Gu An watched as Zhu Xi left the expanse of void, using his own Dao intent to open a passage for her that spanned across the universe.
Although Zhu Xi had already been a Divine Sovereign before she became his disciple, the two of them had spent many years together. If he could help her out with a simple gesture, he would not hesitate to do so.
Of course, the reason he dared to act was that he had no fear of the Ziwei Emperor.
Not only was it the Ziwei Emperor, but following the karma tied to the Ziwei Immortal Emperor, Gu An did not feel any imminent danger. Still, he was cautious of the Heavenly Court, which was why he didn't directly confront the Ziwei Immortal Emperor.
His Destiny Pen and the Boundless Sword Book were capable of striking from a distance, and over the past several millennia, aside from refining Dao treasures, he had been constantly improving his Destiny Pen and Boundless Sword Book.
There were some things that could be left unused, but they should never be too weak.
In these invincible years, Gu An liked to imagine enemies for himself.
He even fantasized about what it would be like to face the entire Heavenly Court.
A figure approached Gu An's side—it was his eldest disciple from the Mortal Peak, Zhu Xinglan.
Although thousands of years had passed, which was a long time for mortals but not too long for cultivators from such grand sects as Mortal Peak, Zhu Xinglan still showed respect for Gu An. He was organized in his actions, so Gu An would occasionally offer him some guidance.
However, they were not truly master and disciple, and Gu An did not wish to formally take him on as a disciple.
"Master, the Dao Court has invited Mortal Peak once again for a discussion of the Dao, and the main peak would like you to go as well," Zhu Xinglan said respectfully.
Gu An had maintained the cultivation level of the first tier at Mortal Peak. Not only was he highly respected, but his residence at the Ding Tian Peak had become the second most important peak after the main peak.
"I need to go travel for a while, and I will consider it then. If I can make it to the Dao Court, that would be great, but if not, it won't make much of a difference," Gu An casually replied.
Zhu Xinglan smiled helplessly but did not dare to press further.
Over the years, Gu An had always been like this—without any ambition. Zhu Xinglan had realized that Gu An's choice of Mortal Peak was likely due to Bai Ziya's invitation, which he casually accepted.
Zhu Xinglan began talking about other matters. This was an era in which talents emerged endlessly. Ancient great cultivators could not compete with the younger generation. Whenever a peerless genius rose, legends and myths would emerge, making these geniuses seem like immortals descending from the Heavenly Court.
Take Tian Hao, for example—followers of the Dao of Heaven called him the reincarnation of the Xuán Sù Immortal Lord, the most powerful of immortals training in the mortal realm.
Zhu Xinglan also admired the radiance of these peerless talents. Over the past ten thousand years, he had been trying to find such a genius for Ding Tian Peak.
Unfortunately, despite finding many talented individuals, none of them could compare with the top-tier geniuses of the world.
Gu An only listened without interest. He didn't have the mood to provide Mortal Peak with peerless geniuses.
Once he confirmed that Zhu Xi was completely safe, he withdrew his attention and began walking down the mountain. Zhu Xinglan accompanied him, wanting to talk to him more.
Even after so many years, Zhu Xinglan still had no idea of Gu An's origins. Before joining Mortal Peak, Gu An's background had always been a matter of curiosity for him.
Because of this curiosity, Zhu Xinglan held expectations toward Gu An.
He hoped Gu An would bring surprises to Mortal Peak.
Unfortunately, it didn't happen this time either.
After spending half a day at Mortal Peak, Gu An returned to the Wushi Dao Field.
In the depths of the universe, at the Realm Gate.
The Heavenly Spirit God, seated in front of the Realm Gate, suddenly opened his eyes. He stood up and faced the Realm Gate.
The Realm Gate emitted a blinding light, and the vast Dao of Heaven energy surged forth from within, resembling a thick mist dispersing, overwhelming in its presence.
Amidst the immense aura of Heaven's Dao, a figure stepped out from within the Realm Gate.
It was a tall figure clad in golden heavy armor, exuding an aura that matched that of the Heavenly Spirit God. The armor he wore contrasted sharply with the silver armor of the Heavenly Spirit God. The light emitted by both was equally intense, clashing with each other in brilliance.
