[You have successfully claimed the lifespan of Ye Tianji (Late Stage Dao Repository Free Immortal) 2,809,837,622 years]
Looking at the message in front of him, Gu An's mood lightened. He raised his eyes to look around.
The experts from the War Court were keeping their distance, gazing at the grand hall in disbelief.
Ye Tianji had disappeared at Gu An's hands, and this left them feeling surreal. In their minds, Ye Tianji was immensely powerful—how could he possibly die so easily?
It wasn't until the enormous hand above the Heavenly Spirit World suddenly dissipated that the War Court experts finally snapped out of their shock.
"Not good! Our Lord has fallen!"
"How is that possible? Who exactly is he?"
"And the divine envoys... they're all…"
"No! We must flee!"
"This can't be… absolutely impossible…"
The War Court was thrown into chaos, and many of the experts immediately started fleeing.
Gu An slightly shifted his right foot, and in an instant, one War Court expert after another exploded, turning into mist of blood that spread through the void.
It was rare for him to make a move, so why not gain a little more lifespan?
However, he wouldn't slaughter every single one of these War Court beings. That would make it seem like a personal vendetta. He needed to maintain the image that he was acting on behalf of the beings in the Heavenly Spirit World.
Gu An casually wiped out a few of the War Court creatures. Their unfortunate deaths were simply their fate!
One message after another flashed before Gu An's eyes, and his mood became even more joyous.
Not only was he protecting the people, but he was also gaining benefits. How could he not be happy?
The Sun Immortal Emperor and the Sacred Minister stood frozen, still in disbelief at how easily the War Court, which had filled them with despair, was obliterated by Gu An.
As they watched, a sense of bewilderment overtook them.
They thought back to their past ambitions and scheming, suddenly realizing how laughable their former selves had been.
At the same time, their admiration for Gu An grew even stronger. Despite possessing such immense power, he had treated them with kindness and spoken to them in such a gentle manner. How incredibly powerful was this attitude of showing goodwill toward the weak?
Soon, the void fell into silence once again.
Gu An could feel numerous powerful divine senses sweeping over him, but they quickly withdrew. The events of the battle had clearly alerted the great powers deep in the universe, yet no one dared to provoke Gu An. They even regretted being so curious, afraid of being targeted by him.
Gu An did not speak to the Sun Immortal Emperor or the Sacred Minister. He soared into the air, gathered the nine suns into his palm, and then walked toward the depths of the universe.
The beings of Heavenly Spirit World returned to daylight. The terrifying oppressive aura that had covered the world disappeared, and the beings began to communicate, discussing what had just occurred.
Though they didn't fully understand what had happened, they felt as if they had narrowly escaped a disaster.
Long Qing was still kneeling on the ground, clutching his head with both hands. He was panting heavily, looking like he was in great pain. Finally, someone noticed his condition, and many gathered around, even An Xin was drawn to him.
After watching the Sword Master of the Dao disappear into the depths of the universe, the Sacred Minister approached the Sun Immortal Emperor, frowning.
"Has he left?" he asked.
The Sun Immortal Emperor glanced at him and replied, "What makes you say that?"
"The Tai Xuan Sect has long spread rumors that Sword Master of the Dao is about to leave them. He hasn't returned for over a hundred years now. This time…" The Sacred Minister hesitated. He had spies in the Tai Xuan Sect and knew their affairs like the back of his hand.
Upon hearing this, the Sun Immortal Emperor furrowed his brow.
From Gu An's perspective, it was possible that Gu An might indeed grow weary.
Based on what he knew, Gu An was a reclusive great cultivator who didn't desire anything for himself.
Just the thought of such a powerful being leaving Heavenly Spirit World made him feel uneasy.
Could the strange phenomenon of reincarnation from a few days ago represent an even greater calamity?
The Sun Immortal Emperor and the Sacred Minister both fell into silence. Meanwhile, the grand hall of the War Court was swallowed by darkness, losing all its light.
In the darkness, the Sacred Minister spoke softly, "Whether he leaves or not, the merit he earned today must be known to all beings. That so-called Heavenly Dao has never helped us; only he has shouldered everything."
