Chapter 357 Great Merit, Commanding the Immortal Lord
The golden rain that swept across the entire world lasted a full hour. When it finally faded, all living beings began to awaken.
Gu An swept his divine sense around and found that all the disciples of the Taixuan Sect had experienced some degree of cultivation improvement. However, the extent varied, likely depending on individual aptitude. The most significant gain was only a minor breakthroughânone had made it to a major realm.
He gave the still-groggy Blood Prison Grand Sage a pat and turned toward the Pavilion District.
Along the way, he continuously cast Lifespan Perception on the disciples. After the baptism of the golden rain, their lifespan limits had increasedâsome by a year or two, others by several decades. So far, he hadn't seen anyone surpass a century.
Even so, such an outcome was astounding. After all, Ancestor Yuanxu the Celestial Immortal had targeted the entire Heavenly Spirit Great Realm, whose population was unimaginably vast.
This was truly a monumental act of merit!
Even Gu An felt admiration for Ancestor Yuanxu, though he was equally puzzledâhow did he achieve this?
Gu An directed his divine sense toward the Immortal Dynasty, where he sensed a massive plunge in their fortune.
Could it be that Ancestor Yuanxu had borrowed the Immortal Dynastyâs fortune to make this happen?
Wasnât he worried that the Holy Court might take advantage of the opportunity?
Gu An was quietly startled, but then he felt a sudden surge in the Immortal Dynastyâs fortuneâit skyrocketed in an instant, even surpassing its previous level.
Above the heavens, a layer of golden light poured down upon the Immortal Dynasty, forming a vast, majestic rainbow at the horizon.
Gu An could sense that the golden light carried some sort of special power. It resembled the laws of heaven and earth, yet it was distinctâcloser to fortune.
Fortune was mysterious. Those who possessed it would often encounter good luck. Those without it would stumble into misfortune with even the simplest of tasks. Their cultivation would also more easily attract heart demons.
Today, Gu An had truly opened his eyes.
Though he was also a Divine Soul Immortal, even with thirty million years of life experience, he couldnât see through the methods of Ancestor Yuanxu.
What a shameâa figure like that had chosen to self-destruct, and Gu An had lost the chance to ever meet him.
âMaster, what just happened? I only remember Ancestor Yuanxu speaking, then I mustâve fallen asleepâŠâ Blood Prison Grand Sage caught up and asked nervously.
âYou just need to knowâit was a great blessing,â Gu An replied.
From that answer alone, Blood Prison Grand Sage understood that his master didnât want to elaborate.
With his master's cultivation level, he surely understood everything that had happened.
He quietly committed the names Immortal Dynasty and Ancestor Yuanxu to memory.
When Gu An reached the front of the pavilion, the disciples inside all came out, gathering to discuss what had just transpired.
Shen Xinzi and several other grandmasters were quickly surrounded, but unfortunately, even they didnât understand what had occurred.
Long Qing was so excited he was yelling nonstop, making Gu An shake his head and chuckle.
âThis was truly a great blessing,â said Ji Xuanyu, coming up beside Gu An and speaking softly with emotion. âHeaven itself must have sensed it. The Immortal Dynastyâs fortune will definitely surge. When that happens, their celestial cultivators will find it easier to sense the natural rhythms of the world. The Immortal Dynasty⊠theyâre no simple forceâtheyâre ambitious.â
Gu An asked curiously, âSo in your opinion, doesnât that mean the Immortal Dynasty is stronger than the Holy Court? Does anyone in the Holy Court have this kind of capability?â
âHard to say,â Ji Xuanyu shook her head. âBut two tigers canât share one mountainâconflict is inevitable. As for whether anyone in the Holy Court could do this⊠maybe. But would they? The stronger one becomes, the more attached they are to their cultivation. Who would be willing to give that up for the sake of the masses?â
The Immortal Dynasty had made their actions known, showing the world the extent of their sacrifice and subtly telling the Holy Court what they should do. Even if the Holy Court wanted to match them, it would be difficult. If they didnât, theyâd appear weaker by comparison.
