Chapter 680: Wushi Free Immortal

"Master, I won."

An Xin spoke with a soft laugh, drawing cheers from the other disciples, which made the Blood Prison Saint feel even more miserable. To save face in front of his master, he had no choice but to force a bitter smile.

After giving a few brief remarks, Gu An let An Xin lead the disciples away.

The Blood Prison Saint landed beside Gu An, head hung low, looking extremely dejected.

Only after the auras of An Xin and the others had completely faded did he grit his teeth and say, "Master, next time, I will definitely win it back!"

Thinking about it now, it really was unbelievable.

Before the founding of Wushi Dao Field, An Xin's talent had been so mediocre. Compared to the other disciples, she was hardly worth mentioning. But after coming to Wushi, her cultivation had advanced at an astonishing rate.

Recalling the battle earlier, he even felt a chill. An Xin's divine abilities were terrifying. He had been surrounded and attacked by countless versions of her. If it weren’t for his own powerful self-healing flesh, he would’ve lost long ago.

The self-recovery divine ability he had created seemed tailor-made to showcase An Xin’s techniques. If it had been anyone else, they probably wouldn’t have seen so many An Xin illusions.

The Blood Prison Saint had never felt this defeated. He didn’t dare meet Gu An’s gaze.

Although An Xin was Gu An’s most favored disciple, he—he was the only mount!

In his view, his status was more special. He absolutely couldn’t lose.

It was rare for Gu An to see the Blood Prison Saint looking so dispirited. He asked, “You’re really that unwilling to accept it?”

The Blood Prison Saint nodded heavily, no longer showing his usual arrogant attitude.

“Losing is losing. Just win it back next time. Even An Xin lost to you before. Even I have opponents I can’t defeat.” Gu An comforted him.

The Blood Prison Saint took a deep breath, doing his best to calm his emotions.

Gu An’s mouth twitched slightly—because he had heard the Blood Prison Saint’s inner voice.

In his heart, the Blood Prison Saint had just asked: “Then have you ever lost, Master?”

“If you manage to become a Hunyuan Dao Emperor before An Xin, maybe you can surpass her.” Gu An pointed in a certain direction.

The Blood Prison Saint looked up at him and said with a hint of bitterness, “She’s also chasing after the Hunyuan Dao Emperor path. Even if I get there before her, she’ll catch up. Unless I have a divine ability stronger than hers.”

The suppressive power of the Immortal Emperor Eyes was overwhelming. Even Tianhong Emperor, a reincarnated Immortal God, had lost to An Xin and no longer dared to challenge her again.

Only by facing the Immortal Emperor Eyes directly could one understand that kind of despair.

“Not necessarily,” Gu An said. “The divine ability you created has limitless potential. You just haven’t pushed it to its limit yet. Honestly, I think you’re the most promising—just don’t tell the other disciples I said that.”

Hearing this, the Blood Prison Saint was immediately moved. Tears even glistened in his eyes.

Those words, in this moment, gave him tremendous encouragement.

He instantly swept away all the frustration and confusion in his heart, his fighting spirit reigniting.

He believed—his master would never lie to him!

“Master, I definitely won’t let you down!” the Blood Prison Saint vowed, and it was also a promise to himself.

Gu An followed with, “I want to send you to train on the Path of the Grand Dao. Strive to become the first Hunyuan Dao Emperor of Wushi. Once you achieve that, you can return.”

Hearing this, the Blood Prison Saint’s excitement calmed down. He didn’t immediately agree, hesitating.

He was afraid that if he left, Gu An might take in another mount.

If nothing else, just Tianqing and Tianbai had been eyeing his position for a long time.

Gu An didn’t bother comforting that concern.

What a joke. If he really wanted a new mount, would he need the Blood Prison Saint’s permission?

“I’m quite interested in the origin of the Hunyuan Dao Emperor and the Dao Sovereign. You’re not just going there to get stronger—I also want you to gather information about the two. When you return, I’ll help you perfect your divine ability,” Gu An said seriously.

