Autumn turned to winter, and snow gradually blanketed the Tai Cang Continent.
Gu An, wearing his usual mask, sat perched on the eaves of a pavilion, gazing up at the heavens. In the courtyard below, Xuanmiao Zhenren, busy refining pills, occasionally glanced curiously at Gu An.
He couldn't help but wonder what the Mountain God was looking at—it had been quite a while.
Xuanmiao Zhenren silently mused, longing to see the world through the Mountain God's eyes. Surely, whatever Gu An was observing must transcend his imagination.
Could something extraordinary be happening beyond the heavens?
Xuanmiao Zhenren's guess was accurate. Indeed, significant events were unfolding in the outer cosmos—events that would shape the fate of the entire world.
Gu An observed a vast number of Immortal Spirits arranging formations across the cosmos. The scale was enormous, even visible from his vantage point. Two figures, Divine Thought True Immortals, sat atop the array, their auras unrestrained.
Someone was attempting a breakthrough! Judging by the setup, a Divine Thought True Immortal was preparing to ascend to the Free Immortal Realm!
Gu An couldn't discern who it was; the Immortal Dynasty's fortune shielded their karmic ties. Given time, he could calculate the specifics, but it hardly mattered. After all, Divine Thought True Immortals were few, and currently, there was only one known Free Immortal in the land.
In the vast expanse of the Heavenly Spirit World, only two Free Immortals were known to exist.
Standing up, Gu An looked down at Xuanmiao Zhenren and said, "The world is about to change drastically. Focus on your cultivation and don't slack off."
With that, he disappeared from the eaves as if he had never been there.
"The world is about to change?"
Xuanmiao Zhenren frowned. For the Mountain God to speak of such a great upheaval, what sort of calamity was brewing?
Elsewhere, Gu An appeared within the depths of the Submerged Spirit Palace. His gaze shifted toward the boundary beyond its entrance, where the Deep Sea Dragon Koi loitered nearby.
Previously, it had crashed into the barrier. After pinpointing the location of Submerged Spirit Palace, it had become oddly patient, circling the boundary in silence, making not a sound.
Gu An walked to the clearing in front of the palace gates, raised his right foot, and the Deep Sea Dragon Koi was instantly teleported beneath it.
The koi froze, its large, fish-like eyes widening. This time, however, it didn't struggle. Instead, it remained utterly still, silently gazing up at Gu An.
"You have a death wish?" Gu An asked coldly, his expression indifferent. "Tell me, steamed or roasted?"
The koi's eyes turned watery, brimming with tears. All the hardships and dangers it had faced on its journey paled in comparison to this moment. For the second time, it found itself crying before Gu An.
Unmoved, Gu An tapped his forehead, revealing the Primordial Divine Eye, which shot a golden beam directly into the koi's body.
The koi shuddered violently, its entire form stiffening.
After a few breaths, it cautiously asked, "A-Are you an Immortal God?"
The question startled Gu An slightly—it spoke! Its voice was youthful, almost childlike, filled with nervous energy.
Gu An didn't move his foot but replied, "What if I am? What if I'm not? How does that concern you?"
"If… If you are, could you take me as your servant? I am willing to swear eternal allegiance to you. Just teach me divine abilities, and I'll follow your every command…"
Tears welled up in its eyes, and its tone was pitiful, enough to soften even the hardest hearts.
"Why should I accept you?" Gu An asked flatly.
"I… I beg you, please…"
"You're a creature of the deep sea. How do you know of Immortal Gods?"
"I've had memories since I was young—memories that don't belong to me. They must have been passed down from my ancestors. I've seen visions of Immortal Gods descending, and they looked just like you…"
"I'm human. This world is home to the human race."
"No, you're different from ordinary humans. You feel just like those Immortal Gods…"
Hearing this, Gu An narrowed his eyes and immediately used the Great Soul-Imprisoning Immortal Art to probe the koi's memories.
