"Master, where exactly have you been? You disappeared for an entire year without a single word!"
An Xin glared at Gu An, her voice carrying a tone of reproach, but her eyes gleamed with joy.
Gu An rolled his eyes at her. "It's just a year. In this sect, any great cultivator who enters seclusion or embarks on a journey is gone for decades, even centuries. Look at you—so impatient. Are you telling me that without me around, you can't even manage the Medicine Valley?"
He had been comprehending the Dao within the Isolated Paradise, and in the blink of an eye, a year had passed. It wasn't just An Xin who had grown anxious—Xuanmiao Zhenren of the Northern Sea Mountains had also been restless.
The people of Tianya Valley, however, remained indifferent. After all, Third Medicine Valley belonged to Li Xuandao, and Gu An was merely overseeing it.
There had been no disturbances in Third Medicine Valley or Xuan Valley either. Most of the disciples simply assumed that Gu An had gone on an outing.
After all—who in this world could possibly harm him?
But An Xin wasn't worried about Gu An's safety. Her real fear was that he had left the Heavenly Spirit Grand World for good.
She had heard rumors of vast, boundless realms beyond the heavens, where many powerful cultivators left never to return, forever chasing their own Great Dao.
With Gu An's cultivation, staying in the Heavenly Spirit Grand World was pointless—aside from tempering his mind, this world could no longer offer him anything of value.
Having followed Gu An for so long, An Xin did not want to be abandoned.
"I was just afraid… You didn't even leave a word!" An Xin said in a slightly aggrieved tone.
She was like a daughter to him, and Gu An had always been fond of her. Seeing her concern, he didn't tease her further and simply reassured her.
"Don't worry. If I ever truly decide to leave, I will tell you first. And if you wish to follow me, I will take you along."
Hearing this, An Xin's face immediately brightened with joy.
She grabbed Gu An's arm and pulled him toward the valley, chattering excitedly about all the things that had happened in Third Medicine Valley over the past year.
With so many disciples in the Medicine Valley, conflicts and amusing incidents were common. Most of what she talked about were trivial matters, but Gu An listened attentively.
Among all the things she mentioned, the only one that truly caught his attention was that Xuan Tianyi had returned—and had even brought him a batch of books he liked.
When talking about this, An Xin gave Gu An a meaningful look.
If Gu An hadn't been able to hear her inner thoughts, he would have suspected that she had secretly spied on his mind.
Along the way, every disciple and cultivator who saw Gu An became excited, greeting him and bowing one after another.
It took quite a while before Gu An finally returned to his pavilion.
Sitting at his desk, he took out the black leather book from his robe and placed it on the table.
The book's cover was textured with black scales, exuding a mysterious and eerie aura, making anyone who looked at it feel uneasy.
Since this was a supreme treasure of karma, Gu An had deliberately designed it to appear intimidating.
Unlike the Pen of Destiny, which was an Immortal Dao treasure, this book was shaped using the Dao Intent of the Vast Heaven Free Immortal Realm, making its grade even higher.
It had just been newly created, but it could still grow, continuously nurtured by Gu An's Dao of Karma.
Now, what he needed to do was give it a name.
"What should I call it…?"
Gu An fell into deep thought, his right hand resting on the table, tapping his fingers lightly.
As the sunlight outside turned a deep red, inspiration finally struck him.
He picked up the Pen of Destiny and began writing on the black leather book.
Wu.
Ji.
Jian.
Shu.
(Wu Ji Jian Shu – The Boundless Sword Book)
The moment he finished writing the last stroke, the four golden characters shone brilliantly, burning into the book's cover before sinking in, forming a golden inscription.
Wu Ji Jian Shu!
The name was inspired by his Hunyuan Boundless Physique and Boundless Force.
He imbued the book with boundless potential, ensuring that it would never have an upper limit.
The reason he included "Sword" in the name was that he did not want to abandon his Sword Dao.
He wanted to combine his Sword Dao with his Dao of Karma, forming a technique capable of slaying enemies across universes—a Karmic Sword Dao.
The Wu Ji Jian Shu trembled violently before floating into the air, absorbing the karmic energy of the world.
In an instant—
The entire Tai Cang Continent was reflected within the book through the threads of karma.
The range continued to expand—
Further and further—
Until it encompassed the entire Heavenly Spirit Grand World.
At that moment, every Free Immortal Realm cultivator felt a sudden, inexplicable sense of unease.
Yet, when they opened their eyes, they saw nothing out of the ordinary.
Nor could they calculate anything through their Divination Techniques.
A Grand Hall Shrouded in Mist
Inside a majestic hall surrounded by mystical clouds, a sage-like figure sat cross-legged on a raised platform.
Below him, a small azure pool shimmered mysteriously, its waters glowing with faint starlight, creating an ethereal and dreamlike scene.
The Sacred Minister slowly opened his eyes, his brows furrowing.
He immediately attempted to divine the cause, but—
Nothing.
He could not see through it.
"The end of an era… Even the very rules of existence are beginning to fade…"
The Sacred Minister muttered to himself, his heart weighed down by an immense pressure.
