【Jade Cicada (Divine Transformation Realm Third Layer): 762/1500/1600】

Gu An cast his Lifespan Investigation technique on the monk, but unfortunately, it didn't reveal much of value. However, he could sense that this monk named Jade Cicada carried the karma of heavenly demons.

It wasn't unusual for Free Immortals from the Heavenly Spirit World to reincarnate into other grand heavens, just as outsiders might reincarnate into this world. Gu An was curious about the enmity between Jade Cicada and Zhang Shi.

From what he observed so far, neither of them seemed to be the two mysterious Free Immortals who had secretly entered the vortex of reincarnation.

"The Sword Master of the Dao? Why should I fear him? I have no grievances with him. My purpose here has nothing to do with him. Free Immortals should not create enmity lightly, don't you think?" Jade Cicada's voice was calm, but his eyes remained as sharp as ever.

Zhang Shi responded coldly, "Indeed, it's unwise to make enemies lightly, but encountering a Dao thief leaves no room for reconciliation."

Though both their cultivation levels appeared low, their intense exchange of gazes carried a collision of profound Dao intent, which Gu An could clearly sense. After all, their souls originated from Free Immortals; reincarnation merely suppressed their current power.

Gu An coughed lightly and said, "Gentlemen, why don't we discuss this somewhere else?"

He could tell that neither Jade Cicada nor Zhang Shi truly wanted to fight. Their verbal confrontation, without escalating to physical conflict, revealed their mutual caution toward the Sword Master of the Dao.

Jade Cicada's expression mirrored his coldness as he gave a curt nod and began walking away. Both men turned without hesitation.

Just as Gu An moved to follow, Zhang Shi turned back and said, "This is between him and me. There's no need for you to get involved."

"It's fine. We're all reincarnators here. Let's talk things through properly," Gu An replied cheerfully before overtaking Zhang Shi and catching up with Jade Cicada. He began engaging him in small talk.

Jade Cicada wasn't an entirely closed-off individual. When Gu An asked questions, he answered calmly. Zhang Shi, walking behind them, furrowed his brows deeply.

Half an incense stick's time later, the three arrived at a forest outside the branch sect.

Zhang Shi and Jade Cicada stood facing each other with cold expressions. Here, they no longer suppressed their killing intent.

"We're all reincarnated beings. Even if someone dies, it's not a true death, and grudges will only linger. Why not sit down and share some insights instead?" Gu An suggested, his tone casual and inviting.

Jade Cicada turned to Gu An with a smile that, though faint, carried an edge. "May I ask, what is your original self's name?"

"I have yet to awaken the memories of my past life," Gu An replied simply.

Free Immortals, beings who transcended ordinary existence and roamed the cosmos, lived for tens of millions or even billions of years. Their reputations were inevitably known among their peers. Not a single Free Immortal was without renown.

Jade Cicada was clearly pondering Gu An's words, silently speculating about the true identity of his past self. After all, the real identity of the Sword Master of the Dao must have been one of immense prestige—or so Jade Cicada believed.

Zhang Shi broke the silence. "He and the forces behind him practice cultivation by devouring the heavens and Dao laws. Their stance is inevitably opposed to ours. There's no need for dialogue."

Hearing this, Gu An feigned surprise and glanced at Jade Cicada, who sneered coldly. In the daylight, his smile was unsettlingly eerie.

"The path of the Great Dao is a road of strife. Isn't the reason we possess intelligence precisely so that we may fight? This is the way of the heavens!" Jade Cicada retorted disdainfully, raising his right hand. From his palm emerged golden flames, which rapidly condensed into the form of a small tower.

Not to be outdone, Zhang Shi raised his hand as well. Crimson dragon energies surged from beneath his feet, coiling around him until several dragon heads formed, their eyes fixed on Jade Cicada.

The winds in the forest came to an abrupt halt.

Gu An grew even more curious about the origins of these two. Although Zhang Shi hailed from the Heavenly Spirit World, he seemed unaffiliated with either the Sacred Court or the Immortal Dynasty. Meanwhile, Jade Cicada's connection to the Desolation Domain and his identity as a Dao thief suggested an alignment with the Battle Court—or something equally dubious.

