By the time Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley, the sky had already darkened, tinged with the hues of twilight.
He summoned An Xin to join him at his pavilion.
"Master, is something wrong?" An Xin asked curiously.
It was rare for Gu An to call for her personally, and whenever he did, it was always for something significant.
Gu An smiled and asked, "If I were to leave, what would you think?"
Hearing this, An Xin's expression immediately turned serious.
She knew her master was not joking. Over the years, she too had sensed something amiss.
The world was increasingly spreading the ideology of the Heavenly Dao.
People everywhere were being taught to trust in the will of the heavens, to pursue their ordained fate.
At first, she had not thought much of it.
But when she overheard disciples saying "the fate of the world is already preordained", she realized something was terribly wrong.
She still remembered He Qingsong's warning—
The Heavenly Dao did not want her master to interfere.
Though she did not know if He Qingsong truly spoke on behalf of the Heavenly Dao, she could not help but feel uneasy.
"If Master wishes to leave, then we shall leave," An Xin replied without hesitation.
"I will follow you wherever you go. When are we leaving?"
She looked excited, as if she had been waiting for this moment.
Gu An shook his head and chuckled.
"Do you not have anything or anyone you would regret leaving behind?" he asked.
An Xin smiled.
"I may be the chief disciple of the Third Medicine Valley and have deep connections with many disciples, but I know where everything I have truly comes from."
"The only ones I care about are Master and Senior Brother."
Though An Xin was known for her gentleness and kindness, her heart was far from indecisive.
Gu An could hear her inner thoughts—he knew she was telling the truth.
His lips curled into a smile.
"Since that is the case, I will give you a task," Gu An said.
"Find a suitable disciple within the Third Medicine Valley to inherit the position of Valley Master. But for now, keep this plan to yourself."
An Xin nodded immediately.
Then, she eagerly asked, "Master, where are we going?"
Gu An did not answer.
Because he was still deciding.
The universe was vast, the realms were infinite.
Should he journey beyond the heavens?
Or should he remain within the Heavenly Spirit Great World?
That was a question worth considering.
In the depths of the starry sky—
A golden core of the Heavenly Dao floated in the void, radiating boundless divine light, illuminating the entire universe.
Boom!
A tempest surged forward, slamming into Sun Immortal Emperor, making his golden robes billow violently.
He narrowed his eyes, staring ahead at An Hao.
Just ten meters away, An Hao stood with his back turned.
His entire being was wrapped in golden flames, and his long hair danced wildly in the turbulence.
His aura was immense, towering toward the heavens.
"This presence… he's already approaching the level of a Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal?"
"How could his strength have grown this fast? Something is wrong…"
Sun Immortal Emperor's gaze flickered, his heart filled with doubt.
Slowly, An Hao turned around, his sharp gaze landing on Sun Immortal Emperor.
His expression was cold, completely different from his usual self.
It made Sun Immortal Emperor frown.
"Your condition seems… unusual," Sun Immortal Emperor said.
An Hao responded calmly.
"A powerful existence has set its sights on the Heavenly Dao Golden Core."
"They are already waiting for its emergence."
Sun Immortal Emperor narrowed his eyes.
"Did the Heavenly Dao Golden Core tell you this?"
An Hao did not answer.
Instead, he locked eyes with Sun Immortal Emperor and said,
"The calamity of the Immortal Dynasty is upon us."
"The war you long for… is nothing but a delusion."
"Calamity?"
Sun Immortal Emperor's frown deepened.
His suspicion toward An Hao only grew.
An Hao continued, his voice quiet yet carrying a profound weight—
"Your Majesty, if the Immortal Dynasty were on the verge of destruction…"
"Would you sacrifice yourself to save it?"
Whoosh—!
At that moment, a golden halo surfaced on the Heavenly Dao Golden Core, rapidly expanding.
Within the radiant circle, an image of the Immortal Dynasty appeared.
Flourishing, prosperous, brimming with celestial splendor.
But then—
A colossal hand descended from the sky, seizing the entire continent on which the Immortal Dynasty stood—
Lifting it toward the heavens.
Then—
With a mere squeeze, the entire Immortal Dynasty was crushed into dust.
Sun Immortal Emperor's expression turned grim.
The vision vanished, leaving behind only a blurred figure standing within the golden light.
As if waiting for him.
"The ancient enemy of the Heavenly Spirit Great World has taken notice of this realm."
"The destruction of the Immortal Dynasty is only the beginning."
"Next… is the Sacred Court."
"What will you do?"
"The enemy… surpasses even Free Immortals."
