Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

Qiao Dai ignored Ji Hantian's provocation and fixed his gaze on the Heaven-Cutting Axe.

Everyone looked at him. Over the years, there were countless cultivators who came to challenge the Heaven-Cutting Axe, but few had such a commanding presence like him.

The number one cultivator in Lingxia, it sounded quite intimidating!

Though Qiao Dai appeared calm, in fact, he was very nervous inside.

In recent years, Sword Venerable Fudao's prestige was incredibly strong, spreading widely even within the Spirit Realm. Qiao Dai knew he could not possibly be a match for Sword Venerable Fudao, but since the Heaven-Cutting Axe was merely a treasure left behind by Sword Venerable Fudao, he still had confidence in lifting it.

He raised his right hand and gripped the handle of the axe.

At the moment he grasped it, he felt an unprecedented heaviness.

His brows furrowed, and he immediately began to exert force.

Rumble——

The Heavenly Repair Platform quaked, and everyone watched him nervously.

No matter which sect they were from, the cultivators on the platform did not want him to lift it.

The disciples of the Supreme Sect cared about face, while disciples from other sects cared about opportunity; who wouldn't want to become the heir of Sword Venerable Fudao?

To this day, Sword Venerable Fudao had become a figure of worship for all sects under three dynasties.

Under Gu An, the Blood Prison Great Saint secretly marveled. He too wanted to try lifting the Heaven-Cutting Axe. So far, the only person he couldn't surpass was the one on his back.

This fellow named Qiao Dai was different. The Blood Prison Great Saint could sense that Qiao Dai's cultivation level was even higher than his own.

If Qiao Dai couldn't move the axe, then he would have no hope.

This made him even more wary of Sword Venerable Fudao.

Just leaving a Dharma treasure on the platform, and over the years, no one could lift it, let alone move it. It was unimaginable how high Sword Venerable Fudao's cultivation realm must be.

Qiao Dai also started using a secret technique, making his momentum soar, causing even the Outer City to tremble.

More and more figures appeared on the Heavenly Repair Platform, all high-ranking members of the Supreme Sect. They looked at Qiao Dai with eyes full of fear.

But as they watched, the great cultivators of the Supreme Sect began to smile.

The momentum was terrifying, but it was useless!

If it couldn't be lifted, it just couldn't be lifted! Zuo Yijian watched Qiao Dai's contorted face with silent glee.

Let him be arrogant—with such limited skills, he dared to challenge the Heaven-Cutting Axe?

In the end, Qiao Dai did not become like Xuan Tianyi or Ji Xuanling. He only attempted for a few breaths before his momentum suddenly receded.

He stood straight, withdrew his right hand, and said, "As expected of Sword Venerable Fudao, I, Qiao Dai, admit defeat!"

His voice echoed throughout the city, resonating endlessly.

Even though his words were boastful, many people wanted to ask who he was, having never heard of him before. But recalling Qiao Dai's earlier momentum, no one dared offend him.

Not daring to offend Qiao Dai, they all praised Sword Venerable Fudao instead!

Suddenly, the Heavenly Repair Platform became lively, and everyone started discussing the strength of Sword Venerable Fudao.

Qiao Dai looked at Ji Hantian and snorted, "Where is your sect leader? I want to meet him!"

Ji Hantian nodded, then motioned for Qiao Dai to follow. The two quickly left the Outer City.

Gu An patted the back of the Blood Prison Great Saint, signaling it could go.

After leaving the Outer City, Gu An said leisurely, "In a few years, I will let you reach the second level, able to speak human words."

Hearing this, the Blood Prison Great Saint's eyes brightened.

Not being able to speak was really unbearable!

He couldn't wait to curse those ants who kept touching him all day long!

"But remember, there are things you can say and things you can't," Gu An reminded.

The Blood Prison Great Saint nodded quickly. Actually, there wasn't much he could say, as he had no idea how strong Gu An really was.

...

Day by day passed, and it came to the end of summer.

On the peak of the mountain north of Mystic Valley, Gu An was sparring with Chu Jingfeng in swordsmanship.

While swinging his sword, Gu An's divine sense spread out, surveying the continent inside and out.

He saw a Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal traversing the sky, descending to the Mortal World at the eastern end of the firmament.

Over the years, he saw many figures coming and going between heaven and earth. Though Heaven and Earth Flying Immortals were rare, at his level, he could see at least one every day, showing how vast this mortal world was. Heaven and Earth Flying Immortals were not the strongest.

Even at the Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm, Gu An's divine sense could not cover the entire Mortal World.

No wonder it was called the Great Heavenly Spirit Land; this mortal world was truly vast!

For Gu An, the bigger this world was, the better. The larger the world, the smaller and more insignificant he felt.

After a while, Gu An sensed a vast aura erupting from the eastern direction, far from the continent, even farther than Immortal Seeking Island.

But that aura made his heart tremble.

It was very powerful!

It didn't seem like the aura of a living being's cultivation, but rather some kind of supreme treasure.

Could it be that someone from beyond the heavens came for this mysterious supreme treasure?

It seemed highly possible to Gu An.

At this moment, Chu Jingfeng sheathed his sword, gasping, "I'm exhausted, can't match you."

He looked at Gu An with a complex expression.

Every time he felt his swordsmanship had improved significantly, he would spar with Gu An. Each time, it seemed he was about to win, but the result was always defeat.

The two competed in swordsmanship without using spiritual power, purely relying on qi.

Of course, if he couldn't defeat Gu An before his qi was depleted, it meant his swordsmanship wasn't superior to Gu An's.

