Chapter 727: The True Immortal

"I saw a huge black hole above the void of the Grand Dao, countless evil demons pouring out from it, flying toward the Three Thousand Great Worlds. They looked terrifying, I can’t even describe them. Even in a dream, they filled me with despair, like I couldn’t breathe," Shen Zhen said, frowning as she described what she felt in her dream.

Gu An wasn’t surprised, because he had seen the same thing.

Those evil demons came from the same place as the Chaos Wraithfiends, all from the chaos beyond the heavens. As for why they would descend upon the Three Thousand Great Worlds, Gu An hadn’t seen that yet, but he was sure it was related to the Heavenly Court, because he saw a strong presence of Heavenly Dao fate within that black hole.

Shen Zhen kept talking, while Gu An refined his treasure, listening and occasionally replying.

Half an hour later.

Gu An left the courtyard alone, walking down the mountain path, taking in the scenery as he glanced toward the heavens beyond.

The Ethereal Immortal Court was preparing to intervene in the Heavenly Son Contention. They saw it as a rare opportunity, which made Tian Hao begin his preparations early.

Ever since joining the Ethereal Immortal Court, Tian Hao had faced many hardships and trials. Overall, things had gone smoothly, and now he was one of the most valued geniuses there.

His identity as a reincarnated Heavenly Son had not yet been revealed.

But in the coming Heavenly Son Contention, Tian Hao would awaken his origin consciousness and become the Heavenly Son once more. Whether or not he would return to the Heavenly Court was still unknown.

Looking at Tian Hao, Gu An could only see the image of An Hao in his eyes.

Although Tian Hao still held some feelings for him, Gu An could sense that their bond as master and disciple was weakening, and the distance between them growing.

Once Tian Hao fully regained his Heavenly Son identity, meeting again would be even harder.

Time really could turn close companions into strangers.

Gu An didn’t feel upset. This change only made him sigh with emotion, and he actually enjoyed the feeling.

He had raised a young eagle himself, watched it grow, and now saw it spread its wings and fly away.

All the karmic ties in the world form lines, crossing and diverging, leading to different fates. Seeing through destiny, he chose to enjoy every bond.

After looking at Tian Hao, Gu An turned his eyes to other old acquaintances, like Jiang Qiong, Li Xuandao, and the cultivators of the Mortal Peak, as well as those who had become strangers over time.

One million six hundred eighty thousand years had passed.

Of all those old friends, fewer than ten percent were still alive. But those who survived had become mighty figures, shaking entire regions.

As he watched them, Gu An recalled bits and pieces of the past.

The higher his cultivation, the more karma Gu An could see. It was like having many more memories. The memories of the past kept getting compressed—not forgotten, but easily overlooked.

He didn’t want to forget the path he had taken.

Ever since breaking through to the Profound Qi Hunyuan Immortal, Gu An had felt his state of mind changing. His immense strength made him gradually indifferent to many things.

The difference between immortals and mortals was real.

Just like mortals couldn’t relate to flowers, trees, and grass, this was a gap in essence.

Gu An finally understood why the immortals and gods of the Heavenly Court looked down on all living beings. Undying, indestructible, and absolutely powerful, they could witness every change in the world. In their eyes, nothing had meaning—only changes in their own status mattered.

The blooming and withering of flowers along the road symbolized countless lives to Gu An.

As he walked, with each step, the scenery around him shifted.

When he stopped, he had arrived at a field. The golden rice paddies shone under the sunlight, and in the distance, smoke curled up from a village.

Gu An turned his head and looked at an old farmer working in the field. Smiling, he asked, "Old man, you're still working at your age? Where are your children and grandchildren?"

The old farmer wore patched-up cloth clothes, his back hunched. He looked around seventy or eighty, moving slowly, with sweat rolling down his face, rough like tree bark, yet he didn’t mind.

Hearing Gu An’s words, he stopped what he was doing, slowly turned to look at Gu An, his eyes squinting into slits, toothless, but smiling kindly as he replied, "Though I'm old, I've still got strength left. As for my children, they were taken by monsters from the mountains long ago. I do have a grandson, but he needs to study, get himself a title, can’t be doing such hard labor."

Gu An nodded slightly when he heard that.

The old farmer asked curiously, "Where does young master come from?"

He had lived for so many years and had never seen someone dressed as finely as Gu An, with such a noble aura, almost like an immortal.

Of course, even if Gu An really was an immortal, he wouldn’t be excited. He had seen through life, ready to meet the end at any time.

Gu An smiled and said, "I came from the east, traveling the world, wanting to see all the sights of the mortal realm. Passing by here, I got a bit tired. Old man, you don’t mind if I chat with you for a while?"

The old farmer grinned, "Don’t mind, don’t mind. Why don’t you come to my house? Though I have no fine wine or food, I can still offer you a drink and fill your belly."

Gu An walked forward a couple of steps, sat on the dirt slope, and smiled, "No need. I’ll just sit here and chat with you."

The old farmer straightened up with effort, leaning on his hoe, smiling as he looked at Gu An.

"I’ve met quite a few cultivation sects along the way. Why don’t you let your grandson cultivate instead of studying for titles?" Gu An asked.

The old farmer shook his head and chuckled, "What’s so good about cultivation? His parents once pursued the immortal path, but they had no spiritual roots, so they came back disappointed. They were taken by monsters because they couldn’t give up, trying to steal the monster’s treasures. I don’t want my grandson to walk the same road. After all, dragons give birth to dragons, phoenixes to phoenixes. If he had immortal fate, his parents wouldn’t have been rejected by the sects."

"You really let things go. What does your grandson think about it?"

"Him? Probably wants to cultivate. But now, to please me, he’s studying first, wants to start a family and keep our name from dying out."

Gu An and the old farmer just chatted casually like this, like talking about everyday life, without any aim, just wherever the talk led.

He didn’t just ask questions, he also shared what he had seen and experienced on his journey, making the old farmer marvel at the vastness of the world from time to time.

They talked for a full half-hour before Gu An finally stood up.

Standing on the dirt slope, facing the sun, Gu An stretched lazily. The old farmer smiled at him, not feeling sad about the farewell.

"Old man, when this life ends, we should meet again."

Gu An looked down at the old farmer and said with a soft smile.

The old farmer froze for a moment, then asked, "You really are an immortal?"

Gu An replied, "Compared to me, you’re the real immortal."

Hearing that, the old farmer didn’t show joy or confusion, still wearing his kind smile. He wiped the sweat off his face and said, "Is that so? If that’s true, then great. That way I can bless my grandson to pass his exams."

Gu An turned to leave, leaving behind one last sentence, "When you become an immortal, maybe you won’t be thinking about him anymore."