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

Chapter 1003: Chapter 995: Xuanqing’s Intuition

After listening to Xuanqing Star Monarch’s words, Gu An remained noncommittal.

Xuanqing Star Monarch thought he was uninterested and continued to persuade, humbling himself greatly.

In Xuanqing Star Monarch’s mind, Gu An was stronger than the Celestial Emperor. This belief was mainly due to his underestimation of the Celestial Emperor, thinking he was not as capable as the previous one; otherwise, the Celestial Court wouldn’t be so chaotic.

Though the reasoning was flawed, the conclusion was correct.

After a long while, Gu An slowly said, "Is the duty of the Merit Suppressing God Heavenly Monarch to protect all Merit Immortals?"

His tone was calm, putting great pressure on Xuanqing Star Monarch.

Xuanqing Star Monarch knew that seeking Gu An for such a matter was unreasonable, but he had no other choice.

"Heavenly Monarch, I can only turn to you. In my eyes, the banner of the Merit Immortals can only be you, and only you can truly change the Heavenly Dao."

Xuanqing Star Monarch spoke sincerely, almost bursting into tears.

Even when facing the Celestial Emperor, he had never shown this attitude, which amused Gu An.

This guy’s intuition was quite remarkable. Although he hadn’t seen Gu An’s full power, he was convinced that Gu An was one of the paramount existences in the Heavenly Dao.

Intuition is a mysterious thing; some people repeatedly challenged Gu An, never believing in his strength, while others determined his greatness just by reading his books.

Gu An was somewhat interested in Xuanqing Star Monarch, who, though not strong, had such a complex web of cause and effect within the Celestial Court that apart from the Celestial Emperor, there was no other Immortal God quite like him.

Xuanqing Star Monarch kept pleading with Gu An, praising him to the extent that the Heavenly Dao couldn’t do without him.

"This matter is minor, but..."

Gu An finally conceded, but he deliberately left a sentence hanging.

"Please speak, Heavenly Monarch. I will do everything within my power to achieve it. If I can’t, I will exhaust all means to pursue it. This is a contribution to the Heavenly Dao, and I am willing to give my all!"

Xuanqing Star Monarch’s words were heartfelt, expressing a willingness to sacrifice everything for the Heavenly Dao.

Gu An casually asked, "What do you think of Emperor Hong Yang?"

Xuanqing Star Monarch was taken aback, unsure of Gu An’s intentions.

Was he trying to inquire about the Son of Heaven in order to engage in the struggle for Heavenly Authority?

He had always thought Gu An wasn’t that kind of person.

After thinking it over, he chose to trust Gu An.

"I know Emperor Hong Yang all too well; it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say no one understands him better than I do. I was guarding his family’s vicinity even before he was born..."

Xuanqing Star Monarch began a long speech, starting from Emperor Hong Yang’s birth, unfolding his life for Gu An to judge what kind of person Emperor Hong Yang was.

Gu An was already aware of Emperor Hong Yang’s background. He could equally claim that no one understood Emperor Hong Yang better than he did, not even Emperor Hong Yang himself.

Emperor Hong Yang, like Hong Yi, was destined from birth to become a Saint, one of the manifestations of the Hongmeng Will.

The so-called Hongmeng Will is merely a façade; the Nine Great Dao is their true origin.

They are the greatest opportunity in Chaos and the strongest power.

Now, the great powers of Chaos and the Heavenly Dao have sensed the existence of the Nine Great Dao, most noticeably with Hong Yi and Hong Yang.

Hong Yang’s birth was a choice by the Celestial Emperor, who also wished to utilize the Hongmeng Will.

Tragically, Emperor Hong Yang was still unaware of his own fate.

Gu An’s inquiry wasn’t because he cared about the opportunity represented by Hong Yang but to see the opinion of the Heavenly Court Immortals on him.

The opportunity of the Nine Great Dao did not interest Gu An, but they would become the center of Chaos and the Heavenly Dao’s trend. Observing them could reveal a distant future.

Xuanqing Star Monarch, being closest to Emperor Hong Yang, held a contradictory view of him.

He thought Emperor Hong Yang had the potential to become a Celestial Emperor, but he could also become a tyrannical one, leaving him conflicted about whether to support Emperor Hong Yang.

After Xuanqing Star Monarch finished speaking, he looked at Gu An and sighed, "His Highness Hong Yang has infinite potential to change the Heavenly Dao, but his temperament is so enigmatic that even I, having watched him grow, can’t figure him out. My feelings towards him are mixed."

Gu An followed, "In the future, if he wishes to choose a Divine Steed, he may select freely."

Xuanqing Star Monarch asked cautiously, "Should I inform him it’s your arrangement?"

"No need."

Xuanqing Star Monarch breathed a sigh of relief, but inwardly thought, since the Heavenly Monarch asks for no reward, he must ensure Emperor Hong Yang feels gratitude towards him.

Gu An forbade him from saying it, yet he would insist on saying it.

If Gu An had told him to say it, he might have hesitated.

Gu An felt somewhat exasperated by Xuanqing Star Monarch’s thoughts. Did this guy have a rebellious streak?

"Then... when will the Heavenly Monarch set off? I’m afraid they can’t wait..."

Xuanqing Star Monarch asked cautiously, not forgetting the purpose of his visit.

Chaos is far from the Heavenly Dao, and even with the profound Dao Practice of the Merit Suppressing God Heavenly Monarch, it would take time to reach Chaos.

"Set off? Is this trivial matter really worth my personal attention?"

Gu An said disdainfully, then reached out his hand, causing a piece of jade on Xuanqing Star Monarch’s belt to break free from its cord and fly into his hand.

Xuanqing Star Monarch was momentarily stunned, then attempted to speak, only to see Gu An toss the jade back at him.

He hardly had time to dodge as the jade brushed past his cheek, and he could feel the sharp gust of wind.

Xuanqing Star Monarch turned instinctively, unable to see the jade, then looked back at Gu An, bewildered and confused.

"Alright, the matter you requested has been resolved. You may go."

Gu An turned his head, supporting his cheek with his right hand, closing his eyes with an expression of fatigue.

Xuanqing Star Monarch found it absurd. Those Merit Immortals were far in Chaos; how could Gu An resolve it just by tossing a piece of jade in the Celestial Court?

While the jade contained spiritual energy and some creation, in the Celestial Court, it was nothing special. He only kept it because it was a gift from someone he saved, and he cherished the sentiment.

Could this jade travel to Chaos?

Xuanqing Star Monarch was filled with doubt but dared not question further upon seeing Gu An had closed his eyes.

So be it.

Trust him!

After making up his mind, Xuanqing Star Monarch became suddenly enlightened. He straightened his back, bowed to Gu An, and said, "Thank you, Heavenly Monarch, for taking action!"

His voice was loud, and with that, he turned and left, looking cheerful.

Gu An curled his lip; this guy was amusing, but why was he so loud?

...

Under the bewitching starry sky, a continent quietly waited, resembling an ancient Profound Turtle poised in the stars.

In front of those strangely shaped enormous nebulas, the continent appeared small, yet standing upon it, the land seemed boundless. The undulating mountains appeared to bear the scars of a resistant fight against time, desolate and bleak.

Over a hundred Merit Immortals sat meditating together, all cultivating energy with extremely grim expressions, Li Ya among them.