Chapter 642: The Demeanor of a True Immortal

In the blink of an eye, another thousand years passed.

Within the Dao Court, inside Xiao Lan’s personal cultivation domain, she and Gu An sat together in a small pavilion, drinking tea and chatting. Xiao Lan was discussing the Outer Heaven Plan, which she had just learned about. She, too, wanted to venture beyond the heavens.

Gu An listened attentively, though his mind was preoccupied with his own lifespan.

His lifespan had once again accumulated to over two trillion years. Currently, his yearly lifespan income was around fifty million years, and that was without expanding the medicinal valley.

“Gu-ge, do you think I should participate in the Outer Heaven Plan?” Xiao Lan asked hesitantly.

She genuinely wanted to go. Exploring a vaster world and encountering greater opportunities was appealing. However, she couldn't take Gu An with her, and she didn’t know how many years it would be before she could return.

Gu An smiled. “If you want to go, then go. If you’re worried about me, you don’t have to be. Think about it, you’ve spent years in seclusion, and I’ve been fine on my own. I have plenty of friends in the Dao Court—I’m not alone. Go out and experience the world. I’ll be here waiting for you to return.”

Hearing this, Xiao Lan smiled. Gu An always supported her, no matter what.

Come to think of it, he had stayed in the Dao Court for tens of thousands of years without ever getting into trouble. That alone proved how well he handled himself.

Even among the Dao Court’s elite geniuses and supreme powerhouses, none could avoid occasional conflicts.

Xiao Lan continued, “My master also wants me to move forward and strive for the position of the Dao Court’s top genius. After Tian Hong Emperor left, the Dao Court pushed another to take the title of the Number One Heavenly Genius, but there is a clear gap between him and Tian Hong Emperor. My master says I have a real chance to claim that title, and she’s willing to use all her connections to support me.”

Gu An listened thoughtfully. Wherever there were people, there would be power struggles—especially in a place like the Dao Court. The competition for influence was fierce, and every so-called genius had countless cultivators supporting them behind the scenes.

The Dao Court had an immeasurable number of cultivators, and among them were countless hidden prodigies and powerful figures. The only reason some remained nameless was because they had no one backing them.

When Xiao Lan mentioned Tian Hong Emperor, she couldn’t help but sigh. “I’ve met him before. He was indeed full of vigor. The moment you saw him, you could tell he was destined to shake the world. The Dao Court treated him exceptionally well, giving him the best resources, yet he still chose to seek out the Sword Master of the Dao as his master. They say the Sword Master of the Dao has saved the world multiple times and is a true immortal walking among mortals… But no matter how great Wushi is, how could it possibly compare to the Dao Court?”

Gu An chuckled. “Maybe what he seeks is a greater Dao.”

“Cultivation is a personal journey. The disciples of Wushi might be renowned, but their cultivation isn’t significantly stronger than other geniuses of the current era. They mainly rely on the Dao Treasures of Wushi in battle. This suggests that the cultivation resources Wushi provides aren’t the best in the world. After all, they are hidden away in some remote corner of the heavens.”

Xiao Lan shook her head. She didn’t know much about Wushi, but in her heart, the Dao Court was the greatest sect—after all, she was part of it.

Hearing her question Wushi’s strength, Gu An found it amusing. He casually added, “Regardless, this is an opportunity for you. The road to immortality is long, and everyone has their own choices to make. Haven’t you also made decisions in the past that others didn’t understand? Like choosing to always stay by my side.”

Xiao Lan blinked and said, “That’s different.”

As she spoke, she moved closer to Gu An and tightly wrapped her arms around his.

“If Gu-ge were ever in danger, and I had to give up my cultivation to save you, I wouldn’t hesitate.”

“Hey, don’t say such things! Are you cursing me?”

“Oh, come on! I was just being sincere. Aren’t you touched?”

“I’d rather not let that day come, and I won’t put you in that position either.”

Gu An raised his hand, gently wrapping his arm around Xiao Lan’s waist, his voice soft yet firm.

