Chapter 628: Gu An’s Terrifying Methods

“That’s true. Such beings are indeed rare. But when they appear, they always bring trouble.”

Tai Yi Immortal Lord spoke, his eyes concealed by the silver band, making it impossible to discern his gaze.

The yellow-robed Daoist asked, “Were the Seventy-Two Immortals of Jin Dong captured?”

If they had merely been slain, it wouldn’t have mattered much. For celestial beings, the worst fate was not death, but imprisonment—being sealed away, unable to self-destruct, left to endure eternal torment while waiting for the Heavenly Court to rescue them.

Of course, though the process might be grueling, the Heavenly Court would eventually free them. This was the strength of the immortals.

Tai Yi Immortal Lord replied, “Hmm. I can’t track their heavenly fate. Even their causality has been severed.”

He did not seem worried. Instead, he was contemplating the next move.

The yellow-robed Daoist smirked. “So, what will you do? Will you personally intervene? Sending this many immortals to descend upon a Great Thousand World violates the laws of the Heavenly Dao.”

Tai Yi Immortal Lord remained silent. He picked up a Go piece and gently tapped it against the edge of the board.

The yellow-robed Daoist did not press further, allowing Tai Yi Immortal Lord to think in peace.

He turned his gaze toward the board, focusing on one piece—a piece in the shape of a child. A flicker of intrigue flashed in his eyes.

Inside the Wushi Dao Field, Shen Zhen, An Xin, and the Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother finally snapped out of their shock as the demonic shadow in the illusion vanished.

“Could that divine ability that rewrote the world be from the Immortal Emperor’s Eye?”

An Xin pondered curiously. Just before the void shifted back into its original form, she had caught a glimpse of the divine light flashing across Gu An’s face. Though it was fleeting, she was certain she hadn’t imagined it.

Shen Zhen turned to look at Gu An. He was still reclining in his chair, lazily flipping through The Adventures of Green Hero.

The more she saw this, the more admiration she felt for Gu An.

Even after so many years, eighty thousand years, seeing Gu An take action once again still left her in awe.

At that moment, Gu An’s demonic shadow suddenly materialized beside him and then dissipated into smoke. In its place, seventy-two tiny golden lights floated in the air.

Gu An sat up, tucking The Adventures of Green Hero into his robe. He lifted his right hand, and the seventy-two golden lights began to shine, before transforming into small wooden plaques that landed in his palm.

Each plaque was about five to six centimeters long, as thin as a leaf, meticulously carved as if crafted by a master artisan. Every plaque bore a different engraving—each one depicting one of the Seventy-Two Immortals of Jin Dong.

Gu An held the stack of plaques in his hand, then pulled out a red string, threading it through each plaque’s forehead, stringing them together before tying them to his belt.

An Xin, Shen Zhen, and the Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother were left stunned by the sight.

Their entire understanding of cultivation had just been shattered.

To transform living beings into wooden plaques was already an unthinkable feat. But even more incomprehensible was the fact that these beings had once been mighty immortals.

Even through the illusion, they had been able to sense the great power of the Seventy-Two Immortals of Jin Dong. The terrifying might of the Jin Dong Absolute Immortal Formation had enveloped the entire Heavenly Spirit World, striking fear into the hearts of all who lived within and beyond it.

Yet now, these same legendary immortals had been reduced to mere wooden plaques, dangling from Gu An’s belt like trinkets.

Gu An casually flicked the plaques, letting them dangle at his waist, a smile appearing on his face.

To Shen Zhen and the others, this was beyond absurd—completely incomprehensible.

Gu An’s methods defied everything they knew about cultivation.

“Why are you staring at me? Keep watching the show.”

Gu An turned to them, reminding them with a calm tone. Startled, the three women snapped out of their daze and hurriedly shifted their gaze back to the illusion within the refining cauldron.

Inside the illusion, the Dao Court cultivators had once again surrounded Zhu Guanghan.

“Gu An, why did you ignore him?”

Shen Zhen frowned at the illusion, puzzled.

Zhu Guanghan had already proven his overwhelming strength—even if all the world’s great cultivators joined forces, they couldn’t stand against him.

Gu An did not answer.

Instead, he casually stretched his body and began walking toward the courtyard gate.

But before he could reach it, a voice echoed from within the illusion.

Zhu Guanghan had spoken.

