Gu An stood in the forest for a while, then withdrew his gaze and took a step forward.
With that single step, he returned to the Wushi Dao Field.
Because of Tian Hao's return, the disciples gathered in Gu An's courtyard, making it quite lively. They listened as Tian Hao recounted his experiences over the years, occasionally expressing their amazement. They were showing Tian Hao great respect, making it impossible for the smile on his face to fade.
Tian Hao was in the middle of telling a story about a battle with a peerless genius when his eyes suddenly turned towards the courtyard wall. He spotted Gu An's figure.
"Master!"
Tian Hao exclaimed in surprise, which caused the others to turn around. When they saw that Gu An had returned, everyone stood up in unison.
As Gu An stepped into the courtyard, Tian Hao quickly approached him, excitedly saying, "Master, I have broken through to the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm!"
Upon hearing this, Gu An smiled and said, "Not bad. You haven't been slacking off."
"Disciple, I have broken through to the Wondrous Truth Grand Luo Immortal Realm!" Gu An said to himself in his heart. He would never reveal his true strength to others, not even to those closest to him.
The Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm was powerful, but compared to Gu An, it was still far behind.
Gu An walked towards everyone, with Tian Hao following by his side, constantly talking about his gains.
Tian Hao might still act humble around others, but when it came to Gu An, he genuinely wanted praise.
After a while, everyone sat down around the Refining Cauldron. Shen Zhen and An Xin also arrived, and they all chatted about worldly affairs.
Apart from Tian Hao, only An Xin, Shen Zhen, Tian Yao'er, Tian Qing, and Tian Bai would occasionally leave the Dao Court. The others always stayed within the Dao Court, cherishing the rare opportunity to learn about the outside world, making the atmosphere quite lively.
"Recently, many sects have emerged that offer services to worship celestial gods. In the past, I thought these sects were just scams. It wasn't until a few hundred years ago that I met a genius from one of these sects. He unleashed power far beyond his cultivation, and I was truly shocked."
Tian Hao mentioned this with a deep sense of emotion, looking at Gu An. He asked, "Master, what do you think of celestial gods? Do they really exist? I mean, beings who are born as gods, who control everything, rather than those who cultivate to become strong?"
The others also looked towards Gu An, eager to hear his answer.
Gu An replied, "In this world built by the Great Dao, anything you can imagine might be real. However, no one possesses absolute power."
Tian Hao fell into deep thought.
The others were wondering: in a comparison between Master and the celestial gods, who would be stronger?
Gu An then posed a question to everyone: "If ten thousand years passed, and you stood at the peak of the Heavenly Spirit Great World, would you stay here, or would you seek a higher path?"
Tian Yao'er immediately answered, "Master, wherever you go, I will follow."
Blood Prison Saint gave her a glare, wondering how she could respond so quickly.
To prevent others from trying to flatter him, Gu An shook his head and said, "Think carefully about this question. Don't rush to answer."
He stood up and walked toward his house.
Having just broken through, he planned to refine his Wondrous Truth Dharma Form once again.
He wondered who would be the lucky one to experience the strength of his Wondrous Truth Dharma Form first.
...
Under the sunlight, the summer breeze stirred the flowers and grass in the mountains, creating waves of green. Anyone who saw such a beautiful scene would feel refreshed.
Li Ya stood on the mountain ridge, looking at the person before him with a strange expression.
The person standing before him was none other than the Golden Extreme God from the Heavenly Court.
Even though the Golden Extreme God was walking the mortal realm, he hadn't disguised himself. He didn't even hide his golden divine armor. Under the sunlight, the divine armor reflected a strange radiance.
"Here we go again. A few hundred years ago, an old Daoist said something similar to you. You celestial beings sure are amusing!" Li Ya couldn't help but sneer.
He was referring to Tai Yin Star Lord, who had once offered him celestial brew, which had scared him half to death. But many years had passed, and nothing had happened. Only then did he realize he had been tricked.
Golden Extreme God raised an eyebrow when he heard Li Ya's response. He started calculating with his fingers, and his expression turned subtle.
