Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

Gu An saw that Zhu Xi agreed, then pushed the Heavenly Dao Theory towards her. She did not pick it up immediately but instead looked at Gu An and asked, "Master, do you truly know my lineage?"

Gu An replied, "Actually, your background is quite ordinary, and there are no karmic entanglements entwined with you. Your talent is exceptional and occurs once in an era, blessed by Heaven and Earth, known as the Tai Chu Swallowing Yuan Body."

Tai Chu Swallowing Yuan Body!

Upon hearing these five words, Zhu Xi fell into a daze, inexplicably accepting this name as though awakening distant memories.

Gu An encouraged, "Cultivate diligently. One day, you will stand at the pinnacle of the Immortal Path and become the person you currently admire, or even surpass them."

Hearing this, Zhu Xi wanted to ask, 'Can I surpass you?'

She was not ignorant of decorum to such an extent; she only dared to think it in her heart.

Gu An began to inquire about Zhu Xi's cultivation struggles. Lowering her guard, she started to discuss her cultivation woes. Meanwhile, Gu An was deducing the karma and truth of the Heavenly Dao Theory.

The Heavenly Dao Theory possessed the ability to toggle between reality and illusion. In battle, it could make the injuries Zhu Xi received turn unreal, as if she were unharmed, delaying the damage, while also being able to wield nonexistent spells and divine skills to attack the enemy, making the enemy believe they sustained severe injuries when, in reality, they had not. This effect would persist for a while before disappearing.

This power was different from karma; it was a very special power of the Dao. Currently, Gu An had not yet researched this type of Dao, and he was quite intrigued by it.

An hour later, Gu An stood up to leave.

"Master, keep the Heavenly Dao Theory for now. I will ask you for it when I need it, how does that sound?" Zhu Xi handed the Heavenly Dao Theory to Gu An, speaking seriously. She was also reluctant to part with it, but after knowing the origin of the Heavenly Dao Theory, she felt apprehensive about the book, as if it burned to the touch.

Most crucially, could Gu An's ability to discern the book's origin suggest that he might be stronger than the entity behind the book?

Moreover, she could sense Gu An's interest in the Heavenly Dao Theory; otherwise, he wouldn't have personally come to seek her out, and since Gu An said he would cultivate her, why shouldn't she be generous?

Gu An smiled as he accepted the Heavenly Dao Theory, considering her quite sensible.

After Gu An had left, Zhu Xi closed her room door and finally breathed a sigh of relief.

Not just due to her cautious nature—anyone would feel frightened knowing such a mighty figure was watching over them.

She went over their conversation in her mind, ensuring that she had not misspoken before she could fully relax.

She resettled into meditation on her bed, her eyes drifting toward the window, pondering deeply with a distant look in her eyes.

Why was she always afraid?

She felt that her nature wasn't necessarily good, but she instinctively stayed alert around everyone, and her first reaction to potential troubles was to evade.

But such is human nature; even knowing one's flaws doesn't make them easy to amend.

After a while, she redirected her focus, continuing her cultivation.

…

After chatting with Zhu Xi, Gu An would guide her in practicing the Stepping Path of Ages Step every few days, spending other times either picking flowers and herbs or studying the powers of Dao in the Heavenly Dao Theory.

He didn't absorb this power directly but perceived its existence, seeking similar ones within the universe's unobservable Dao rules for enlightenment.

By doing so, he could sense a purer power of the Dao, preventing any schemes from the entity behind the Heavenly Dao Theory.

The universe was vast, with countless colorless and intangible types of Dao rules acting as its foundation, birthing the universe and all within it. Each Dao rule was vast and boundless. Although Gu An had studied the Karma Dao and the Fate Dao, compared to one of these rules, they were vastly inferior. He could hardly imagine what realm would be potent enough to rival the Dao.

When Gu An began to comprehend the Great Dao and reduced his idle play, time began to flow more swiftly.

In the blink of an eye, another forty-five years had passed.

In the summer of this year, Gu An arrived at the Outer World Cave of Heavenly Phoenix Mountain. The three demons, Tian Yao'er, had already moved to the Outer World Cave, and the medicinal herbs from Nianchu Cave had also been transferred there.

As the Minor Heaven and Earth that Gu An had opened up, the Heaven and Earth Rules of the Outer World Cave had become more complete. The Grotto Heaven was rich in Spiritual Energy, which steadily increased the Cultivation Level of Tian Yao'er and the others.

Now, Tian Yao'er had reached the Ninth Layer of the Mahayana Realm and was ready to break through at any moment.

Gu An prepared to take her out for the Tribulation Crossing to prevent any harm to the Outer World Cave.

Upon hearing that they could go out, Tian Yao'er was thrilled; Tianqing and Tian Bai also clamored to join, clinging to Gu An's arms and acting coquettishly.

Tianqing was charming and full of grace, her mature demeanor making her seem like an older sister, while Tian Bai was more innocent but loved to act spoiled, always speaking in a whiny tone. The two sisters coordinated well, and Gu An, with a softened heart, could only agree to take them out.

Seeing their wishes fulfilled, Tian Yao'er sent them away and alone clutched Gu An's arm and asked, "Master, once I break through successfully, can I always stay with you?"

She had been cultivating underground for nearly a thousand years, having been only seventeen when she arrived; now she was nine hundred eighty-nine years old. How could she not be curious about the vast world outside?

Gu An replied, "That's not possible. If you leave, who will help me guard this Grotto Heaven? I cannot trust Tianqing and Tian Bai with that."

Hearing this, Tian Yao'er's face fell immediately, clearly disheartened.

Gu An changed his tone, "However, occasionally taking you out for a stroll isn't out of the question."

"Thank you, Master!"

Tian Yao'er's face lit up with a smile, promptly expressing her gratitude to Gu An.

Gu An glanced at her; despite her nearly thousand years of age, she still looked like a young girl. Perhaps she should experience the mundane world sooner or later; otherwise, reaching a higher realm without life's insights might make her journey arduous. Read exclusive chapters at My Virtual Library Empire

He continued walking forward, Tian Yao'er by his side, while Tianqing and Tian Bai leapt around, retaining their cat-like nature.

As Gu An chatted with Tian Yao'er, listening to her joyful laughter, his mood brightened as well.

Boom, boom, boom—

Suddenly, the ground trembled; the Spiritual Energy of the Outer World Cave began to surge chaotically, as if the apocalypse was upon them.

Horrified, Tianqing and Tian Bai quickly stopped, and Tian Yao'er frowned. She could sense an awful pressure coming from beyond the Grotto Heaven.

This pressure was not fleeting but continuous and increasingly terrifying.

"Master, what's happening?" Tianqing looked at Gu An, asking anxiously.

Gu An looked up at the sky, saying, "A Demon God has arrived; the true calamity of the Great Heavenly Spirit Land is about to commence."

Gu An had already seen the Demon God standing before the Black City of the Outer Heaven, a city crafted by the Annihilation God Emperor.

Demon God Xuanhuang!

Gu An recognized the origin of this Demon God at a glance; indeed, in the inherited memories of Long Zhan, there were legends of the Demon God Xuanhuang, exceedingly ancient. Long Zhan had only seen skeletal remains that emitted an endlessly vast aura.

Beside the Demon God Xuanhuang stood a Demon with an extremely powerful aura.

The Heavenly Demon Emperor!