After entering Submerged Spirit Palace, Gu An swiftly moved to the center of the grand hall, sat down cross-legged, and began circulating his energy.
He could feel a strange power attempting to invade his body.
It was similar to karma, yet far more terrifying.
Gu An immediately activated his causal power to resist, but he couldn't completely dispel this strange force in a short amount of time.
As time passed, he gradually understood what it was.
It was the backlash of karma!
Somewhere in the unseen forces of the universe, a balance existed, regulating those who wielded the Dao of Karma, preventing them from disrupting the natural order.
The Dao of Karma was among the Three Thousand Grand Daos, but unlike the others, it intertwined with all of existence, spanning across time, reincarnation, life, and death. A single minor causal shift could overturn the heavens.
If left unchecked, it would become the strongest Dao.
But in truth, the Three Thousand Grand Daos were all equal—there was no absolute strongest Dao, only those who mastered them to greater extents.
The stronger the causal force one wielded, the greater the backlash one suffered.
Gu An opened his eyes and pulled up his status panel.
His lifespan was decreasing!
However, the number displayed was already the total after his previous absorption. Currently, it was at 5.4 billion years.
He continued circulating his energy while observing.
Surely the karma backlash wouldn't erase all 1.4 billion years of the lifespan he had just obtained?
If that were the case, then this would have been completely pointless.
No—worse than pointless.
He would have lost lifespan instead of gaining it!
Gu An furrowed his brows, his mind racing.
Fortunately, after a while, he noticed the rate of lifespan reduction slowing down.
After a single incense stick's time, his lifespan finally stabilized.
The total reduction: 200 million years.
That meant he had still gained 1.2 billion years of lifespan overall.
A massive profit!
Gu An let out a breath of relief.
He raised his right hand and glanced at his palm.
There, thin black markings appeared, looking like venomous scars. The sight of them was unnerving.
He had successfully endured the karma backlash, but these marks would take time to fade.
For now, his combat strength remained unaffected—he had only been left with residual causal scars that would linger for a while.
Still—the backlash came so quickly after using the Boundless Sword Book.
What about in the future?
Gu An knew that the Boundless Sword Book needed further refinement.
If he could enhance its causal power, then eventually, he might be able to completely evade the backlash.
Regardless, this time he had not only eliminated a potential threat, but also gained 1.2 billion years of lifespan.
Two birds with one stone.
With his mind settled, Gu An refocused on the Boundless Sword Book.
During its activation, he had briefly glimpsed Jian Guming and the Horned Elder through the Sword of Karma, but he had been unable to trace their causal fate beyond that moment.
Beneath the Starry Sky, Before the Heavenly Dao Golden Pill
An Hao and Sun Immortal Emperor sat cross-legged in meditation, each immersed in their cultivation.
Suddenly—
Sun Immortal Emperor's eyes snapped open.
His brows furrowed.
Then, he abruptly turned to look at the Heavenly Dao Golden Pill.
It was still blazing brilliantly, radiating an aura of boundless mystery and might.
On its surface, golden flames shimmered, resembling the laws of the universe in motion, an eternal cycle, embodying the essence of the Grand Dao.
An Hao noticed his reaction and opened his eyes, glancing at him with curiosity.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
Sun Immortal Emperor continued staring at the Heavenly Dao Golden Pill, his expression solemn.
"The heavens have just lost a catastrophe," he said. "Something is… off."
"Lost a catastrophe?" An Hao's curiosity grew. "What did you see before?"
Sun Immortal Emperor's gaze remained locked on the pill.
"While comprehending the Heavenly Dao Golden Pill, I glimpsed the future. I saw a river suspended in the heavens, visible to all living beings. This river, manifested from the Dao of the Sword, would have brought forth a calamity capable of destroying everything."
As he spoke, he fell into deep thought, his words carrying a profound weight.
An Hao couldn't help but picture the scene in his mind.
He asked, "And now that calamity has just vanished?"
