"Master, what are you looking at?"
An Xin asked curiously. She looked up in the same direction but saw nothing in the sky.
She knew better than to think Gu An was merely gazing idly. If he was looking at something, it must be significant.
Gu An withdrew his gaze and smiled faintly. "Another formidable figure has descended to the mortal world."
"How powerful?"
"Powerful enough that even the heavens cannot restrain them."
An Xin pondered deeply upon hearing this.
Gu An's attention shifted toward An Shengtian. Surrounded by outstanding prodigies, An Shengtian's potential seemed mediocre by comparison.
But that didn't matter. Gu An had taken An Shengtian under his wing merely to lend him a hand, not to place any great expectations on him.
Every junior has their own path to walk. Gu An felt that his role was simply to provide the opportunity. How far An Shengtian could go was up to him.
Gu An retracted his thoughts and walked deeper into the valley. An Xin quickly followed.
Jiang Shi turned his head and looked at them, his heart filled with unease.
He had already discovered that Gu An was the legendary Sword Master of the Dao. The Sword Master had a disciple who was a legend in the Tai Xuan Sect: An Hao.
It was clear that An Shengtian and An Hao were worlds apart. Jiang Shi had heard of An Hao's meteoric rise and knew how extraordinary his pace of cultivation was.
An Hao had advanced so rapidly because he received Gu An's personal guidance, but An Shengtian had not been afforded such an opportunity.
Gu An often observed An Shengtian's training but never offered any advice, which made Jiang Shi increasingly anxious.
Without a solid foundation, the gap between An Shengtian and true geniuses would only widen.
"Master, how is my blade technique?"
An Shengtian suddenly turned to Jiang Shi, his voice brimming with excitement.
Jiang Shi replied dismissively, "Still needs practice."
With that, he flicked his sleeve and walked away.
An Shengtian stood there, confused. Why did it seem like his master was in a bad mood?
Meanwhile, Gu An led An Xin to Mortal Peak, where he continued instructing her in cultivation.
When it came to training An Xin, Gu An spared no effort. After all, she was his treasured disciple.
He genuinely intended to nurture An Xin to surpass the likes of An Hao and Yang Jian.
Admittedly, An Xin's natural talent was far inferior to theirs, but with Gu An's resources and his personal guidance, there was hope to bridge the gap.
Unlike An Hao and Yang Jian, An Xin had the invaluable opportunity to receive teachings directly from a Free Immortal.
Two hours later.
Gu An descended the mountain path, leaving An Xin behind on the summit.
As Mortal Peak adjusted its criteria for admitting disciples, many below the Nirvana Realm were now entering its gates.
On his way down, Gu An nodded and smiled in response to greetings from disciples. Unlike the ever-evolving Tai Xuan Sect, Mortal Peak remained largely unchanged. Even the flowers and grass along the paths seemed the same as they had been years ago.
Eventually, Gu An reached the foot of Mortal Peak. The lower he went, the more densely populated the area became, with disciples everywhere and the noise of activity increasing.
Down here, no one recognized Gu An, so there were no greetings.
He continued onward until he arrived at a medicinal garden. He turned to look and saw a young woman watering the plants with spiritual water.
It was none other than Zhu Xi, the Primordial Devouring Origin Physique!
Zhu Xi had recently fallen into trouble after offending a disciple of Mortal Peak. She had been suppressed here for nearly ten years.
In those ten years, Zhu Xi had maintained a low profile, leading her oppressor to gradually forget about her.
Noticing someone's gaze, Zhu Xi looked up and saw Gu An watching her.
Feigning unease, she nervously asked, "Senior, do you need something?"
Clever act!
On the surface, Zhu Xi seemed to be at the fifth level of the Nascent Soul Realm. In reality, she had devoured the spiritual power of a Body Fusion Realm cultivator and even destroyed their soul.
The power of the Primordial Devouring Origin Physique far surpassed any other known constitution. Not even An Hao or Yang Jian could compare to her.
Her strength couldn't be judged by her apparent cultivation level. In some ways, she was similar to Gu An. While Zhu Xi devoured spiritual power and mana, Gu An seized lifespans.
"Nothing much. Just passing by. Why are you alone in this garden?" Gu An asked with a gentle smile. His warm demeanor eased Zhu Xi's apparent tension.
"The garden master has gone to visit a fellow Daoist. He didn't say when he'd return. Once he's back, I'll be free to leave," Zhu Xi replied.
Gu An beckoned to Zhu Xi.
She hesitated for a moment but ultimately stepped out of the garden and approached him. Stopping five paces away, she asked nervously, "Is there anything I can do for you, Senior?"
Gu An raised his right hand and flicked his fingers, causing five manuals to appear in a fan-like arrangement. Each bore a distinct title.
"Fate has brought us together, and I feel a connection with you. Choose one," Gu An said with a smile.
He had foreseen that if left unchecked, Zhu Xi would eventually stand against Mortal Peak. As the peak master, it was his duty to address potential threats. Besides, he was genuinely curious about Zhu Xi's future.
Zhu Xi glanced at the manuals with a strange expression.
"Heaven and Earth Primordial Qi Technique," "Time-Striding Dao Step," "Dao Gang Primordial Qi," "Innate Reincarnation Technique," "The Universe in the Palm."
They all sounded incredibly powerful but seemed far too dubious.
No peerless secret manual would be recorded in a simple book. In most cultivation sects, such techniques were stored in jade slips, accessible through divine sense.
Gu An showed no impatience and left the choice to her.
