After finishing the herb harvest, Gu An left on his own, while Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother continued sowing seeds as usual.
Instead of returning to his courtyard, Gu An randomly chose a direction and walked forward.
As he strolled, he idly played with the Pen of Destiny.
Though he appeared to be admiring the scenery along the way, in truth, his focus was on Zhang Buku, who was far away in Tai Ze Grand World.
By now, Zhang Buku had firmly established himself there, even founding his own demonic beast faction.
Aiding him was Xu You, a reincarnated being from the Heavenly Court, who had been teaching him the arts of fate and fortune. With this knowledge, Zhang Buku's faction had grown increasingly powerful. Those who joined him found cultivation easier and enjoyed greater fortune.
Seeing Zhang Buku's success, Gu An felt gratified.
At least Zhang Buku no longer had to wander aimlessly. He had found his own purpose in life.
If Senior Brother Zhang were still alive to see his son dominating the world, how would he feel?
The thought made Gu An's mood even better.
One of the greatest joys of staying in the mortal world was the constant changes. It was something that immortals and gods could never truly experience.
Even if many things seemed repetitive, each event unfolded differently through different people, giving it unique variations.
Half an hour later, Gu An arrived at a waterfall. He sat on a rock by the river and began activating Lifespan Projection.
[Please select the Dao you wish to pursue.]
The Dao of Karma!
This was Gu An's strongest Dao comprehension at the moment.
[Activating this function requires consuming 100,000,000,000 years of lifespan. Do you wish to continue?]
What the hell?
One hundred billion years of lifespan?!
Gu An cursed inwardly. He had expected the new ability to be costly, but this was outright ridiculous.
The later an ability was unlocked, the higher the lifespan cost!
His first instinct was to reject it, but he hesitated.
If it's this expensive, it must be worth it, right?
At least, he had to see what it could do!
If it was disappointing, he could always seal this function permanently!
Continue!
[You have chosen to consume 100,000,000,000 years of lifespan to activate Lifespan Projection.]
[Initiating Projection…]
[Projected into Tai Wei Grand World.]
[Projected into Tai Qing Grand World.]
[Projected into Nine Nether Grand World.]
…
One after another, notifications kept flashing before Gu An's eyes, making him more curious.
He could actually see the specific worlds being projected!
He saw Tai Ze Grand World, where Zhang Buku resided, and even Xuanqing Grand World, where Black Xuan Emperor had once traveled.
He even spotted unnamed realms that weren't classified as Grand Worlds.
Though all he had were names, it was enough to spark his imagination.
Soon, all the projections were complete.
Three thousand worlds had been projected!
Gu An sighed in awe but quickly felt something was off.
The projection was finished… but now what?
Gu An frowned, though he wasn't impatient. He calmly sat on the rock and waited.
Time passed rapidly.
After about half an hour, two new notifications appeared before him:
[Beginning retrieval of projected bodies.]
[Transmitting Dao insights…]
Suddenly, the spiritual energy within Wushi Dao Field completely stilled, causing everyone inside to open their eyes.
Before Gu An could react, an endless flood of Dao insights surged into his mind, throwing his consciousness into chaos.
At the edge of Wushi Dao Field, near the entrance, stood a massive stone gate, constructed by An Xin.
Beyond the gate lay a vast misty expanse, shrouded in mystery.
A silhouette emerged from the mist, stepping into the stone gate—it was Tian Hao.
He walked forward with powerful strides, his posture as firm as a dragon and tiger. Behind him, three massive spears of different designs hovered in a fan formation, each over three meters long.
A smug smile hung on his lips as he murmured, "This time, I'll definitely shock Master!"
However, just as the words left his mouth, he suddenly stopped.
Frowning, he gazed into the distant mountains, his eyes filled with confusion and suspicion.
Why had the spiritual energy in the Dao Field suddenly stopped moving?
A strange force surged wildly, making Tian Hao feel uneasy.
Without hesitation, he leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of light as he swiftly disappeared beyond the mountains.
After a while, everyone gathered near a small river, their gazes locked onto Gu An, who was sitting cross-legged on a rock on the other side. They whispered among themselves.
Tian Hao was also present, staring at Gu An with a look full of curiosity.
In all his years, this was the first time he had ever seen his master enter a state of enlightenment.
To him, his master was already the strongest being in existence. Yet, even at this level, he could still attain enlightenment?
Was his master about to break through again?
"Senior brothers, senior sisters, what realm has Master actually reached? Has he attained the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm?" Tian Hao couldn't help but ask.
He had only recently heard about the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm over the past few decades. The cultivators at that level came from the Dao Court and possessed the power to move mountains and overturn seas.
No one answered him.
Because none of them knew Gu An's true cultivation level either.
The Blood Prison Saint snorted, "Brat, all you need to know is that Master is stronger than anyone you've ever encountered. Even the very being that created this world is nothing compared to him."
Tian Hao's heart pounded with excitement. He pressed further, "Have any of you ever seen Master fight? And I don't mean just sparring."
As the first disciple of Qiankun Sect, Tian Hao was already recognized as the leader of the younger generation. He frequently undertook missions for the sect, achieving great feats and experiencing countless life-and-death battles.
The thrill of true combat fascinated him far more than mere sparring.
Lu Xian chuckled, "Of course, we've seen it. But no one has ever survived a single strike from Master."
Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother added, "No matter how powerful they are, facing Master always ends in the same way—one sword strike, instant death."
A spark of interest ignited in Lu Xian's eyes. He grinned and said, "It's about time you learned about your Master's past."
And so, he began telling the legend of Tai Xuan Sect.
Even An Xin and Shen Zhen, who rarely spoke with Tian Hao, occasionally chimed in. Blood Prison Saint also added his own recollections.
As they wove together Gu An's past, even Jiang Shi, An Shengtian, Tian Yao'er, Tianqing, Tianbai, Chen Chuan, and Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother discovered things they had never heard before.
From helping small sects uphold righteousness, to saving continents and oceans, and ultimately rescuing the entire world, they could all sense the gradual shift in Gu An's heart—moving from an indifferent observer to a protector of the mortal realm.
And after saving the world, Gu An chose to leave Tai Xuan Sect, retreating into seclusion here, where he later nurtured Qiankun Sect.
This realization made everyone respect him even more.
Even today, Qiankun Sect remained a bastion of righteousness. Though some evildoers inevitably emerged, most disciples still adhered to the path of chivalry.
Even the Dao Court wouldn't dare to recklessly wage war against such a righteous sect.
Tian Hao listened attentively, his perspective beginning to shift.
From childhood to now, Gu An had never really taught him anything directly, yet he had always idolized the man who raised him.
As a child, every action and word from Gu An had seemed worthy of admiration.
He had always wanted to become like him.
"Maybe... I shouldn't just seek strength for the sake of strength."
Looking at his Master, still deep in meditation on the other side of the river, Tian Hao silently reflected.
The others continued reminiscing about the past, marveling at how much time had passed.
Even now, it all felt unreal, like a distant dream.
Suddenly.
Gu An opened his eyes.
In an instant, Wushi Dao Field returned to normal.
Spiritual energy surged once more.
The chaotic fluctuations of the Dao of Karma vanished.
As his eyes snapped open, the first thing he saw was Tian Hao, standing across the river.
Their gazes met.
Tian Hao's heart pounded violently.
His breath caught in his throat.
The intensity of Gu An's stare sent shivers down his spine.
In that one glance, Gu An saw through billions of years of Tian Hao's life.