Chapter 700: Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor

In the dark, endless void, a river glowing with silver-blue light spanned the cosmos. It writhed gently, like an endlessly long silver dragon slowly swimming through space.

This was the River of Sword Dao, formed by the Sword Dao nurtured by all the heavens. Its surface constantly shimmered with silver light, symbolizing the continual birth of new Sword Daos.

Gu An appeared out of thin air above the River of Sword Dao. He had peered into this river many times before, but this was the first time he had truly stepped into it in person.

As soon as he appeared, he began walking deeper into the river’s inner flow.

The sword intent he had used when dealing with the Golden Crow Divine Sovereign and Huang Feng Immortal Lord had alarmed the strongest being within the River of Sword Dao. Gu An could clearly sense that the opponent’s cultivation had reached the Dao Extreme Grand Luo Immortal Realm, though within that major realm, the opponent’s minor realm was lower than his.

For this meeting, Gu An suppressed his cultivation, appearing as someone at the peak of the Wondrous Truth Grand Luo Immortal Realm.

After entering the River of Sword Dao, he was immediately surrounded by dense sword intent. With a glance, he could see visions through the flowing sword energy—countless different worlds, including three thousand great worlds, innumerable small realms, and mysterious planes drifting within the Grand Dao.

All the bizarre and fantastical sights along the way didn’t make Gu An pause.

As he traveled through the River of Sword Dao, he felt as if he were crossing time and space itself.

After some time, his feet landed softly on grass—he had arrived at a small island suspended in the depths of the River of Sword Dao.

There was a forest on the island, and outside the woods stood many stone steles, each carved with a different Sword Dao name—more than one hundred in total.

Gu An gave them only a passing glance before walking straight into the forest. The woods were quiet and not large—after fewer than twenty steps, he arrived at a secluded garden nestled within the trees.

The garden held many kinds of flowers and herbs, and at its center stood a small wooden building. Though not elaborate, it had an ancient, unadorned feel. In front of the building was a stone table, where a gray-robed elder was seated, brewing tea.

The fragrance of the tea filled the air, and Gu An could clearly sense sword intent hidden within its scent.

“Please, have a seat,” the gray-robed elder said, smiling at Gu An.

【Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor (Early Dao Extreme Grand Luo Immortal Realm): 0/0/0】

No lifespan?

No wonder he was confined to the River of Sword Dao. Most likely, both his physical body and divine soul had already merged with the river, coexisting with it.

Gu An thought quietly to himself as he stepped forward and took a seat across from the Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor.

The Sword Ancestor studied Gu An closely, and Gu An likewise observed him in silence.

After a while, the Sword Ancestor finally spoke. “You must be the master of the Sacred Heart Sword Dao. I had been wondering why this Sword Dao was growing so quickly, as if a great karmic force from the future was propelling it forward. So it’s you. The Sacred Heart Sword Dao truly is a marvelous fortune. It will surely help you ascend to even greater realms in the future.”

He had seen through Gu An’s cultivation—at the peak of the Wondrous Truth Grand Luo Immortal Realm. Though not yet his equal, he believed that Gu An would surely reach his level, perhaps even surpass it one day.

To achieve his current Dao path, he had sacrificed his freedom. Gu An, on the other hand, had lost nothing.

Gu An nodded slightly, then asked curiously, “Why have you stayed within the River of Sword Dao, fellow Daoist?”

Given his strength at the Dao Extreme Grand Luo Immortal Realm and his connection with the River of Sword Dao, it wasn’t surprising that he could recognize the origins of the Sacred Heart Sword Dao.

The Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor stroked his beard and chuckled. “To tell you the truth, I was once a disciple of the Celestial Abyss Cave Heaven. Back when I was still in the Heaven-Opening Grand Luo Immortal Realm, I offended a supreme immortal from the Heavenly Court. To avoid bringing trouble upon the Celestial Abyss Cave Heaven, I came to the River of Sword Dao and ended my own life.”

