Zhu Tianjun and the Undying Emperor had perished!
The War Court cultivators couldn't accept this reality, staring blankly at the sword light that stretched across the universe.
They were unable to move, frozen by the sight before them, their hearts gripped by despair.
Fang Xuan stood in the void, his eyes wide open, his gaze trembling as he stared at the shattered cosmos. The sound of his own heartbeat was deafening.
It was over.
Fang Xuan sank into absolute despair. From the moment he stepped into this universe, he had considered the possibility that War Court might lose. But he had never imagined that Zhu Tianjun and the Undying Emperor would be so utterly powerless.
Who was that entity?
What level of cultivation had he reached?
Fang Xuan glanced at the Long Zhan Divine Aspect surrounding Long Qing, his heart filled with shock.
Every living being across the universe was staring at the Long Zhan Divine Aspect, their eyes filled with disbelief. In the Heavenly Spirit Great World, countless beings, though unaware of the details of the battle, felt a surge of hope the moment they saw the mysterious giant eyes vanish.
Had they won?
Long Qing had witnessed his master's victories many times before, yet every time still left him in awe.
Just how deep was his master's Dao?
Why did it feel like no matter how powerful the enemy, they were nothing before his master?
"Karma is absolute. No one can escape its retribution. Today, War Court sought to destroy my Long Clan—so I shall erase War Court. I will strike but once. Whether you live or die is dictated by fate. You should be grateful—for if you were facing War Court, none of you would even have a sliver of hope to survive."
Gu An's voice echoed once again, driving the War Court cultivators into total despair.
Before they could even react, the Long Zhan Divine Aspect raised its sword and swept it across the battlefield.
A single sword light slashed through the void, slicing through War Court's light bridge, and sweeping across the War Court cultivators surrounding Long Qing.
The sixteen Innate Golden Immortals were the first to be reduced to ash.
The rest of the cultivators followed, vanishing one after another.
Long Qing looked around—the enemies surrounding him were disintegrating, one by one, an unimaginable spectacle.
At the same time—
Inside Wushi Dao Field, before Gu An's eyes, notifications began to appear continuously.
[You have successfully seized 309,872,265 years of lifespan from Chen Yang Zhenren (Innate Golden Immortal, Early Stage).]
[You have successfully seized 870,928,711 years of lifespan from Xing Xing Dao (Innate Golden Immortal, Mid Stage).]
[You have successfully seized 1,087,249,720 years of lifespan from Ye Yue Lan (Innate Golden Immortal, Early Stage).]
…
As Gu An looked at the notifications before him, a satisfied smile formed at the corner of his lips.
The Long Zhan Divine Aspect was not just powerful because of the Heavenly Dragon Divine Aspect's mysteries—it was strong because of Gu An's own power.
Since he wanted to seize lifespan, he channeled his strength into the Long Zhan Divine Aspect, using it as his medium.
An Xin, Lü Xian, and the others turned their heads to look at Gu An.
Seeing his calm smile, everyone felt his immense presence.
Their expressions shifted into admiration and reverence, and Blood Prison Saint couldn't hold back his excitement, breaking the silence in the courtyard.
"My heavens! A single sword wiped out War Court?!"
"Master, what was that sword technique just now?"
"Master, what exactly is your connection to the Long Clan?"
"Unbelievable! That terrifying being just now—he couldn't even withstand one strike from the master!"
Gu An didn't respond.
He was too focused, basking in the immense increase in his lifespan.
With a single sword, the Long Zhan Divine Aspect had wiped out seventy percent of War Court's cultivators.
The remaining thirty percent were those who had no karmic enmity with the Long Clan.
These survivors had been terrified beyond belief.
They would abandon War Court on their own in the future.
This was the true path of karma.
Through karma's trajectory, Gu An had determined who could be spared.
By doing so, he ensured that he would not be seen as overly bloodthirsty, thus concealing his ability to steal lifespan.
However, Gu An soon noticed something unusual.
Many of the War Court cultivators he had slain had not contributed to his lifespan gain.
Only the sixteen Innate Golden Immortals had collectively given him over 80 billion years of lifespan.
"This time, none of you will escape. War Court must be erased."
Gu An thought silently, his eyes transforming, turning into Immortal Emperor Eyes.
The people in the courtyard noticed the change in his eyes and immediately stopped their discussion, turning to look at him with curiosity.
"Let the world think of this as nothing but a dream."
Gu An's voice rang out as his Immortal Emperor Eyes unleashed a brilliant purple radiance.
