Ji Changkong and Li Hentian flew at top speed, taking only a quarter of an hour to travel from Xuanyuan Valley to Tianshan. The closer they got to Tianshan, the more relaxed Li Hentian’s expression became. Soon, he and Ji Changkong arrived at Tianshan. Since his decisive battle with Holy Mother Youlan, Gu Dan had been cultivating deep within the mountain; he had only emerged once when Ji Changkong encountered danger in Tianshui City. For a period afterward, Gu Dan had remained hidden in the mountain’s depths.
Upon their arrival at Tianshan, Xue Bitao immediately greeted Li Hentian and Ji Changkong. Seeing Li Hentian, he bowed with a smile and offered a greeting: “Great Elder.”
Li Hentian nodded lightly and asked, “Is the Sect Master still inside the mountain?”
Xue Bitao replied, “He hasn’t left. Master instructed that if you and Changkong came, you could proceed directly to see him in the mountain’s core.”
“Let’s go,” Li Hentian said, his demeanor as indifferent as ever. He and Ji Changkong bypassed Xue Bitao and, moving with practiced ease, headed straight into the heart of Tianshan.
The frigid Tianshan was perpetually shrouded in ice and snow. Deep within the mountain, encased in an immense, solid block of ice, Gu Dan sat serenely, like an ice sculpture.
The two approached the massive ice formation. Li Hentian bowed slightly and spoke in a hushed tone, “Sect Master.”
Gu Dan, deep in cultivation within the ice, stirred his brow and shifted his form. In the next moment, he emerged from the ice, standing beside Li Hentian and Ji Changkong.
“You have reached this realm as well,” Gu Dan said, smiling as he looked at Li Hentian and nodding gently. “I knew that after this seclusion, you would surely attain this level.”
“Sect Master, how is your injury?” Li Hentian asked with concern.
“It’s nothing serious. In a little more time, it should be completely healed,” Gu Dan replied with a smile. He then turned his gaze to Ji Changkong, his eyes filled with gratification. “Changkong, you have advanced to the Eight Trigrams Heaven Realm?”
“Yes, Maternal Grandfather,” Ji Changkong confirmed.
“Sect Master, if you and I join forces, we can head to the Western Regions and eradicate the Manichaean Cult entirely,” Li Hentian declared, his face suddenly turning icy cold. “That cult is overwhelmingly ambitious. As long as Holy Mother Youlan lives, she will always be a grave threat to the Central Lands.”
“Difficult,” Gu Dan shook his head. “The Asura King of the Northern Barbarians has already reached an agreement with Holy Mother Youlan. The Asura King’s power is boundless, and his realm profound. If these two join forces, it will be hard for us to gain the upper hand.”
After a pause, Gu Dan continued, “We must wait longer. The time is not yet ripe.”
“The Northern Barbarians are stirring restlessly, and the Great Chu Kingdom is already suffering immensely under their relentless attacks. Without a peak Nine Palaces Heaven Master, the Great Chu Kingdom will inevitably collapse under the Northern Barbarian invasion sooner or later,” Li Hentian said grimly. “If Youlan and the Asura King join forces, the pressure on our Central Lands will be immense. Only by defeating one side can our Central Lands truly rest easy.”
“I know…” Gu Dan murmured, his brow slightly furrowed. “It’s a pity that Cao Xuanqi is wholly consumed by his cultivation, rushing to break through to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm. He holds no concept of the common people in his heart; sometimes, he won’t even bother with matters concerning the Tianwu Kingdom, let alone the life or death of the Great Chu Kingdom. The only reason the Asura King hasn't advanced rapidly is that he is testing my and Cao Xuanqi’s intentions. If the two of us remain inactive for too long, the Asura King will likely accelerate his pace, and the Great Chu Kingdom will truly be in peril.”
Ji Changkong’s heart sank. He was aware of the ambitions of the Northern Barbarians and the Western Regions toward the Central Lands, but he hadn't anticipated the situation had become so imminent. Hearing his maternal grandfather speak, he finally grasped the severity of the situation.
“Maternal Grandfather, are you… are you planning to intervene?” A realization flashed through Ji Changkong’s mind, and he exclaimed abruptly.
Gu Dan gave him a deep look. “Cao Xuanqi can disregard the lives of the world’s people, but I cannot…”
“But, but your injuries haven’t fully recovered, and the Asura King… the Asura King has been famous for many years…” Ji Changkong breathed out softly.
“If Cao Xuanqi will not act, I must, otherwise, the Great Chu Kingdom will be reduced to a slaughterhouse for the Northern Barbarians. Those people from the North are stubbornly archaic; after suffering so much in the harsh northern lands, if they are allowed into the Great Chu Kingdom, one can only imagine the brutal treatment the citizens there will endure,” Gu Dan sighed.
“Fortunately, Hentian, you have reached the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm. With you here, Tianshan will not suffer any mishap due to my departure. Now that you have returned, I can set my mind at ease.”
Gu Dan looked at Li Hentian. “For a period recently, I will go to the Great Chu Kingdom for a visit, and perhaps engage in a decisive battle with that Ma’er Asura King.”
“I will go with you!” Li Hentian’s expression shifted slightly, and he said in a deep voice, “If you and I fight together, our chances will be greater.”
Gu Dan smiled and shook his head. “Don't say such things. The Central Lands cannot afford to lose you.”
Li Hentian’s brow furrowed deeply, his eyes flashing brightly, and his expression was utterly grim.
