Chapter 325: Heavenly Dao Inheritance |
Chapter 325 Heavenly Dao Inheritance
The First Immortal King. The First Supreme Immortal Treasure…
From the Immortal King, Gu An could sense a power that transcended time—an unyielding will that dared to challenge the Heavenly Dao itself.
Tianzong’s gaze never left Gu An. He continued, “After the fall of the Immortal King, the world was swallowed by the seas, plunging into an era of declining spiritual energy. But destruction begets creation. No matter how harsh the world becomes, it always gives birth to new life. Over countless ages, more and more cultivators tried to emulate the Immortal King. The title he claimed for himself became a badge of honor pursued by generations. One Immortal King after another rose to defy heavenly might, and as a result, the shackles of the Heavenly Dao grew tighter.”
“Dynasties rose and fell, oceans turned to fields. Eventually, the Holy Court was born, and the masses were given the opportunity to step beyond the sky. I inherited the legacy of the Tianzong, and with it, the title. The Tianzong lineage passes to only one at a time. I want to take you as my disciple—to make you the next Tianzong.”
As he finished speaking, the wind in the woods ceased abruptly. Not a leaf or blade of grass stirred.
Gu An’s eyes widened. “Me? Are you sure I’m the right person? I’ve got average talent at best!”
“Talent? That’s irrelevant. The Tianzong inheritance will help you shatter your limitations. You earned the recognition of the Immortal King’s Crown—there’s no way you’re ordinary. Either your body is an ancient treasure body, or your soul contains some greater force. That Dao Mark on your forehead is proof enough.”
Tianzong’s gaze burned with intensity as he stared at Gu An.
“Tianzong follows the Heavenly Dao. Your future duty will be to align with the Heavenly Dao. So long as you uphold that principle, you’ll keep breaking through your limits—maybe even achieve immortality.”
“If immortality’s on the table, why are you handing it over to me?”
“Because I have regrets. I no longer wish to follow the Heavenly Dao.”
That answer only made Gu An more confused. If you’re trying to trap me, at least lie a little better...
Tianzong saw through Gu An’s doubt and looked up at the moon. “I’ve lived for seven hundred and eighty thousand years. Every decision in my life followed the Heavenly Dao. I gave up my wife and child, severed ties with dear friends, all in service of the Dao. And I gained immortality. I earned the reverence of all cultivators. But after all this time… regrets are inevitable. I no longer yearn for immortality. But you—you still do.”
Gu An’s first thought was to pass that inheritance on to those around him.
Tianzong continued, “My time is running out. Once the Heavenly Rankings Tournament ends, I’ll step down as Tianzong. You have no choice. What you must do now is prepare your Dao heart.”
With that, he vanished into thin air.
Gu An stood there, frowning.
“Don’t tell anyone. Revealing heaven’s secrets could bring disaster to others.”
So dramatic... Gu An thought to himself. But he had felt something mysterious—and familiar—from Tianzong, something like the divine light layer covering the Heavenly Spirit Great Realm.
Does the Heavenly Dao… really exist?
Gu An stayed lost in thought for a while before finally leaving.
In the days that followed, one cultivator after another made a name for themselves at the Heavenly Rankings Tournament. The one with the most dominant presence was Tianzong. He called himself that openly, but no one knew where he’d really come from.
The Nine-Fingered Divine Lord also performed well, but for now, didn’t seem to have the momentum to seize first place.
Time flew.
Two months passed in the blink of an eye, and the Heavenly Rankings Tournament was still in full swing. During this period, the Taixuan Sect buzzed with festivity every single day—it was like a prolonged new year celebration.
One Day—
Shen Xinzi sat under a tree reading when he suddenly sensed something. He looked up and saw an old man with white hair walking in from the valley’s entrance.
“Hm? That aura...”
Shen Xinzi furrowed his brows in deep thought.
Tianzong felt his gaze and looked back.
The moment their eyes met, Shen Xinzi was struck by a wave of indescribable terror. Instinctively, he lowered his head.
Tianzong retracted his gaze and kept walking.
His eyes swept over the Medicine Valley, quickly locking onto Yang Jian, who was conversing with disciples.
Yang Jian felt something too. When he turned and saw Tianzong, he frowned.
This guy’s no ordinary visitor.
Already at the Void Transformation Stage, Yang Jian’s perception far exceeded others at the same level.
