Gu An and Zhen Qin sat across from each other, talking for a long time. After seeing Su Han's body, the burden and obsession in Zhen Qin's heart completely dissipated. She returned to her usual self—lively and spirited.
The master and disciple reminisced about the past, talking endlessly, as if there was never enough time to recount all their memories.
However, all things must come to an end, including life itself.
As dusk settled, Zhen Qin looked at Gu An seriously and said, "Master, thank you for taking care of me in this lifetime. I have been useless, never able to repay you. If there is a next life, and if I have the chance to repay you, I will do my best."
Unlike the Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother, who had perished but not died a natural death—meaning she could still seize a body and return—Zhen Qin had truly reached the end of her lifespan. There was no turning back.
Gu An smiled and nodded. "There will be a next life."
Hearing this, Zhen Qin smiled, her eyes filled with anticipation.
She then rested her head on the table, speaking softly, "Master, I feel a little sleepy. Can I sleep here for a while?"
Gu An nodded. "Sleep. I will stay by your side."
Zhen Qin closed her eyes, murmuring, "Suddenly, I miss Martial Aunt Ye so much… It feels like she's been gone for such a long, long time…"
Gu An's hand, holding his teacup, paused for a brief moment. He didn't reply, only continued drinking his tea in silence.
As Zhen Qin drifted into slumber, Shen Zhen arrived. She looked at Zhen Qin and was about to speak, but her brows furrowed slightly. She walked over to Gu An and asked, "Are you alright?"
She knew how much Zhen Qin meant to Gu An. Remembering how Ye Lan, Xiao Chuan, and the others' deaths had affected him, she couldn't help but feel concerned.
Gu An looked at her, smiling. "Of course I'm fine." He raised his hand, gesturing for her to sit.
Shen Zhen sat down, her eyes never leaving him.
As Gu An poured her tea, he spoke calmly. "You find it ridiculous, don't you? That someone like me, with such cultivation, still can't control life and death?"
Shen Zhen was taken aback. How did Gu An see through her thoughts so easily?
She admitted honestly, "I do. In my mind, you are the most powerful existence. It feels like life and death should not be difficult matters for you. But…"
Gu An chuckled. "That only proves I am not the strongest existence. There is a greater order at play. I can help those whose fates already hold promise—I only enhance their destiny. But tell me, you who can glimpse the past and future, can you truly see the workings of fate?"
"The workings of fate?"
Shen Zhen fell into deep thought. In truth, she had long been confused about her own cultivation path.
She didn't enjoy meditation or refining qi. Instead, she preferred music, calligraphy, and painting, hoping to understand the Dao through enlightenment. But how often could one truly be inspired? Her cultivation had stagnated for many years.
Gu An saw her pondering seriously and did not disturb her. He gazed toward the horizon, where the setting sun burned like blood, and the sea of clouds shimmered as if set aflame.
Looking at the sky, Gu An suddenly felt that the future he had seen was still too limited.
How high must one's cultivation reach to glimpse the end of the universe?
Time flew like an arrow, years passing like flowing water, slipping away irreversibly.
A thousand years passed like a fleeting cloud, the mortal world surging like a vast tide.
For a thousand years without the Sword Master of the Dao, the Heavenly Spirit World had not suffered calamities from beyond the heavens. However, internal strife remained intense, with countless ancient secret realms, Dao fields, and great cultivators' cave mansions resurfacing, inciting endless battles among cultivators.
Gu An's Wushi Dao Field had long been filled with medicinal herbs. By now, the annual lifespan it produced had surpassed twenty million years.
The continent where the Wushi Dao Field was located was called the Nine Spirits Continent. Because it lay at the edge of the world, Wushi Dao Field had remained undisturbed for the past thousand years.
However, human cities nearby had grown in number, steadily expanding toward the Wushi Dao Field.
That year, at the beginning of summer.
Gu An stood at the edge of the cliff, watching Chen Chuan spar against the Blood Prison Saint. Now, Chen Chuan had also reached the Nirvana Realm, and although his opponent was at the Loose Immortal Realm, he could still hold his own.
