Gu An watched Ye Lan's soul as it drifted into the Reincarnation Whirlpool. His divine sense did not immediately withdraw but instead followed her all the way into the depths of the whirlpool. Only when Ye Lan's soul was fully absorbed by the laws of reincarnation did he retract his consciousness.
He remained standing in place, his gaze lingering on Ye Lan's gravestone for a long time.
Finally, An Xin approached him and asked softly, "Master, are you alright?"
Gu An turned around, stretched lazily, and smiled. "I was just reminiscing about the past. Let's go back to the valley."
An Xin nodded, walking beside him as they headed deeper into the valley.
"Master, I've already made arrangements. There will be a female disciple stationed near Martial Aunt's gravestone every day."
"Hmm, you've been thoughtful. Don't let her be mistreated."
"Of course not. Oh, by the way, Master, there's a rumor spreading outside that Divine Sovereign is about to return, and that the Immortal Dynasty is destined to fall. Is that true?"
An Xin quickly changed the subject, fearing that Gu An would be consumed by sadness.
Hearing her inner thoughts, Gu An found it amusing. This wasn't the first time he had experienced the parting of life and death, so why would he be upset? Moreover, he and Ye Lan were destined to meet again.
Gu An replied, "Divine Sovereign will indeed return, but as for when, that remains uncertain. The laws of reincarnation obscure the threads of karma, making it impossible for anyone to calculate precisely. But one thing is certain: the Immortal Dynasty's defeat is still a long way off."
In the four hundred and twenty years that had passed, the mortal world was no longer plagued by heavenly demons. The Heavenly Demon Sect had been completely eradicated, though the Xuan You Divine Dynasty still existed. However, it had since submitted to the Immortal Dynasty. Now, the world had once again entered a period of balance, with the Sacred Court and the Immortal Dynasty standing as opposing forces.
During this time, the Sword Master of the Dao had not made any further moves. Gu An's life was peaceful—he either guided those around him in understanding the Dao or spent his time picking flowers and gathering herbs.
Currently, Gu An had achieved the completion stage of the Vast Heaven Free Immortal Realm. From the late stage to the completion stage, he had spent nearly five hundred million years of his lifespan.
Now, his remaining lifespan totaled 3.7 billion years, and he was preparing to break through to ten billion years.
"'A long way off'? Does that mean their defeat is inevitable? Should I warn my elder brother?" An Xin asked hesitantly.
An Hao, her elder brother, was currently serving the Immortal Dynasty with great distinction. News of his astonishing achievements frequently reached the Tai Xuan Sect.
Gu An replied calmly, "He understands. Instead of worrying about him, you should focus on your own cultivation. It's time for you to aim for the Nirvana Realm."
An Xin's initial potential wasn't particularly high—ordinary, like Ye Lan and Zhen Qin. However, as her cultivation level rose, and especially as she practiced the Innate Reincarnation Technique, the limits of her lifespan continued to expand.
Even Gu An couldn't fully discern her aptitude, but it was clear that she was improving. Once she stepped into the Nirvana Realm, she would break free from her limits and no longer be restricted by the constraints of her natural lifespan.
Reflecting on it now, Gu An recalled how An Hao and An Xin's hometown had been attacked by monsters years ago, leaving only the two siblings alive. Perhaps it wasn't just An Hao's extraordinary fortune at play; An Xin's destiny might also be anything but ordinary, though she hadn't exhibited her talents as quickly as her brother.
"Aiya, I'm already trying my best! But progressing in the Mahayana Realm is so difficult. Advancing from the eighth to the ninth level is just too hard. Give me a little more time," An Xin said as she clung to Gu An's arm, playfully complaining.
Gu An tapped her gently, showing no sign of reproach.
"If you maintain your current momentum, you might truly surpass Hao'er and Jian'er," Gu An said with a faint smile, causing An Xin's eyes to light up with excitement.
If Master said so, then there was real hope for her to overtake them!
Over the years, she had felt herself changing, a transformation that had bolstered her confidence. Of course, she believed that all these changes were gifts from her master.
Master and disciple continued their conversation as they made their way back to the valley.
Along the path, no disciples dared to approach Gu An, as they were all aware of Ye Lan's passing.
In the span of four hundred and twenty years, nearly seventy to eighty percent of the disciples in the valley had been replaced. The current disciples had all witnessed Ye Lan cultivating at Gu An's side when they first entered the valley. In their eyes, Ye Lan wasn't just a martial aunt; she was more akin to a mistress of the valley.
As Gu An passed by the Myriad Sword Mountain, he paused and turned toward a figure standing at the foot of the mountain.
Seeing this, An Xin stayed where she was, waiting patiently.
