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

Chapter 711 The Cycle of the Great Dao, The Return of the True Self

Gu An was unaware that Yang Jian was thinking of him. He continued to live his leisurely life, and apart from regularly picking ripe medicinal herbs, he began to travel among the people.

In the context of turbulent times, a wider variety of human experiences emerge, and seeing and feeling these experiences can help him gain enlightenment.

He always felt that comprehending the Great Dao did not necessarily require going to the Great Dao's path; the Great Dao is omnipresent, and its grandeur can be observed from the minute details.

As war engulfed the entire world, countless lives were lost daily. The Daoist court was besieged, and the attacking sects were numerous, making it easy for them to control public opinion.

When the war reached a stalemate, the image of the Daoist court in the hearts of the people began to be overturned.

Later, the Daoist court was portrayed as the most evil force in the world, the source of all calamities.

Fan Ling was unaware of the glorious era tens or hundreds of thousands of years ago; all he knew was that many sects were attacking the Dao Court, and coupled with those rumors, Fan Ling hated the Dao Court to the core.

Two hundred and twenty thousand years have passed since the Heavenly Spirit God informed Gu An about the struggle for the throne.

The Daoist court finally faced the day of its dissolution.

It is said that the Dao Court's defenses in all directions were breached, and in order to save the lives of the Dao Court's disciples, the Court Master announced the dissolution of the Dao Court. The former overlord of heaven and earth fell apart, and the world fell into a frenzied chaos.

The Dao Court was too powerful, and the disciples fled the Dao Court according to their factions. During this process, a lot of infighting occurred. When cultivators from other sects heard about this, they all rushed into the Dao Court like madmen, wanting to seize the opportunity.

Dark clouds rolled in, and smoke filled the air.

Gu An and Xiao Lan stood on the cliff, gazing at a giant city engulfed in flames amidst the distant mountains. Countless cultivators flew in and out, and some were even fighting in the distance.

The firelight illuminated Xiao Lan's face; her expression was calm, and her long purple robe fluttered in the wind, untouched by dust.

Gu An turned his head to look at her and asked, "Any regrets?"

The giant city ahead is one of the cities of the Dao Court. It was once a prosperous center for cultivation and trade, renowned throughout half the world. Now, however, it has fallen to such a state, which is truly lamentable.

Although Xiao Lan was not prepared to live and die with the Dao Court, she had spent a million years there and had feelings for the Dao Court.

"The Court Master is still alive, he has just gone to the heavens. His legacy remains and has been distributed to all the disciples. What is lost now is only the name of the Dao Court. What do I have to regret?" Xiao Lan said calmly, gazing into the distance.

If Gu An hadn't been able to hear her thoughts, he might have truly believed she didn't care.

However, the Dao Court is about to become a thing of the past, and those who are alive must look forward.

"Brother Gu, this is the first time I've felt the ferocity of the human world. Even the powerful Court Master and the Dao Court couldn't withstand the overwhelming will of all living beings. What is the meaning of the so-called Dao lineage?" Xiao Lan asked softly, her eyes subtle.

Over the years, she could feel the pressure from the Dao Court. Endless enemies came from all directions, and all things in heaven and earth were condemning the Dao Court. Even within the Dao Court, many disciples were reflecting on where the Dao Court had gone wrong.

However, the truth is that the various sects in the human world wanted to overthrow the Dao Court, but the Dao Court did not have the absolute power to suppress them.

If it were merely a matter of strength versus weakness, that would be one thing. But the Dao Court's demise was so ignominious; it collapsed as an evil entity. Many years later, when people mention the Dao Court, will they consider it a demonic cult?

"The essence of the Daoist tradition is to pass on the Dao, teach and learn, discuss the Dao with each other, and jointly promote the exploration of the Great Dao. The things you are worried about may not happen. The Daoist Court may not have a good reputation now, but over the long years, the Daoist Court has also helped many living beings. Those deeds will remain in the hearts of those who care, and will be engraved in history sooner or later."

Gu An replied that what he said was true.

Not to mention those beings who feel gratitude and longing for the Daoist court, all other religions in the world will eventually follow in the footsteps of the Daoist court. At that time, in order to overthrow them, the newcomers will naturally try to whitewash the Daoist court and slander them.

Right and wrong, black and white, will be judged by posterity, and these judgments will eventually disappear. In this era, looking back, how many people remember the Holy Court and the Celestial Dynasty?
Before the grand path of worldly affairs, nothing else matters.

So-called history is merely something that exists in the human world; to talk about history in the face of the great Dao is rather laughable.

Gu An finally understood why those powerful cultivators disregarded the masses. If you live long enough, you will find that everything seems to be going through a cycle. Whether good or bad, everything will turn to dust, and all the things you can do will eventually become futile.

Of course, Gu An only sighed slightly. He always felt that he was a human, not an immortal. The most important thing for a human is emotion. He would not deliberately erase his emotions. He would protect what he cherished, and only seek to have his thoughts clear.

Xiao Lan was also pondering Gu An's words, but recalling the past made her feel as if she had been in a vast and illusory dream. Only when she glanced at Gu An beside her did she feel at ease.

The road we came from was not a dream.

"What are your plans for the future? Are you going to train at my dojo?" Gu An asked, looking at Xiao Lan.

The fact that the Dao Court was dissolved was somewhat shocking to Xiao Lan. Over the years, images from her past life kept flashing through her mind.

The Ye Lan of the past is coming back soon.

Xiao Lan is lively and innocent, while Ye Lan is more rational and has her own ambitions.

"Forget it, I want to go back to the Xiao family and protect them. I will visit you in the Nine Spirits Continent in the future. You can come to see me anytime. I should grow up now and can't always bother you."

Xiao Lan looked at Gu An and said seriously.

Gu An smiled, looking at her expression, he knew that his junior sister was really coming back.

He wouldn't treat his junior sister the same way he treats other disciples who are away from home; he would take the initiative to visit her.

“Then let’s go. I’ll go with you to the Xiao family. I do have some connection with them.” Gu An said with a smile, then raised his right hand.

Xiao Lan smiled, grabbed his hand, and the two disappeared from the spot.

A few days later.

Gu Anfang returned to Wushi alone. Wushi was quite lively today because Lü Xian had returned.

The disciples gathered in Gu An's courtyard, listening to Lü Xian recount his experiences and the state of the world.

None of the three generations of disciples had ever seen Lü Xian, and they were filled with curiosity about this senior disciple.

After learning that Wushi had a third-generation disciple, Lü Xian was no longer so frivolous and put on the airs of a grandmaster.

"Uncle-Master Lü, in your opinion, which sect will be the next ruler of the world?" Anxin's second disciple, Jiang Lan, asked curiously.

The other disciples were also keeping a close eye on Lü Xian. Since Lü Xian was away from home most of the year, he would surely be able to see the trend.

Lu Xian pondered for a moment, about to answer, when he suddenly saw Gu An's figure appear at the courtyard gate. His eyes lit up, and he immediately flashed to Gu An's side, bowing respectfully.

"Master, I have something important to tell you. May I speak to you in private?" Lu Xian said excitedly. He didn't bother to pretend in front of Gu An.

Upon hearing this, Gu An nodded slightly and then walked towards his pavilion. The other disciples stood up and bowed to him.

(End of this chapter)