The Deep Sea Dragon Koi didn't understand what "steamed" or "grilled" meant, but with its cultivation level, it could clearly sense the hostility in Gu An's tone. This realization filled it with dread.
Watching the fish cry incessantly, Gu An couldn't help but find it amusing.
Such a cowardly creature, yet it kept running toward danger—how peculiar.
Wait a second!
Could this thing be like Zhu Xi, who loved putting on a show?
Determined to teach it a lesson, Gu An cast an illusion spell on the creature.
In an instant, the Deep Sea Dragon Koi saw a fish identical to itself being steamed, then grilled. When it saw the grilled version, with its scales charred black, crackling and dripping oil, it completely broke down.
Twitching violently, the Deep Sea Dragon Koi fainted on the spot beneath Gu An's foot.
"This weak?"
Gu An prodded the fish with his foot, flipping it over. Seeing no reaction, he sighed in exasperation.
After a brief hesitation, Gu An relocated the Deep Sea Dragon Koi to a distant sea.
"If you come back again, you'll die for sure. And if you dare reveal my location to anyone, your end will be far worse than the illusion you just saw."
He transmitted his message directly into the fish's mind. At its cultivation level, even if it couldn't understand human language, it would still grasp the meaning of Gu An's words when it woke up.
As the mist cleared, beside the vast lake, An Hao stood with his back to the Sacred Ancestor, gazing up at the heavens.
The Sacred Ancestor scrutinized An Hao, his expression growing increasingly satisfied, as if appraising a priceless treasure.
"I didn't expect you to master the Heavenly Dao Record so quickly. Given time, no one in this world will be your equal," the Sacred Ancestor praised.
An Hao turned slightly, glancing at the Sacred Ancestor from the corner of his eye. "Did Divine Sovereign ever master this technique?" he asked.
The Sacred Ancestor replied, "Of course. But you'll surpass him eventually."
Hearing this, An Hao fell into deep thought.
After mastering the Heavenly Dao Record, An Hao fully grasped its immense power. This newfound understanding made him realize just how formidable Divine Sovereign truly was.
Even in the Immortal Dynasty, all the immortals believed Divine Sovereign of the Sacred Court to be the strongest being in the world. To earn such respect from an opposing force, his strength must have reached an unimaginable level.
"I must leave now. Thank you for your guidance, senior. I will never forget this kindness," An Hao said, turning to bow respectfully to the Sacred Ancestor.
The Sacred Ancestor asked, "Will you oppose the Sacred Court in the future?"
Looking at him, An Hao replied, "I cannot say. The future is uncertain, but I can promise you this: I won't oppose the Sacred Court for the Immortal Dynasty's sake. I joined the Immortal Dynasty only to seek greater power."
The Sacred Ancestor nodded, smiling. "Young one, undergo your Nirvana soon. Only after Nirvana will you awaken your true strength. Then, you'll fully grasp the power of the Heavenly Dao—the supreme path of the world."
An Hao nodded and leapt into the air, transforming into a streak of white light. In the blink of an eye, he disappeared into the distant clouds.
Watching him leave, the Sacred Ancestor sighed, "I once thought this era marked a period of decline, but now it seems like the prelude to a golden age. Who knows what legends will emerge when we look back thousands of years from now..."
While the Sacred Ancestor mused, Gu An was reflecting on his own circumstances.
In the depths of Submerged Spirit Palace, Gu An stood on a small path amidst the herb garden, gazing into the distance.
"That creature's persistence is unmatched," he murmured, referring to the Deep Sea Dragon Koi.
It had been sixty years since their last encounter. After a few days of silence, the koi had begun searching for Submerged Spirit Palace, and it had continued its quest relentlessly for six decades.
In those sixty years, most disciples of the Third Medicine Valley and Xuan Valley had been replaced. Entire generations of mortals had come and gone.
The Deep Sea Dragon Koi had crossed countless seas and endured innumerable hardships to reach the waters near Submerged Spirit Palace. By the time it arrived, its once-pristine golden scales were tattered. Gaps marred its body where scales had fallen off, leaving it looking pitiful and battered.
Gu An was moved by its determination. He could sense that throughout all these years, the Deep Sea Dragon Koi hadn't mentioned him or Submerged Spirit Palace to any other creatures.
Despite having no way to gather information, it had still managed to find its way here. Clearly, it possessed some latent, unknown talent.
Under normal circumstances, with such a vast distance, even a Mahayana Realm expert would struggle to locate Submerged Spirit Palace within sixty years.
Enough.
Shaking his head, Gu An resumed harvesting herbs.
As he worked, he opened his status panel.
Name: Gu An
Lifespan: 612/958,702,371
Physique: Hunyuan Refining Void Physique
Cultivation: Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm (Perfected)
Almost one billion years of lifespan!
Amazing!
Gu An felt an immense sense of satisfaction. This was a lifespan he had meticulously accumulated through effort, not stolen or obtained through slaughter. It filled him with pride.
While the world outside roiled with chaos, with countless geniuses and mighty figures vying for dominance, Gu An silently cultivated, steadily advancing toward true immortality. Watching the world's struggles from his vantage point, while advancing even faster than them toward longevity, was exhilarating.
The more he thought about it, the more pleased he became, until he found himself humming a cheerful tune.
After finishing his herb gathering, Gu An returned to Tai Xuan Sect.
The Deep Sea Dragon Koi had only just entered the nearby waters and would take another month or two to reach Submerged Spirit Palace. There was no rush to meet it yet.
If the Deep Sea Dragon Koi were to perish on this final stretch of its journey, it would simply mean it wasn't destined to receive such fortune. Fate couldn't be blamed for it.
