Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses Chapter 1137 - 1128: Everything in Gu An’s Eyes

While the disciples of Wushi were still offering each other words of encouragement, the figures of the Dao practitioners gathered below had reached a terrifying density. Their collective aura surged upward, casting a chill even over the Saint, Hongqian Ancestor.

The Wanyin Demon Venerable sensed the skyrocketing power rising behind him, but it brought him no joy; instead, it fueled his irritation.

To his mind, it was a sign that the Great Dao lacked faith in his abilities.

The most galling part of the situation was the undeniable truth of that realization.

He glared fiercely at Gu An, yet Gu An’s refusal to acknowledge him felt like a deliberate and stinging provocation.

At that moment, Gu An’s vision was flooded with a relentless stream of hatred notifications. Ever since the Great Dao had cast its reflection upon the heavens, these alerts had arrived without pause.

Rather than feeling anger, he maintained an air of detached mockery.

He had to acknowledge that his perspective had fundamentally transformed. Having attained the Source Ancient Dao Ultimate Realm, he no longer viewed any being within the Great Dao—or even the Great Dao itself—as a legitimate rival.

His reason for granting this opportunity to the inhabitants of the Great Dao was not to put the Wushi disciples to the test, but to demonstrate his true overwhelming power to the Great Dao.

The supposedly emotionless Great Dao was currently behaving with more volatility than a Mortal Spirit, a fact that did not please Gu An.

“Ancestor, what are you waiting for?”

An Zizai looked up toward Gu An, unable to suppress the question. As he spoke, the other Wushi disciples turned their gazes toward Gu An as well.

Though new Wushi disciples continued to manifest upon the steps, choosing to climb and stand with Gu An against the Great Dao, their numbers were trivial compared to the sea of Dao Guardians. The contrast between the auras gathered by the two opposing sides was stark and overwhelming.

Gu An offered no reply, which only heightened An Zizai’s growing anxiety.

Suddenly, another figure materialized on the Creation Steps: the Celestial Emperor.

The arrival of the Celestial Emperor drew the focus of many, particularly the chaotic powerhouses, who were eager to see where his loyalties lay regarding Gu An.

Gu An shifted his gaze to the Celestial Emperor, his eyes cold and devoid of any visible emotion.

The Celestial Emperor looked back at Gu An with equally complex feelings. This was their first true encounter; prior to his attainment of Sainthood, he had only ever interacted with Gu An’s manifested will.

Without hesitation, the Celestial Emperor landed and began his ascent. He was not being coerced; his actions made his stance perfectly clear.

He had chosen to stand with Gu An!

“Your Majesty...”

Li Xuanmiao watched the Celestial Emperor, his face etched with excitement.

Having spent his life in the pursuit of justice, a path that led him to immortality, Li Xuanmiao did not trust the Great Dao despite its guidance. Instead, he placed his faith in Gu An.

He disregarded notions of destiny or abstract truths, believing only in what he had witnessed with his own eyes.

Before his ascension to the Immortal realm, he had seen the Human World ravaged by calamities time and again. It was never the Immortal Gods or the Great Dao that provided salvation; it was always Gu An. While the Great Dao was the justice spoken of in legends, Gu An was the justice he had actually seen in practice.

Naturally, he felt a sense of dread. Given Gu An’s immense power, a full-scale conflict with the beings of the Great Dao would surely be catastrophic. Seeing the Celestial Emperor side with Gu An provided him with a measure of relief.

The justice he sought was grounded; he desired only the justice that existed within the framework of the Heavenly Dao.

Stopping just below the Wushi disciples, the Celestial Emperor turned to survey the crowd below. Many Celestial Dao Immortal Gods had aligned themselves against Gu An, and their expressions twisted into shock and disbelief upon seeing the Celestial Emperor’s choice.

Emperor Hong Yang was among them.

Having never interacted with Gu An, Emperor Hong Yang had chosen to protect the Great Dao. The sight of his own father opposing the Great Dao was something he never expected.

In the path of Cultivation, is the Great Dao not the ultimate goal?

How could anyone choose to defy it?

As Emperor Hong Yang struggled to process the scene, the Xuanqing Star Lord appeared alongside a group of Merit Immortals, Li Ya among them.

The Xuanqing Star Lord looked up at the distant Gu An as if seeing him for the first time, his gaze a mixture of fury, bitterness, and dread.

He had once viewed Gu An as the pillar of the Heavenly Dao. Seeing that same pillar now standing against the Heavenly Dao and threatening the Great Dao itself made him feel as though his entire past had been a joke.

Li Ya stared at Gu An, reflecting on their history. He realized he had never truly known Gu An’s essence; given the massive gap in their Cultivation, the young man he had first met could not have been Gu An’s true form.

Suddenly, a figure blurred past Li Ya, charging toward the higher steps.

It was Martial Resolution.

Before Li Ya could dwell on it, others began to pass him by. Though their identities were unknown to him, their backs radiated a sense of absolute resolve.

Liu An climbed with speed, his eyes burning with fervor as he looked at Gu An. He was unburdened by moral dilemmas; the prospect of following his master into battle against the entirety of the Great Dao made his blood surge.

Wei Ye, if you were still among the living, you would surely be as thrilled as I am, Liu An thought. Even as the lethal intent behind him grew more suffocating, he remained undaunted. Seeing so many others willing to follow his master made him feel that his path was shared.

