The proclamation of the Mortal God shook the world, but the reaction within Tai Xuan Sect was muted.
Such grandiose declarations had occurred multiple times before. Coupled with the fact that the Tai Cang Continent remained untouched by the chaos engulfing the world, most cultivators who heard the Mortal God's words were merely curious and didn't take it seriously.
The people of Tai Cang Continent had their own belief—the Sword Master of the Dao!
Could the Mortal God be mightier than the Sword Master of the Dao?
Shen Zhen voiced similar sentiments, her disdain for the Mortal God evident.
"When I painted him and then painted the divine powers of the Sword Master of the Dao, I felt that the Sword Master of the Dao was much stronger, truly," Shen Zhen said earnestly.
Gu An sighed helplessly and replied, "Regardless, anyone capable of addressing the entire world must have unfathomable cultivation. We'd better discuss him less."
Shen Zhen shot Gu An a glare. "Look at you, acting all scared. What are you afraid of? Do you think he'd dare step into the Sword Master of the Dao's domain?"
"The Sword Master of the Dao only protects the people of the world, not meddling in personal disputes," Gu An countered.
"That depends on the strength of the one coming. Someone like the Mortal God wouldn't show up for trivial matters. The Sword Master of the Dao would certainly not give him the opportunity," Shen Zhen declared confidently.
"You speak as if you know the Sword Master of the Dao better than anyone," Gu An said, amused.
"Of course I do!" Shen Zhen declared, her conviction unwavering.
Looking at Shen Zhen's resolute expression, Gu An realized there was no winning this argument. She spoke as if no one in the world understood the Sword Master of the Dao better than she did.
Gu An, unwilling to keep bickering, shifted the topic to other matters while casting his divine sense toward the Mortal God.
The Mortal God had established a Dao field atop a towering and imposing mountain, recruiting one hundred Heaven and Earth Flying Immortals to serve as terrestrial immortals, seemingly to propagate the Divine Path.
These one hundred Heaven and Earth Flying Immortals hailed from different sects and were personally sought out by the Mortal God.
Among them was Bai Ziya of Mortal Peak.
If not for Bai Ziya's invitation, Gu An wouldn't have joined Mortal Peak in the first place. However, after Gu An revealed his greater strength, their relationship had grown distant, with Bai Ziya deliberately avoiding him.
Gu An couldn't fathom Bai Ziya's thoughts, but he chose to let him be. In Bai Ziya's eyes, becoming one of the Mortal God's terrestrial immortals was the greatest opportunity of his life.
However, through Gu An's calculations, this path was fraught with peril. The Mortal God would eventually clash with the Immortal Dynasty.
Half an hour later, Shen Zhen left.
Gu An continued deducing Bai Ziya's fate, using it to deepen his understanding of the Dao of Karma.
While the Mortal God's proclamation had minimal impact on Tai Cang Continent, it stirred waves overseas. Those who had suffered great hardship, in particular, clung to it as if it were their last hope, kneeling under the heavens and praying for the Mortal God's protection.
In the ensuing years, the Mortal God's Divine Path grew rapidly. Gu An could clearly see his fortune rising at an astonishing rate.
Once the Mortal God's fortune reached a level comparable to the Immortal Dynasty, he would launch an offensive against it.
Time flowed like water. Twenty years passed in the blink of an eye.
In the North Sea Mountains, Gu An sat casually on a rooftop, legs crossed and entirely at ease, a mask obscuring his face.
He pulled up his attribute panel for a review.
[Name: Gu An]
[Lifespan: 725/3,169,008,271]
[Physique: Hunyuan Refining Void Physique]
[Cultivation: Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm (Perfect Stage)]
3.1 billion years of lifespan!
Would it be enough to break through?
Gu An smiled, his mood light as he pondered. Suddenly, he felt a desire to initiate a lifespan reincarnation simulation.
Through the cycle of reincarnation, he could deepen his comprehension of karma and destiny.
