True Person Su really did not want to watch Xiao Lan act like a lovestruck girl any longer. She turned her gaze toward the great river ahead, her brows slightly furrowed.
She could sense a faint yet ominous demonic aura. Surprisingly, with her cultivation, she was unable to fully perceive its depth—which could only mean that the being's cultivation was higher than hers.
Xiao Lan clung to Gu An for a long while before reluctantly moving to True Person Su's side. She asked curiously, "Master, you've been frowning for a while now. What are you looking at?"
True Person Su turned to look at her, wanting to ask if she had finally remembered her master existed.
"There's a great demon hiding in the river ahead. I'm debating whether or not we should change our route." True Person Su answered in a calm voice.
Upon hearing this, Xiao Lan's eyes lit up. "What kind of demon? Compared to that Tianya Flood Dragon we encountered before, who's stronger?"
"This demon is most likely stronger than me."
True Person Su shook her head. She didn't mind showing weakness in front of her disciple.
Xiao Lan instinctively glanced at Gu An, then turned back to True Person Su, frowning. "Then we should change our route."
True Person Su felt both relieved and helpless.
She was relieved that Xiao Lan was no longer as reckless as before, but at the same time, it was frustrating that every decision she made revolved around Gu An's safety.
Gu An's gaze shifted toward the distant great demon.
Further downstream, where the river expanded into a vast lake, a battle was taking place.
A demon and a powerful cultivator were fighting over a lost treasure from the War Court.
The great cultivator had mastered the art of concealing his aura, revealing no hint of his strength. Because of this, their battle did not shake the heavens.
Similarly, the great demon was wary of leaking the aura of the treasure, so it was deliberately suppressing its demonic energy—but some of it still seeped out.
As Gu An watched their battle, a thought formed in his mind.
What kind of Dao treasure should he refine for Xiao Lan?
—
As autumn set in, the Third Medicine Valley was gradually tinged with shades of yellow.
Beneath an ancient tree, Long Teng sat cross-legged in meditation.
His robes fluttered slightly, surrounded by a surging force resembling dragon qi.
Approaching from a distance, Long Qing led a man toward him—this man was none other than Li Xuandao, Emperor of the Tai Cang Dynasty.
Li Xuandao was clad in golden robes, a dragon crown adorning his head, exuding an undeniable imperial presence that drew the attention of many disciples within the Medicine Valley.
Ever since his Nirvana, Li Xuandao had revealed his true dominance. Having ruled for 20,000 years, he was already a god in the hearts of the Tai Cang people.
He and Long Qing were the two most powerful figures on the Tai Cang Continent. Many feared that if they ever turned against each other, it would cause chaos.
However, the two had always maintained a strong relationship, allowing Tai Xuan Sect and the Tai Cang Dynasty to coexist peacefully.
Any conflict that arose was always resolved through discussion.
When Li Xuandao laid eyes on Long Teng, his eyes brightened instantly.
He had long harbored a bold suspicion.
Not long ago, a mysterious power from beyond the heavens had come searching for Long Qing, and then, the appearance of the Dragon Battle Divine Aspect further solidified his belief.
The moment he saw Long Teng, his heart trembled.
This young man looked just like Gu An.
His features were sharper, filled with greater intensity, but their facial structures were eerily similar.
As the two approached, Long Teng opened his eyes.
The moment he saw Li Xuandao, he froze, immediately drawn in by his imposing presence.
Such an overwhelming aura!
This was Long Teng's first impression of Li Xuandao.
"Teng'er, this is the Emperor of Tai Cang Dynasty, an old friend of my master. Hurry and pay your respects," Long Qing instructed.
Hearing this, Long Teng immediately stood up and respectfully bowed to Li Xuandao.
Li Xuandao smiled, saying, "Seeing you reminds me of the first time I met Yang Jian."
Yang Jian!
Long Teng had, of course, heard this legendary name.
Yang Jian was a myth within Tai Xuan Sect, the senior disciple of his father's master, and had achieved countless great feats for Tai Cang Dynasty.
Even now, he was still Tai Cang's number one expert.
Before his grandmaster reappeared, Yang Jian was the one Long Teng admired the most.
On Tai Cang Continent, every child over six years old knew of Yang Jian's stories.
Because of this, Journey to the West had become an eternal classic, officially canonized by the imperial court, despite some of its content containing rebellious undertones.
"Come with me in the future. I will not treat you unfairly. I will make you the next Yang Jian, or even surpass him!" Li Xuandao declared boldly.
Hearing this, Long Teng did not immediately answer.
Instead, he turned to Long Qing.
Long Qing nodded and said, "I do not wish for the Long family to be bound too closely to Tai Xuan Sect. Following the Emperor and establishing your own legacy is also a fine choice. Once you have secured a foothold, the Long family will relocate."
Long Teng had long known the fate of the Long clan.
Thus, he had no doubts.
He cupped his fists toward Li Xuandao, signaling his acceptance.
This made Li Xuandao even more pleased, and he pulled Long Teng to sit beside him, chatting about the past.
When Li Xuandao began speaking about his master, Long Teng became truly intrigued.
Right now, what he was most curious about, what he longed to know the most, was everything about his grandmaster, Gu An.
