"Gu An!"
A clear, feminine voice rang out from below, snapping Gu An from his thoughts. Looking down, he saw You Yingying standing at the base of the building, waving at him.
Her lifespan limit was five thousand years. Previously, due to the suppression of the Heavenly Demon Karmic Force, her cultivation had been stagnated. However, after Gu An helped her sever the karma, she had regained her natural talent and advanced swiftly. Now, she had already reached the Eighth Layer of the Body Fusion Realm.
Gu An gazed at her from above and asked, "What is it?"
You Yingying looked up at him and said, "I'm planning to return to the Star Sea Sect."
"Go ahead, I approve," Gu An replied with a casual smile.
Ever since Gu An's identity had been exposed, sects from all over had been eager to curry favor with him, and the Star Sea Sect was no exception. You Yingying's family had been even more persistent, constantly sending her messages.
She found it all incredibly annoying, so she decided to leave Tai Xuan Sect and go on a journey to temper herself.
Returning to the Star Sea Sect was just an excuse.
In truth, she intended to roam the world freely.
Gu An had no reason to stop her.
Hearing his response, You Yingying hesitated for a moment as if she wanted to say something but held back.
Standing below and looking up at him, she felt that Gu An was beyond her reach.
A sense of relief filled her heart.
Since she had already made up her mind, why was she hesitating now?
Gu An could hear her inner thoughts, but he chose to say nothing, simply watching her with a smile.
"I'll come back when I've attained the Immortal Dao!" You Yingying huffed. With that, she clasped her hands in a salute and turned to leave.
Beneath the tree, the Blood Prison Saint, who had been meditating, merely glanced at her departure before closing his eyes again to continue cultivating.
Gu An watched You Yingying leave, feeling a faint sense of nostalgia.
No matter how much he tried to act the same as before, the gap in cultivation had created an invisible barrier between him and those around him.
They still treated him like before, yet at the same time, something had subtly changed.
Perhaps… this was the price of strength.
Gu An withdrew his gaze and continued admiring the snow-covered Medicine Valley.
Every year, the snow fell, but if one observed closely, they would notice that the scenery was never exactly the same—just like the endless intertwining karma of all beings, constantly shifting and evolving.
Lately, Gu An had been contemplating the creation of a new divine ability—one centered on karma.
A technique that would sever cause and effect, erase existence across time and space.
Just like winter snow—melting away without leaving a trace.
After bidding farewell to An Xin and Long Qing, You Yingying departed that very day.
Her departure sparked some discussion among the disciples, but ultimately, it did not cause any great stir in the Third Medicine Valley.
Now home to over seven thousand disciples, as well as numerous chess masters and calligraphy guests, the Third Medicine Valley had grown into a small cultivation world of its own.
People came, and people left.
Even within this small cultivation world, You Yingying had failed to truly shine.
Her departure was destined to be forgotten soon enough.
The winter snow grew heavier, as if trying to bury the vast land beneath its icy embrace.
Then, as winter faded, the Spring Festival arrived.
That year, Gu An left the valley earlier than usual.
He traveled to an isolated paradise, where he spent the festival with Tian Yao'er and her two sisters.
In previous years, he had never forgotten them, but he had always waited until after the festival to visit them.
This time, he chose to celebrate it with them.
Sitting beneath a tree, drinking wine, Gu An watched as Tian Yao'er peeled fruit for him while her sisters, Tianqing and Tianbai, performed a play.
They were reenacting the legendary battle between Sun Wukong and Yang Jian, complete with dramatic dialogue.
Watching their performance, Gu An realized—
They hadn't changed much.
Perhaps not undergoing trials and tribulations wasn't such a bad thing after all.
Of course, whether or not to experience trials was their choice to make.
Once Tianqing and Tianbai finished their act, Tian Yao'er took the stage next, showcasing her own divine abilities.
Even if Gu An remained silent, the three women would chatter endlessly, keeping the atmosphere lively.
As he smiled at them, Gu An pondered his Dao of Karma.
Karma was both the simplest and the most complex of all Daos.
That was why many cultivators, after reaching higher realms, would shift their focus to other Grand Dao Laws instead.
Yet, Gu An's understanding of karma had already surpassed that of many others.
The only thing he lacked was creation.
Through countless lifetimes, he had accumulated a deep comprehension of karma.
Now, he needed to forge his own path.
His Dao Fruit had already given birth to his own Dao.
What he needed now was a unique divine ability that embodied his karma.
A truth that only he could wield.
His Longevity True Incantation was already a powerful tool, a technique that could dictate reality through words, drawing upon the power of karma.
Gu An's gaze landed on the Pen of Destiny, resting on the table.
A pen that could write the truth of karma into existence…
Was he still missing something?
Perhaps… he needed a book to go with it.
Now that he thought about it, books had always played a significant role in his life.
Throughout his many years, Gu An had written numerous books—some were direct transcriptions of Huaxia's classical texts, while others were his own original creations.
But what if he were to write the Dao of Karma into a book? Would it be possible?
