In a clearing deep in the forest, five children were resting by a small stream. Among them, the tallest boy sat on a rock, holding a vine in his hand, his gaze fixed on the depths of the forest, his brows furrowed.
A girl, dressed in worn-out cloth, turned to look at the boy on the rock and asked, "Second Brother, how much farther do we need to go? I hope we don't run into any monsters."
The other three boys nodded in agreement. They were all tired and eager to return home for a meal.
The boy, known as Second Brother, was named Yi Xiaoqiang. He glared at his companions and said, "Monsters? We're here to find immortals. If you're sincere, it will work. What are you in such a hurry for? We've only walked a short distance. Even Tang Seng had to travel eighty thousand miles for the scriptures!"
Upon hearing this, the three boys sighed even more.
"But even if you're Tang Seng, we're not Sun Wukong or Zhu Bajie," one of them grumbled.
"Yeah, I'm so hungry," another complained.
"Second Brother, can you bring more biscuits next time when we go out?"
Yi Xiaoqiang was so frustrated that he leapt off the rock, about to scold his companions, but his eyes were suddenly drawn to something in the distance. His eyes widened, and he stood frozen.
The girl in cloth also turned her head to look, equally stunned.
When they saw their reactions, the other three kids turned to look too, following their gaze. A young man in white clothes was walking out from under the trees. He wore a sword at his waist, a finely crafted crown on his head, and his extraordinary handsome appearance made him look like an immortal descending to the mortal realm.
"An immortal... truly an immortal!" one of the boys murmured, unable to resist rubbing his eyes in disbelief.
The newcomer was Gu An. He cast a lifespan check on Yi Xiaoqiang.
[Yi Xiaoqiang (Not Yet in Qi Refining): 14/85/4999]
His maximum lifespan was decent. Lu Jiujia had a good start in this life.
Gu An thought to himself, then cast lifespan checks on the other four. He discovered that their maximum lifespans were also good, with at least three thousand years left.
A gathering of young talents?
Gu An stopped across the stream and smiled warmly. "Little ones, what are you doing here? Aren't you afraid of running into bad people?"
Yi Xiaoqiang snapped out of his daze and excitedly asked, "Are you an immortal from the mountains?"
The other four children also looked at Gu An with nervous, expectant eyes.
Gu An did not answer immediately, but instead asked, "Do you want to learn how to cultivate immortality?"
Hearing this question, the five children became even more excited and answered in unison.
"Of course, we do!"
"Big brother, please teach us."
"You must be an immortal. I've never seen anyone like you..."
"Yeah, big brother, we just want to cultivate immortality."
Looking at these lively and excited children, Gu An, already in a good mood, became even more joyful. It was rare to see such lively children in the Third Medicine Valley.
Gu An coughed lightly, trying to appear mysterious. "I do know some cultivation techniques. But after I teach you, can you promise not to tell anyone else, even your families?"
Upon hearing this, the children immediately agreed without hesitation.
"Come back here tomorrow, and I will teach you how to cultivate immortality," Gu An said with a smile, his gaze drifting toward the sky.
The War Court was moving again!
This time, it was because of the Sun Immortal Emperor, and also due to the disturbances caused by the celestial anomalies.
The War Court felt that an unprecedented reincarnation catastrophe was approaching, one that might overturn the myriad realms. So, they planned to seize the Heavenly Dao Golden Core first and then kill Long Qing.
They feared that Long Qing would escape into reincarnation, just like before when he had evaded a calamity.
Long Qing's ancestors had used reincarnation to escape from the universe beyond this one, relying on the Heavenly Spirit Gods to hinder them.
This time, how would the Sun Immortal Emperor defend against the War Court?
The Heavenly Dao Golden Core couldn't grant him more power.
Upon hearing Gu An's words, Yi Xiaoqiang and the others grew anxious, feeling that Gu An was trying to deceive them.
Gu An reassured them, and after much persuasion, they reluctantly calmed their concerns and headed home.
Yi Xiaoqiang walked a few steps before glancing back. He saw Gu An standing by the stream, smiling and waving them off. For some reason, he felt a sense of attachment.
He didn't know why, but he felt an inexplicable closeness to Gu An, which made him reluctant to leave.
Yi Xiaoqiang opened his mouth, wanting to say something.
Gu An looked at him and smiled, "Hurry up and go home. Tomorrow, I'll be waiting for you to tell me the story of Journey to the West."
