Chapter 318: Peeping into Life, the So-called Will of Heaven |
Gu An and Xiao Chuan sat in the courtyard, chatting away with enthusiasm as they reminisced about the past.
As they spoke of days long gone, both were filled with emotions. But when the conversation drifted to old friends who had already passed on, a brief silence would fall between them.
“I asked you to leave the valley all those years ago. So tell me, have you been satisfied with your life since?” Gu An asked.
Xiao Chuan smiled.
“Of course. At the very least, I have no regrets. I even got to glimpse the Immortal Dao. For a mortal like me to reach this point—how could I not be satisfied? Those who aren’t satisfied probably live in constant repression. With a mindset like that, even the highest cultivation won’t bring peace.”
Gu An couldn’t help but raise his teacup to him. Such a sense of contentment was rare indeed.
He had once complained in his heart that Xiao Chuan wasn’t dedicated enough to cultivation. But now that he thought about it, even if Xiao Chuan hadn’t achieved much on the path of immortality, at least he’d lived a life of more joy than sorrow.
He’d experienced this feeling many times during his Reincarnation Evolution, especially through the life of Long Zhan. Long Zhan’s drastic change in personality was the result of going through too many losses—most painfully, the death of his wife, which had deeply shaken him.
Even someone as powerful as Long Zhan had regrets. That was why he eventually wandered the universe alone.
It seemed Xiao Chuan sensed Gu An’s thoughts and comforted him.
“Senior Brother, even though you never started a family, there are plenty of people who care about you. You won’t be alone.”
Gu An suddenly asked,
“But what if they all end up like you?”
Xiao Chuan paused, then gave Gu An a deep look and said,
“Anyone else might worry about that—but not you. You’re kind to people and always make friends. And besides, solitude isn’t always suffering. What kind of life you want—it all depends on your heart.”
“The reason I can see things clearly like this… is because of you. From childhood, you were the one I looked up to most. Even Senior Brother Li Ya can’t compare. You live freely and still protect those you care about.”
He smiled again.
Gu An suddenly felt a surge of emotion.
This time, he wouldn’t just go along with Xiao Chuan’s wishes.
He pulled out a manual and tossed it on the table. Xiao Chuan looked at it instinctively and asked in surprise:
“What’s this?”
“This records a technique…” Gu An began, and with just a few words, Xiao Chuan slipped into a trance.
Taking advantage of the moment, Gu An began imparting Dao, drawing Xiao Chuan’s thoughts into the very fabric of heaven and earth’s laws, making him forget all else.
The autumn breeze lifted the fallen leaves in the courtyard, as if fate itself refused to let them rest on the ground.
Far away, on the ocean, dressed in black, Li Ya stood on the back of a black eagle, gazing into the distance. Above the Severed Sea Rift floated a grand and majestic island, a city standing atop it, radiating an awe-inspiring aura.
“Main City of Duanhai Domain…”
Li Ya murmured, frowning.
A Divine Anomaly Spirit perched on his shoulder and said softly:
“Something terrifying is hiding there. It’ll devour me. Don’t go near it.”
Li Ya’s frown deepened. It was the first time he’d ever heard the spirit say such a thing.
He took a deep breath and stomped his foot.
The black eagle spread its wings and shot forward like an arrow, diving into the Severed Sea Rift.
Once inside the dark rift, Li Ya exhaled, peering downward, his gaze turning resolute.
“Zhang Bukui, wait for me. I haven’t given up on you yet!”
He clenched his fists within his sleeves, then pulled out his heavy sword, preparing for battle.
Meanwhile, back in Xuan Valley, Gu An was gathering herbs. He suddenly stood up and looked into the distance.
It had been ten years since he last spoke with Xiao Chuan. He hadn’t visited him since, having returned to his own routine.
In those ten years, Gu An had gained over eighteen million years of lifespan, which made every year feel fulfilling.
Until today—his Divine Anomaly Spirit warned him of a dangerous presence.
It claimed to sense the aura of a natural predator within the Main City of Duanhai Domain—an aura of pure evil.
Using his divine sense, Gu An scanned the city—he discovered the presence of another Heaven Demon.
Another one!
This Heaven Demon had the same cultivation as a Mystic Celestial Immortal—but unlike the previously encountered Ancestor of Dark Souls, this one was alive.
He was hidden within a dark palace, separated by layers of restrictions. But to Gu An, he didn’t look imprisoned at all.
Could it be that the Saint King behind the Grand Cold Demon Sect was colluding with a Heaven Demon?
Gu An didn’t act rashly. Slaying demons was easy—cutting karma was hard. Better to wait and see. He didn’t know what the other side was waiting for, but he knew one thing—he was getting stronger every year.
Nirvana, Scattered Immortal, Roving Immortal, Celestial Ascension, Free Soaring Immortal, Mystic Celestial Immortal, Dao-Void Celestial Immortal, and finally—Divine Soul Immortal!
In a world where Free Soaring Immortals were rare, Gu An had reached Divine Soul Immortal. He feared no tribulation.
After a while, Gu An retracted his divine sense.
He wasn’t too worried about the Saint King’s schemes. He suspected the man might just be a pawn of the Heaven Demon.
