"Do you want to know how I first met your ancestor, An Hao?" Gu An asked An Yuan, his expression warm and friendly.
An Yuan felt a bit uncomfortable. Knowing that his ancestor was still alive and remarkably powerful, his feelings toward An Hao were complicated and laced with hostility. He didn't want to hear anything about him.
However, not wanting to offend Gu An, he reluctantly nodded in agreement.
"It was during an internal conflict within the Tai Xuan Sect…" Gu An's gaze shifted toward the distance, his tone filled with reminiscence. His voice carried a unique rhythm, as though painting vivid pictures in the listener's mind.
In an instant, An Yuan felt as if he was transported into the past, witnessing a scene within a grand hall, where Gu An and An Hao first crossed paths.
Si Yan'er, walking ahead of them, also perked up her ears. She was deeply curious about An Hao's experiences within the Tai Xuan Sect.
Half an hour later, the group reached Xuan Valley. Gu An instructed Jiang Shi to assist with settling their guests.
Currently, Lu Jiujia had begun delegating more responsibilities to Jiang Shi. Among the disciples in the valley, Jiang Shi had the highest cultivation level and the greatest seniority, earning the respect of all the other disciples.
Late at night.
Inside a room, Si Yan'er and An Xin sat across from one another. Si Yan'er pulled out the bloodstained paper left behind by An Hao. The sight of the stained parchment tugged at An Xin's heart, filling her with sympathy for An Yuan.
During their journey to the valley, she had learned about the trials and tribulations faced by An Hao's descendants, leaving her indignant and upset.
"I don't know what this paper means. Can you help me decipher it?" Si Yan'er asked nervously. Now that she had arrived at the Tai Xuan Sect, she was unsure of her next steps.
The moment An Xin saw the words "Tai Xuan Sect," she understood. An Hao must have intended for his descendants to seek Gu An's assistance when they were at their most desperate.
After a moment of thought, An Xin asked, "What do you hope to achieve?"
Si Yan'er felt a glimmer of hope and quickly replied, "I don't ask for much. I just want to change An Yuan's fate."
After pondering for a moment, An Xin said, "Then leave An Yuan here in Medicine Valley. I'll look after him. You can also stay and join the Tai Xuan Sect, but you won't be able to see him."
She understood Gu An's temperament. It was already remarkable that he was willing to keep An Yuan. He wouldn't permit the entire family to settle in the valley. Besides, given Si Yan'er's cultivation level, joining the Tai Xuan Sect would be relatively easy.
Hearing this, Si Yan'er immediately grabbed An Xin's hands, her gratitude overflowing.
She didn't doubt An Xin's words. As a disciple of the Sword Master of the Dao, An Xin naturally had the authority to make such decisions.
"About my relationship with my master, don't mention it to others. He doesn't like being disturbed, and I am just a humble disciple of Medicine Valley, uninterested in getting involved in unnecessary troubles," An Xin said earnestly.
As she spoke, she suddenly realized why Gu An often said things like this.
She chuckled inwardly. It does have a certain charm!
Si Yan'er immediately promised she wouldn't tell anyone.
That night brought relief to Si Yan'er, as though a heavy burden had been lifted. For An Yuan, it was a night brimming with hope.
As the moon sank and the sun rose, the morning air in Medicine Valley was filled with activity. An Yuan was drawn outside by the commotion, where he saw nearly three hundred disciples practicing in unison. The sight was grand and awe-inspiring.
Si Yan'er stood nearby, watching with interest.
When the exercises concluded, she approached Gu An to bid farewell. She intended to leave, as she had other descendants besides An Yuan who needed her care.
"If life becomes difficult, bring your family back here. I have enough influence within the Tai Xuan Sect to help you settle down," Gu An said gently.
He wasn't one to go out of his way to assist those with whom he had a tenuous connection. However, if someone sought his aid, he wouldn't refuse either.
Moreover, Gu An had calculated that the feuds with the family An Hao had offended would continue to bring entanglements—a fate line stretching long into the future.
After a brief hesitation, Si Yan'er finally nodded in agreement and thanked Gu An for his help.
Watching her departing figure, Gu An couldn't help but recall meeting her in his past identity as the Sword Master of the Dao. Back then, her demeanor wasn't as weathered as it was now. She had been lively and mischievous, much like Zhen Qin, and had shared a dynamic relationship with An Hao that could only be described as one of constant bickering.