The koi's eyes lost their luster, as if lifeless. Bubbles rose from its mouth as Gu An delved into its mind.
For a long time, Gu An sifted through its memories, his expression growing increasingly peculiar.
Immortal Gods truly existed!
The koi's memories revealed a scene from an ancient era, though its exact timeline couldn't be discerned due to the fragmented nature of its ancestral recollections.
Within its memories, five figures—undeniably surpassing the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Dao—descended from the skies, casting mysterious crystalline stones into the sea.
The memory was but a single fragment, yet vividly detailed. It was evident that the koi's ancestors held this moment in profound reverence, never allowing it to fade.
After further calculations to confirm the koi bore no other significant karmic ties, Gu An finally relaxed.
Gently nudging the koi with his foot, he awakened it from its stupor.
Freed from Gu An's oppressive aura, the Deep Sea Dragon Koi soared into the air, hovering nervously.
Gu An regarded it calmly and said, "I can accept you, but are you truly prepared to surrender your eternal freedom?"
The Deep Sea Dragon Koi's eyes lit up with joy as it nodded fervently, saying, "I'm willing! As long as I can follow you in cultivation, as long as there's hope of becoming an immortal, I'm willing!"
"Become an immortal? Show me you're worth it first!"
Gu An gave the koi a sidelong glance, his tone sharp and indifferent. Then, he began explaining the layout and situation of Submerged Spirit Palace in detail.
The koi listened attentively, its eyes never leaving Gu An, afraid that the slightest distraction would upset him.
After making everything clear, Gu An instructed it to remain where it was for the time being. He promised to teach it cultivation methods later and then departed for the Tai Xuan Sect.
The koi turned its gaze toward the towering structure of Submerged Spirit Palace, its fish eyes glowing with hope and excitement.
Decades of hardship and struggle had finally borne fruit.
Thirteen Years Later
In the dead of night, Gu An stood atop a peak at the edge of Xuan Valley, idly twirling the Pen of Destiny in his hand. His sharp eyes scanned the starlit heavens above.
The ruler of the Immortal Dynasty, Yang Xian Emperor, was about to undergo his heavenly tribulation!
In the vast cosmos, tens of thousands of powerful Immortal Spirits gathered. The weakest among them was at the Wandering Immortal Realm, a testament to the dynasty's staggering strength. Even so, this wasn't the full might of the Immortal Dynasty—just a glimpse was enough to evoke awe at their dominance.
Above the layers of cosmic light, members of various sects and factions, including numerous Heaven and Earth Flying Immortals, hovered in discussion.
Previously, they had known the Immortal Dynasty was formidable, but today, they were witnessing the true depths of its power.
What was most puzzling, however, was the Sacred Court's apparent lack of response, as if they were indifferent to Yang Xian Emperor's tribulation.
"What kind of tribulation requires such a grand display?"
"This aura is terrifying. It feels like the number of Heaven and Earth Flying Immortals under the Immortal Dynasty alone surpasses all of us combined."
"And you wonder why the Immortal Dynasty dares to challenge the Sacred Court?"
"The dynasty's ambitions are huge. But why does it feel like the Sacred Court is wary of them?"
Among the crowd were even mortal peak cultivators who shared their thoughts.
Gu An listened to their murmurs, a faint trace of pity surfacing in his otherwise calm expression.
The Sacred Court wasn't wary of the dynasty—it was waiting.
Gu An could sense it. Somewhere in the Sacred Court, a large number of Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortals and Unrestrained Primordial Immortals were amassing, clearly preparing for something significant.
His calculations foretold a great battle on the horizon. Some of the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortals standing above the cosmic light would not have the time to react, meeting their demise in the first strike.
The impending conflict would even spill into the Heavenly Spirit World, triggering earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes, and torrential storms across regions. The Tai Cang Continent would be severely affected for years, bringing hardship to its people.
