Chapter 683: The Most Leisurely One

Fang Xuan moved through the sea of meteorites, sensing the increasingly intense aura unique to those who pursued the path of the Hunyuan Dao Emperor. The stronger the aura became, the more uneasy he felt.

On the path of the Grand Dao, cultivators pursuing the Dao Sovereign would often fight upon meeting. He wasn’t sure if those chasing after the Hunyuan Dao Emperor would be the same.

But becoming a Hunyuan Dao Emperor didn’t require slaughtering each other. That was the reason he dared to come.

Even so, the path of the Grand Dao had no rules. There were always reckless and unruly individuals, and he couldn’t guarantee that this encounter wouldn’t cause trouble.

Either way, he was already here.

Fang Xuan released his aura, trying to let the other party sense his presence.

“You want to become a Hunyuan Dao Emperor too?”

A voice echoed from ahead. It was unmistakably the voice of the Blood Prison Saint.

In the depths of the void, the Blood Prison Saint sat cross-legged on a meteorite. He opened his eyes and looked toward the direction Fang Xuan was flying in.

There was a look of appreciation in his eyes—not only because Fang Xuan was a fellow seeker of the path, but also because he liked Fang Xuan’s attire. It suited his taste.

“I am Fang Xuan. I do indeed want to become a Hunyuan Dao Emperor. You’re the first kindred spirit I’ve encountered—I hope I haven’t disturbed you,” Fang Xuan replied, his voice filled with anticipation.

He didn’t immediately fly right up to the Blood Prison Saint, keeping instead a safe distance.

The Blood Prison Saint stood up, gazing at him from afar, sizing him up.

“Fellow Daoist Fang, I’ve also been wanting to meet others like us. Come here, let’s talk,” the Blood Prison Saint said warmly, making Fang Xuan relax a bit.

The Blood Prison Saint had long wished to chat with a like-minded person—not for the sake of cultivation, but to complete a mission assigned by his master.

He had come to the path of the Grand Dao not just to cultivate, but to gather information about the Dao Sovereigns and Hunyuan Dao Emperors.

Fang Xuan appeared before the Blood Prison Saint and raised his hand in salute.

The Blood Prison Saint smiled and enthusiastically grabbed his wrist, pulling him over to sit and talk.

Fang Xuan still remained slightly cautious. But as the conversation went on, his guard lowered, and he started to genuinely like the Blood Prison Saint.

The Blood Prison Saint was the first to share his insights—without any reservation. He spoke boldly and honestly, never probing or testing Fang Xuan.

Having lived this long, Fang Xuan had seen his share of deception and scheming. He could tell the Blood Prison Saint wasn’t calculating anything. There was only a deep curiosity about the Hunyuan Dao Emperor.

Fang Xuan himself was full of questions and fascination about the Hunyuan Dao Emperor. He felt like he could truly get along with this person.

Once the Blood Prison Saint finished sharing his thoughts, Fang Xuan also held nothing back, telling his own experiences. This earned him even more favor in the eyes of the Blood Prison Saint.

Not bad. I like this guy!

That was what the Blood Prison Saint thought.

He had been on the path of the Grand Dao for so many years, feeling isolated and lonely. He had long yearned to find someone to talk to.

The two of them felt like old friends at first sight—regretful only that they hadn’t met sooner.

When the Blood Prison Saint mentioned that he came from the Heavenly Spirit Great World and served under the Sword Master of the Dao, Fang Xuan was visibly shocked. This puzzled the Blood Prison Saint, who asked what was wrong.

Fang Xuan hesitated for a moment, then revealed his own background.

When the Blood Prison Saint heard that Fang Xuan had once been a disciple of the War Court, and had even taken part in a campaign against the Heavenly Spirit Great World—only to be wiped out by the Sword Master of the Dao—he couldn’t help but burst into laughter.

Just as Fang Xuan thought the Blood Prison Saint was about to mock him, he instead laughed and said, “You made it out alive from my master’s hands? That means your fate wasn’t sealed. Of course, he probably spared you intentionally. Truth be told, I had a similar experience myself.”

Fang Xuan was stunned. He hadn’t expected the Blood Prison Saint to share such a past. He immediately asked for more details.

The Blood Prison Saint began recounting his story.

He came from the mortal realm, and after his ascension, nearly killed one of the Sword Master of the Dao’s disciples. In the end, the Sword Master of the Dao subdued him and gave him an unprecedented opportunity.

Fang Xuan’s respect for the Sword Master of the Dao deepened even more.

There was no doubt—back then, during that battle, the Sword Master of the Dao could have annihilated every living thing in the War Court.

But he didn’t. He had mercy in his heart. Truly worthy of being a great and enlightened being.

Fang Xuan felt that what the Sword Master of the Dao did must have been because he knew many War Court disciples were just like him—forced to act on their sect’s orders, without a choice.