"I have lost. I am willing to recall the Xiantian Human Race and will no longer bring chaos to the Heavenly Spirit World."

These words made the Dao Court cultivators breathe a sigh of relief. However, some were still resentful and demanded, "After all the lives you've taken, you think you can just walk away?"

Zhu Guanghan’s expression remained unchanged as he replied, "We are bound to a fortune beyond your imagination. Even if we die, we can resurrect. The only way to truly destroy us is to eliminate that fortune."

His words left the questioner speechless.

Yuan Songzi looked at Zhu Guanghan, his expression complicated.

Taking a deep breath, he commanded, "Everyone, retreat. Do not engage the Xiantian Human Race any further."

Zhu Guanghan turned his gaze to Yuan Songzi and said in a deep voice, "The path of the Immortal Dao is far beyond your imagination. If you wish to govern this world, you must be prepared for what comes."

As he spoke, he cast a sidelong glance at Tian Hao. That gaze sent a chill down Tian Hao’s spine.

Thinking about the Seventy-Two Immortals of Jin Dong and Golden Extreme God, an unsettling feeling crept into Tian Hao’s heart. For some reason, he felt that these powerful beings had come specifically for him.

But he couldn't be sure. Perhaps he was just overestimating himself.

Lu Xian patted his shoulder, signaling that it was time to leave.

Blood Prison Saint looked displeased. This battle had given him no opportunity to show his strength, leaving him feeling frustrated, as if he had come all this way for nothing.

Meanwhile, the disciples of Wushi Dao Field were still buzzing with excitement, reliving Gu An’s earlier display of power.

Far away, deep in the cosmos, beneath the Realm Gate.

Heavenly Spirit God gazed into the distance, unable to calm his emotions.

The aura of Golden Extreme God had shocked him. He could feel that Golden Extreme God had already surpassed him, and if they were to fight to the death, he was not confident he could win.

Of course, Golden Extreme God was only slightly stronger than him. Losing to Gu An was within his expectations.

But the Seventy-Two Immortals of Jin Dong were a different matter entirely.

Purple Dragon Star Lord had once been an existence he looked up to. The other Jin Dong Immortals were equally formidable. Each of them hailed from the same Immortal Sect, and before their ascension, they had all been peerless prodigies.

They did not belong to a single era—they were the strongest disciples from various generations of that sect.

The Jin Dong Absolute Immortal Formation they deployed was a terrifying legend. Even within the Heavenly Court, it held great deterrent power.

His master had once said, "Even a Grand Luo Immortal would suffer greatly if they fell into the Jin Dong Absolute Immortal Formation."

He had never understood the true power of a Grand Luo Immortal, but he knew it was an existence far beyond his comprehension.

Yet, this terrifying formation had been effortlessly shattered before Gu An. The Seventy-Two Immortals of Jin Dong had been utterly defeated in an instant.

"Not Xuan Su Immortal Lord… Not Tai Yi Immortal Lord… But him. You actually went this far for him… Just who in the heavens are you?"

The Heavenly Spirit God murmured to himself. The truth had become clear—Tian Hao was not merely his son, nor was he just the embodiment of the fortune of the Heavenly Spirit World.

Tian Hao had an even deeper background.

A sense of unease arose within him.

Could it be that the supreme treasure stolen by Heavenly Spirit Immortal Venerable all those years ago was not just the World-Exterminating Dao Pearl… but also Tian Hao’s previous incarnation?

He had long questioned why Ziwei Immortal Emperor had never pressured him to annihilate the Heavenly Spirit World.

Thinking back, it was suspicious that Heavenly Spirit Immortal Venerable had even succeeded in stealing the treasure in the first place. Perhaps Ziwei Immortal Emperor had allowed it.

He then recalled the scene inside the Immortal Palace at that time. The expressions of the True Gods had been… unnervingly strange.

The Heavenly Spirit God let out a long sigh. He realized he had been dragged into a web of fate beyond his control.

And worse—this fate was entangled with the very core of the Heavenly Court.

If he continued on this path, he might lose his immortal title and be erased from existence.

As long as he remained an immortal deity, he would be eternal.

But if he was stripped of his divine position… then his demise was only a matter of time.

His gaze flickered with indecision. He knew it was time to make a choice.

Rising from his seat, he turned toward the Heavenly Spirit World and walked away with unwavering resolve.