Chapter 724: Transcending the Heavenly Gods

"Of course you can. No need to overthink it. But there's one thing I have to make clear—once you join Wushi, leaving won't be so easy. If you want to achieve the Dao, you'll have to endure long, boring years," Gu An said to Li Xuanyu with a smile. If she didn’t want to join Wushi, he wouldn’t force her.

Li Xuanyu nodded and replied, "I understand. Following you will bring power beyond all beings. If there are no restrictions, it might become a calamity for the world. Freedom and power—you can only choose one."

Is that how she saw it?

Well, that wasn’t wrong.

Actually, the reason Gu An restricted his disciples was just because they were too weak. If they went out too soon, they’d cause trouble they couldn’t handle, and he didn’t want to keep cleaning up after them.

"You’ve come to invite me in person. How could I refuse? Can you give me some time to settle my affairs?" Li Xuanyu looked at Gu An and spoke softly.

The people around them couldn’t hear their conversation. No one even looked their way.

This wasn’t the first time Li Xuanyu noticed something like this, but every time she did, she was still shocked, finding it unbelievable.

Gu An had no objections. The two of them chatted a bit more, then passed each other.

At the same time.

Elsewhere in the human world, in a forested mountain, there was a wooden cabin. A grown-up Li Xianyou was carving a wooden sword with a small knife.

He wore white clothes, a black sleeve draped over his right shoulder, his hair tied at the back with a grass string. His sharp face was full of spirit.

Clang!

The cabin door was pushed open, and an old man in green robes came out. His face looked quite bad. As he passed Li Xianyou, he didn’t even glance at him. Turning into a streak of white light, he disappeared into the sky beyond the forest.

Li Xianyou didn’t care and kept carving his wooden sword.

Li Ya, dressed in black, stepped out of the cabin. Sunlight shone on him as he stretched lazily. He sighed, "Disciple, why are there so many ambitious people in this world? The Dao Court is already a lesson. How can anyone hope to rule the world?"

Facing away from Li Ya, Li Xianyou replied, "The Dao Court didn’t really fail. They ruled for so many years, and they dissolved it themselves. Maybe the great sects now were founded by Dao Court cultivators with different names. The Dao Court’s gone, but there’s still the Xuan Court, the Immortal Court. They’ll keep enjoying the world’s resources anyway."

Li Ya glared at Li Xianyou and snapped, "Brat, are you saying I should bow to those sects and be their dog?"

"Of course not. If you’re going to join a sect, it should be Wushi. Go follow Uncle Master," Li Xianyou said without turning around.

Ever since he saw what Uncle Master Gu could do, he’d wanted to join Wushi. Too bad Li Ya just wouldn’t go.

But he got why. Men liked to be strong. If Uncle Master Gu was a generation older, it wouldn’t be so bad, but they were fellow disciples.

Li Ya snorted, "Wushi is great, obviously. You think I don’t know? You have no idea what I’m thinking."

"Yeah, I don’t. I just know without me, who knows when you’d be half-dead again."

"Rubbish! That last time was an accident."

"Sure, let’s say it was. But without me carrying you, you’d already be reincarnated."

Li Xianyou’s words made Li Ya so mad he could barely breathe. This kid was getting more and more disrespectful.

Li Ya regretted it now. He really shouldn’t have been so reckless back then, acting without knowing who the other party was. It wasn’t that he was afraid—it was just embarrassing to lose face in front of his disciple, and that stung.

"Stop carving that wooden sword. Come on, I'll take you to Sword Sect for a visit. Didn’t you want a divine sword? I’ll get you one!" Li Ya said proudly, hands on his hips.

Li Xianyou immediately stood up, looking at Li Ya with surprise and joy.

Li Ya enjoyed that look. This was how a disciple should act.

"Sword Sect’s name is shaking the heavens now. Chen Chuan of Sword Sect is the number one sword cultivator in the world. By what you’ve said, he should be my senior. Can you ask him to give me some pointers?" Li Xianyou flashed to Li Ya’s side and asked expectantly.

Li Ya’s eyes widened in anger, "His sword Dao better than mine? Are you trying to betray me?"

"Of course not. I just want to gather strengths from all sects and create my own sword Dao," Li Xianyou replied seriously.

In his heart, he really thought Li Ya wasn’t Chen Chuan’s match.

That Chen Chuan, ever since stepping into the Free Immortal Realm, hadn’t lost a single fight. Actually, he had never been defeated since his rise to fame. Not like his master—he had seen Li Ya lose with his own eyes.

Thinking of his master, covered in blood and on the verge of death, made him feel upset.

Li Ya used to be invincible in his heart. Uncle Master Gu didn’t count—he’d never be Li Ya’s opponent.

Li Ya’s defeat had shattered something inside him.

Of course, he wouldn’t say any of this aloud, not wanting to upset Li Ya.

He still respected Li Ya, because he was the most chivalrous man he had ever seen. Li Ya had saved many people in hardship, just like him, never asking for anything in return.

Last time Li Ya got hurt, it was because he couldn’t stand the strong bullying the weak.

"Just right. Sword Sect is holding the World’s First Sword Dao Tournament. I’ll challenge him and show you who’s stronger," Li Ya snorted, eyes burning with battle intent.

Chen Chuan’s fame was too big now. Everywhere he went, sword cultivators talked about him. It made him curious.

Losing to Gu An was one thing, but Gu An’s disciple too?

The world was huge, full of countless powerful beings, but as an elder, he had to remind his junior who’s who.

Li Xianyou opened his mouth to object, but in the end, swallowed his words.

Forget it.

With Uncle Master Gu’s influence, Chen Chuan shouldn’t hurt his master.

...

Above the sea of clouds, figures clad in silver armor stood like mountains, shining with the strong light of the Heavenly Dao. Most of them had excited looks on their faces.

Zhang Buku and Xu You were among them, feeling the Heavenly Dao fate flowing through them, their hearts unable to calm.

"So this is the power of the immortals and gods... truly strong..." Zhang Buku looked at his hands, murmuring softly.

Xu You glanced at him, "This is just the beginning. We’ve only just gained a bit of the Heavenly Court’s fate. Our cultivation will soon soar, reaching the Free Immortal Realm. If you seize the chance and step into the Golden Immortal Dao Fruit Realm, you’ll become a true heavenly god. Heaven soldiers like us can’t call ourselves immortals or gods yet."

Hearing this, Zhang Buku looked up at the sky. There was a golden cloud, endless and vast. Above the cloud, the Heaven-Stabilizing God looked down at them, like a ruler watching over his creations.

Seeing the Heaven-Stabilizing God, Zhang Buku remembered his crushing defeat on the Great Dao’s path.

These so-called heavenly gods, so what?

His goal was to surpass the gods!