Chapter 625: Chapter 618: Gu An and Li Xuandao
Watching the emaciated man’s abnormal state, Profound Mysterious Zhenren’s brows furrowed tighter, and he immediately became cautious.
Although the emaciated man’s cultivation level posed no threat to him, the chill that ran down his spine as he listened to the man’s curse was inexplicable.
The bloodied emaciated man’s face twisted into a fierce grimace, his eyes filled with bitter resentment as he stared at Profound Mysterious Zhenren.
Quickly, the emaciated man dissolved into a puddle of blood, transforming rapidly into a foul gas, leaving behind only a shallow pit.
Profound Mysterious Zhenren looked at the pit, his brow tightly knit, his eyes filled with confusion, and his heart stirred with unease.
He was full of dread for that Taiyi Immortal Monarch, feeling that Taiyi Immortal Monarch was even more fearsome than Profound Star Immortal Monarch.
Profound Star Immortal Monarch, at most, made a fool of all living beings, while Taiyi Immortal Monarch would not tolerate any refusal from anyone, even being ruthless to his own followers.
“Could it be that the Mountain God speaks the truth, that the Immortal Gods have no obligation to be kind to all living beings and that mortal spirits shouldn’t assume their own perspectives when considering the Immortal Gods?”
Profound Mysterious Zhenren thought with a furrowed brow. The mere recollection of the emaciated man’s face sent shivers down his spine.
What right did a Mahayana Realm cultivator have to curse him, a Celestial and Earthly Immortal?
But the mere thought of that enigmatic Taiyi Immortal Monarch prevented him from calming his heart.
He could only focus on the medicinal herbs in the garden, hoping to divert his attention.
The distant battle continued unabated, lasting several days, with the evil demons of the Innate Human Race finally being expelled, and the Tai Cang Dynasty once again defended its own territory.
For tens of thousands of years, without Gu An’s protection, the Tai Cang Dynasty always turned misfortune into a blessing, its foundation growing ever deeper.
Although the Tai Cang Dynasty’s tribulations had passed, Profound Mysterious Zhenren’s torment only increased.
Since the curse, his cultivation practice grew increasingly agitated, especially at night, when his mana would run wild, and he began to see many illusions, all depicting the grisly deaths of his kin.
He, too, had his own family and relatives; the Li Family of the Royal House of the Tai Cang Dynasty was also of his lineage. He even envisioned the dreadful scene of Li Xuandao’s death and the great chaos of the Tai Cang Dynasty, which only heightened his panic.
He could only wait for the Mountain God’s arrival.
Throughout the passing years, he had been able to meet the Mountain God two or three times a month, and this was his confidence.
He firmly believed that the Mountain God was stronger than that so-called Taiyi Immortal Monarch.
On the seventh day of being cursed, Gu An finally arrived.
Gu An still appeared in the form of a masked figure, for over the years, he frequently guided Profound Mysterious Zhenren in his cultivation. Although Profound Mysterious Zhenren had guessed that he was the Supporting Dao Sword Venerable, he still preferred this form when meeting Profound Mysterious Zhenren.
Seeing the Mountain God leap down from the eaves, Profound Mysterious Zhenren stood up excitedly and said directly, “Preeminent Mountain God, I have been cursed!”
Gu An replied casually, “Don’t worry, let me pick some medicinal herbs first.”
Hearing this, Profound Mysterious Zhenren immediately breathed a sigh of relief.
The Mountain God could surely see through his condition. Telling him not to worry meant that the Mountain God believed the matter was not difficult to resolve.
Half an hour later, after Profound Mysterious Zhenren finished sowing, he approached Gu An.
Before he could speak, Gu An waved his sleeve, and a fresh breeze swept towards him. After the wind passed, he felt an immense sense of relief, as feeling unburdened washed over him.
It was quite marvelous; the oppressive feeling from the past few days disappeared instantly.
Profound Mysterious Zhenren immediately knelt down, thanking Gu An for saving his life.
“There’s no need for such formality. You were targeted by others because you’ve been worshipping me for years. In fact, you could leave; there’s no need to stay here. I am not the Immortal or God you think I am. Staying here, such troubles could potentially arise again in the future,” Gu An said lightly, looking down at the kneeling Profound Mysterious Zhenren from his diminished stature.
