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

Gu An and Xiaochuan sat in the courtyard chatting with great enthusiasm about the past.

When they spoke of those olden times, they both harbored many sighs, and when it came to those long-departed friends, they would fall into brief silences.

"I sent you out of the valley, these many decades, have you been satisfied with your life?" Gu An asked.

Xiaochuan smiled and said, "Of course, I'm satisfied. At least I have no regrets in life. I've even glimpsed the Immortal Path. How can a mortal who achieves my level not be content? Those who aren't satisfied are probably oppressed their whole life. With that state of mind, no matter how high their cultivation level is, they'll never be content."

Gu An couldn't help but raise his teacup to toast him; such openness was truly rare.

Gu An had harbored resentments towards Xiaochuan before for not cultivating diligently. Now he thought about it; even if Xiaochuan didn't achieve much in immortal cultivation, he has at least lived a life more joyous than worrisome.

However, the thought that Xiaochuan wouldn't live for many more years made Gu An somewhat reluctant to part.

He had experienced this feeling many times during the Reincarnation Evolution, especially in the life of Long Zhan. Long Zhan's drastic change in temperament was because he had lived through too many such events, particularly the death of his beloved wife, which deeply traumatized him.

The powerful Long Zhan realized that even with his strength, he would have regrets, which was why he ventured alone into the universe.

Xiaochuan seemed to understand Gu An's mood and said to comfort him, "Senior brother, although you haven't started a family, there are many who care about you. You won't be alone."

Gu An suddenly asked, "What if they were all like you, what should I do then?"

Xiaochuan was stunned, he looked deep into Gu An's eyes and said, "Senior brother, anyone else might worry about this question, but you needn't. You treat people kindly, always making friends. Besides, solitude isn't necessarily torture; isn't the choice of what life you want to lead based on your heart?"

"I can be so open-minded because I learned it from you. Ever since I was little, I've admired you the most. No matter how powerful Li Ya senior brother is, in my eyes, he doesn't compare to you, because you live freely and can protect the people you want to care for."

Upon saying this, Xiaochuan smiled again.

Gu An suddenly felt an impulse.

This time he wouldn't just go along with Xiaochuan's wishes!

Gu An took out a secret book and threw it on the table; Xiaochuan instinctively looked at it, surprised he asked, "What is this?"

"This records a kind of spell…" Gu An began to introduce, and with just a sentence, Xiaochuan became entranced.

Gu An took this chance to enlighten Xiaochuan, immersing his thoughts in the Heaven and Earth Rules, allowing him to momentarily forget about outside matters.

Autumn winds swept up the fallen leaves in the courtyard, as if fate refused to let them settle on the ground.

...

Above the sea, dressed in black, Li Ya stood on a black eagle's back, his gaze fixed on the distance. Above the Sea Breaking Rift, hung a majestic and mighty Floating Island, on which stood a city emanating an awe-inspiring aura that commanded respect from all living beings.

"Broken Sea Domain Master City..."

Li Ya muttered to himself, frowning.

A Divine Exotic Immortal Spirit appeared on his shoulder and said softly, "There are terrifying things hidden there, that will eat me, don't go near."

Hearing this, Li Ya's frown deepened as it was the first time he heard the Divine Exotic Immortal Spirit say such a thing.

He took a deep breath, then stamped his foot, and the black eagle flapped its wings harder, speeding up like an arrow, quickly diving into the Sea Breaking Rift.

Once inside the dark rift, Li Ya breathed a sigh of relief, his gaze looking down with determination.

"Zhang Buku, wait for me, I haven't given up on you!"

Li Ya's hands tightened into fists within his sleeves, and he drew his Heavy Sword, ready for battle.

Meanwhile.

Far away in Mystic Valley, Gu An was picking medicinal herbs. He couldn't help but stand up and look into the distance.

It had been ten years since he had lectured Xiaochuan. Over those years, he hadn't seen Xiaochuan again and had immersed himself back into his life.

In those ten years, he had extended his lifespan by more than eighteen million years, and so he'd been happy every year.

It was not until today that the Divine Exotic Immortal Spirit told him, it sensed a dangerous presence.

The Divine Exotic Immortal Spirit claimed to feel the presence of a natural enemy within the Broken Sea Domain Master City—an extremely sinister presence.

Gu An probed with Divine Thought and discovered a Heavenly Demon within the Broken Sea Domain Master City.

Another Heavenly Demon!

This Heavenly Demon also possessed the cultivation level of a Divine Immortal of Wondrous Dharma, unlike the Dark Soul Ancestor before; this one was a Living Spirit.

There he was, hidden in a dark palace, separated by many Restrictions. No matter how Gu An saw it, he didn't look like a prisoner.

Could it be that the Holy King behind the Great Cold Demon Sect had a connection with the Heavenly Demon?

Gu An didn't alarm them; exterminating demons was easy, but severing causality was difficult. It was better for both sides to wait, even though he did not know what the other side was waiting for, but he knew he was growing stronger every year.

Nirvana, Loose Immortal, Wandering Immortal, Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal, Carefree Primordial Immortal, Divine Immortal of Wondrous Dharma, Dao Void Mysterious Immortal, and Divine Thought True Immortal!

In this world where even Carefree Primordial Immortals were rare, Gu An, in the realm of Divine Thought True Immortal, had the confidence to face all trials.

Gu An watched for a while longer, then withdrew his Divine Thought.

He wasn't panicked by the calculations of that Holy King; he felt that the Holy King might be a pawn of the Heavenly Demon.