“By some stroke of fortune, I didn’t die. I was reborn instead. Unfortunately, I can never leave the River of Sword Dao again. I can only remain here, comprehending the Sword Dao and watching the evolution of the myriad Daos and heavens.”

“To be honest, I asked you here not only because of your sword intent, but also because your fight with the Golden Crow Divine Sovereign reminded me of my younger self. May I ask, what enmity do you have with the Heavenly Court?”

Gu An didn’t hide anything. He answered, “I secluded myself in a great thousand world to stay far away from conflict. By chance, I took in a disciple. Who would’ve thought he was the reincarnation of a Heavenly Son? That drew the attention of the Heavenly Court’s immortals and gods. Even though I sent him to the Ethereal Immortal Court, they still wouldn’t let me go. I’m quite helpless in all this.”

As he spoke, he gave a bitter laugh.

The Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor shook his head after hearing this and said, “The Heavenly Court’s immortals and gods truly are domineering. Back then, I didn’t even intentionally offend that supreme immortal, and still brought about a catastrophe.”

Gu An had heard of the Celestial Abyss Cave Heaven before. When he used Lifespan Breakthrough, that name had once appeared. But he didn’t know much about its foundations.

The Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor began recounting the past. The grudges and grievances weren’t particularly surprising. He had once acted out of righteousness, saving a group of cultivators from a rampaging demon. But that demon turned out to be backed by a supreme immortal. From then on, he had been endlessly hunted down.

As the conversation continued, Gu An began probing for information on the Heavenly Court, and the Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor didn’t hold back.

He explained that the celestial ranks in the Heavenly Court, from low to high, were: Heavenly God, Star Lord, True God, Immortal Lord, Supreme Immortal, Dao Sovereign of the Heavenly Dao, and above all, the Heavenly Emperor.

These titles weren’t assigned purely based on cultivation level. Merit could also grant advancement, though the difference in strength between each rank wasn’t overly drastic.

Some Supreme Immortals were only at the Wondrous Truth Grand Luo Immortal Realm, while others had surpassed it.

Moreover, each celestial rank held different responsibilities and drew different amounts of Heavenly Dao fortune. Some immortals were born to fight and possessed great power, while others didn’t specialize in battle, held high positions, but had lower cultivation than their subordinates.

Aside from these titled immortals and gods, the Heavenly Court also housed powerful figures tied to its fortune who held no official posts. These beings only showed themselves when major upheavals occurred.

Thanks to the Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor, Gu An understood that though celestial ranks didn’t clearly define an immortal’s cultivation level, one fact was certain—in the Heavenly Court, the Heavenly Emperor was the strongest.

In Gu An’s past life, Huaxia also had many myths and legends about the Heavenly Court. But in those stories, the Heavenly Emperor wasn’t necessarily the strongest being. This difference made him ponder.

Still, since they were both called the Heavenly Court, maybe the myths of Huaxia were somehow connected to the Heavenly Court he now faced.

In mythology, the Heavenly Emperor wasn’t the most powerful. Could that have something to do with the power struggles within the Heavenly Court itself?

Gu An quietly speculated.

The Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor continued, “From what I sensed, the one who initially lured you into action was an Immortal Lord. That means the Golden Crow Divine Sovereign is likely the endpoint of this karmic thread. Since it involves the Heavenly Son, they probably won’t dare to involve Heaven itself. You may have been able to defeat the Golden Crow Divine Sovereign, but it’s best you find more solutions.”

“If you don’t entirely reject the Heavenly Court, then joining them might not be a bad path. Or you could let your disciple enter the Heavenly Court—it would take some pressure off you.”

Gu An began to feel genuine appreciation for the Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor. That he could give such advice, even when Gu An had a grudge against the Heavenly Court, showed sincerity and goodwill.

“I’ll think about it. But I am curious about the Heavenly Son struggle. Could you tell me more?” Gu An agreed, then asked with interest.