Chapter 703: Ascension to Immortality, Heaven and Earth Tremble

It was the beginning of autumn.

Inside the Sacred King Palace, Yang Jian sat in the courtyard, sipping tea while admiring the scenery all around.

He wore a loose embroidered robe, his expression gentle and calm. No one would have guessed that he was once the great general who earned countless military merits for the Tai Cang Dynasty.

“I didn’t expect you to be so carefree now. Don’t you have higher aspirations in life?”

A woman’s voice echoed in the garden, startling Yang Jian. He turned his head and saw An Xin walking through the courtyard archway, with Shen Zhen following behind her—and trailing last was a man.

When Yang Jian got a clear look at the last person, his expression changed drastically. He instantly stood up and knelt on the ground.

“Disciple Yang Jian greets Master.”

Gu An was the one walking at the end. When he heard Yang Jian’s greeting, he didn’t respond right away, instead directing his gaze around the courtyard.

This garden’s layout and scenery were exactly the same as a certain one in the Third Medicine Valley all those years ago. It was clear that Yang Jian truly missed the past.

An Xin stood before Yang Jian and scolded him bluntly, “So you still remember you have a master? After all these years, why didn’t you come visit him? Don’t give me that nonsense about not being able to find him. If you really had the heart, even one million years wouldn’t be too long to search.”

Yang Jian raised his head and said helplessly, “Though I’ve been living in seclusion, I couldn’t leave the Tai Cang Dynasty. Since its founding, the dynasty has made enemies all over the world. I truly wanted to go, but I couldn’t.”

An Xin huffed coldly and said no more, walking off to the side.

Yang Jian watched as Gu An walked up to him, visibly emotional. Over the past one million years, he had often imagined reuniting with Gu An. But now that the moment had come, all the words he’d held in his heart were suddenly stuck in his throat.

“Get up. Let’s sit and talk.”

Gu An smiled, and that smile made Yang Jian feel like a weight had been lifted.

Even though they hadn’t seen each other in countless years, Gu An had always paid attention to Yang Jian. He had never blamed him for not visiting. After all, in a world this vast, it was enough that Yang Jian still remembered him in his heart.

After all, Gu An had watched him grow up. At one time, Yang Jian had been his most cherished disciple.

Time had passed, and Yang Jian was no longer the strongest among his disciples, but Gu An never judged them by strength alone.

He cultivated disciples out of personal interest—he never had any intention of depending on them.

Yang Jian stood up quickly and invited Shen Zhen to sit as well.

Once the four were seated, Gu An began asking Yang Jian about his experiences over the years. Yang Jian talked freely and with great detail, while Shen Zhen and An Xin listened attentively.

An hour passed.

Only then did Gu An speak of the real reason for his visit. He explained both the advantages and disadvantages of becoming an immortal god and even revealed Tian Hao’s true identity.

When Yang Jian learned that Tian Hao was the reincarnation of the Heavenly Emperor’s son, he was stunned—yet it all made sense.

Even with the reshaping of the world and the ever-faster cultivation pace of mortal geniuses, no one had ever shaken him as much as Tian Hao. That kind of talent—being the son of the Heavenly Emperor—explained everything.

“I’m willing!”

Under Gu An’s gaze, Yang Jian gave his answer directly.

Gu An chuckled and said, “No need to rush. Take your time to consider. Once you agree, there’s no going back.”

But Yang Jian replied seriously, “Becoming an immortal god means losing freedom, but such an opportunity is completely beyond the reach of ordinary mortals. How could I waste Master’s goodwill? Besides, as you said, this concerns Senior Brother Tian Hao. I’m willing to enter the Heavenly Court on your behalf, to support Senior Brother Tian Hao—and also serve as your eyes within the Heavenly Court.”

Having once wielded power in the Sacred Court, and held a high position in the Tai Cang Dynasty, Yang Jian understood the depth of this karmic web once it was laid bare to him.

And he knew what his role needed to be.

