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

Chapter 963 The Azure Heaven, the Black Emperor
Every thousand years, a meritorious immortal is born in the mortal realm, leading the world's trends. Behind this, other immortals and gods are also born. New forces are constantly emerging in the Heavenly Court, but the overall number of immortals and gods is decreasing.

under night.

Gu An lay on the eaves, gazing at the sky. He looked at a corner of the Heavenly Court, where a Heavenly Gate stood. Above the Heavenly Gate hung a Dragon-Slaying Blade, and below it was a stone platform. Two celestial gods escorted a ragged immortal to the platform and pressed his upper body onto it.

The two celestial gods retreated, and the Dragon-Slaying Blade fell, not only severing the head of that immortal god but also severing his karmic ties in the Heavenly Court. As the Heavenly Dao's fortune dissipated, the immortal god's head and body were annihilated, turning into ashes that scattered with the wind.

Tragedy like this happens every day in the celestial realm. What's most terrifying is that the gods and immortals don't discuss it because they are unaware of it.

When Gu An had nothing to do, besides gazing at the chaos, he also liked to observe the Heavenly Emperor, to observe the Heavenly Emperor's system of checks and balances, and to observe his ruthless methods.

He saw what Li Ya had gone through, but he believed that Li Ya could pull through.

His gaze then shifted towards the Lingxiao Palace.

There is no night in the heavens, but when the immortals and gods are not gathered together, the Lingxiao Palace appears desolate.

"what?"

Gu An exclaimed in surprise, for he actually saw another figure inside the Lingxiao Palace, negotiating with the Heavenly Emperor.

This figure had no aura whatsoever; had he not happened to see it, he would have completely overlooked its existence.

This figure was extremely black, very similar to the God of the Underworld, but far more terrifying. His form was exactly the same as the Heavenly Emperor's.

Gu An recalled what he had seen in the past: when the Heavenly Emperor created the Heavenly Dao, his shadow had separated from his physical body.

The shadow was very similar to this dark figure. With a little calculation, he could confirm that the dark figure was the shadow of the Heavenly Emperor from back then.

I never expected that he had been around all along.

Gu An had tried to find him before, but to no avail.

Now, by staring at this shadow, Gu An can deduce many things.

It turns out that this shadow had been hidden within the Heavenly Dao and its destiny, transforming into the so-called will of Heaven.

The Azure Heaven is the will of the Heavenly Emperor, the darkness in the Heavenly Emperor's heart, and the remnant will left behind by the Primordial Chaos.

The Heavenly Emperor cannot completely destroy the Azure Sky, but he can control it. He never allows the Azure Sky to enter his body, maintaining a safe distance.

At this moment, the Heavenly Emperor and the Azure Heaven are discussing the anomalies within the Dao.

The Heavenly Emperor wanted to rejuvenate the immortals and gods, but the adjustment of the immortal positions would cause turmoil in the Heavenly Dao's fortune, thus attracting the invasion of chaotic power.

The heavens were very dissatisfied. The entire Heavenly Dao was like his body to him. He felt very uncomfortable in his body, as if countless termites were surging within him. He hoped that the Heavenly Emperor would stop, or at least not act so drastically.

The Heavenly Emperor scoffed, saying that once the pain subsided, the Heavenly Dao would soar, and Heaven would benefit from it. He forcefully told Heaven to be patient.

Judging from their conversation, the Heavenly Emperor is in a dominant position.

It is worth mentioning that Gu An gleaned the Black Emperor of the Dark Heavenly Court from the cause and effect of the heavens.

The Black Emperor is an ultimate Dao-Merging Emperor who has been hiding in the depths of chaos for many years, cultivating diligently. The Black Emperor and the Heavenly Emperor also have countless karmic connections.

The Black Emperor was once a celestial being. After being banished, the Heavenly Emperor used the power of the heavens to help him survive and establish the Dark Heavenly Court.

No wonder the Dark Heavenly Court always managed to escape danger; it turns out the Dark Heavenly Court was also a pawn of the Heavenly Emperor.

Even a saint like him would have difficulty discovering the location where the Black Emperor was hiding.

Tonight's discovery was a great gain for Gu An, reigniting his interest in the Heavenly Dao and Chaos. With the appearance of the Azure Heaven, the future of the Heavenly Dao will change, and an unprecedented calamity will occur, a calamity that even the Heavenly Emperor cannot control.

Gu An foresaw that Li Ya, Li Xuanmiao, Yang Jian, and all his old friends who would become immortals in the future would meet with misfortune.

In his eyes, the impending doom of his deceased friend was already unfolding, but this wasn't the first time he had foreseen such a future, so his state of mind didn't change much.

He remained lying on the eaves, his hands behind his head, as if admiring the magnificence of the starry sky.

Shen Zhen, who was sitting in front of the refining cauldron, turned her head and saw Gu An's figure. She didn't think much of it and assumed that Gu An was just idly stargazing.

It wasn't until dawn that Gu An got up, jumped into the courtyard, and began to stretch his muscles.

He chatted casually with Shen Zhen for a few minutes, saying meaningless things. Shen Zhen responded half-heartedly; this was their daily routine.

Half an hour later, Gu An slowly walked out of the courtyard.

After being discharged from the hospital, he stepped onto the other side of the world.

As the morning sun shone down, he walked through the woods. The mountain path was steep, and purple fallen leaves piled up on the path, creating a stunningly beautiful scene.

As he continued uphill, a pavilion halfway up the mountain came into view. The pavilion was not large, and it was surrounded by a bamboo fence. There were faint chattering sounds coming from it.

When he arrived outside the courtyard, he saw a group of bamboo figures, each about the size of a palm, playing around inside. Upon seeing him, the bamboo figures scattered in fright, some hiding in bamboo baskets, some crawling into wooden tubs, and others hiding by the building.

Gu An smiled and then pushed the door open to enter.

Upon hearing the sound of the wooden door being pushed open, the person inside the attic became visibly alert, sending out a divine sense, but then immediately withdrawing it.

“I thought that if I didn’t call out to you, you would never come to see me.”

A woman's voice came from inside the attic, her tone tinged with resentment.

The voice was none other than Hongyi's, the woman whom Gu An believed was destined to become a saint.

Gu An did not go into the building. After entering the courtyard, he reached out and touched the flowers and plants by the roadside. These flowers had grown up to his waist and were full of vitality.

"How did you know it was me?" Gu An asked.

"The only being that my divine sense cannot detect is you."

Hongyi's voice rang out, and then the door to the attic suddenly opened. A breeze blew in, and Hongyi, dressed in red, appeared in front of Gu An, her eyes fixed on him.

Gu An raised his hand, ruffled her hair, and smiled, "Judging from your actions, you're not entirely sure."

When Gu An touched her, Hongyi's icy expression melted away instantly, and a subtle change appeared in her eyes. She asked softly, "Why did you come to find me?"

Gu An said irritably, "We have no grudge against each other. I watched you grow up, and I taught you all your skills. What's wrong with me coming to see you?"

Upon hearing this, Hongyi's lips curled up slightly, making her already stunningly beautiful face even more captivating.

Gu An looked her over and asked, "Tell me how you've spent these years."

His visit today was not simply to see Hongyi, but because Hongyi was about to encounter trouble.

Gu An had foreseen this calamity for Hongyi since her birth, but it came earlier than expected.

Yongheng has its eye on Hongyi!
(End of this chapter)