“I’ve heard that there are ghosts and apparitions around here, but I don’t know if it’s true or not. I’ve practiced martial arts for over thirty years, yet I’ve never seen a demon or ghost.”
Gu An, with the Cyan Hong Sword in hand, spoke eagerly.
Su Jin couldn’t help but roll her eyes at him, feeling that he was overestimating himself.
She really wanted to speak, but she was afraid of scaring Bai Sheng.
Bai Sheng said with a laugh, “If there is, I would like to meet one too.”
“You’re as weak as a chicken—aren’t you scared of ghosts?”
“One eventually dies; rather than living a quiet life, never seeing ghosts or demons, I wouldn’t regret or be afraid even if I died under the claws of a demon or ghost.”
Bai Sheng replied with an untroubled laugh, his eyes shining.
Gu An felt that Bai Sheng seemed frail, but in fact, he was full of energy, interested in everything, and full of fighting spirit.
This guy had a tenacity inherent in his bones, truly worthy of being the reincarnation of a Celestial Spirit God.
The Celestial Spirit God, despite different origins in each reincarnation, would retain some of the original personality traits. That was also why Bai Sheng could attract Su Jin’s attention.
Gu An said with a smile, “You should practice martial arts, not just study.”
Bai Sheng stood up, holding the Wine Gourd and assumed a pose, executing a set of awkward Fist Technique, then said proudly, “Isn’t it better to excel in both literature and martial arts? Why don’t you teach me a set of Swordsmanship? I think swords complement poetry.”
“Alright, let’s start now.”
“Really?”
Hearing Gu An’s words, Bai Sheng was overjoyed and immediately dragged Gu An to practice swordsmanship.
After beginning sword training, Gu An was not all smiles and laughter with Bai Sheng, occasionally correcting Bai Sheng’s posture with the hilt of the sword, which angered Su Jin.
Once Bai Sheng was able to accept her, she’d make Gu An pay.
As she thought this, she saw Gu An applying more force, causing Bai Sheng to cry out in pain, which further annoyed her.
“If you’re afraid of pain, you can give up.”
“No problem, I can hold on!”
Gu An deliberately asked this, and upon hearing Bai Sheng’s reply, Su Jin could only bear with it.
In the days that followed, every time they rested, Bai Sheng would pester Gu An to practice swordsmanship.
In Su Jin’s view, this Sword Dao was quite ordinary; practicing it was a waste of time. She planned to teach Bai Sheng Immortal Cultivation later since only by stepping onto the Immortal Path could he stay with her forever.
Another half a year passed.
Spring had just begun.
Gu An and Bai Sheng arrived at the gates of the Imperial City, and seeing the majestic gates, Bai Sheng couldn’t help but raise his arms and cheer.
Su Jin, perched on his shoulder, squinted her fox-like eyes; she sensed a heavy demon qi.
There were demons in the city, it seemed trouble was brewing.
“As expected of the Imperial City under the Son of Heaven’s feet, majestic and imposing, the destination of the Celestial Mandate, this is the most prosperous place under heaven,” said Bai Sheng excitedly.
Gu An smiled and said, “There are not only one Dynasty in this world; to speak of the Celestial Mandate like this is a bit presumptuous.”
Bai Sheng glanced at Gu An and asked, “Have you been to other dynasties?”
“No.”
“Then let’s first believe that this is the greatest city.”
Bai Sheng lifted his bookcase and strode toward the Imperial City. As he walked, he turned back to ask Gu An the purpose of his visit to the Imperial City.
Gu An was evasive, which made Su Jin even more vigilant.
The crowd in front of the city gate was vast; they blended into it and quickly vanished from sight.
At the same time,
On the other side of the Human World.
Li Ya stood atop a mountain, looking down at the valley below, where weeds sprawled wildly with the faint outline of ancient attic buildings visible.
This was Profound Valley, his first residence when he joined the Supreme Sect years ago.
Li Ya gazed at the valley, looking lost in thought.
A figure approached from behind him, it was Long Qing.
“Elder Li, should I have someone tidy this up?” Long Qing asked, weariness apparent in his features.
With the impending assault from the Battle Court drawing near, his cultivation grew more arduous; he would not have left his practice had Li Ya not returned.