"Could it be that some great power has altered the fate of the heavens? Does this mean Heavenly Spirit World will be peaceful now? That there will be no more turmoil?"
Sun Immortal Emperor scoffed.
"You really think heavenly catastrophes are caused by some ambitious supreme being?"
"That's not how it works."
"Whether it's an Immortal Dynasty or a Sacred Court, their fortunes are constantly shrinking. The only way to preserve their Dao Lineage is to devour the fortunes of others."
"This is the will of the heavens at work."
"It continually weaves karma, ensuring that calamities unfold one after another."
He turned his head back and took a deep breath.
"One catastrophe may have ended, but another will surely follow."
"Unless… there is only one way to stop it for good."
An Hao frowned.
"And what way is that?"
He hated the concept of predestination.
It made him feel as if his own talent, cultivation, and achievements were all mere gifts from the heavens, rather than the fruits of his own efforts.
It was as if everything he did was already decided for him.
It was a deeply unsettling feeling.
Sun Immortal Emperor's voice was steady, his gaze piercing.
"The Immortal Dynasty and the Sacred Court—only one can remain."
"The victor must eradicate 99% of all living beings."
"Only by reducing the world's vitality to its lowest point will the laws of the universe be reset."
"Only then will the will of the heavens fade away."
An Hao's face darkened instantly.
99% of all life must perish?
That… was the will of the heavens?
Such a cruel and ruthless law shattered everything he had believed in.
"Of course, such an approach goes against the righteous path. Even if the victor prevails, they will find no peace of mind. No one truly wishes to commit mass slaughter, which is why the Immortal Dynasty and the Sacred Court have chosen to fight to the death, reducing each other's population in the process."
As Sun Immortal Emperor spoke, his expression remained indifferent, devoid of any emotion.
An Hao's frown deepened.
He thought of another possibility and asked, "Wouldn't the invasion from beyond the heavens become a variable? You better not let those outsiders end up as the ultimate winners."
Sun Immortal Emperor scoffed. "They are merely thieves. If their ambitions exceed their capabilities, they will perish, their Dao collapsing into nothingness."
An Hao wanted to remind him that several hundred years ago, if not for his master, they would have all been wiped out, their world overrun by Heavenly Demons.
But then, a thought struck him.
Perhaps his master's intervention had also been part of the Heavenly Dao's design?
Or, if not his master, then another powerful existence would have emerged in his place?
Yes.
His master was so powerful—why did he remain in Heavenly Spirit World?
Could it be that his master was the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao itself?
At this realization, a strange clarity washed over An Hao.
For years, he had traveled the world, gaining deep insights into history. He knew that eras of peace had lasted for countless eons, and that the current upheaval was a once-in-a-million-year event.
Even Sword Master of the Dao had only appeared a little over a thousand years ago, coinciding with the disappearance of Holy Heaven.
The more he thought about it, the more sense it made.
It was as if he had just glimpsed the ultimate truth of the world.
Wait—if his master was the embodiment of the Heavenly Dao, then his master's choice to accept him as a disciple…
An Hao's gaze shifted, an inexplicable transformation occurring in his expression.
Sun Immortal Emperor noticed the change and silently lamented the unfairness of the Heavenly Dao.
Rather than feeling jealousy toward An Hao, he was more curious about why that particular catastrophe had vanished.
When he had peered into the Heavenly Dao's secrets, that calamity had seemed even more terrifying than any that had come before.
He could not forget the figure of Jian Guming.
That silhouette had been far more terrifying than even the Xuanhuang Demon God or the Annihilation God Emperor.
"Just who is behind this struggle?"
"Is this truly a battle against the heavens?"
"And if it is a battle against the heavens… can it actually be won?"
Sun Immortal Emperor pondered in silence.
His gaze drifted back to An Hao.
If An Hao truly was chosen by the Heavenly Dao, then he would eventually face such beings in battle.
Did he really have a chance of victory?
Sun Immortal Emperor could not even begin to imagine what An Hao's future would look like.
