Chapter 796: 788: Beneath the Sage, All Are as Ants
Chapter 796: Chapter 788: Beneath the Sage, All Are as Ants
When Gu An’s doppelgänger and Hongya Zi headed to the Profound Abyss Divine Pool, Gu An’s true self remained within the Daoist Field of the Beginningless.
Gradually, Gu An left less and less. Apart from his regular medicinal herb collection, he stayed in the field, contemplating alone in a bamboo forest.
The disciples noticed his unusual behavior but were not worried, thinking he was about to create some extraordinary cultivation technique or divine skill.
Time flies like an arrow.
A hundred thousand years had passed since Li Lingtian came seeking help.
Gu An’s doppelgänger and Hongya Zi had already delved deep into the Profound Abyss Divine Pool and had run into trouble, trapped in a certain place, unable to leave.
On this day, the weather was clear, and the sun was shining brightly.
A gentle breeze blew into the bamboo forest, amidst the lush green scenery. Dressed in white, Gu An sat on the steps in front of a pavilion, hair disheveled and clothes loosely draped, as if just awoken from a deep dream.
One hand propped on the steps, the other on his knee, with two fingers holding a bamboo leaf.
“What is it really…”
Gu An muttered to himself. Over the years, he had been seeking a certain feeling, but could never understand it. He even projected his lifespan multiple times, making the feeling stronger, a sense of almost grasping it but never quite. Even as a Primordial Profound Venerable Immortal, he couldn’t help feeling uneasy.
Notably, his doppelgänger also shared this sensation.
This was the reason he hadn’t immediately rescued Hongya Zi.
Trapped in the Profound Abyss Divine Pool, they were bound to encounter great difficulties, yet the emergence of that inexplicable feeling made their tribulation seem vague.
Throughout, Gu An’s cultivation had always been an enhancement in his Dao practice. Although he refined his Dao Heart and used various methods to deepen his understanding of the Great Dao, he had never before felt the presence of his mental state like now.
In the unseen, it seemed a mental state awaited his breakthrough.
After breaking through, it might not make him stronger, but he still yearned to achieve it. This feeling appeared after reaching the Primordial Profound Venerable Immortal Realm.
It seemed a power was guiding the Primordial Dao Fruit, thereby affecting Gu An.
At this moment, a figure walked out from the forest, approached Gu An, and bowed.
“Master, my Immortal Emperor’s Eye has been unsettled recently, causing my Dao Heart to become aggressive. Why is this? I haven’t encountered any stimuli.” An Xin asked Gu An, her face full of worry.
Since handing the affairs of the Beginningless to An Zizai, she had dedicated herself entirely to cultivation. Now she had reached the cultivation level of the Heaven-Encompassing Free Immortal, leading all disciples of the Beginningless.
Gu An’s gaze didn’t leave the bamboo leaf in his hand. He softly answered, “Another pair of Immortal Emperor’s Eyes has emerged in the Three Thousand Great Worlds. Your Immortal Emperor’s Eye senses its rival, disturbing your mind.”
On hearing this, An Xin hurriedly asked, “How should I resolve this disturbance?”
“Either go and eliminate the person, or temper your mind to overcome the influence of the Immortal Emperor’s Eye, and truly master it.”
Gu An’s answer left An Xin in deep thought.
Killing was not an option; without grudges, even if the Immortal Emperor’s Eyes repelled each other, An Xin couldn’t bring herself to do that.
Temper her mind?
An Xin felt challenged as she had been suffering recently.
But no matter how hard, she had to overcome it; she couldn’t bring shame to her master.
“By the way, Master, you’ve often come to this bamboo forest these years. What have you been studying?” An Xin asked curiously.
Gu An glanced at her, the corner of his mouth lifting into a smile, “Just like you, I need to overcome mental confusion.”
Hearing this, An Xin showed a smile, feeling oddly relieved.
Even a master as powerful as him faced similar situations; she felt inspired.
The two continued chatting, with Gu An inquiring about her cultivation, and she answered truthfully.
The development of the Beginningless to this point meant Gu An no longer needed to personally guide the disciples; they could pass on their teachings themselves. An Zizai’s management skills were impressive, even surpassing An Xin, organizing the Beginningless excellently, with no disciple treated unfairly.
After staying for a while, An Xin finally took her leave.
Gu An continued to sit where he was, thinking.
…
Profound Abyss Divine Pool, where the celestial vault was a dark red, mountains undulating, though there were trees, no flowers or leaves, and not a spot of green.
Gu An and Hongya Zi walked among the mountains. Hongya Zi looked around, frowning with impatience.
He suddenly stopped, speaking in a low tone, “I’ve had enough. No matter where we walk, fly, or even destroy this place, we can’t get out!”
Gu An stopped, turned slightly, and glanced at him, asking, “If you don’t move, will you wait for death?”
“If it gets worse, we can cultivate here; maybe we’ll break through and find a way out.”
“How long will it take to break through?”
“But walking aimlessly, who knows how long it will take to get out. This Profound Abyss Divine Pool is too peculiar. Why haven’t I heard of such a world restriction before?”
Hongya Zi said gloomily. As a Heaven-Opening Daluo Immortal, he’d never encountered such a powerless situation since reaching this realm.
Gu An withdrew his gaze, continuing forward, leaving a sentence, “Then stay here. I’ll move on alone. If I escape, I’ll come back to save you. If I die ahead and you succeed in breaking through, leave my body.”
Upon hearing this, Hongya Zi’s face slightly changed, his gaze turning resentful.
“Is there a need to speak so harshly?”
Hongya Zi cursed under his breath, then followed Gu An’s steps.
“I’m curious, why are you so calm?” Hongya Zi asked as he came beside Gu An.
Gu An looked ahead, retorting, “I’m curious too. Why are you so impatient? After all these years of cultivation, is our time trapped here even close to your seclusion time?”
Hongya Zi was at a loss, reflecting on himself.
Could it be that his Dao Heart really had issues?
The two continued in silence for the rest of the journey.
It’s unclear how long they walked, maybe half a day, or decades, centuries, even millennia.
Gu An’s eyes changed, following his gaze. Ahead, on a slope, steles of various sizes were planted, inscribed with strange characters and obscure patterns.
The previously numb Hongya Zi was also attracted to the scene, taking out his horsetail whisk, wary of any abnormalities.
The two continued forward, reaching the foot of the slope. They didn’t rush up but observed from a distance.
Their gaze was involuntarily drawn to the largest stele on the slope.
“That seems like old Celestial Court script,” Hongya Zi muttered.
Gu An asked in surprise, “Old Celestial Court? There used to be other Celestial Courts?”
Hongya Zi shook his head, “The Ancient Heavenly Court belongs to the previous Celestial Emperor, who lived longer than all beings of the Heavenly Dao. So, earlier Celestial Courts became mere legends, known as the Ancient Heavenly Court. An Immortal God from the Misty Immortal Court once obtained a cultivation technique from it. I was taught some and recognized the script.”
“What does the stele say?” Gu An asked.
Hongya Zi’s expression turned peculiar. After hesitating for a moment, he said, “It says, ‘Without becoming a saint, all is ephemeral; beneath saints, all are ants.’”