If I become a saint, a celestial official will summon me to raise horses.

Chapter 1062 Establishing the Holy Mandate

"Ancestor Hongqian? How powerful is he that he can threaten the Heavenly Court?" Gu An asked in surprise.

Standing to the side, Ancestor Hongqian's face twitched, which caused the Great Profound Yin Ruler's body to move slightly as he curiously examined Ancestor Hongqian.

Li Ya shook his head and said, "I don't know either, but I found out that Ancestor Hongqian's cultivation level surpasses that of the Heavenly Dao Supreme. Only the Heavenly Emperor, who inherits the Heavenly Emperor's fortune, has a chance to defeat him. Ancestor Hongqian dares not show himself because he is afraid of the Heavenly Emperor."

"Hmph, how could that be? His standards aren't that low!"

Ancestor Hongqian couldn't help but snort coldly, which immediately attracted Li Ya's attention.

Gu An glanced at him and asked, "What? Do you know Ancestor Hongqian?"

Li Ya had already sensed that Ancestor Hongqian was no ordinary person, and hearing how arrogant this person was, he became interested as well.

Hongqian Patriarch noticed Gu An's gaze and immediately broke out in a cold sweat. His face turned awkward, and he coughed lightly, saying, "I've heard a little about it. Hongqian Patriarch's goal is the other eight Great Daos. He may have taken the First Heavenly Emperor seriously, but the current young Heavenly Emperor is not in his eyes. What he wants is not the Heavenly Dao, but a higher pursuit."

Li Ya raised his hand in greeting and asked, "Fellow Daoist, my name is Li Ya. How should I address you?"

Hongqian Ancestor glanced at Gu An and said, "My name is not worth mentioning. I am just following the ancestor to cultivate."

After hearing this, Li Ya looked at Gu An and nodded thoughtfully.

Gu An said, "Since Wu Jue has made his choice, let him bear the consequences. We can't be blind to right and wrong and insist on helping him. Besides, I now hold a celestial position, and my stance should be on the side of the Heavenly Court."

Li Ya frowned and said, "I understand the reasoning, but he didn't do anything evil. He just pursued a power that doesn't belong to the Heavenly Dao. If he were to be doomed for this, it would be really..."

Gu An looked at him and said, "You have become stronger by relying on the fortune of the Heavenly Court, so you should take on the responsibility of protecting the Heavenly Court. Don't use simple good and evil to define cause and effect and the way of Heaven."

Li Ya remained silent, carefully considering Gu An's words.

Hongqian Ancestor and the Great Xuanyin Ruler were curious about the relationship between Li Ya and Gu An.

How dare such an ant speak to a saint?

How dare he call a saint his junior brother? That's utterly absurd!
However, this wasn't the first time they'd encountered such a situation; they'd only mutter a few words to themselves, not daring to say them aloud.

Seeing that Gu An didn't want to get involved in the martial arts competition, Li Ya had no choice but to give up. He then asked, "Junior Brother Gu, have you ever heard of a sage?"

Ancestor Hongqian narrowed his eyes.

Gu An asked calmly, "Of course I've heard of it, but there are many kinds of sages. Which one are you referring to?"

"Just like the saints you wrote about in your novel Investiture of the Gods."

"Oh? That's just a legend, something unbelievable. Did you actually see such a saint?"

Gu An asked curiously, and his tone and expression suddenly filled Hong Qian with admiration.

With such cultivation, why would someone be willing to act with ants? Could it be that the reason why saints cannot see or find them is because they are all like Gu An, hiding in the mortal world?
"I don't know either. I heard it from other meritorious immortals. They said they entered an ancient secret realm and saw the ruins of the ancient Heavenly Court. Some walls recorded ancient wars, including the mention of sages. The first Heavenly Emperor wanted to pursue a sage, but failed and could only transform into fortune to protect the Heavenly Emperors of later generations."

Li Ya shook his head as he spoke, recalling the events.