It had been many years since he'd last used this ability. He had refrained for so long, his focus largely on observing the Mortal God. From his observations, the Mortal God bore dense karmic threads of reincarnation, suggesting he had undergone countless cycles of life and death.
This confirmed that reincarnation could be a form of cultivation for great cultivators.
Gu An also possessed the ability to reincarnate without any risks.
However, thoughts of Lu Qiuxian and Long Qing brought hesitation. Gu An feared that the simulation might reflect reality too closely.
He deliberated for a long time before realizing he was overthinking things.
No matter what variables arose, the only thing that mattered was his own strength.
There was no need to bear unnecessary burdens. Even if more descendants or adversaries emerged, he could choose to assist them or suppress them as the situation demanded. The path of cultivation was inherently filled with unending challenges.
All that mattered was the Grand Dao!
"Let's do this!"
Once he convinced himself, the gleam in his eyes, hidden behind the mask, turned fervent.
Begin the cycle!
[You consumed 10 million years of lifespan to activate the Reincarnation Simulation.]
[Initiating connection with the Grand Dao rules.]
[Searching for suitable reincarnation worlds.]
[You have the following world choices. Choose one:]
[1. Heavenly Spirit Great World]
[2. Primordial Great World]
[3. Dark Great World]
"Huh?"
Why were these the only three choices?
Gu An frowned, noticing that the options couldn't be refreshed. This left him feeling slightly frustrated.
The Primordial Great World was the one where Lu Han resided—a realm he had once conquered. Ultimately, he had been slain by the Black Xuan Emperor in the River of Destiny.
The Dark Great World was no better. Both Chu Lu and Xiao Shengtian met their end at the hands of the Black Xuan Emperor in that world.
Both options would almost certainly mean facing the Black Xuan Emperor again!
The mere thought of the Black Xuan Emperor irritated Gu An.
At least the Annihilation God Emperor, who subdued Long Zhan, could be said to have acted for the greater good. But the Black Xuan Emperor? That guy's actions were entirely driven by personal grudges, using his superior cultivation level to bully those weaker than him!
No, Gu An couldn't afford to harbor hostility toward him. He had to approach this with a calm heart.
Adjusting his mindset, Gu An turned his gaze toward the first option.
The Heavenly Spirit Great World!
What might happen if he chose this world?
In the Heavenly Spirit Great World, Gu An wasn't too worried. At the moment, there seemed to be no one in that world capable of threatening him.
"Let's give it a try."
[You have chosen to reincarnate into the Heavenly Spirit Great World.]
[Due to the inability of this world's Dao rules to conceal your natural talents, you will retain the ability to seize lifespan, but certain functions will remain inaccessible.]
[Initiating Reincarnation Simulation.]
[Year 1: You were born into the Yan tribe of the Ancient Continent. Your father named you Ji.]
[At age 3: You crushed a rabbit with your bare hands, seizing six years of lifespan. Your destiny began to shift.]
[At age 7: Your vitality reached the level of a ferocious beast. You were declared the Yan Tribe's First Divine Son.]
[At age 12: You defeated every opponent within the Yan Tribe, earning the title of the Yan Tribe's First Warrior, bestowed by the Yan Ancestor.]
Reading the updates, Gu An's expression turned peculiar.
A tribe? The Yan Tribe?
Calculating with his fingers, Gu An realized the Heavenly Spirit Great World didn't have a Yan Tribe. This meant the reincarnation simulation had placed him in a different timeline altogether.
He continued reading the updates.
[At age 15: An elder arrived at the Yan Tribe, claiming to be a terrestrial immortal. He boasted of knowing the past and future across ten thousand epochs. Upon seeing you, he offered to read your fortune. Will you accept?]
An NPC encounter at the start of a simulation? Gu An silently selected No.
[You refused the elder's offer to read your fortune. However, he persisted and forcibly attempted to read it. Overwhelmed by backlash, he perished on the spot.]
