Chapter 409: Chapter 409: The Darkest Years

Above the vast ocean, clouds surged like a scene from an Immortal Realm, and a towering peak stood in the sea with Immortal Birds circling around.

Atop the mountain shone a dazzling golden light from a gigantic Golden Mirror, spinning and sweeping beams of light in all directions.

Below the Golden Mirror lay a spacious and bright dojo, paved with white jade. Tens of thousands sat in meditation, all from the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm.

The majority meditated with closed eyes, while a few looked towards the front where a majestic figure sat in meditation before the Golden Mirror, his presence alone stretching a hundred yards high.

Mortal World God!

Clad in a black Daoist robe, holding a horsetail whisk, his half-white hair bundled behind his head with jade pins, his face weathered as if worn by the ages, he emitted an immense and boundless aura of Daoist Sorcery simply by sitting there.

“Mortal God, now that the world is in chaos, when will we, the followers of Divine Dao, descend the mountain to save the world?”

An elder suddenly spoke out, prompting everyone to open their eyes and collectively gaze at the Mortal World God.

Even Bai Ziya, from Mortal World Peak, opened his eyes to look.

They had pledged allegiance to the Mortal World God not merely to seek greater strength but also to fulfill their own aspirations.

In their eyes, both the Immortal Dynasty and the Holy Court were preoccupied with their own power, not prioritizing all living beings. Neither deserved to rule the Great Heavenly Spirit Land. They believed that salvation required a third-party force, and the Divine Dao founded by Mortal World God represented their hope.

Before joining the Divine Dao, they had experienced its formidable power, a force they believed to surpass the Immortal Path.

With the Qi Fortune of Divine Dao, their strength continued to grow. Though newly joined, many were already eager to take action.

Without opening his eyes, the Mortal World God responded slowly, “The time is not yet ripe. We aim to save the entire world, not merely a portion of beings. Acting now might accumulate virtue, but it won’t shake the Immortal Dynasty or the Holy Court. Once we are strong enough, we will crush the Immortal Dynasty in one fell swoop, swallow the Holy Court, and quickly restore peace to the world, which will truly benefit all beings.”

Many nodded in agreement with his words.

A female cultivator asked, “Mortal God, in your eyes, is the threat from Shengtian greater, or is it the Yang Xian Emperor?”

The Free Immortal might not decide the fate of the world—after all, even the Yang Xian Emperor couldn’t breach the Holy Court—but they all knew that to crush the Immortal Dynasty and the Holy Court, they must defeat both the Yang Xian Emperor and Shengtian.

A monumental battle awaited the Mortal World God!

Upon hearing this, the Mortal World God slowly opened his eyes, peering into the distance with a profound look, he said meaningfully, “Besides those two, there are greater threats in this world, and not just one. It is a time of unprecedented chaos. The future changes of the world will far exceed your imaginations, and what you currently see are merely premonitions. The true calamity has yet to descend.”

“Day and night confused, your sin and virtue mixed, where immortals and mortals coexist, you will witness the darkest of times.”

Hearing the words of the Mortal World God, the faces of the cultivators in the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm changed drastically, and they began whispering among themselves.

Bai Ziya also furrowed his brows, his eyes filled with worry.

What really awaited them in the future?

…

Three years later.

In a forest, Gu An sat on a tree reading, while Blood Prison Great Saint lay beneath, watching An Xin cultivate with a curious look in his eyes.

“Master, what exactly is she cultivating? It feels different from the previous Cultivation Techniques and Divine Skills, yet it contains those mysteries,” Blood Prison Great Saint couldn’t help but look up and ask.

Gu An responded nonchalantly, “It is my Dao.”

Over the past three years, he had integrated the Ultimate Battle Technique and infused his own enlightenment, which he was now beginning to teach to An Xin.

However, even if the level of achievement in the Ultimate Battle Technique was the same, the strength and combat style of Gu An remained distinct. He had to admit that the original user was the most suited for the Ultimate Battle Technique; with the same level of achievement, the original user could unleash greater power, which related to will and nature.

Since the simulated battle three years ago, Gu An hadn’t simulated again, feeling that he was still not ready.

It was good this way, having another version of himself as a target, made life more expectant.

“Dao?” Blood Prison Great Saint pondered thoughtfully.

The forest quickly fell silent.

Blood Prison Great Saint was momentarily dazed as he looked up and saw An Xin had stopped. She was standing still, seemingly lost in thought.

“Master, she…” Blood Prison Great Saint looked up and cautiously asked.

Gu An flipped through the pages of the book and replied, “She is merely embracing the Path Enlightenment, pay it no mind.”

Path Enlightenment?

Blood Prison Great Saint was not the naive youth he once was. He understood what Path Enlightenment meant—an opportunity seldom encountered in life.

He looked at An Xin with envy, filled with expectation.

Indeed, following his master, experiencing Path Enlightenment and changing one’s essence were not difficult.

Yang Jian was unfortunate not to continue staying on. Had his heart settled, his growth would have accelerated.

That foolish boy was short-sighted, thinking he had learned all the skills his master had, not realizing that his master’s Dao level was profound and immeasurable.

Blood Prison Great Saint’s gaze returned to An Xin and noticed a new aura about her.

This presence instinctively made him wary.

“This girl is growing so fast. Always smiling, but once she begins to cultivate, her aura is even stronger than Yang Jian’s,” Blood Prison Great Saint thought to himself, astonished.

He tried to recall when An Xin had developed such an aura.

He could not pinpoint the exact moment.

He looked again towards Gu An in the tree, his eyes full of admiration.

If such a frail woman could be nurtured to this extent, how powerful could he become if properly trained?

Blood Prison Great Saint silently vowed to become the strongest under Gu An’s command.

Time swiftly passed.

As dusk approached, An Xin suddenly woke up. Her eyes widened as she gasped for air, her forehead covered with cold sweat.

“Hey, hey, hey, what’s wrong with you? Why does Path Enlightenment seem like you’re having a nightmare?” Blood Prison Great Saint asked with a hint of jealousy in his tone.

He wanted to experience Path Enlightenment too, just like that fat rat!

He suspected that the rat’s rapid growth was due to continuously embracing Path Enlightenment even while sleeping.

An Xin managed to calm herself, then turned to look at Gu An and said, “Master, I just saw a figure.”

No sooner had she spoken than she froze.

The invincible figure in her mind overlaid with Gu An sitting on the tree.

“What figure?” Gu An casually asked without looking at An Xin.

An Xin smiled and said, “Nothing, Master. Thank you for your teachings. Master, what is this Miracle Skill? It’s so powerful!”

Gu An did not hide anything and replied, “This is the Ultimate Battle Technique. You must not mention it to anyone, including Hao’er. Even if you use it, you must never reveal its name.”

“Why?” An Xin asked, puzzled.

Blood Prison Great Saint was also curious.

Gu An, with an expressionless face, staring at the book in his hands, said, “Because this technique originated in the future, a distant future.”

Upon hearing this, both An Xin and Blood Prison Great Saint froze, their thoughts wandering into an endless reverie.