Li Ya struggled to adjust his emotions. He looked at Sword Annihilation Patriarch and cautiously asked, "Master, are you alright?"
Although the image he had of his master had completely collapsed, he could not forget the years of teachings and kindness he had received. He had to remain respectful.
Sword Annihilation Patriarch finally came back to his senses. He took a deep breath and said, "I am fine, but you must forget what happened today. Otherwise, it will bring disaster beyond your imagination."
He was well aware of just how terrifying Annihilation God Emperor was. And this Annihilation God Emperor was not a mere avatar—it was his true self.
For someone to suppress Annihilation God Emperor with a single move…
Sword Annihilation Patriarch couldn't help but tremble. He didn't even dare to think about it too deeply.
The pressure Li Ya experienced was far weaker compared to what Sword Annihilation Patriarch endured, so he did not think his master was being too cowardly. After all, given his relationship with Gu An, he was sure Gu An had looked out for him.
Tsk tsk, Junior Brother Gu really went too far, scaring my master like that. He showed no respect at all.
Li Ya sighed inwardly, but he couldn't help but wonder—just how powerful was Gu An's cultivation?
Why was a being as powerful and arrogant as Annihilation God Emperor so utterly helpless before Gu An?
Li Ya simply couldn't comprehend it. He had no way of understanding it at all.
How many years had Gu An cultivated? How many hardships had he gone through to reach such terrifying strength?
Li Ya couldn't even begin to imagine.
Sword Annihilation Patriarch was equally unable to fathom it. Even as a Profound Origin Free Immortal, in his understanding, aside from the Heavenly Spirit God guarding the Realm Gate, Annihilation God Emperor was the strongest existence.
Previously, when Sword Master of the Dao destroyed one of Annihilation God Emperor's avatars, his true body descended, scaring Sword Master of the Dao into fleeing from Heavenly Spirit World. That alone was enough to prove Annihilation God Emperor's strength.
But now…
Sword Annihilation Patriarch could accept Annihilation God Emperor being defeated.
But he could not accept that Annihilation God Emperor had been annihilated without even the ability to resist.
At this moment, Heavenly Spirit World seemed utterly terrifying in Sword Annihilation Patriarch's eyes. The very heart of a World indeed hid unimaginable and unfathomable karmic forces.
He dared not be curious about the origins of the one who had just appeared.
He only hoped to forget.
After living for so many years, he understood that even if one remained silent, merely remembering certain things could bring about overwhelming disaster.
Meanwhile.
Gu An had already returned to Wushi Dao Field.
The reason he spared Sword Annihilation Patriarch was, first, for Li Ya's sake, and second, because he had a way to erase the karmic ties, ensuring this event would never spread.
He arrived at his courtyard, lay down on a chair, and raised his right hand. A black pearl materialized in his palm—the condensed form of Annihilation God Emperor.
This pearl was not Annihilation God Emperor's true essence but was rather formed by Gu An's Dao of Karma, completely suppressing him.
Within the black pearl, Annihilation God Emperor was utterly powerless. He had no means of escaping and could only await Gu An's judgment.
Annihilation God Emperor had possessed countless members of the Long Clan. Gu An could not simply kill him without first uncovering the reasons behind it.
He began to search through Annihilation God Emperor's soul.
The flowers and plants in the courtyard swayed gently. A few sparrows chirped atop an old tree, adding a touch of life to the scene.
Shen Zhen returned with a bamboo basket, humming a lighthearted folk tune she had picked up from the common people.
She caught sight of Gu An studying a black pearl and curiously asked, "What is that?"
She was merely curious and did not think too much of it.
Gu An often tinkered with all sorts of strange things, leaving others in awe of his cultivation level. After all, with his strength, he didn't even need to cultivate daily.
"I picked it up from the river," Gu An answered casually.
But within his heart, killing intent surged.
Through the soul search, he saw the tragic fates of countless Long Clan geniuses.
Some had been forcibly possessed.
Others had been tortured endlessly until they died in agony.
Annihilation God Emperor had not been reincarnated into the Long Clan but had instead targeted exceptionally talented disciples for possession, stealing their lives. If a possession attempt failed, he would extract their bloodline through other means, subjecting his victims to unimaginable pain.
As Gu An had suspected, Annihilation God Emperor set his sights on the Long Clan's bloodline because of Long Zhan. When Long Zhan roamed the universe, Annihilation God Emperor had already been paying attention to him, finding his growth speed unfathomable. He secretly observed for years, waiting for an opportunity.
