Chapter 396: Chapter 396: The Origin of the Surname An, Figures upon the River of Destiny

Watching the utterly nervous An Shengtian, Gu An reined in his smile and said, “You can only live to twenty-five.”

At these words, An Shengtian’s face drastically changed.

Over the years, his cultivation level had risen rapidly, giving him hope, only to be told that he could only live to twenty-five. How could he accept that?

Jiang Shi was equally frightened. He couldn’t see any issues with An Shengtian, but he wouldn’t question Gu An’s judgment.

He quickly asked, “Master, is there really no solution? Can’t immortal cultivation change fate?”

Gu An answered, “There is, and it’s to sever your karmic ties and bloodline with An Hao. By doing so, from now on, the An family will forget you as if you were never born into their world, though those unrelated to the An family could still remember you.”

An Shengtian was stunned, and Jiang Shi was also scared. What kind of method was this?

Jiang Shi, recalling that Gu An was Sword Venerable Fudao, immediately calmed down, while An Shengtian grew curious about the real identity of Gu An.

“Sever them, then sever them, I am willing!” An Shengtian gritted his teeth.

Although, over the years, under Jiang Shi’s guidance, his hostility towards An Hao had waned, he still didn’t acknowledge An Hao in his heart.

In his view, An Hao’s bloodline was far from a glory but a shame instead.

Gu An said, “Think about your deceased father, your grandfather, and also your mother, your sister; they will all forget you.”

An Shengtian opened his mouth but couldn’t be as resolute as before.

Gu An had Jiang Shi make tea for him; he wanted to see what decision An Shengtian would make.

Although Jiang Shi wanted to interject, he understood the meaning behind Gu An’s instruction to pour tea: he was to stay out of it.

An Shengtian clenched his fists, his mind filled with memories of time spent with his family.

Unwilling!

Why should he!

Suddenly, An Shengtian decided to accept his fate, just like the two words left by An Hao.

Resigned!

But when he thought of the deep hatred borne from his father’s and grandfather’s blood, he couldn’t convince himself.

How could he protect his living family members without strong cultivation?

Just as Gu An was about to lift the tea that Jiang Shi had brewed, An Shengtian said solemnly, “Sever! I must sever! I need to become stronger; even if they forget me, I must have the strength to protect them. They may not remember me, but as long as I remember them, that is enough!”

A look of gratification flashed in Gu An’s eyes; at least for now, An Shengtian thought more about protecting his family rather than revenge.

He didn’t oppose An Shengtian’s desire for revenge, but he hoped that revenge wouldn’t be the sole purpose of An Shengtian’s life.

Gu An drank the tea in one go and then stood up, his gaze falling upon An Shengtian.

The gold pattern on his forehead began to emit a golden light, as if an eye had appeared on his forehead, leaving An Shengtian and Jiang Shi wide-eyed.

Boom!

The scene around them abruptly changed, removing the pavilion’s furnishings from their view, and they found themselves in a space that was surreal and eerie.

The two instinctively turned their heads but could see nothing; they just felt an inexplicable panic.

Gu An picked up the Fate Determining Pen, pointing it at An Shengtian.

An Shengtian had seen the Fate Determining Pen before and hadn’t thought much of it, but at this moment, it seemed so terrifying.

Jiang Shi felt the same, and looking again at the crown on Gu An’s head, he also felt its extraordinary nature.

Could it be that his master was a treasure all over?

His eyes were full of awe and fervor, wishing he could prostrate himself to his master right there.

To cultivate under such a powerful figure, he felt so fortunate!

“Are you ready, An Shengtian?”

Gu An asked emotionlessly, causing An Shengtian’s throat to bob.

“I forgot to tell you,” Gu An said, “the An in your An Family is taken from my name. Even if the An Family forgets you, as long as you follow me, you will never be separated from the An Family.” These words made An Shengtian’s eyes widen in disbelief.

Sword Venerable Fudao!

An Shengtian felt like he had been hit by a pleasant surprise. Just as he was about to speak, Gu An suddenly brandished his pen, and with a single stroke, An Shengtian felt as though he had been struck by lightning, his entire body frozen in place.

His complexion drastically changed; he wanted to speak, but found himself incapable.

He could feel something being shed from him—no, being abandoned!

An endless tide of loneliness overwhelmed him, and he fell into an unprecedented fear, his eyes unexpectedly brimming over with tears.

At that moment, he was like a lost child, wanting to crouch down and hold himself.

“Your talent may not equal Hao’s, but can your will surpass his?”

Gu An’s voice reached him, like dawn’s light chasing away the darkness from An Shengtian’s inner world.

An Shengtian looked up to see Gu An and Jiang Shi standing before him, Jiang Shi looking anxious and seemingly trying to say something, but An Shengtian couldn’t hear a thing.

His gaze rested on Gu An, who was looking back at him calmly.

For some reason, he didn’t feel distanced; instead, he sensed a kind of power.

I cannot let down my master’s expectations!

An Shengtian gritted his teeth and forcefully suppressed the negative emotions in his heart, his body trembling as if he were in a chilly cellar.

At that moment, Gu An’s brow furrowed, and he shifted his right foot—suddenly, an explosive burst of Demonic Qi enveloped the surrounding space.

Jiang Shi turned his head, looking towards Gu An with astonishment.

Gu An remained silent, waiting for the threads of An Shengtian’s fate to be stripped away.

“Aren’t you afraid of the Heavenly Dao’s backlash, Daoist Friend, for changing the fate of a person entangled with the karma of the Heavenly Dao?”

An indifferent voice came from outside the Demonic Qi, startling Jiang Shi into hastily turning around.

How could there be someone else?

Gu An lifted his head, his gaze piercing through the Demonic Qi, crossing the void, to peer into another mysterious and dark space. Within it flowed a magnificent river, emanating radiant auroras, neither its source nor endpoint visible.

The River of Destiny!

A figure stood atop the River of Destiny.

The figure shone with a silvery light, with only their silhouette discernible.

Gu An couldn’t see through to their true form, but he could sense the other had locked onto his position.

He had already employed the Supreme Concealing Void technique, rendering the space around him impenetrable to peering eyes; thus, he wasn’t worried.

Moreover, the River of Destiny was incredibly distant from him; the other party was merely communicating, with no intention of descending into the Great Heavenly Spirit Land.

“Do you wish to warn or stop me?” Gu An asked.

The voice of the silvery figure carried through. “I intend to warn. I drift within the River of Destiny and cannot descend upon the world, you need not worry. I can see that you, Daoist Friend, have stepped onto the Way of Cause and Effect. One day, we shall meet. I will await you by the River of Destiny.”

Gu An seemed to think of something; his expression turned strange as he continued to ask, “May I know the name of my Daoist Friend?”

“I have no Daoist title, only a common name, which is likely unknown; my name is Lu Qiuxian.”

Hearing the name, Gu An fell silent.

Jiang Shi didn’t even dare to breathe too heavily.

The River of Destiny!

The Way of Cause and Effect!

And Lu Qiuxian!

Just the sound of it was terrifying—is this the world of the Immortal Path Realm?

While shocked, Jiang Shi felt an unprecedented ambition and resolve stirring within him.