On Mortal Peak, atop Dingtian Peak.
"Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth… the Celestial Being…"
In the courtyard at the mountain's summit, Gu An sat on a rocking chair, his eyes closed, deep in thought.
He had overheard the conversation between Zhu Xi and Xunxian Daoist.
With his Golden Immortal Dao Fruit cultivation, nothing in the Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven could escape his perception—especially not when he had always kept an eye on Zhu Xi.
He had always had an impression of Xunxian Daoist, but he had never expected him to have such an extraordinary origin.
What kind of world lay beyond the heavens?
The arrogant ones that Xunxian Daoist spoke of—could they be the same beings that had hunted the Ultimate Immortal Gods?
The Golden Core of Heaven's Dao… the Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth…
Interesting.
Could it be that the Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven was once part of an incomprehensibly powerful existence?
And after this existence fell, its shattered body transformed into the vast universe?
If that were the case, then what realm of cultivation had such an existence reached?
After stepping into the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit Realm, Gu An realized that his own Dao Fruit was capable of creating worlds.
This proved that the deity who had fallen must have been at least a Golden Immortal.
But how far beyond that level had they gone?
It was impossible to measure.
Perhaps worlds required time to grow.
But Gu An preferred to overestimate his opponents, treating every powerful being as a hypothetical enemy.
He never harbored hostility without reason, but he needed to ensure that he was always prepared.
If the Heavenly Spirit God had used the Golden Core of Heaven's Dao as a trap, then what scheme was the Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth plotting?
For the first time in a long while, Gu An felt that the Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven, which he had always perceived as an open book, was becoming intriguing—filled with mystery.
What kind of storms would unfold in the ages to come, driven by the Golden Core of Heaven's Dao and the Dao Fruit of Heaven and Earth?
Since he had decided to observe from within his Dao Field, he had no intention of interfering too easily.
Opening his eyes, Gu An lifted his hand.
From inside the house, a book flew into his grasp.
Throughout his many residences, he had left behind numerous books, occasionally rereading them to reflect on past knowledge.
Leaning back in his rocking chair, he swayed gently.
No one came to disturb him.
Suddenly, a figure materialized in the courtyard.
It was Zhu Xinglan, the chief disciple of Dingtian Peak.
With a cultivation of the Ninth Level of the Wandering Immortal Realm, he noticed that his master's rocking chair was once again moving on its own.
He paused for a moment, then averted his gaze, resuming his usual task of tending to the courtyard.
He had no idea that his master was sitting there invisible to him.
And Gu An had no intention of leaving.
With the immense gap in cultivation, he could effortlessly conceal himself, making it impossible for Zhu Xinglan to sense his presence.
To the people of Mortal Peak, the name Gu An was unknown.
They only knew of Meng Lang.
For a great cultivator, disappearing for thousands or even tens of thousands of years was nothing unusual.
Thus, no one questioned why Gu An had vanished.
He remained at Mortal Peak for half a day before stepping away and returning to Wushi Dao Field in a single stride.
On Tai Cang Continent, in a vast and desolate wilderness.
High above the ground, Long Qing sat in meditation, suspended in the air.
Dark qi swirled around him, causing his robes to billow violently.
On the ground below, Zhu Xing stood watching him, a look of appreciation in his eyes.
At that moment, Long Qing's eyes snapped open, and he gazed into the distance, his brows furrowing deeply.
"What kind of sword is that?" he murmured.
"Its presence is… incredible."
Zhu Xing followed his gaze, turning his head toward the horizon.
"That," he said, his voice calm, "is the Nine Absolute Sacred Heart Sword of the Grand Sword of the Great Hong."
"It is the foremost demonic sword of their sect."
"Forged from the lifelong cultivation of a certain Sword Sovereign, their soul refined into the sword's spirit."
"For countless years, it has been nurtured within the Sacred Heart Sword Dao of the River of Sword Dao."
"Only after all those years… did it finally gain its current sword momentum."
"Whoever wields this sword," Zhu Xing said gravely, "gains the ability to roam the world unchallenged."
Long Qing was stunned.
"A demonic sword?" he asked, his voice filled with disbelief.
"Indeed. To subdue this sword, one must gain the recognition of its sword spirit. But its spirit is ruthless—frequently devouring the souls of its previous masters. Naturally, it is considered a demonic sword." Zhu Xing said, a hint of amusement flashing across his face.
Long Qing narrowed his eyes and asked, "Could it be that Grand Sword of the Great Hong intends to feed this demonic sword with the lives of the beings in Heavenly Spirit Grand Heaven?"
