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

Chapter 976: Chapter 968: The Legend of the Pure Land

"Master, the Immortal Fate upon you..."

The Ghost Mother of Ephemera mustered her courage and cautiously asked.

Those who stayed in Wushi all wished to follow Gu An, but the Celestial Court was different. It was impossible for Gu An to take them all to the Celestial Court, which had left them all in a state of anxiety upon hearing about it.

Glancing at her, Gu An smiled and said, "Don’t overthink it. For me, the Celestial Court is not far. As long as you are willing to follow me, I will not expel you."

Hearing this, the Ghost Mother of Ephemera was instantly uplifted, a smile appearing on her face. Normally appearing gloomy, when she smiled, she became exceptionally bright and charming.

In the distance.

The Red Dust Supreme gazed at the figures of Gu An and the Ghost Mother, unable to see the cause and effect or destiny surrounding Gu An due to his lost Cultivation Level, but recently he had heard the Wushiji Disciples mention the matter of Immortal Fate.

Unlike the views of the Second Generation Disciples, he believed that Gu An was surely some ancient being of the Celestial Court. He even thought Gu An might be the Celestial Emperor, not the one he knew, but the one from the past.

He became ever more certain that Gu An’s treatment of them was not to torment them, but for another deeper reason, which allowed him to settle his heart and concentrate on Enlightenment.

Regarding the matter of Immortal Fate, in the Red Dust Supreme’s view, it was a signal.

Perhaps, they too would usher in a turning point.

An hour later, after Gu An had finished picking Medicinal Herbs and once again passed by the medicinal field, he paused, his gaze turning to the dozen or so people within the field.

Those suppressed here were half Immortal Gods, half with extraordinary destiny. Except for the recently thrown-in Great Power, the rest had already conceded. When Gu An looked at them, they all grew tense, yet cast looks of anticipation and pleas.

Standing at the edge of the field, Gu An beckoned them over, and they immediately gathered around—some were nervous, some excited, others fearful.

Once they had all come to the front of the field path, Gu An stood a meter high on the dirt path, looking down on them with calm eyes. Confronted by Gu An at such close quarters, they lowered their heads involuntarily.

"When wrongs are committed, natural punishment follows. By now, you should understand that I do not wish to kill you, not because I cannot, but because I do not find your sins deserving of death. Given the circumstances, you should think about what this experience can bring you."

Gu An spoke, and these words filled everyone with joy.

The Nine Tribulations Immortal Emperor was the first to lift his head and asked, "Senior, how long will you suppress us? To what extent must we go to redeem our sins?"

Others also looked towards Gu An with anticipation.

Gu An replied, "When the time is right, you will naturally be released. I can only say, he will be the earliest among you to leave."

As he spoke, he pointed at the Red Dust Supreme.

The others all looked at the Red Dust Supreme with eyes ablaze, knowing that if someone could pave the way, then indeed, they had hope.

The Red Dust Supreme, on the other hand, remained calm and seemed thoughtful, pondering Gu An’s words.

"Of course, if you don’t wish to leave in the future, I will also welcome you to stay."

Gu An remarked with a smile, then turned and left.

The Jiucang Heavenly Monarch sneered, thinking to himself, "How could anyone be willing to stay?"

What a poor joke that is!

The others each harbored their own thoughts, not communicating, maintaining an attitude of mutual non-interference despite having been together for so many years.

Gu An gave them hope, not as a calculation, but because he too felt that the time was about right.

The reason he spoke of welcoming those willing to stay was that he had seen someone would indeed choose to stay.

"He never expected the first one wanting to stay would be himself."

Gu An’s mouth curved upwards, and thinking of this, he decided that when that time came, he must ask that fellow, did you think this way before?

...

On the boundless ocean, an isolated island adorned the blue sea.

The Xuanqing Star Lord soared through the clouds, descending upon this island.

The island was vast, filled with numerous palatial halls and towers, teeming with living creatures travelling. Many large mounts rested by the seaside as well.

Though the Xuanqing Star Lord was of immortal elegance and demeanor, those like him, enlightened masters, were everywhere on the island.

After landing, he walked towards the island’s streets, admiring the scenery along the way.

Soon, someone suddenly welcomed him.

"Immortal Master, why have you come here?" A voice, barely containing excitement, called out.

Xuanqing Star Lord looked ahead and saw an old Daoist walking quickly towards him.

This old Daoist wore simple robes, with unkempt hair and scruffy cheeks. Compared to the radiant Immortal Light of Xuanqing Star Lord, their aura was worlds apart.

Xuanqing Star Lord stroked his beard and smiled, "Following my heart, I unwittingly came here."

Upon hearing this, the old Daoist praised, "Worthy indeed of Immortal Master, with a free and carefree Dao Heart, a model for us all to pursue."

Xuanqing Star Lord continued on, the old Daoist accompanying while praising along the way, words awash with flattery, and Xuanqing Star Lord merely smiled.

For a while.

Suddenly, Xuanqing Star Lord asked, "Is there a renowned Great Power Cultivator nearby? You know the kind of reputation I speak of."

The old Daoist chuckled and said, "You don’t say, there indeed is one, have you heard of the Pure Land?"

"Pure Land? What place dares boast like that?" Xuanqing Star Lord asked curiously.

"Legend has it there’s a continent amidst this ocean, where the Spiritual Energy may not be rich, but it’s protected by an Immortal. Any living being can seek refuge there, and those laden with heavy Karma who force their way in would be expelled or even executed by the Immortal. It’s a sanctuary for the weak, earning its name as the Pure Land over time."

The old Daoist sighed, craving for the Pure Land as he spoke of it.

Listening, Xuanqing Star Lord slightly shook his head and said, "Guarding a land, what merit could there be?"

The Merit Immortal he sought was one with the merit of saving the world, with a heart encompassing the whole realm.

Hurriedly, the old Daoist said, "I’ve heard that the Immortal hails from other worlds, and many Ascenders have also gone to thank him for his benevolence."

"Is that so?"

Xuanqing Star Lord, upon hearing this, became somewhat interested.

"Let’s continue, tell me more. Are there other figures?"

Xuanqing Star Lord turned towards another street, the old Daoist quickly following.

One mortal and one immortal soon blended into the crowd, as a row of white gulls took flight from the street-side pavilions, gliding towards the horizon.

...

In dimly lit realms, Zhang Chunqiu stood on a cliff, gazing at the vast array of stars, his brows tightly knitted.

Zhang Buku approached from behind and asked, "Father, why are you standing here lost in thought again? What are you thinking about?"

Zhang Chunqiu snapped back to reality and replied, "Nothing."

Zhang Buku stood beside him, frowning, and said, "Father, your Cultivation Level today is not low. Any feelings you have aren’t coincidental. You’d best tell me to avoid entangling with unfavorable Cause and Effect."

Zhang Chunqiu had spaced out like today more than once, and Zhang Buku had asked before, but he always said it was nothing, which only increased Zhang Buku’s worry, always feeling that something bad was going to happen.