Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses Chapter 1137 - 1128: Everything in Gu An’s Eyes

While the Wushi disciples were busy bolstering each other’s spirits, the number of Dao practitioners gathering below had reached a staggering level. Their collective aura surged with such intensity that even the Saint, Hongqian Ancestor, felt a shiver of dread.

The Wanyin Demon Venerable also felt the rapid inflation of power behind him. However, this brought him no joy; instead, it fueled his irritation.

To his mind, the Great Dao was signaling a lack of confidence in his abilities.

What stung more was the realization that this assessment was entirely accurate.

He glared fiercely at Gu An, but the latter’s refusal to even glance in his direction felt like a deliberate provocation.

Meanwhile, Gu An was being bombarded by a continuous stream of hatred notifications appearing before his eyes. These alerts had been relentless ever since the Great Dao began reflecting upon the heavens.

Rather than being provoked to anger, Gu An felt a sense of mockery.

He had to acknowledge that his perspective had transformed. Having attained the Source Ancient Dao Ultimate Realm, he no longer viewed any being within the Great Dao—or even the Great Dao itself—as a legitimate rival.

The reason he allowed the inhabitants of the Great Dao this opportunity was not to put the Wushi disciples to the test, but to demonstrate his true overwhelming power to the Great Dao.

Gu An was displeased to see the supposedly emotionless Great Dao acting with more instability than a mortal soul.

"Ancestor, what is the delay?"

An Zizai looked up at Gu An, unable to contain his curiosity. His question prompted the other Wushi disciples to turn their attention toward Gu An as well.

Though Wushi disciples continued to manifest on the steps, choosing to climb and stand with Gu An against the Great Dao, their numbers were trivial compared to the army of Dao Guardians. The contrast between the auras of the two opposing sides was becoming stark.

Gu An’s silence only served to heighten An Zizai’s anxiety.

Just then, a new figure materialized upon the Creation Steps: the Celestial Emperor.

His arrival drew the focus of many, particularly the titans of Chaos. They were eager to see how the Celestial Emperor would treat Gu An.

Gu An met the Celestial Emperor’s gaze with indifferent eyes, devoid of any sentiment.

The Celestial Emperor’s own emotions were a tangled mess. This was their first genuine encounter; prior to his Saintly ascension, he had only ever interacted with Gu An’s manifested will.

Without a moment’s hesitation after landing, the Celestial Emperor began his ascent. He was not acting out of coercion, and his intent was immediately clear.

He had chosen to side with Gu An!

"Your Majesty..."

Li Xuanmiao watched the Celestial Emperor, his face lit with excitement.

He had spent his life chasing justice, an ambition that led him to immortality. Despite receiving guidance from the Great Dao, he found he could not trust it; instead, he placed his faith in Gu An.

He disregarded so-called fate and abstract truths, believing only in what he witnessed.

Before his ascension, he had seen the Human World ravaged by disasters many times. It was never the Great Dao or the Immortal Gods who provided salvation—it was always Gu An. While the Great Dao represented the justice spoken of by the masses, Gu An was the justice he had actually seen.

He still harbored worry, however. Given Gu An’s might, a full-scale clash with the beings of the Great Dao would surely be cataclysmic. Seeing the Celestial Emperor join Gu An’s side offered him a measure of relief.

The justice he sought was grounded; he wished to pursue the justice that existed within the framework of the Heavenly Dao.

Halting below the Wushi disciples, the Celestial Emperor turned to survey the crowd. Many Immortal Gods of the Celestial Dao had aligned against Gu An. Upon seeing the Celestial Emperor’s position, their expressions shifted to shock and disbelief.

Emperor Hong Yang was among them.

Having had no personal dealings with Gu An, Hong Yang had chosen to protect the Great Dao. He was stunned to find his own father standing in opposition to it.

In the path of cultivation, is the Great Dao not the ultimate goal?

How could anyone choose to defy it?

As Emperor Hong Yang struggled with this reality, the Xuanqing Star Lord appeared alongside a group of Merit Immortals, Li Ya among them.

The Xuanqing Star Lord stared up at the distant Gu An as if seeing a stranger. His eyes were a mixture of resentment, fear, and fury.

He had once viewed Gu An as the pillar of the Heavenly Dao. Seeing that very pillar now defying the Heavenly Dao and threatening the Great Dao itself made him feel as though his entire past was a joke.

Li Ya looked at Gu An and thought of the past. He realized he could never truly know what Gu An was like originally, as the young man he first met could not have been the true form of a being with such vast cultivation.

Suddenly, a figure bolted past Li Ya, charging upward.

It was Martial Resolution.

Before Li Ya could process this, others followed. Though he didn't recognize them, their strides were filled with unwavering resolve.

Liu An climbed with speed, his eyes burning with devotion as he looked at Gu An. He wasn't bothered by moral dilemmas; the prospect of following his master to challenge the entire Great Dao made his blood surge with excitement.

"Wei Ye, if you were still with us, you would be just as thrilled," Liu An thought. Even as the lethal intent from behind intensified, he felt no fear. Seeing so many others willing to follow his master made him realize he was far from alone.

