Gu An compared the eyes to his memories and determined they were not those of the Black Xuan Emperor. As for whether they belonged to the Annihilation God Emperor, he couldn't be certain.
Long Zhan had never seen the true form of the Annihilation God Emperor; he had been crushed to death by a single hand extended by the emperor.
For now, Gu An couldn't discern the cultivation realm of those enormous eyes, but their oppressive and unsettling presence was undeniable.
With the Lifespan Barrier shielding him, Gu An wasn't worried about being discovered.
He initially assumed the eyes would disappear after observing for a moment, but that wasn't the case.
Suddenly, two figures emerged from the massive eyes, moving at an incredible speed as they passed above Gu An, heading toward the Heavenly Spirit Great Heaven.
Although they passed "above" him, the actual distance between them and Gu An was vast.
Gu An turned to watch them, his brows furrowed with worry in his gaze.
He could sense that the two figures were merely at the Free Immortal Realm, yet even Free Immortals could easily obliterate the countless beings of the Heavenly Spirit Great Heaven.
He was still in the midst of his breakthrough and couldn't intervene.
Moreover, with the giant eyes still present, would he expose himself if he acted?
Noticing that the Free Immortals from the Immortal Dynasty and Sacred Court had also appeared, Gu An could only hope they would deal with these mysterious intruders.
However, just as the two figures emerging from the eyes reached the edge of the Desolation Domain, they vanished abruptly.
Gu An's keen senses caught their entry into the rules of reincarnation, using a method beyond a cultivator's understanding to penetrate the outer sky layer. Within moments, their auras disappeared completely.
Even the two Free Immortals were unable to detect their movements.
This was…
Reincarnation?
Gu An turned back to the giant eyes, which were slowly retreating into the darkness as if they had never appeared.
"Forget it, I need to complete my breakthrough first!"
Raising his right hand, Gu An used his immense divine power to begin forging the immortal treasure he had envisioned.
Free Immortals could create immortal treasures, and for a cultivator at the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm, forging an immortal treasure was naturally even easier.
As his cultivation grew, Gu An swiftly molded the treasure's form, infusing it with his Dao to establish a stable structure of restrictions.
Time flowed onward.
After another half-hour of effort, Gu An finally reached perfection in the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm!
In that moment, he felt an overwhelming sense of invincibility, as though he could traverse the heavens and earth without hindrance!
His right hand continued shaping the immortal treasure, the light of the Dao illuminating his face. Golden markings on his forehead shimmered brightly, making his expression even more dignified and majestic.
It was as if he were gazing into an entire world, his eyes deep and profound.
A quick glance at his attribute panel revealed he still had 70 million years of lifespan remaining. Gu An chose not to dissolve the Lifespan Barrier immediately, continuing his work on the immortal treasure.
As his breakthrough concluded, the consumption rate of the Lifespan Barrier decreased dramatically.
Meanwhile, the turbulence within the Desolation Domain began to subside, providing relief to the terrified beings hidden throughout the realm.
It wasn't just the inhabitants of the Heavenly Spirit Great Heaven who had been afraid—the Heaven-Demons within the Desolation Domain were also trembling. In every place, tales of impending catastrophe existed. This fear of the unknown naturally led sentient beings to associate such phenomena with destiny or great disasters.
Once the flow of Grand Dao energy and rules ceased, the Desolation Domain fell into a stifling silence, oppressive in its stillness.
Another two hours passed.
The immortal treasure in Gu An's hand was finally completed, but it still lacked one final step to become a true immortal treasure: the infusion of his soul essence.
An immortal treasure was not merely a powerful artifact; it was unique. Its ability to endure eternally came from the infusion of a Free Immortal's essence, which sustained its unparalleled attributes.
Gu An suddenly sensed a peculiar force manifesting in the universe, resembling the energy from the outer sky layer.
His newly crafted immortal treasure seemed eager to gain recognition from this force, as though desiring its imprint.
Could this be the rules of the Heavenly Dao?
