Chapter 663: Paving a New Path

After a long separation, the reunion was filled with passion. Gu An and Xiao Lan indulged themselves for half a month before he was finally able to break free.

Xiao Lan quickly returned to her cultivation, while Gu An shifted his focus to his avatars, allowing his true self to wander, collecting mature spiritual herbs from various locations.

Once his tasks were completed, he returned to Wushi Dao Field.

Walking along the mountain path, Gu An began contemplating creating a new path.

A path akin to the Dao Sovereigns!

A Dao Sovereign was someone who received the support of Dao Fortune, making their Dao power far superior even among those of the same cultivation realm. Furthermore, a Dao Sovereign could command the surrounding Dao to assist them in battle, allowing them to fight beyond their realm and reign supreme among peers.

There were three thousand Daos, and each unique Dao could give birth to different Dao Sovereigns. Those who competed for Dao Fortune could absorb the Fortune of their rivals, strengthening their own without altering their fundamental Dao. This suggested that some kind of rule governed the Dao Sovereigns.

If Dao Sovereigns relied on Dao Fortune, what if someone created a different path—one where people relied solely on their own power? Would that be possible?

This thought struck Gu An like lightning, igniting a flood of inspiration in his mind.

He suddenly thought about the Heavenly Court—was it not built on the same principle?

Immortals and Gods of the Heavenly Court relied on Heavenly Dao Fortune, which was fundamentally similar to the Dao Sovereigns, except that Immortals and Gods were even stronger.

Could it be that the so-called Heavenly Dao was also created by some supreme existence?

His thoughts raced wildly. He decided to experiment with this concept.

He would forge a cultivation system of his own, one that could be used by Ji Xiaoya.

Providing power was not difficult; he could transmit his energy through the Dao of Karma.

But simple power transmission was far inferior to the Dao Sovereigns and the Immortals of the Heavenly Court.

A Dao Sovereign, once granted Dao Fortune, could cultivate at an accelerated pace. The Immortals of the Heavenly Court, on the other hand, could use the Fortune of the Heavenly Dao to achieve immortality and become eternal.

Gu An understood that his attempt to forge a new path would require a long time.

However, instead of feeling discouraged, he was filled with excitement and anticipation.

If something could be achieved easily, then it wouldn’t be worth looking forward to.

After some time, Gu An arrived at his courtyard. Aside from Shen Zhen, An Xin and Tianhong Emperor were also present. The two were engaged in a discussion, but upon seeing Gu An, they immediately stood up and bowed in greeting.

"Master, Yuan Luo has offended Zhao Rushen during the Dao Court’s Prodigy Tournament. Yi Qingshan is worried that he might be killed and wishes to send him here to train. What do you think?" An Xin spoke first.

Gu An shook his head. "Wushi Dao Field is not a refuge. Besides, that disciple, Yuan Luo, does not wish to come here to cultivate."

When Yuan Luo heard that Yi Qingshan wanted to send him to Wushi Dao Field, he strongly opposed it and was even furious. To him, the sect’s decision implied that they didn’t believe in his ability to defeat Zhao Rushen, which he saw as an insult. He had even declared that he would personally eliminate Zhao Rushen.

The grudge between Yuan Luo and Zhao Rushen wasn’t overly complicated.

During the Dao Court’s Prodigy Tournament, Yuan Luo had performed exceptionally well, catching the attention of Zhao Rushen. Zhao Rushen had attempted to recruit him, but his words carried a subtle threat, which made Yuan Luo uncomfortable. The two ended up in a confrontation, and the hot-tempered Yuan Luo even attacked first.

But Zhao Rushen was no ordinary cultivator. He was the eldest disciple of the Dao Court, and if nothing unexpected happened, he would become the next Dao Court Master.

Even though the Dao Court hadn’t made a public statement, offending Zhao Rushen had placed tremendous pressure on Qiankun Sect.

Hearing Gu An’s response, An Xin didn’t argue further. She immediately disappeared, heading to Qiankun Sect to negotiate.

"Master, yesterday I accompanied Senior Sister to Qiankun Sect and met this so-called genius, Yuan Luo. I feel like he…" Tianhong Emperor hesitated.

Gu An walked toward his refining cauldron, checking the Dao Treasures inside. Without looking up, he casually asked, "He’s a reincarnation of a Chaos Demon, isn’t he?"

