At dawn, Gu An stepped out of the pavilion in Xuan Valley. After descending the stairs, he joined the disciples for their morning exercises.
Lu Jiujia, who rarely participated, trained alongside him today. As they exercised, the two brothers engaged in casual conversation.
"Senior Brother, when do you think I'll be able to unlock the technique's potential?" Lu Jiujia suddenly asked, his tone filled with eager anticipation.
He was now practicing the Innate Reincarnation Technique and could already sense its immense transformative power, far surpassing the Dao Yan Technique. This realization only heightened his expectations for his future path.
Gu An glanced at his extreme lifespan limit and replied, "Give it a few more decades. Be patient."
Lu Jiujia nodded earnestly. He had unwavering trust in Gu An. After all, Gu An had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm—a significant milestone for someone with what Lu Jiujia considered average spiritual roots. To Lu Jiujia, this proved Gu An possessed unparalleled comprehension ability.
He suspected the Innate Reincarnation Technique harbored an extraordinary karmic significance, believing that following Gu An's guidance was his only chance at achieving the Dao.
The two continued their conversation until the exercises concluded, after which Gu An left.
Returning to the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An greeted disciples along the way with a few light-hearted exchanges. Today, his mood was exceptionally good.
Having achieved a lifespan of One billion years, it was finally time for a breakthrough!
Extending his divine sense into the cosmos, Gu An meticulously reviewed the location he had previously selected for his advancement. Concerned that nearby beings might accidentally intrude during the critical moment, he decided to reassess the area.
A bold idea suddenly struck him: Should he head to the Desolation Domain for his breakthrough?
The Desolation Domain was not only vast but also brimming with immense spiritual energy. Considering the impact of his last breakthrough to the Divine Thought True Immortal realm, he anticipated his upcoming advancement would likely cause an even greater commotion across the Heavenly Spirit World.
Gu An was determined to avoid attracting the attention of the Sacred Court or Immortal Dynasty. The last thing he wanted was for these colossal forces to discover the birth of a new Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Dao cultivator.
In the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Dao, one attained the title of Free Immortal!
Recalling the overwhelming might of Long Zhan and Lu Han when they reached this stage, Gu An couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement.
After a brief circuit around the Third Medicine Valley, Gu An returned to his pavilion. From within, his divine sense extended into the depths of the Desolation Domain.
The Desolation Domain's cosmic space was dim, devoid of starlight, and filled with a turbid Dao Qi that exuded an oppressive aura.
The domain teemed with colossal beasts, some as massive as the Tai Cang Continent itself.
After some time, Gu An pinpointed the perfect location for his breakthrough. He resolved to act tonight.
Retracting his divine sense, he suddenly recalled the Lifespan Simulation feature.
Why not simulate the tribulation first?
He activated the simulation function, focusing on the tribulation process in his mind.
[Simulating the evolution of the tribulation at your current realm requires a lifespan cost of 1,000,000 years. Do you wish to continue?]
A million years?!
What a rip-off!
Gu An hesitated. Given the risks of failure, he knew he couldn't afford to gamble on the simulation. After all, in such a scenario, he would have to rely solely on his physical body to endure the tribulation.
Shifting his gaze, his eyes landed on the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor.
The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor, an Eighth Heaven Divine Thought True Immortal cultivator, stood out as a potential sparring partner. Should he simulate a fight against him to test their comparative strengths?
Gu An immediately initiated the simulation targeting the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor.
[Target locked: Sun and Moon Nether Emperor. Calculating simulation value...]
[Simulating a battle with the current Sun and Moon Nether Emperor requires a lifespan cost of 1,000 years. Do you wish to continue?]
Only a thousand years?
Gu An felt a flicker of excitement before quickly realizing the potential trap.
Winning would be fine, but losing could become a costly habit—ten losses would cost ten thousand years. It was clearly a ploy to lure him into continuous spending.
Fine, just one try! Let's do it once!
Gu An selected "continue." Closing his eyes, he entered the simulation space. The environment resembled the Tai Xuan Sect—vast and boundless. Aside from him and the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor, there was no one else.
The Sun and Moon Nether Emperor ascended from behind a distant mountain peak, gazing down from above with an air of superiority, as Gu An stood calmly in the valley below.
Facing the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor, Gu An suddenly felt as if he were in a one-on-one battle game from his past life. It was unexpectedly amusing.
"Begin!"
Boom!
In an instant, the entire Tai Xuan Sect was obliterated. From a bird's-eye view, the expansive Tai Cang Continent shattered, sending massive tidal waves surging across the surrounding seas.
After the time it took to burn a single incense stick, Gu An opened his eyes, his expression peculiar.
"Why is he so weak?"
Gu An sighed in exasperation. If not for the 1,000-year lifespan cost, he could have easily defeated the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor outright. In the simulated battle, he spent most of the time passively defending, allowing the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor to attack. Even so, the Emperor struggled to penetrate the defenses of his Dao Gang Primordial Qi and Primordial Supreme Dao Body.
A newfound confidence bloomed within Gu An.
His strength at the same cultivation level was indeed extraordinary, and he wouldn't let the fear of tribulation failure cloud his judgment.
High-level cultivators often rely on profound foundations and support when facing tribulations—it is rarely a solo effort.
Gu An's tribulation was inherently far more powerful than those of the same realm; even its name hinted at its formidable nature.
Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Gu An closed his eyes and leaned back on his chair, feigning rest as he awaited nightfall.
As dusk descended, Gu An departed the Third Medicine Valley openly, using a teleportation formation. None of the valley's disciples found this strange, as Gu An often visited other medicine valleys.
Arriving at Xuan Valley, Gu An lingered for a while before leaving quietly.
Traveling through the forest for half an hour, he disappeared into thin air.
