As autumn arrived, the forests within the Wushi Dao Field gradually turned yellow.
By the river, Gu An was guiding An Xin in her cultivation. To the disciples of the Qiankun Sect, she had always been a mysterious and profound celestial being, yet at this moment, her expression was filled with frustration, unable to grasp Gu An's words.
An Xin suddenly felt ashamed.
In the past, when she instructed the disciples of the Qiankun Sect, she would occasionally get irritated when encountering those with poor aptitude. Yet now, when she herself struggled to understand, her master remained calm, even wearing a faint smile on his face.
She realized that she still had a long way to go.
Little did she know, the reason for Gu An's smile was not her struggles, but the fact that Li Ya was once again being beaten. Others were joining forces to battle the demonic entities of the Supreme Demon Realm, but he alone was being relentlessly pursued by a horde of demons.
Even as he was being hunted down, Li Ya did not lose his composure. Every time he was on the verge of being caught, he would unleash a burst of strength and break through the encirclement.
He was ecstatic, believing that he had broken past his physical limits and was experiencing a metamorphosis through battle.
Hearing his thoughts, Gu An found it even more amusing.
Senior Brother, your potential was actually drawn out by me.
As he thought this, Gu An turned his gaze back to An Xin and said, "If you don't understand, take your time. Focus your heart on comprehending the Dao. Thinking about anything else is pointless."
An Xin nodded solemnly. She stopped letting her thoughts wander and focused on reviewing what had been taught.
Seeing her settle down, Gu An was satisfied.
Aside from Li Ya, many of his old acquaintances had also found themselves entangled in various troubles. In times like these, when opportunities were scarce, struggles and battles over fortunes were inevitable.
But the person Gu An was most concerned about was Zhu Xi. She had already stepped into the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm, her entire being exuding an aura of reincarnation, clearly having regained her past life's destiny as Saint Tian.
Interestingly, she had not chosen to break through in the Outer Heavens. Instead, she and her companions were hiding in an ancient secret realm. Her breakthrough had caused a significant disturbance, one that spread across the entire Heavenly Spirit World. However, because of the chaos wrought by the Supreme Demon Realm, the various sects and factions did not take major action to investigate.
Having reached the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm, Zhu Xi was now preparing to advance further.
Profound Origin Free Immortal!
What Gu An was truly curious about, however, was Xunxian Daoist. Though he was a reincarnated being, his cultivation in this life was not particularly strong. How was he able to borrow external power to forcefully aid Zhu Xi in breaking through?
This power reminded Gu An of the aura of the God of Destruction.
The God of Destruction was also an immortal of the Heavenly Court. In the memories of the Black Xuan Emperor, his aura differed from that of the Heavenly Spirit God, but was still inextricably linked to the laws of the Heavenly Dao.
The power borrowed by Xunxian Daoist bore similarities to that of the God of Destruction, though there were notable differences.
Gu An focused carefully, sensing that this force might belong to the same hierarchy as the God of Destruction and the Heavenly Spirit God.
Among the three, none seemed significantly stronger than the others.
Interesting… so there are also conflicts within the Heavenly Court.
As Gu An observed the world, he continued his lecture. An Xin had already memorized his teachings, yet he repeated them anyway, embedding his Dao intent into his voice. This way, even the same lesson could yield new insights for the listener.
An Xin's spiritual root was mediocre, but her comprehension ability was decent. To bring her this far, Gu An had expended considerable effort in guiding her through lectures.
Fortunately, it had all been worth it.
"Let me see exactly what kind of existence is worth having the Heavenly Spirit God guard for so long."
As autumn deepened, the Nine Spirits Continent remained relatively calm, but the Tai Cang Continent and other regions of the world faced increasingly violent turmoil.
It was as if the Supreme Demon Realm had sensed something, growing more frenzied in response.
Throughout the world, all beings could feel the suffocating pressure weighing upon them.
"Could the world truly be ending?"