To become his master’s piece on the board, he had no hesitation—he even looked forward to it.

He believed Master would never let him down.

After all these years in the Tai Cang Dynasty, he had grown weary of mortal struggles for power. Now, the thought of entering the Heavenly Court and taking part in the struggle over the Heavenly Son stirred a long-lost excitement within him.

Gu An smiled slightly. Since Yang Jian had said this much, there was no need to keep up the act.

He directly took out the Heavenly Court's Mandate of Heaven Token and placed it on the table.

“When you’re ready, just send your divine sense into this token. The Heavenly Dao will summon you into the Heavenly Court. When you go, it’s entirely up to you.”

With that said, Gu An stood up and turned to leave.

An Xin and Shen Zhen followed closely behind.

Yang Jian immediately got up and respectfully bowed to Gu An’s departing figure, seeing him off.

After the three disappeared into thin air from the courtyard, Yang Jian finally turned his gaze toward the Mandate of Heaven Token on the table.

Elsewhere—

Gu An and the others appeared on a street in the imperial capital. He intended to stroll around for two days before returning.

“Guess how long until he heads to the Heavenly Court?” Shen Zhen asked with a smile.

An Xin was just about to answer when, suddenly, a deafening roar erupted in the distance. An overwhelming heavenly might swept across the sky and earth, startling everyone on the street. All heads turned east, toward the edge of the imperial capital, where a massive white pillar of light had pierced the heavens—truly a breathtaking sight.

Shen Zhen froze in place. She could feel a vast surge of Heavenly Dao fortune. She instantly realized—it was Yang Jian.

She hadn’t expected him to act so quickly.

An Xin laughed. “He’s smart. The more time you spend preparing, the more hesitant you’ll become. After all, he’s not alone in this world.”

On that street, Gu An was the only one who didn’t look back.

Even before visiting Yang Jian, Gu An already knew he would accept. He’d even foreseen when Yang Jian would ascend.

What he was thinking about now was when to let Xuanmiao Zhenren ascend—and where that should happen.

The spectacle of Yang Jian’s ascension was enormous, drawing the attention of all the great cultivators in the Tai Cang Dynasty, including Li Xuandao.

As he rose toward the heavens, Yang Jian explained to Li Xuandao that he was becoming an immortal. However, he didn’t say how.

He only asked Li Xuandao to take care of his descendants.

Li Xuandao agreed, though his heart was filled with shock and wonder.

Could there really be true immortals?

He had always believed immortals were just powerful cultivators who had achieved enlightenment. The Sacred Court once claimed to be immortal, as did today’s Dao Court and all the mortal sects.

He himself called his people immortals.

But today, witnessing with his own eyes the Heavenly Dao fortune that carried Yang Jian away, he realized his understanding had been too shallow.

The ascension fortune had connected to the surface layer of the Heavenly Dao light in the Heavenly Spirit Great World, so the ripple it caused drew even more attention from powerful beings across the realm.

In the days that followed, great cultivators continued to arrive, hoping to witness Yang Jian’s ascension.

But this wasn’t an ordinary ascension.

During the process, Yang Jian’s body and soul were refined by the Heavenly Dao’s fortune, and his cultivation surged dramatically.

Feeling the insane spike in his aura, the surrounding cultivators gasped in awe. Some even attempted to force their way into the ascension zone—only to be blasted into ash by the Heavenly Dao’s fortune, their souls nearly wiped out.

This frightened the rest into backing off.

Later, even Profound Origin Free Immortals realm showed up, including Yuan Songzi, the Lord of the Dao Court.

Walking down the street, Gu An had already calculated that the mortal world’s fate was changing.

Yang Jian’s ascension had set off a chain reaction—causing the Heavenly Dao fortune of the Heavenly Spirit Great World to skyrocket.

Because now, people truly believed in immortals.

And the faith of cultivators could further strengthen the Heavenly Dao’s fortune.

The Tai Cang Dynasty would become world-renowned for this. Yang Jian’s immortal name would echo through eternity.