If she didn't value these, so be it.
Gu An wasn't bent on resolving potential enmity this way. If Zhu Xi dared to cause trouble on Mortal Peak, he could suppress her with a flip of his hand.
Could the Primordial Devouring Origin Physique devour the mighty power of the Hunyuan Refining Void Physique?
Despite her skepticism, Zhu Xi thought it wouldn't hurt to choose one. Refusing might provoke the senior into anger.
Years of navigating the cultivation world had given her plenty of experience in avoiding trouble.
Zhu Xi selected a manual, bowed respectfully, and thanked Gu An.
"Time-Striding Dao Step."
Gu An gave her a deep look, smiled faintly, and turned to leave.
Zhu Xi didn't expect him to leave so simply. She watched his figure disappear around the bend of the mountain path before returning to the garden.
Instead of continuing to water the plants, she sat at the wooden table and began reading the manual.
Before long, her expression grew serious, and her hands holding the manual began to tremble.
"This divine ability..."
Zhu Xi lifted her gaze but could no longer sense Gu An's presence.
She etched his face into her memory, her emotions swirling in complexity.
After finishing the manual, she was certain this divine ability was genuine and extremely potent. He hadn't tricked her, which left her riddled with questions.
Why had he favored her?
It couldn't be simple goodwill.
Could he have seen through her physique?
Zhu Xi didn't fully understand the origins of her Primordial Devouring Origin Physique, but she knew that if it became known, she'd be the target of countless enemies in the cultivation world.
No!
She had to leave Mortal Peak!
Determination flashed in Zhu Xi's eyes as she resolved her course of action.
A few days later.
In the Third Medicine Valley, within a loft.
Gu An was chatting with Shen Zhen while his divine sense tracked Zhu Xi.
He hadn't expected his goodwill to frighten her into fleeing, which only made him more curious about her.
She was too cautious, almost like a mirror of himself!
Far from anger, Gu An found himself eagerly anticipating Zhu Xi's future. A temperament like hers was well-suited for survival in the treacherous cultivation world.
"I've been dreaming less and less lately. Do you think I've lost my talent?" Shen Zhen asked, her voice laced with worry.
During the time when Mo Bian'an had possessed her, her consciousness had been confined to dreamscapes. She remained unaware of Mo Bian'an's existence, let alone that the demon had been vanquished.
Gu An smiled and said, "The intensity of your dreams before was remarkable, akin to enlightenment. It's unrealistic to expect such states constantly. What you need to do now is consolidate what you've learned and solidify your Dao Heart. There will naturally be another chance. Are you familiar with Wu Jue?"
He recounted the story of Wu Jue's Dao enlightenment, omitting details about lifespan limits but emphasizing Wu Jue's multiple moments of clarity.
Shen Zhen was surprised to learn of Wu Jue's experiences, which explained his meteoric rise.
"Wait, now that I think about it, why do people associated with you always seem to encounter such fortuitous events?" Shen Zhen asked abruptly.
Gu An raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting it's thanks to me? Shouldn't you be kneeling and thanking me then?"
Shen Zhen rolled her eyes and retorted, "Not a chance. It's just a curious coincidence. Maybe we share some common thread—perhaps it's fortune. Recently, a great cultivator came to the Tai Xuan Sect to lecture. I attended, and he spoke of fortune..."
Gu An hadn't attended the lecture, as the speaker was merely a Loose Immortal.
Now, however, he listened intently to Shen Zhen's recounting.
People of great fortune often turned calamity into blessing, shattering limits time and again. They also tended to attract one another.
Hearing this, Gu An found the explanation plausible.
After their discussion, Shen Zhen's worries dissipated. She agreed with Gu An's advice to remain grounded. Her past achievements were already significant; she need only maintain a calm heart to eventually find enlightenment again through her arts.
"I am the God of the Mortal Realm. Speak my divine name with sincerity, and you shall receive my divine power and protection!"
A booming and majestic voice echoed across the world, interrupting Shen Zhen mid-sentence.
Shen Zhen froze, her face full of shock.
Gu An turned to her. "What's wrong?"
Shen Zhen took a deep breath and replied, "When I was practicing calligraphy, I once thought of the name 'God of the Mortal Realm' and even imagined a scene. After drawing it, the piece inexplicably disappeared."
Gu An immediately understood. The piece must have been destroyed by Mo Bian'an to avoid drawing the attention of the Mortal God.
This so-called Mortal God was a Free Immortal at the ninth level.
He didn't possess the fortunes of the Sacred Court but was entangled with its karmic threads. His descent to the mortal world was likely orchestrated by the Sacred Court.
"Should I draw it again for you?" Shen Zhen asked, reaching for paper and brush.
"Wait! That deity has already descended. Do you want him appearing before us the moment you finish drawing?" Gu An glared at her.
Realizing the danger, Shen Zhen sat back down.
"He calls himself a god. Could he truly be an immortal deity?" she asked curiously.
Before the war between the Immortal Dynasty and the Sacred Court, the world believed them to be gods. But as chaos unraveled, this illusion shattered, leaving them regarded as powerful factions.
Gu An shook his head. "How would I know?"
Shen Zhen widened her eyes. "You wrote Investiture of the Gods, Journey to the West, and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Surely, you've been enlightened by immortals in your dreams. You must know more than I do."
She firmly believed those stories were not mere fabrications but records of some ancient immortal history.
She wasn't alone in this belief; many across the world thought the same, which was why Pan An remained a celebrated figure.