The purple light reflected on the faces of everyone in the courtyard.
And across the universe, all beings were bathed in this mysterious glow.
The light originated from the Heavenly Spirit Great World, expanding outward until it enveloped the entire cosmos.
This was Gu An's first time using the divine ability of his Immortal Emperor Eyes. The Immortal Emperor Eyes would manifest different abilities depending on their wielder. Gu An's ability was different from that of the Yongsheng. His divine ability could reverse karma—he could restore lives that had perished within a short span of time, reversing their fortunes as if nothing had ever happened. At the same time, he could erase those who should have never existed, wiping them from cause and effect. Even within the Grand Dao's rules, no trace would be left behind. This divine ability did not alter time or space.
Gu An used the Immortal Emperor Eyes' divine ability to resurrect the Heavenly Spirit Great World's fallen beings. As for the War Court's side, only one person was revived, but before they could even react, they were immediately erased once more. After this test, Gu An confirmed that he could not harvest lifespan from the same soul twice. Although a slight disappointment, he was already satisfied.
Within the courtyard, the others felt their souls tremble. Their consciousness became hazy, as though they were falling into a dream-like trance. Not just them—across the cosmic void, all living beings felt the same. One by one, those who had already perished began to come back to life. Yet after their life force returned, none of them opened their eyes. They simply remained in place, eyes closed. A deep silence fell over the universe. The sword light that had split the cosmos—the one unleashed by Long Zhan Divine Aspect—began to gradually fade away.
Long Qing's consciousness dimmed. His body had already been exhausted, and now that the tension had lifted, he drifted into a deep dream. In his dream, he found himself back in the Third Medicine Valley. The sky was clear, the sunlight warm. The disciples bustled about, tending to their duties. A gentle smile appeared on Long Qing's face. Indeed... A peaceful life suited him best.
As he recalled the fierce battle that had just taken place, his smile grew brighter. "Am I... already dead?" Long Qing murmured to himself. Everything around him felt too perfect, so perfect that it didn't feel like the real world. He assumed this was his final vision before death. Using the Heavenly Dragon Divine Aspect required offering his own life. He had already accepted this fate, so he wasn't afraid. Instead, he was excited—because his master was unimaginably powerful. And not just that—his master turned out to be his own ancestor, Long Zhan! With this knowledge, he had no more regrets.
Once he died, his master would surely take care of his descendants. He understood his master well—though his words were cold, he was kinder than most people in the world. "Dying won't be that easy." A voice suddenly echoed behind him. Startled, Long Qing whipped around—only to see Gu An approaching him. Overjoyed, he immediately bowed in respect.
When Gu An stood before him, Long Qing forced a bitter smile and said: "Master... no, Ancestor... I used the Heavenly Dragon Divine Aspect. Once it's cast, I am destined to die." Gu An gazed at him and replied: "The Heavenly Dragon Divine Aspect may have been created by Long Xin, but its origins trace back to my Heavenly Dragon Reincarnation Divine Aspect. I can save your life—but from now on, you can never use the Heavenly Dragon Divine Aspect again. If you do, you will suffer the backlash of karma. Not even I will be able to save you then."
This was the truth. To rescue Long Qing, Gu An had used the power of karma itself. Hearing this, Long Qing's joy surged, and he immediately knelt down, bowing deeply in gratitude. Gu An did not stop him. Looking down at him, Gu An spoke: "When I was Long Zhan, I was killed by another. Even though I later surpassed my enemy in cultivation, I never sought revenge—because I believed Long Zhan deserved to die."
"From today onward, there is no more War Court to threaten the Long Clan. Your descendants will have a new beginning. But if they stray onto the wrong path... I will personally destroy the Long Clan." Long Qing raised his head and swore: "I will never let you down!" Gu An's tone was firm: "The cycle of karma has ended. The Long Clan must atone for its past mistakes. How you choose to do so is up to you." With that, Gu An turned and walked away.
Long Qing rose to his feet and asked: "Ancestor, where are you going?" Without turning back, Gu An replied: "To erase War Court completely. Not even a trace will remain." As his words fell, Gu An's figure vanished. Long Qing stood there, staring at the direction Gu An had disappeared, unable to remain calm. "I should really think about where I go from here."
He recalled the time Ye Cang forcefully barged into Tai Xuan Sect, and what Gu An had told him back then. As excitement faded, guilt filled his heart. He had always relied on his master to clean up his mess. When would he finally be able to repay him? No—repay his ancestor!