Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses
Chapter 944 - 936: The Calamity of the Heavenly Horse

After pondering for a moment, Gu An finally decided to take True Yuan Ancestor as his disciple. He brought True Yuan Ancestor back to Inch Island.

Landing on the island, True Yuan Ancestor felt an unreal sensation, as if he had experienced an illusory dream.

He looked at the Deep Blue Pill in his hand, feeling the immense Dao Intent contained within, which weighed heavily on him.

"From now on, you shall cultivate here."

Gu An left these words and turned away, altering True Yuan Ancestor's fate as he walked, doing so for the Heavenly Dao to see.

In the future, during the time True Yuan Ancestor would spend cultivating on Inch Island, the great powers of the Heavenly Dao would think he was still wandering Central Heaven, even the Celestial Emperor couldn't discern this truth.

This was Gu An's aid to True Yuan Ancestor, giving him a hidden opportunity, not fully exposed to the Heavenly Dao.

True Yuan Ancestor turned around, watching Gu An's departing figure, hesitating to speak.

Behind him, at the edge of the horizon, rolling thunderclouds were dispersing. Sunshine crossed the sea, casting on him as the sea breeze blew his robes and long hair. His expression gradually brightened, and a smile appeared on his face.

Perhaps this was the goal he pursued while traversing the world?

True Yuan Ancestor was filled with anticipation for his future cultivation.

From the distant woods emerged a person, it was Xuanwu. He cautiously eyed True Yuan Ancestor, occasionally turning to look toward the mountain.

After a while, he approached True Yuan Ancestor, cupped his hands, and greeted, "I am Xuanwu, master's mount. How should I address you, fellow Daoist? What is your relationship with master?"

True Yuan Ancestor revealed a smile he believed to be kind, saying, "My Daoist title is True Yuan Ancestor. I recently apprenticed under him."

Apprenticed?

Upon hearing this, Xuanwu immediately relaxed. Since he was one of their own, he didn't need to be afraid and could face True Yuan Ancestor as he would Liu An.

"Shall I take you to build a residence?" Xuanwu asked enthusiastically.

True Yuan Ancestor nodded with a smile, following him as they chatted and laughed towards the woods.

As they talked, Xuanwu pondered curiously.

True Yuan Ancestor?

The name seemed familiar, heard somewhere before?

Wait!

Xuanwu recalled the previous golden snow event, his eyes widened, and his breathing became rapid.

Before, the grand fortune of the golden snow made him think True Yuan Ancestor was a peerless great power, not inferior to his master. Yet he did not expect True Yuan Ancestor to come to Inch Island and become his master's disciple.

He couldn't help but wonder, just how high was his master's Dao Practice?

...

The Black Desire Emperor and the Taiqi Emperor died silently. The fall of two Dao Emperor-level figures did not extend Gu An's life span, not because they had none left, but because their life spans, unlike ordinary Dao Emperors, are linked to the essence of their destinies. Only by first extinguishing their destinies and then killing them can their lives be seized.

For the current Gu An, not seizing some life span meant little. If he truly wished to kill foes and seize life spans, there were many choices. Although low-key, he had many fated enemies. Every few days, a prompt would appear before him, generally related to his disciples or old friends.

The fall of a Mixed Element Profound Venerable Immortal and a Dao Extreme Daluo Immortal did not stir waves. No one knew, while Central Heaven continued its evolution, the Immortal Gods riding the Heavenly Horse became figures of attention for all living beings under heaven.

The Heavenly Horse galloped above the clouds, bringing blessings to the world. Yet once, it went mad in the sea of clouds, stamping crazily, shattering mountains and rivers below, killing countless innocent creatures. This made all living beings aware of the vast disparity in power between Immortal Gods and themselves.

The Immortal God seemed to sense something off and soon left with the Heavenly Horse.

This event became unforgettable for all beings, gradually evolving into a myth.

In a blink, a million years passed in an instant.

During these million years, Immortal Gods frequently descended to the lower realm. Some descended to preach the Dao, some to take mounts or demon pets, and others to subdue malevolent evil demons.

The frequent appearances of Immortal Gods gave all living beings a deeper understanding of the Celestial Court, and at the same time, their expectations of the Celestial Court grew greater.

Ascending to immortality was becoming an obsession for cultivators of immortality.

On this day, at dusk, Gu An and An Zizai stood on a cliff, overlooking the splendid mountains and rivers. The evening glow shone on their faces, their expressions so serene.

An Zizai softly said, "Compared to when we first arrived, Wushiji Disciples now number less than three in ten. These years, too many disciples have left."

The growing number of disciples leaving every year left An Zizai, who held ultimate power in Wushi, feeling a sense of loss.

There is no gathering under heaven that does not disperse. This saying held true even for those of the immortal cultivation path.

An Zizai understood his disciples' desire to venture out. He couldn't forcibly intervene with their will, which left him feeling distressed.

Could they not stay together forever and seek the Dao?

"Each person has their fate. For them to accompany you this long is not easy. Besides, they have only completed their training, not cut off cause and effect with you. You'll have the chance to meet them again in the future."

Gu An gazed at the horizon, smiling softly.

An Zizai shook his head, saying, "Since they chose to leave now, then I shall have no further ties with them."

Gu An glanced at An Zizai, his eyes full of deeper meaning.

An Zizai sighed, saying, "Ancestor, you won't keep us bound forever. Your current arrangements must have your intentions. But they couldn't withstand the solitude and chose to leave, which proves they're not of the same path as me."

"What if I'm also uncertain about how Wushi should conduct itself in this world?" Gu An turned to look ahead, asking softly.

"That would indicate Wushi truly shouldn't emerge now. There must be a reason for your concern. You do this for our good. After all, you owe us nothing; we couldn't repay your kindness, even if we served you for eternity."

An Zizai spoke earnestly, always holding this belief, which he passed to his valued disciples, particularly Wu Xie, the prime example.

Gu An said with a smile, "You, you overthink, burdening yourself too much. You should consider what it is that you truly wish to pursue."

An Zizai fell into silence.

He had indeed pondered this question before but found no answer.

Now he spent each day in cultivation or managing disciples' affairs, which he found satisfying.

"Do you want to experience ascending to immortality in the future, and return after some time?" Gu An suddenly asked.

The question left An Zizai stunned, feeling quite surprised.

He thought deeply and soon replied, saying, "I don't want to, because I despise Immortal Gods, at least I'm dissatisfied with the current Heavenly Dao. If there were a change in the Celestial Court, a new Heavenly Dao order emerged, perhaps I would wish to experience it."