Gu An was inwardly alarmed. He instinctively felt that the rules of the Heavenly Dao posed a far greater threat compared to the Grand Dao rules. The menace lay in their perfection—it was as if the Heavenly Dao rules possessed a self-awareness.
No!
He could not allow his immortal treasure to form a connection with the Heavenly Dao rules!
Forcing his will upon the treasure, Gu An restrained its desire to approach the Heavenly Dao rules.
After a while, the immortal treasure relinquished its yearning, and the Dao light surrounding it dissipated.
A simple brush, with a white shaft and black bristles, now rested in his hand. Its appearance was utterly ordinary.
Gradually, golden characters emerged along the brush shaft.
The Pen of Destiny.
The corners of Gu An's mouth lifted into a satisfied smile, his mood immensely buoyant.
He still had over sixty million years of lifespan left!
This breakthrough had been perilous, but in the end, it was successful!
Rising to his feet, he disappeared from the spot without a trace.
In a single step, Gu An arrived near the Xuan Valley. With measured strides, he exited the forest. Snow fell heavily, but wherever he walked, the accumulated snow instantly melted away.
Halting momentarily, he concealed the aura of his Dao fruit before resuming his path.
Snowflakes landed on his shoulders, gradually burying his figure, making him seem as though he had blended into the ordinary world.
After the time it took to burn an incense stick, Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley.
Stepping off the teleportation platform, he headed straight for the chess area. Today, the Nine-Finger Divine Lord was at it again, casually dominating a game, his opponent none other than Shen Xin Zi.
Shen Xin Zi, engrossed in his game, held a copy of Romance of the Three Kingdoms in one hand and a chess piece in the other, his brows furrowed in hesitation.
A small crowd had gathered, comprised of disciples from the Medicine Valley and high-level cultivators from the Tai Xuan Sect. They murmured among themselves in hushed tones.
As Gu An approached, idly spinning the Pen of Destiny in his hand, You Yingying curiously moved closer.
"Did you just buy that brush?" she asked, intrigued.
The brush was larger than usual, its size comparable to a flute. Its unusual design drew her gaze.
"Yeah, bought it this morning. An old senior sold it to me, claiming it's an immortal treasure," Gu An replied with a casual smile.
Hearing this, You Yingying rolled her eyes and asked, "If it's really an immortal treasure, how many spirit stones did you pay for it?"
"Ten top-grade spirit stones. Pretty pricey, huh?"
"Heh."
You Yingying's expression became one of derision, her gaze filled with mockery as she let out a cold laugh.
Gu An held out the Pen of Destiny toward her and offered, "One hundred top-grade spirit stones, and it's yours. I'll even take a small loss."
Raising her hand, she smacked him lightly and retorted, "I'm not as foolish as you. I won't buy it! But if you're giving it to me as a gift, I might consider it."
Unbelievable! She wanted it for free?
Gu An shot her an exasperated look before continuing toward the Nine-Finger Divine Lord and the others.
Trailing behind him, You Yingying scrutinized him closely.
Lately, she had noticed subtle shifts in Gu An's demeanor. It felt like he was hiding something.
Could it be true? Had this guy really become the disciple of the Sword Master of the Dao?
Gu An squeezed through the crowd and positioned himself behind Shen Xin Zi, with You Yingying following suit.
Sitting across the board, the Nine-Finger Divine Lord glanced at Gu An. His attention was drawn to the brush in Gu An's hand.
"That brush looks pretty decent. Let me take a look," he said, a faint smile playing on his lips.
Spinning the Pen of Destiny between his fingers, Gu An replied, "One hundred top-grade spirit stones, and it's yours. It might even be an immortal treasure."
Immortal treasure?
The Nine-Finger Divine Lord chuckled. He had overheard Gu An's earlier exchange with You Yingying and thought it was all a joke. To his surprise, Gu An genuinely believed it.
Feigning seriousness, he examined the Pen of Destiny and said, "Hmm? It actually might be."
Gu An's expression immediately froze.
He recognized it?
This wouldn't do. Tonight, he'd have to pat the Nine-Finger Divine Lord on the shoulder and use the Grand Soul Imprisonment Art to erase this memory!