Chapter 672: The World's Fickle Hearts
Chapter 672: The World's Fickle Hearts
After parting ways with Zhu Xi, Gu An's life returned to a peaceful routine. He delved into the study of Path Creation, but the path was incredibly challenging, often leaving the Grand Luo Immortal of Dao's Peak in deep contemplation.
Time swiftly passed.
Another hundred thousand years went by.
This year, the Taiqian Dynasty launched a surprise attack on the Dao Court, igniting a war across the mortal realm.
In the Imperial Garden of the Imperial Palace of the Taicang Dynasty,
Li Xuandao, while pouring wine for Gu An, sighed, "Taiqian is truly formidable, daring to launch an assault on the Dao Court. Whether they succeed or fail, the Emperor of Taiqian's boldness is enough to earn my admiration."
The Taiqian Dynasty was the strongest empire in the world. Although the Taicang Dynasty had not been annexed, it could still feel the might of Taiqian.
If not for the conflict between Taiqian and the Dao Court, Li Xuandao believed that Taiqian would eventually invade the Taicang continent.
Gu An played with the jade statue Li Xuandao had gifted him and smiled, "So, Your Majesty, do you also wish to emulate Taiqian?"
He had once visited Taiqian and found that the empire was permeated with a warlike spirit from top to bottom. The attack on the Dao Court was not due to any particular grudge but rather a means to achieve dominance.
Behind Taiqian stood numerous powerful sects, which gave them the confidence to act.
The conflict between the two forces would rage for thousands of years, darkening the heavens and the earth. It would only end when Zhao Rushen led the Dao Court to subdue Taiqian and ascend to the throne of the Dao Court's supreme ruler, marking the end of the Primordial Era.
The subsequent era, known as the Ancient Era, would be far longer than the Primordial Era. The final battle of the Ancient Era would plunge the mortal realm into desolation, ushering in the Barren Era.
Gu An's gaze could see far into the future, even to the Celestial Era from which the Extreme came.
However, the future Celestial Era would be vastly different from the one where the Extreme originated.
But the Extreme must be born; otherwise, the memories it imparted to Gu An would be mere illusions.
"Claiming to have no desire to emulate Taiqian would be a lie. As an emperor, who wouldn't want to unify the world? But the Dao Court is too strong. Without a surefire victory, I won't drag the people of Taicang to their deaths", Li Xuandao shook his head and said.
He was now a Free-roaming Primordial Immortal, and although his cultivation speed did not match that of the Wushi Disciples, it was still considered fast in the mortal realm.
The two discussed the affairs of the world, occasionally mentioning Li Ya, Yang Jian, and Long Teng.
Currently, the person Li Xuandao valued most was not Yang Jian or a prince but Long Teng.
As the son of Long Qing and the current Patriarch of the Long Family, Long Teng had grown into a formidable figure, achieving the rank of Miaofa Ling Immortal. He symbolized the strongest talent of the Taicang Dynasty and was a renowned Heavenly Hero.
Li Xuandao asked curiously, "By the way, I've been wondering, Long Teng's cultivation speed has been increasing rapidly, even surprising Yang Jian. Is there something you're secretly nurturing him?"
Miaofa Ling Immortal is the sixth realm of the Immortal Path, allowing one to wander freely beyond the heavens. Achieving this realm a million years ago was a world-class talent, with only a few in a billion beings capable of reaching it.
Gu An raised his wine cup and smiled, "Seeing through it but not saying it."
He did indeed have a fondness for Long Teng and often transformed into others to be near him. Long Teng's current achievements were largely due to Gu An's Dao Intent, which enveloped him during his cultivation, aiding his enlightenment.
Long Teng was unaware of this.
In reality, while Gu An's Dao Intent could assist others, it mostly amplified their potential. If Long Teng's innate talent were mediocre, even daily assistance with Dao Intent would not have cultivated him to his current level.
Li Xuandao listened and became even more delighted, starting to invite Gu An to drink.
The two drank for a full two hours before Gu An finally bid farewell and left.