The moment Long Zhan crossed the Ninth Heaven of the Immortal Dao, Annihilation God Emperor sensed a threat. That was when he struck to eliminate him.
Afterward, he took in Long Xin as his disciple, helping him rebuild War Court. In truth, Annihilation God Emperor held genuine master-disciple feelings for Long Xin and had never attempted to possess him.
However, Long Xin was later killed by an immensely powerful existence. Annihilation God Emperor tried to avenge him but failed. That battle left him deeply shaken.
Later, Long Xin's grandson displayed a talent no lesser than Long Zhan's, stirring Annihilation God Emperor's greed. He searched, he schemed, he failed—again and again. With each failure, his obsession grew, eventually leading to catastrophe.
The one who slew Long Xin was from Yellow Heavens, a cultivator known as Absolute-Nirvana Immortal Emperor.
From Annihilation God Emperor's memories, back then, he had yet to reach Innate Golden Immortal Realm. Against Absolute-Nirvana Immortal Emperor, he was utterly powerless. In the end, he had to use a secret technique just to escape.
After that, he never encountered Absolute-Nirvana Immortal Emperor again, nor did he dare step into Yellow Heavens. To him, that place was a forbidden domain.
Besides that, Gu An also uncovered the existence of another terrifying figure.
The Undying Emperor!
This man was the true master of War Court. He was the one who orchestrated the coup against the Long Clan's authority. He had ruled War Court for the longest time, claiming he could live eternally. As long as someone recited his Dao title, he could be resurrected.
Annihilation God Emperor deeply feared the Undying Emperor. The two had never fought, but Annihilation God Emperor never dared to provoke him.
Interestingly, the Undying Emperor himself had no particular grudge against the Long Clan. He remained in seclusion for countless years. It was his descendants, fearing the Long Clan's resurgence, who initiated the extermination.
As Gu An continued plundering Annihilation God Emperor's memories, Shen Zhen sat quietly on a nearby bench, watching him intently.
For some reason, she felt that the black pearl in Gu An's hand was no ordinary object.
Moreover, at this moment, Gu An radiated an indescribable, mysterious aura.
She felt the urge to paint.
Without hesitation, she took out a wooden easel, set up a canvas, and prepared ink and brushes.
Gu An noticed her movements but said nothing.
Time passed quickly.
A long while later.
Gu An finished extracting Annihilation God Emperor's memories. With a casual squeeze of his right hand, he crushed the black pearl into nothingness.
[You have successfully seized 15,098,273,628 years of lifespan from Annihilation God Emperor (Mid-stage Innate Golden Immortal Realm).]
Fifteen billion years!
Seeing this notification, a dark thought flickered through Gu An's mind—hunting Innate Golden Immortals for lifespan.
But he quickly suppressed the idea.
Any being who had reached the Innate Golden Immortal Realm was far from simple.
Take Annihilation God Emperor, for example. His master, his friends, his disciples—none of them were ordinary. Killing just him was manageable; Gu An could erase the karmic entanglements. But if he killed too many, it would eventually lead to unforeseen consequences.
Regardless, eliminating Annihilation God Emperor was a weight off his chest.
Now, he could once again relax and watch his disciples grow.
Gu An turned his gaze toward Shen Zhen, curious about what she was painting.
He saw her holding her brush, staring blankly at the canvas, frozen in place.
Gu An immediately got up and walked over. Standing beside her, he looked at the painting and narrowed his eyes slightly.
The canvas depicted a silver-haired man clad in blood-red robes, standing atop a mountain peak, gazing at the sun, moon, and stars.
Though Shen Zhen's strokes were not entirely clear, Gu An recognized the man in an instant.
Long Xin's grandson, Long Jun's son—Long Mie!
The "Mie" in his name had been inspired by Annihilation God Emperor.
When Long Mie was born, Annihilation God Emperor had even visited to see him. At the time, Annihilation God Emperor hadn't yet realized Long Mie's monstrous potential.
However, the scene depicted in the painting was not present in Annihilation God Emperor's memories.
After capturing Long Mie, Annihilation God Emperor had not yet possessed him. On the Path of the Grand Dao, they had encountered a Dao Storm.
Long Mie was annihilated by the storm, while Annihilation God Emperor barely survived, gravely wounded.