“Maternal Grandfather!” Ji Changkong called out urgently. “Your injuries are not completely healed. At this time, you absolutely must not fight the Asura King. Even if a battle must occur, it should be Cao Xuanqi who steps forward. The people of the Central Lands regard Cao Xuanqi as their divine protector; he has a responsibility to repel foreign invasion! Grandfather, you are forbidden to go until your injuries have recovered!”
“Changkong, in life, some things can be evaded, but some cannot. Protecting the lives of the people of the Central Lands is my responsibility; I cannot and will not evade it,” Gu Dan said with a gentle smile.
Ji Changkong shook his head stubbornly. “In any case, you cannot go to fight the Asura King at this time.”
Gu Dan maintained his placid smile, shaking his head. “Changkong, with you and Hentian here, I can leave with peace of mind. I know that sooner or later, Hentian can completely replace me. And you have the potential to surpass me! As long as the two of you remain in the Shuiyun Kingdom, I can rest assured about everything. My battle with the Asura King, win or lose, will certainly delay his ambition to invade the Central Lands. During that time, you and Hentian will gain greater strength. The opportunity I can secure for you is enough.”
Ji Changkong repeatedly shook his head, his expression resolute, murmuring resentfully, “We will surely find other ways to resolve the threat from the Northern Barbarians, Grandfather. Let us think carefully and find another path.”
“There is no other way. As long as the Asura King is in the North, and as long as he intends to invade the Great Chu Kingdom, a Nine Palaces Heaven Master must stand against him. There is no alternative,” Gu Dan smiled. “Alright, alright, my mind is made up. Do not try to persuade me further. It’s not certain that I will lose this fight; do not be so pessimistic.”
“If you weren't injured, we certainly wouldn't be this pessimistic. In this current predicament, how can we feel at ease?” Ji Changkong asked with vexation. “That Holy Mother Youlan has likely been colluding with the Asura King for a long time. Her attack on you at Tianshan might have been to wait for this very opportunity. In my view, the Asura King’s imminent large-scale invasion of the Great Chu Kingdom is a tactic to force you out. This was all planned long ago—to lure you into the trap.”
“If anything unforeseen happens to you, and the Asura King and Holy Mother Youlan join forces, even Cao Xuanqi might not be able to hold them off. If they discard all rules and defeat Cao Xuanqi as well, the Central Lands will become a paradise for barbarians!” Li Hentian stated coldly, his face grim.
“Don't dwell on it so much. By then, perhaps Cao Xuanqi will have broken through to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm,” Gu Dan chuckled.
“And what then?” Li Hentian looked at Gu Dan. “Cao Xuanqi’s focus is not on the Five Elements Continent. If he reaches the Ten Directions Heaven Realm, he absolutely won't care about the survival of the Central Lands’ people; he will likely charge straight into the Endless Star Domain to challenge those ancient masters there. That is just how he is; in his eyes, only himself matters. His only goal is to become stronger, and nothing else. He pursues only the extreme of power; all other trivial matters are irrelevant to him!”
“Yes, that is why he is the most likely to break through to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm—because he has no scruples holding him back!” Gu Dan looked at Li Hentian. “Hentian, in this respect, you resemble Cao Xuanqi, which is why you could break through to the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm… and perhaps even advance further, to one day aspire to the Ten Directions Heaven Realm!”
Li Hentian remained silent for a long time. “I still think you shouldn't rush into a fight with the Asura King.”
Gu Dan smiled and shook his head. “My decision is final!”
Ji Changkong and Li Hentian were helpless. On this matter, their stance was clear: neither wished for Gu Dan to fight the Asura King. However, once Gu Dan made a decision, no one could change it; no matter what Li Hentian or Ji Changkong said, his conviction remained firm.
Ultimately, Li Hentian and Ji Changkong abandoned their efforts to persuade Gu Dan on this matter.
Perhaps sensing that Gu Dan’s coming battle might be fierce, neither Li Hentian nor Ji Changkong rushed to leave. They remained at Tianshan together, deep within the mountain core, listening to Gu Dan’s teachings—learning about the peculiar aspects of various realms, listening to him detail the mysteries of the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm.
Gu Dan had advanced to the Nine Palaces Heaven Realm many years ago and was one of the most supreme figures in the world. He possessed deep insights into every realm. As Li Hentian and Ji Changkong listened to Gu Dan expound upon the profound truths of the major realms, they both felt they had benefited immensely.
Li Hentian and Ji Changkong naturally did not stand on ceremony with Gu Dan, sharing the ambiguities they encountered in their own cultivation. Gu Dan was invariably able to pinpoint the crux of their problems with piercing accuracy, often showing them entirely new paths forward.
Gu Dan, having immersed himself in the Nine Palaces Heaven Master realm for many years, shared his experiences regarding the various stages without reservation with Ji Changkong and Li Hentian. This gifted the two with profound realizations along their path of cultivation, insights so precious they could save them from years of unnecessary detours.
Gu Dan imparted his valuable accumulated experience to Li Hentian and Ji Changkong, as if settling his affairs. Eventually, when Gu Dan felt he had nothing more to say, he cited the need to re-enter seclusion to fully recover his strength and asked Li Hentian and Ji Changkong to depart on their own.
The two reluctantly complied, worried that their presence might interrupt Gu Dan’s solitary meditation, and left the core of Tianshan.
“How is Master?” Xue Bitao asked anxiously as soon as they emerged from the mountain’s depths.
“He is still in deep cultivation,” Li Hentian replied, frowning. After a moment of hesitation, he added, “The Sect Master intends to fight the Asura King; he might set out soon. You should all be mentally prepared.”