If it had been before, Li Ya would have ignored all consequences and forced his way through the Dao Court’s blockade. However, hearing the silver-armored man mention an impending catastrophe, he couldn’t help but calm down and reconsider.

The battle from twenty thousand years ago was still fresh in his memory. That war had clearly involved beings from beyond the heavens.

Li Ya took a deep look at the silver-armored man, then turned and descended toward the ground.

The silver-armored man watched as Li Ya disappeared into the sea of clouds before slowly rising into the sky.

Perched on Li Ya’s shoulder, the divine spirit teased, “You’re not being reckless this time? That’s a surprise.”

Li Ya snorted. “It’s not like I have to rush out immediately. Besides, if the world is in danger, I should stay and protect Tai Xuan Sect.”

The fact that he had survived to this day was not just because of Gu An’s protection. Tai Xuan Sect had provided him with immense support, and even now, he still considered himself a disciple of Tai Xuan Sect.

The divine spirit sighed. “You’ve really grown up.”

“What’s with that tone? Makes it sound like I’m your junior.”

Li Ya grabbed the divine spirit from his shoulder and squeezed it in his arms.

The wind carried through the sea of clouds as Li Ya and the divine spirit bickered. For a moment, it felt as if nothing had changed.

At dawn, Gu An sat on the roof’s edge, gazing at the rising sun, his sight extending far beyond the horizon.

He could see War Court, and he was searching for Heavenly Spirit Great World.

Due to Heavenly Spirit Immortal Sovereign’s reformation of the Dao’s rules, the newly formed Heavenly Spirit Great World had temporarily detached from the Path of the Great Dao. As a result, War Court was unable to locate it directly. However, through causal divination, they were getting closer and closer.

“Undying Emperor…”

Gu An muttered the name to himself. From the memories of Annihilation God Emperor, the true ruler of War Court was the Undying Emperor. His cultivation was unfathomable, always hidden in the shadows, spending long years in seclusion.

Whether he would personally arrive this time remained unknown.

Gu An had already sensed over a dozen Innate Golden Immortals in the advancing War Court army, and more powerful beings were gathering by the day. From the looks of it, War Court was determined to exterminate the descendants of the Long Clan.

But Gu An remained unshaken. On the contrary, he was looking forward to the battle—it would be a great opportunity for him to reap vast amounts of lifespan.

Under normal circumstances, he wouldn’t actively seek to slaughter. But if someone threatened him, they were simply presenting him with a legitimate excuse to go on a killing spree.

“Brother Gu, morning!”

A cheerful voice echoed from the courtyard. Gu An looked down and saw Bai Sheng waving at him, a bright smile on his face. Gu An nodded in response, returning the smile.

“Going to read more books today?” Gu An asked.

The imperial examination was still a long way off. It had been a month since they arrived at the imperial city, and every day, Bai Sheng would wander around, mostly searching for books to read.

With Su Jin’s assistance, Bai Sheng had unexpectedly gathered quite a bit of wealth during their journey. He was now fairly well-off.

Bai Sheng grinned. “Not today! I heard an immortal is taking in disciples in the city, so I want to see if it’s the real deal. Brother Gu, coming along?”

Gu An shook his head. “You go ahead. I have someone to drink with.”

“You and your drinking…”

After chatting for a bit, Bai Sheng left with Su Jin.

Gu An watched them go. Once the impending imperial city catastrophe was over, it would be time for him to move on. 𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

He had spent a year accompanying Bai Sheng, which was enough of a break for him. As for what the future held for Bai Sheng and Su Jin, he would simply observe from afar.

The imperial city remained as bustling as ever. In the eyes of mortals, this dynasty was the most powerful force in the world, able to reshape the heavens with its absolute authority.

Little did they know that the world was vast, and even seemingly immovable titans could be obliterated in an instant.

If Gu An didn’t interfere, this dynasty would perish within days, and even Nirvana Realm cultivators like Su Jin wouldn’t be able to stop it.

The catastrophe ahead would change Bai Sheng’s mindset. For the first time, he would truly desire the path of cultivation, a burning determination unlike ever before.

Gu An’s thoughts drifted as time continued to pass.

As dusk fell.

With night approaching, lanterns lit up across the city, and the imperial city became even livelier. The sound of cheering and chatter filled the streets.

Gu An remained seated on the rooftop, gazing into the distance. Thick, ominous clouds were slowly creeping toward the imperial city, carrying an overwhelming sense of oppression.

At the same time, on another street, Bai Sheng stood among a crowd, standing on his toes to get a better look at a raised platform in the center.

On the platform, a masked Daoist was performing a sword dance, while five disciples—disguised as demons—circled around him.