Gu An’s attention was suddenly caught by a specific figure, causing a slight shift in his expression.

Lu Qiuxian had arrived.

He was the son of Lu Han, Gu An’s previous reincarnation. Although they hadn't resumed their father-son bond in this life, Lu Qiuxian had come. Upon his arrival, he turned to face the Dao Guardians.

Unlike the Wushi disciples who climbed higher to face the Guardians, Lu Qiuxian stood right in their midst. Countless eyes locked onto him as he turned, but he remained unfazed, his hand resting calmly on his sword hilt.

He gazed down at the swarming Dao Guardians, his heart racing despite his composed exterior.

"Is this how he sees everything..." Lu Qiuxian wondered. Watching the Dao Guardians struggle on the steps filled him with a strange, complex emotion.

Despite their apparent struggle, the aura of the Dao Guardians was becoming increasingly terrifying as it intensified.

The void fell into a heavy silence. Even the Wushi disciples grew quiet, bracing for the inevitable conflict.

A thick atmosphere of tension and murderous intent permeated the air.

The Wanyin Demon Venerable continued to strain against the pressure. As his knee slowly rose from the step, the Wushi cultivators watched him intently.

The space behind him remained empty, proving that no other Dao Guardian could match his power.

The Saints, in particular, could feel the sheer strength of the Wanyin Demon Venerable and frowned as he began to stand.

Suddenly, the Great Profound Yin Dominator manifested in front of the Wanyin Demon Venerable, striking downward with his hand like a blade.

Boom——

The Wanyin Demon Venerable unleashed a violent burst of demonic Qi, sent the Great Profound Yin Dominator flying.

"Filth, who do you think you are to strike at me?"

The Demon Venerable’s voice was freezing. His murderous intent was so thick it nearly took physical form, rattling the holy heart of the Great Profound Yin Dominator—a mid-stage Primordial Taiyi True Saint—and sending waves of terror through his Sacred Body.

At that same moment, a surge of power reached the other Dao Guardians, significantly easing the pressure weighing them down.

Faces lit with excitement as the Dao Guardians began to rise.

They felt certain that if they could just break these shackles, victory was possible, for the Great Dao was fueling them.

The Wushi faction grew anxious, looking toward Gu An for his command.

Gu An watched Li Ya from afar. When their eyes met, Li Ya’s mind was in chaos.

His conflict wasn't about whether to help Gu An; it was about the fundamental clash between Gu An and the Dao.

He owed his existence, his world, and his cultivation to the Dao.

The idea of devouring the Dao was more horrific to him than the end of the world.

He knew Junior Brother Gu wasn't that type of person—so why had the Dao judged him this way?

As Li Ya wrestled with his thoughts, a powerful wind whipped his white robes. He turned his head instinctively as a blinding light filled his sight, followed by a monumental force pouring into his frame.

He stared at his hands in shock.

He wasn't alone; every Dao Guardian was being infused with this incredible power, leaving them in a daze.

With renewed determination, the Wanyin Demon Venerable stood up fully, his initial surprise turning into a dark, cruel sneer.

"Such incredible power..."

He looked at Gu An with a vicious, predatory smile.

Gu An’s followers felt a crushing weight. Even the Celestial Emperor, now unable to move, knit his brows in concern.

Within the ranks of the Dao Guardians, Lu Qiuxian looked like a small boat about to be swallowed by a hurricane.

Clang——

Gu An drew the Cyan Hong Sword. The ring of the steel shattered the silence, signaling that the battle was about to begin.

"Ancestor Master Wushi, you cannot win against the entirety of the Dao. If you have any care for Wushi, surrender now, beg the Dao for penance, and you shall be forgiven!"

An elderly Daoist, brandishing a horsetail whisk, shouted a command that echoed through the void.

The Wanyin Demon Venerable moved with blinding speed. A streak of black light tore across the Creation Ladder, nearly blowing the Wushi practitioners away.

Following a thunderous explosion, the Demon Venerable, wreathed in demonic Qi, was ground to a halt.

His Demon Blade struck an invisible wall. Demonic Qi billowed like a wave of fire, but he was stopped just three steps away from the Celestial Emperor.

Looking at the Wanyin Demon Venerable from such a short distance, the Celestial Emperor maintained a stoic face while feeling a deep, internal dread.

Where did this demon come from to possess such power?

His aura was far beyond that of the previous Taoist Master!

In that instant, the Celestial Emperor felt as if his form might crumble to dust, realizing this demon was capable of slaying Saints.

If the Celestial Emperor felt this way, the rest of the Wushi practitioners were paralyzed with fear by the Demon Venerable’s sudden outburst.

Having been stopped, the Wanyin Demon Venerable’s face darkened. He roared internally, demanding even more strength from the Great Dao.

"I did not allow you to gather here for some grand battle. I allowed it so the Dao would understand one thing: whether I consume the Endless Dao is not for the Dao to decide, but for me."

Gu An’s voice boomed as colossal sword shadows fanned out behind him. The sight struck fear into every soul on the Creation Steps, and the overwhelming pressure left them gasping for air.