Still, Gu An had no intention of intervening. He had already calculated the probable outcome of their clash.

The confrontation between Jade Cicada and Zhang Shi grew increasingly intense.

After a prolonged silence, Jade Cicada sneered, "It seems your trial within the Cycle of Reincarnation has reached a bottleneck."

Zhang Shi's expression remained unchanged as he replied, "And it seems you're here with a specific mission. You can't afford to die easily."

What a show.

They wouldn't dare fight, yet they put on such a spectacle.

Jade Cicada smirked and said, "The people of this world have long forgotten you. This is the era of the Sun Immortal Emperor(Yangxian Emperor) and the Divine Sovereign. You should focus on your trial and pursue your Dao. Why go against the natural order when you clearly understand the grand momentum of the Heavenly Dao?"

Zhang Shi replied calmly, "Indeed, I cannot control everything. But I will not allow you to harm the living beings of this land."

Jade Cicada scoffed. "With the Sword Master of the Dao present, do you think I'd be so foolish?"

He then turned to Gu An, his tone shifting to one of persuasion. "Gu Daoist Friend, should you awaken your memories, you could join us in the Abyssal Demon Realm. I could even secure you a Demon City of your own."

The Abyssal Demon Realm?

So, he's aligned with the Mo Bian'an!

Having killed the Mo Bian'an, Gu An was certain he could never align with the Abyssal Demon Realm. From the memories of the Mo Bian'an, Gu An knew that the Abyssal Demon Realm had long splintered into factions. Why would Jade Cicada still use its name to recruit others? Could it be that the forces behind him sought to reunify the Abyssal Demon Realm?

No wonder the future of the Heavenly Spirit World was growing increasingly chaotic. The karmic entanglements at play were staggering.

Beyond the Immortal Dynasty and Sacred Court, there were now also the Heavenly Demons, Battle Court, and Abyssal Demon Realm.

"I just want a peaceful life in this lifetime. When I die, you can speak to my original self," Gu An replied with a calm smile.

Jade Cicada froze briefly before shaking his head and chuckling, clearly finding Gu An to be an intriguing character.

Zhang Shi also allowed a faint smile to form on his lips. As long as Gu An rejected the offer, he was satisfied.

Jade Cicada's gaze returned to Zhang Shi as he said, "So be it. When the great catastrophe arrives and the order of heaven and earth is purged, if you haven't completed your Cycle of Reincarnation by then, you will perish alongside the Heavenly Spirit World. Your time is running out."

As he finished speaking, Jade Cicada vanished into thin air.

Zhang Shi stood silently for a moment, murmuring, "As expected, his target is the Sacred Court."

Gu An couldn't help but ask, "What did he mean by that? Will the Heavenly Spirit World really be destroyed?"

Zhang Shi turned to him, his expression solemn. "Because he has foreseen the Heavenly Spirit World's calamity. It is an inevitable stage in the evolution of the heavens—a moment when the rules of heaven and earth are at their weakest. During that time, all beings in the Heavenly Spirit World will be affected. The Free Immortals undergoing their reincarnation trials will return, and if additional Free Immortals from outside descend, this world truly might face destruction."

Gu An pressed further, "How far away is that day?"

"That, I cannot say."

With that, Zhang Shi turned and began walking toward the forest.

Gu An called out, "Where are you going?"

"I'm going to experience your lifestyle for myself, though not in the Tai Xuan Sect," Zhang Shi replied without looking back.

Gu An watched him depart, the red dragon energy surrounding Zhang Shi dissipating as he vanished into the distance.

The Cycle of Reincarnation, an insurmountable chasm for mortals, seemed to be a unique opportunity and blessing for great cultivators.

As Zhang Shi's figure disappeared, Gu An turned and walked away in another direction.

Late at Night

Shen Zhen sat inside her cave residence, painting. Her right hand held a brush while her left hand carefully rolled up her sleeve. Her youthful and delicate face was furrowed in frustration, as though she had encountered a dilemma.

Her right hand, trembling slightly, hesitated to touch the canvas.