The Daoist’s swordplay occasionally sped up, becoming as sharp as the wind, drawing cheers and applause from the crowd.

But Bai Sheng didn’t notice the wariness in Su Jin’s eyes as she looked up at the sky.

“This demonic aura…”

A flicker of fear passed through her gaze. She hadn’t expected such a terrifying demonic entity to be lurking within the imperial city.

This wasn’t good!

She turned to look at Bai Sheng and licked his face with her tongue.

“Quit messing around. Let me finish watching, and I’ll buy you something to eat later.”

Bai Sheng responded absentmindedly, eyes glued to the stage, filled with curiosity and excitement.

Su Jin grew anxious. She bit Bai Sheng’s neck, causing him to wince in pain and instinctively cover the spot. Before he could say a word, she leaped off his shoulder and sprinted toward the outside of the crowd.

The street was packed with people. Bai Sheng, worried she might get into trouble, had no choice but to follow.

After squeezing his way through the crowd, he spotted Su Jin crouching under a tree not far away. He quickly strode over.

“You—”

Just as he was about to scold her, Su Jin suddenly transformed into a woman in a white dress, her face strikingly beautiful with a hint of seduction. The sight made Bai Sheng's eyes widen in shock as he instinctively stepped back.

Pa!

Su Jin grabbed Bai Sheng’s wrist and yanked him toward her.

“Listen carefully, I’ll only say this once. Don’t make a scene.” Her voice was solemn. “A powerful demon is about to descend. The entire city will be devoured. I can’t defeat it, but I can protect you. You must leave with me now.”

She locked eyes with Bai Sheng, her tone leaving no room for negotiation. After speaking, she pulled him toward the city gates.

“Wait!”

Bai Sheng snapped out of his shock and struggled, trying to break free from her grip, but her strength was beyond what he could resist.

Su Jin frowned as she turned to him.

Bai Sheng quickly said, “Even if we can’t save the entire city, we should at least take Brother Gu with us!”

Su Jin snorted. “Why bring him along?”

“He has been traveling with us all this time. We are as close as brothers. How can we just abandon him?” Bai Sheng pleaded earnestly.

At this point, he no longer cared that Su Jin was a demon. He trusted her—if she had intended to harm him, she would have done so long ago. There was no need for her to wait until now.

“Fine.”

Su Jin sighed impatiently and changed course, heading toward their residence.

Boom!

Thunder rumbled, but the people of the imperial city remained unaware of the impending disaster.

In the swirling thunderclouds above, a terrifying shadow was forming. A pair of blood-red eyes peered down at the mortal world.

Suddenly—

Countless demonic birds burst out of the clouds, diving toward the city.

The sound of their wings flapping merged into a deafening roar, instantly drowning out the lively chatter in the city. The sudden commotion alarmed the citizens, who looked up in confusion.

In the depths of a forest, An Xin sat on a rock by a small stream, absentmindedly twirling the Six Paths Mirror in her hands.

Footsteps approached.

The Sect Master of Qiankun Sect, Yi Qingshan, walked over. His hair was white, but his face still looked youthful. He wore an intricately embroidered robe, exuding the majesty of a sect leader.

Stopping behind An Xin, he bowed respectfully and said, “Senior, the Dao Court has sent envoys. They claim the world is on the verge of a great calamity and urge all sects to unite against the coming disaster. They want Qiankun Sect to accept the Heavenly Dao Edict, which would bind our sect’s fate to theirs. I am hesitant.”

An Xin replied without looking up, “If you hesitate, refuse them.”

She had been gaining new insights into the Six Paths Mirror lately. If not for Yi Qingshan’s presence, she wouldn’t have bothered coming out.

“But the Dao Court is powerful,” Yi Qingshan said with a frown. “Compared to them, Qiankun Sect is like a speck of dust against the moon. If we refuse, won’t they target us?”

An Xin finally looked up. “If rejecting them makes us their enemy, then the Dao Court is not truly seeking to protect the world. They’re merely using this crisis to control other sects. A faction like that is destined to become our enemy sooner or later.”

She stood up and turned to face Yi Qingshan. “Is that all you came for?”

Yi Qingshan hesitated before replying, “There is another matter. A disciple of our sect recently attained enlightenment but became deranged. He now speaks nonsense and refuses to leave his cave. Could you take a look?”

“Why not bring him here?”

Yi Qingshan sighed. “To be honest, his cultivation is among the highest in the sect. We can’t subdue him. He has barricaded himself inside his cave, constantly screaming that ‘the sky is collapsing.’ I fear this might be related to the calamity the Dao Court spoke of.”

He hesitated for a moment before adding, “Lately, I have also felt uneasy while cultivating. It’s as if an impending disaster looms over me.”