He concluded by saying with emotion, "It is said that the First Heavenly Emperor, who created the Heavenly Dao, was the strongest Heavenly Emperor. Even he could not reach the Saint Realm. How strong must he be?"

As he spoke, he also observed Gu An's expression.

He first learned about the Great Luo Dao Fruit from Gu An. Only after he reached this level did he realize its wonders. He was very curious about how Gu An had viewed him back then.

What realm is Gu An pursuing now?
Is he a mythical saint?
"I don't know how strong he is, but every time I feel the vastness of the Heavenly Dao, I learn more about that Heavenly Emperor."

Gu An sighed, and Li Ya nodded in deep agreement. The longer one remains a celestial being, the more one can feel the vastness and unfathomable depth of the Heavenly Dao. He could not imagine how the First Heavenly Emperor created the Heavenly Dao.

The two then began to lament the ways of Heaven.

An hour later, Li Ya got up to take his leave.

Although he didn't say it, he was still very anxious after Gu An refused to help Wu Jue, and decided to look for other ways.

Gu An is right. The rights and wrongs of the Heavenly Court cannot be measured by simple good and evil, but the Heavenly Court is more about gray areas, and he can use these gray areas to help Wu Jue.

"The Heavenly Court's merit immortals seem to be independent of the Heavenly Dao and its fortune, but in reality they are still dependent on the Heavenly Emperor's fortune. This Heavenly Emperor also likes to play these tricks. It's truly pitiful for the Heavenly Dao and all living beings."

As Hongqian Ancestor watched Li Ya's departing figure, he snorted coldly, his tone full of contempt, not directed at Li Ya, but at the Heavenly Emperor.

Gu An said calmly, "Sometimes not knowing the truth is also a kind of happiness."

He turned to look at the Great Xuan Yin Ruler and asked, "What is your view on the Heavenly Dao?"

Ancestor Hongqian turned his head. Although the Great Xuan Yin Ruler was a prisoner, this guy was a true saint, and it was hard for him to underestimate a saint.

Normally, even when they were alone, the Great Xuan Yin Ruler disdained to talk to him, leading him to suspect that the Great Xuan Yin Ruler was just an empty shell.

Although the Great Xuan Yin Sovereign was arrogant towards him, he never dared to play dead when faced with Gu An's questions.

"To try to compare oneself to the Great Way is to overestimate one's own abilities."

The voice of the Great Xuan Yin Ruler rang out, his tone cold and indifferent, lacking the arrogance he had shown when facing Zhang Bukui and the other two.

"Are you overestimating yourself?"

Gu An smiled and did not refute.

Hongqian Patriarch understood the implication and couldn't help but ask, "Senior, do you really believe that the Heavenly Emperor can become a saint?"

The Great Profound Yin Ruler's body visibly tensed up.

As Gu An poured himself some tea, he replied, "It's not that I think so, but rather that I have already bestowed upon him the destiny of sainthood, and he will soon become a saint."

Upon hearing this, Ancestor Hongqian's expression changed drastically, and the Great Profound Yin Ruler was also shocked. He exclaimed, "Impossible! One cannot attain sainthood through external assistance; it can only be achieved through one's own destiny!"

Gu An smiled but didn't say anything more. His attitude plunged the Great Xuan Yin Ruler into silence once again.

After a brief moment of shock, Ancestor Hongqian's heart began to race.

If the Heavenly Emperor could become a saint through Gu An, why couldn't he?
At this moment, Ancestor Hongqian's heart was about to jump out of his chest, completely lacking the composure of the Supreme Dao Emperor.

Gu An looked up and gazed at the sky.

"When you become a saint, the Heavenly Dao will truly change. I hope you can create even more brilliance and not disappoint me."

Gu An's light laughter carried significant weight in the ears of Ancestor Hongqian and the Great Xuanyin Ruler.

The Great Xuan Yin Sovereign asked in a trembling voice, "Who exactly are you? Could it be that you are..."

Ancestor Hongqian waited for him to continue, but unfortunately, he refused to finish.

(End of this chapter)