Jue Luo Sword Master stood before a stone stele, his eyes closed as if immersed in deep contemplation.
Walking up to him, Gu An asked, "You've felt it too?"
Jue Luo Sword Master opened his eyes and turned to salute him, his expression grave. "That power… I've encountered it before. They've invaded the universe multiple times in the past."
Gu An raised his eyes to the heavens. "Do you think their arrival has anything to do with that God Emperor?"
Jue Luo Sword Master frowned slightly, sensing that Gu An was testing him.
Given Gu An's cultivation and his unparalleled understanding of the universe, any question posed by him was worth deep thought.
Having spent several hundred years in the Third Medicine Valley, Jue Luo Sword Master felt as if the shackles of higher realms were loosening. He attributed this entirely to the profound teachings present in Gu An's domain. As such, he weighed every word spoken by Gu An with the utmost care.
"Perhaps," Jue Luo Sword Master said cautiously. "Your battle with him was so earth-shattering that even the Great Dao trembled. It's no wonder the God Emperor came specifically to the Heavenly Spirit Great World—it seemed as though he was searching for something."
Gu An already knew the identity of the mysterious force infiltrating this universe.
The War Court.
Founded by Long Zhan, it was no longer under the control of the Dragon Clan.
The Annihilation God Emperor had specifically come to seek out Long Qing. To say he had no connection to the War Court would be hard to believe.
Gu An had destroyed a clone of the Annihilation God Emperor, and it was only natural that the latter would retaliate. The fact that it took them over four hundred years to act was surprisingly slow.
What intrigued Gu An, however, was the fact that the War Court had crossed interdimensional gates to arrive here, yet the Heavenly Spirit God had done nothing to stop them.
The beings from the War Court were powerful. Their leader was a Dao Repository Free Immortal at the pinnacle of completion, while the weakest among them had already reached the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm.
At present, they were wandering within the Destruction Domain, far from the Heavenly Spirit Great World. They seemed to be preparing to invade other great worlds first.
Jue Luo Sword Master took a deep breath and cautiously said, "Senior, if you truly are the Sword Dao Patriarch, please reveal it clearly. I will summon the Grand Sword of the Great Hong to assist you in facing them together!"
The title "Sword Dao Patriarch" referred to Gu An's identity in his lifespan reincarnations and was one of Yang Xian's most renowned legacies.
Gu An replied, "Sword Dao Patriarch? You're overthinking it. I've simply traversed the River of Sword Dao and mastered some of its techniques."
"Is that so?"
Jue Luo Sword Master didn't entirely believe him. He too had once entered the River of Sword Dao but failed to comprehend the Sacred Heart Sword Dao.
He always thought his talent wasn't lacking—it was just that the Sacred Heart Sword Dao had rejected him.
Gu An patted his shoulder and said, "When you surpass the Free Immortal Realm, you'll see through everything."
With that, Gu An turned and left.
Jue Luo Sword Master had been in the Third Medicine Valley for years. Occasionally, he would mentor disciples, cultivating numerous sword Dao talents for the valley. He had earned some favor from Gu An, which was why Gu An was willing to guide him.
Jue Luo Sword Master had already experienced the Reincarnation Tribulation and reached the ninth layer of the Free Immortal Realm. He was only a step away from breaking through.
Every time Gu An saw Jue Luo Sword Master, he would think of Yang Ping'an.
That kid had been similarly arrogant, even daring to challenge his master.
Gu An had a strong feeling that Yang Ping'an was still alive. Ever since achieving the Vast Heaven Free Immortal Realm, Gu An's karmic deduction abilities had undergone a qualitative leap. By observing Jue Luo Sword Master's fortune, he could faintly glimpse the luck of the Grand Sword of the Great Hong.
Amidst that vast fortune was a figure sitting cross-legged in its depths, their cultivation unfathomable.
Gu An couldn't directly determine this person's realm, but based on their silhouette, he believed it was highly likely to be Yang Ping'an.
Jue Luo Sword Master bowed deeply toward Gu An's departing figure, lost in thought. He couldn't shake the feeling that Gu An didn't take the War Court seriously at all.
He wanted to argue that the War Court was incredibly dangerous, but on second thought, he realized he had no idea how powerful Gu An truly was.
After all, the Annihilation God Emperor had been obliterated by a single strike. If the War Court faced Gu An, their fate might not be much different.
The thought of Gu An being the Sword Dao Patriarch filled his heart with fervor.
No!
Even if the Patriarch refused to acknowledge his identity, as a junior, he couldn't sit idly by!
Raising his hand, Jue Luo Sword Master summoned a flickering azure light in his palm, and a phantom green lotus began to bloom.