The countless projections across three thousand worlds were all pursuing the Dao of Karma. They had exhausted their entire lives and energy in this pursuit. Though Gu An wasn't sure how long they had lived or what realms they had ultimately reached, the collective insights they had accumulated about the Dao of Karma were vast and boundless.
Gu An looked at Tian Hao, and in his eyes, Tian Hao's future unfolded rapidly.
Two hundred million years!
Three hundred million years!
Five hundred million years!
In the blink of an eye, one billion years of Tian Hao's life was revealed before him.
Gu An could see countless threads of fate intertwined around him. Among them, one thread shone the brightest—this was the predestined path, unaffected by the forces of the current great world. By following this thread, Gu An could glimpse everything that lay ahead for Tian Hao.
Tian Hao would become the strongest cultivator in the Heavenly Spirit Great World, he would walk the path of the Grand Dao, he would challenge other great thousand worlds, and eventually, he would even step into realms beyond the great thousand worlds.
This was the path of a legend, a road where he never suffered defeat.
Tian Hao felt nervous under Gu An's gaze. He lowered his head, not daring to meet his master's eyes.
The others also sensed a sharp and overwhelming pressure emanating from Gu An. No one dared to speak, fearing they had been too noisy and disturbed him, causing his displeasure.
A tense atmosphere settled over them. It was the first time they had ever seen Gu An angry.
Fortunately, the coldness in Gu An's expression soon faded.
"Why are you all staring at me?" Gu An asked with a smile.
Seeing his familiar smile, everyone let out a sigh of relief, their own faces breaking into smiles as well.
An Xin was the first to ask, "Master, were you in enlightenment just now?"
Gu An nodded. "Mm, I had some realizations. Alright, all of you can go now. You're not expecting me to explain my insights at this level, are you?"
Hearing this, everyone showed embarrassed expressions. None of them dared to probe further—after all, they had no idea what realm Gu An had actually reached.
One by one, they respectfully bowed and left.
Tian Hao, however, remained. He leaped across the small river, landed beside Gu An, and asked, "Master, the Dao Court is hosting the Eternal Heavenly Prodigy Gathering. They claim that from now on, this gathering will only be held once every ten thousand years. Do you think I should participate? I want to go, but the elders of our sect are worried something might happen to me. But the Dao Court is the ruler of the world—they wouldn't do something like that, right?"
Many of the world's most renowned prodigies had gone to cultivate at the Dao Court, and none of them had ever been harmed.
Gu An replied, "It's always wise to be cautious. Your biggest weakness right now is that you haven't experienced hardship or failure. That isn't necessarily a bad thing—after all, I hope that you never experience defeat."
Tian Hao's eyes widened, and he loudly protested, "That's not true! I've lost to you before!"
"Oh?" Gu An raised an eyebrow. "You're actually comparing yourself to me?"
"Well… would you consider losing to me just once?" Tian Hao grinned mischievously.
"Hmm?" Gu An's eyes narrowed dangerously.
"I was just joking! I was talking nonsense!" Tian Hao immediately panicked and hurriedly apologized.
Gu An shot him a glance, making him break into a cold sweat.
Then, Gu An asked about Tian Hao's experiences in recent years. Tian Hao answered truthfully, his excitement evident.
Gu An understood Tian Hao's thoughts. This kid had always wanted to spend more time with him. Before Tian Hao came of age, even though they were in the same Dao Field, Gu An wasn't always available to accompany him.
Of course, what Tian Hao wanted most of all was Gu An's praise.
Gu An refused to indulge him.
This brat was already arrogant enough—he needed to be kept in check, or else he'd get too full of himself.
As they chatted, Tian Hao leaned against the rock beside them. He looked up at Gu An but didn't sit directly beside him.
He was indeed proud, but his reverence for Gu An ran deep. He didn't want to break that dynamic—he wanted to maintain his respect for his master because that gave him a goal to strive toward.
Too many senior cultivators had already been surpassed by him, making the path of cultivation seem far too easy. Only when he compared himself to Gu An could he still feel motivated and eager for progress. He wanted Gu An to always remain ahead of him so that he wouldn't feel lonely on the path of cultivation.
From Tian Hao's words, Gu An could sense his strong attachment to Qiankun Sect. Despite his personal achievements, he had never looked down on his sect, which made Gu An even more satisfied with him.
The sect leader of Qiankun Sect, Yi Qingshan, was actually the reincarnation of Gu An's junior disciple, Lu Jiujia. Gu An had deliberately guided them along the path of karma, though he wasn't without personal motives. However, if Qiankun Sect ever strayed from the right path, he wouldn't blindly support them.
Whether the Heavenly Dao or the Grand Dao should have emotions, Gu An didn't know. He only knew that he wanted to follow the path of sentiment.
He didn't want to impose too many rules upon himself. He would simply follow his heart.
If he wished to show compassion to all beings, then he would.
If he didn't want to draw close to others, then he would keep his distance.
His greatest kindness to the world was simply that he would not kill indiscriminately.
"By the way, Master, they told me a lot about your past," Tian Hao suddenly said with curiosity. "You've taken in so many disciples—who's your favorite?"
Gu An glanced at him, and before he could speak, Tian Hao quickly added, "Besides me, of course."
"You think too highly of yourself. How could it possibly be you?" Gu An replied with a smirk.
Tian Hao wasn't embarrassed at all and just laughed sheepishly.
Gu An continued, "The disciple I liked the most was An Hao. He was the first disciple I truly devoted myself to teaching, as well as the first child I took in. He was just like you—born with peerless talent."
Tian Hao's eyes lit up. "Isn't that Senior Sister An Xin's older brother?"
He had heard An Hao's name before, but people in the sect rarely spoke about him, as if it were a taboo topic.
"Mm. They were from the same village…" Gu An began recounting An Hao's life.
Tian Hao listened carefully. This time, Gu An spoke at great length, which made him feel immensely happy—as if he had grown closer to his master.
The conversation stretched all the way until dusk.
The red sunset painted the sky, casting a melancholic beauty over the heavens.
After hearing An Hao's life story, Tian Hao was left deeply shaken, unable to calm his emotions for a long time.
Gu An looked at Tian Hao and asked, "What do you think? How are you better than An Hao? And where do you fall short?"
Tian Hao pondered for a moment before answering, "I would never abandon my loved ones like he did. But… I don't think I have the same determination he did. He was willing to sacrifice himself for the sake of the world, but I couldn't do that. At most, I would fight with everything I have for Qiankun Sect."
Gu An chuckled but didn't comment on Tian Hao's thoughts.
Looking up at the twilight sky, he spoke softly, "Hao'er, I named you Hao because of An Hao. I hope you will go further than him. I won't force you to do anything—if you don't want to sacrifice yourself for the world, then don't. But you must never use your strength to bully the weak. You must understand—no one can remain strong forever."
Tian Hao grinned and said, "Don't worry, Master. You can ask around in Qiankun Sect—I never bully people. I only uphold justice."
As he spoke, he raised his right hand, shaping his palm like a sword, and casually practiced a few slashes in the air.
Only in front of Gu An and Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother would he act like a child. In front of others, he was the proud and reserved chief disciple of Qiankun Sect.
Gu An watched him and asked with a smile, "Do you know how vast the world is? Do you know how many worlds like Heavenly Spirit Great World exist?"
Tian Hao's interest was piqued, and he eagerly asked how big it was and how many Great Thousand Worlds there were.
Gu An began telling him about the existence of other Great Thousand Worlds, and about the geniuses with the strongest talents and fortune across various realms.
Tian Hao listened with growing excitement, his eyes burning with determination.