Autumn Season, Within Xuan Valley
Seated atop a cliff, Gu An gazed at the sky, watching Jiang Shi and An Shengtian engaged in a fierce battle of magic.
Both of them had now reached the Profound Heart Realm.
When An Shengtian had first arrived, he had been barely twenty years old. Now, he was approaching a thousand.
At this pace, in another five hundred years, both master and disciple would attempt their breakthrough into the Nirvana Realm.
Gu An had only lightly nurtured them during their time in Xuan Valley, and he had not devoted much personal attention to their growth. Their achievements were largely their own.
Behind him, Blood Prison Saint sighed. "That brat An Shengtian is truly starting to resemble his ancestor more and more."
Indeed, An Shengtian bore a strong resemblance to An Hao, and as his strength grew, his demeanor became even more reminiscent of him.
"He's still far from it," Gu An replied casually.
An Hao had already inherited the Heavenly Dao's legacy, and his cultivation was soaring at an incomprehensible pace.
An Shengtian could never surpass An Hao. The gap between them would only widen.
Not just An Shengtian—no one in his generation would ever be able to match An Hao.
Gu An's mind drifted to the Heavenly Sect's legacy.
That inheritance, too, was imbued with the fortune of the Heavenly Dao, granting immortality at the cost of one's freedom—one would forever remain a pawn of the Heavenly Dao.
Should he let An Shengtian inherit it?
…Forget it.
Even if he could somehow catch up, there was no need to burden An Hao with more complications.
No matter how many disciples he took under his wing, An Hao remained his most treasured and promising disciple.
An Shengtian would never surpass him.
An Hao was the first disciple he had ever personally cultivated from childhood.
Compared to An Shengtian, Gu An was more concerned about Jiang Shi.
Since Jiang Shi had joined Xuan Valley, he had been diligent and relentless in his efforts.
In the past, he had even resorted to questionable means to force his way into Xuan Valley, nearly causing the death of Lu Jiujia.
This had left a poor first impression on Gu An.
But after a thousand years, Jiang Shi had proven his loyalty.
Now, Gu An had begun to truly value him.
Unlike An Shengtian, whose strength was immediately visible, Jiang Shi was more subtle but full of potential.
Gu An had noticed that Jiang Shi deliberately held back when facing opponents of equal cultivation level.
His intention was clear—to make An Shengtian seem even stronger.
And yet…
Gu An had glimpsed traces of Dao within Jiang Shi.
Before even reaching the Nirvana Realm, Jiang Shi had already begun comprehending the Dao of Karma.
From the perspective of enlightenment, he was a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius.
Of course, Gu An's own teachings played a major role in this.
Ever since he had realized Jiang Shi possessed an innate talent for perceiving karma, Gu An had subtly infused causal power into his lessons, shaping his growth.
"Indeed, he still has a long way to go. Speaking of which, it's been a while since we last heard any news about An Hao. Is he in seclusion?" Blood Prison Saint asked.
He was certain that his master must know where An Hao was.
Gu An did not answer right away.
Because at that moment—
someone was approaching.
A figure flew toward them from within Xuan Valley.
It was An Xin.
She landed beside Gu An, her face filled with excitement.
"Master! A celestial deity has appeared in the mortal world!"
A celestial deity?
Blood Prison Saint turned his head toward An Xin.
Even Jiang Shi and An Shengtian, who had been mid-battle, were now paying attention.
Gu An did not look back.
Instead, he simply asked, "What kind of celestial deity? Tell me everything."
An Xin sat down beside him, her excitement unabated.
"A celestial has descended upon the mortal realm. They claim that by gathering the nine authentic scrolls of the Heavenly Dao Discourse, one can comprehend the Heavenly Dao Record and inherit the legacy and fate of a True Immortal!"
Blood Prison Saint frowned.
"A celestial deity descending… yet with so little commotion?"
He had witnessed Gu An's battles against ancient powerhouses, each of them earth-shattering, enough to shake the heavens and the earth.
To him, if a True Immortal had truly descended, the impact would be far greater.