By the time Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley, it was just past noon. The summer's hot wind swept through the valley, and the sunlight glinted off the Seven Stars Mirror in Gu An's hand, casting dazzling rays of light.
Using the Seven Stars Mirror as a fan, Gu An leisurely walked forward, swinging the mirror back and forth to create a cool breeze.
An Xin suddenly rushed toward him, stopping in front of him with a flustered expression. "Master, Wu Jue is in trouble!"
Gu An raised an eyebrow. "What happened?"
An Xin quickly explained, "I went to the Inner Gate City today and heard that he's been imprisoned in the Tai Xuan Sect's dungeon. They're saying he killed a fellow disciple!"
Hearing this, Gu An frowned. "I'll head to the Inner Gate."
Without another word, he turned and left.
An Xin let out a sigh of relief. Informing her master was all she needed to do; with his abilities, resolving the issue wouldn't be difficult.
Less than half an hour later, Gu An arrived at the dungeon's seventh underground level, led by a disciple assigned to the prison.
In his six centuries at the Tai Xuan Sect, this was Gu An's first visit to the dungeons. As the sect grew stronger, the dungeon's restrictions had steadily been reinforced. It was said that the eighteenth underground level even held imprisoned immortals.
The dungeon disciple stopped in front of a particular cell, gave a brief explanation, and then respectfully left.
From the fifth level downward, not just anyone could visit the prisoners. Gu An had pulled some strings to secure this visit, so the disciple treated him with great courtesy.
The cell was made of special redwood, its surface etched with dao sigils, layered with numerous restrictions.
Gu An peered through the bars. Inside, the cell was dimly lit, and Wu Jue sat slumped against the wall, his disheveled hair hiding his face. He appeared to be asleep.
In the dungeon, cultivation was prohibited, and spiritual energy was cut off. Wu Jue looked significantly thinner and more worn down.
When Wu Jue was first imprisoned, Gu An had already known about it. However, within the Tai Xuan Sect, Wu Jue's life wasn't in danger, so Gu An hadn't intervened earlier.
Now that An Xin had brought the matter to him, the threads of fate dictated that Gu An should visit Wu Jue.
Having immersed himself in the study of karmic principles, Gu An had come to view worldly cause and effect as a game. He was willing to play by the rules—unless the game frustrated him. Only then would he change them.
"Wu Jue, I've come to see you," Gu An called out, activating his Lifespan Investigation on him.
[Wu Jue (Body Fusion Realm, Fifth Layer): 614/4500/8300]
Hmm? His maximum lifespan had finally increased!
This kid truly needed trials to grow. Too much smooth sailing wasn't beneficial.
In the darkness, Wu Jue's eyes slowly opened. His vision was blurry, but he could make out a figure standing outside the cell.
When Gu An called out again, his vision cleared, revealing his visitor.
"Gu An…"
Wu Jue looked at him, his face filled with shame. He didn't know what to say.
But deep down, he was touched. His crime was severe, and the victim's family was powerful. The Tai Xuan Sect had already abandoned him.
His so-called friends had distanced themselves. After being imprisoned for so long, Gu An was the first person to visit him. How could he not feel moved?
"Why so quiet? Don't recognize me anymore?" Gu An asked with a mock-stern expression.
The details of Wu Jue's case were already clear to him.
Wu Jue hadn't been entirely at fault. The deceased, also a sect prodigy, had harbored a grudge after losing to Wu Jue in the past. He constantly provoked Wu Jue, especially after Wu Jue's defeat to Zhou Tongyou.
While training outside the sect, the deceased had taken advantage of superior numbers to mock Wu Jue, belittling him as inferior to Zhou Tongyou and unworthy of the sect's resources.
Wu Jue wasn't someone who tolerated such treatment. Their argument escalated into a fight. The other party was the first to harbor killing intent, prompting Wu Jue to retaliate with full force. The result was a tragedy.
With witnesses present, Wu Jue chose to return to the sect and report the incident. However, those same witnesses turned against him, claiming that Wu Jue had attacked first.
Thus, Wu Jue was thrown into the dungeon, his reputation in tatters.
No matter the circumstances, Wu Jue had indeed killed a fellow disciple, which was an unforgivable crime in a righteous sect like Tai Xuan Sect.
Wu Jue himself acknowledged his mistake, feeling too ashamed to face Gu An.
"I'm not refusing to recognize you; I just don't feel worthy of your recognition," Wu Jue said, taking a deep breath to steady himself.
Since becoming a prodigy, he had been surrounded by people who treated him well. Over time, he had grown distant from Gu An, their meetings becoming fewer and fewer.
Now, as he faced ruin, those so-called friends had all vanished. Yet here was Gu An, standing before him.
At that moment, Wu Jue's heart was filled with self-mockery.
"What exactly happened?" Gu An asked, pulling Wu Jue out of his downward spiral.
Wu Jue adjusted his emotions and began recounting the entire story.
When Wu Jue finished, Gu An fell silent for a moment. "This wasn't entirely your fault. Isn't there anyone above willing to believe you?"
Wu Jue sighed. "Who would believe me? It's not like we can use soul-searching techniques on those people. Even if they used it on me, how many would actually trust the results?"
"Don't worry," Gu An said. "I'll speak to the sect master."
Wu Jue replied, "The sect master has already spoken to me. He advised me to endure for a while until the situation calms down. Then he'll see what he can do."
As the Tai Xuan Sect grew stronger, the sect master Lü Baitian's authority had diminished.
"It's fine," Gu An said reassuringly. "I'll discuss it with him further. If that doesn't work, I'll bring in others to help. I refuse to believe that the Sheng family can control the entire Tai Xuan Sect!"