Li Ya still wore his black garments, with stubble on his face and his hair casually tied, exuding the air of a wanderer from the Martial World, not that of someone from Immortal Cultivation.
“No need, I’m just taking a glance. You don’t need to accompany me especially; I will be leaving soon,” Li Ya replied softly as he overlooked Profound Valley.
In his eyes, the weeds in the valley disappeared, replaced by fields of Medicinal Herbs. He saw three young boys playing and frolicking.
After hearing this, Long Qing nodded slightly and then turned to leave.
He could tell that Li Ya was preoccupied, but he had no intention of prying; could any worry be greater than his own life and death?
As the millennia passed, Long Qing grew increasingly uneasy, always harboring the feeling of an impending calamity.
After Long Qing departed, Li Ya remained in the same place, deep in thought.
The Divine Exotic Immortal Spirit appeared on his shoulder and said, “Still looking, huh? The master isn’t dead; he just left.”
“I’m not worried about him. I just wanted to take one last look at this place before leaving. I might never return,” Li Ya answered.
Hearing this, the Divine Exotic Immortal Spirit cocked its head, asking in surprise, “Where exactly are you going? You still won’t tell me? Ever since you practiced that Miracle Skill, I can’t hear your inner thoughts. Living inside you, I feel like an outsider.”
Towards the end, its tone was of a complaint.
“I’m heading to Outer Heaven. Where exactly, I’m not sure. I want to follow Gu An’s steps, and also look for Zhang Buku. Didn’t you say that the power of the Divine Exotic Realm Master still exists? Maybe Zhang Buku is still alive.”
With that, Li Ya turned and looked up at the Celestial Vault.
He leaped up, transforming into a beam of sword light, piercing the sky.
As he soared further from the ground, the blue of the Celestial Vault darkened to black, stars emerged and quickly became resplendent.
Suddenly,
A powerful force of Mana descended from above, and Li Ya’s eyes narrowed as a sword materialized in front of him, its blade facing forward, forcefully severing this Mana.
“Stop!”
A shout thundered from the heavens, causing Li Ya to slow down.
He squinted and saw a man in Silver Armor, spear in hand, rapidly stopping thousands of feet above him.
“Without the Celestial Dao Order, you are not allowed to leave the Celestial Spirit Great World!” the Silver Armor man pronounced, looking down at Li Ya with a commanding voice.
Li Ya scoffed and asked, “The Celestial Dao Order? Since when does the Celestial Spirit Great World have such a rule?”
He was filled with confusion; for the past three thousand years, he had been secluded in Sword Enlightenment, and upon leaving seclusion, he did not hear of any Celestial Dao Order.
But the other’s tone, daring to regulate the entire Celestial Spirit Great World, was enough evidence of his extraordinary background, which Li Ya found ludicrous.
The Great World had just been reshaped, and such a powerful force had emerged?
Could it be that an Outer Heaven Power had descended and ruled the Celestial Spirit Great World in a very short time?
The Silver Armor man replied, “This Celestial Rule has been established for a thousand years, set by the Dao Court. I advise you not to act rashly. Above me, there is a Free Immortal who guards. Even if you pass me, you will not reach Outer Heaven. Should you injure me, it will be seen as a challenge to the Dao Court, and you will be doomed never to transcend!”
The Dao Court?
Li Ya frowned. He had only been detached from the mundane for three thousand years; how had the Dao Court suddenly emerged?
Upon further thought, he realized that today’s Great World was vast and boundless. Even three thousand years ago, his knowledge of the world had been superficial, and he certainly was not aware of its full extent; perhaps the Dao Court was the overlord from another side of the world.
“What purpose does such a Celestial Rule serve? To trap all beings within this world?” Li Ya asked mockingly.
The Silver Armor man’s brows furrowed and said, “Your sword is no trivial matter, you must be a Great Power that commands respect. You must have lived from the previous Era until now. Let me tell you, a terrible calamity is approaching. It will be the first calamity since the Primordial Era to affect the entire Great World. Going to Outer Heaven at this time will only lead to one’s demise. The Dao Court is looking out for your welfare, wanting to gather the power of the Great World, to collectively resist the threat from Outer Heaven.”