Chapter 589: Chapter 582: An Unprecedented Golden Age
Gu An hadn’t immediately left after his breakthrough, instead, he stood within the Life Span Barrier and began to observe the Abyss Dao Sea.
After reaching the level of a Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal, the Abyss Dao Sea appeared much clearer in Gu An’s eyes.
The number of worlds and beings within the Abyss Dao Sea far exceeded those in the universe where the Celestial Spirit Great World was located, and by more than tenfold.
Stronger Dao Rules, more opportunities for creation, this was enough to nurture even more terrifying entities.
As a mere Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal, Gu An had already located three others, one residing in the Abyss Emperor City, and the others hidden in the shadows.
In places with independent consciousness, conflicts easily arose, and these three Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortals were clearly not united; their destinies hindered each other, dividing the central region of the Abyss Dao Sea into three parts.
…
Besides observing the forces within the Abyss Dao Sea, Gu An was also curious about the creations in this place.
There were many peculiar races living there, some invisible to the naked eye, existing within the Dao itself, and others were beings formed by thousands of meteors converging together, constantly changing shapes.
Bizarre and marvelous, a plethora of new and strange phenomena assaulted Gu An’s Heart Eye.
Seeing new things also allowed Gu An to deepen his understanding of the Dao.
As a Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal, the essence of his mana was completely different from that of a Golden Immortal, contrasted as starkly as cloud and mud. Although there was more creation and Profound Mystery from being a Taiqing Golden Immortal to a Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal, what Gu An felt most was sheer power.
Pure power!
Physical body, soul, senses, mana, etc., no aspect was lacking, powerful in every way!
A Taiqing Golden Immortal couldn’t possibly annihilate a Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal!
Yes, it was simply impossible, the disparity in life essence was too enormous!
After this breakthrough, Gu An felt he could relax for a while, and enjoy the power of being a Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal.
Of course, this so-called relaxation was still predicated on having finished gathering medicinal herbs.
Even having reached the state of a Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal, Gu An did not want to stop his path to becoming stronger.
Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal was still not enough!
Gu An stood within the Life Span Barrier, gazing for a long time, before finally choosing to teleport back.
Above, many powerful figures flashed by, none noticing Gu An’s departure.
…
Upon returning to the Daoist Field of the Beginningless, it was still before dawn, and Gu An roamed within the forest, using his Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal senses to feel the universe.
After the breakthrough, he had only two hundred billion years left on his life span, which might seem almost eternal to mortals, but it felt perilous to him.
He would need at least two trillion years of life span before he dared to challenge a higher realm.
He even felt that two trillion years might not be enough!
As long as the Abyss Dao Sea and the Celestial Court did not come seeking him, Gu An had plenty of time to endure, and he hoped not to encounter any situation that required his intervention over the next million, no, ten million years.
When the sun rose, Gu An began to inspect his various medicine gardens. His disciples all felt he had changed somehow, though they couldn’t pinpoint exactly what was different.
In the end, the disciples could only assume that after Gu An had helped his descendants break free of fate, he had shed some pressures, hence the perceived changes.
It wasn’t until midday that Gu An left the dojo.
He stepped in front of Jiang Qiong, giving her a fright.
After a mild complaint, Jiang Qiong joyfully hosted Gu An, pulling him into her own medicine garden. This garden was planted with spirit trees similar to peach trees, filled with pink blossoms and exceptionally beautiful.
After they sat down, Jiang Qiong poured wine for Gu An and asked, “Was that figure in the sky before you? Although the clothes were different, I recognized you immediately.”
Gu An smiled and said, “It was me, and it was not me. That was just my past life. The descendants of my past life gathered the Bloodline Dharma Aspect and summoned my former self.”
Over the years, though Jiang Qiong hadn’t cultivated in the Daoist Field of the Beginningless, she was always cared for by Gu An. Sometimes, she would inexplicably gain enlightenment. She wasn’t foolish, she didn’t think it was because her talent was outstanding, she knew it was Gu An looking after her.
Gu An never said, and she never asked.
Compared to breakthroughs in cultivation level, what made her happiest was that Gu An still thought of her.
“Past life? With such high cultivation, how far back does your past life date?” Jiang Qiong asked curiously.
Gu An answered ambiguously, trying his best to satisfy all her curiosity.
Looking upon Jiang Qiong, who was clad in white and resembled a Celestial Maiden, Gu An could not help but think back to their first encounter more than 20,000 years ago, where Jiang Qiong had been in such a sorry state, almost like a zombie.
Over the years, her demeanor had become increasingly remarkable, save for one flaw.
She still disliked wearing shoes, going barefoot instead.