Using his Ultimate Void Transformation Body, Gu An transformed into an intangible state and accelerated to his maximum speed, leaving the universe's boundaries.
Entering the Desolation Domain, he headed toward the pre-selected location.
Soon, he landed on an inconspicuous asteroid at the edge of an asteroid cluster. Surrounding him were asteroids of various sizes, none drawing attention.
As soon as he landed, Gu An activated the Lifespan Barrier.
Only after ensuring its activation did he exhale deeply and sit cross-legged in meditation.
Instead of immediately initiating his breakthrough, he gazed into the distance, attuning himself to the nearby rules of existence.
He discovered that the rules of this domain bore striking similarities to those surrounding the Divine Origin World and Primordial World.
Could it be that all Worlds are encased by the Desolation Domain?
Or was this a reflection of the universe's primal state, with Worlds forming later?
Gu An pondered the origins for a moment before dismissing the thought and pulling up his status panel.
[Name: Gu An]
[Lifespan: 419/1,030,812,376]
[Physique: Primordial Supreme Dao Body]
[Cultivation: Divine Thought True Immortal Realm, Ninth Layer]
The sight of over a billion years of lifespan filled Gu An with excitement.
First, I'll upgrade my physique!
Previously, Gu An had spent 20 million years of lifespan to advance his Primordial Causal Body to the Primordial Hunyuan Body and then to the Primordial Supreme Dao Body.
This time, upgrading further would likely require at least another 20 million years.
Forget it, let's go all in. Spending 50 million years will maximize the effect. A stronger physique improves both aptitude and combat power, increasing the odds of surviving the tribulation.
Without hesitation, Gu An poured 50 million years of lifespan into his Primordial Supreme Dao Body.
Instantly, his lifespan dropped below one billion, down to 980 million years.
A flurry of prompts filled his vision.
At 30 million years, his Primordial Supreme Dao Body grew exponentially stronger but showed no signs of transformation.
At 35 million years, it evolved into the Hunyuan Refining Void Physique.
The Hunyuan Refining Void Physique deepened his connection to the Dao, enhancing his perception of its rules.
While the physique did not further evolve, Gu An was more than satisfied.
Boom—
The surrounding spiritual energy surged madly toward Gu An.
The Desolation Domain's energy surpassed that of ordinary heavenly energy. Infused with the essence of Dao itself, it was known as Dao Spirit Energy. Absorbing it not only strengthened cultivation but also deepened one's understanding of the Dao.
Of course, for those without sufficient cultivation, absorbing Dao Spirit Energy could damage their physical body and harm their soul.
It became apparent that the mysterious light layer enveloping the Heavenly Spirit World might serve as a protective barrier, enabling cultivators who reached the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm to safely absorb Dao Spirit Energy.
Closing his eyes, Gu An immersed himself in the transformative wonders of the Hunyuan Refining Void Physique.
The evolution of the Primordial Supreme Dao Body into the Hunyuan Refining Void Physique unlocked the full potential of its innate divine ability, the Supreme Hunyuan Dao Disc.
This supreme divine ability, used sparingly in past simulations, had proven capable of easily annihilating the Sun and Moon Nether Emperor.
If unleashed at full strength, it could encompass the entire Heavenly Spirit World.
Gu An believed that, with greater cultivation, its destructive power would be beyond comprehension.
As Dao Spirit Energy continued to pour into Gu An's body, chaotic winds of the Dao swept through the surrounding void. These winds stirred violently, shaking nearby asteroids.
The disturbance caught the attention of several powerful presences.
Divine senses and spiritual perceptions swept past, each emanating profound strength.
The weakest among them were at the Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal Realm!
Indeed, the Desolation Domain harbored countless terrifying entities.
More divine senses began appearing over time, eventually including those at the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm.
Fortunately, these beings only scanned the area; none chose to intervene.
After an hour, Gu An completed the refinement of the Hunyuan Refining Void Physique. He opened his eyes to find the Lifespan Barrier had consumed an additional five million years.
Such a significant expense!
Reviewing his status panel once more, Gu An turned his attention to his primary technique: the Boundless Great Creation Infinite Art.
Upgrading it from the Chaos Taiyuan Sacred Art to the Boundless Great Creation Infinite Art had previously consumed 20 million years. Now, Gu An decided to invest 50 million years into it.
Core techniques and physiques were paramount; other divine abilities and techniques were secondary enhancements. With his extensive repertoire of Dao techniques, it was impossible to upgrade everything.
Five million years, committed!
Another cascade of prompts appeared.
Eventually, the Boundless Great Creation Infinite Art transformed into the Eternal Great Infinite Art.
A torrent of profound inheritance knowledge surged into Gu An's mind.
The Eternal Great Infinite Art ensured that Gu An's mana would perpetually exist unless obliterated by a stronger force.
In addition to this unparalleled endurance, his mana's intensity increased significantly. Utilizing the same amount of mana now yielded several times the destructive power.
The divine ability Infinite Clones, awakened through the Boundless Great Creation Infinite Art, also received an upgrade. His clones could now exist indefinitely, although they could not develop independent consciousness. These clones served as extensions of Gu An, acting as additional eyes and hands—functional but not comparable to his true self.
Gu An wondered if any opponent could ever force him to fully unleash the Infinite Clones.
Though his arsenal of divine abilities was vast, he rarely employed them in their entirety. Naturally, he preferred to avoid situations where doing so was necessary.
Suddenly, the volatile Dao Spirit Energy reached a peak, finally attracting the attention of a tangible entity.
Gu An looked up and saw an enormous figure emerge from the void's darkness—a colossal beast unlike anything he had ever encountered.
Its sheer size dwarfed even the largest Worlds. Merely gazing at its form invoked a palpable sense of oppression.