After laying everything bare, the bond between the two grew even deeper. The Blood Prison Saint suggested they become sworn brothers, and Fang Xuan was overjoyed. They immediately knelt down and swore an oath to the Sword Master of the Dao and the Grand Dao itself.

Far away at the Wushi Dao Field, Gu An couldn’t help but laugh and shake his head.

Karma really was an interesting thing.

Although he couldn’t deduce what kind of future the Hunyuan Dao Emperor path would bring, he could clearly divine the future of the Blood Prison Saint and Fang Xuan.

The two of them would join forces and traverse the path of the Grand Dao together. They would even gather more sworn brothers along the way—all prodigies pursuing the path of the Hunyuan Dao Emperor. Eventually, the Blood Prison Saint would part from his brothers and return alone to the Heavenly Spirit Great World, while Fang Xuan and the others would continue to rise in fame along the Grand Dao. Their futures were limitless.

…

A thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.

On an early summer day, Gu An sat at the Dao Field, fishing. One hand held the fishing rod while the other flipped through a book—one freshly written by Xuan Tianyi.

Through some minor scheming, Gu An had gotten Xuan Tianyi to remain at the Qiankun Sect, waiting eagerly for more books to appear before him. Unbeknownst to him, the books he wrote were imbued with Dao Intent. Xuan Tianyi would often experience moments of enlightenment while writing, which made him even more determined to stay a bit longer.

Yes, only for a while—after all, he was destined to wander the world.

Xuan Tianyi held onto this belief as he waited, looking forward to more works from that mysterious author.

Even if it meant waiting a hundred years for just one book, he thought it would be worth it.

Just as Gu An was enjoying his peaceful moment of stillness, a figure appeared behind him.

“Grandmaster, Master won’t let me leave. She’s afraid that once I’m out, I won’t come back. But I just want to go out and train—I’ll definitely return!” An Zizai said in a tone full of grievance.

Though already a thousand years old, An Zizai’s temperament was still like that of a youth. He hadn’t really experienced the world yet, and he knew it. That’s why he wanted to venture out and temper himself—just like the other prodigies from the Qiankun Sect.

Gu An didn’t turn around, casually replying, “You underestimate the power of the mortal world. Once you're out there, you might not come back. I’m not the one to decide this. If you want to go, convince your master. Honestly, even if you don’t come back, I wouldn’t care.”

Though he claimed not to care about An Zizai, Gu An actually cared a lot about An Xin. He knew just how much she valued An Zizai, and that’s why he didn’t want to interfere with the boy’s path.

An Zizai couldn’t help but glare at him. His grandmaster was still just as difficult as ever.

After a moment’s thought, An Zizai rolled his eyes and said, “Grandmaster, what if I went to visit my martial uncles?”

Lu Xian and the others were extremely far from the Nine Spirits Continent. Just making a round trip would be enough to serve as a journey of tempering.

“Ask your master.”

“Can’t you just say something, even a little?”

“Ask your master.”

“You…”

No matter how hard An Zizai tried to persuade him, Gu An remained unmoved. This made him feel incredibly stifled.

Right then, An Xin appeared beside him, startling An Zizai into hurriedly bowing.

An Xin frowned, speaking sternly, “Didn’t I tell you not to bother your grandmaster unless it was important?”

“How is this considered cultivation?” An Zizai shot back, wide-eyed. Since he could remember, he’d never seen Gu An seriously cultivating. In his eyes, the most idle person among all the Wushi disciples was definitely Gu An.

A flash of displeasure passed through An Xin’s eyes. “Kneel and apologize!” she scolded.

An Zizai looked like he was about to explode from frustration, but still obediently dropped to his knees.

Gu An finally turned his head and smiled at An Zizai, causing the boy’s eyes to turn red.

An Xin turned toward Gu An and asked, “Master, could you divine it? If he leaves, will he return?”

An Zizai instantly felt despair. He was sure Gu An wouldn’t speak up for him.

“He’ll come back,” Gu An said casually. “But he’ll go through a lot.”

An Zizai was stunned by the response.

Gu An didn’t elaborate. He had already divined An Zizai’s fate after leaving the Dao Field. The boy would indeed return, but only after enduring many trials—and perhaps even shouldering a few burdens along the way.

Of course, all of those burdens were limited to the Heavenly Spirit Great World. In Gu An’s eyes, they weren’t worth interfering in. As long as the boy could handle them himself, Gu An wouldn’t step in.

An Zizai definitely wouldn’t be the last of the Wushi disciples. More would appear in the future. So to Gu An, he wasn’t particularly special.

An Xin’s gaze turned complex after hearing his words. She understood the deeper meaning behind them.

An Zizai was going to go through a lot—undoubtedly, it would be painful.