Gu An and Su Jin accompanied Bai Sheng on his journey to the imperial city. Along the way, their travels were filled with laughter and joy. Bai Sheng had never been this happy before. During this time, Gu An occasionally used his clones to replace himself while his true body went to gather spiritual herbs.

Su Jin, a great demon who had cultivated for ten thousand years and had already reached the Nirvana Realm, still failed to see through Gu An’s seamless switching between his true body and his clone.

In the blink of an eye, half a year had passed.

They had yet to reach the imperial city, and with two years remaining before the imperial examination, Bai Sheng was in no rush. He had set out early with the intent of traveling the land, broadening his horizons.

On this particular day, drizzling rain fell continuously.

Bai Sheng and Gu An took shelter in a small pavilion within the mountains. Su Jin leaped out from Bai Sheng’s book box and jumped onto his shoulder, licking his face as if trying to help wipe away the raindrops.

Bai Sheng was already used to her affectionate gestures and did not pay them much mind. He was in the middle of discussing the local customs with Gu An. Although it was his first time traveling to this area, he had read about it in books before, making him extremely excited. The rain did not dampen his spirits in the slightest.

Gu An held a wine gourd in one hand, drinking as he listened to Bai Sheng enthusiastically share the history of the region, the famous literary works that originated here, and legendary stories of heroism and tragedy.

When Bai Sheng's throat became dry from talking, Gu An tossed him the wine gourd. Bai Sheng caught it and took a big swig without hesitation.

“I’ve heard that this region is haunted by ghosts and demons, though I don't know if it’s true. I’ve trained in martial arts for over thirty years, yet I have never encountered a real monster or ghost.”

Gu An picked up his Azure Swan Sword, his tone filled with eager anticipation.

Su Jin couldn't help but roll her eyes at him, thinking he was overestimating himself.

She really wanted to speak, but she feared that revealing her true nature would frighten Bai Sheng.

Bai Sheng chuckled and said, “If they do exist, I’d love to see them myself.”

“You’re a scholar with no combat skills. Aren’t you afraid of ghosts and demons?”

“In the end, everyone dies. Rather than living a mundane life and never seeing the supernatural, I’d rather meet them head-on. Even if I die by their hands, I won’t regret it, nor will I be afraid.”

Bai Sheng laughed freely, his eyes shining with excitement.

Gu An observed him closely. Though Bai Sheng appeared physically weak, he brimmed with energy and was endlessly curious about the world. He had a strong will that made him stand out.

This guy had an unyielding spirit in his bones—truly fitting for the reincarnation of the Heavenly Spirit God.

Although each of the Heavenly Spirit God's reincarnations had different origins, they all retained fragments of their original personality. This was why Xiao Wu had always been able to attract Su Jin.

Gu An smiled. “You should practice martial arts instead of studying.”

Bai Sheng stood up, holding the wine gourd, and began striking awkward martial poses, then laughed smugly. “Why not master both? Wouldn't being well-versed in both literature and combat be even better? You should teach me a sword technique. I think swords and poetry go well together.”

“Alright, let’s do it now.”

“For real?”

Hearing Gu An's response, Bai Sheng was overjoyed and immediately grabbed Gu An to start practicing swordsmanship.

As soon as Gu An began teaching, his carefree attitude vanished. He struck Bai Sheng with the hilt of his sword from time to time, correcting his stance with precision. This made Su Jin furious.

The moment Bai Sheng accepted her, she would make Gu An suffer for this.

As she was thinking this, she noticed Gu An's strikes getting heavier, causing Bai Sheng to yelp in pain. This made her even angrier.

“If you can’t handle pain, you can quit.”

“No! I can endure it!”

Gu An deliberately provoked him, and upon hearing Bai Sheng’s determined response, Su Jin could only suppress her irritation.

From that day forward, every time they stopped to rest, Bai Sheng would pester Gu An to practice swordsmanship.

In Su Jin's eyes, this sword technique was nothing special. Practicing it was a waste of time. She planned to teach Bai Sheng cultivation in the future—only by stepping onto the path of immortality could he stay with her forever.

...

Another half a year passed.

Spring had just ended.

Gu An and Bai Sheng arrived in front of the imperial city’s gates. Gazing at the towering and imposing city walls, Bai Sheng couldn't help but raise his arms and cheer in excitement.

Perched on his shoulder, Su Jin squinted her fox eyes, sensing a strong demonic aura.

There were monsters in the city—trouble was brewing.

“No wonder they call this the imperial city, the very heart of the empire. Majestic and grand, the will of heaven converges here. This must be the most prosperous place under the heavens,” Bai Sheng said excitedly.

Gu An chuckled. “This world has more than just one dynasty. Claiming the mandate of heaven is a bit presumptuous.”

Bai Sheng shot him a glance and asked, “Have you been to other dynasties?”

“No.”

“Then for now, let’s believe this is the greatest city.”

Lifting his book box, Bai Sheng strode toward the city gates. As he walked, he turned back to ask Gu An about his reason for coming to the imperial city.

