Chapter 710: Great Dao Reincarnation, Return of the True Self

Gu An didn’t know that Yang Jian was thinking of him. He was still living a leisurely life. Other than regularly harvesting matured spirit herbs, he had begun traveling the mortal world.

In this era of chaos, the mortal realm revealed new faces every day. Witnessing and experiencing them helped him comprehend the Dao.

He had always believed that understanding the Great Dao didn’t require treading the Path of the Grand Dao. The Dao was everywhere—what’s small could reflect the great.

As war swept across the world, living beings were slaughtered daily. The Dao Court was besieged, and countless sects launched attacks. They quickly took control of public opinion.

As the war reached a stalemate, the image of the Dao Court in the hearts of the masses began to crumble.

Eventually, the Dao Court was painted as the most evil force in the human realm—the source of all disasters.

Mortal beings didn’t remember the golden eras from tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of years ago. They only saw that countless sects were now attacking the Dao Court. With the rumors circulating, the people came to loathe the Dao Court completely.

It had been two hundred twenty thousand years since Heavenly Spirit God told Gu An about the struggle between the Heaven’s Sons.

And finally, the Dao Court reached its day of disbandment.

According to rumors, the defensive lines in all directions had been breached. In order to preserve the lives of the Dao Court’s disciples, the Court Lord announced its dissolution. The former ruler of heaven and earth shattered into pieces, plunging the world into utter chaos.

The Dao Court’s foundations were too deep. The disciples scattered by factions, and during their escape, large-scale internal conflict broke out. Meanwhile, upon hearing the news, cultivators from other sects rushed into the Dao Court like madmen, all trying to seize their chance at fortune.

Dark clouds rolled overhead. Smoke and fire choked the world.

Gu An and Xiao Lan stood atop a cliff, looking toward a massive city engulfed in flames between distant mountain ranges. Countless cultivators flew in and out, and there were even fierce battles breaking out farther away.

The firelight reflected on Xiao Lan’s face. Her expression was calm. Her long violet robe fluttered in the wind, untouched by dust.

Gu An turned to glance at her and asked, “Do you feel any regret?”

That giant city ahead was once one of the Dao Court’s cities. Back then, it was a prosperous center of immortal cultivation trade, known across half the world. Now it had fallen to such a state—it was hard not to sigh.

Even though Xiao Lan didn’t plan to perish with the Dao Court, she had lived there for a million years. Naturally, she still had feelings for it.

“The Court Lord is still alive, just went to Outer Heaven. The legacy still exists and has been passed down to the disciples. What died is only the name ‘Dao Court.’ What is there for me to regret?” Xiao Lan said calmly as she looked into the distance.

If Gu An couldn’t hear her heart, he might’ve believed she truly didn’t care.

But the Dao Court was about to become a thing of the past. The living still had to look forward.

“Brother Gu, this is the first time I’ve felt how terrifying the mortal world’s momentum can be. Even someone as strong as the Court Lord and the Dao Court couldn’t resist the endless will of the people. What’s the point of a so-called orthodoxy? What’s the meaning of its existence?” Xiao Lan asked softly, her gaze complex.

Over these years, she’d felt the weight on the Dao Court. Endless enemies came from every direction. Heaven and earth seemed to denounce them. Even inside the Dao Court, many disciples were reflecting on what the Court had done wrong.

But the truth was, it was the countless mortal sects that wanted to overthrow the Dao Court. And the Dao Court simply didn’t have absolute power to suppress them.

If it were merely a matter of strength, that’d be one thing. But the fall of the Dao Court had been so disgraceful—it had collapsed as a so-called ‘evil sect.’ Years from now, would the world see the Dao Court as nothing more than a demonic cult?

“Orthodoxy exists to pass on the Dao and knowledge, to discuss and exchange insights, to jointly explore the Great Dao. What you’re worried about might not come to pass. Right now, the Dao Court’s reputation is in ruins, yes, but over the long years, it’s helped countless living beings. Those deeds will stay in the hearts of those who care and will eventually be recorded in history.”

Gu An responded truthfully.

Not to mention those living beings who felt gratitude or longing for the Dao Court—sooner or later, the myriad sects of the mortal world would walk the same path. At that time, the new generation would naturally slander them in order to whitewash the Dao Court and bring them down.

Right and wrong, black and white—future generations would judge. But even those judgments would eventually fade.

In this era, when people looked back into the past, how many still remembered the Sacred Court or the Immortal Dynasty?

In the face of the Great Dao and mortal dust, none of it really mattered.

So-called history was merely something that existed in the human world. To talk about history in front of the Great Dao—it was laughable.

Gu An finally understood why those mighty cultivators were so indifferent to the masses. When you lived long enough, you’d see that all things went through some kind of cycle. Whether good or bad, it would all turn to dust. And in the end, everything you could do would feel meaningless.

Of course, Gu An was merely sighing a little.

He had always felt that he was still a person, not an immortal. The most important thing for a person was emotion. He wouldn’t deliberately erase his feelings. Whatever he cherished, he would protect. He only sought to stay true to his heart.

Xiao Lan was also silently pondering Gu An’s words. But as she recalled everything from the past, it all felt like a grand yet illusory dream. Only when she glanced at Gu An beside her did her heart settle down again.

The path they had walked hadn’t been a dream.

“So, what are your plans next? Want to go cultivate at my Dao arena?” Gu An looked at Xiao Lan and asked.

The fall of the Dao Court had definitely affected her. Over the years, memories from her past life kept flashing through her mind.

The former Ye Lan was about to return.

Xiao Lan had always been lively and innocent, while Ye Lan was more rational—and had her own ambitions.

“I think I’ll return to the Xiao family and protect them. I’ll visit you on the Nine Spirits Continent in the future, and you’re always welcome to find me too. I should grow up now—I can’t always be clinging to you.”

Xiao Lan looked at Gu An and spoke seriously.

Gu An smiled. Seeing her expression, he knew that his junior sister was truly returning.

And for his junior sister, he wouldn’t treat her like the other disciples who’d gone out. He would personally go visit her.

“Then let’s go. I’ll take you to the Xiao family. After all, I do share some fate with them.” Gu An smiled, then raised his right hand.

Xiao Lan smiled back, grabbed his hand, and the two of them disappeared from the cliff.

A few days later.

Gu An returned to Wushi alone. Today, Wushi was livelier than usual—because Lü Xian had come back.

All the disciples had gathered in Gu An’s courtyard, listening to Lü Xian talk about his experiences and the current state of the world.

The third-generation disciples had never met Lü Xian before, so they were full of curiosity about this senior of their sect.

After Lü Xian found out that Wushi now had third-generation disciples, he stopped being so flippant and acted like a proper master.

“Uncle Lü, who do you think will become the next overlord of the world?” asked An Xin’s second disciple, Jiang Lan, curiously.

The other disciples also stared at Lü Xian intently. He’d been roaming the outside world for years—he must have some insight into the current trends.

Lü Xian paused, about to speak, when he suddenly noticed Gu An’s figure appear at the entrance of the courtyard. His eyes lit up and he immediately flashed forward to stand in front of Gu An, bowing deeply.

“Master, I have something important to report. May I speak with you in private?” Lü Xian asked excitedly. In front of Gu An, he didn’t bother pretending.

Hearing that, Gu An nodded slightly, then walked toward his loft. The other disciples all stood up and bowed respectfully.