https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-468-Luo-Tian-the-Representative-of-Heaven-/12945836/
https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-470-The-Perfected-Realm-Sword-Dao-Sage/12945838/
Chapter 469: Confronting the Heavenly Dao
Chapter 469: Confronting the Heavenly Dao
As Gu An finished speaking, his gaze swept across Yang Jian and Zhang Xian Wang, causing the atmosphere in the room to drop to freezing point.
Zhen Qin, who had just sat down, was also stunned, afraid to even breathe.
At this moment, she truly believed that her master was none other than the Dao Support Sword Venerable, and his imposing manner was truly terrifying!
This was the first time Yang Jian had felt his master reveal such an aura. Even with his restored past life memories and wealth of experience, he still felt a chill in the face of Gu An's presence, and even felt his internal spiritual power freeze.
Zhang Xian Wang's previous tension resurfaced, causing his entire body to stiffen.
Ye Lan, however, was not nervous. Deep down, she knew that Gu An would never harm her.
"Senior...Daoist friend, you were saying?" Zhang Xian Wang asked through gritted teeth, facing Gu An's pressure.
Gu An replied expressionlessly, "I won't interfere in the grand scheme of the world, but don't provoke me. Also, don't involve mortals. The distinction between immortals and mortals should not be one of status but of the distance required for safety due to power disparities."
Upon hearing this, Zhang Xian Wang and Yang Jian immediately nodded.
Gu An then smiled, and the terrifying pressure that had filled the room dissipated, leaving Yang Jian, Zhang Xian Wang, and Zhen Qin feeling a bit dazed.
"Alright, I've answered your questions. Now, let's talk about something more cheerful. How have you been these past years? Jian'er, you can start."
Gu An turned to Yang Jian and asked with a smile. Yang Jian snapped out of his daze and immediately began recounting his experiences over the years, not holding back even with Zhang Xian Wang present.
Zhang Xian Wang was very interested in Yang Jian's story.
Ye Lan and Zhen Qin also became intrigued when they heard that Yang Jian had entered the cycle of reincarnation.
Unlike Gu An and the other two, they were both at the mortal realm, and even though they held positions of authority within their sects, they were still at the bottom of the cultivation world when considering the entire realm. They had never even come into contact with matters of reincarnation.
They had been to the mortal world to guide lost ghosts, but they couldn't see how these ghosts reincarnated.
Gu An listened attentively, occasionally asking for details, creating a harmonious atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the strange phenomena beyond the heavens began to subside. The living beings in the Annihilation Domain were anxious, as there had been brief periods of calm before, but the Great Dao Spirit Energy would soon start raging again, so they couldn't be sure if this would be the last peaceful moment.
Time passed quickly.
By dusk, Gu An asked An Xian to settle Zhen Qin, Yang Jian, and Zhang Xian Wang, while he spent some time alone with Ye Lan.
Looking at Ye Lan, Gu An said, "If you have any questions, just ask."
He had previously concealed his identity as the Dao Support Sword Venerable, but he could hear Ye Lan's inner thoughts, so he wanted her to speak her mind.
Ye Lan indeed had many questions, but seeing that Gu An had set aside time for her and was willing to explain, her pent-up frustrations dissipated.
Who was Gu An, and did it really matter? What mattered was that Gu An, regardless of his identity, was protecting her.
Moreover, seeing the commotion outside, Ye Lan realized that the identity of the Dao Support Sword Venerable should indeed be kept hidden.
Ye Lan smiled and said, "How does it feel to be revered by so many?"
Gu An knew from her question that she held no grudges.
His junior sister was always so understanding.
Gu An shook his head and smiled, "It's all just an empty name. In this world, a name may outlive a person, but it can never withstand the passage of time."
"That's for ordinary people. Senior Brother, with your exceptional strength, will surely be praised by generations to come," Ye Lan said earnestly.
Throughout history, how many people could claim to have saved the world? She had never heard of anyone more powerful or accomplished than Senior Brother.
Gu An smiled helplessly and poured tea for Ye Lan.
Ye Lan could read his expression and thought back to his previous conversation with the Annihilation Emperor. She couldn't help but ask, "Could a world like ours truly be destroyed?"
Gu An nodded, "A long time ago, it was destroyed once. The current great world is just a fragment of the previous one. And beyond this world, there are many other great worlds, perhaps even multiple cosmic universes. Even I am insignificant in comparison."
Listening to Gu An, Ye Lan's heart and mind wandered, and she sighed sincerely, "There are always people beyond people, and worlds beyond worlds. I really want to see what's beyond this world, but unfortunately, I don't have the qualifications."
Gu An looked at her and said, "If you want to go, I can take you there."
Ye Lan was tempted, but she shook her head, "Never mind, I'm afraid I'll only feel more dissatisfied after seeing it."
She turned to Gu An and asked firmly, "Senior Brother, does reincarnation truly bring new life? Will I still be me in the next life?"
After hearing Yang Jian's experiences, she had become interested in reincarnation.
Moreover, the Primordial Reincarnation Technique allowed one to accumulate cultivation across reincarnations. She hadn't believed it before, but now she felt that approaching death was the beginning of the Primordial Reincarnation Technique.
Hearing Ye Lan's thoughts, Gu An replied, "Of course. The path of cultivation is the exploration of the Great Dao, and reincarnation is one such Great Dao. In your next life, if you can regain your memories, then you will still be the current you. Even if you don't regain your memories, you will still be you. Your soul remains unchanged. Reincarnation may erase memories, but it cannot alter one's nature or the deepest desires that arise from within."
