Chapter 280 Destiny

Returning to the Third Medicine Valley with Yang Jian, Gu An didn’t go upstairs immediately. Instead, he sought out An Xin, checking in on her well-being, primarily concerned about her cultivation progress.

An Xin’s maximum lifespan was 230 years—she still had a few decades before she needed to lift the restrictions on her cultivation. Over the years, Gu An had given her many pills, and she might even surpass Ye Lan in the future.

“Master, have you heard any news about my senior brother, An Hao, lately?” An Xin suddenly asked.

Although she hadn’t seen An Hao for a long time, their relationship hadn’t grown distant. After all, they had grown up together and even faced life-and-death situations side by side.

She understood that their paths would diverge in the future, that An Hao was bound for a world she could never reach. Still, she couldn’t help but care. As long as he was doing well, that was enough for her.

Gu An lifted his teacup and replied, “He’s doing quite well. He’s now the number one genius of the Starsea Sect Alliance, having cultivated the legendary Fiery Sun Treasure Body…”

Lü Baitian had mentioned this to him before, so repeating it now wouldn’t expose his true cultivation level.

An Xin listened intently, her face full of joy.

She felt no jealousy toward An Hao’s achievements, even though they had started cultivating on the same day. The gap in their talent was simply too vast—so vast that she sometimes wondered if she had ever truly known him. Because of this, she never mentioned to others that she knew An Hao personally.

Her current life was good—carefree in the Medicine Valley, with no hope of pursuing the immortal path, but at least her days were fulfilling and interesting.

When Gu An finished speaking, An Xin propped her chin up with both hands and grinned. “My senior brother is amazing. I can’t even imagine what kind of great figure he’ll become in the future.”

Gu An chuckled. “Then work hard on your cultivation so you can witness it yourself.”

An Xin nodded, then brought up the White Spirit Mouse, her face full of frustration.

As the White Spirit Mouse grew stronger, it became increasingly difficult for her to control. Now, it only listened to Gu An, and in the Medicine Valley, it had become a little tyrant, constantly pranking the disciples.

Of course, the White Spirit Mouse never actually harmed anyone, which was why Gu An didn’t bother to intervene. There had been one time, however, when it accidentally scratched An Xin. After receiving a brutal beating from Gu An, it never dared to hurt anyone again.

Gu An and An Xin continued chatting about the trivial matters of the Medicine Valley. Earlier that day, he had been focused on world affairs, and now he was discussing the valley’s daily life. The contrast amused him.

Days Passed

Autumn winds swept through the Medicine Valley.

Inside his room, Gu An leaned back in his chair, holding a book on talismans. Lately, he had been reading various Daoist texts. With his current cultivation level, most Daoist arts in the mortal world seemed simple to him.

A genius enjoys reading because they can understand what they read—only then does it become enjoyable.

Suddenly, Gu An frowned.

Li Ya was tapping into the power of Divine Anomaly City.

Wasn’t Li Ya supposed to be in seclusion at the Starsea Sect Alliance?

Closing his eyes, Gu An found that Li Ya was in the Severed Sea Rift, currently being suppressed by a Divine Anomaly Wraith King.

Li Ya wasn’t alone—many cultivators from various sects surrounded him.

Even with Divine Anomaly City in his possession, there was no way Li Ya could defeat the Wraith King. The power of an Immortal Dao treasure was immense, but it was still tied to its wielder’s cultivation. The stronger one’s realm, the more power an Immortal Dao treasure could unleash.

Gu An had no intention of interfering. As long as Li Ya didn’t die, it was normal for him to suffer setbacks. Cultivating in this world was never smooth sailing.

But then, Gu An sensed another presence and couldn’t help but sigh. Fate truly was a terrifying force.

Divine Anomaly Realm – A Minor World

Beneath a blood-red sky, dust billowed like swirling dragons and phoenixes. Countless Divine Anomaly Wraiths circled above, densely packed like a swarm of moths, sending chills down one’s spine.

A Divine Anomaly Wraith King stood tall in the sky. His face was twisted and fierce, with symmetrical blood sigils on his cheeks. His long white hair fluttered like flames. He had six arms, each holding a different weapon, and stood atop a thousand-foot-tall ghostly beast.

The beast hovered in the air, its body resembling a fusion of lion and tiger, its head like a leopard’s, and three long tails sweeping through the sky, stirring up clouds and mist.

Following the Wraith King’s gaze downward, a massive city stood amid the swirling dust—Divine Anomaly City.

The city spanned over a hundred miles, keeping back the relentless tide of Divine Anomaly Wraiths. Inside, thousands of cultivators stared at the sky—some enraged, some terrified, and others filled with hatred.

Atop the city’s tallest tower stood Li Ya, clad in black. A small, shadowy figure perched on his shoulder—it was the Divine Anomaly Spirit.

Li Ya’s brow was tightly furrowed, his expression grim.

“So, Divine Anomaly City has fallen into the hands of a mere Transformation Stage junior?”

The Wraith King sneered.

“Boy, are you starting to feel overwhelmed? Divine Anomaly City is powerful, but with such a weak mortal body, how do you expect to control its divine might?”

This Wraith King was Zhen Liudao, a Ninth-Level Celestial Ascension cultivator. In his eyes, Li Ya was no different from an ant.

Li Ya remained silent. There was no point in arguing—surviving this ordeal was all that mattered.

His hands clenched inside his sleeves, and blood began dripping from his nose.

Many cultivators in the city noticed, including Shen Xinzi, who was meditating in the streets. He frowned at the sight.

Shen Xinzi shifted his gaze toward Zhen Liudao, a conflicted expression flickering in his eyes.