Li Xuandao watched Gu An's departing figure and couldn't help but ask, "Gu An, how long can such days last?"
Ten thousand years seemed incredibly long to him, especially as an emperor, facing parting and death far more often than ordinary people.
He had already seen many of his descendants depart, and the court officials had been replaced many times.
Only when facing Gu An did his heart calm down, making him feel that some things were beyond the reach of time.
The imperial family was the most unfeeling, and Li Xuandao had become a complete loner.
Gu An waved the jade statue in his hand and said, "Until you tire of it."
Li Xuandao watched him suddenly disappear, shaking his head with a smile, muttering to himself, "How could I ever tire of it..."
His expression gradually became complicated. He didn't get up, remaining seated at the wine table, lost in thought.
After leaving the Taicang Dynasty, Gu An appeared above the cloud sea, walking leisurely.
"Human hearts are always changing", Gu An sighed, not wanting to interfere too much with Li Xuandao's life.
Li Xuandao had been an emperor for far too long. When the Taicang Dynasty stopped expanding, internal conflicts would erupt. He had executed rebellious royal family members, which further distanced him from the royal family.
Li Ya and Li Lingtian had long been roaming freely, never returning.
When Gu An didn't seek him out, Li Xuandao would often confine himself to his palace or the imperial study, either practicing cultivation or reading.
Not just Li Xuandao, but other old friends also faced life's challenges, which were more about their state of mind than their environment.
Cultivation was a long and arduous journey. When one couldn't break through for a long time, their fighting spirit would weaken, and their thoughts would become chaotic.
Ambition and emotions intertwined, making the human heart as complex and uncontrollable as the world of mortals.
Even Gu An occasionally became restless, especially when his Path Creation journey was not going well.
That's why Gu An enjoyed traveling the world, visiting various sects and dynasties.
The diverse creatures he encountered always helped his Dao heart calm down quickly.
Today, he had sought out Li Xuandao for a drink because his Path Creation journey had finally shown progress, and he was in a good mood, wanting to celebrate with a friend.
Li Ya was busy settling scores, so Gu An couldn't find him, leaving him to seek out Li Xuandao.
When Gu An and Li Xuandao first met, Gu An was still weak. Seeing Li Xuandao reminded him of his own weaker days, a feeling that friends made after becoming powerful couldn't bring.
Soon, Gu An vanished from the cloud sea.
He arrived at Xiao Lan's cave heaven and switched places with his clone.
Xiao Lan was about to emerge from her seclusion.
After returning from the Great Dao Path, her cultivation growth had slowed. Even after a hundred thousand years of seclusion, she saw no hope of breaking through, which left her very frustrated.
"Brother Gu!"
Her voice reached him before she did.
Gu An, who was admiring the flowers, turned just in time to be tackled by Xiao Lan.
Without a word, Xiao Lan tried to kiss him and strip his clothes off.
Although they were alone in the cave heaven, this level of aggression was new to Gu An.
A few days later.
Xiao Lan stood up from the grass, tidied her clothes, and looked into the distance, sighing, "Brother Gu, I suddenly feel that I'm not a true genius. I'm starting to hit a bottleneck."
Gu An stood up as well, looking at her side profile, and asked, "How about we spar?"
Xiao Lan turned to look at him and shook her head slightly.
"Brother Gu, I don't need to win against you to rebuild my confidence. Even if I win many times, my Dao cultivation won't increase because of it", Xiao Lan said, her face showing a nostalgic expression.
If she defeated a strong enemy on the Great Dao Path, the Great Dao Essence would surge into her, allowing her to rapidly increase her cultivation in a short time.
That feeling was incredibly wonderful, and she still missed it.
"Who said I want to lose to you?"
Gu An's voice interrupted Xiao Lan's thoughts, making her meet his gaze.
Xiao Lan was taken aback; it was the first time she had seen Gu An look so serious.
She pouted and said, "What? You want me to go easy on you?"
Gu An stared at her and said softly, "Even if you use your full strength, you can't possibly win against me."
(End of Chapter)
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