Tianhong Emperor’s eyes widened in shock. "You knew?"

Gu An’s words to Shen Zhen and An Xin would never be leaked to other disciples. Because of this, Yuan Luo’s true identity had remained a secret. Even after having been in Wushi Dao Field for ten thousand years, Tianhong Emperor still hadn’t realized that Gu An knew about it.

"After all, even someone like you, a celestial god, has reincarnated. One more Chaos Demon shouldn’t be too surprising." Gu An chuckled softly.

Tianhong Emperor fell silent.

His memories of his past life were gradually awakening, revealing to him that his previous existence had great significance. He had already confessed this truth to Gu An, but fortunately, Gu An didn’t seem to mind.

Tianhong Emperor was the reincarnation of a Star Lord from the Heavenly Court, and in his previous life, his cultivation should have been at the Supreme Purity Golden Immortal Realm.

"I don’t know why this world keeps attracting so many foreign existences, but I have no intention of getting involved in their karmic entanglements. If one day you decide to return, I won’t stop you."

Gu An’s words moved Tianhong Emperor deeply. He quickly responded, "I will never go back!"

"Silly disciple, once your memories fully awaken, you’ll realize that you are bound to return one day."

Gu An smiled, unfazed. He wasn’t worried about Tianhong Emperor revealing any of his secrets to the Heavenly Court. None of the disciples at Wushi Dao Field—not even An Xin—knew how powerful he truly was. No one knew what divine abilities he had mastered, what Dao he cultivated, or the extent of his strength.

If Tianhong Emperor could eventually serve as a bridge of goodwill between him and the Heavenly Court, that wouldn’t be a bad thing either.

Gu An had no grudge against the Heavenly Court. He didn’t want to make enemies. The conflicts he had with Immortals and Gods so far had all been forced upon him.

Tianhong Emperor fell into deep thought. He realized that making a hasty promise now would be reckless.

"By the way, Tianhong, do you want to become a Dao Sovereign?" Gu An suddenly asked.

Tianhong Emperor was startled for a moment before shaking his head. "No! I just want to cultivate under Master’s guidance!"

Coming from the Dao Court, Tianhong Emperor was well aware of Dao Sovereigns. With fragments of his past life’s memories resurfacing, he understood how powerful they were. But despite that, he preferred to follow Gu An.

His intuition told him that Gu An was his greatest opportunity!

Gu An turned to look at him and smiled. "What if I create a path similar to the Dao Sovereigns? Would you step onto it?"

Tianhong Emperor’s eyes widened in excitement. "Of course! If Master creates such a path, I will be its first follower!"

Shen Zhen, standing beside them, immediately added, "If you’re really creating a new cultivation path, then I want in too."

She did not believe in Immortals or Gods, nor in the Dao itself—she only believed in Gu An.

Gu An shook his head slightly. "It’s just an idea for now. Whether it will work or not is uncertain."

Despite his cautious words, both Tianhong Emperor and Shen Zhen were already imagining the possibilities.

…

Inside a silent palace, Ji Xiaoya sat cross-legged on a meditation cushion, cultivating. Her brows were furrowed tightly, as if she was enduring great pain.

Suddenly—

Her eyes flew open, and she spat out a mouthful of blood, her face instantly turning pale. Her aura collapsed uncontrollably.

A look of despair filled her eyes—her cultivation was dropping again!

If this continued, she might fall all the way down to the Dao Repository Free Immortal Realm… or even lose her cultivation entirely, becoming mortal.

She couldn't tell if this was the backlash from her failed path to becoming an Emperor, or if the Undefeated Emperor's divine ability was still tormenting her.

"What kind of divine ability was that?" she murmured to herself.

Even though only a trace of its aura had leaked, it had been enough to defeat her completely.

"Could he have destroyed me just to keep this divine ability hidden?"

Ji Xiaoya shivered at the thought. The energy she had sensed from the Undefeated Emperor was unlike anything she had ever encountered—something purely sinister and terrifying.

At that moment, an overwhelming pressure descended upon the palace, causing her expression to change drastically.

She looked up.

From the darkened ceiling, a mass of black mist materialized.

Within the mist, two ominous eyes slowly opened.

Their pupils were a deep violet, resembling the eyes of a venomous serpent, staring down at her from above.