Under Gu An's watchful gaze, a black-haired boy stepped out from within the palace gates. He looked no older than ten years old, his thin frame wrapped in a pair of tattered trousers, his face covered in dirt and grime.
He stood in the shadow of the massive gate, looking around cautiously, his body tense with anxiety.
[Sin (Nirvana Realm): 0/9999/9999]
His cultivation level was at the Nirvana Realm, not particularly strong, yet his karmic ties were extraordinarily complex—so much so that even Gu An could not see through them.
His fate was tangled with the laws of the Grand Dao within the Desolation Tomb, forming an intricate web of cause and effect. At first glance, Gu An had the eerie impression that this child had been imprisoned by the Grand Dao itself.
But the most peculiar thing was—why did his age show as zero?
Had he just been born?
Gu An found himself growing curious about the boy, but his priority remained his breakthrough. After observing for a moment, he closed his eyes.
The shockwave from his breakthrough process quickly spread across the entire Desolation Tomb, causing the boy to become even more nervous. He shrank back into the gate's darkness, leaving only his head peeking out.
As Gu An sat in meditation, time flowed swiftly.
After half an hour, he successfully advanced to the Supreme Purity Golden Immortal Realm.
The Supreme Purity Golden Immortal Realm was still an evolution of the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit, but this time, a vast azure sky appeared above his Dao Fruit—a manifestation of the Supreme Purity Dao.
This sky reminded him of the Heavenly Dao.
Just like the Heavenly Dao, this vast azure expanse loomed over all worlds.
Upon reaching the Supreme Purity Golden Immortal Realm, his fate transformed—he was no longer bound by the Grand Dao. Even without passing through a world gate, Gu An could now step out of a Great World at will. He could even perceive the space beyond the Great Thousand Worlds.
That realm was void and chaotic—a space of nothingness, completely devoid of light.
The Desolation Tomb, despite not being as vast as the Heavenly Spirit World, still followed a structure similar to that of a Great Thousand World.
Beyond just an increase in his magical power, his spiritual sight was undergoing a profound transformation, and his divine sense was evolving as well. A Supreme Purity Golden Immortal could now move freely, and wherever their thoughts reached, their soul and body could directly arrive—without any obstruction.
Inside the Lifespan Barrier, Gu An's entire body radiated divine light. The Grand Dao energy around him swirled into vortex storms, and within those winds, it was as if countless stars shimmered—a dazzling display of cosmic power.
After fully stabilizing in the Supreme Purity Golden Immortal Realm, he immediately began advancing to higher minor stages.
Only after reaching the late stage of Supreme Purity Golden Immortal Realm did his consciousness return to reality. When he opened his eyes, his entire presence had undergone a fundamental transformation.
He had become even more transcendent, exuding an aura of absolute supremacy.
The Supreme Purity Golden Immortal Realm was the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit, the sixth realm of Dao Fruit cultivation. Even the Grand Dao itself could no longer completely restrain beings at this level.
Gu An could sense that his Golden Immortal Dao Fruit had reached its absolute limit. If he broke through again, he would step into an entirely new level of existence.
Endless Grand Dao energy continued surging into his body, wrapping around him like a protective force, as if even the universe itself was safeguarding his breakthrough.
His gaze once again turned toward the colossal palace in the distance.
But this time, the boy known as Sin was nowhere to be seen.
An unexpected sense of loss filled Gu An's heart.
This strange emotion left him confused.
His instincts told him that there was some connection between himself and Sin—something he could not yet recall. Perhaps, this connection was one that had yet to be formed, belonging to the future.
Gu An suspected that it was related to the cycle of lifespan and reincarnation. Perhaps, Sin was linked to one of his past or future reincarnations.
From the moment he set foot in the Desolation Tomb, he had felt as though something was waiting for him here, as if he was destined to come.
As he stared at the ancient palace, his mind drifted.
Even though he had successfully broken through, he still could not unravel the karmic mysteries of the Desolation Tomb. However, one thing was now certain—this entire world was the tomb itself. Buried within it were the causes and effects of countless fallen powerhouses. Gu An could even faintly glimpse their final moments before death.
The Desolation Tomb appeared calm on the surface, but in truth, it was terrifying beyond measure. If not for the Lifespan Barrier, he would not have lasted even an hour before being devoured by the tomb's mysterious forces, making escape impossible.
As for what this power was, Gu An still had no answer.
In fact, he suspected that this power rivaled even the Heavenly Dao.
Time continued to flow.
Gu An remained seated in meditation, steadily pushing his cultivation to the perfected stage of the Supreme Purity Golden Immortal Realm. Even now, the abnormal phenomena within the Desolation Tomb had not faded.
Other than Sin, Gu An had not detected any other living presence. It was as if Sin was the only living being in this entire tomb.
Once his cultivation had stabilized, Gu An stood up and chose to teleport away.
As for the questions left behind by Sin, he decided to let time provide the answers. With Lifespan Breakthrough, he could always return in the future.
A moment later, Gu An reappeared inside Submerged Spirit Palace.
