Chapter 652: Dao Lecture, Li Ya of the Past and Present

The Dao field of White-Haired Immortal Ancestor was located within Endless Dao Mountain. Under Hong Yazi’s guidance, the two of them swiftly arrived at the designated Dao Mountain for the lecture.

This Dao Mountain ranked among the top ten in height, and an overwhelming number of powerful presences resided atop it.

They flew to mid-mountain, where a vast open-air palace had been constructed. Within the palace, over a thousand meditation mats were arranged neatly, and dozens of figures had already gathered there.

Each of these figures was shrouded in the aura of laws, obscuring their true forms.

Hong Yazi was familiar with some of them and took the initiative to introduce Gu An to these powerful figures. The atmosphere remained cordial, and they engaged in pleasant conversation.

Among the attendees were also Supreme Purity Golden Immortals, but they did not dare to approach the Grand Luo Immortals, keeping a respectful distance.

As Gu An exchanged words with the other Heaven-Opening Grand Luo Immortals, he couldn't help but sigh inwardly.

As expected, hierarchies existed no matter where one went.

A Supreme Purity Golden Immortal, in any other Great Thousand World, would be a legendary powerhouse of ages past. Yet here, they were reserved and subdued, entirely devoid of the grandeur of supreme beings.

This thought lingered in his mind only briefly before he dismissed it.

Those he conversed with were Heaven-Opening Grand Luo Immortals, while in the distance, a Wondrous Truth Grand Luo Immortal sat alone, untouched by any disturbance.

Through his conversations, Gu An gradually gained a deeper understanding of White-Haired Immortal Ancestor. His status in the Heavenly Court was exceedingly high, far surpassing that of an Immortal Lord.

He also learned that this lecture could last several hundred, or even several thousand years, and that there were still several months left before it began.

However, Gu An had no intention of sitting through a lecture that could last for millennia—he still had spiritual herbs to harvest.

Thus, before White-Haired Immortal Ancestor arrived, he activated his clone technique, allowing his true body to silently exit Endless Dao Mountain and return to the Heavenly Spirit Great World without any of the other cultivators noticing.

Even while in the Heavenly Spirit Great World, his divine sense remained connected to his clone, making it feel as though he was personally attending the lecture.

This method shouldn’t be considered disrespectful—after all, he suspected that not every attendee present was their true body either.

As time passed, more and more cultivators arrived. With Hong Yazi’s assistance, Gu An was introduced to numerous great figures from various factions.

Hong Yazi even introduced him to a Star Lord of the Heavenly Court. Although this Star Lord was only at the Supreme Purity Golden Immortal Realm, he carried the authority of the Heavenly Court, ensuring that no one dared to disrespect him.

Even within Endless Dao Mountain, the Heavenly Court held absolute dominance, and no one dared to offend them.

Through Hong Yazi, Gu An also learned why the Heavenly Court had little renown across the Three Thousand Great Thousand Worlds. It wasn't because they lacked power, but because the rulers of these worlds did not want their subjects to realize that even greater existences stood above them.

Likewise, the Heavenly Gods stationed in these Great Thousand Worlds chose to maintain decorum, avoiding unnecessary appearances.

This revelation broadened Gu An’s perspective.

So it turned out that the Heavenly Gods of other Great Thousand Worlds had a mutual agreement with their world’s rulers, ensuring balance in power. No wonder he had frequently encountered individuals wielding Heavenly Orders while traversing Great Thousand Worlds.

The months passed quickly.

By the time of the Dao Lecture, the number of attendees had surpassed eight hundred, with most of them discussing the strange phenomena that had recently appeared in Endless Dao Mountain.

Seated among them, Gu An waited patiently for White-Haired Immortal Ancestor to arrive.

From the mountaintop, he could already sense the powerful aura of a Dao Extreme Grand Luo Immortal.

That must be White-Haired Immortal Ancestor!

Comparing himself against this Dao Extreme Grand Luo Immortal, Gu An estimated that the latter's cultivation was likely at the late or even perfected stage of the realm.

Although Gu An himself had already reached the Dao Extreme Grand Luo Immortal Realm, his experience was too short. Compared to true Grand Luo Immortals, he was merely a child.

Thus, he eagerly anticipated this Dao Lecture.

He wanted to see just how vast another Dao Extreme Grand Luo Immortal’s understanding of the Dao was, and how lectures beyond the heavens compared to his own.

At that moment—

Boom——

A deep bell toll echoed throughout the entire Dao Mountain, immediately silencing all the attending cultivators. A brilliant white light descended from the sky, landing at the steps in front of the grand palace. A vast immortal aura surged outward, creating a gust of wind that swept across all the listeners.