A Divine Soul Immortalâsomeone comparable to the Holy Prime Ministerâsuch beings couldnât be forced to act. And no one would willingly self-destruct.
Gu An couldnât help but feel impressed by the Immortal Dynastyâs brilliant strategy.
Still, when the time came, it would all depend on strength. Even if the Immortal Dynasty had brought fortune to all living beings, that couldnât immediately be converted into power on the battlefield.
Ji Xuanyu stared up at the firmament, her eyes gleaming. She said in a special tone, âThe world is about to plunge into chaos!â
From her voice, Gu An could detect a trace of excitement.
She seemed to be looking forward to the coming turmoil.
Gu An also looked skyward. Ancestor Yuanxuâs physical body had transformed into a massive gaseous reincarnation vortex, drawing in wandering spirits and ghosts from across the world.
The Reincarnation Vortex!
Many cultivators of the Holy Court had appeared beside it, but they didnât interfere. They simply stood guard.
Ji Xuanyu didnât linger. She soon returned to her roomâclearly eager to grow stronger through cultivation.
Gu An joined the crowd of disciples, discussing the shocking events with them.
Shen Xinzi stepped away from the crowd and stood under a tree, gazing at the sky. He calculated with his fingers, his expression turning complex as he muttered, âThe fate of the heavens has grown murky. What on earth is coming next?â
In the days that followed, talk of the Immortal Dynasty and Ancestor Yuanxu never ceased. Gu An even saw people across the Taicang Continent building temples and shrines in Yuanxuâs honor.
The golden rain had granted countless mortals the chance to begin cultivating. Many sick and dying people had been miraculously cured. It was a moment of celebration for the entire world.
Five days later.
Gu An arrived alone at Seekerâs Island.
Island Master Xun Hanfeng, accompanied by Hu Xiaojian and several elders, came out to greet him. Over twenty people had gathered in the main hall, eager to share their experiences from five days prior.
Seated calmly in a chair, Gu An listened to their excited chatter, deeply moved by Ancestor Yuanxuâs boundless merit.
It wasnât just mortals who were gratefulâimmortal cultivators felt the same.
The people didnât care what Ancestor Yuanxuâs intentions had been. They had received his blessings and benefited from themânaturally, they were grateful.
After listening for a while, Gu An confirmed there had been no trouble on Seekerâs Island. Relieved, he offered a few simple words, then took Hu Xiaojian with him as he left.
Every time he visited Seekerâs Island, he would take a stroll, with Hu Xiaojian accompanying him.
After leaving the island masterâs residence, Hu Xiaojian began talking about Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Gu An had allowed Seekerâs Island to begin selling his books, and the response had been surprisingly good. The novel became wildly popular among cultivators.
Before Ancestor Yuanxuâs blessing, it had been the islandâs hottest topic.
At present, the story had reached the arc where LĂŒ Meng crossed the river in white robes and Guan Yu met his endâa development that left many cultivators fuming.
After discussing the profits from the book, Hu Xiaojian couldnât resist asking about the next plot points. But Gu An declined to answer, leaving him no choice but to drop the matter.
As they strolled, Gu An suddenly spotted someone and immediately cast Lifespan Perception.
[Imperial-Decree Celestial Lord (Third Level of Dao-Void Celestial Immortal Realm): 3,653,007 / 4,500,000 / 11,000,000]
A Dao-Void Celestial Immortal!
And he carried the fortune of the Immortal Dynasty!
Gu An was silently astonished. He used to think Immortal Dynasty cultivators were rare, but now they were everywhere he turned.
And a Dao-Void Celestial Immortal wasnât someone you met every day.
Then, he saw the man walking straight toward him.
The Imperial-Decree Celestial Lord wore a deep purple robe, his left hand resting at his waist. His long hair was tied beneath a jade crown. His face exuded authority, and his eyes were full of pressure.
He stopped before Gu An and said, âAre you the island masterâMeng Lang?â