He pulled up his status panel once more. This breakthrough alone had consumed a staggering 70 billion years of lifespan, reducing his total lifespan to around 100 billion years.
Gu An glanced at the Deep Sea Dragon Koi, who had already begun meditating, then disappeared from his spot.
Instead of returning to Wushi Dao Field, he took a step and arrived at the outer city of Tai Xuan Sect.
It had been over ten thousand years since he last visited Tai Xuan Sect.
Compared to the last epoch, the sect had become even more flourishing. Even the outer city had undergone major expansions, making it far more vast than the former main sect city.
Gu An appeared out of thin air among the bustling crowd, yet no one took notice. Even when passing disciples laid eyes on him, they merely saw him as someone with an extraordinary temperament, without questioning why he had appeared so suddenly. This was the result of his Dao intent.
He could influence the perceptions of others, even manipulate their thoughts.
Today, Tai Xuan Sect was particularly lively. As Gu An strolled through the streets, he listened to the disciples' discussions.
"I heard even Elder Zhu Xing couldn't subdue Ye Cang."
"Is the Primordial Hunyuan Body really that powerful?"
"Not exactly. Ye Cang wields a supreme immortal treasure, clearly supported by a hidden powerhouse. It's said that the Guangyuan Sacred Sect backing him possesses a peerless existence beyond the Nine Heavens of the Immortal Dao."
"Could Tai Xuan Sect really fail to withstand this?"
"But wasn't Ye Cang once a disciple of Tai Xuan Sect? How did he turn against us? What really happened back then?"
Gu An listened quietly but paid no particular attention to Ye Cang.
Each new epoch would naturally birth new prodigies, especially now that the world was far stronger than in the last epoch.
Before the Great Thousand World was reforged, thousands of great heavens had been scattered across the universe. Since ancient times, those who sought to transcend the Free Immortal Realm would leave their worlds and venture into the vast cosmos to seek their fortunes, as their home worlds could no longer support their breakthroughs.
Now, with the Great Thousand World restored, the Heavenly Dao had reemerged, and opportunities were everywhere. More and more powerful beings had returned—some from the River of the Grand Dao, some from Reincarnation, and others through countless different means. As a result, the overall strength of the Heavenly Spirit World was growing at a terrifying rate.
As for the Heavenly Court, perhaps it stood too high to notice these changes, while the War Court had long been nowhere to be seen.
Gu An had returned to Tai Xuan Sect purely out of nostalgia, simply wanting to take a look.
He walked slowly, appreciating the scenery along the streets. Before he realized it, he had arrived in front of the Scripture Pavilion—but this time, he did not enter.
Compared to the last time he visited, the Scripture Pavilion had grown majestic and imposing, to the point that it felt strange to him.
Memories of his old acquaintances resurfaced, bringing a faint smile to his face.
Though they were gone, the memories of the past remained beautiful, and whenever he recalled them, his heart felt at ease.
Now, there were very few people left in Tai Xuan Sect who could recognize him—those who could were all highly respected figures, most of whom had been in seclusion for centuries, unlikely to wander the outer city.
Gu An simply stood in front of the Scripture Pavilion, gazing at the towering structure, reminiscing about days long gone.
Suddenly, the sky behind him darkened.
Rolling thunderclouds surged from the horizon, rapidly blanketing the outer city.
The world dimmed, pulling Gu An's thoughts back to the present. He turned around and saw the far reaches of the sky flickering with lightning, like an apocalypse was approaching.
Even Elder Zhu Xing, at the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm, could not withstand Ye Cang—or rather, he could not withstand the immortal treasure in Ye Cang's hands.
That immortal treasure contained the soul remnant of Vast Heaven Free Immortal, and though it was only a soul, it still retained the strength of a Profound Origin Free Immortal. With the immortal treasure's power, it could sweep through anyone at the same realm.
Gu An saw through the origins of that soul remnant at a glance.
That soul belonged to Ancestor Qingtian, who hailed from another Great Thousand World. When the Heavenly Spirit God sought to destroy the Great Thousand World, Qingtian had taken advantage of the chaotic Dao order to escape into this realm. He had been fleeing from pursuers, as some transcendent force had been hunting him down.
Eventually, Ancestor Qingtian encountered Ye Cang and became drawn to his physique. After spending thousands of years together, the two developed a deep bond, and when Ye Cang insisted on seeking revenge, Ancestor Qingtian had no choice but to support him.
After defeating Elder Zhu Xing, Ye Cang now charged toward Tai Xuan Sect at full speed.
At nine thousand years old, Ye Cang was already at the Loose Immortal Realm, just a step away from the Wandering Immortal Realm. His talent was indeed among the best of this era.
However, his strength largely stemmed from Ancestor Qingtian's support. Since the world was unaware of Ancestor Qingtian's existence, they had greatly overestimated Ye Cang's talent.
At the edge of the continent, above the roaring thunderclouds, a black-robed man strode forward against the wind. His expression was cold, his sharp gaze filled with determination. In his right hand, he held a cyan-colored ancient pagoda, which continuously emitted rainbow-colored divine light, tearing through the cloud sea.
This man was none other than Ye Cang.