Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

Sword cultivators of the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm were formidable, their sword intent stirring the entire world, but to harbor illusions to obstruct Da Hong Sword Heaven was undeniably a fool's dream.

Gu An's gaze returned to Da Hong Sword Heaven, where continuous figures flew out of the Reincarnation Vortex, each emitting a formidable sword intent, led by two Free Immortals.

These people's faces were unfamiliar to Gu An, never having been seen in Yang Xian's memories.

However, he was certain that Da Hong Sword Heaven was founded by Yang Xian's disciple, Yang Ping'an.

Previously, Da Hong Sword Heaven had not appeared, but now it did—could it be because its followers were being taught the Holy Heart Sword Dao?

Gu An felt this was only part of the reason—their imposing manner suggested they harbored designs on the Great Heavenly Spirit Land.

After a brief negotiation, the Holy Court and the Immortal Dynasty commenced their siege on Da Hong Sword Heaven, the battle fierce.

Long Qing could not view the fight from Outer Heaven, but he was lost in boundless imagination.

The Supreme Sect, disturbed by the Immortal Dynasty's sword intent, debated where this sword intent originated.

After watching for a while, Gu An turned and left, with Long Qing quickly following, inquiring about the situation in Outer Heaven.

Gu An did not conceal the facts, briefly describing the battle in Outer Heaven; Long Qing listened excitedly, his longing for the Immortal Path Realm intensifying.

Upon returning to Medicine Valley, Long Qing hurried to his room to meditate, determined to make his master proud and to become a powerful figure who could stir the winds and clouds of the world.

Gu An returned to his room, untroubled by Da Hong Sword Heaven bringing calamity, as this group was not potent enough to threaten the Great Heavenly Spirit Land.

Sitting at his desk, Gu An turned to look out the window, his thoughts drifting to distant memories.

There, on that island, only Yang Ping'an accompanied him, always challenging him—thinking of it, he felt quite nostalgic.

Seeing the robust Qi Fortune of Da Hong Sword Heaven, it was clear that a lengthy time had passed since Yang Ping'an had established it.

How strong was Yang Ping'an now?

Gu An looked forward to finding out, though he also felt a sense of urgency.

Times had changed, and it was essential to guard against others; guessing Yang Ping'an's intentions in seeking the Holy Heart Sword Dao was challenging.

Setting aside Yang Ping'an, he also had to consider the Annihilation God Emperor as a hypothetical enemy, striving to grow stronger.

Moreover, the depths of the universe still had the Heavenly Spirit God as an obstacle!

What a long and heavy responsibility!

With these thoughts in mind, Gu An took out the latest volume of the Supreme Secret Records and began to consolidate his Daoist Heart.

The Supreme Secret Records were still being written but were no longer sold in the market—only Gu An had access, as a form of repayment from Shen Zhen.

...

At dawn, the waves crashed against the shore.

On the cliff, streams of sword qi appeared out of nowhere, circling and coiling to form a vortex that rapidly expanded, followed by a figure stepping out from it, landing on the cliff.

Bathed in sunlight, this was a man in black armor and a white cloak, his long hair tied under a white jade crown, and a treasure sword hanging at his waist. His handsome face emanated a commanding arrogance.

After landing, he looked around; the sword qi vortex behind him quickly contracted.

After looking around, he smiled then raised his right hand, sword qi emerging in his palm to condense into a silver mirror, the mirror reflecting a gentle woman.

"Sword Lord, the fate of the Great Heavenly Spirit Land is in chaos. It is for this reason that I could help you infiltrate it, but this also implies unpredictable dangers. You must be very careful," the woman in the mirror spoke, her face filled with worry.

The man with the mirror hailed from Da Hong Sword Heaven, revered as Jue Luo Sword Monarch.

Hearing the woman's words, Jue Luo Sword Monarch responded dismissively, "The Great Heavenly Spirit Land is not what it used to be. After that great battle, it's just a fragment of the Great Heavenly Spirit Land now; no one can threaten me, rest assured."

The woman in the mirror frowned, then asked, "Can you tell me now why you want to infiltrate the Great Heavenly Spirit Land?"

Jue Luo Sword Monarch looked into the distance and said, "The Holy Heart Sword Dao has reappeared. Those above wish to find the reincarnation or inheritor of the Sword Dao Saint Ancestor to serve him, but I disagree. I will defeat him and prove that Da Hong Sword Heaven does not need to pursue the Holy Heart Sword Dao. I will create an even stronger Sword Dao."

Upon hearing this, the woman in the mirror's expression drastically changed, just about to speak when Jue Luo Sword Monarch crushed the silver mirror, dissipating it into sword qi.

He then identified a direction, stepped forward, transforming into a streak of sword light soaring toward the end of Heaven and Sea, leaving behind a trail of sword qi mirages, like a mirage hanging above the vast ocean.

