Your Highness?
An Xin, Long Qing, Chen Chuan, and the others looked at Zhu Xi in confusion. Just who was she really?
Chen Chuan, in particular, found this surprising. Although he had been in Third Medicine Valley for decades, his understanding of the valley was still somewhat shallow. This was because he was completely devoted to the Sword Dao, spending all his time cultivating.
To him, Third Medicine Valley was filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers.
He Qingsong, who had been speaking of heaven and earth's sentient beings as if he were beyond worldly affairs, had actually addressed Zhu Xi as Your Highness.
Who exactly was she?
Chen Chuan suddenly realized that he might have been too preoccupied with his own path and should perhaps start paying more attention to his surroundings.
Zhu Xi had her back turned to He Qingsong, her head lowered, and both hands gripping the Heavenly Dao Discourse tightly. It was clear she was struggling internally.
After a moment of hesitation, she finally decided to take the Heavenly Dao Discourse and leave, leaving the onlookers even more bewildered.
He Qingsong watched her retreating figure without calling her back. Instead, his brows furrowed deeply as he fell into contemplation.
"Disperse, disperse!"
An Xin waved her hands, gesturing for the surrounding disciples to leave. Though puzzled and curious, the disciples could only disperse.
Long Qing, however, remained by He Qingsong's side, curiosity written all over his face. "What's Zhu Xi's background? Tell me about it."
Even though He Qingsong's origins were unknown, Long Qing wasn't worried about danger within Third Medicine Valley.
He Qingsong glanced at Long Qing before saying, "She has many origins, but you must have at least heard of one of her names. She was once known as Divine Sovereign."
With that, he turned and left.
Divine Sovereign?
Long Qing froze. An Xin, Chen Chuan, and the others also stopped in their tracks, stunned. Even the disciples who had not yet walked far gasped in shock.
The name Divine Sovereign was known to all.
Everyone in Heavenly Spirit Grand World knew that Divine Sovereign was the mightiest being of the Sacred Court, the strongest cultivator in the entire realm.
Who was stronger, Divine Sovereign or the Sword Master of the Dao?
For the common people, it was difficult to say. Divine Sovereign had disappeared before the Sword Master of the Dao rose to prominence, and the two had never faced each other.
Of course, those in the higher realms understood that the Sword Master of the Dao's cultivation far surpassed Divine Sovereign. However, in the hearts of the masses, Divine Sovereign remained a being on par with the heavens.
Many saw Divine Sovereign as a force equivalent to the celestial heavens themselves.
Blood Prison Saint raised his head and couldn't help but ask, "Master, is Zhu Xi really Divine Sovereign?"
Sitting atop him, Gu An replied nonchalantly, "Who knows? Either way, it has nothing to do with us."
The one and only Primordial Devouring Origin Physique!
No wonder Divine Sovereign was so powerful, strong enough to dominate Heavenly Spirit Grand World and subdue the Heavenly Demon Clan.
Gu An thought to himself, finding the situation amusing.
He could tell that He Qingsong didn't want him interfering with the evolution of the world. He Qingsong was likely influenced by some greater will, sent here to test him—only to stumble upon Zhu Xi.
Gu An himself had no real intention of intervening too frequently in the world's affairs. The only reason he acted previously was that the Annihilation God Emperor had directly come for him and Long Qing.
As for what happened next in the grand conflict, he wouldn't interfere. His only concern was protecting himself and the people close to him.
"Wiping out ninety-nine percent of all living beings, huh…"
Gu An gazed at the sky, his thoughts drifting.
Ninety-nine percent sounded like a lot, but in the vast expanse of Heavenly Spirit Grand World, even after such devastation, the number of surviving beings would still be vast.
From a different perspective, Heavenly Dao was still showing mercy, leaving a sliver of hope. The current slaughter was merely a means for the worthy to carve out their own future.
But Gu An was far more interested in his own cultivation than in the fate of the world.
Vast Heaven Free Immortal Realm wasn't enough!
He had to grow stronger—stronger than the Annihilation God Emperor, stronger than the Heavenly Spirit God, stronger than the unseen immortals and gods that dictated the world's order!
A Shift in Third Medicine Valley
The news of Zhu Xi being Divine Sovereign didn't spread.
Tai Xuan Sect acted swiftly to suppress the rumors. However, Zhu Xi's life changed drastically.
Every time she stepped outside, she was surrounded by onlookers. Even Sacred Court cultivators had arrived at Third Medicine Valley, taking up residence.
Gu An stood by the window, watching as the valley grew more crowded. He sighed, "There are more and more people."
Shen Zhen, who had been preparing to paint, turned her head and looked at him. "Is having more people a good thing or a bad thing for you?"
"In the past, I thought it was good. Lately, I'm not so sure."
Gu An responded, his eyes deep and unreadable.
Hearing this, Shen Zhen pondered for a moment. Then, she finally lowered her brush onto the paper.
After observing the lively scene outside for a moment, Gu An turned away from the window and approached the table. His gaze fell upon Shen Zhen's painting.
It was a landscape painting.
Between the towering mountains, waterfalls cascaded down cliffs. By the waterfalls stood pavilions, and below, a medicine garden flourished with cultivators tending to it. Not far from the garden, a bull and a plump rat were chasing each other in play.