Li Ya, seeing his exaggerated display, grew even angrier.
"The number of charlatans in this world is truly growing!" Li Ya immediately turned to leave.
"You have indeed become a congenital being, but you lack the proper cultivation method, so you have yet to feel the transformation of your own body," Golden Extreme God's voice came again, causing Li Ya to stop in his tracks.
Li Ya half-turned, glancing at Golden Extreme God with suspicion. "Oh? Then can you tell me what a congenital being is?"
Golden Extreme God remained expressionless. "Everything in the world has an origin. The human race is no exception. The first humans were born in a higher plane. They were born as congenital beings, capable of comprehending the Great Dao. As for you, you now possess the qualifications of your ancestors. This is something that the human race of this world can never compare to."
Li Ya wasn't surprised. Instead, he asked with curiosity, "Then can you teach me the cultivation techniques of the congenital human race?"
Golden Extreme God responded, "Of course, I can, but..."
"But what?" Li Ya pressed.
In response to Li Ya's question, Golden Extreme God did not answer immediately. Instead, he raised his right hand, and a light ring appeared next to him, rapidly expanding, turning pitch-black inside.
Li Ya furrowed his brows but didn't panic, still standing still and waiting.
Soon, the light ring grew taller than Golden Extreme God, and a blood-colored figure slowly appeared within it.
Upon seeing this figure, Li Ya's brows furrowed even deeper, sensing a strong aura of killing intent.
"This person comes from the congenital human race. Let him be your opponent. You both are at the same level of cultivation. If you can defeat him, you will have the right to obtain everything you desire," Golden Extreme God's voice echoed.
As soon as Golden Extreme God finished speaking, Li Ya's pupils suddenly dilated.
Clang—
Li Ya drew his Nine Absolute Sacred Heart Sword at an incredibly fast speed, blocking another sword that resembled shark teeth.
Before him stood a man with long hair, surrounded by blood aura. His upper body was bare, with muscles like tree roots wrapped around his body, creating a striking visual impact.
"What immense strength!" Li Ya thought to himself, his arms trembling.
Boom!
A terrifying shockwave erupted, instantly annihilating all the grass across the mountains. The vast green hills turned into barren land, and the entire world dimmed.
Li Ya and the long-haired man became two streaks of sword light, soaring into the sky. Thousands of sword Qi fell from the heavens, ravaging the land and mountains, with explosions echoing continuously, shaking the very earth.
Golden Extreme God looked up, his gaze cold and indifferent.
"Too slow. Perhaps it's time to give this world some excitement, to let the mortal spirits know exactly who is protecting them."
Golden Extreme God murmured to himself as the light ring beside him grew even larger, with figures continuously emerging, each exuding a presence no weaker than the long-haired man.
Far away, in the Wushi Dao Field, Gu An opened his eyes.
The figure of Golden Extreme God appeared reflected in his eyes.
The fate of the world had changed.
It was all because Golden Extreme God had entertained improper thoughts.
He wanted to use the congenital human race he had cultivated to suppress the world, then use his identity as a celestial god to save the world. However, things would not go as he wished, and as a result, he would stir up more and more external karmic retribution.
"To become a god with such a mindset, it seems there is no reverence for the Great Dao," Gu An muttered softly. He didn't consider Golden Extreme God a threat. He just didn't want to be disturbed, but if things took a turn for the worse, he would be forced to harvest some lifespan.
Even a being as powerful as a heavenly god couldn't predict that their selfishness would lead to disasters that could overthrow their reign.
The so-called strength, it seemed, was only powerful in their own eyes. No matter how strong an immortal cultivator was, they couldn't see through their own destiny.
Gu An's understanding of fate and karma deepened.
He began to trace the developments in Golden Extreme God's path.
He saw countless figures.
Within Golden Extreme God's body was a world, harboring an army capable of destroying the Great Thousand Worlds.
He saw that Golden Extreme God had thousands upon thousands of companions beside him.
And he also saw a figure standing above the Great Dao, looking down on the heavens!