Under the night sky, the ocean was filled with the silhouettes of powerful cultivators speeding through the air and the appearances of giant sea beasts leaping out of the water, making the scene even more ominous.
Gu An's secluded island was surrounded by crashing waves, on the brink of being submerged.
Meanwhile, Gu An continued waiting for his breakthrough to conclude. The spiritual energy required for each minor stage of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm far exceeded that of the previous major breakthroughs.
Gu An kept observing the external situation, determined to understand the impact of his breakthrough on the Heavenly Spirit World.
Currently, the range of spiritual energy absorption had reached an astonishing level. However, compared to the vastness of the Heavenly Spirit World, it had yet to shake the overall balance.
The Heavenly Spirit World was simply too immense! Even though Gu An could see beyond the skies, the sheer size of the Heavenly Spirit World was undeniable.
As time passed, more and more high-level cultivators arrived to protect various parts of the ocean. Some of the sects Gu An had hesitated to observe before had now dispatched their own masters. Even the imperial dynasty of celestial beings sent out representatives.
Gu An noticed something intriguing: the Celestial Dynasty and the Sacred Court were situated on opposite sides of the Heavenly Spirit World, as if divided by a clear boundary.
"I should find a chance to ask Bai Ziya more about the Celestial Dynasty," Gu An thought.
In addition to this sea region, other oceans and the islands within them were now protected by powerful cultivators. Even the continent near the Tai Xuan Sect had masters stationed in mid-air, holding back the waves.
The Sacred Court's efficiency was truly remarkable, swiftly protecting the mortal realm and living up to its name.
Interestingly, the Unrestrained Primordial Immortal in this sea region was being hunted, entangled by several other Unrestrained Primordial Immortals, and had already fled into the void beyond.
Gu An silently offered his condolences.
"What a pity," he thought, though he bore no guilt. He had to break through, and no matter where he chose, it would create disturbances. If he ventured into the void, he would attract beings at the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm, which was far too dangerous.
Judging by the current events, Gu An realized his next breakthrough might indeed need to take place in the void.
Though the void was fraught with peril, the strength of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm was nothing to scoff at.
Gu An had already glimpsed the term "Divine Thought True Immortal" and possessed an immense lifespan. If he didn't push to reach the Ninth Layer of the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm, he'd feel unfulfilled.
For now, he resolved to control himself during his next breakthrough. Once he reached the ninth layer, he would stop. Knowing the name of the next realm would only make him restless.
The ocean's anomalies didn't affect the void.
The moon set, and the sun rose.
By morning, the violent spiritual energy of the ocean had finally calmed.
Gu An had reached the Ninth Layer of the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm!
Slowly opening his eyes, the golden mark on his forehead glowed, revealing an illusory golden vertical eye.
The pupil of the Primordial Divine Eye began to shift from gold to black, then to deep gray, making the vertical eye appear even more fearsome and oppressive.
With a thought, Gu An dismissed the Primordial Divine Eye.
He stood up slowly, vanishing from the island without taking a single step.
In an instant, he appeared inside Nian Chu Cave Residence on Tianhuang Mountain.
Tian Yao'er, Tianqing, and Tianbai were all cultivating. The cave was tranquil, with only the sound of dripping water echoing in the silence.
Clapping his hands, Gu An startled the three demons awake. They quickly rushed out of their rooms, their faces lighting up with joy when they saw him, throwing themselves toward him.
"Master, what happened outside a few days ago?"
"Yes, there was such a terrifying aura coming through!"
"Master, are you alright?"
The three of them chattered excitedly, their voices filled with concern.
Gu An felt a pang of guilt, realizing he should have come to reassure them earlier. Instead, he had left them worried for days.
"Come on, we're heading to the Hidden Paradise Cave Heaven," Gu An said with a wave, leading the three demons away.
As they traveled, the three demons couldn't stop talking. Gu An didn't hide anything, explaining the series of catastrophes he had experienced: the Spectral Wraiths, Spectral Wraith Kings, the Grand Cold Demon Sect, the Heavenly Fire Calamity, and more. Each tale left them pale with fright.
But when Gu An assured them the calamities had passed, they breathed a collective sigh of relief.
Curious about who had resolved these disasters, the three demons asked, but Gu An claimed ignorance.
When they reached the Hidden Paradise Cave Heaven, Gu An raised his hand, and countless storage bags, rings, and magical tools flew from his sleeves, piling into a massive heap in the clearing.
The three demons stared in astonishment.
Tian Yao'er couldn't help but ask, "Why are there so many?"
Gu An didn't answer. Instead, he scanned the storage items with his divine sense, dismantling all restrictions and eliminating any potentially dangerous objects in an instant.
"These things are yours to manage. Handle them carefully and avoid touching them unnecessarily to prevent attracting attention from powerful beings," Gu An warned.
In truth, no other cultivators could track the items, but Gu An worried they might harm themselves accidentally.
The three demons nodded blankly, still processing the enormous pile before them.
Without further explanation, Gu An disappeared from the scene.
Tianbai cautiously asked, "Could the mysterious powerhouse who resolved the catastrophe actually be our master?"
Tian Yao'er's expression turned odd. Gu An had previously claimed he wasn't a match for the Tianhuang Demon Mother. She had long suspected otherwise, and now she was even more convinced it was a lie.
However, she couldn't understand why Gu An would conceal his cultivation.
Elsewhere.
Gu An returned to the Tai Xuan Sect.
The continent where the Tai Xuan Sect resided hadn't been affected by the anomalies of the previous night, though the winds were noticeably stronger.
First, Gu An went back to the Eight Views Heavenly Cave to inform Jiang Qiong of the Grand Cold Demon Sect's destruction. Jiang Qiong was shocked by the news and immediately left to handle her own matters.