Gu An had no intention of intervening. Such tribulations were insignificant to Medicine Valley, and for the masses, these would merely be seen as natural disasters. Few would comprehend that these calamities were caused by battles fought at the highest levels.
The cultivation world might grasp the truth, but they too would be swept into the resulting chaos.
If the Sacred Court's authority faltered, the entire world order would spiral into a tumult unseen in a million years.
"Yang Xian Emperor… interesting. He truly is a remarkable figure," Gu An mused silently. He glimpsed visions of Yang Xian Emperor's dominance in the years to come. The Sacred Court would face its darkest days until the Divine Sovereign emerged.
Yet Gu An couldn't pinpoint Divine Sovereign's location.
The world harbored individuals like Ji Xiaoya, whose lives were entangled with karmic reincarnation. Such figures couldn't be tracked through the cycles of cause and effect, leaving Divine Sovereign's rebirth shrouded in mystery.
Perhaps Divine Sovereign wasn't even in the Heavenly Spirit World.
As Gu An contemplated the future, the sound of footsteps came from behind him.
The visitor was none other than Jiang Shi.
Jiang Shi approached carefully, pausing a short distance away to observe Gu An. Seeing that his master wasn't meditating, he cautiously mustered the courage to speak. "Master, you've been standing here for so long. Is there anything you need? Your disciple will prepare it for you."
Without turning his head, Gu An replied softly, "Then prepare some wine and dishes."
Jiang Shi's face lit up with joy. He immediately bowed and rushed off to make the arrangements.
Gu An watched him leave with a faint smile. Though Jiang Shi had been overly eager to please in the past, his performance over the years had been satisfactory.
The boy had reached the Core Formation Realm, just one realm shy of his master. With his talent, he could have easily become the disciple of a Body Fusion Realm grandmaster elsewhere.
Not long after, Jiang Shi returned with wine and dishes, along with a small table.
Gu An accepted the cup of wine Jiang Shi poured for him and asked casually, "Jiang Shi, do you know your master's cultivation level?"
Jiang Shi paused, a thoughtful look crossing his face. After a moment of hesitation, he answered, "I heard from senior brothers that you reached the Nascent Soul Realm years ago."
"Actually, I'm a Loose Immortal."
Gu An's calm words struck Jiang Shi like a thunderbolt. His eyes widened in disbelief.
Under Jiang Shi's stunned gaze, Gu An raised his hand. The clouds above churned violently, forming a majestic dragon coiled in the sky. The spectacle was awe-inspiring.
A few breaths later, Gu An lowered his hand, and the celestial vision vanished, leaving the night sky serene once more.
Jiang Shi stared in stunned silence, unable to process what he had just witnessed.
Then, Gu An raised his hand again. Jiang Shi felt the world spin around him. When he reopened his eyes, he was trembling uncontrollably. From his perspective, Gu An now appeared as large as a mountain, and he himself stood in the palm of his master's hand.
For the first time, Jiang Shi understood how Sun Wukong must have felt in the Buddha's hand.
Gu An gazed down at him, his expression unreadable. "Do you regret staying in Xuan Valley? No one knows my cultivation level, and those who do… are dead."
Jiang Shi immediately knelt, his head lowered in submission. "I do not regret it! Being your disciple is the greatest fortune of my life!"
His mind was in turmoil. Gu An's strength exceeded anything he could have imagined.
But then, a thought struck him—if Gu An truly wanted him dead, there would be no need for such theatrics.
As his fear began to subside, Jiang Shi calmed himself.
Seeing the glint of resolve in his disciple's eyes, Gu An's gaze softened.
Though Jiang Shi had made mistakes in his youth, they were not unforgivable. With Lu Jiujia nearing the end of his lifespan, Jiang Shi might prove to be a suitable successor.
What had truly changed Gu An's perception was Jiang Shi's steadfast loyalty. Unlike others who sought freedom the moment they gained strength, Jiang Shi remained unwavering in his devotion to Xuan Valley.