Gu An gave a vague response, making Su Jin even more wary of him.

The city gates were crowded with people. As Bai Sheng and Gu An merged into the bustling crowd, they quickly disappeared from sight.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the mortal world…

Li Ya stood atop a mountain, overlooking a valley below. The valley was overgrown with wild grass, and amidst the vegetation, the faint outline of ancient pavilions could still be seen.

This was Xuan Valley, the very place where he had first joined Tai Xuan Sect and taken residence.

Li Ya gazed at the valley, lost in thought.

A figure approached from behind—it was Long Qing.

“Senior Li, shall I have people clean this place up?” Long Qing asked, exhaustion evident in his expression.

With the War Court's invasion approaching, his cultivation had become even more rigorous. If not for Li Ya’s return, he wouldn’t have emerged from seclusion.

Li Ya, still dressed in black, had stubble on his chin and his hair casually tied back. He exuded the aura of a wandering swordsman rather than an immortal cultivator.

“No need. I’m just taking a look. You don’t have to stay here for my sake. I’ll be leaving soon.” Li Ya continued gazing at Xuan Valley, speaking softly.

In his mind, the overgrown weeds vanished, replaced by vast fields of medicinal herbs. He could see three young disciples laughing and playing.

Long Qing nodded slightly before turning to leave.

He could tell that Li Ya had many things weighing on his mind, but he had no intention of asking. What could be heavier than his own life and death?

A thousand years had passed, and Long Qing felt increasingly uneasy, as if disaster loomed over him.

After Long Qing departed, Li Ya remained standing in place, lost in memories.

A divine spirit appeared on his shoulder and spoke. “Still staring at it? Your master isn’t dead—he just left.”

Li Ya replied, “I’m not worried about him. I just wanted to see this place one last time before I leave. I may never return.”

Hearing this, the divine spirit tilted its head in surprise. “Where exactly are you going? Even now, you still refuse to tell me? Ever since you started cultivating that mysterious technique, I can no longer hear your thoughts. Even though I live inside you, I feel like an outsider.”

By the end of its words, its tone was full of grievance.

“I’m heading beyond the heavens. As for the exact destination, I don’t know. I want to follow Gu An’s trail, and along the way, I’ll look for Zhang Buku. Didn’t you say that the power of the Shen Yi Realm Lord still lingers? Maybe Zhang Buku is still alive.”

With that, Li Ya turned and looked toward the sky.

Then, with a leap, he transformed into a streak of sword light and shot toward the heavens.

As he soared higher, the sky changed from a brilliant blue to an inky black, and stars began to appear, rapidly growing radiant.

Suddenly—

A surge of formidable magic power descended from above. Li Ya’s eyes sharpened as a sword materialized before him, slashing forward to cut through the suppressive force.

“Stop right there!”

A thunderous voice boomed from above, forcing Li Ya to slow his ascent.

He narrowed his eyes and saw a man clad in silver armor, wielding a long spear, rapidly approaching. The man stopped a thousand zhang above him.

“Without a Heavenly Dao Permit, you are not allowed to leave Heavenly Spirit Great World!” The silver-armored man glared down at Li Ya, his voice stern.

Li Ya scoffed, “Heavenly Dao Permit? Since when was there such a rule?”

His mind was full of questions. For the past three millennia, he had been in seclusion, comprehending the Way of the Sword. After emerging, he had returned to Tai Xuan Sect, but he had never heard of any so-called Heavenly Dao Permit.

Yet, this man spoke as if he had authority over the entire Heavenly Spirit Great World. This was utterly absurd.

The great world had only recently been reshaped—how could such a powerful force already exist?

Had an extraterrestrial power descended and taken control of Heavenly Spirit Great World in such a short period?

The silver-armored man answered, “This law has been in place for a thousand years. It was established by the Dao Court. I advise you not to act recklessly. Above me, there are Free Immortals standing guard. Even if you force your way past me, you won’t make it beyond the heavens. If you harm me, it will be considered an act of defiance against the Dao Court, and you will never find peace for eternity!”

Dao Court?

Li Ya frowned. He had only been away from the world for three thousand years—how had something like the Dao Court emerged?

Then again, the great world was vast and boundless. Even three thousand years ago, his understanding of it had been limited. He didn’t even know the true extent of Heavenly Spirit Great World. Perhaps the Dao Court had always been the overlord of some distant part of the world.

“What is the purpose of this so-called heavenly law? Do you intend to trap all beings within this world?” Li Ya asked mockingly.

The silver-armored man furrowed his brows. “Your sword is extraordinary, so I assume you are a powerful figure. You must be someone who has survived since the previous era. Let me tell you this—an unfathomable tribulation is about to descend. This will be the first great catastrophe of the Primordial Era, sweeping across the entire great world. Leaving for the outer realms at this time is certain death. The Dao Court is thinking for your sake. We seek to unite the power of this world to resist the threat from beyond.”