Seemingly noticing Gu An’s gaze, Jiang Qiong didn’t blush but huffed, “I only dress so casually within my own Dojo. Outside, I am the founding elder of the Gathering Flower Sect, and I must maintain a certain demeanor.”
Gu An smiled and asked, “How has the Gathering Flower Sect been developing recently?”
He was well aware of the situation, but he still asked Jiang Qiong.
Compared to Jiang Qiong, he practically knew everything, yet when interacting with people, conversation was essential.
Jiang Qiong also cherished the opportunity to interact with Gu An and began speaking about the development of the Gathering Flower Sect.
As the Supreme Sect grew stronger, the Sects on the continent either submitted or relocated. The Gathering Flower Sect chose the latter, and the Supreme Sect didn’t make things difficult for them, even providing some resources.
The Gathering Flower Sect was now situated on an archipelago and had developed trade islands similar to Immortal Seeking Island. There were no powerful Sects nearby, the only threats being the occasional appearance of Great Demons in the sea, causing losses to the Sect.
Jiang Qiong had become a laid-back shopkeeper, frequently in seclusion, and seldom bothered by issues.
“The development is stable, but it’s just too stable, which seems to lack prospects,” Jiang Qiong remarked.
Her unwillingness to leave the Gathering Flower Sect stemmed from the fact that it was a creation of her own, having built too many connections here, making it difficult for her to leave.
Gu An reassured her with a smile, “Don’t worry, numerous great opportunities will soon emerge in the world, and the Gathering Flower Sect will encounter them too. The key is to seize these opportunities.”
The opportunities he referred to were legacies from the Battle Court, half of which Gu An had dispersed across the soil and seabeds of the Human World.
Though it was only half, it was enough to turn the entire Celestial Spirit Great World upside down and push it to unprecedented heights.
Some of the Battle Court treasures, including Magic Artifacts, Cultivation Techniques, and rich Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures, were nearby in the ocean. Gu An had a preference for these, believing if the Gathering Flower Sect managed them well, they could become a top-tier Major Sect of the world in the future.
“Really?” Jiang Qiong asked with surprise.
Gu An smiled and replied, “Why would I deceive you? In a few thousand years, I will gift you a treasure that will grant you enough power to protect your own Sect.”
The higher his realm, the more nonchalantly Gu An behaved. He no longer pondered consequences too much and did whatever he wished, especially when it came to taking care of those close to him.
Hearing this, Jiang Qiong became even happier. She stood up, moved closer to Gu An, and reached for his chest with a giggle, “What day is today that you’re treating me so kindly, or could it be that you’ve finally been moved by mortal feelings and missed me?”
Gu An pushed her away and huffed, “Nonsense, I’m a reader of the Classics.”
“What are the Classics? Are they something low-class like the Supreme Secret Transmission?”
Hearing Jiang Qiong mention the Supreme Secret Transmission made Gu An somewhat tense.
“What Supreme Secret Transmission? I don’t know about it.”
“Hehe, I’ve heard its author, Shen Zhen, has a great relationship with you. What exactly do you do when you are alone, and what do you talk about? Can you share it with me?”
Jiang Qiong said coldly, her eyes full of mischief.
She wasn’t upset about Gu An’s quirks; instead, she felt that such quirks made Gu An seem more real.
Supporting Dao Sword Venerable was too strong and too high a level for her to comprehend.
Compared to the powerful Gu An, she preferred the careful and calculating Gu An of the past.
The two began to bicker, with Gu An continuously making excuses, which only spurred Jiang Qiong on.
Until night fell, Gu An chose to stay in Jiang Qiong’s Dojo and preach to her.
…
Deep in the cosmos among the stars, where stars dazzled and clouds of light surged in breahtaking beauty.
Palaces floated upon a massive cloud of light that resembled a spiral stairway, with countless buildings on its surface; these palaces appeared like specks of sand, yet each structure was incredibly vast.
On a cliff, Ji Xiaoyu was meditating in white clothes and a black robe. She wore a silver-beaded phoenix crown on her head, and a red Dao Pattern on her forehead made her appear even more mystical.
Suddenly, the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor appeared behind her, bowing respectfully with excitement, “Emperor Chen has foreseen that the Celestial Spirit Great World is about to encounter an unprecedented fortune. He hopes to move the Yin Yang Immortal Domain within the Celestial Spirit Great World, and the other two emperors have already agreed. Your Highness, it’s time for us to return!”
Hearing this, Ji Xiaoyu slowly opened her eyes, a flash of brilliance in her gaze. The Dao Spiritual Qi and light clouds where she looked paused as if time and space had frozen.
Her pupils reflected the majestic scenery of the Celestial Spirit Great World, her look carrying an indescribable meaning.