Gu An observed the skull as it moved forward. Due to the distance, he couldn't utilize his Lifespan Investigation to analyze it, leaving him to rely solely on his divine sense to follow its movements.
The two Free Immortals remained engrossed in their fierce battle, entirely oblivious to the approaching danger.
Gu An could discern that the skull had not reached the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm, yet its aura felt far more menacing than that of ordinary Free Immortals. Whatever divine technique it employed allowed it to remain entirely undetected.
Time passed.
Roughly half an hour later, as the two Free Immortals became locked in a standoff of magical power, the skull abruptly revealed itself. It swelled to an enormous size, its shadow engulfing the void, and in one swift motion, devoured both Free Immortals whole. Transforming into a streak of rainbow light, it vanished into the darkness.
The cosmos fell silent.
The grand battle from moments before seemed as though it had never occurred. Gu An, while intrigued, chose not to pursue the skull.
"It revealed itself just in time," Gu An mused. "If I break through now, the commotion can be attributed to it."
He summoned his Attribute Panel.
Name: Gu An
Lifespan: 740 / 3,329,223,602
Physique: Hunyuan Refining Void Physique
Cultivation: Completion Stage of Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm
Three billion, three hundred twenty-nine million years of lifespan!
Breaking through a major realm isn't difficult!
A grin spread across Gu An's face as he decided to strengthen his physique first.
He invested one hundred million years of lifespan directly into his physique. Notifications appeared one after another.
No breakthrough.
Undeterred, Gu An invested another one hundred million years. This time, his Hunyuan Refining Void Physique successfully advanced to the Hunyuan Dao Golden Physique!
Instantly, an immense surge of spiritual energy rushed toward him. Within the confines of his Lifespan Barrier, the lifespan consumption rate displayed began to accelerate wildly.
Gu An closed his eyes and immersed himself in the transformative process of his Hunyuan Dao Golden Physique.
Golden flames wreathed the intricate patterns on his forehead, and his skin took on a radiant golden hue, emanating a divine aura that defied description.
The Hunyuan Dao Golden Physique allowed his body to rival the very essence of rules and laws, seamlessly harmonizing with the Dao itself. This meant that Gu An could now endure the tempering of all Dao principles and study any path he chose.
Moreover, this physique elevated his magical power to unprecedented heights, while also refining his soul under the baptism of the Dao.
It was a marvelous process, entirely free of pain.
However, the surrounding Desolation Domain reacted violently. Dao principles trembled, and spiritual energy surged tumultuously, spreading across the region. Hidden creatures began to emerge—some fleeing in terror, others investigating the source of the disturbance.
A massive black flood dragon with nine heads soared across the skies ahead of Gu An. The landmass beneath him—already the size of the Tai Cang Continent—was dwarfed by just one of the dragon's heads, illustrating the sheer size of the creature.
Despite this, no creature could detect Gu An's presence. The unmatched capabilities of his Lifespan Barrier remained shrouded in mystery.
After half an hour, Gu An opened his eyes and began channeling his lifespan into his techniques.
He invested one hundred million years into Eternal Great Infinite Art, upgrading it to Dao Infinite Art, reaching the Mastery Stage!
Another half hour passed, and Gu An moved on to enhancing his Dao Aspect Divine Thought Art, his key method for concealing his cultivation. He could not afford to leave it behind.
With another one hundred million years, Dao Aspect Divine Thought Art advanced to Grand Thousand Mystical Void Art, reaching the Flawless Stage.
Next, he focused on two more techniques: Time-Striding Dao Step and Ultimate Void Transformation Body. The former was his sole movement technique, essential for combat. The latter, crucial for obscuring karmic traces and hiding his true identity, was equally vital.
He invested one hundred million years into each.
Time-Striding Dao Step evolved into Eternal Vast Measuring Dao Step, achieving the Mastery Stage!
Ultimate Void Transformation Body transformed into Formless Free Spirit Body, reaching the Peak Stage!
