Chapter 339: The Dark Emperor from the War Court

As dusk approached, Gu An stood up and stretched lazily, his gaze drifting beyond the sky.

That deep red coffin had now reached the outer heavens, and was about to fall into the Heavenly Spirit Great Realm.

An Xin walked over and asked, “Are we heading back?”

Gu An gave a small nod, and An Xin immediately went to pack.

She had bought a few trinkets at Dingtian Peak, planning to bring them back to the Third Medicine Valley. As long as she didn’t expose the connection between Renjian Peak and Gu An, he wouldn’t stop her.

She packed quickly, then hurried back to Gu An. Seeing her master looking skyward, she instinctively followed his gaze.

She caught sight of a meteor streaking across the starry sky, falling toward a distant land.

“What’s that…” An Xin murmured.

Gu An didn’t answer. He just watched the meteor vanish into the distance, then waved his sleeve—both of them disappeared into thin air.

Once back at the Third Medicine Valley, master and disciple returned to their own quarters.

Gu An sat in his chair, seemingly admiring the night scenery outside his window—but his divine sense was focused far away, watching the deep red coffin.

The coffin had landed on a continent ten times larger than the Taicang Continent, instantly triggering an apocalyptic catastrophe for the beings living there.

In mere moments, the entire land had become a sea of flames. Ninety percent of the living beings perished, the survivors fled into the ocean.

The impact from the coffin’s descent continued to spread, affecting more oceans and continents.

It was far from Taicang Continent, and even farther from Renjian Peak. That meant it likely wasn’t here for the Demon Embryo.

The coffin had embedded itself deep in a massive crater, unmoving, with no sign of the lid opening.

The moon set, the sun rose—a night passed.

Before going downstairs, Gu An glanced at the coffin again. Seeing it was still shut, he stopped thinking about it and went down to join the disciples for morning exercises.

Morning training was a tradition in the Third Medicine Valley. Even high-level cultivators visiting for Go matches occasionally participated.

The practice wasn’t too strict; disciples chatted freely, and the atmosphere was relaxed.

After it ended, You Yingying approached Shen Xinzi, looking hesitant.

Shen Xinzi was meditating under a tree, holding a copy of Journey to the West.

“Did you start feeling restless and uneasy last night?” he asked calmly without looking up.

You Yingying quickly nodded. “I’ve never felt like this before… If I’m really going to—If I’m turning into one of those, please kill me first.”

Shen Xinzi finally looked up, a bit surprised.

Thinking he was doubting her, You Yingying explained in a low voice, “Heaven Demons don’t die easily. Killing myself wouldn’t work. But you’re a high monk—you know how to banish demons. I don’t want to hurt anyone.”

Shen Xinzi gave her a deep look. “Don’t worry. You’ll live out your life and never turn into a Heaven Demon. What you’re feeling… likely means the Heaven Demon’s natural enemy has arrived.”

He had sensed the disturbance last night too. His cultivation was high, and the unease in his heart was even stronger than hers. That’s why he’d picked up Journey to the West—to distract himself.

“Really? The Heaven Demon has an enemy? What should I do?” You Yingying asked quickly.

“Nothing,” he said, bowing his head again. “Just keep cultivating. You’ll get used to it.”

She was stunned for a moment, then walked away, still full of questions.

—

Meanwhile, Gu An was patrolling the valley atop the Blood Prison Grand Sage. He had overheard the conversation between You Yingying and Shen Xinzi.

Heaven Demon’s enemy?

Gu An unhooked Qingtian Peak from his waist, raised it, and sent his divine sense inside.

Moments later, he arrived within the ruined temple.

He stared at the wall, about to speak, when the black-robed elder appeared.

“Have you decided?” the elder asked.

Gu An shook his head, then changed the subject. “Do Heaven Demons have a natural enemy?”

The elder’s expression immediately darkened. He frowned and asked warily, “What do you mean? Heaven Demons don’t have enemies.”

Gu An flicked his sleeve, and an illusion appeared between them.

When the black-robed elder saw the deep red coffin, his face changed drastically.

Gu An said nothing, simply waiting for him to speak.

The elder clenched his fists inside his sleeves, took a deep breath, then gritted his teeth. “He came for the Emperor, but his presence will bring catastrophe to this world. If he can enter, that means the Holy Court intends to use him to wipe out the Heaven Demons in the Heavenly Spirit Great Realm.”

“Who is he?” Gu An asked.

The elder replied, “He’s called the Dark War Emperor. No one knows his origins. He once caused rivers of blood to flow across the Realm of Extinction. All I know is he came from an ancient force known as the War Court.”

War Court?

Wasn’t that the force founded by Long Zhan?

Gu An remained calm, probing further. “What is the War Court?”

The elder glanced at him, then said, “The War Court is a legend in the Realm of Extinction. They say it once ruled the great thousand worlds, standing at the pinnacle of the Immortal Dao. No one knows if it was destroyed or simply vanished. That’s all I know.”

“What realm is the Dark War Emperor at?” Gu An asked.

“I don’t know. But it’s definitely extremely high,” the elder replied, his scalp tingling just at the thought.

Gu An said suddenly, “So I don’t need to leave, right? Once he wipes out the Heaven Demons, the Holy Court will ask him to leave, right?”

The elder panicked. “The Dark War Emperor is unstable and violently unpredictable. He will bring disaster to Renjian Peak! If he devours the Demon Embryo, he might even turn on the Holy Court! You won’t escape trouble either!”

Gu An didn’t panic. He just looked at the elder in silence.

The black-robed elder gritted his teeth—then suddenly dropped to his knees.

“I beg you, senior, help the Emperor be born! If you do, our entire race will owe you a great debt. I’ll personally report this to our clan—you’ll have an ally in the Realm of Extinction.”

“You’ve got to be kidding. What if he turns on me?” Gu An asked coldly.

The elder raised his head and quickly explained, “Rest assured—he’s forgotten his past lives. He’s undergoing reincarnation. During this process, he’s at his weakest. Once he’s reborn, he’ll be a new being. You could even take him as your disciple! If he attains the Dao one day, he’ll never forget your kindness.”

Gu An fell silent, clearly considering it.

“If you don’t help,” the elder urged, “once the Dark War Emperor is reborn, he’ll come after us. But if the Demon Emperor is born first, he’ll undergo reincarnation’s cleansing, sever his Heaven Demon karma—and the Dark War Emperor won’t be able to find him.”

It sounded like the War Emperor might show up any second.

Gu An hesitated, then asked, “How do I help?”

The elder was overjoyed and immediately taught Gu An a secret technique.

Gu An listened carefully, memorizing it in one go.

“Hurry,” the elder urged. “If he finds us first, he could block the Emperor’s path to the Dao. We must not let that happen!”