At dusk, Lu Xian stood beside Gu An, gazing into the distance.
His face was filled with worry because he could sense the oppressive atmosphere outside the Dao Field. Heaven and earth trembled, and even the spiritual energy felt restless and uneasy.
The only reason he could perceive the situation outside the Dao Field was because Gu An had intentionally allowed it.
More precisely, Gu An had made sure that everyone inside the Dao Field could feel it.
At times like this, they needed to understand the situation so they would cherish what they had.
"Perhaps it truly is the end."
Gu An spoke softly, making Lu Xian turn to him in shock.
Lu Xian asked, "If that's the case, then what should we do?"
With Gu An's power, he could easily escape into the Outer Heavens. Why had he chosen to remain hidden in the Heavenly Spirit World?
"This calamity will bring destruction to all living beings. Heaven and earth will be shattered, and even the universe will collapse..."
Gu An began describing the future, his words painting vivid images in Lu Xian's mind—scenes of tragedy and despair that made his pupils contract.
When Gu An finished, Lu Xian stood in a daze before asking, "Why is this happening? Who caused all of this? Is it the world itself, or the Heavenly Dao?"
Thousands of years ago, the concept of the Heavenly Dao had spread across the world, making all living beings aware of its existence.
Somewhere beyond their comprehension, the Heavenly Dao governed everything.
Fate, reincarnation—all within its grasp.
To comprehend the Grand Dao, one must follow the will of the Heavenly Dao!
"Perhaps the celestial beings that mortals worship have deemed our world unworthy. Soon, you will see the truth with your own eyes." Gu An's voice carried a deeper meaning.
Lu Xian instinctively asked, "How soon?"
As soon as the words left his mouth, the ground trembled. A vast and boundless pressure descended, enveloping all of existence.
Lu Xian was instantly overwhelmed by the oppressive force, his eyes widening in disbelief.
At that moment, figures appeared behind them out of nowhere.
An Xin, Shen Zhen, and several others had rushed over.
Their expressions were tense as they looked toward Gu An. The sudden oppressive force was terrifying, and their instincts led them straight to him.
Gu An did not turn around. Instead, he continued staring into the distance and said, "Watch carefully and recognize the true nature of this world. One day, you will face this kind of despair alone."
An Xin was about to speak when a deafening explosion shook heaven and earth.
Gu An waved his sleeve, and a massive light screen materialized before them. Within it, a vast continent was displayed. At that moment, the land was fracturing apart, dust and debris rising into the sky in a majestic but terrifying scene. Looking closer, within the surging waves of dust, massive vines could be seen, as though an ancient behemoth was about to emerge.
"What is that?" Shen Zhen couldn't help but ask.
No one answered her. Gu An remained silent, allowing them to continue watching.
As more and more dust filled the air, the perspective of the light screen shifted, pulling higher into the sky. The image expanded, revealing a vast ocean stretching across the screen. Meanwhile, the continent had already been swallowed by the surging tides.
Before long, An Xin and the others' expressions began to change. Some even gasped, their mouths wide open in disbelief.
Amidst the rolling waves, a massive, round fruit emerged. It was covered in golden Dao markings, its sheer size surpassing that of an entire continent. It continued to rise, growing larger with every passing moment.
Chen Chuan suddenly turned his gaze toward another direction. His eyes widened as he raised his hand and pointed. "Look over there!"
Everyone turned their heads and saw an enormous figure appearing at the horizon—it was the same colossal fruit that had been displayed in the light screen.
"That is the Heavenly Dao Fruit. It is the very foundation of the world itself. Without it, there would be no heaven, no earth, and no living beings." Gu An explained.
Before anyone could ask, he continued, "Someone has reached the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm, causing the Heavenly Dao Fruit to manifest."
Profound Origin Free Immortal?
Blood Prison Saint, unable to contain his curiosity, asked eagerly, "Master, what is a Profound Origin Free Immortal?"