As Gu An absorbed the memories of Long Zhan, his hostility towards the Annihilation God Emperor gradually diminished.
Long Zhan was simply too arrogant!
Before his wife, Han Jia'er, passed away, Long Zhan's actions were at least somewhat restrained. However, after venturing beyond the heavens, he completely broke free from any moral constraints, acting recklessly and without remorse.
The War Court he established operated with a brutal philosophy: those who obey would prosper, while those who opposed would perish!
The world Long Zhan sacrificed was utterly innocent—chosen entirely at random. Its countless inhabitants never even had a chance to react before their entire realm was reduced to dust in an instant.
Gu An had previously thought Xiao Shengtian was already brazen enough, but compared to Long Zhan, Xiao Shengtian was restrained.
If Gu An had the power to kill Long Zhan within the Divine Origin Great Heaven, he undoubtedly would have acted without hesitation.
After fully integrating Long Zhan's memories, Gu An felt as if he had personally lived through Long Zhan's life. Becoming the Heavenly Dragon Emperor had seemed grand and triumphant, but upon reflection, it was riddled with regret and mistakes.
Before transcending the Ninefold Heavens of the Immortal Dao, Long Zhan had been warned by Purple Yuan Immortal about his methods. She had urged him not to achieve enlightenment by harming sentient beings. Long Zhan had dismissed her advice, and their bond was severed as a result.
Once the transfer of memories was complete, Gu An remained immersed in them.
He was Gu An, yet also Long Zhan.
This duality left Gu An with a sensation that was both indescribable and profound.
Perhaps this was what recalling a past life truly felt like—being the same soul, yet embodying entirely different personalities.
From inheriting Long Zhan's memories, Gu An gained much, not only in terms of insight into his Dao Heart but also inheriting Long Zhan's ultimate divine technique.
Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect!
This divine ability allowed the practitioner to manifest the ultimate form of their Dao, creating a powerful Aspect that could even summon the forms of past lives to fight alongside the user.
When Long Zhan created this divine ability, he had intended to use reincarnation to cultivate and generate countless Aspects. However, once he unlocked the life-forfeiture ability, he abandoned further research into this technique and instead enhanced it through the lifespan sacrifices.
Gu An slowly opened his eyes and vanished from the island, returning to Ye Lan's residence.
At that moment, Ye Lan was still in a state of enlightenment.
Sitting down, Gu An continued to reflect on Long Zhan's life.
The power Long Zhan wielded after transcending the Ninefold Heavens of the Immortal Dao was indeed intoxicating. The ability to control the lives of countless beings with the flick of his hand and shape the rules of existence at will still sent chills through Gu An's spine.
At the same time, Gu An couldn't help but feel awe for the Annihilation God Emperor's might.
Long Zhan had been crushed to death by a single hand from the Annihilation God Emperor—a hand that transcended the barriers of time and space, standing supreme over the rules of the universe.
After comprehending the entirety of Long Zhan's life, Gu An no longer harbored any animosity toward the Annihilation God Emperor. Unlike Chu Lu or Xiao Shengtian, Long Zhan had brought about his own downfall.
Gu An was now left in a state of introspection.
If the process of reincarnation evolution could create someone like Long Zhan, then it was equally possible for him to inadvertently spawn other terrifying entities.
Even though Gu An's intentions were never malicious, he couldn't control the personalities that emerged within the reincarnations.
However, the benefits of reincarnation evolution were undeniable—it enabled him to master numerous spells and divine abilities, accumulate vast combat experience, and deepen his understanding of the cycle of reincarnation itself. Giving it up was nearly impossible.
After much deliberation, Gu An realized he was overthinking things. Why worry so much?
The path to strength was never without collateral damage. Many so-called "righteous" principles were determined by perspective. In war, were the civilians of the opposing nation not innocent?
In the future, should he encounter a case like Long Zhan again, he resolved not to activate the life-forfeiture function. He would instead rely on his own efforts to cultivate.
Truthfully, even without the lifespan-forfeiture ability, Long Zhan had been exceptionally gifted.
Gu An began reviewing the cultivation method for the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect.
There was something about the technique that felt eerily familiar, as if he had encountered it before.
Before long, he realized why.
It bore a striking resemblance to the Heavenly Dragon Demon-Suppressing Aspect of the Ji Family.
He decided to consult Ji Xiaoyu later. Ji Xiaoyu had recently returned to the Ji Family and inherited their divine techniques. Perhaps she could now demonstrate the Heavenly Dragon Demon-Suppressing Aspect.
As the sun set and the moon rose, another night passed.
Ye Lan gradually awoke, feeling as though she had experienced a dream—a dream so vivid yet elusive that she couldn't recall it upon waking.
When she opened her eyes, the world around her seemed entirely different.
Her gaze fell upon Gu An, who was seated at the table reading a book.
Gu An turned his head and asked with a smile, "Awake?"
[Ye Lan (Divine Transformation Realm, Fifth Layer): 222/600/800]
Her maximum lifespan had increased by two hundred years!
Gu An let out a sigh of relief, a smile spreading across his face.
As long as it worked!
Though the effect was relatively minor considering his own level as a Divine Thought True Immortal Realm, it was still a success.
Gu An closely examined Ye Lan and noticed a faint and almost imperceptible energy dissipating from her body—a presence akin to the laws of heaven and earth, yet subtler and more elusive.
"Why did I fall asleep?" Ye Lan asked, perplexed.
Rolling his eyes, Gu An replied, "You're asking me? What, did you think I drugged you or something? I should be the one upset—I traveled all this way, only for you to doze off in the middle of our conversation, leaving me sitting here."