After a long struggle, she finally set down the brush and exhaled deeply, as though a heavy burden had been lifted.

"Why can't I paint the city from my dreams?" Shen Zhen muttered to herself.

For some time now, she had found it nearly impossible to recreate the images she dreamed of or imagined. This inability deeply unsettled her.

"Because your Dao isn't strong enough."

A cold voice echoed suddenly, startling Shen Zhen into looking up sharply.

A figure stepped out from the wall of her cave residence—it was Jade Cicada.

Shen Zhen stood up straight, her face icy. Her voice was calm but carried a sharp edge. "Who are you? Trespassing into someone else's cave residence is a grave crime!"

Jade Cicada sized her up with a smirk. "It seems you haven't fully regained your memories yet. However, you carry her karmic aura. There's no mistake. Since that's the case, I'll help you. I need your strength, Mo Bian'an."

He took a step forward, advancing toward Shen Zhen.

Although Shen Zhen had never heard of the name "Mo Bian'an," the man's behavior was undeniably provocative in her eyes.

A mere Divine Transformation Realm cultivator dares to trouble me?

She immediately grabbed the wooden zither beside her and plucked its strings.

A piercing melody erupted, accompanied by visible sound waves that shot toward Jade Cicada.

Jade Cicada's monk robes billowed violently. His eyes narrowed as he uttered a single word, "Stop!"

A burst of golden light erupted from his eyes, forming the character "Stop" in midair. It shot toward Shen Zhen with lightning speed, instantly immobilizing her.

Shen Zhen's eyes widened in disbelief.

How could I, with my Void Crossing Realm cultivation, be immobilized so easily?

Jade Cicada's lips curled into a smile as he said, "Your temperament is exactly the same as Mo Bian'an's. It's no wonder she chose you as her reincarnation vessel."

As he drew closer, Shen Zhen growled, "I'm not some Mo Bian'an. Do you think you can act recklessly in the Tai Xuan Sect without consequences? Are you looking for death?"

Her heart raced with anxiety. Why hadn't the senior cultivators from the Third Medicine Valley arrived yet? She hadn't thought of Gu An but instead the great cultivators from the nearby valley who loved playing chess. Her cave residence was less than two hundred miles from the Third Medicine Valley, a distance she had always believed to be secure. Yet now, here she was, facing such a dire situation.

"I'm not acting recklessly. On the contrary, I'm about to grant the Tai Xuan Sect a great opportunity," Jade Cicada replied, a sinister grin on his face.

He reached Shen Zhen and raised his right hand, preparing to grab her head.

Shen Zhen's pupils trembled as panic surged through her.

Suddenly!

A hand appeared from behind and pressed firmly on her shoulder, startling her. She instinctively glanced to the side, catching sight of the person through her peripheral vision.

The hand on her shoulder pulled her back, causing her to stumble involuntarily. As she fell backward, she caught a glimpse of a strikingly handsome face adorned with a vivid golden pattern on his forehead.

For a brief moment, Shen Zhen felt as though she was looking at an Immortal Lord descending from the heavens.

It was Gu An!

Shen Zhen froze in disbelief before snapping back to her senses.

Gu An pulled her behind him and then turned to face Jade Cicada.

"It's you. What do you intend to do?" Gu An's voice was steady and cold.

This time, it was Jade Cicada's turn to frown. He hadn't detected how Gu An had entered the cave residence.

This boy is also a reincarnated Free Immortal. If he intends to interfere, that could be troublesome.

The cold light in Jade Cicada's eyes replaced the calm demeanor he had shown earlier in the day.

"Breaking into a female disciple's cave residence in the dead of night—hardly the conduct of a monk, wouldn't you agree?" Gu An said, his tone devoid of warmth.

Jade Cicada squinted and asked, "Do the two of you know each other?"

Shen Zhen felt a comforting warmth spreading from Gu An's palm on her shoulder. The energy flowed through her, restoring her mobility. She let out a breath of relief and quickly said, "Gu An, this person's cultivation is no trifling matter. Don't underestimate him!"

Her heart was still racing in shock.

He broke the seal that bound me with such ease?