Even the Sun Immortal Emperor, who had inherited the power of the Heavenly Dao Golden Core, held no good feelings toward the so-called Heavenly Dao. He replied, "I think the same. Even if he never returns, and even if we eventually meet our end, at least while we're still alive, we must be grateful to him."
...
In the dark void, Gu An walked forward, playing with the nine golden pearls in his hand, which were the nine suns from earlier. Inside them contained the power of many great Dao forces.
He was cleansing the karma within them.
He had not come to the depths of the universe just to mislead the Sun Immortal Emperor and the Sacred Minister, but for other reasons.
He stopped in his tracks and spoke aloud, "Having watched for so long, isn't it time for you to show yourself?"
As his voice fell, a silver-blue sword qi appeared from the dense fog of the Dao ahead, rapidly transforming into a figure.
It was a man dressed in a blue Daoist robe, with white hair, his crown resembling a sword sheath. He stood in the darkness, exuding an ancient and weathered aura. His gaze was incredibly sharp, and as he stood there, he resembled an eternal divine sword, indestructible through the ages.
[Sword God (Early Stage Vast Heaven Free Immortal): 0/0/0]
Hmm?
His age, current lifespan, and maximum lifespan were all zero.
Either he was a clone with a physical body, or he was not a living being at all—an existence similar to a divine or ghostly king, having lost his lifespan and freedom, bound to some powerful force in exchange for immortality.
Gu An stared at the Sword God, feeling somewhat sentimental.
This Sword God was none other than Yang Xian's disciple, Yang Ping'an.
Compared to the Yang Ping'an in his reincarnation memories, this Sword God was weathered, his body emitting a sense of twilight. However, the sword intent in his eyes was stronger than what Gu An remembered from the past.
In a sense, Yang Ping'an had surpassed Yang Xian, because when Yang Xian died, he was only a Dao Repository Free Immortal.
At three hundred thousand years old, Yang Xian's talent was terrifying, even without relying on lifespan evolution.
Putting aside the Heavenly Spirit God, this Sword God, Yang Ping'an, was the first Vast Heaven Free Immortal Gu An had encountered!
Previously, Gu An had felt Yang Ping'an's sword qi, though it was fleeting.
Seeing his former disciple again, Gu An's emotions were mixed.
The Sword God raised his right hand, using his finger as a sword. Sword qi overflowed from his fingertip as he stared at Gu An, saying, "Your sword dao is strong. You are the opponent I've been looking for."
Gu An maintained his Heavenly Nether Purple Micro Saint Dao Body, so the Sword God couldn't see his expression. He asked in confusion, "Opponent?"
"I roam the Great Thousand World, seeking powerful sword practitioners, all for the purpose of attaining the strongest sword dao. And you, you have the qualification to be my opponent."
The Sword God's tone carried no emotion, but as his words fell, an immense sword intent enveloped the void around them.
Gu An could clearly feel the Heavenly Spirit God, far beneath the world gate, opening his eyes, staring at them.
The commotion caused by the War Court had failed to attract the Heavenly Spirit God's attention, but the Sword God's sword intent had startled the Heavenly Spirit God, which was enough to show how powerful the Sword God truly was.
Such domineering sword intent!
Gu An raised his right hand, and the Tian Su Sword, gifted to him by Li Ya, appeared in his grasp.
This sword, which was considered a divine weapon in the mortal realm, was not as hard as a fallen star in this place. However, as Gu An's sword qi covered the blade, this sword, from the mortal world, transformed into the sharpest sword in the universe.
The Sword God's expression subtly changed. For some reason, he felt a sense of familiarity from Gu An.
He lowered his hand, and the sword qi went downward, as if he was holding a sword.
The void darkened, the Dao fog surged, and the confrontation between the two caused ripples in space.
"Let me see how strong you've become after enduring the long years."
Gu An thought to himself. The only desire Yang Xian had before his death was to spar with his disciple, helping his sword dao improve. Unfortunately, the Heavenly Spirit God had not given him the chance.
"You remind me of an old friend. I will not go easy on you," the Sword God spoke, and his sword intent exploded.
The surrounding Dao fog was instantly annihilated, and absolute darkness tried to engulf them, but could not swallow the light of their sword qi.
Sword against sword, this was a sword dao contest that spanned across the ages!