Just one glance told him—there was no way he could defeat this man.
He wasn’t scared, though. His master was still within the Medicine Valley.
Tianzong stopped in front of Yang Jian. Shen Xinzi kept watching, debating whether or not to intervene.
“Xuan Gang Tyrant Body—have you felt the weight of your soul yet?” Tianzong asked without preamble, startling Yang Jian.
Yang Jian instinctively glanced around.
“No one else can hear or see us,” Tianzong said calmly. “Except that Heaven Demon from the Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect—I allowed him to see me on purpose.”
The mention of a Heaven Demon made Shen Xinzi’s expression shift dramatically. He immediately bowed his head.
Yang Jian, however, didn’t flinch. He resisted the tension and asked, “What do you want from me?”
Tianzong raised his right hand. In his palm appeared a golden jade stone.
“This is for you. Crush it, and you’ll recover your past life’s memories—reclaim your true identity. You’ve reincarnated a hundred times. To have someone help you awaken your Xuan Gang Tyrant Body is incredibly rare. In your next life, you might not be so lucky.”
Yang Jian instinctively took the jade, asking, “Who are you? What’s your goal?”
“We once fought side by side. I was gravely injured, and you fell in battle. I would never harm you. When you remember who you are, I’ll come back.”
Tianzong said no more and turned to leave.
Yang Jian looked down at the golden jade, his heart a mess.
A past life…?
Having read Romance of the Gods and Journey to the West, he believed in reincarnation. But now that it was happening to him, he couldn’t help but panic.
He took a deep breath and looked up—Tianzong was heading toward his master’s residence.
Can Master sense this guy’s presence?
He’d always believed his master was unbeatable. But Tianzong’s abilities were beyond comprehension. No one in the valley—not even the disciples—had noticed his presence. Only he and Shen Xinzi had.
What kind of divine ability is this?
Yang Jian couldn’t understand it. His wariness toward Tianzong hit its peak.
He debated whether to warn his master. But what if his master had already sensed him? He might mess things up by interfering.
After thinking it over, he chose to track Tianzong with his divine sense.
As his spiritual sense entered the building, Gu An didn’t react.
That actually reassured him. He retracted his divine sense.
Tianzong reached the building. He glanced toward a room on the first floor and muttered to himself, “The Reincarnation Dao Emperor? Heavy karma. Best not to get involved. Can’t believe so many threads of karma are hidden here… Is the Sword Sovereign of the Righteous Path nearby?”
He climbed the stairs.
He passed through the door and appeared before Gu An’s desk, revealing his true form. His eyes landed on the Secrets of Taixuan in Gu An’s hands.
A flicker of emotion passed through his gaze.
Suddenly, he regretted choosing Gu An.
But it was too late to turn back.
“Ahem.”
Tianzong cleared his throat. Gu An instinctively looked up—and nearly jumped out of his chair.
“Y-You?! How did you—?!”
Tianzong scowled. “You’re about to become the next Tianzong. You’ll soon carry the will of all living beings. You should stop reading trash that weakens your resolve.”
Gu An quickly shut the Secrets of Taixuan and tried to explain, “This book is different—”
“Enough!”
Tianzong cut him off and looked at the Immortal King’s Crown. “You wear that thing everywhere like it’s a headband. Aren’t you worried someone will come after it? Not everyone is like me, free of greed for Supreme Immortal Treasures. And that crown in particular—it’s one of the few that aren’t bound by the Holy Court’s fate.”
“Bound by fate? What do you mean?” Gu An asked, surprised.
Come to think of it, nearly every Qi Luck sect out at sea possessed a Supreme Immortal Treasure. He’d even stolen the Seven Star Mirror from the Seven Stars Sacred Realm. The Starsea Sect had one too.
Yet no one tried to steal them. That had to mean some hidden force was keeping those powerful cultivators in check.
Tianzong replied, “Most Supreme Immortal Treasures in this world were distributed by the Holy Court to help various sects govern their regions. Naturally, a few aren’t part of that system. Your Immortal King’s Crown is one of them.”
“The Holy Court can track all treasures bound to their fate. That’s why they’re even more wary of those outside their control. If your crown is exposed, it’ll bring serious trouble. Even the Tianzong's fate won’t be enough to shield you.”
If only you knew, Gu An thought, I’ve got another Supreme Immortal Treasure in my robes, and you haven’t even noticed that one...