Once all these advancements were complete, Gu An checked his Attribute Panel again. His remaining lifespan was still over two billion, seven hundred million years, though over eighty million years had been consumed just by maintaining the Lifespan Barrier.
Gu An refrained from upgrading the divine abilities and techniques of his past lives, such as those from Long Zhan, Lu Han, or Ji of Yan Tribe. These were already at an exceedingly high grade. Instead, his focus was on comprehending and forging his own path.
After some contemplation, Gu An invested one hundred million years into his Dao Gang Primordial Qi, his primary defensive method and a potential asset in overcoming tribulations.
The technique advanced to Protective Dao Divine Essence, reaching the Proficient Stage.
The Desolation Domain was now in complete disarray. Countless divine senses scanned the area, while various factions and entities roamed the void. From every direction, living beings began to gather near Gu An's location.
Even from the distant grand world, numerous beings emerged, driven by the disruption of the world's Dao rules due to the spiritual energy being drawn into Gu An's breakthrough.
Panic spread like wildfire.
As Gu An assimilated the knowledge of Protective Dao Divine Essence, his golden glow intensified. A white aura materialized around him, coalescing into a radiant ring before merging into his Hunyuan Dao Golden Physique. A shimmering, flowing light covered his skin, rippling across every inch of his body.
His appearance returned to its original state, yet his aura became immeasurable—like a supreme deity gazing upon all living beings, his expression indifferent, exuding an oppressive majesty that commanded reverence.
Glancing at his Attribute Panel, Gu An saw that he still retained over two billion, five hundred million years of lifespan. He steadied his mind in preparation for the critical moment.
Now, it was time for the true breakthrough.
Gu An channeled one hundred million years of lifespan into his cultivation.
[You have cultivated Qi for five million years. With the profound mastery of Dao Infinite Art, you attempt to break through to the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm. You begin enduring the Reincarnation Mystical Grand Heavenly Dao Tribulation but fail.]
Undeterred, he continued.
[You have cultivated Qi for ten million years. With the profound mastery of Dao Infinite Art, you attempt to break through to the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm. You begin enduring the Reincarnation Mystical Grand Heavenly Dao Tribulation but fail.]
"Five million years for each tribulation?"
Gu An thought to himself. "It's ruthless. Last time, it was only two million years for each tribulation."
Despite the thought crossing his mind, Gu An wasn't truly surprised. He had long prepared for this eventuality.
"As long as I succeed in breaking through, it doesn't matter how much lifespan I expend along the way—it's just a number!"
However, despite consuming a full hundred million years of lifespan, success continued to elude him. Gu An failed twenty times in a row.
Without hesitation, he invested another one hundred million years.
Gu An's expression remained impassive, as calm as an unshaken lake. It was as if he was indifferent to the results.
By the time he had expended one billion years, failure still persisted. Finally, his brow furrowed slightly, and he murmured under his breath:
"1.6 billion years left. No need to panic."
With renewed determination, he continued to invest his lifespan in increments of one hundred million years. Slowly, his expression grew more solemn.
Five hundred million years later, during the sixth cycle of one hundred million, a glimmer of hope finally appeared. The notifications on his Lifespan Panel lengthened dramatically.
[You have cultivated Qi for forty-five million years. With the grand mastery of Dao Infinite Art, you attempt to break through to the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm. You endure the Reincarnation Mystical Grand Heavenly Dao Tribulation and successfully transcend. Your cultivation has advanced to the Early Stage of Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm.]
[You cultivated for an additional one hundred million years, and your cultivation realm has risen.]
Even so, it wasn't enough to push him to the next sub-stage.
The progression slowed. Even after fifty-five million years of focused effort, the minor advancement within the realm had yet to materialize. Still, Gu An persisted. Feeling the ever-volatile spiritual energy of the Dao, he resolved to continue.
"I'll strive to reach perfection in one breath!"
