Over the next hour, Gu An advanced the Chaos Taiyuan Sacred Art to the Boundless Great Creation Infinite Art. Consuming 20 million years of lifespan only elevated it by one rank, but it reached the pinnacle stage.
Simultaneously, a new divine ability awakened: Infinite Clones!
This ability allowed any spiritual energy attribute related to the five elements to transform into clones. Though the combat strength of these clones wasn't particularly exceptional, their sheer number stood out. After all, the five-elemental spiritual energy could be found almost anywhere.
Gu An didn't stop there—he continued upgrading!
The Universal Shape and Form Technique evolved into the Unordered Myriad Forms Free Art, and then further into the Dao Aspect Mind Technique.
Similarly consuming 20 million years of lifespan, this technique didn't grant any new divine ability, as it was itself equivalent to one. Once mastered, it transcended all rules, enabling one to suppress cultivation, conceal auras, alter appearances, and even modify all aspects of one's existence—all without detection.
With this art, Gu An no longer needed alternative methods for disguising himself. Its most valuable feature was its ability to perfectly hide his cultivation and aura.
Reflecting on past lives during cycles of reincarnation, Gu An realized that if Chu Lu had possessed this art, he might not have met such a swift demise—though trusting Cheng Jialan also played a significant role.
After inheriting the Dao Aspect Mind Technique, another hour passed.
Next, Gu An elevated the Boundless Star-Suppressing Celestial Sword to the Eternal Boundless Divine Sword.
The Infinite Free Step finally advanced to the Time-Striding Dao Step, a footwork technique that could rewind time within a certain radius of each step, restoring everything within its range—from death to life, from existence to nothingness.
However, this footwork could not grant true immortality, as it had its limitations and was primarily designed for combat.
The Nine Extremes Yin-Yang Body advanced to the Ultimate Void Transformation Body.
Gu An also enhanced his Soul Capture Technique, transforming it into the Grand Immortal Soul Imprisonment Art, which consumed 5 million years of lifespan.
The three divine arts and abilities mentioned earlier each consumed 20 million years of lifespan, totaling 65 million years. Combined with upgrades to physique and techniques, Gu An had now spent 105 million years of lifespan!
The lifespan barrier alone required an immense amount of expenditure.
Even without breaking through, Gu An felt overwhelmingly powerful at this moment.
Still, he decided to proceed cautiously.
A breakthrough was necessary.
Gu An reopened his attribute panel, fixing his gaze on the cultivation section.
Outside, the ocean roared with torrential rain and relentless waves. A Wandering Immortal's divine sense scanned the area with reckless abandon.
Gu An paid it no mind. After all, the ocean was mostly populated by wandering souls and lonely spirits, which were already rejected by the world's laws and lived in constant discomfort.
After a brief hesitation, he decided to invest 5 million years of lifespan.
He pondered whether the advance investment of 10 million years of lifespan would eliminate the gap in difficulty between the Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal Realm and even higher realms.
[You cultivated for 30,000 years and used the vast proficiency of the Boundless Great Creation Infinite Art to forcibly charge into the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm. You began transcending tribulation but failed to withstand the Sixfold Fate Virtual Tribulation. The tribulation failed.]
[You cultivated for 60,000 years and used the vast proficiency of the Boundless Great Creation Infinite Art to forcibly charge into the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm. You began transcending tribulation but failed to withstand the Sixfold Fate Virtual Tribulation. The tribulation failed.]
Thirty thousand years for one tribulation!
Gu An was pleasantly surprised. Previously, attempting to ascend to the Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal Realm required 60,000 years for a single tribulation.
But then something even more astonishing occurred.
[You cultivated for 300,000 years and used the vast proficiency of the Boundless Great Creation Infinite Art to forcibly charge into the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm. You began transcending tribulation and successfully endured the Sixfold Fate Virtual Tribulation. Your cultivation advanced to the First Layer of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm.]
[You cultivated for 500,000 years. Your cultivation advanced to the Second Layer of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm.]
Ten tribulations, and he succeeded!
"Damn, I'm incredible!" Gu An was ecstatic, but as he read further, his smile gradually faded.
The time required for each layer in the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm grew exponentially.
[You cultivated for 4 million years. Your cultivation advanced to the Eighth Layer of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm.]
[You cultivated for 4.7 million years. Your cultivation advanced to the Ninth Layer of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm.]
[You cultivated for 5 million years and used the vast proficiency of the Boundless Great Creation Infinite Art to forcibly charge into the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm. You began transcending tribulation but failed to withstand the Heavenly Dao's Forty-Nine Profound Void Tribulation. The tribulation failed.]
Not bad!
Reaching the Ninth Layer of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm within 5 million years was an unexpected delight.
However, each subsequent tribulation took over 300,000 years. Following the previous patterns, 100 failed attempts would cost 30 million years of lifespan, and 200 failures would cost 60 million.
"That's way too exaggerated."
Was the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm truly so fearsome? The leap in difficulty was staggering!