He had always believed that nature was predetermined, but experiences could suppress one's nature, shape principles, and form a new person.
Just like in his previous life, he understood many truths, but it was difficult to control his will and inner desires.
Even now, as powerful as he is, his mind still gives birth to many thoughts, and these thoughts even conflict with the path he has come to understand.
Cultivation is the cultivation of the mind, and only by cultivating the mind can one control one's nature.
Ye Lan smiled and said, "I want to reincarnate too, but I don't know if Senior Brother will still look for me in my next life."
By now, she no longer doubted Gu An's abilities, and she believed that reincarnation was just an ordinary matter to him.
Gu An raised his eyebrows and said, "Of course I will look for you. I'll bind you to my side and trap you for life after life. Are you afraid?"
"That's great! I was afraid you wouldn't want me anymore," Ye Lan pretended to say pitifully.
Gu An smiled and said, "I'm afraid that you'll be rebellious in your next life and treat me as an enemy."
Ye Lan looked at Gu An steadily and said, "That's impossible. No matter if I have memories or not, as long as I see you, I will trust you completely. Although I have never experienced reincarnation, I firmly believe this."
Gu An looked into her eyes, listening to her inner voice, and the room fell silent.
"Senior Brother, you're alone, watching as the deceased reincarnate. What does that feel like?" Ye Lan continued to ask.
She believed that Gu An had lived for countless years, and she couldn't even tell if she had a close relationship with him in her past life, which was why Gu An took such good care of her.
Gu An looked out the window and said, "Look at the leaves falling from that tree, and new buds growing. How do you feel about that?"
Ye Lan turned to look out the window, her thoughts drifting.
Gu An's Dao intent enveloped her, helping her comprehend the natural laws of heaven and earth.
The two of them stared out the window, both lost in thought.
Gu An's past flashed before his eyes. In his free time, he would recall his past, including his experiences on Earth. He wanted to always remember where he came from and why he embarked on the path of cultivation.
As Gu An's thoughts wandered, a gentle breeze blew outside, rustling the old tree next to the pavilion. Just as he had said, some leaves were blown off the tree.
That leaf seemed reluctant to fall, fluttering and struggling in the wind. It rose with the wind and then fell with it, rising and falling repeatedly.
It flew across the crimson sky, into a blue sky dotted with white clouds, and slowly descended, landing in Gu An's palm.
This fall spanned several hundred years.
Gu An, dressed in white, stood before a tombstone, his eyes fixed on the leaf in his hand, his gaze deep.
A hand reached out, wanting to grab the leaf in his palm, but it passed through his hand.
"Is this what it feels like after death? It's quite peculiar."
Ye Lan's soul stood beside Gu An, excitedly speaking.
Gu An glanced at her and said helplessly, "You're about to reincarnate, and you're still this happy?"
Ye Lan proudly said, "Of course I'm happy. I'm going to start my life anew, and these four hundred years have left me with no regrets."
Four hundred and twenty years had passed since Gu An broke through the Heavenward Free Immortal Realm. After their conversation four hundred years ago, Ye Lan had longed for reincarnation, feeling that she had no hope of pursuing the Dao in this life.
But Gu An had made her wait all this time. In the four hundred and twenty years, she resigned from her position as the Elder of the Sub-Sect and stayed in the Third Medicine Valley, receiving guidance in her cultivation from Gu An.
In Gu An's words, accumulating insights into the rules of heaven and earth before reincarnation would make cultivation easier in the next life.
Hearing her words, Gu An smiled and threw the leaf in his hand, reaching out to touch Ye Lan's face.
Ye Lan didn't dodge, but when Gu An's hand touched her face, she couldn't help but widen her eyes, filled with astonishment. However, she soon understood.
Senior Brother was so powerful that crossing the Yin-Yang divide was not difficult.
Gu An caressed her face, thinking of the girl who had always clung to him in the past.
Unknowingly, she had been by his side for more than one thousand five hundred years.
Gu An smiled and asked, "Are you ready?"
Ye Lan nodded and took a deep breath.
Gu An withdrew his hand and waved his sleeve, and an unstoppable force lifted Ye Lan's soul, sending her flying into the sky.
As Ye Lan watched Gu An on the ground grow farther and farther away, her excitement faded, replaced by panic about the unknown.
Would Senior Brother be unable to find her or forget her in her next life?
Ye Lan's heart ached. Only then did she realize that no matter how open-minded she was or how well-prepared, the experience of life and death was vastly different.
"Don't worry. Even if this heaven and earth are destroyed, I'll still be here. As long as I exist, through the changes of time, as long as you're willing to stay by my side, I'll come looking for you."
Gu An's gentle voice entered Ye Lan's ears, calming her heart instantly.
Yes, if Senior Brother wanted to abandon her, he could have done so long ago. What would be the point of deceiving her?
Ye Lan opened her mouth, wanting to speak to Gu An, but she found herself unable to make any sound.
Gu An looked at Ye Lan in the air, able to hear her thoughts. He didn't continue the conversation, his gaze turning towards the heavens.
That light layer symbolized the power of the Heavenly Dao!
He wondered if there was a connection between reincarnation and the Heavenly Dao. Who was it that stood above all, determining the fate of all things?
He thought of the group of immortal gods he would eventually face, and behind the Heavenly Dao might be a group of transcendent immortal gods controlling everything.
One day, he would confront these existences and face the Heavenly Dao!
(End of Chapter)
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