Xiao Lan had lived a happy life in this lifetime, and now, she had no worries in her heart. This was exactly what Gu An wanted to see, and he would do everything he could to maintain it for her.

Unlike how he treated other old acquaintances, Gu An would always spoil his junior sister, ensuring that she never suffered even the slightest hardship.

As they continued chatting, Xiao Lan started getting more affectionate, touching him now and then.

She said that since she didn’t know how many years it would be before she returned, she had to cherish the time they had now.

And just like that, Gu An was entangled with her for an entire month.

Since she was his junior sister, Gu An accompanied her with his true body. The matured medicinal herbs could afford to be delayed for a month.

After Xiao Lan left her cultivation domain, Gu An finally went to the other medicinal valleys and began harvesting the herbs.

Now that Xiao Lan was pursuing a higher Dao, Gu An felt that he, too, should put in more effort and improve the lifespan income of the medicinal valleys.

Following the Dao Court, Xiao Lan traveled through the void for several years before finally arriving at the legendary Realm Gate.

This expedition included hundreds of cultivators, among whom twenty were geniuses like Xiao Lan. The rest were high-ranking cultivators of the Dao Court, all of whom were at least at the Unfettered Immortal Realm. Leading them was none other than the Dao Court Master, Yuan Songzi.

Yuan Songzi used the Cloud Traversing Technique to carry everyone along as they flew.

Above the clouds, Xiao Lan gazed at the distant Realm Gate, her heart trembling in awe.

Even as a Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal, she instinctively felt an overwhelming sense of shock. The boundless Dao presence radiating from the gate made her breathing unsteady.

She was not alone. The other cultivators around her shared the same reaction.

Aside from Yuan Songzi, everyone else was seeing the Realm Gate for the first time.

They soon descended onto the vast plaza before the gate. Yuan Songzi stepped forward quickly, bowing before the figure standing ahead—Heavenly Spirit God.

All eyes fell upon Heavenly Spirit God, who stood enshrouded in divine celestial light, making it impossible to see his true form.

“So this is a real celestial god…”

Xiao Lan marveled to herself, feeling a slight pang of regret.

Such a magnificent celestial gate, such a powerful divine being—and Gu An wasn’t here to witness it. It truly was one of life’s greatest regrets.

For 99% of cultivators, seeing the presence of a celestial god was an impossible dream.

Heavenly Spirit God remained silent, but the Realm Gate behind him trembled, unleashing a burst of radiant celestial light.

“All who pass by the celestial god must pay their respects before entering the gate!”

Yuan Songzi turned to the group and commanded before stepping toward the gate’s brilliant glow.

The rest followed closely behind, each bowing as they passed before Heavenly Spirit God.

When it was Xiao Lan’s turn, she also lowered her head in respect. However, just as she passed, she felt—perhaps an illusion—that the figure of Heavenly Spirit God subtly shifted. She dared not look too closely and quickly moved on.

Once everyone from the Dao Court had vanished beyond the gate, Heavenly Spirit God opened his eyes. The divine celestial light around him receded, revealing a deeply furrowed brow. He muttered to himself, “Strange… Why did that girl give me a sense of unease?”

Could it be…

A sudden thought crossed his mind, making his expression turn peculiar.

His gaze shifted toward the Heavenly Spirit Great World, landing near the Qiankun Sect.

He could not see through Wushi, but he could see Tian Hong Emperor kneeling in devotion.

He also sensed that Tian Hong Emperor was the reincarnation of an immortal god. That made him extremely curious about how Gu An would handle him.

His gaze swept across the mortal world, searching… but no matter how he looked, he couldn’t find Taiyi Immortal Lord’s reincarnation.

Who knew where Taiyi Immortal Lord was currently suffering?

Now that he thought about it, this was already the second celestial god to reincarnate and suffer in the mortal world.

Would there be more celestial gods in the future, punished to reincarnation for offending Gu An within the Heavenly Spirit Great World?