When Gu An saw Zhu Xi agree, he pushed the Heavenly Dao Discourse back toward her. However, she did not immediately pick it up. Instead, she looked at Gu An and asked, "Master, do you truly know about my bloodline?"
Gu An replied calmly, "Your origins are actually quite ordinary. There's no karmic entanglement surrounding you. Your talent is extraordinary, as if born in response to the providence of heaven and earth, blessed by its fortune. It is known as the Primordial Devouring Origin Physique."
Primordial Devouring Origin Physique!
The moment Zhu Xi heard these words, she fell into a daze. For some inexplicable reason, she instinctively accepted the name, as if it had awakened some distant, buried memory within her.
Gu An encouraged her, saying, "Cultivate well, and one day, you will stand at the peak of the Immortal Dao, becoming the very person you currently admire, or even surpassing them."
Hearing this, Zhu Xi wanted to ask: Can I surpass you?
However, no matter how bold she was, she wouldn't dare voice such a question aloud. She could only ponder it silently.
Gu An shifted the conversation, beginning to ask about Zhu Xi's cultivation progress. Zhu Xi relaxed her guard and started recounting the challenges she had faced in her training. Meanwhile, Gu An was quietly deducing the karmic connections surrounding the original Heavenly Dao Discourse.
This Heavenly Dao Discourse possessed the unique ability of transitioning between reality and illusion. For instance, in combat, it could transform Zhu Xi's injuries into illusory ones, essentially rendering her unharmed until the injuries manifested later. Conversely, it could conjure illusory spells or divine abilities to attack her enemies, making them believe they were gravely injured even though they were not. These effects would linger for a period before eventually dissipating.
Such a power was fundamentally different from karmic forces. It represented a unique kind of Dao force. Gu An had yet to delve into this particular branch of the Dao, and his curiosity was piqued.
After half an hour, Gu An stood up, ready to leave.
"Master, why don't you take the Heavenly Dao Discourse for now?" Zhu Xi suggested, handing the book to him with a serious expression. "When I need it, I'll come find you for it. How about that?"
Despite her reluctance, she had grown apprehensive after learning the book's origins. To her, it had become a dangerous item, a burden she was eager to relinquish.
The most crucial factor was this: if Gu An could discern the book's origins, didn't that mean he might be stronger than the entity behind it? Furthermore, she could sense Gu An's interest in the Heavenly Dao Discourse. He wouldn't have come personally otherwise. Since he had expressed his intent to nurture her, why not demonstrate some generosity?
Gu An accepted the Heavenly Dao Discourse with a smile, appreciating her thoughtfulness.
After Gu An left, Zhu Xi shut the door and let out a long sigh of relief.
Even someone as cautious as her couldn't help but feel unnerved by the knowledge that an immensely powerful being had been observing her all along.
She carefully replayed her earlier words in her mind, ensuring she hadn't misspoken. Only then did she fully relax.
She returned to her bed, sitting cross-legged to meditate. Gazing out of the window, her eyes grew pensive as her thoughts drifted.
Why am I always so afraid?
She realized her overly cautious nature might not always be a good thing. Her instinctive wariness toward everyone and everything made her want to avoid trouble at all costs.
But people are like that—knowing one's flaws doesn't make them any easier to change.
After contemplating for a while, she withdrew her gaze and resumed her cultivation.
After his conversation with Zhu Xi, Gu An began visiting her every few days to guide her in practicing the "Time-Striding Dao Step." In his remaining time, he alternated between gathering rare herbs and studying the Dao principles hidden within the Heavenly Dao Discourse.
Instead of directly absorbing the Dao force within the book, he sought to perceive its essence. By exploring similar Dao principles embedded in the unseen rules of the cosmos, he attempted to comprehend its mysteries.
This approach allowed him to grasp a purer form of Dao force while avoiding potential entanglement or manipulation by the entity behind the book.