In recent times, mysterious forces had begun invading the Desolation Domain from beyond the heavens.
Within the Heavenly Spirit Grand World, unknown Free Immortals had also appeared, their origins completely undetectable.
And then—there was the Sword Master of the Dao, a being powerful enough to erase the entire Heavenly Spirit Grand World at will.
As the Sacred Minister of the Sacred Court, he detested this loss of control.
It made him feel powerless, as if he could no longer see a way forward.
Could it be…
That the Sacred Court's fate was nearing its end—
Just like the countless fallen overlords of eras past?
A sense of helplessness overtook him.
And in that moment of doubt, he saw a figure emerge from the depths of the grand hall.
"Your Majesty…"
The Sacred Minister murmured, his voice barely above a whisper, as if in a dream.
While the Free Immortal Realm cultivators of the Heavenly Spirit Grand World were experiencing a deep sense of unease, the ordinary masses remained oblivious. The battles between the Sacred Court and the Immortal Dynasty continued, but compared to centuries ago, mortal beings were rarely affected. As a result, many places still enjoyed peace.
The next morning.
Gu An descended from his pavilion. For once, he joined the disciples in their morning training. After disappearing for a year, he had plans for the next few days—primarily gathering herbs.
Half an hour later, Gu An rode on the Blood Prison Saint, preparing to head toward Tianya Valley.
As soon as he left Tai Xuan Sect, a figure appeared before him—it was Jue Luo Sword Master.
Jue Luo Sword Master took a deep breath, gazing at Gu An with a solemn expression. "Senior, there is something I must tell you. Yesterday, did you sense anything unusual?"
Gu An feigned confusion. "No, what exactly happened?"
"Years ago, a fleeting trace of sword intent appeared within the Desolation Domain. At the time, I was merely intrigued, but over the years, as I exchanged insights with my fellow sword cultivators, I uncovered a terrifying truth," Jue Luo Sword Master said, his expression growing heavier.
Using sword intent to communicate?
To avoid divination?
Grand Sword of the Great Hong is indeed something.
As Gu An pondered, he asked, "And what exactly did you uncover?"
The Blood Prison Saint, currently in his ox form, also showed curiosity. He was aware of Jue Luo Sword Master's formidable strength and had never dared to provoke him.
After a moment of hesitation, Jue Luo Sword Master spoke. "This concerns the deepest secrets of Grand Sword of the Great Hong. The founder of Grand Sword of the Great Hong was once called the Sword God, the only true disciple of the Sword Dao Patriarch. He was also the only one who ever defeated the Sword Dao Patriarch in battle."
"After the Sword Dao Patriarch perished, the Sword God changed drastically. In his pursuit of ultimate strength, he took an extreme path—devouring sword intent and sword principles, growing stronger at an alarming rate. He eventually became an enemy of the entire cosmos, drawing the ire of dozens of grand worlds, which united to besiege him."
"He vanished for many years—his fate unknown. However, the fleeting sword intent from years ago was extremely chaotic, terrifying, and violent. Only his sword intent matches that description. And yesterday, all of us Free Immortal cultivators felt a deep sense of dread. We now suspect that the Sword God has returned."
"And he might have set his sights on you."
After saying this, Jue Luo Sword Master fixed his gaze on Gu An, his face tense.
For someone who feared neither heaven nor earth, it was the first time Gu An had seen Jue Luo Sword Master so deeply wary of someone—more than even his wariness toward the Battle Court.
Gu An asked, "Between your Sword God and the Annihilation God Emperor of the Desolation Domain, who is stronger?"
The Sword Intent that Jue Luo Sword Master spoke of—Gu An had sensed it before. It was incredibly sharp, but fleeting, as if it had escaped into the River of Sword Dao.
The River of Sword Dao was a manifestation of universal law, existing on a different plane, independent of the cosmos itself.
He hadn't expected that the owner of that sword intent was Yang Ping'an, the Sword God.
If Jue Luo Sword Master's speculation was true, then it was indeed possible. Gu An had also found that sword intent strangely chaotic, almost as if it had succumbed to madness.
Jue Luo Sword Master shook his head. "How could I possibly know? I am far from their level."
Gu An chuckled and said, "Alright, I understand. Now, step aside."
Hearing this, Jue Luo Sword Master immediately moved out of the way.
The Blood Prison Saint lifted his massive hooves and began striding forward.
As he watched Gu An's figure disappear into the distance, Jue Luo Sword Master became even more convinced—
Gu An was the reincarnation of the Sword Dao Patriarch.
"The legend says the Sword God once defeated the Sword Dao Patriarch, but why does the Patriarch show no concern for him? Could it be that the legend was false?"
Jue Luo Sword Master silently pondered.
He found it entirely plausible.
After all, Grand Sword of the Great Hong was founded by the Sword God, not the Sword Dao Patriarch. It was natural that successive generations of sword masters from Grand Sword of the Great Hong would glorify their founder, making it seem as if he was the strongest.
The more he thought about an impending battle between the Sword God and the Sword Dao Patriarch, the less anxious he felt.
Instead, an exhilarating anticipation surged through him.