Finally, after investing six hundred million years of lifespan, Gu An broke through to the Completion Stage of the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm.
Glancing at the rapidly depleting lifespan within the Lifespan Barrier, Gu An calculated the remaining time. With over four hundred million years still available, he finally let out a sigh of relief.
His cultivation stabilized as he closed his eyes, focusing on consolidating the immense fortune brought by his breakthrough.
The distant void erupted with fiery chaos as powerful cultivators clashed. The disturbances within the Desolation Domain, exacerbated by Gu An's advancements, had escalated to a boiling point. Factions, oblivious to the truth behind the commotion, grew increasingly paranoid. Tensions erupted into open conflict.
The continent beneath Gu An's feet trembled violently, showing signs of fragmentation. As time passed, more figures joined the fray, including two combatants who descended directly above the continent.
Both wielded divine weapons, battling like celestial titans. Their strikes tore through the fabric of space, shaking the heavens. Neither was aware that a terrifying presence, one far beyond the Free Immortal Realm, lay dormant below.
Gu An's Dao Fruit began to transform. It absorbed intricate Profound Origin Dao Markings, strengthening it to an unimaginable degree. The innate divine ability born from his Dao Fruit, Longevity Mantra, also evolved. It now integrated with additional Dao principles and universal laws, broadening both its range and depth.
As Gu An's cultivation stepped into the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm, a flood of memories surged into his consciousness.
These weren't just his past experiences. They included fragments of his future, as well as countless parallel possibilities of his destiny.
Gu An observed the branching paths of his fate with a calm yet critical eye. Each choice he had made in life had created countless forks in the river of destiny. While only the road he actively walked became reality, the others, though illusory, were no less possible.
One profound realization struck him:
"If I wish for those possibilities to become real, I must create worlds to sustain them."
The Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm was a process of comprehending destiny. It allowed one to view every outcome from their past life and all potential futures, offering clarity on the path forward.
In his reverie, Gu An saw the annihilation of the Heaven Spirit Great World. The immense continent was reduced to nothing but dust. And it wasn't just the Heaven Spirit Great World; every grand world faced inevitable destruction. Like mortal beings, all worlds carried an expiration date.
The destruction of the Heaven Spirit Great World was irreversible, as it was the natural progression of the Heavenly Dao and the Grand Dao Rules. The only way to defy it was to surpass both. But even if Gu An achieved this, preserving the Heaven Spirit Great World would introduce destabilizing variables to other universes.
In his visions, Gu An saw himself attempting to preserve the Heaven Spirit Great World. Under his protection, the Tai Xuan Sect and the Tai Cang Imperial Dynasty rose to dominate the cosmos. They became the next Sacred Court and Immortal Dynasty, reigning over countless beings, venturing beyond the heavens to plunder resources.
Eventually, they became a tyrannical power, enemies of all living things.
In the boundless flow of destiny, the rise and fall of powers were a repeating cycle. Gu An could see clearly:
"Everything is preordained—a continuous exchange between old and new."
Cultivators could calculate the movements of the heavens and the natural world, but the hearts of living beings remained beyond their grasp. Every individual with sentience had the potential to be a variable, each variable spawning countless more.
This echoed the words of the Dao De Jing:
"The Dao gives birth to one, one gives birth to two, two gives birth to three, and three gives birth to all things."
Every phenomenon followed this principle. Whether viewed from the present or from the future, the cycles remained unchanged. Certain roles would always be filled by someone.
Achieving the Profound Origin Free Immortal Realm was not just about strengthening one's Dao Fruit but about seeking one's place within the greater cosmos. Gu An took this opportunity to refine his Dao Heart.
Faced with the understanding of destiny, he couldn't help but ponder:
"How should I treat those who share close bonds with me?"
Emotions tied him to others. But should he allow himself to be bound by them?
"To follow the heart—is that truly the answer? But what is the heart?"
To live a single day longer was to allow the heart to accept more attachments. Emotions were constructs of later experiences, constantly evolving.