The Heavenly Spirit God stood quietly before the Realm Gate, his gaze calm, his mind seemingly deep in thought.
Time passed swiftly.
After a long while.
The Realm Gate suddenly burst with a brilliant light, dazzling and overwhelming. One by one, figures stepped out from the gate—there were seventy-two of them, both male and female, each dressed in different attire, but all exuding an extraordinary aura that displayed their celestial radiance.
The Heavenly Spirit God's expression subtly changed. He had clearly not expected the identity of the visitors.
At the forefront was a man in a purple robe, wearing a divine crown. His robe was embroidered with intricate patterns and adorned with gorgeous crystals. Two dragon horns curved upward from the crown, and as he walked, streaks of blue flame swirled around him.
The Heavenly Spirit God immediately clasped his hands in salute to them.
The man in the purple robe did not respond to the Heavenly Spirit God, simply walking past him, with the others following closely behind.
"Heavenly Spirit God," one of them, a young man dressed in golden chainmail, said while holding a long spear. "You've been waiting here for so many years, it's time to bow your head to the Purple Micro Immortal Emperor. Such a talent like you being stuck in this backward world, it's a shame."
He walked among the group, and alone, his aura was no less than that of the Heavenly Spirit God.
The Heavenly Spirit God did not speak, and the golden-armored youth didn't get angry. He simply continued on.
Watching them fly into the depths of the universe, the Heavenly Spirit God sighed inwardly. "So, Tai Yi Immortal Lord sent the Seventy-Two Immortals of Jindong here. It seems Golden Extreme God truly has no hope of survival."
"However, does Golden Extreme God really deserve to have the Seventy-Two Immortals of Jindong come out together?"
The Heavenly Spirit God thought of Gu An. Could it be that Tai Yi Immortal Lord had discovered Gu An's existence?
Thinking about Gu An, his emotions became complicated.
He had once died at the hands of Gu An, which could be considered a grudge. But Gu An hadn't truly destroyed him, and in fact, had treated his son very well, which left him uncertain about his feelings toward Gu An.
Regardless, it didn't matter to him. He only needed to sit here and watch.
Years passed by.
It had been five thousand years since Gu An helped Xuanmiao Zhenren break the curse.
Even though the entire world was resisting the Congenital Human Race, they still couldn't completely eradicate them. Gu An had tried once, quietly eliminating a malevolent Congenital Human Race demon, but he received no lifespan notification.
This particular Congenital Human Race had a strange karmic force around them, related to Golden Extreme God. Perhaps their lifespans had long been controlled by Golden Extreme God.
Unable to seize their lifespans, Gu An lost interest in taking further action, leaving the problem to the beings of this world to resolve on their own.
Though he didn't act himself, that didn't mean he was indifferent. His disciples, acting under his arrangement, had saved countless lives over the five thousand years.
The name of Wushi had spread, and all the sects of the world knew of its existence. Tian Yao'er, Chen Chuan, and others had not revealed Gu An's name. The world knew only that they came from Wushi, but not who the true leader of Wushi was.
On this particular day, the weather was clear.
Gu An was instructing An Xin on the cultivation of the Immortal Emperor's Eye. Since being stimulated by the Heavenly Fate Aura of Tian Hao, she had gained more insights into the Immortal Emperor's Eye. Though her understanding was still far from Gu An's, she could already use the power of the Immortal Emperor's Eye.
Her Immortal Emperor's Eye was not a karmic technique but one of devouring power. It could devour everything and temporarily turn it into her own strength.
This was a very practical divine ability for combat. Though the strength gained from devouring was temporary, in a battle where both sides were evenly matched, it could immediately turn the tide.
She had only just started to comprehend it, but if she grew strong enough to devour the Dao of others and use it in battle, the sight of such a power was enough to send chills down anyone's spine.
So many years had passed, and although An Xin's comprehension had awakened, her talent for combat was still not very high. Now, with the Immortal Emperor's Eye, she finally had the qualification to challenge Tian Hao on equal terms.