Gu An didn't follow her. Instead, he used the valley's teleportation array to return to the Third Medicine Valley.
Even after two days, the valley remained lively. Most people were still discussing the fall of the Grand Cold Demon Sect.
Nearby, the Qie Wuxing and the Nine-Finger Divine Lord were playing chess again, occasionally shouting in frustration and drawing laughter from the surrounding disciples.
The laboring servant disciples were full of energy, while the white spirit mouse under the Mysterious Clear Tree, which was usually lethargic, lay awake on An Xin's lap, enjoying her gentle stroking.
Everything felt so harmonious that Gu An couldn't help but smile.
His risky actions were all for the sake of protecting such scenes.
As Gu An walked toward his pavilion, his divine sense stretched outward toward the void.
His next breakthrough would have to take place beyond the skies.
The anomalies of the previous night had drawn numerous powerful cultivators to patrol the area above the Heavenly Spirit World. Though none were as strong as Gu An, he didn't want to reveal himself during such a critical time.
Once those cultivators dispersed, he would venture into the void for his breakthrough.
With his remaining lifespan, breaking into the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm shouldn't be difficult.
This thought brightened Gu An's mood.
Humming a tune, he ascended the stairs to his pavilion. The Blood Prison Saint, lying sprawled at the entrance, glanced at his master thoughtfully.
Once Gu An entered his room and closed the door, the Blood Prison Saint mused, "Master seems to have grown stronger again. Just how high is his cultivation?"
The day the Grand Cold Demon Sect attacked, the towering figure that loomed over the battlefield had been unmistakably his master.
The Blood Prison Saint increasingly felt that falling into Gu An's hands was a blessing of the highest order.
A blessing others could only dream of!
Thinking this, he grinned smugly.
The thousand-year contract suddenly felt trivial. When the time came, he would gladly remain and serve Gu An indefinitely.
In fact, he had already set his sights on becoming the chief disciple of the Third Medicine Valley. With An Xin's limited talent, she would surely pass away within a millennium. Who else could compete with him?
As for Yang Jian, that boy clearly had ambitions of venturing into the wider world.
Inside the pavilion, Gu An reclined comfortably in his chair.
Seeing that he still had over 600 million years of lifespan left, he couldn't help but smile.
"I must not get complacent!"
He reminded himself to stay disciplined. The Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm wasn't his final goal, and neither was the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm. He would continue to grow stronger.
Though he was already immensely powerful, there were still mysteries in the world that eluded him. He needed to keep striving.
Over the next few days, Gu An resumed his usual routine of visiting the various medicine valleys.
During this time, the mysterious Xuanmiao Zhenren from the North Sea Mountain asked Gu An for his opinion on the Sword Master of Dao. Gu An offered a few compliments without delving deeper.
Five days later.
Gu An noticed a group of cultivators with significant strength infiltrating the continent. They were investigating public opinions about the Sword Master of Dao.
These cultivators were from the Sacred Court!
Not only this continent, but the surrounding oceans were also being investigated by Sacred Court cultivators regarding both the Sword Master of Dao and the Grand Cold Demon Sect.
Gu An chose not to intervene. The fact that the Sacred Court was investigating the Grand Cold Demon Sect indicated that the matter had reached the upper echelons of the Sacred Court, leaving the Sacred King unable to act unilaterally.
After harvesting the mature spirit herbs from all the medicine valleys, Gu An allowed himself some leisure.
He played chess with the Nine-Finger Divine Lord and won three consecutive matches.
The Qie Wuxing, intrigued, also wanted a match.
Half an hour later, Gu An stood up triumphantly, holding the Seven Stars Mirror as a fan. He left with an air of smug satisfaction.
The Qie Wuxing sat dazed on the stone bench, staring at the chessboard in disbelief.
The surrounding disciples erupted in excitement, loudly praising Gu An.
The Qie Wuxing had always been arrogant in his victories. Seeing their master defeat him brought the disciples immense joy.
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord chuckled, realizing it wasn't his lack of skill but Gu An's exceptional talent in chess.
Gu An left amidst the cheers of the disciples, a grin plastered across his face.
"Play against me? You'll need another million years of training!"
He acknowledged that the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm Ninth Layer was formidable—but only twenty-seven minor layers below his own cultivation.
Returning to his pavilion, Gu An sat down and summoned his attribute panel.
Thinking about his previous reincarnations, he felt a pang of regret.
Perhaps it was time to start another round. After all, with so many Sacred Court cultivators patrolling the void, there was no rush to attempt his next breakthrough.
He decided to indulge himself with one more round of reincarnation simulation.
[You consumed 10 million years of lifespan to activate a reincarnation simulation.]
[Connecting to the Grand Dao Rules...]
[Searching for reincarnation worlds...]
[The following worlds are available. Choose one:]
[1. Heavenly Spirit World]
[2. Nine Extremes World]
[3. Dark World]
After a moment's hesitation, Gu An selected the Dark World. He intended to rise again from the place where he had once fallen.
This time, he vowed never to repeat the same mistakes.
[You chose to reincarnate into the Dark World.]
[Given that the rules of the Dark World cannot suppress your natural talent, you will retain your lifespan-stealing ability but lose access to phased functions.]
[Reincarnation simulation begins.]
[Year One: You were born into the Duke Xiao's household of the Ming Sacred Dynasty in the Northern Qian Region. Your parents named you Xiao Shengtian.]
[At the age of five, while you were sleeping, you were poisoned by one of your father's concubines from the third chamber. Before losing consciousness, you caught a glimpse of her figure. Fortunately, your mother discovered the plot and saved your life in time. When you regained your strength, your grandfather gathered the entire family in the main hall. Faced with his questioning, will you reveal that it was the third chamber's concubine who poisoned you?]