Profound Mysterious Zhenren looked up at him and spoke earnestly, “I understand that my perspectives in the past were too narrow. I am willing to worship you forever. You taught me how to cultivate, and I can also help those suffering who pass by. My current life is quite enjoyable to me.”
He spoke the truth, he felt that without Gu An’s guidance, he could never have reached the realm he had, let alone lived so many years.
Following Gu An, he saw the hope for longevity.
He no longer hoped that Gu An would become the Immortal God he wished for, because Gu An could grant him the power to fulfill his own ideals.
Immortal Gods truly had no reason to help Mortal Spirits, but he could, and the reason was simply that he wanted to help.
Gu An sprang up, stepping on his head to leap to the roof’s edge, his back to him, he said, “Reflect on what being cursed feels like, it might just be an opportunity.”
Profound Mysterious Zhenren was stunned for a moment, and before he could respond, Gu An had vanished into thin air.
He didn’t ask whether the curse was completely eradicated, he sat down where he was, closed his eyes, and began to recall his feelings over the past few days.
Gu An had not left the Tai Cang Continent, but instead, he went to the imperial palace of the Tai Cang Dynasty.
Li Xuandao was practicing in the Imperial Study, which had been transformed to have a vast interior space with a Spirit Pool, enabling him to cultivate while reviewing memorials.
Footsteps reached Li Xuandao’s ears, he opened his eyes to look, his face immediately breaking into a smile as he got to his feet, his dragon robe lifting with splashes of water, which swiftly evaporated.
“You’re here, let’s have a good drink today,”
Li Xuandao said warmly as he looked at Gu An.
Ever since Gu An had sent Yang Jian thousands of years ago to support Li Xuandao, the two had built a deeper relationship. Every few decades, Gu An would come to drink with Li Xuandao.
He no longer offered tangible assistance, merely chatting with Li Xuandao.
Li Xuandao didn’t expect much; in fact, being able to see Gu An gave him great confidence.
Just thinking of Gu An gave him a fearless vigor.
Gu An smiled and nodded, and after a while, courtesans brought in wine and dishes, setting them on the long table. They snuck curious glances at Gu An, in their lifetimes it was the first time they saw His Majesty entertaining someone in the Imperial Study, and this person was quite young.
While they were setting up, Li Xuandao brought up recent developments with Long Teng.
He had invested all his efforts in cultivating Long Teng, making him a renowned prodigy across the lands and the greatest pride of the Supreme Mysterious Dynasty.
He had his own little guess, suspecting that Long Teng was a descendent of Gu An, due to the Dharma Aspect summoned by Long Qing on that day being too similar to Gu An.
Even if he were wrong, at least Long Teng was a granddisciple of Gu An.
Although Gu An understood his thoughts, he didn’t mind.
As long as the outcome was positive and the process enjoyable, he would accept it.
Moreover, he quite liked Long Teng, feeling that this lad was stronger than Long Qing, and his righteousness stood out even more than that of his other disciples.
Once the courtesans had left, Gu An spoke, “This world will see the rise of another Immortal Monarch.”
Upon hearing this, Li Xuandao’s smile faded, and he furrowed his brow.
Thousands of years ago, he had proactively told Gu An about recruiting the followers of the Profound Star Immortal Monarch, and this also showed he trusted Gu An more.
The followers of the Profound Star Immortal Monarch had given him great support, so he didn’t deliberately suppress them. He kept his promise by erecting numerous Divine Statues of the Profound Star Immortal Monarch within the Imperial Dynasty, but he always had reservations about the Immortal Monarch.
Now with another Immortal Monarch arising, he suddenly felt the calamities of the world weren’t so straightforward.
Could the appearance of the Innate Human Race be more than just a coincidence?
Gu An recounted the experiences of Profound Mysterious Zhenren. Since Profound Mysterious Zhenren and Li Xuandao were of the same lineage, Li Xuandao had also visited Profound Mysterious Zhenren many times over the long years.
Hearing of Profound Mysterious Zhenren’s curse, Li Xuandao’s face turned grim.
Gu An was telling him these things not because he expected him to do anything, but simply as a friend, sharing the oddities he had encountered recently.
Gu An wasn’t afraid of Taiyi Immortal Monarch finding out; he could change Li Xuandao’s fate, allowing Li Xuandao to remember these things, while others could not divine that he knew of them through Li Xuandao.