All this over a personal grudge? Not worth it.
He continued picking herbs, humming a little tune as he worked.
When he finished, he left Xuan Valley.
He appeared on a rooftop in Chuan Residence, gazing down at Xiao Chuan, who was cultivating in the courtyard.
Since that enlightenment session, Xiao Chuan had devoted more time to cultivation. He hadn’t spoken to anyone about the experience.
Gu An saw his lifespan limit had risen to 415 years.
Not bad!
He began examining Xiao Chuan’s karma.
Gu An didn’t spend all his time relaxing—he also cultivated, especially in karma and destiny.
Now, he could see the entire life of any mortal. Even a three-year-old child—he could glimpse their ending with one look.
As expected, Xiao Chuan’s life path had changed.
Previously, Gu An had seen Xiao Chuan passing away peacefully in old age, with no regrets. But now, his fate had shifted—he’d live past his prior limit. And someone in Chuan Residence would be born with strong cultivation potential.
But as he kept watching, Gu An’s brow furrowed.
Xiao Chuan would die at 413—short of his full limit. The cause? One of his descendants offended a powerful cultivator clan. Xiao Chuan worked himself to death and died in grief.
Gu An suddenly felt his act of imparting Dao may not have been a blessing.
But he quickly shifted perspective—when the time came, he would intervene.
He was the biggest variable in Xiao Chuan’s fate.
With that in mind, Gu An turned his attention to the others in Chuan Residence, observing their life paths.
A mortal’s life might seem long to them, but to him it was like a brief flash. Decades of experience passed before his eyes without burden or impact. Such was the power of a Divine Soul Immortal.
Even a Dao-Void Celestial Immortal could achieve this.
Soon, his gaze settled on a young boy named Chuan Qi.
【Chuan Qi (Not yet in Qi Refining): 3 / 120 / 1050】
Such talent was by far the strongest among Xiao Chuan’s descendants.
Gu An began to observe Chuan Qi’s life.
It turned out Chuan Qi wasn’t the one who offended the cultivation clan—it was another family member. After Xiao Chuan’s death, Chuan Qi left home to seek his own path in the cultivation world.
This kid actually lived past his lifespan limit, which meant he would encounter a great fortune in the future—though the exact details were hidden from karma’s view.
Eventually, Chuan Qi would meet a girl, and from that moment, his fate became unclear.
When Gu An saw the girl, he immediately recognized the soul of a Heaven Demon hidden within her.
Another one!
Just how many Heaven Demons had infiltrated the Heavenly Spirit Great Realm?
Gu An frowned and continued scanning the area.
He stood openly on the rooftop, but no one below could see him.
After a stick of incense’s time, Gu An returned to the Third Medicine Valley.
He stepped off the teleportation platform, deep in thought about karma and destiny.
“Gu An, come play a game!”
A voice called out. Gu An turned to see it was the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord.
A few years ago, Lu Xianyi and Qie Wuxing had left. Now, only two Grandmasters remained in the valley: Shen Xinzi and Nine-Fingered Divine Lord. Shen Xinzi wasn’t into Go—he preferred obsessing over Journey to the West and Romance of the Gods.
Gu An never understood how Shen Xinzi could reread the same two books over and over, but he respected it.
As he walked toward Nine-Fingered Divine Lord, he peeked into the man’s karma and fate.
The stronger one’s cultivation, the less he could see.
Nine-Fingered Divine Lord’s fate was deeply complex—unchanging for decades, but impossible to glimpse beyond fifty years.
Sitting down at the board, Gu An opened the Go box and asked:
“Senior, you’ve lived long. Tell me—should cultivators intervene in a mortal’s life, even if it’s out of good intentions?”
The elder looked surprised—he hadn’t expected such a question.
“You’re asking the right person. I think not. Cultivation is already a defiance of the heavens. Meddling in mortal lives only brings calamity. Fate exists, unseen but real. Once, I suffered a tribulation that left me severely wounded—I lost a finger. But that’s when I understood fate was real.”
“There’s definitely a power in this world that cultivators can’t see or touch. It might not be conscious, but it controls the destinies of all living things. The stronger I grow, the more I can feel its might.”
As he spoke, a rare trace of fear appeared in the elder’s eyes.
Gu An asked curiously:
“Is it from the Holy Court?”
Ever since Duanhai Domain was established, the Holy Court had risen in the public consciousness as the face of immortals and gods.
The elder shook his head.
“No. Even the Holy Court is subject to that force. As far as I know, this world and the universe are separated by a barrier. Mortals can’t fly out—it’s like some kind of law. Even the Holy Court must obey it.”
Gu An looked up at the sky. That was true—a layer of light covered the Heavenly Spirit Great Realm, and only those who reached the Celestial Ascension Stage could break through to the stars.
Even as a Divine Soul Immortal, Gu An couldn’t fully comprehend that rule.
The Divine Essence Great Realm where Long Zhan lived wasn’t bound by such restrictions.
As Gu An looked up at the firmament, he placed a stone right in the center of the board—leaving the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord twitching in frustration.
What a humiliating opening move…