[At age 18: You left the Yan Tribe alone, seeking greater strength.]
[At age 20: You condensed your nascent soul, attaining strength to shake gods themselves.]
[At age 21: By the seaside, you encountered an injured dragon maiden. Gravely wounded, she begged for your help. Do you choose to save her?]
No!
[You chose not to save the dragon maiden. Heartbroken, she soon perished. Shortly after, her elder brother, the Azure Dragon, emerged from the depths of the sea. Witnessing the scene, he blamed you for her death and attacked. After a fierce battle, you tore him apart.]
Gu An suddenly felt a pang of regret.
Not saving her brought even more trouble?
[At age 22: Pursued relentlessly by shrimp soldiers and crab generals, you found yourself trapped on an isolated island. Desperate, you used your lifespan evolution ability to enhance your body cultivation method. After days of bloody combat, you broke through the encirclement and condensed your Profound Heart.]
Profound Heart Realm at 22?
Just how many lives had Ji taken to reach this point? Gu An couldn't see the exact events of each year, but judging from Ji's rapid growth, it was clear his killing intent was immense.
In the years that followed, Ji was ceaselessly pursued by forces from the dragon maiden's Abyssal Dragon Palace. He slaughtered his enemies relentlessly, his strength growing year after year. Gu An, observing these developments, felt a chill in his heart.
"Overly rigid things tend to break."
Finally, at age 40, Gu An encountered another pivotal decision.
[At age 40: Having stepped into the immortal path, you stormed the Abyssal Dragon Palace, unleashing a massacre. Holding the severed head of the dragon prince, you confronted the Abyssal Dragon King. Gravely wounded, the Dragon King knelt and begged for mercy. Do you choose to spare him?]
Since Ji had already brought the fight to this point, there was no reason to leave loose ends.
Moreover, the enmity between Ji and the Abyssal Dragon Palace couldn't solely be blamed on Ji. They had accused him of killing the dragon maiden, escalating the hatred.
Gu An chose No.
[You killed the Abyssal Dragon King and began cultivating within the Abyssal Dragon Palace to heal your injuries.]
[At age 50: You mastered the Abyssal Dragon Palace's most powerful legacy technique, the Abyssal Celestial Tome.]
[At age 51: You ventured to the Falling Star Continent, where you befriended a cultivator. He invited you to join Mortal Peak. Do you accept?]
Mortal Peak? Finally, something familiar! Gu An immediately chose Yes.
[You joined Mortal Peak, and during the entry assessment, your prowess alarmed its upper echelon. The Peak Master of Mortal Peak sought to accept you as his disciple. Do you accept?]
Accept!
[At age 60: Under the guidance of the Peak Master, Bai Qi Dao Lord, you participated in the Grand Assembly of Ten Thousand Sects. Representing Mortal Peak, you continuously defeated powerful foes, earning notoriety for your ruthless killing.]
[At age 61: You claimed first place at the Grand Assembly and were conferred the title "Heaven's Killing Star" by the immortals.]
[At age 62: You left Mortal Peak to train on your own. Shortly after setting sail, you were ambushed but managed to annihilate your attackers.]
[At age 63: You stormed the Vast Sea Cliff and captured the mastermind behind the ambush. Vast Sea Cliff threatened that if you killed their man, they would wage an unending war against you. Do you choose to relent?]
What a fierce Heaven's Killing Star—reminiscent of Long Zhan but with a sharper edge.
The key difference was that Ji's actions were focused, targeting only his enemies.
Gu An reasoned that even if Ji spared the man, Vast Sea Cliff wouldn't let him go. Endless war? So be it.
Gu An chose No.
[You ignored Vast Sea Cliff's threat, reducing the culprit to blood mist. Vast Sea Cliff retaliated with a full-scale assault. Instead of fleeing, you fought back. After a brutal battle, you crushed their morale. With the remaining cultivators watching in terror, you strode away from Vast Sea Cliff as an unstoppable force.]