"It seems I've won."
An Hao's voice echoed across the heavens, drowning out all other sounds. His confidence and grandeur could be felt by every sect and cultivator present.
To achieve victory as a Nirvana Realm cultivator over a Loose Immortal—this was an unprecedented feat, one destined to shock the world and go down in history.
As they watched An Hao's commanding presence, Wu Jue decided it was best not to provoke him further. If An Hao were to find out that Gu An was impersonating his master, Gu An would undoubtedly face enormous trouble.
"What an overwhelming divine flame. So, the Fierce Sun Treasure Body is this powerful."
"Why do I feel like his strength surpasses even that of the Treasure Body itself?"
"Our Vast Qi Dao Sect also has a genius with a Treasure Body, but they're nowhere near his level of dominance."
"The divine ability he just displayed isn't simple. It actually managed to resonate with the rules of the heavens and earth. That's probably the reason he could defeat a Loose Immortal."
"No wonder the Immortal Dynasty accepted him. Talent like this is far beyond what ordinary immortals could dream of."
The cultivators from various sects whispered among themselves. An Hao, however, ignored the chatter. Raising his right hand, he threw a pill down into the swirling dust below.
With that, he turned and flew off in a chosen direction.
The senior cultivators of the Tai Xuan Sect quickly issued orders to pursue him.
Wu Jue had no time to dwell on his thoughts and hurried to follow the group.
Half an hour later.
In the wilderness, An Hao stood by a stream, chatting and laughing with the senior members of the Tai Xuan Sect. Wu Jue, standing a distance away, watched the scene with a tinge of envy.
Without An Hao, he would be the center of attention, the shining star of the sect's future. Yet, with An Hao present, he was reduced to just another ordinary disciple, unnoticed by anyone.
Ji Hantian, the Vice Sect Master, looked at An Hao with a pleased smile. "Seeing you achieve what you have today brings us immense joy. You carry the hopes of the Tai Xuan Sect's rise. Even when you weren't here, disciples would constantly ask about your whereabouts. You've become the beacon of hope for the next generation."
Hearing this, An Hao's smile deepened. Although the praise made him proud, he chose to remain modest. He did have strong feelings for the Tai Xuan Sect. After all, it had played a significant role in the early stages of his cultivation journey.
Most importantly, both his master and junior sister were in the Tai Xuan Sect. That alone was enough to ensure his loyalty to the sect.
Just as their conversation grew lively, a vast and overwhelming sword intent descended upon them, suffocating the air. It was as if invisible hands gripped their throats, cutting off all words.
An Hao looked up, his sword-like brows furrowing as a flicker of apprehension appeared in his eyes.
A sharp whistling sound tore through the heavens.
Clang—
A sword descended from the sky, embedding itself in the ground before An Hao. The impact sent fragments of stone flying, forcing the Tai Xuan Sect disciples to step back in alarm. An Hao, however, remained unshaken, standing tall like an unmovable mountain.
The sword vibrated violently, its blade quivering and creating afterimages.
Before anyone from the Tai Xuan Sect could speak, a figure descended from the sky, landing precisely on the sword's hilt.
It was none other than the Jue Luo Sword Master.
An Hao gazed up at the man standing before him, his expression calm but tinged with confusion. There was no trace of fear in his eyes.
Ignoring everyone else, the Jue Luo Sword Master fixed his burning gaze on An Hao, as if appraising a rare treasure.
"What is your name, and what do you want?" asked the most senior elder of the Tai Xuan Sect, his voice deep and serious. He gripped his magic weapon tightly, his tension evident.
At first glance, everyone present could tell they were no match for the Jue Luo Sword Master.
"You there, what's your name?" the Sword Master asked, his cold tone cutting through the wind. His robe fluttered in the breeze, and his presence atop the sword hilt radiated an aura of overwhelming dominance.
An Hao replied calmly, "An Hao. What business do you have with me?"
The Jue Luo Sword Master's lips curled into a faint smile. "I am the Jue Luo Sword Master. Your destiny is remarkable. No matter which great world you reside in, you are destined to rise. Serve me, and I can help you grow faster and push your limits to new heights."
An Hao didn't appear surprised by the offer. On his journey thus far, countless individuals had made similar promises to him.
Without changing his expression, An Hao responded, "Thank you for your offer, Daoist. However, I already have a master and a sect. I also serve a cause that I cannot abandon. I cannot accept your proposal."
The Jue Luo Sword Master narrowed his eyes and said, "Do you know how high my cultivation is?"
An Hao slightly shook his head, but the others grew even more tense. From the Sword Master's posture, it was clear he wouldn't leave without achieving his goal.
The Jue Luo Sword Master raised his right hand, and a wisp of sword qi surged from his palm. Though it was only a trace, the sword's aura within it was enough to make everyone tremble with fear.
"I am at the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Dao, known as the Free Immortal Realm. In your Great Heaven Spirit World, the strongest Divine Sovereign is also a Free Immortal, newly entering the Wheel of Samsara Tribulation. However, I have reached the peak of this tribulation. With just one more step, I can ascend to a higher realm. At that point, a single thought from me could reduce the entire Great Heaven Spirit World to ashes."
