Chapter 593: The Trickery of Fate |
Under the night sky, flames flickered on the mountainside. Bai Sheng, the reincarnation of the Heavenly Spirit God, sat cross-legged before the fire, channeling his energy to heal his wounds.
He was unaware that someone was watching him from the peak of a nearby mountain.
"Is he really a god of the Great Thousand Worlds?"
Shen Zhen gazed down at Bai Sheng with curiosity.
To her, he looked entirely ordinary—not the least bit like a divine being.
Though Bai Sheng had already gone through Nirvana, in the grand scheme of the world, he remained an insignificant figure. He was currently facing the greatest trial of his life.
The person he cherished the most had been captured by a supreme demon, who intended to take her as his demonic consort. News of this had spread across the Demon Lands, and countless demon kings were preparing to offer their congratulations.
If Bai Sheng wished to rescue his beloved, he would have to face the entire demon race of the Demon Lands.
The pressure was immense, yet he had no choice but to train alone in this desolate wilderness.
Shen Zhen wanted to ask how he compared to Gu An but quickly realized that question was unnecessary.
"He looks troubled," Shen Zhen murmured, eyes fixed on Bai Sheng.
Gu An glanced at her, quietly impressed.
Though Shen Zhen's cultivation wasn't particularly high, her perception had grown sharper alongside her comprehension of the Dao.
In terms of sensing the Great Dao, she was undoubtedly the most gifted among the disciples of the Dao Field. She was treading an unorthodox path of cultivation.
Gu An briefly recounted the story of Bai Sheng and Su Jin, as well as the predicament he now faced.
Su Jin had been captured by a Demon at the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm, one of the most powerful beings in the Demon Lands. If not for Su Jin pleading for his life, Bai Sheng would have already been slain.
During the years they trained together, this human and this demon had long become husband and wife. Su Jin had saved Bai Sheng countless times.
Now, Bai Sheng couldn’t imagine a future without her.
Just the thought of the suffering Su Jin might be enduring tormented him.
Hearing this, Shen Zhen’s expression shifted—not to sorrow, but to intrigue.
She was not the type of woman who would weep over such a story.
Instead, she focused on something else entirely.
How did Su Jin manage to defy reincarnation and find the reborn Heavenly Spirit God?
A suspicion crept into her mind.
Gu An must have been orchestrating everything behind the scenes.
"Let's go. Time to meet him," Gu An said, descending the mountain.
Shen Zhen followed closely behind.
As she walked, she asked, "Are you going to help him?"
A dignified god forced to suffer the trials of reincarnation—this reminded Shen Zhen of the cataclysmic battle before the world was reforged.
Given what she knew of Gu An, she was certain he wasn’t toying with the god.
Rather, he likely wanted the Heavenly Spirit God to understand mortal suffering, so that he could truly become the divine figure all beings longed for.
Throughout history, there had been countless legends of gods and immortals, but very few stories of them descending to save the world.
To most cultivators, gods and immortals were mere goals—symbols of power and eternal life, rather than beacons of divine responsibility.
Gu An chuckled as he walked ahead. "Helping him is the same as helping those demons."
Bai Sheng was far from an ordinary man.
Once he awakened the will of the Heavenly Spirit God, a single thought could reduce all those demons to ashes.
Of course, if Gu An chose to restrain Bai Sheng, the demons could avoid that fate.
But why would Gu An help them?
Forcing a woman into marriage was never righteous.
Shen Zhen quickened her pace and moved to Gu An’s side as they made their way toward Bai Sheng.
With Gu An’s immense cultivation, Bai Sheng had no way of sensing their presence. He neither heard their footsteps nor felt their approach.
It wasn’t until Gu An cleared his throat deliberately that Bai Sheng’s eyes snapped open in shock.
Seeing two figures suddenly appear before him, Bai Sheng instinctively leaped to his feet, swiftly pulling back and watching Gu An and Shen Zhen with intense vigilance.