Ye Lan's face flushed with embarrassment. She asked timidly, "Then why didn't you wake me?"
"You were clearly cultivating in your sleep. It didn't seem like a normal nap. How could I risk disturbing you?"
Gu An stood up as he spoke.
"I'm heading back now. I'll visit you next time."
"Senior brother, can't you stay for a couple more days?"
"No can do. The Medicine Valley can't function without me."
"Really? But I heard you're practically an absentee landlord over there."
"That's nonsense!"
The two of them bantered for a while, but in the end, Gu An resolutely turned to leave.
Ye Lan escorted him to the gates of the residence.
Gu An suddenly stopped in his tracks, turned around, and asked her, "In your heart, which is more important: morality or emotions?"
He asked this because the scene of Long Zhan breaking ties with Purple Yuan Immortal surfaced in his mind. Although Long Zhan had brought his downfall upon himself, his lonely end was still lamentable.
As arrogant as Long Zhan had been, he had treated those close to him well—albeit in an overly domineering manner, not tolerating any disobedience.
Ye Lan was stunned for a moment, then smiled gently. "If you are wicked, I would never follow suit, but I will always stand by you—as long as you do not abandon me."
Gu An smiled and said, "Don't overthink it. I was just pondering the plot of a book. I don't have the guts to be wicked."
With that, he waved goodbye and turned to leave.
Ye Lan watched his retreating figure, lost in thought.
As summer approached, the weather was pleasantly cool.
In a grove of trees.
Gu An stood on the edge of a clearing, looking expectantly at Ji Xiaoya.
The crimson Dao pattern on Ji Xiaoya's forehead lit up with brilliance. Her aura shifted abruptly as she raised her right hand. The spiritual energy within her surged in a profound manner, quickly coalescing into a golden wheel behind her, like a radiant circular gateway, its surface inscribed with intricate, mysterious patterns.
As the golden wheel opened, golden dragons poured out from the dazzling light.
Her Heavenly Dragon Demon-Suppressing Aspect differed slightly from its form in past lifetimes. However, Gu An immediately recognized that the Heavenly Dragon Demon-Suppressing Aspect and the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect shared the same origin. Yet, the former was weaker and lacked the profound intricacy of the latter.
This realization shook Gu An's very soul.
The Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect was a technique created by Long Zhan himself. Could it be that the Ji family was connected to Long Zhan?
In Long Zhan's memories, he had only passed the Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect on to his son, Long Xin. If so, it meant Long Xin had passed it down further.
Considering the lives of Chu Lu and Xiao Shengtian, it was clear their timelines might not align with Gu An's.
Could this mean that reincarnation evolution projected itself into the past?
Ji Xiaoya dispelled the Heavenly Dragon Demon-Suppressing Aspect and approached Gu An, asking, "Well?"
Although she didn't know why Gu An wanted to see the Heavenly Dragon Demon-Suppressing Aspect, it was renowned across the land, and showing it to an outsider didn't violate the family's rules.
"It's truly remarkable. I am awestruck. The one who created this divine ability must have been a godlike figure. Does the Ji family have records of its creator?" Gu An remarked with admiration.
Ji Xiaoya pondered for a moment before replying, "This divine ability dates back a long time. It was created by one of our ancestors, but I'm not sure who. If you're interested, I can look into it when I return."
Gu An nodded. "I am indeed curious. I'm thinking of writing a book and want to use the Ji family as inspiration."
Ji Xiaoya smiled. "The Deputy Sect Master can write about the Ji family anytime."
The two continued chatting. Ji Xiaoya had intended to introduce other divine abilities, but Gu An showed no interest, so she gave up.
They headed toward the Medicine Valley together.
"The Heavenly Dragon Demon-Suppressing Aspect was created by the Samsara Dao Emperor—or rather, I have seen her use it before."
A voice came from the forest ahead. Stepping out was Qie Wuxing.
Ji Xiaoya frowned, her face filled with displeasure.
Gu An had long since noticed Qie Wuxing eavesdropping. Since Gu An himself suspected a connection to the Samsara Dao Emperor, he hadn't minded the intrusion.
Currently, only the Samsara Dao Emperor from the Ji family had ventured beyond the heavens.
Seeing Ji Xiaoya's expression, Qie Wuxing raised a hand and smiled. "I mean no harm. I'm merely offering clarification. If you were to ascend to become the Samsara Dao Emperor, I'd be nothing but pleased."
With that, he vanished into thin air.
Gu An comforted Ji Xiaoya, saying, "Don't worry about him. Just watch me crush him on the chessboard next time."
Ji Xiaoya withdrew her Dao pattern and nodded slightly.
To Gu An, this was just a small interlude. He filed it away as useful information but didn't feel compelled to investigate further.
The karmic ties of Long Zhan were far too significant, and Gu An had no intention of entangling himself in them.
Still, the incident stirred his imagination.
If reincarnation evolution projected itself into the past, how strong must the Black Xuan Emperor be now?
And what of the Annihilation God Emperor—could the Heavenly Spirit Great Heaven also be within his sights?
Gu An resolved to exercise even greater caution in the future, ensuring that no one discovered his ability to seize lifespans.
A flock of birds took flight from the grove, their silhouettes vanishing into the sunlight.
Five years passed in the blink of an eye.
That year, a piece of news swept across the land, causing an uproar.
The Broken Sea Region was established!
Founded by the Sacred Court, it encompassed the mortal territories previously targeted for annihilation by the Great Cold Demon Sect, centered around the Great Rift of the Broken Sea.
The news spread swiftly, reaching the continent. Emperor Li Xuandao followed up with an edict, declaring the continent's new name: Tai Cang Continent.