The universe, vast and boundless, is interwoven with countless intangible and invisible Dao principles. These principles form the foundation of the cosmos, enabling the birth of everything within it. Each Dao principle was as immeasurable as the heavens themselves. Even though Gu An had already attained profound mastery in the Dao of Karma and the Dao of Destiny, compared to just one of these primordial principles, his understanding seemed minuscule. For now, he couldn't even imagine what level of power it would take to rival such fundamental truths of existence.
As Gu An immersed himself in comprehending these Dao principles, he began spending less time on leisure, and the passage of time seemed to accelerate.
Forty-five years passed in the blink of an eye.
That summer, Gu An arrived at the secluded cave heaven of Tianhuang Mountain. Tian Yao'er and the three heavenly demons had already moved into the cave heaven, and the spiritual herbs from Nian Chu Cave Mansion had also been transferred there.
As a small world opened up by Gu An, the rules of heaven and earth within the secluded cave heaven were becoming increasingly complete. The abundant spiritual energy within nurtured steady progress in the cultivation of Tian Yao'er and her companions.
At this point, Tian Yao'er's cultivation had reached the ninth layer of the Mahayana Realm and was on the verge of breaking through.
Gu An planned to take her outside for her tribulation to avoid damaging the cave heaven.
Upon hearing she could leave, Tian Yao'er became excited. Meanwhile, Tianqing and Tianbai clamored to go along, clinging to Gu An's arms and pleading coquettishly.
Tianqing, mature and alluring, carried an air of elegance and charm that made her seem like the elder sister, while Tianbai, more innocent and childlike, had a habit of playfully whining in a sweet tone. The two sisters complemented each other perfectly. Gu An's heart softened, and he eventually agreed to take them with him.
Seeing their wish granted, Tian Yao'er shooed them away, then hugged Gu An's arm herself and asked, "Master, after I break through, can I stay by your side forever?"
She had been cultivating underground for nearly a thousand years. When she first came, she was only seventeen years old, and now, nine hundred and eighty-nine years had passed. How could she not be curious about the vast world outside?
Gu An replied, "That won't do. If you leave, who will guard this cave heaven for me? I certainly can't trust Tianqing and Tianbai to handle it."
Hearing this, Tian Yao'er's face immediately fell, her expression turning dejected.
But Gu An then shifted his tone, saying, "However, taking you out for a stroll every now and then isn't out of the question."
"Thank you, Master!"
Tian Yao'er's face lit up with joy as she quickly expressed her gratitude.
Gu An glanced at her. Despite being nearly a thousand years old, she still had the demeanor of a young girl. Perhaps it was time for her to temper herself in the mortal world. Otherwise, when she reached higher cultivation realms, lacking life experience and comprehension, she might face insurmountable obstacles.
He continued walking forward with Tian Yao'er at his side. As for Tianqing and Tianbai, they hopped and leaped about, their feline instincts still intact.
Gu An chatted with Tian Yao'er as they walked, her cheerful laughter filling the air and lightening his mood.
Suddenly, a deafening roar resounded—
Boom, boom, boom!
The ground trembled violently, and the spiritual energy within the secluded cave heaven began to swirl chaotically, as if the end of the world was approaching.
Tianqing and Tianbai stopped in their tracks, trembling in fear. Tian Yao'er frowned deeply, sensing an overwhelming and terrifying pressure emanating from beyond the cave heaven.
This pressure did not appear fleeting; it persisted and grew increasingly oppressive.
"Master, what's going on?" Tianqing asked nervously, looking at Gu An.
Gu An raised his gaze to the heavens and said calmly, "A Demon God has descended. The true calamity of the Heavenly Spirit Great Heaven is about to begin."
Through his divine perception, Gu An could already see the figure of a Demon God standing before the Black City outside the heavens—a city created by the Annihilation God Emperor.
Xuanhuang Demon God.
With a single glance, Gu An deduced the origin of this Demon God. He recalled that the legacy memories of Long Zhan also contained legends of the Xuanhuang Demon God—ancient and distant tales. Long Zhan himself had only seen a skeleton of the Demon God, exuding an endless aura of desolation.
Beside the Xuanhuang Demon God stood another powerful heavenly demon.
Heavenly Demon Emperor.
Gu An's gaze remained steady, unshaken even in the face of such overwhelming power.