Gu An didn't dwell on it much. After all, he hadn't even heard of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm before, let alone the higher Divine Thought True Immortal Realm.
The spiritual energy of heaven and earth surged toward him once more. Across the ocean, the influx of spiritual energy caused a sharp decline, and the affected area rapidly expanded.
"Damn it!"
The commotion was far too conspicuous!
Gu An was alarmed, sensing that this breakthrough could inadvertently bring calamity to the mortal realm. The sheer volume of spiritual energy required to progress from the Ninth Layer of the Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal Realm to the Ninth Layer of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm had exceeded all his expectations. At the same time, it provided him with a glimpse of the immense foundations of the Heavenly Spirit World.
If breaking through would affect the entirety of the Heavenly Spirit World, it indicated that the number of cultivators at the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm in this world was exceedingly small.
While sensing his own creation, Gu An observed the heavens and the earth.
The range of spiritual energy being drawn toward him was expanding rapidly. In less than the time it took to burn an incense stick, the area exceeded the size of the mortal region the Grand Cold Demon Sect had once sought to eradicate. Yet, the range continued to grow at an alarming rate.
Time flowed swiftly.
An hour later, Gu An forcefully achieved the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm.
Regardless of the height of the realm, evolution and cultivation had compressed the process of breaking through into just one hour.
The mysteries of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm flooded his mind.
A cultivator at the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm could transcend universal rules and traverse the vast multiverses.
The so-called "multiverse" referred to countless worlds akin to the Heavenly Spirit World. Reaching this level of cultivation allowed one to touch upon the barriers between universes. However, not all universes could be crossed easily, as differences in strength and complexity existed among them.
The power of the Profound Immortal was immense, even capable of transforming all things and granting them life.
Upon reaching this realm, one began to condense their own "Dao." The Dao was the culmination of a cultivator's entire path—an embodiment of their will. By condensing the Dao, they could manifest it as a Dao Aspect, utilizing it in combat to crush all opposition.
Gu An was deeply immersed in the creation and insights of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm, unable to extricate himself.
It wasn't until his cultivation progressed to the Second Layer of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm that his consciousness began to recover.
Raising his head, he gazed upon the universe, which no longer appeared so distant or unreachable. His vision and divine sense merged into perfect harmony, enabling him to perceive even the edges of the cosmos.
He spotted the Void Extinction Zone Bai Ziya had mentioned. It was a realm of absolute darkness, emanating a terrifying aura that made him wary of probing further.
He hesitated to delve into the domain because he could sense multiple presences within that stirred his unease—an unease he couldn't ignore.
As time passed, Gu An began detecting the approach of cultivators' auras. Lifting his gaze, he saw countless cultivators flying out from the Sacred Court's domain, heading swiftly toward his location. Their numbers far exceeded those of the Grand Cold Demon Sect.
His breakthrough had indeed alarmed the Sacred Court!
It had to be said—the Grand Cold Demon Sect paled in comparison to the Sacred Court.
The cultivators streaming from the Sacred Court were all at the Loose Immortal Realm at minimum. Their numbers surpassed five million and continued to grow.
Five million Loose Immortals—what an astonishing force!
Among them, Gu An detected the presence of Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortals and even Unrestrained Primordial Immortals. The number of Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortals alone exceeded ten.
The Sacred Court cultivators dispersed across the heavens and the earth, primarily to protect the various continents and islands.
The oceans roared with unparalleled waves as the spiritual energy sank at an unprecedented rate, causing many continents to fracture and crumble.
Seeing the Sacred Court step forward to safeguard the mortal realm, Gu An breathed a sigh of relief and gained newfound respect for the Sacred Court.
He had no desire for his breakthrough to result in the extinction of countless lives.
It seemed the Sacred Court's support of the Grand Cold Demon Sect was solely the decision of the Sacred King.
If the Sacred Court were ever to become his enemy in the future, regardless of the grievances involved, Gu An resolved not to completely annihilate them—purely out of respect for their actions today.
Of course, if it were possible to establish a good relationship with the Sacred Court, that would be even better.
Cultivation didn't always have to revolve around conflict and bloodshed.
The rewards from exterminating the Grand Cold Demon Sect had been immense, but it had also drawn greater scrutiny. No sooner had the battle ended than Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortals began to appear—a realm Gu An had never even heard of before.
If he became too arrogant and provoked a being even more fearsome than a Divine Thought True Immortal, who could kill him with a single strike, what then?
Chu Lu's fate served as a cautionary tale!
Of course, much of Chu Lu's downfall stemmed from trusting someone unworthy. Gu An couldn't help but want to scold him—how could he wipe out someone's entire family and then marry into it? While Chu Lu had initially been a victim, he should have stayed far away from Cheng Jialan.
With the Sacred Court taking action, Gu An felt even more at ease.
He began to fully immerse himself in the marvels of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm.
Reaching the Ninth Layer of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm, what could the Sacred King behind the Grand Cold Demon Sect possibly do to him? If that Sacred King was also at the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm, then Gu An would stake everything on breaking through once more!