"This… is a painting of me?" Gu An asked with curiosity.
Shen Zhen nodded. "Yes. For some reason, this scene suddenly appeared in my mind, growing clearer and clearer. I think… this might be where you'll live in the future."
Gu An didn't respond.
His eyes landed on the cliff by the waterfall, where he saw a faint white-robed figure standing, gazing down at the medicine garden.
He couldn't help but wonder—who was this woman?
But he did not ask, nor did he try to divine the answer.
After Shen Zhen finished painting, she suddenly exclaimed, "Ah! Why did I end up drawing a woman? Who is she?"
Gu An rolled his eyes. "You're the one who painted it. Why are you asking me?"
Shen Zhen picked up the painting and sighed. "I feel like this scene comes from a very distant future."
Gu An smirked. "What? Are you saying you can predict the future now?"
"No, but it does feel possible. Many of the images I see aren't things I have experienced before, and they don't match with my past. Ever since you explained the Dao to me, I might have started comprehending something—not necessarily the Dao of Karma, but something else entirely." Shen Zhen spoke with serious contemplation.
Gu An chuckled but did not refute her.
Indeed, Shen Zhen had already taken her first steps into Dao comprehension, though what she was perceiving wasn't Karma, but rather Destiny itself.
To comprehend Dao, she had already surpassed countless cultivators. Many Immortal Dao powerhouses spent their entire lifetimes struggling to grasp this step—even Divine Thought True Immortals could not enter the realm of Dao comprehension so easily.
Shen Zhen continued to describe the visions she had seen in her dreams, unknowingly revealing insights into the Dao of Destiny.
Gu An listened carefully.
Even though his cultivation was far beyond hers, hearing another's comprehension of the Dao might provide unexpected enlightenment.
On a towering mountain peak beyond the sect's perimeter, a black-robed man stood with a sword in his arms. His white hair fluttered in the wind, and over a dozen cultivators stood behind him, each exuding formidable auras and wielding different magical treasures.
"Lord, ahead of us lies Tai Xuan Sect. Are you certain that Sword Master of the Dao will not intervene in this opportunity?"
A veiled woman looked at the black-robed man, her tone filled with unease.
They had lived for many years and had personally witnessed the Sword Master of the Dao battle against the Xuanhuang Demon God and the Annihilation God Emperor. Deep in their hearts, they feared him.
An elderly cultivator spoke up, "Since Sword Master of the Dao has released the Heavenly Dao Discourse, it shows his stance. As long as we do not harm the innocent, he will not interfere."
The others nodded in agreement, their voices brimming with eagerness for the Heavenly Dao Discourse.
The black-robed man remained indifferent. His expression was unreadable as he said calmly, "When we arrive at Tai Xuan Sect, we will first pay a visit to someone. He should know the true stance of the Sword Master of the Dao."
The moment he finished speaking, a streak of divine light shot across the sky above them, vanishing into the distant horizon.
The veiled woman furrowed her brows. "Was that Nine Extremes Sacred God?"
The black-robed man nodded. "Indeed. I never expected someone as arrogant as him to chase after the Heavenly Dao Discourse as well. It seems… even he recognizes his fate."
Without another word, he leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of dark mist that surged toward the horizon. The others immediately followed.
Deep Within Third Medicine Valley
In a secluded forest, Zhu Xi stood face-to-face with Jue Luo Sword Master.
His gaze fell upon the Heavenly Dao Discourse in Zhu Xi's hands. Smirking, he asked, "Divine Sovereign, do you truly intend to hand over this opportunity to me? Sword Master of the Dao entrusted it to you. Perhaps he sees great potential in you."
Zhu Xi shook her head. "I am not the Divine Sovereign that you speak of. I only know that I cannot protect this item. Since my master does not wish to involve himself in karma, I will relinquish it to you. You are strong enough—perhaps you can claim the True Immortal inheritance."
Jue Luo Sword Master scoffed and, with a mere wave of his right hand, the Heavenly Dao Discourse was pulled into his palm from a distance.
"Divine Sovereign… How have you become so timid in this lifetime? Is it because you have not awakened your past memories? That should not be the case. No matter how many lifetimes one reincarnates, their fundamental nature does not change." His tone carried a hint of mockery.
Zhu Xi remained silent.
Instead, she let out a long sigh.
Seeing her reluctant demeanor, Jue Luo Sword Master lost interest. He leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of sword light and disappearing.
As he vanished, his voice echoed across the land—
"I am Jue Luo Sword Master! I hold the Heavenly Dao Discourse! Any who seek the path of Immortality—come and challenge me!"
A terrifying sword intent erupted from the distance, shaking the heavens.
Zhu Xi turned to look in the direction where Jue Luo Sword Master had disappeared.
She could no longer see his figure.
"Thank goodness there are still fools in this world."
She thought to herself.
"No… I must leave Tai Xuan Sect!"
She looked toward the pavilion where Gu An resided.
After a moment of hesitation, she clasped her hands together and bowed deeply in his direction from afar.
"Master… Forgive me. I am not just protecting myself—I do not want to bring trouble upon you."
Without looking back, she turned and ran toward the valley's exit.