Seeing his master's expression so serious, the Blood Prison Saint didn’t dare refuse again—he could only nod and agree.

Gu An told him to take a few days to rest, and then he would personally send him off to the Path of the Grand Dao.

After accepting this arrangement, the Blood Prison Saint began to feel a growing sense of anticipation for the Path of the Grand Dao. What kind of place was it, really?

He was determined to bring glory to Wushi!

Originally, the Blood Prison Saint had thought that his master would personally escort him part of the way. Maybe on the road he could get closer to Gu An, exchange some heartfelt words.

But the moment he was ready, Gu An simply waved his sleeve—and sent him straight to the Path of the Grand Dao.

So this is how he was sent...

The Blood Prison Saint’s senses were completely cut off. He kept his eyes tightly shut, a wave of grief and indignation rising in his chest.

After a while.

He felt his feet touch solid ground, and his senses quickly returned. As he opened his eyes, his pupils widened instantly.

What appeared before him was an immense, boundless Sea of Grand Dao Qi. As far as the eye could see, it was endless. He was standing atop a meteor, feeling utterly small. The darkness beyond the sea was terrifying, as if it could devour him at any moment.

“What a vast Dao intent…”

The Blood Prison Saint murmured softly. Whatever resistance he had left in his heart vanished completely.

To cultivate in a place like this—maybe, just maybe, he really could surpass An Xin again!

…

The Blood Prison Saint’s departure left the atmosphere at Wushi Dao Field significantly quieter. When the disciples found out that Gu An had sent him to train on the Path of the Grand Dao, everyone felt a strong sense of pressure.

Once the Blood Prison Saint returned, he would surely be even more arrogant. Though they were already no match for him, they still didn’t want to be humiliated by the ever-widening gap.

And so, Wushi Dao Field entered a new wave of seclusion and intense cultivation.

Meanwhile, the human world was also changing.

As more and more sects rose to prominence, the authority of the Dao Court was weakened. Their control over the Outer Heavens began to crumble. One after another, the myriad sects of the human realm sent their disciples to train in the Outer Heavens, sparking the first great Outer Heaven boom of this new era.

Those who had reached the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm could venture into the Outer Heavens. But before, due to the presence of the Dao Court, few had been able to go.

Now, with increasing numbers of cultivators heading to the Outer Heavens, the stars beyond began to be occupied. Some fled there to escape chaos, some carved out their own little worlds or Dao Fields, and some even founded new sects among the stars.

The human world ushered in a golden age not seen in tens of millions of years.

In this grand backdrop, one hundred thousand years passed like a page in a book—turned over and leaving no trace.

Within those one hundred thousand years, at Wushi Dao Field, aside from the Ephemeral Blossom Ghost Mother, even the weakest among them had reached the Dao Void Profound Immortal Realm. An Xin had even taken the lead and broken through to the Free Immortal Realm, becoming the first Free Immortal among all of Gu An’s disciples.

A Free Immortal at fifty-five million years old—what a dazzling sight that was.

However, An Xin’s name hadn’t yet spread across the human world. But Tianhong Emperor often compared her with the most outstanding prodigies from outside. Even he found it unbelievable, and it pushed him to cultivate even harder.

In the second century after her breakthrough into the Free Immortal Realm, An Xin finally chose a disciple she took a liking to.

She brought back a six or seven-year-old boy to Wushi Dao Field, and hoped Gu An would give him a name.

The child wasn’t from the Qiankun Sect. He was an orphan from the Nine Spirits Continent. His parents had been killed by a demonic beast, and if it weren’t for An Xin’s intervention, he would’ve died too.

This kind of past reminded Gu An of An Hao from back in the day.

“Let’s call him An Zizai.”

Gu An looked at the timid boy hiding behind An Xin and spoke after a moment’s pause.

An Xin laughed and asked, “Is it because I just broke through to the Free Immortal Realm?”

Gu An shook his head. “It’s because I hope he’ll be different from your senior brother. I hope he won’t carry so many burdens. I want him to live free, live for himself.”