What kind of person was he?
Li Xuandao started from the very beginning, from the first time he met Gu An.
When Long Teng heard that his grandmaster had once disguised himself as a mere outer disciple, his interest grew even stronger.
When Long Teng learned that books such as Investiture of the Gods, Journey to the West, and Tai Xuan Immortal Lord were all written by his grandmaster, Gu An, his eyes widened in shock.
No wonder these books were required reading for all disciples entering Tai Xuan Sect. Some people even treated them as historical records and analyzed them seriously.
Now, he believed it.
Perhaps these really were the calamities that his grandmaster had experienced.
Seeing the expression on Long Teng's face, Long Qing smiled.
Even though he had decided to separate the Long Clan from Tai Xuan Sect, he did not want his descendants to become distant from their ancestral founder.
Without Gu An, there would be no Long Clan. This was something that must never be forgotten.
An hour passed in the blink of an eye.
Li Xuandao pressed his hands on his knees and smiled. "I plan to send you to cultivate in Dao Court for a while. Once you return, I will appoint you as the Great General."
"The era ahead will be a time of unprecedented prosperity. I intend to sweep across all imperial dynasties and establish a grand unification, bringing merit to all mortals under heaven. I need you. This will be a long and arduous task—you will face countless battles."
Upon hearing this, Long Teng's eyes burned with excitement, and even his breathing quickened.
"Is Dao Court really that powerful?" Long Teng asked curiously.
"In the current world, it is considered a first-rate Dao Court. Of course, if your grandmaster were still in Tai Xuan Sect, Dao Court wouldn't even be qualified to carry his shoes." Li Xuandao laughed. "I've already made arrangements for everything. Once you arrive, you only need to focus on cultivating. I will assign people to handle everything else for you."
"Many thanks, Your Majesty!"
Long Teng was thrilled and felt an even greater admiration for Li Xuandao.
This was the first time Long Qing truly experienced Li Xuandao's charisma. No wonder Senior Brother Yang Jian had been willing to serve him for so many years.
Perhaps, serving imperial power was not a bad thing. No matter how strong the Long Clan became, it would always have a greater force above it to keep it in check.
As he watched Li Xuandao and Long Teng, Long Qing thought to himself.
He was already looking forward to Long Teng's future achievements in the years to come.
—
Eighty years had passed since Xiao Lan left Xiao Manor.
True Person Su had finally decided to return to Dao Court.
Before leaving, Xiao Lan wished to visit Xiao Manor once more, and True Person Su agreed.
This time, True Person Su did not travel on foot. Instead, she used a spell to bring Xiao Lan and Gu An, reaching Xiao Manor in just half an hour.
The three stayed for two days before leaving again.
Before her departure, Xiao Lan left behind an abundance of cultivation resources, enough to elevate the status of Xiao Manor.
Among these gifts, many were provided by True Person Su.
She understood Xiao Lan's thoughts well—it was only natural for a cultivator who had achieved enlightenment to uplift those around them.
She also hoped that Xiao Lan could sever her attachments and focus solely on cultivation.
Riding on the clouds, the three of them headed toward Dao Court.
As they neared Dao Court, True Person Su glanced at Xiao Lan, seemingly about to say something.
But upon seeing Xiao Lan tightly holding onto Gu An's arm, she swallowed her words.
Forget it.
At least this girl hadn't let her emotions hinder her cultivation.
Once her feelings for Gu An faded, everything would eventually return to normal.
Gu An was also quite interested in Dao Court—after all, many old acquaintances had joined its ranks.
During the recent calamity from beyond the heavens, Dao Court had proven itself as the strongest sect, demonstrating both power and responsibility.
After that battle, its reputation skyrocketed, and more and more sects believed that Dao Court was qualified to lead the world.
Rather than forcing other sects to submit, Dao Court preferred to form alliances.
For every allied sect, Dao Court provided special cultivation quotas, allowing their disciples to train in Daoist techniques.
As more and more external disciples returned after training in Dao Court, its reputation continued to grow.
Xiao Lan was also excited about Dao Court. She insisted that Gu An should live in her personal cave dwelling.
According to True Person Su, with Xiao Lan's talent, she would receive special treatment within Dao Court, and her cultivation cave would be rich in spiritual energy.
Seeing her eager expression, Gu An agreed.
This made True Person Su shake her head, though she chose not to say anything.
Not long after, the grand and majestic scenery of Dao Court unfolded before them.
Dao Court occupied an entire continent.
Above the continent, layer upon layer of cloud seas floated, upon which vast Daoist temples and cities were built.
The higher one's cultivation, the higher they could live within Dao Court.
Before even setting foot on the continent, one could feel its boundless fortune and destiny—something that even ancient immortal dynasties and sacred courts could not compare to.
Gu An sensed the presence of the Sacred Court's Sacred Minister and other high-ranking figures.
It was clear that Dao Court's rapid expansion had been heavily supported by former members of the Sacred Court and immortal dynasties.
To be precise, Dao Court was formed by the dominant forces of various worlds before the Great Thousand World was reshaped.
Its internal factions were deeply intertwined, which was why Dao Court preferred alliances rather than forced subjugation.
In essence, Dao Court itself was an alliance of sects.