The two clashed in midair, wielding their spells with great force. Gu An had set up a barrier around them, ensuring that they could fight without worrying about affecting the Dao Field.
After watching for a while, Gu An lost interest. He brought up his status panel to check.
[Name: Gu An]
[Lifespan: 3,155/25,660,408,118]
[Physique: Hunyuan Boundless Physique]
[Cultivation: Golden Immortal Dao Fruit Realm, Perfection]
25.6 billion years of lifespan!
Gu An planned to accumulate 100 billion years of lifespan before breaking through. Judging from the fate of the world, for the next ten thousand years, the Heavenly Spirit World would remain embroiled in internal strife—unless an external powerhouse intervened.
This ceaseless struggle was not without purpose. Gu An could feel that, compared to a thousand years ago, the total number of living beings in the world had decreased by a tenth, yet more prodigies and powerful cultivators had emerged.
The most renowned battle of the millennium was between the Sun Immortal Emperor and Jue Luo Sword Master over the Heavenly Dao Discourse. In the end, Jue Luo Sword Master suffered a crushing defeat and fled back to Grand Sword of the Great Hong, while the Sun Immortal Emperor, having gathered all nine volumes of the Heavenly Dao Discourse, entered seclusion.
Gu An used An Hao's Extinguishing Dao Fate Seal to observe the Sun Immortal Emperor, sensing that his fate was undergoing transformation, and his cultivation was rapidly rising.
The Sun Immortal Emperor was already at the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm, and with him around, the Sacred Court stood no chance of victory. Meanwhile, Zhu Xi, the reincarnation of Divine Sovereign, continued to wander the mortal world. Even though she had regained her past-life memories, she had no intention of returning to the Sacred Court.
A figure walked up beside Gu An—it was Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother.
She looked exactly as she had in life, but her current body was formed from spiritual flora rather than flesh and blood. She could no longer be considered a true human. Now, she was in charge of tending to the medicinal herbs in Gu An's Dao Field. After all, the others were focused on their cultivation, and An Xin had long since lost interest in managing affairs.
"Master, we are running out of seeds," Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother reported softly.
Having experienced death and a thousand years of solitude, her personality had become much calmer, completely different from the former vice sect master of Gathering Flower Sect.
Gu An continued watching Chen Chuan's battle and responded indifferently, "Hmm, new seeds will arrive tomorrow. You can go cultivate for now."
Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother immediately bowed and turned to leave.
"Wait."
Hearing Gu An's voice, she instinctively turned back, just as a book landed in her hands.
She looked down and saw that it was a cultivation manual.
"Strive to reach the Nirvana Realm soon," Gu An said, his tone calm. "That way, you can serve me for much longer."
With that, he turned and walked away.
Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother's eyes, deep like an ancient well, rippled slightly. She gazed at Gu An's retreating figure, lost in thought.
Gu An walked toward the outer area of the Dao Field—today, five familiar faces had arrived, and he had to meet them.
Those five were none other than Yi Qingshan and his group. Gu An had accepted them as disciples because Yi Qingshan was the reincarnation of Lu Jiujia. Over the past thousand years, they had ventured out into the world, experiencing countless hardships. Fortunately, all five had survived.
However, they had provoked an enemy far beyond their ability to handle, forcing them to return home.
Gu An could hear their conversation. These five planned to establish their own sect in their homeland, build their influence, and give back to the people.
Although all of their relatives from the past had long since perished, the land itself remained unchanged.
As Gu An listened to them reminisce about their days training under him, he couldn't help but smirk. That kid, Gu Changsheng, was even sighing, wondering if their master was still alive.
The five of them firmly believed that Gu An had long since passed away. After all, in their memories, their master had only been at the Foundation Establishment Realm.
If he were truly a powerhouse or possessed an extraordinary background, why would he need to retreat to such a remote place?
At the very least, his presence here suggested that he was neither exceptionally talented nor well-connected.
Thinking about their master, they felt a deep sense of regret, believing that they had never had the chance to repay his kindness.