However, the Immortal Emperor's Eye was tied to the Heavenly Court's karma, and it could not be used casually once they left the Dao Field.
Gu An looked at An Xin, his thoughts drifting, a smile forming on his face.
Without realizing it, An Xin had become the person who had accompanied him the longest. As for this obedient and filial disciple, he cherished her greatly, and it was no secret. He wasn't afraid of other disciples feeling envious, because he believed that An Xin, with her diligent efforts, deserved this kind of treatment from him.
The master and disciple sat in the bamboo forest. An Xin closed her eyes, and a pair of purple-eyed illusory images appeared above her eyelids, mysterious and eerie.
Bamboo leaves fluttered down around them, one of them landing gently on An Xin's head.
Suddenly, An Xin opened her eyes. Looking at Gu An, she said, "Master, I have a bad premonition. The more I comprehend this divine ability, the stronger this feeling becomes. It seems like something terrifying is approaching."
Gu An responded, "Trust your instincts, it's true. In fact, what you are cultivating is no longer the Misfortune's Absolute Vision, but a powerful divine ability called the Immortal Emperor's Eye. This eye can even provoke the fear of the celestial beings."
The reason An Xin had this feeling was because the celestial beings of the Heavenly Spirit World were increasing in number.
More than three thousand years ago, seventy-two immortals, whose strength was no less than that of the Heavenly Spirit God, crossed through the Realm Gate. Among them, one even reached the perfection of the Taiqing Golden Immortal Realm. Gu An could sense their connection to Tai Yi Immortal Lord, meaning these immortals were very likely summoned by him.
They had infiltrated the Heavenly Spirit World, blending in without drawing anyone's attention. They concealed their presence and identities as they wandered in the mortal world.
At first, Gu An had thought they intended to emulate Golden Extreme God and spread the name of Tai Yi Immortal Lord, but it wasn't like that at all.
It seemed they were searching for something.
With the protection of the Heavenly Dao Aura, Gu An couldn't hear their thoughts.
Now, Gu An suddenly had a guess.
Could they be searching for the Immortal Emperor's Eye?
Once the Immortal Emperor's Eye was perfected, it would surely attract the attention of the Heavenly Court. But An Xin had never used its power outside of the Dao Field, so Gu An trusted the safety of the Dao Field.
Suddenly, he thought of another person.
Tian Hao!
A Congenital Immortal, such an existence could not escape the notice of the celestial beings.
Speaking of which, Tian Hao was famous throughout the world, yet Golden Extreme God had never sought him out. It could have been a coincidence in the past, but until now, the two had never met, which seemed unreasonable.
Could it be that Tai Yi Immortal Lord and Xuan Su Immortal Lord didn't have a grudge after all? Perhaps this world concealed something that forced them to compete with each other?
"Celestial beings' fear? Then will I still be able to use it in the future? Will it cause trouble for you, Master?" An Xin nervously asked.
Gu An smiled and said, "That's why you need to continue your cultivation, reach a higher level, and master the Immortal Emperor's Eye. Then, when you go outside, you won't leak its aura."
An Xin looked thoughtful. She lifted her eyes to look at Gu An and asked, "Master, could it be that the Congenital Human Race, which is causing chaos in the world, was brought about by me?"
Gu An responded irritably, "Do you think you have that kind of ability?"
An Xin, scolded by her master, stuck out her tongue and turned red in the ears. However, she let out a sigh of relief, a smile appearing on her face.
As long as it wasn't her fault, she didn't have the grand ambition to save the world, but she certainly didn't want to bring about an apocalyptic calamity.
"However, right now, there are several celestial beings in the mortal world. Looking across the three thousand great worlds, the Heavenly Spirit World is undoubtedly the world with the most celestial beings."
Gu An's words piqued An Xin's curiosity, and she began asking about the whereabouts of the celestial beings.