At the same time,

North Sea Mountain,

Gu An, wearing a mask, sat on the eaves reading a book, his Divine Thought locked onto Jue Luo Sword Monarch.

The ninth layer of the Free Immortal Realm was intensely replete with the cause and effect of Reincarnation, it was estimated that the Reincarnation Tribulation was about to end, only half a step away from the Tao Fruit Realm.

When the other party descended onto the Great Heavenly Spirit Land, Gu An had detected him immediately and also heard what he had said.

He didn't consider Jue Luo Sword Monarch a threat; rather, the implications behind the words of the Sword Monarch gave him pause.

Did Da Hong Sword Heaven intend to serve the Inheritor of the Holy Heart Sword Dao?

Gu An remembered that although Yang Xian had imparted the Holy Heart Sword Dao to Yang Ping'an, Yang Ping'an at the time showed no surprise but instead smiled, saying his own sword dao was not inferior to the Holy Heart Sword Dao.

At that time, Yang Xian's Holy Heart Sword Dao was merely rudimentary, nowhere near as strong as it was when contending with the Heavenly Spirit God, and countless years had passed since then, with the Holy Heart Sword Dao having reached unimaginable levels through the Sword Dao River—could it be that Yang Ping'an had faced setbacks in his sword dao and come to believe his own was inferior to the Holy Heart Sword Dao?

Gu An speculated about what might have transpired after Yang Xian's death to make Da Hong Sword Heaven so highly esteem the Holy Heart Sword Dao.

As for Jue Luo Sword Monarch seeking to trouble him, he wasn't too concerned; what waves could a mere Free Immortal stir up?

If he dared to act against him, Gu An wouldn't hesitate due to past feelings; he would kill if necessary.

He wasn't Yang Xian; he didn't confine his actions within so many strictures.

In the courtyard, Sage Xuan Miao, holding a secret book, looked up at Gu An and anxiously said, "Mountain God, this secret book is too profound; I can't understand it at all."

Back at Three Pure Ones Mountain, he had been considered a prodigy, able to grasp any Daoist Sorcery with just a glance; yet, when faced with the secret book bestowed by the Mountain God, he couldn't comprehend it at all.

Gu An nonchalantly replied, "If it were that easy to fathom, becoming an Immortal wouldn't be so difficult."

Centuries had passed, and Sage Xuan Miao had already achieved the Mystic Heart Realm Cultivator status; his talent was not lacking—it was just that Gu An hadn't prioritized nurturing him.

Upon hearing this, Sage Xuan Miao could only manage an awkward smile and continued to delve into the secret book in his hands.

Boom—

A deafening boom suddenly came from the sky, startling Sage Xuan Miao to look up and see a huge ball of light appearing and rapidly expanding, with strong winds soon descending upon the mountains and forests.

Sage Xuan Miao quickly stood up, frowning deeply; with the Mountain God still there, he was not panicked.

"Mountain God, a Sword Intent ascended to the heavens a few months ago, and now this bizarre phenomenon has occurred; what could be the reason?" Sage Xuan Miao asked, turning to Gu An as the tempest tousled his long hair.

Gu An answered, "Obviously, someone is fighting."

Hearing this, Sage Xuan Miao fell into silence.

Though he was secluded from the world, people still passed by this place, allowing him to keep abreast of the major happenings overseas, which was currently in the midst of rare chaos.

He wanted to ask the Mountain God why he didn't put an end to such turbulent times but feared it would be presumptuous.

He always believed that the Mountain God was a true Immortal, different from those powerful Cultivators and Demons.

But he figured that the Mountain God had his own considerations, perhaps everything had its own natural laws of evolution, and even Immortals could not disrupt them.

Gu An stood up and tucked the book into his chest, looking down at Sage Xuan Miao, "Cultivate well; these days are long, and when you are strong enough, I can let you leave the mountain to alleviate suffering."

As his words fell, he vanished into thin air from the eaves.

Sage Xuan Miao, rather than being ecstatic, looked down at the secret book in his hands, his eyes revealing a glimmer of hope.

...

Above the boundless mountains and rivers, dust swirled as An Hao stood proudly in the air, his knight's robe fluttered wildly; he looked downward, with nine bright suns floating behind him tracing circular paths, the firelight illuminating his form, making him look like a deity.

From all directions, Cultivators and Demons watched the battle; they stood outside the Formation, each gaze towards An Hao filled with disbelief.

Those from the Supreme Sect watched with surging emotions, excited beyond measure.

Wu Jue watched An Hao from afar, his eyes unable to hide his stunned expression as he subconsciously looked at his own right fist.

An Hao could overpower a Loose Immortal, but could his fist defeat a Nirvana Realm Cultivator?

At this moment, he truly felt the vast disparity between himself and An Hao, as if it were the difference between an Immortal and a mortal.