Gu An smiled, "Just a little more, you are much stronger than before."

Chu Jingfeng wiped the sweat off his forehead and stared at Gu An, asking, "Do you mean you are also improving, or have you been holding back?"

He increasingly felt that Gu An was unfathomable. Initially, he was merely grateful to Gu An, but now he felt Gu An was either a peerless genius or a high-level cultivator hiding his cultivation.

He thought back to the years when the Demon of Greed caused chaos. The Demon of Greed had perished in Gu An's house, but to this day, no one discovered who had saved Gu An.

Could it be Gu An himself?

Gu An laughed, "Hey, I'm at the ninth level of the Foundation Establishment Realm, about to reach Core Formation. Isn't it normal to beat you? Don't forget, I'm ranked 500th on the Golden List!"

Seeing his smug expression, Chu Jingfeng couldn't help but shake his head and smile.

Right, why overthink!

In any case, he was now a cripple, weaker than everyone.

After chatting for a while longer, Gu An gripped his Heavenly Residence Sword and descended the mountain, while Chu Jingfeng sat meditating on the cliff, reflecting on his earlier sword-fighting experiences.

The next morning, the first Heavenly Strength Tournament officially began. It was said that over fifty thousand cultivators and demons had signed up, covering all realms. There were even mysterious Mahayana cultivators participating.

Gu An did not participate; instead, he headed to Tianya Valley to harvest medicinal herbs.

This year, he aimed to reach a lifespan of seven million years. After surpassing the ten million-year mark, he could look forward to a billion-year lifespan.

A billion years would bring new abilities, the next time could be ten billion or even a hundred billion years for new functions?

The thought was exciting to Gu An.

If a billion years passed in the real world, how high would his cultivation level be?

...

The sky was clear, and the ocean was boundless. Immortal Seeking Island sat on the ocean, small as a speck of dust, but when viewed up close, its prosperity was evident.

Gu An returned to Immortal Seeking Island, and exchanged all the medicinal herbs he had gathered over the past three years for top-grade spirit stones, then began to wander around.

He planned to buy some high-quality cultivation elixirs to help Ye Lan and Xiaochuan. As for others, he wouldn't go out of his way to help them; enjoying the elixirs he personally refined was good enough.

Hu Xiaojian continued to lead the way for Gu An, full of enthusiasm.

"By the way, senior, several months ago, a conflict broke out between the Star Sea Congregations and the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. Have you heard about it?" Hu Xiaojian asked suddenly, his expression excited.

Gu An answered, "I've been secluded in training, unaware of this. Why did they clash?"

Hu Xiaojian lowered his voice, "It's said that a disciple of the Star Sea Congregations was killed by the Seven Stars Spirit Realm, so a group of Star Sea Congregation cultivators attacked islands affiliated with the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. They fought for three days and nights. Many say the Star Sea Congregations and Seven Stars Spirit Realm are going to war. They have been at peace for fifty thousand years, who knows if it's true."

"If these two top forces go to war, this ocean will be far from peaceful."

Gu An first thought of Xuan Tianyi.

Was Xuan Tianyi's capability so great?

On second thought, yes, a Mahayana cultivator of several hundred years was rare. Even on the ocean, he would be a top-tier talent. On Immortal Seeking Island, Gu An had only seen a few.

The two continued chatting as they moved forward.

An hour later, Gu An had spent all his spirit stones, reaping abundant rewards.

Spending on his junior brothers and sisters, he felt no regret, even if they were destined to die. He was willing to help them live a few hundred or thousand years longer.

After dismissing Hu Xiaojian, Gu An began to wander Immortal Seeking Island on his own.

Immortal Seeking Island was large, with numerous cities. Cultivators, demons, and spirit beasts were everywhere, making the streets very lively.

Suddenly, someone brushed past Gu An. Due to the person's peculiar attire, Gu An subconsciously threw a life span detection.

[Nine-Finger Divine Lord (Second Layer of Traveling Immortal Realm): 170800/190000/800000]

Hmm?

Seventeen thousand years?

Was this eighty thousand-year maximum lifespan serious?

Gu An was intrigued. The person's apparent cultivation was only at the Mahayana Realm. Even as a ninth-level Heaven and Earth Flying Immortal Realm great cultivator, Gu An couldn't see through his true cultivation level, indicating this man's greatness.

Of course, it was also possible that this person was not a wandering immortal, but had his cultivation level fall due to some reason.

Gu An thought the latter was more likely. He didn't turn back and continued forward.

However, the Nine-Finger Divine Lord stopped. He wore a black outfit like a wanderer; his clothes were not fancy, somewhat old, with a bamboo hat and a large wooden box on his back.

He looked back, frowning under his hat, eyes filled with confusion.

"Was it a misperception?"

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord felt someone watching him earlier but saw no one when he looked back.

The strongest on this street was just a loose immortal.

He retracted his gaze and continued on his way.

30 minutes later.

He arrived at a residence and met a man in a purple robe in the courtyard.

"Senior, please have a seat," the purple-robed man said with a smile, respectfully.

The Nine-Finger Divine Lord sat down, placing the large wooden box beside him. He calmly asked, "What business do you have with me?"

The purple-robed man sat, waved his right hand, and a purple light barrier rose around the courtyard, then quickly disappeared.

He looked at the Nine-Finger Divine Lord and whispered, "Senior, I have a lead on the Immortal Path Supreme Treasure you sought before. It is somewhat troublesome; it involves the Seven Stars Spirit Realm. Do you dare to venture there?"