Zhu Xing shook his head. "Not exactly. This has more to do with Grand Sword of the Great Hong's founding ancestor—the Sword God."
"Sword God?"
Zhu Xing then recounted the tale of Sword God Yang Ping'an, and in passing, he also spoke of Sword Dao Patriarch Yang Xian.
Listening to these legendary figures, Long Qing felt his heart stir with excitement. He hadn't expected such mighty individuals to exist beyond this world.
After a brief pause, Zhu Xing continued, "The Transcendent Guardians of this Grand Thousand World once said that the Sword Dao Patriarch possessed the highest comprehension of sword dao ever seen in this world—an anomaly among anomalies."
Long Qing's curiosity deepened. "Then where is this Sword Dao Patriarch now?"
"That… I do not know," Zhu Xing admitted. "Some say he has fallen. Others claim he is hiding deep within the River of Sword Dao. After all, Sacred Heart Sword Dao has already merged with the River of Sword Dao, allowing sword cultivators across countless worlds to comprehend it. Many sword sects and sword cultivators now revere the Sword Dao Patriarch. I, too, have once meditated on the Sacred Heart Sword Dao—its vastness is unfathomable."
He sighed, his voice filled with reverence.
Long Qing began to imagine the grandeur of the Sacred Heart Sword Dao.
Just then, Zhu Xing's expression suddenly changed.
"Hmm?"
His low murmur snapped Long Qing out of his thoughts.
Long Qing turned to him. "What's wrong?"
Zhu Xing narrowed his eyes. "The Nine Absolute Sacred Heart Sword… is about to choose its master. I did not expect him to appear. These old monsters who have reincarnated, what exactly are they planning?"
Long Qing was even more confused. But no matter how much he pressed for details, Zhu Xing refused to say more, only promising that in due time, he would understand.
Although Long Qing did not receive an answer, his heart burned with excitement.
Through Zhu Xing, he had gained insight into a broader world, and learned of legendary figures whose names shook the heavens.
He, too, wished to become such an existence.
At that moment, a thought surfaced—his master.
What was his master's true title?
Sword Master of the Dao was merely a name bestowed by Tai Xuan Sect. Surely, his master had his own Dao title.
Across a vast stretch of mountainous terrain, deep within the dense forests along the ridgeline, Li Ya followed closely behind an elderly man.
On his shoulder, the Divine Spirit clung tightly, its eyes locked on the old man, as if terrified he might suddenly vanish.
The old man wore white robes underneath a black cloak, a crimson sash tied around his waist. His long white hair was gathered neatly beneath a jade crown. Despite his aged appearance, his presence exuded an air of nobility.
On his back, he carried a sword case, a talisman sealed upon it. The blood-red characters inscribed upon the talisman shimmered with a chilling light.
Abruptly, the old man halted.
Startled, Li Ya immediately came to a stop as well.
"With your Nirvana Realm cultivation, you wouldn't be thinking of competing with me for the sword, would you?" the old man asked, his back still facing Li Ya.
Taking a deep breath, Li Ya replied, "I wouldn't dare. But after witnessing senior's strength, I hope to become your disciple—to cultivate the strongest sword dao!"
His eyes burned with fervor.
The battle he had witnessed earlier still lingered in his mind, a spectacle of swordsmanship that had shaken him to the core.
A certain elder among the spectators had whispered that among the many powerful cultivators vying for the divine sword, one was a peerless existence of the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Dao.
Upon hearing that such an unimaginable powerhouse was involved, Li Ya's hopes of seizing the sword had completely vanished.
Instead, he had simply watched—a mere spectator to the grand clash.
But to his shock, the Ninth Heaven powerhouse had suffered a crushing defeat.
And the old man before him had been the one to walk away victorious, carrying the divine sword.
Yet even after he had left, Li Ya could still feel the sword's presence—as if it was calling to him.
Thus, he had followed.
There was no way someone of this old man's caliber would have failed to notice him.
The fact that Li Ya had been allowed to follow this far only fueled his expectations.
Surely, this was a test?
The old man slowly turned to face him.
"You wish to become my disciple? It is not impossible," he said.
"Your karma is intricate—as if someone has altered your fate. Because of this, you may have an exceptional affinity for the Dao of Karma and Fate."
He paused before adding, "In fact, I might even be willing to pass the Nine Absolute Sacred Heart Sword to you."
Li Ya's heart pounded violently.
"But…"
Hearing this single word, Li Ya immediately pressed.
"But what?"
The moment he heard there was a possibility of obtaining the sword, his breath quickened, and his body tensed with anticipation.