Time changes all things.
Gu An sighed inwardly as his gaze shifted toward An Yuan.
He had more or less discerned the root of An Yuan's shortened lifespan.
The previous generations of An Yuan's family had all met untimely deaths due to ill-fortune, and the situation had only worsened with recent generations dying earlier and earlier.
It all traced back to the inheritance An Hao had received in the Sacred Court: The Heavenly Dao Inheritance.
This made Gu An think of the Tian Zong, which also held the Heavenly Dao Inheritance. Those who obtained such immense power often paid the price of forsaking all emotions and connections.
Could it be that the descendants and close companions of those linked to the Tian Zong were doomed to perish under ill fortune?
This Heavenly Dao Inheritance is overly cruel. Why is it so ruthless?
Was its purpose to ensure that Heavenly Dao cultivators became completely detached, devoid of emotional weaknesses?
Gu An had an idea of how to test this hypothesis. The method involved severing the karmic ties between An Yuan and An Hao, completely disentangling their fates.
From a potential perspective, An Yuan was undeniably a genius, though far from An Hao's caliber.
However, Gu An wasn't in a rush to alter An Yuan's fate. He decided to let the boy mature for two years. An Yuan's thirst for vengeance was too strong, reminiscent of Su Han in his earlier days.
The days passed by uneventfully.
After joining Xuan Valley, An Yuan received teachings on cultivation methods from Jiang Shi. While the process was slow and didn't bring immediate strength, it gave him hope.
One particular night, An Yuan and Jiang Shi shared a heart-to-heart conversation. The two had similar fates, both burdened by oceans of blood debts. The difference was that An Yuan remained trapped in the chains of destiny, which stirred Jiang Shi's sympathy. Determined to help, Jiang Shi took An Yuan as his disciple and imparted all his knowledge to him.
Gu An did not interfere, hoping the two could find mutual redemption.
Until one late afternoon in autumn.
"I've made up my mind!"
An Yuan suddenly stood up, his gaze fixed on the distant sky, his expression resolute.
Jiang Shi, who was sitting nearby, turned to look at him in surprise, baffled by the sudden outburst.
The master and disciple duo were atop a mountain peak, admiring the majestic and picturesque scenery that stretched into the horizon. Inspired by the breathtaking view, An Yuan shouted with unwavering determination, "I will surpass An Hao! From this day forward, I am no longer An Yuan! I am An Shengtian—Triumph Over Heaven!"
Boom—
Thunder echoed through the distant clouds as if the heavens themselves were responding to his declaration.
Jiang Shi stared at An Shengtian, his mind shaken. For some reason, he sensed an unfamiliar and imposing aura radiating from the young man.
Although Jiang Shi had never met An Hao, he had heard tales of the man's extraordinary talent—the greatest prodigy in history.
This boy's ambition…
A smile spread across Jiang Shi's face. Just as he was about to speak, a resounding voice thundered across the heavens:
"The strongest in the Broken Sea Domain, the Sacred Court Sacred Sword, reveal yourself! If you do not, I shall suppress all living beings within the Broken Sea Domain with a single palm strike!"
The voice was imbued with overwhelming authority, its sheer pressure shaking both An Shengtian and Jiang Shi to their cores. Their gazes shot to the sky, where they stood in stunned silence, mouths agape.
Amid the roiling clouds, a colossal figure emerged on the horizon. Its full form was obscured, but the golden chestplate alone dwarfed the largest of mountains.
It was as though a deity from beyond the heavens was peering down at the mortal realm, its gaze stripping bare the fragility of human existence.
The immense sense of oppression sent shivers down An Shengtian and Jiang Shi's spines.
And it wasn't just them. Across the entirety of Tai Cang Continent and the Broken Sea Domain, every being who saw this towering figure was gripped with paralyzing fear.
What kind of being is this?
Could it be an immortal god?
Within the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An descended the staircase as Ji Xiaoya stepped out of her room. She glanced toward the sky, her brows furrowed in concern.
"Where are you going?" Ji Xiaoya called after Gu An.
"I'm heading to Xuan Valley to check on the disciples. I'm worried they might be in danger," Gu An replied as he walked toward the teleportation platform.