Gu An squinted his eyes and focused on the figure emerging from within the white light.

White-Haired Immortal Ancestor!

Dao Extreme Grand Luo Immortal!

Within the Dao field, only two Wondrous Truth Grand Luo Immortals were present, yet even if the combined aura of every listener were to be measured, it still could not compare to White-Haired Immortal Ancestor. This realization caused most of the attendees to instinctively sit up straight.

As the white light gradually dissipated, White-Haired Immortal Ancestor’s form was revealed.

Although her body was shrouded in gray mist-like law energy, from her silhouette alone, it was clear she was a female immortal, clad in flowing robes and holding a floating dust whisk in hand.

“This time, I shall lecture on the Grand Dao of Strength.”

Her voice echoed across the mountain, clear and melodious, yet carrying an undeniable weight of the Dao, causing the laws of the Dao Mountain to momentarily still.

“Many thanks, Immortal Ancestor.”

The listeners all bowed respectfully in unison, and Gu An followed suit.

The Grand Dao of Strength?

He was curious to see what unique insights this White-Haired Immortal Ancestor had regarding the Grand Dao of Strength. After all, he had already grasped this Dao himself and was highly interested in its deeper mysteries.

As White-Haired Immortal Ancestor seated herself, a floating green lotus manifested beneath her. This lotus was profound beyond measure, and Gu An could even sense that its power was not inferior to that of White-Haired Immortal Ancestor herself.

With the start of her lecture, time seemed to flow like a rushing river.

Gu An’s consciousness fully immersed itself in the teachings, following White-Haired Immortal Ancestor’s guidance to comprehend the profound mysteries of the Grand Dao of Strength.

While his clone remained in Endless Dao Mountain, attentively listening to the Dao lecture, Gu An’s true body continued its life in the Heavenly Spirit Great World.

Harvesting spiritual herbs had become a routine task, one that he would not interrupt.

Meanwhile, conflicts in the mortal world were intensifying. Major sects and imperial dynasties alike saw the rise of violent and ruthless rulers, which only led to even fiercer internal struggles for power, including within the Dao Court itself.

When the Dao Court fell into internal strife, unable to maintain order in the world, chaos spread unchecked, plunging the world further into disorder.

Emperor Tianhong had already fully mastered the power of the Longevity Sword, to the point where even when facing a Dao Repository Free Immortal, he could stand his ground. However, the burden on his shoulders only grew heavier.

He had underestimated how difficult the salvation mission arranged by Sword Master of the Dao would be.

At first, he attempted to ally with the Dao Court, only to witness it swiftly descend into chaos. Worse yet, some within the Dao Court coveted his physical body, attempting to seize it for possession. After a fierce battle, he completely severed ties with the Dao Court.

Under Zhao Rushen’s machinations, he was even labeled a wanted criminal by the Dao Court, becoming one of their most pursued fugitives.

With no other choice, he relied on Dao Treasures to seek out other disciples of the Unbeginning Sect who were still alive in the world.

Gu An observed all of this unfold but chose not to intervene.

Until one particular day.

A solitary figure appeared at the gates of Qiankun Sect. This person was clad in black robes, wearing a bamboo hat, and carried a sheathed sword on his back, exuding an air of weariness from long travels.

He lifted his gaze toward the plaque hanging above the mountain gate, revealing a cold and solemn face.

It was Li Ya.

A Divine Spirit leaped from his body, landing lightly on his shoulder. Staring at Qiankun Sect, the Divine Spirit sighed, “Such immense fortune… incomparable to Tai Xuan Sect. As expected of the sect personally cultivated by Master.”

Li Ya’s gaze was complex. He took a deep breath before stepping forward.

“Halt. May I ask your origins? Do you have an invitation to join the sect?” A Qiankun Sect disciple blocked his path, raising his sword sheath as a sign of caution. His expression remained calm as he scrutinized Li Ya.

From within his sleeve, Li Ya retrieved a token and stated, “I have Elder Li Xuanyu’s token. I am her clansman.”

The Qiankun Sect disciple accepted the token, carefully examining it. Once its authenticity was confirmed, he stepped aside, allowing Li Ya to pass.

The Divine Spirit perched on Li Ya’s shoulder smirked playfully and said, “Even as a Wondrous Mystical Spirit Immortal, you’re still being treated as just another ordinary visitor. Seems like your cultivation still isn’t enough.”

Li Ya snorted, “These days, geniuses emerge one after another. Compared to them, what does my talent even count for? Don’t provoke me. I’m no longer the hot-headed Li Ya of the past.”

The Divine Spirit covered its mouth, giggling, but refrained from further teasing him.