Inviting the hostility of the Heavenly Demon for personal grievances, though not afraid, was unnecessary.

Gu An continued picking medicinal herbs, humming a little tune.

Once he finished picking the medicinal herbs, he left Mystic Valley.

He arrived on the eaves of a building at the Chuan residence, his gaze on Xiaochuan, who was cultivating in the courtyard.

After that enlightenment, Xiaochuan devoted more time to cultivation, a subject he had mentioned to no one.

Gu An saw that Xiaochuan's ultimate lifespan had increased to four hundred fifteen years.

Not too bad!

He then peeked into Xiaochuan's causality.

On a typical day, Gu An wouldn't only be playing around; he cultivated too. What he studied the most was the causality of life.

He could now probe the entire lives of mortals. Even if a three-year-old child stood before him, he could see the end of their life in an instant.

As expected, Xiaochuan's life had changed.

Previously, Gu An saw Xiaochuan passing away with a peaceful and regret-free departure. This time he saw Xiaochuan surviving past his original lifespan's end, with the Chuan house also producing a generation with stronger talent for cultivation.

But as he watched, Gu An's brows furrowed.

Xiaochuan died at age four hundred thirteen, not living out his full ultimate lifespan because his descendants offended a powerful Cultivation Family. Worn out from too much exertion, he died of depression in the end.

Gu An suddenly felt that his enlightenment of Xiaochuan might not have been such a good thing.

But on second thought, he'd simply take action when the time came.

He was the biggest variable in Xiaochuan's life causality.

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With that in mind, Gu An looked towards the other members of the Chuan family, peering into their lives.

A mortal's life seems long to them but is short in his eyes. Their decades of experience would just flash by him, causing no burden and not affecting him in the slightest. That was the strength of a Divine Thought True Immortal.

Not to say Divine Thought True Immortal, even a Dao Void Mysterious Immortal could reach this degree.

It wasn't long before Gu An's gaze landed on a boy called Chuan Qi.

[Chuan Qi (Untrained in Qi Cultivation): 3/120/1050]

Such talent was definitely the strongest among Xiaochuan's descendants.

Gu An began to probe into Chuan Qi's life.

It wasn't Chuan Qi who offended the Cultivation Family, but another member of the Chuan house. After Xiaochuan's death, Chuan Qi left the family and ventured alone into the Immortal Cultivation World.

This youngster actually lived past the years of his ultimate lifespan, meaning he would encounter great fortunes in the future, the specifics of which, Gu An could not determine from causality.

Until Chuan Qi met a girl. After that, the causality broke, and his future became unfathomable.

When Gu An saw the girl, he could instantly tell she harbored a Heavenly Demon's soul.

Another Heavenly Demon!

Exactly how many Heavenly Demons had infiltrated the Great Heavenly Spirit Land?

Gu An frowned and continued to scan the others.

He stood proudly on the eaves, unseen by those passing through the courtyard below.

After thirty minutes, Gu An finally returned to the Third Medicine Valley.

He stepped down from the Transmission Array Platform, pondering over causality and fate.

"Gu An, come over for a game of Go!"

A voice called out, and as Gu An turned his head, the caller was none other than the Nine-Finger Divine Lord.

In recent years, Lu Xianyi and Stealing the Five Elements had left. There were only two Great Cultivators left in the valley—Shen Xinzi and the Nine-Finger Divine Lord. Shen Xinzi was not very interested in Go, preferring to study Journey to the West and Investiture of the Gods.

Gu An didn't understand why Shen Xinzi could keep on reading those two books over and over, but he chose to respect his choices.

Gu An walked towards the Nine-Finger Divine Lord while simultaneously probing his causality and fate.

The higher the opponent's cultivation level, the shorter the lifespan Gu An could see.

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord's lifespan and causality were extremely complex, staying consistent for decades, but Gu An could no longer see beyond fifty years into the future.

Gu An settled down before the Go board as he opened the Go box, he asked, "Predecessor, you have lived for a long time. Tell me, should cultivators intervene in the lives of mortals, even with good intentions?"

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord looked at him in surprise upon hearing this question, never expecting him to ask such a thing.

"You've asked the right person. I think one shouldn't. Cultivation itself is a path against nature. Intervening in a mortal's life will only bring them calamity. There is a will of heaven inherent within the universe. Once, I faced a trial; that ordeal left me gravely injured, losing a finger, but it also confirmed for me the existence of the will of heaven."

"There is certainly a force beyond the reach and touch of cultivators that may lack consciousness, but it controls the fate of all beings. The higher my cultivation, the more I feel its vastness."

As he spoke, a hint of fear even appeared in the eyes of the Nine-Finger Divine Lord.

Gu An curiously asked, "Is it from Holy Court?"

Ever since the establishment of the Broken Sea Domain, Holy Court had entered the collective consciousness of the beings on the continent, becoming an institution representing the divine forces amidst mortal beings.

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord shook his head and said, "No, Holy Court is also at the mercy of this force. From what I know, between this world and the universe lies a barrier of power that prevents Mortal Spirits from flying out. It is like a set of rules, and even the Holy Court must obey."

Gu An looked up, indeed aware of such rules. It was a layer of light enveloping the Great Heavenly Spirit Land that forced living beings to reach the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm before they could fly to the universe.

Even as a Divine Thought True Immortal, Gu An could not see through these rules.

The Divine Origin realm where Long Zhan was, was not restricted by such rules.

Gu An looked up at the sky and placed a stone onto the center of the Go board, making the Nine-Finger Divine Lord's mouth twitch as if he felt humiliated.