A sudden thought flashed through his mind—
In Journey to the West, there was the Book of Life and Death, where a single stroke across a name could decide a person's fate.
His thoughts surged, and inspiration began to take shape.
Slowly, he entered a meditative state.
A short while later, Tian Yao'er, Tianqing, and Tianbai, who had been laughing and chatting, suddenly felt the ripple of Gu An's Dao Intent.
They turned their heads toward him, their eyes filled with astonishment.
Not daring to disturb him, they exchanged glances before sitting down cross-legged, silently meditating to experience the profound Dao aura emanating from Gu An.
Silence fell over the Hidden Paradise.
Beneath the dazzling starry sky, on a vast and barren land, a wavering shadowy procession moved forward.
Leading the way were two men—Supernatural Realm Lord and Zhang Buku.
Zhang Buku wore a tattered black robe, revealing glimpses of his powerful, muscular physique. His long black hair cascaded freely down his back, reaching past his waist.
He raised his head, his eyes sharp and clear.
"Master, how far are we from the Heavenly Spirit Grand World?" he asked.
The Supernatural Realm Lord replied, "Very far, so far that I can no longer sense the power of Mysterious Divine City. Reaching this place was already a stroke of fortune. Perhaps… it's time we let go of the past."
Ever since they left the Heavenly Spirit Grand World, they had traveled across countless great worlds, wandering endlessly.
Years ago, they had been swept into a river imbued with the laws of time and space, plunging them into darkness and severing their connection with their homeland.
Upon hearing this, Zhang Buku's expression darkened slightly, his brows tightening in sorrow.
He missed his Martial Uncle and longed to see Li Ya again.
But he was no longer the weak-willed person he once was.
No matter where he ended up, he had to become stronger at all costs.
Suddenly, his gaze caught sight of something in the night sky.
A meteor shower—blazing streaks of light, falling across the heavens like a torrential downpour, painting the starry expanse with unparalleled brilliance.
Then—
He saw it.
A majestic, celestial horse galloping through the sky behind the meteor shower.
Its entire body radiated with dazzling divine light, its hooves stepping upon auspicious clouds as it traversed the firmament.
The land beneath it was illuminated as if daylight had broken through eternal night.
No matter how powerful one was, under this divine radiance, all beings felt infinitely small.
Even the dim and lifeless land beneath them seemed to regain a fleeting sense of vitality.
Behind them, the Spectral Wraith King and a host of Spectral Wraiths stirred in alarm, their murmurs spreading like a wave.
"What is that?" Zhang Buku couldn't help but ask.
He turned to his master—the one who had lived the longest and knew the most.
The Supernatural Realm Lord gazed at the luminous Heavenly Horse, his expression complex.
"That is an Auspicious Divine Beast of the Heavenly Dao… you may call it the Heavenly Horse. They are beings of supreme authority, able to transcend life and death, traveling freely across the myriad realms. It is said that those who witness a Heavenly Horse will receive a blessing of fortune. It seems that luck is on our side."
"Heavenly Horse…"
Zhang Buku murmured the name.
He had encountered many divine beasts and ferocious creatures in his life, but never had he seen something like this.
The Heavenly Horse was unlike anything he had ever known—
It was vast, seemingly larger than the heavens themselves, its divine radiance evoking an instinctive sense of reverence.
It was perfection in its purest form.
For a long time, Zhang Buku simply stared at it, unable to look away.
Even after the Heavenly Horse vanished, chasing after the meteor shower, leaving the land in darkness once more—
Its image remained etched into his mind.
What kind of existence could possibly tame such a divine beast?
The thought struck him suddenly, but as soon as it did, he felt ashamed.
A being like the Heavenly Horse—how could it be defiled by such thoughts?
Shaking his head, Zhang Buku continued forward.
Behind him, the Spectral Wraiths continued their discussions, unable to forget the divine spectacle they had just witnessed.
The Supernatural Realm Lord, walking at the front, suddenly smiled.
"Perhaps… something truly remarkable awaits us ahead. The Heavenly Horse is a sign."
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
Ever since they arrived in this foreign universe, he had yearned to escape the fate of being a mere chess piece.
Perhaps now, a new opportunity was finally within reach.
Zhang Buku, however, had no time to ponder such matters.
He had only one goal—to grow stronger.
"If only Martial Uncle and Li Ya could have seen the Heavenly Horse with their own eyes…"
He sighed, then suddenly chuckled at his own thoughts.
The stars still shone brightly, unable to pierce the darkness below.
But those who walked within the darkness…
Were marching toward the light.
Under the morning sun, Gu An strolled casually, flipping a black leather book in his hand.
He tossed it into the air, caught it again, then repeated the motion—idly playing with it as he walked.
"Master!"
A delighted voice called out.
An Xin appeared before him, her expression full of excitement.
Gu An smoothly caught the black book mid-air and discreetly tucked it into his robe.
This was no ordinary book.
It was the Book That Rules Life and Death.
It could not be touched by just anyone.