His first thought was that they were shapeshifted demons.
For someone to approach him without him noticing, their cultivation must be far beyond his.
Had the Demon Emperor sent his subordinates after him?
Bai Sheng unsheathed his sword, preparing for battle.
Gu An found his reaction amusing and asked with a smirk, “You don’t recognize me?”
Hearing this, Bai Sheng hesitated. “You are…?”
He had only known Gu An for less than a year in the past. But countless years had passed since then, and he had long buried that memory. Occasionally, when reminiscing about his first encounter with the world of cultivation, he would remember an old friend who had supposedly died in a distant city.
“I’m Gu An. Bai Sheng, have you forgotten? I accompanied you to the imperial exams and even taught you swordsmanship,” Gu An said with a helpless smile.
Bai Sheng stared at him, straining to recall. His eyes widened in disbelief.
But he didn’t trust Gu An immediately.
Instead, he pinched himself hard, suspecting he had fallen into a demon’s illusion.
Seeing this, Shen Zhen covered her mouth and stifled a laugh.
Gu An patiently explained, “We are not demons in disguise. If we were, we wouldn’t need to trick you. We could simply kill you outright.”
Bai Sheng thought about it and realized he had a point.
Still, he found it hard to believe that an old friend he thought was long dead was now standing right in front of him.
He overlooked one critical detail—Gu An seemed to know exactly what he was thinking.
“Gu An… where did you go all those years?” Bai Sheng asked awkwardly. Too much time had passed. He had long forgotten what it felt like to talk to Gu An.
Gu An sat down by the fire and gestured for Bai Sheng to do the same.
Shen Zhen sat gracefully beside Gu An. She looked like a celestial maiden, her posture subtly revealing her deference to Gu An.
Bai Sheng took a deep breath and sat back down.
He had nowhere to go, and if he couldn’t rescue Su Jin, living was meaningless.
His eyes filled with determination as he settled back into his original spot.
Gu An picked up a stick and prodded the fire. “Talking about me is pointless. Do you want to save Su Jin?”
Bai Sheng’s eyes lit up. “You have a way? As long as you can help me rescue her, I’m willing to pay any price!”
Gu An looked up at him sharply. “Even if the price is your life?”
“I would die without hesitation!” Bai Sheng replied without a second thought.
Gu An continued, “If you die, she will end up marrying someone else. How would that be any different from the situation now? The Demon Emperor doesn’t want to kill her.”
Bai Sheng’s expression shifted slightly. He clenched his jaw and said, “It’s different! I want her to have the freedom to choose her own happiness rather than being forced into anything. As long as you can save her, I’ll gladly give my life!”
Gu An was suddenly reminded of an event from the past.
It was similar to when Big Brother sacrificed himself to save Little Five. Back then, Su Jin had been like Gu An was now—offering hope but demanding the ultimate price.
Fate truly enjoyed playing tricks on people.
Gu An lowered his gaze to the fire, as if contemplating whether Su Jin was worth saving.
Bai Sheng pressed on, “That Demon Emperor is at the Divine Thought True Immortal Realm—Eighth Heaven of the Immortal Dao. Do you know someone stronger than him?”
He noticed that his question caused Shen Zhen to smirk again. Her lips curled uncontrollably, as if mocking his ignorance.
Gu An’s voice was calm. “No rush. Let me tell you a story.”
Bai Sheng was anxious—he had no time to listen to a story.
But before he could refuse, Gu An had already begun.
“Beyond the heavens, in the depths of the universe, there exists a gate known as the Realm Gate. Beneath this gate resides a god—the Heavenly Spirit God…”
Beyond the heavens.
A god.
Bai Sheng was instantly captivated.
He found himself listening intently.
Even Shen Zhen was drawn in.
She began to envision the scene in her mind—a massive celestial gate towering amidst the starry void, and beneath it, an ancient, divine being…
More images emerged in her thoughts, revealing even greater mysteries beyond the heavens.