"Long time no see, Heavenly Spirit God," said the man in golden armor, stopping in his tracks. He stood before the Realm Gate, gazing at the Heavenly Spirit God, and spoke with a voice like thunder, causing the surrounding Dao of Heaven aura to tremble.
The Heavenly Spirit God remained expressionless and asked, "Golden Extreme God, why have you left your world to come here to mine?"
Golden Extreme God raised his right hand, and a golden token appeared in his palm, engraved with two characters.
Xuán Sù!
The Heavenly Spirit God's expression remained unchanged as he asked, "Doesn't Xuán Sù Immortal Lord have too much audacity?"
Golden Extreme God snorted coldly and replied, "That's not for you to concern yourself with. Even your former master, the Ziwei Immortal Emperor, should not pry into matters concerning the Immortal Lord."
The Heavenly Spirit God remained silent for a moment before slowly turning around and stepping aside to allow Golden Extreme God through.
Golden Extreme God stepped forward, passing by the Heavenly Spirit God, their golden and silver lights blending, with flames surging around them.
After walking ten steps, Golden Extreme God stopped and slightly turned his head, casting a sidelong glance at the Heavenly Spirit God. "The Immortal Lord admires you. Back when you were at the Ziwei Immortal Emperor's palace, he recognized that your potential was far beyond that of a mere god. You are capable of going further."
"Once this matter is finished, I will be promoted to the Dao Star Lord. You will still have the opportunity to consider it. When I return here, I hope to have your answer."
With that, he disappeared into thin air, leaving only wisps of golden flames scattered in the air.
The Heavenly Spirit God looked in the direction where Golden Extreme God had left, his eyes showing a trace of disdain. He then returned to his meditation spot.
...
Time passed by, and a hundred years felt like a single day, rushing by.
At the Wushi Dao Field.
On the mountainside, Gu An sat on a branch. He was guiding An Xin in her cultivation of a divine art, but his gaze was fixed on Golden Extreme God, who had descended to the mortal realm a century ago.
This Golden Extreme God had reached the late stage of the Heavenly Dao Golden Immortal Realm, and he was subtly on the verge of breaking through to perfection.
After arriving in the mortal realm, Golden Extreme God did not cause a major disturbance. He traveled through the world, creating secret realms and divine statues, leaving behind legacies, and guiding some extraordinarily talented beings, causing them to gain Heaven's Dao fortune.
Golden Extreme God had not committed any evil acts, so Gu An naturally had no reason to take action against him.
Perhaps there were ulterior motives behind this, likely from the Heavenly Court, but for those beings, this truly was a great opportunity, even changing their lives.
That Xuán Sù Immortal Lord seemed to want to turn the Heavenly Spirit World into a realm that worshipped him.
The reason for not showing himself in person was likely due to fear of the Heavenly Court's displeasure.
"Do the Immortal Gods of the Heavenly Court also need the help of the beings of the world to boost their fortunes?" Gu An found it quite interesting.
The path of fortune has existed since ancient times. Gathering the fortunes of many people together would produce a greater force of protection.
Gu An had already seen Golden Extreme God's future. If he didn't intervene, Golden Extreme God, due to his arrogance, would encounter challenges from the world's chosen ones. After being suppressed time and again, Golden Extreme God would become increasingly impatient, and his attitude toward others would grow cruel. This would lead to a shift in how beings saw him, and consequently, Xuán Sù Immortal Lord would also be affected.
In the end, Golden Extreme God would be captured by a force from beyond the world, and this would serve as an explanation to the beings of the world.
Golden Extreme God, Ziwei Immortal Emperor, Xuán Sù Immortal Lord...
Gu An felt that the mysterious veil of the Heavenly Court was slowly unveiling to him, but he still couldn't fathom just how powerful the Heavenly Court was.
He could feel that beings like the Heavenly Spirit God and Golden Extreme God were likely the lowest tier of immortals in the Dao of Heaven.
In a universe like the Heavenly Spirit World, governed by a low-tier immortal god, even three thousand great worlds would pose no threat to the Heavenly Court.
"Master, why is this Evil Eye so hard to cultivate? Is it the Dao of Destiny, or the Dao of Karma?"
An Xin's voice came from below, prompting Gu An to look down at her.
Gu An replied, "Whatever Great Dao you wish it to be, that is what it will become."
He was teaching her not only the Evil Eye but also the cultivation method of the Immortal Emperor's Eye, to see if An Xin could master it.