Gu An’s attention was suddenly caught by a specific figure, and his expression flickered slightly.

Lu Qiuxian had arrived.

He was the son of Gu An’s previous reincarnation, Lu Han. Though they had not resumed their father-son bond in this life, Lu Qiuxian had come nonetheless. Upon his arrival, he turned his back to the higher steps to face the Dao Guardians.

Unlike the Wushi disciples who stood at a distance from the opposition, Lu Qiuxian stood right in the midst of the Dao Guardians. Despite a thousand eyes fixing upon him, he remained composed, his hand resting firmly on the hilt of his sword.

He gazed down at the countless Dao Guardians, his calm exterior masking a storm of internal emotion.

Is this all he sees... Lu Qiuxian pondered, observing the Dao Guardians as they struggled upon the steps, feeling a strange and subtle sensation.

Though the Dao Guardians appeared to be suffering, their power continued to swell, becoming increasingly formidable.

The void fell into a heavy silence, and the Wushi disciples grew quiet as they braced for the impending war.

An atmosphere of grim killing intent and high tension permeated the air.

The Wanyin Demon Venerable continued his struggle, his knee slowly lifting from the surface of the step, drawing the focused attention of the Wushi cultivators.

A void of empty space existed behind the Wanyin Demon Venerable, a sign that the other Dao Guardians could not match his pace.

The sheer power of the Wanyin Demon Venerable was palpable, especially to the Saints.

As they watched the Demon Venerable attempt to stand, the Saints’ brows furrowed in deep concern.

Suddenly, the Great Profound Yin Dominator manifested before the Wanyin Demon Venerable, striking downward with a hand like a blade.

Boom——

The Wanyin Demon Venerable unleashed a violent burst of demonic Qi, sending the Great Profound Yin Dominator flying.

“Trash, who do you think you are to strike at me?”

The Wanyin Demon Venerable’s voice was like ice, his killing intent so thick it nearly took physical form. It shook the holy heart of the Great Profound Yin Dominator, a mid-stage Primordial Taiyi True Saint, sending waves of terror through his Sacred Body.

At that exact moment, countless Dao Guardians felt a sudden shift, as the pressure weighing them down was significantly lightened.

The Dao Guardians began to rise slowly, their faces lighting up with excitement.

They felt certain that if they could just shatter their restraints, victory would be theirs, for the Dao was fueling them from behind.

The Wushi faction grew restless, looking toward Gu An as they awaited his orders.

Gu An watched Li Ya from afar. As their eyes met, Li Ya felt a conflict raging within his soul.

His struggle was not about whether to help Gu An, but about the fundamental clash between Gu An and the Dao.

He was a product of the Dao; his world, his existence, and his Cultivation were all inextricably linked to it.

The notion of devouring the Dao was more terrifying than the end of the world itself.

Junior Brother Gu is not such a man—why does the Dao judge him so?

While Li Ya was lost in thought, a powerful wind whipped past him, fluttering his white robes. He turned instinctively as a blinding light filled his vision, followed by a gargantuan surge of power flowing into his frame.

Shocked, he stared at his hands in disbelief.

He was not alone; all the Dao Guardians were being infused with this incredible power, leaving them in a dazed, dreamlike state.

With a surge of renewed will, the Wanyin Demon Venerable stood up fully, his initial shock turning into a sinister sneer.

“This power...”

The Wanyin Demon Venerable grinned at Gu An, a look of unbearable cruelty on his face.

Gu An’s followers felt a crushing weight; even the Celestial Emperor frowned, finding himself unable to move.

Among the Dao Guardians, Lu Qiuxian stood like a small boat caught in a violent gale, appearing as though he might be consumed at any second.

Clang——

Gu An unsheathed the Cyan Hong Sword. The ring of the steel shattered the silence, signaling that the battle was about to begin.

“Ancestor Master Wushi, you cannot prevail against the entirety of the Dao. If you have any care for Wushi, surrender now and atone! The Dao will show mercy!”

An elderly Daoist, clutching a horsetail whisk, shouted a warning that echoed through the void.

The Wanyin Demon Venerable moved with blinding speed; a streak of black light tore across the Creation Ladder, nearly blowing the Wushi practitioners off the structure.

Following a thunderous explosion, the Wanyin Demon Venerable, wreathed in demonic Qi, was suddenly halted.

His Demon Blade struck an invisible wall. Demonic Qi billowed like a wave of fire, yet the Celestial Emperor stood firm just three steps away from him.

Facing the Wanyin Demon Venerable at such close range, the Celestial Emperor remained outwardly stoic, though he felt a profound sense of alarm internally.

Where did this demon come from to possess such strength?

This aura was far more potent than that of the previous Taoist Master!

For a fleeting second, the Celestial Emperor felt his very essence tremble, realizing this demon possessed the power to slay Saints.

If the Celestial Emperor felt this way, the other Wushi practitioners were even more terrified by the Demon Venerable’s sudden display of force.

Blocked in his tracks, the Wanyin Demon Venerable’s face darkened again. He roared internally, demanding even more power from the Dao.

“I permitted your presence here not to engage in some grand battle, but to make it clear to the Dao: whether I consume the Endless Dao is my choice to make, not the Dao’s.”

Gu An’s voice resonated through the area as massive sword shadows fanned out behind him. The overwhelming pressure he released was so vast it nearly suffocated every living soul on the Creation Steps.