As he spoke, a defiant smile spread across his face. It seemed he wanted to see how An Hao would react after hearing about his immense power.
Indeed, An Hao's expression shifted slightly.
He was well aware of the power of a Free Immortal. That was the realm of the Yang Xian Emperor. Yet, from what the Jue Luo Sword Master said, the Yang Xian Emperor had only just stepped into the Free Immortal Realm, while the Sword Master had already reached its pinnacle.
The cultivators of the Tai Xuan Sect wore faces of disbelief.
How did they end up encountering someone even stronger than Divine Sovereign?
The Jue Luo Sword Master's arrogance was palpable, but it didn't seem like he was exaggerating.
"So, do you want to take back what you just said?" The Jue Luo Sword Master sneered at An Hao, his tone laced with mockery.
An Hao replied calmly, "Senior, your strength is indeed extraordinary. But if I were to serve you just because you are stronger, wouldn't that mean I must abandon you one day should someone stronger than you appear?"
Addressing the Sword Master as "senior" was already the highest level of courtesy An Hao could afford.
He was genuinely impressed by the Jue Luo Sword Master's cultivation, but he did not believe that the Sword Master was the strongest being in existence.
To him, the strongest could only ever be his master!
Hearing An Hao's rejection, the Jue Luo Sword Master's expression darkened momentarily. However, he quickly reconsidered and found logic in An Hao's words, which deepened his appreciation of the young man.
"Who is your master? If I were to convince him to give you up to me, would you no longer refuse?" the Jue Luo Sword Master asked with a sly grin.
This statement made the cultivators of the Tai Xuan Sect exchange peculiar looks.
Though they were awed by the Jue Luo Sword Master's strength, in their hearts, they still considered the Sword Master of the Dao to be the strongest.
If not, why would the Immortal Dynasty set aside their grudges, and why would the Sacred Court go to such lengths to recruit the Sword Master of the Dao?
An Hao frowned. He didn't think the Jue Luo Sword Master could pose a threat to his master, but he was concerned about causing trouble for him.
"Even if you don't tell me, I can calculate it," the Jue Luo Sword Master said coldly, his fingers moving as he began a divination.
Calculate it?
An Hao's expression changed visibly, and the cultivators of the Tai Xuan Sect were also shocked by such a display of skill.
Wu Jue, who had been silent until now, suddenly grew anxious. If the Jue Luo Sword Master deduced the truth about Gu An impersonating the Sword Master of the Dao, wouldn't that bring disaster upon him?
The atmosphere grew heavy as the heavens and earth fell silent.
All eyes were fixed on the Jue Luo Sword Master as he performed his calculations.
However, after a dozen breaths of time, a frown appeared on his face.
"Strange…"
The Jue Luo Sword Master was perplexed but didn't let it show. Despite his immense skill, he couldn't calculate the identity of An Hao's master. What he did deduce was the presence of Lü Baitian and An Hao's connections to the Star Sea Sect and the Immortal Dynasty. However, these individuals and factions had little karmic ties to An Hao, indicating that he did not consider them his true mentors.
There was an enigmatic presence behind An Hao that he could not grasp.
What was going on?
For the first time, the Jue Luo Sword Master felt a sense of unease. Was there someone in the Heavenly Spirit World who could completely elude his calculations? Even Divine Sovereign, who had entered the Wheel of Samsara Tribulation, left traces that he could detect.
The Jue Luo Sword Master's eyes flickered as he stared at An Hao, his gaze becoming increasingly strange.
Could it be that An Hao's master was the inheritor of the Sacred Heart Sword Dao or even the reincarnation of the Sword Dao Patriarch?
The more the Jue Luo Sword Master thought about it, the more plausible it seemed. Although he had descended into the Great Heaven Spirit World for some time, he had found no clues related to the Sacred Heart Sword Dao.
At one point, he even suspected that the Sacred Heart Sword Dao had never appeared in this world.
His mind racing, the Jue Luo Sword Master suddenly smiled and said, "An Hao, why don't you take me to meet your master? Your matter can be put aside. I will no longer force you."
An Hao, confused, asked, "Why do you want to meet my master?"
The Jue Luo Sword Master replied, "To tell you the truth, I come from another world. I'm here specifically to find your master. Your master is someone my Dao lineage has been searching for. Once we find him, we will pledge our allegiance to him as our leader."
Another world!
Everyone was stunned. The Sword Master of the Dao had such an extraordinary background?
Upon reflection, it seemed reasonable. The Sword Master of the Dao was incredibly mysterious, and his strength was unfathomable. It was only logical that he came from another world, as no other explanation made sense.
An Hao furrowed his brow deeply, falling into hesitation.
The Jue Luo Sword Master's expression grew solemn, though inwardly he felt a surge of excitement.
Sacred Heart Sword Dao!
Finally, I've found you. You'd better not disappoint me because my sword dao will undoubtedly surpass yours!