Upon hearing this, Yi Xiaoqiang's heart settled. He chuckled and quickly turned around to catch up with his companions.
Gu An watched them leave, thinking, "The name Pan An is really well-known."
Not just Journey to the West, but even Investiture of the Gods and Romance of the Three Kingdoms had spread across this continent, and Gu An saw the hand behind it.
Someone wanted to inspire the common spirits of this world to seek immortality.
Gu An didn't pay much attention. A cultivator at the Profound Heart Realm couldn't possibly influence his decision to establish a Lifespan Dao Field.
He didn't return to Tai Xuan Sect but headed in another direction.
He needed to find a suitable place to establish the Lifespan Dao Field.
Once he chose the location, he would move the Hidden Paradise Cave Heaven and Eight Views Heavenly Cave there, hiding them underground. As for places like the Third Medicine Valley, Xuan Valley, Tianya Valley, and the Mountain God Temple, he didn't plan to interfere. Occasionally, he would visit to gather herbs.
He wanted the people of Tai Xuan Sect to gradually get used to his absence, so that when he truly left, the sect wouldn't collapse.
Once the Dao Field was established, he would allow Tian Yao'er and the other two girls to move freely in the mountains, no longer confined to the Hidden Paradise Cave Heaven.
In the depths of the void, countless figures were flying. They surrounded a massive hall, with nine suns suspended above it, exuding a majestic celestial aura. The leader of this War Court, Ye Tianji, sat on a throne, his eyes already reflecting the figure of the Heavenly Spirit Great World.
A winged man stood in the hall, gazing into the distance. He turned back to Ye Tianji and said, "That Sun Immortal Emperor only has the cultivation of a Dao Repository Free Immortal. When the time comes, you don't need to act yourself. Just send someone else to team up with me."
The Dao Repository Free Immortal who had previously invaded the Immortal Dynasty was this very man, and he had been defeated by the Sun Immortal Emperor, which he considered a disgrace. He had been seeking revenge ever since.
Ye Tianji's expression was emotionless as he said, "There's no need. This time, we'll act quickly. Kill those who need to die and take what needs to be taken, then retreat."
The celestial anomalies of the last few days had made him uneasy. Coupled with the ancient legends of the Heavenly Spirit Great World, he felt that there could be no more delay.
The winged man wanted to say something but stopped himself.
His gaze was suddenly drawn to the nine suns above Ye Tianji's head. Within those suns, mysterious figures appeared, faintly visible as if they were in a different space-time.
"What is that...?"
The winged man's pupils contracted sharply, his heart surging with shock. He hadn't expected Ye Tianji to call upon them.
Could there still be terrifying beings hidden within the Heavenly Spirit Great World that he didn't know about? Could it be that Sword Master of the Dao?
He withdrew his gaze and turned back to face the Heavenly Spirit Great World.
The War Court's army, vast and imposing, advanced through the void as if nothing could stop them.
Meanwhile, above the Heavenly Spirit Great World, numerous figures appeared out of thin air in the Dao Light Layer. The great cultivators of the world immediately sensed the arrival of the War Court.
An indescribable sense of pressure enveloped the Heavenly Spirit Great World, and the higher one's cultivation, the quicker they felt it.
This reminded many of the scene when the Xuanhuang Demon God had once attacked.
On the other side, Gu An was in the Third Medicine Valley, sitting in his chair and listening to An Xin recount the recent events in the valley.
After finishing, An Xin sighed and asked with a hint of melancholy, "Master, when will we leave? It's hard to face them now. I'm not sure if I should leave or stay."
Gu An smiled and replied, "Why are you more anxious than me?"
"You don't have to face the people in the sect."
"Have you chosen someone?"
"Let it be Long Qing. I can tell he doesn't want to stay hidden with us."
An Xin casually replied, but unlike the others, she truly wished to put down her worldly affairs and enter a long period of secluded cultivation.
Gu An smiled and said, "Alright, then he'll do."
His straightforward agreement left An Xin momentarily stunned.
"Master, didn't you say that he bears a heavy karma? Can you really trust him to handle things on his own?" An Xin asked curiously.
What kind of karma did Long Qing bear? Not even An Xin herself knew, but she was very curious.
Gu An answered, "It's fine. The heavy karma he bears will dissipate soon."