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

Chapter 696 Ascension Steps

Li Ya looked at the old man by the river, squinted, and asked, "Who are you, sir, and how do you know me?"

The young man in plain clothes stopped and looked at them nervously. The old man's aura was unfathomable, and he even revealed his master's background in one go. He was definitely not a simple person.

The old man slowly stood up, turned to look at Li Ya, revealing a face full of wrinkles, and a pair of eyes so empty that they sent chills down one's spine.

"If I said I was a god, would you believe me?" the old man asked Li Ya, his tone indifferent.

Li Ya raised an eyebrow and said, "Anyone who reaches Nirvana can call themselves an immortal. There are quite a few immortals in this world, so why wouldn't I believe it?"

Gods and immortals!

The young man in plain clothes was stunned. He quickly removed the hemp rope from his body and looked at the old man warily.

He had experienced the loss of his family and loved ones, so he was extremely vigilant.

"I am the Yellow Wind Immortal Lord of the Heavenly Court, who reigns supreme over the three thousand great worlds. Everything in your eyes is smaller than the palm of my hand."

As the old man spoke, he raised his right hand and looked at his palm.

Such arrogant words made Li Ya frown, and he felt a sense of apprehension, ready to fight at any moment.

"Over hundreds of thousands of years, I have sent people to help you and impart the Dao to you several times. Of course, your own good fortune is also very strong, and you have other benefactors to help you, but the immortals and gods have always been watching over you."

Huang Feng Xianjun raised his eyes and stared at Li Ya. Their eyes met, and Li Ya inexplicably believed his words.

Li Ya asked, "So? What do you want? Do you need me to repay your kindness?"

Huang Feng Xianjun asked, "If I were to give you the opportunity to join the ranks of immortals, would you be willing?"

"What about the conditions?"

"Once you are ranked among the immortals, Heaven will only bestow upon you duties and divine authority; I do not need you to do anything for me."

Huang Feng Xianjun's words made Li Ya frown even more.

Li Ya stared intently at Huang Feng Xianjun, as if trying to see through him.

Huang Feng Xianjun continued, "To be honest, I chose you not because of your own destiny, but because of Fu Dao Jian Zun. I feel that Fu Dao Jian Zun has misunderstandings about the Heavenly Court and the immortals and gods. If there is no real conflict, I think there is no need to be enemies. If you become an immortal god and understand the Heavenly Court, you will build a bridge between the Heavenly Court and Fu Dao Jian Zun."

"In the future, a terrible catastrophe will sweep across the three thousand great worlds, and we can face it together."

Upon hearing him mention Gu An, Li Ya's brows relaxed.

That makes it seem true; although he considers himself extraordinary, he doesn't really believe he can attract the attention of immortals and gods.

Although he didn't know where the Heavenly Court was, just hearing about it made him realize it was an unimaginably powerful force.

Li Ya asked, "If that's the case, why don't you just talk to him directly? Can't you find him?"

Huang Feng Xianjun turned his head to look at the horizon and said leisurely, "There are already immortals and gods by his side. He will tell them sooner or later. As for finding you, it's just to deepen my sincerity."

Li Ya thought for a moment and said, "Then can I talk to him first, and then come to you?"

Huangfeng Immortal looked at him, smiled, and said softly, "Of course, no problem. I'll take you to see the Heavenly Court first."

As soon as he finished speaking, he suddenly waved his sleeve, sweeping Li Ya and the boy in plain clothes away. The three of them disappeared into the grass.

Gu An, far away on the Taicang Continent, did not stop what he was doing and continued to pick herbs.

Master Xuanmiao followed beside him. Five hundred thousand years had passed, and he had completely mastered the body of the Demon God, reaching the realm of the Free Immortal. His physical strength was even more terrifying; Gu An felt that even the Daoist Cang Free Immortal could not do anything to him. Such progress was not an exaggeration, after all, the body of the Demon God was a great opportunity from the Heavenly Court.

Now, Gu An no longer faces him with the disguise of a tiny figure wearing a mask, but with his true self.

Master Xuanmiao followed Gu An like a young disciple, asking him about his confusion in cultivation. Gu An listened patiently and answered each of his questions.

After Gu An finished harvesting the ripe herbs, the Mysterious Immortal began to sow the seeds.

Gu An did not leave immediately, but waited in the courtyard, his gaze fixed on the row of stone statues in front of the courtyard wall, all of which were sword deity statues created by the Mysterious Immortal.

When the Mysterious Immortal returned to the courtyard, Gu An said, "Why make these stone statues? I don't need faith, and I don't need all living beings to remember me."

This is the truth. He has cultivated himself to this day not because of the faith of the masses or the merits of heaven and earth.

“They should remember that you don’t need faith, but the world cannot forget you. This is my selfish thought, because I know that this world is not that important to you. If no one in this world remembers you, there is no need for you to stay.”

Master Xuanmiao said earnestly that the higher Gu An's cultivation level, the more he admired him.

Even someone as devoted to the Dao as him would yearn for the universe beyond the heavens and for other worlds, yet Gu An was able to live in seclusion here and save the world multiple times.

After hearing this, Gu An did not reply, but smiled and said, "Your clansman is about to become an immortal."

"A clansman? Li Ya?" Xuanmiao Zhenren asked, frowning.

He already knew about Gu An and Li Ya's relationship, and at the time, he thought Li Ya was really lucky.

Although they both share the surname Li, he and Li Ya are practically strangers. In his view, without Gu An's help, neither he nor Li Ya could have become immortals.

"Some immortals and gods are trying to win him over, wanting to persuade him to become an immortal, under the guise of winning me over," Gu An said with a smile, looking up at the sky, his gaze seemingly already locked on Li Ya.

Master Xuanmiao understood Gu An's implied meaning and pressed further, "Since it's a scheme, will you intervene?"

Gu An replied calmly, "Let Li Ya see the Heavenly Court first. He has to make his own choice. Even if the other party is coming for me, it is still a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him."

These words filled Xuanmiao Zhenren with awe. Compared to Gu An's magnanimity, the schemes of the Heavenly Court's immortals and gods were utterly insignificant.

The Lord of Heaven is no good; it would be better to let the seniors make the decision!

Master Xuanmiao looked at Gu An and thought to himself.

……

Above the sea of ​​clouds, Immortal Lord Huangfeng, Li Ya, and the young man in plain clothes appeared out of thin air.

The young man in plain clothes collapsed onto the cloud. He was about to speak when his gaze was drawn to the scene in the sky.

Following his gaze, the sky was azure, and at the top of the sky, one could see the vast and boundless universe, a fantastical sight that made one feel as if they were in a dream.

The sky and the universe are connected without any sense of incongruity.

Li Ya was also captivated by the magnificent scenery above, and he sensed that the spiritual energy here was far more concentrated than in the Heavenly Spirit World.

One day of cultivation here is probably equivalent to several months of cultivation in the Heavenly Spirit World.

Is this heaven?

Huang Feng Xianjun said, "This is not the Heavenly Court, but it is a gateway to the Heavenly Court. The Heavenly Court is located above all planes and cannot be reached by simply traversing the universe. One needs to ascend the Heavenly Stairs to get there. Within the Heavenly Court, not all immortals and gods can ascend the Heavenly Stairs. The Heavenly Spirit God who guards the Heavenly Spirit Great World has never stepped onto the Heavenly Stairs in his entire life."

(End of this chapter)