Zhen Liudao mocked Li Ya for a while longer, but when he received no response, he became irritated. Raising one of his six arms, he revealed a black mirror brimming with dark mist.

A figure shot out from the mirror, rapidly expanding to match Zhen Liudao’s size.

It was a white-haired man.

Seeing him, Li Ya’s pupils shrank violently, and his expression darkened. Rage, grief, and disbelief flashed across his face before settling into a look of sheer fury.

“You dared to turn him into this…!”

Li Ya gritted his teeth, his aura exploding. Wisps of blood energy seeped from his pores.

“Divine Anomaly Spirit, unleash the city’s full power—I want him dead!”

The Divine Anomaly Spirit shuddered and immediately channeled greater energy.

Boom—!

Divine Anomaly City trembled as countless beams of radiant light erupted from its protective barrier, all converging toward Zhen Liudao.

The ghostly beast beneath Zhen Liudao let out a deafening roar, shaking the heavens and blocking the attack.

Pu—!

Li Ya spat a mouthful of blood, his eyes bleeding. “Again!” he roared.

The Divine Anomaly Spirit hesitated, then raised its tiny hands—the city’s light beams surged, pressing harder against the beast’s defenses.

Zhen Liudao was momentarily surprised, then smirked in amusement.

Just as Li Ya’s body began collapsing under the strain, a deep Buddhist chant echoed through the sky.

“Amitabha. Layman Li, do not force it—it is futile.”

A golden light ascended from the city, piercing the beast’s throat.

Zhen Liudao’s expression changed.

A golden staircase extended skyward, and Shen Xinzi ascended, his body glowing with radiant Buddhist light.

He looked at Li Ya with a solemn expression.

“Layman Li, you are still young. Let me be the one to make this sacrifice…”

Shen Xinzi’s voice rang with solemn authority.

“As Kṣitigarbha Bodhisattva once said in Journey to the West: ‘If I do not enter hell, who will?’ Layman Li, do not let grief for a fallen comrade cloud your judgment. Turn that rage into determination.”

As his words fell, he stepped through the barrier of Divine Anomaly City.

A wave of brilliant Buddhist light surged from his body, flooding toward Zhen Liudao and the ghostly beast.

From the perspective of Li Ya and the cultivators within the city, an enormous golden Buddhist bead appeared in the sky, materializing out of thin air. It descended swiftly, trapping Zhen Liudao and his mount within its radiance.

Then, in the blink of an eye—the bead vanished, along with Zhen Liudao and his ghostly beast.

The Divine Anomaly Wraiths that had been swarming the skies suddenly halted. For a brief moment, an eerie silence fell upon the battlefield.

Then, as if sensing something, the Wraiths scattered like a school of frightened fish, disappearing into the vast expanse of the Divine Anomaly Realm.

On the tower’s rooftop, Li Ya fell to his knees.

His lips trembled, his head slowly lowering as he muttered, “Zhang… Bu…”

Before he could finish his words, his body suddenly collapsed, unconscious.

A Distant Seashore – Darkness Looms

In the dim twilight at the edge of a vast ocean, Zhen Liudao stood with a severed head in hand. His fingers clutched the bloodied scalp of Shen Xinzi, dragging his lifeless body across the damp sand.

He stopped before a massive black stone tablet, the Divine Anomaly Life Monument. With a scowl, he tossed Shen Xinzi’s body to the ground.

Frustration twisted Zhen Liudao’s face. “Why the hell won’t you let me devour him? Just because he’s from the Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect? Is he really worth this much caution?”

From within the stone monument, a voice rumbled—a deep, ancient sound that belonged to the Divine Anomaly Realm Master.

“He carries great karmic weight. You cannot kill him. Furthermore, anyone deeply connected to Zhang Bukui must also be spared.”

Zhen Liudao’s expression darkened, his eyes flashing with fury.

“Why?”

A moment of silence.

Then, the voice answered.

“Because… the one who governs the Eternal Chaos has given the order to protect Zhang Bukui.”

The words struck Zhen Liudao like thunder.

His mouth opened, then closed. His fists clenched. He took a deep breath, his rage simmering, before finally turning away.

As his silhouette faded into the distance, a shadow emerged from the Divine Anomaly Life Monument.

The Divine Anomaly Realm Master stepped forward, gazing down at the mutilated but still-breathing Shen Xinzi.

He muttered to himself, “Reincarnation of the Sky Demon… just what is the Bitter Sea Buddhist Sect scheming?”

Raising a hand, he began channeling his own power to heal Shen Xinzi’s wounds.

Medicine Valley – Gu An’s Perspective

Far away, in the comfort of the Medicine Valley, Gu An withdrew his divine sense.

He exhaled softly, his fingers tapping against the wooden table.

At least the Divine Anomaly Realm Master wasn’t reckless. If he had dared to overstep his bounds, Gu An would have intervened—even if it meant offending the being behind him.

But…

Thinking about Zhang Bukui’s fate, Gu An couldn’t help but sigh.

He couldn’t always keep his eye on Zhang Bukui. By the time he had realized that Zhang Bukui had entered the Divine Anomaly Realm, it had already been too late—Zhang Bukui had fallen, transformed into a Divine Anomaly Wraith.

The only silver lining was that a fragment of Zhang Bukui’s will still remained.

If the Divine Anomaly Realm Master were to perish, all Divine Anomaly Wraiths would be annihilated—including Zhang Bukui.

That meant Zhang Bukui’s fate was now tied to the Divine Anomaly Realm Master’s survival.

Gu An’s gaze darkened.

It seemed that no matter what, fate would continue entangling them in its web.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep