Inside the pavilion, Gu An and Li Ya sat opposite each other, raising their cups in a toast. Li Ya drank quickly, his eyes filled with resentment as he looked at Gu An.
Gu An maintained a stern face and said, "Such disrespect toward the Ancestor?"
Hearing this, Li Ya's eyes widened in an instant. He slammed the table and stood up, cursing, "Taking advantage of me again! Come on! Let's fight!"
Gu An chuckled, "Are you sure?"
Li Ya choked on his words, and his anger dissipated in an instant. He sat back down with a face full of frustration. But for some reason, after Gu An's deliberate provocation, he felt a lot more at ease.
If Gu An had maintained the aloof demeanor of the revered Sword Master of the Dao, given how much Gu An had helped him, Li Ya truly wouldn't have known how to face him. Now that Gu An had deliberately dragged him back into their old camaraderie, treating him as a fellow disciple, he naturally relaxed a lot.
"Gu An, who exactly are you? We entered the sect together back then…"
Li Ya took a deep breath and couldn't help but ask. This had always been his greatest confusion.
Back then, when they first met, they were both just young disciples. Never in his wildest dreams would he have imagined that his once-close junior brother would turn out to be so incredibly powerful.
Now that he thought about it, Sword Master of the Dao's name truly began to spread when he had protected him.
Back then, he and his elder sister, Li Xuanyu, were ambushed by demonic cultivators, and it was Sword Master of the Dao who saved them. At that time, he was not yet known as Sword Master of the Dao but was instead called Flying Leaf Sword Immortal.
Once everything connected in his mind, Li Ya no longer felt like blaming Gu An. Now, he was simply curious.
Gu An replied, "Past lives and present lives, reincarnation never ceases. Who can ever truly understand their own origins? Instead of dwelling on the past, why not embrace the present and look forward to the future?"
"Who I am is not important. What matters is the bond between us. The help I've given you—there's no need to feel burdened by it. What I care more about is the kind of person you will become in the future."
His gaze locked onto Li Ya, his eyes seemingly capable of seeing through his very soul.
Li Ya was taken aback. He hadn't expected Gu An to understand exactly what he was thinking. But then, remembering the sheer power of Sword Master of the Dao, he quickly calmed down.
Someone who had surpassed the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Dao—his divine abilities and foresight were far beyond anything Li Ya could comprehend.
Afterward, Li Ya began to talk about his visions for the future, and Gu An listened attentively.
Li Ya was the first true friend he had in this life. No matter how vast the gap in their cultivation levels had become, that fact remained unchanged in Gu An's heart.
Perhaps Gu An had helped Li Ya countless times, but for him, it was merely effortless. He had never put himself in any difficult situation because of it.
To outsiders, the Mysterious Divine City was an unparalleled supreme treasure, but in Gu An's hands, he hardly ever needed to use it.
Gu An did not just listen. He also elaborated on the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Dao, explaining each level in detail and describing the profound transformations that came with each stage. Li Ya listened in awe, his heart surging with anticipation.
As night fell, the two of them continued talking, their laughter occasionally ringing out.
The moon shone brightly in the sky.
Standing outside the pavilion, An Xin gazed at the window above, sighing softly. "It has been so long since Master was this happy."
Sitting cross-legged nearby, Blood Prison Saint smirked but said nothing. In truth, he simply disliked Li Ya. But since they were right below their master's pavilion, he didn't dare speak ill of him.
An Xin stood there for a while before finally turning to leave.
Ever since Ye Lan passed away, she had constantly worried about Gu An.
To her, her master's emotions were more important than the fate of the entire world. If he ever strayed toward a dark path, all living beings would suffer.
Fortunately, her master always remained open-minded and optimistic, as if nothing could ever make him lose himself.
Experiencing this today, her admiration for Gu An grew even deeper.
As the moon set and the sun rose, Li Ya finally departed.
In front of Myriad Sword Mountain, Jue Luo Sword Master watched Li Ya's departing figure, deep in thought.
"His fate has actually changed..."
Then, he turned his gaze toward Gu An's pavilion, his heart filled with curiosity.
Just what level of existence had the Ancestor reached?
He couldn't fathom it, but when he thought about his own imminent breakthrough, his heart burned with anticipation.
Under the vast and resplendent starry sky, an enormous stone bridge stretched across the void, its edges glowing with seven-colored radiance.
Two figures walked along the bridge—it was Sun Immortal Emperor and An Hao.
Sun Immortal Emperor walked at the forefront, clad in a long golden robe. As he strode forward, a powerful dragon aura coiled around him, exuding an air of supreme majesty.
Behind him, An Hao followed, looking around with wide eyes filled with amazement.
Finally, his gaze landed ahead—at the end of the stone bridge, there was a massive golden-red sphere of light, as radiant as a scorching sun. It seemed to symbolize hope, exuding an irresistible allure.
An Hao's pupils shimmered with an unusual light as he felt an invisible force surging from it.
"An Hao, feel it carefully. This is the strongest power in existence—Heaven's gift. The so-called inheritances of the Heavenly Sects that circulate in the world are merely fragments of its power."
As Sun Immortal Emperor walked, he spoke in a tone filled with mystery, as if even he himself was full of anticipation.
An Hao couldn't help but ask, "What exactly is Heavenly Dao? How is it different from Grand Dao?"
Ever since stepping into the Immortal Realm, he had begun to comprehend the Grand Dao. The deeper his cultivation, the more reverence he held for it. At the same time, he found it difficult to grasp the true essence of the Heavenly Dao.
The Heavenly Dao was omnipresent, just like the Grand Dao. But unlike the Grand Dao, it was obscure and ill-defined, as if it was the fusion of countless universal laws.
"Heaven and earth itself are the Heavenly Dao. All living beings are also part of the Heavenly Dao. The universe, however, is the Grand Dao. The Grand Dao gives birth to the Heavenly Dao, and the Heavenly Dao births all things. In my view, the Heavenly Dao is a force that arises from the Grand Dao—it is more refined, more powerful."
Sun Immortal Emperor's voice was calm as he continued forward without slowing his steps.
An Hao took a moment to process these words, pondering deeply.
After a long while, the two finally reached the end of the bridge. Standing before the golden-red sphere, they seemed infinitely small—like mere specks of dust before an immense mountain.
Sun Immortal Emperor raised his head, gazing at the golden-red sphere, and said, "Throughout history, the rulers of the Immortal Dynasties have sought to comprehend the Heavenly Dao. They believed that only by fully understanding the Heavenly Dao could they attain true transcendence. The First Immortal King, founder of the Immortal Dynasty, proclaimed himself an Immortal King, seeking to challenge the heavens themselves. In the end, he was struck by calamity, and his dynasty was destroyed. Many years later, another dynasty rose from its ashes."
"That was the first time the Immortal Dynasty directly experienced the power of the Heavenly Dao. It was then that they realized—somewhere beyond mortal perception, an unseen force was manipulating all living beings."
An Hao listened intently. His gaze penetrated the golden-red sphere, past the swirling golden-red flames. But what he saw beyond was darkness—an abyss so profound that even a Nirvana Realm cultivator would feel a sense of oppression.
Unable to contain his doubts, he asked, "If it is truly unseen and untouchable, then what exactly is this?"
Sun Immortal Emperor answered, "This is a Golden Core left behind by a supreme being who once attained the power of the Heavenly Dao."
"What? A Golden Core? That's impossible!"
An Hao's eyes widened in disbelief, his voice rising in shock.
No matter how he looked at it, this did not resemble a Golden Core in any way.
Sun Immortal Emperor's gaze turned complicated. He said, "This was discovered in the Immortal Dynasty's pursuit of the Heavenly Dao's power. It resides in the deepest part of Heavenly Spirit Great World, known as the Heavenly Dao Golden Core. Once every era, it reveals certain messages to us. This is why the Immortal Dynasty has remained unshaken, even with the rise of the Sacred Court. No force has been able to destroy us."
"Through the Heavenly Dao Golden Core, we learned that Heavenly Spirit Great World was once shattered. The world we inhabit now is merely a fragment—though it is the most crucial one."
An Hao immediately asked, "Then why did this supreme being perish? Was it related to the battle that shattered the heavens and earth?"
"We do not know. However, the power of the Heavenly Dao Golden Core has never ceased flowing. It is this very power that grants the people of the Immortal Dynasty their inborn cultivation in the Immortal Dao."
Sun Immortal Emperor responded, then turned to look at An Hao.
An Hao met his gaze and felt an invisible pressure. His brows furrowed slightly.
Sun Immortal Emperor's eyes burned with intensity. "An Hao, you are the Heaven's Mandated Child. No one's fate is stronger than yours. You have Sword Master of the Dao as your master, and now you will inherit the greatest legacy of the Immortal Dynasty. You will become the strongest being beneath the Heavenly Dao itself. If you are the one to usher in a new era, then in the next epoch, the Immortal Dynasty will undoubtedly rise even stronger. You can accomplish what we have never been able to do."
Just as An Hao was about to respond, he suddenly turned his head toward the Heavenly Dao Golden Core.
"What was that sound?"
An Hao asked in a deep voice, his gaze shifting rapidly over the surface of the Heavenly Dao Golden Core, as if searching for something.
Sun Immortal Emperor watched him, his eyes flickering with astonishment. A moment later, that astonishment transformed into excitement.
"Even the Heavenly Dao Golden Core has chosen him? Just what kind of fate does he possess? It is as if everything in existence has been crafted solely for him…"
Sun Immortal Emperor gazed at An Hao, feeling a complex mix of emotions. Even he could not help but feel a twinge of jealousy.
An Hao quickly sensed that something was amiss. He turned to Sun Immortal Emperor and asked, "Your Majesty, can't you hear it?"
Sun Immortal Emperor replied, "As the ruler of the Immortal Dynasty, I can inherit the power of the Heavenly Dao Golden Core through the dynasty's fate. However, at the end of each era, the Heavenly Dao Golden Core chooses its successor on its own. Perhaps, you have already been chosen. What exactly did you hear?"
An Hao hesitated for a moment before saying, "I heard a voice… telling me to run… fast."