An Hao's voice was eerily detached—
As if he were possessed by an entity beyond comprehension.
Sun Immortal Emperor turned back to him.
His gaze darkened.
And he asked—
"Who… are you?"
An Hao remained calm and responded, "I am still An Hao. However, over the years, I have been tempered within the cycle of the Heavenly Dao, making me different from before."
"The cycle of the Heavenly Dao?"
Sun Immortal Emperor narrowed his eyes.
An Hao nodded.
"I have repeatedly experienced the destruction of the Heavenly Spirit Great World."
"Each time, the ending is the same— all living beings perish, heaven and earth are shattered, and the Heavenly Dao Golden Core is taken by a mysterious and powerful entity."
"I tried altering the course of events within each cycle, yet the result remained unchanged."
"No matter what I did, as long as heaven and earth were destroyed, as soon as the divine radiance of the Heavenly Dao dissipated— that mysterious entity would make its move."
His voice carried a profound emotion— a mixture of desolation and resolute determination.
Sun Immortal Emperor did not panic.
Instead, he stared deeply at An Hao and asked,
"If this is destined, then what meaning does my sacrifice hold?"
An Hao turned to the Heavenly Dao Golden Core and replied,
"The Heavenly Dao Golden Core can grant you power beyond that of a Free Immortal. But from that moment forward, you will become a puppet of the Golden Core."
"Your emotions will be erased. You will still be yourself, yet many things will no longer be within your control."
"And that's only if you succeed."
Sun Immortal Emperor smirked, his lips curling slightly.
"That sounds a lot like the wandering cultivators of Heavenly Sect."
He turned to face the Heavenly Dao Golden Core.
Inside the golden halo, a figure gradually became clear—
It was himself, as if he were looking into a mirror.
Within Sun Immortal Emperor's eyes, two flames burned—
Growing ever fiercer.
Two hundred years later.
The Third Medicine Valley.
Standing before Gu An's pavilion, Gu Zong gazed up at the second floor.
His expression was filled with conflict.
Beside him, An Xin stood calmly and said,
"Elder Gu, you should return. If Master comes back, I will inform you."
At her side, Gu Yu frowned and couldn't help but ask,
"He has been gone for over a hundred and fifty years. Is he really not coming back?"
"The Qin family has already been punished— they were even expelled. Why won't he let it go?"
An Xin shook her head.
"This has nothing to do with that. Master left for another reason. You are overthinking it."
Gu Yu was about to press further when Gu Zong stopped him.
"Enough. Let's go back. Perhaps we really are overthinking things."
With a sigh, Gu Zong turned away.
Gu Yu had no choice but to follow.
Beneath a distant tree, Blood Prison Saint sat cross-legged, cultivating.
As he watched them leave, a mocking smile appeared on his face.
An Xin also turned and walked away, not lingering at the pavilion.
Inside the pavilion.
Gu An had never left.
He was reclining in a chair, reading a book.
He had merely concealed his aura and karma, making it seem as if he were gone.
Even if someone entered, they would be unable to see him.
After finishing the last page, Gu An opened his status panel.
[Name: Gu An]
[Lifespan: 2,143/9,999,605,001]
[Physique: Hunyuan Boundless Physique]
[Cultivation: Vast Heaven Free Immortal Realm (Perfection)]
Nine billion, nine hundred ninety-nine million years of lifespan!
He was so close to reaching ten billion years!
Gu An's anticipation grew.
Would his next lifespan ability be worth the wait?
That was why he had pretended to leave— to prepare for his breakthrough.
His next advancement would shake the heavens and earth.
He was uncertain whether entering the cycle of reincarnation would alert the Heavenly Spirit Great World.
So he chose to hide himself in advance.
At this moment—
Aside from the Heavenly Spirit God, no one should be able to detect his presence.
He stood up and gazed into the distance.
Something was coming.
He sensed an immense power, heading toward the Heavenly Spirit Great World.
Dao Repository Free Immortal!
This entity wasn't coming to destroy the Heavenly Spirit Great World—
It was aiming for a specific part of it.
The target was—
The Immortal Dynasty!
Gu An became intrigued.
Would the Heavenly Dao Golden Core really enable Sun Immortal Emperor to defeat a foe beyond Free Immortals?
Due to An Hao, Gu An had been keeping a close watch on the Heavenly Dao Golden Core.
The Golden Core resided in a special dimension.
The only reason Gu An could track it was because he had secretly placed the Dao Annihilation Seal on An Hao.
Through this, he could feel An Hao's changes.
His Heavenly Dao fate had grown far stronger than that of He Qingsong, who was merely a puppet.