Chapter 701: Legends of the Heavenly Court

"The Grand Dao was born from chaos. Since its emergence, the universe and its myriad planes have continued to expand and multiply. As for when the Heavenly Court came into being—no one knows. The Heavenly Emperor is said to be one of the oldest living beings. During his reign, the Three Thousand Great Worlds were destroyed and remade more than once. In other words, the Three Thousand Great Worlds themselves haven’t existed as long as the Heavenly Emperor has lived."

Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor gazed at the teapot on the table, his tone unhurried, while Gu An listened attentively.

"Over countless years, the Heavenly Emperor sired many children. The number of Heaven's Sons is beyond measure. Perhaps even in the mortal world, more Heaven's Sons lie hidden. Each one of them is gifted with remarkable talent. As their cultivation grows, so too does their ambition. Struggles among the Heaven's Sons have become commonplace within the Heavenly Court. Back when I was in Celestial Abyss Cave Heaven, I heard tales of Heaven's Sons clashing."

"The top ten Heaven’s Sons have already grown into powerhouses, some even surpassing the Heavenly Dao Supremes. They’ve sat in their positions too long, and their ambition drives them to covet the Heavenly Emperor’s throne. But as long as the Heavenly Emperor remains, the Heavenly Court won’t fall into chaos. Even his favoritism can sway the stance of gods and immortals. There are Heaven’s Sons who won the Emperor’s affection with a single meeting—and others who offended him and were cast into reincarnation. The immortals close to them suffered too."

"Of course, there’s another situation—when a Heaven’s Son is abandoned by the Emperor, but he never forgets them. It’s happened before, long ago. That’s why some immortals attempt to win over the Heaven’s Sons who are reincarnated in the mortal world, seeking to secure their greatest gains."

"No god or immortal can guess the Heavenly Emperor’s heart. He holds the greatest celestial authority, capable of stripping immortals of their fate. He has even executed many Heaven’s Sons. For ambitious immortals, the court’s politics are a gamble. Your disciple probably once received the Heavenly Emperor’s favor—hence why the immortals are trying to recruit him. But such Heaven’s Sons often stir resentment among their peers."

Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor’s words left Gu An reflective. The struggles between the Heavenly Emperor and the Heaven’s Sons were not unlike mortal royal feuds—just far more brutal, more complex.

"Some gods, freshly promoted to Star Lords, are immediately drawn into factions, forced to pick sides. They die not even knowing it was because of a Heaven’s Son dispute. Though the Heavenly Court stands as the peak of the Grand Dao’s power, the lower-ranked gods and immortals are no different from mortals. They’re just stronger, but their lives still aren’t their own."

"Since you now know about the struggle among Heaven’s Sons, whether you step into the Heavenly Court yourself one day, or send your disciples to enter it, you’ll be more prepared—less passive."

As he spoke, Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor picked up the teapot on the table and began to pour tea for Gu An.

Gu An noticed the small stove on the table was burning a rare kind of Dao fire. This Dao fire was no weaker than the flames of the Golden Crow Divine Sovereign.

"Many thanks for sharing all this with me. May I ask, what did you summon me here for? Is there something I can do for you?" Gu An shifted his gaze toward Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor, curious.

The information offered was valuable, and Gu An had no issue repaying that favor within his power.

At that, Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor chuckled softly. "I dwell in the River of Sword Dao, eternal and indestructible. The conflicts within the Grand Dao don’t concern me. What could I possibly need? There are others like me in different Grand Dao rivers—we’re not so alone."

After pouring tea for Gu An, he poured himself a cup. The tea’s aroma filled the air, its steam swirling like a spirit beast dancing across the rim of the cup.

"Then… do you have any regrets about Celestial Abyss Cave Heaven?"

Gu An asked as he lifted the teacup and took a sip. The tea contained profound sword Dao truths—helpful to his cultivation.

Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor chuckled. "Once you’ve stepped onto the path of the Grand Dao, naturally all past karmic ties are severed. I no longer have anything to do with Celestial Abyss Cave Heaven. This time, I called you here simply to discuss the Sword Dao. I’ve always been intrigued by the Sacred Heart Sword Dao. I’ve tried to comprehend it in the past, but it keeps evolving, and I’ve never been able to fully grasp it. Daoist friend, would you be willing to discuss the Dao with me?"

"Of course—though I can't stay too long," Gu An replied, deliberately hesitating. He didn’t want to delay his herb picking.

Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor laughed heartily, then began sharing tea and discussing the Dao with Gu An.

Their discussion lasted for one month.

Eventually, Gu An found an excuse to end it and bid farewell, promising to return another time. Only then did Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor feel no regret.

After returning to the Heavenly Spirit Great World, Gu An went to various medicine valleys to harvest herbs. Once all the mature herbs were gathered, he finally let out a sigh of relief.

He suddenly felt like he was being ruled by the herbs. In truth, skipping a year wouldn’t have caused him any loss—but his habits, formed over countless years, simply wouldn’t let him stop.

Thinking that, Gu An couldn’t help but laugh at himself.

Still not strong enough. Only when he reached a point where he no longer cared about ten or one hundred years of lifespan gains would that kind of mindset disappear.

He returned to Wushi Dao Field and began reviewing what he had discussed with Boundless Grand Void Sword Ancestor. That elder’s sword Dao comprehension was the most powerful Gu An had ever encountered. Even a mere one-month exchange had benefited him immensely.

Meanwhile, conflicts in the mortal world continued to evolve. Even when his disciples and grand-disciples came to chat with him about such matters, he never paid them much attention. His mind was now focused entirely on the Heavenly Court.

He had to figure out a way to place Xuanmiao Zhenren into the Heavenly Court without being noticed.

At the same time, he also needed to consider how to unravel the Heavenly Court’s destiny.

In the blink of an eye, one hundred years passed.

Gu An made no progress on the matter of fate, so he decided to play a trick and began frequently initiating Lifespan Projections.

Every time he used Lifespan Projection, he left behind legends in the Three Thousand Great Worlds. Fortunately, each reincarnated body born from a projection focused solely on cultivation and didn’t form karmic ties, so the influence of their legends was limited.

After ten consecutive Lifespan Projections, Gu An’s understanding of the Grand Dao of fate reached an entirely new level.

But that still wasn’t enough. To truly see through the fate of the Heavenly Dao, he still had a long road ahead.

…

In the depths of the universe, the Realm Gate still stood tall.

Heavenly Spirit God sat in meditation before the gate. Suddenly sensing something, he opened his eyes. He began calculating with his fingers, and his expression changed drastically. He abruptly stood up and stepped forward a few paces, then dropped to one knee before the Realm Gate.

In no time, a brilliant light burst out from within the Realm Gate, illuminating the dark void. The powerful radiance stretched Heavenly Spirit God's shadow long across the ground.

A figure slowly walked out from within the gate.

It was an old man in white robes holding a floating dust whisk. His hair was white, yet his face was youthful. He appeared slightly thin, clouds rising beneath his feet, a starry sea manifesting behind his back. His calm gaze seemed to contain two entire Great Thousand Worlds.

Heavenly Spirit God lowered his head, not daring to look directly at the white-robed old man.

At this moment, Heavenly Spirit God was filled with shock.

He didn’t know this old man. But the destiny of the Heavenly Dao surrounding him was the thickest he had ever seen. This man’s immortal status was certainly unimaginably high—so high he couldn’t begin to guess.

Why would such a being descend to the Heavenly Spirit Great World?

Was he friend or foe?

Had he come for him—or for Gu An?

Or perhaps for Tai Yi Immortal Lord or the Seventy-Two Immortals of Jin Dong?

His heart was in chaos, overwhelmed with anxiety. He didn’t even dare to send a voice transmission to Gu An, fearing the powerful god or immortal before him might sense it.