When I Achieved Sainthood, the Immortal Official Actually Called Me to Raise Horses!-Chapter 274: Beyond Heaven, Fortune’s Throne

As twilight approached, the setting sun dipped below the horizon.

Gu An sat on a stone bench, idly playing with the Seven Star Mirror, his face full of impatience.

Across from him, the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord wore a sullen expression. The surrounding spectators also furrowed their brows, their eyes fixed on the chessboard.

"Haven’t figured it out yet? Just admit defeat already!"

Gu An couldn't help but speak. It was almost absurd—he and the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord had been playing chess all afternoon, and this was still the first game. The latter had only placed thirty-seven pieces so far.

This guy couldn't win, so he was just stalling?

Gu An saw through the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord’s intentions, so every move he made was aimed at the exact spot the latter was considering. This tormented the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord immensely.

The feeling of being completely seen through was excruciating!

The Nine-Fingered Divine Lord couldn’t understand it. He had calculated countless possibilities, convinced that his strategies were varied and deep, yet Gu An always managed to place his pieces exactly where he wanted to move, constantly interrupting his thoughts.

What he didn’t know was that Gu An was using his ability to peer into fate.

Gu An could foresee the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord’s next actions. Though the latter’s cultivation was high, making it impossible to see too far into his future, seeing half an hour ahead was a simple task.

The slower the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord played, the faster Gu An placed his pieces—fast, precise, and ruthless—relentlessly hammering at his opponent’s psychological defenses.

Hearing Gu An’s words, the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord cursed inwardly.

If they were at sea, who would dare treat him this way?!

The worst part was, he really was scheming, which only made him feel both furious and embarrassed.

Taking a deep breath, the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord placed another piece.

Tap!

The sound was loud as thunder, startling the onlookers into shrinking their necks.

Even the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord himself was startled and instinctively reached to touch the piece.

Gu An smirked, using the Seven Star Mirror as a fan, pretending to be profound and unfathomable.

The Nine-Fingered Divine Lord looked at him and suddenly had the urge to punch him.

"Enough! I’m done playing!" he roared.

The moment Gu An heard this, he immediately stood up and left.

Watching his departing figure, the Nine-Fingered Divine Lord opened his mouth, only to feel a stifling frustration in his chest.

Gu An decided to take a walk and personally see every inch of the Third Medicine Valley.

He wanted to experience his long-time home through the senses of a Mystic Law Immortal.

Not long after, Yang Jian approached him, saying that for some reason, he suddenly felt enlightened today, as if a great burden had been lifted.

Gu An chuckled and reassured him, saying it was the result of his cultivation progress.

Encouraged by his master’s praise, Yang Jian became excited and happily left, eager to spar with Li Lingtian—he knew Li Lingtian had been wanting to fight him.

As soon as Yang Jian left, An Xin arrived, saying that the White Spirit Mouse had gone missing again.

Gu An comforted her.

After sending An Xin off, Tang Yu came by.

There were quite a few trivial matters today. Normally, it wasn’t like this. But rather than feeling annoyed, Gu An found it amusing.

What did being a Mystic Law Immortal matter?

He still cared about his old friends of lower cultivation realms and wanted to maintain his life as it was.

The immortal path was long, and the Nine Heavens of Immortal Dao lay ahead—being a Mystic Law Immortal was merely the sixth level!

What lay beyond the Ninth Heaven?

He was eager to find out, and his fighting spirit burned strong.

—

An hour later.

As night fell, Gu An strolled leisurely back to his pavilion.

From afar, he saw a slender figure standing beneath it—it was Ji Xuanyu.

Gu An noticed that she was holding something in her hand, but he didn’t pay it any mind. He had already seen through the causality and origin of that treasure.

Nearby, the Blood Prison Great Saint lay sprawled on the ground. When he saw Gu An, his ox-like eyes lit up.

Had his master grown even stronger again?

If so, that was definitely a good thing. The stronger his master, the more prestige he had—and the more benefits he would reap.

Gu An walked up to Ji Xuanyu and smiled. "Isn’t this usually your cultivation time? What are you doing here?"

Ji Xuanyu’s gaze lingered on Gu An’s forehead. Even in the darkness, the golden mark there faintly glowed.

She unconsciously raised her hand to touch her own forehead. She had a Dao Mark too, though hers was red and much thinner than Gu An’s.

Smiling, she softly said, "Nothing really, just came out to see the moon."

The item in her other hand quietly disappeared.

Gu An turned, standing beside her, looking up at the bright moon in the sky. He smiled faintly. "Xuanyu, what do you think lies beyond the heavens?"

Hearing this, Ji Xuanyu also lifted her gaze. "Perhaps many more worlds. I once heard the elders of my clan say that every star in the sky is a world of its own. The Great Dao is simple, and all things follow the same fundamental laws. In the grand scheme, human life is as insignificant as dust, just as the heavens are as small as the stars."

Gu An glanced at her, surprised by her insight.

Unknowingly, this girl had grown up.

"If one cultivates to immortality, they can eventually ascend beyond the heavens," Ji Xuanyu continued, her eyes meeting Gu An’s.

Gu An looked into her eyes—they were actually quite beautiful.

They began discussing the world beyond the heavens, letting their imaginations run wild.

Their conversation was unhurried, flowing like a gentle stream.

After half an hour, Gu An bid her farewell and went to his room on the second floor.

Sitting at his desk, he gazed at the starry sky outside the window. He murmured, "Ascend beyond the heavens through cultivation?"

Why not go see it for himself tonight?

When he had reached the Celestial Ascension Realm, he had traveled to Seeker’s Island. Now that he had attained the level of a Mystic Law Immortal, it was time to witness an even broader world.

A smile appeared on Gu An’s lips. His Mystic Law Immortal Soul suddenly leapt out of his body and beyond this realm.

In an instant, he arrived in the starry sky, overlooking Tianling Great Realm.

Suppressing his aura to the Celestial Ascension Realm, he concealed the seven-colored immortal light of the Mystic Law Immortal within his primordial spirit.

From the cosmos, Tianling Great Realm appeared as a vast continent, enveloped in a golden radiance. Beyond the golden light, seven suns hung in the sky, moving in intricate, ever-changing patterns.

Mysterious beings resided within the suns, exuding a vast and unfathomable presence.

All of them were Free Soaring Immortals!

It seemed they were the true guardians of Tianling Great Realm.

Gu An turned and flew deeper into the cosmos.

—

The stars truly were separate realms—some were planets, some were continents. Not all held life; some were desolate, haunted by wandering spirits.

Each of these realms was also shrouded in a golden barrier, preventing beings below the Celestial Ascension Realm from entering.

Gu An flew swiftly, though he kept within the speed limits of a Celestial Ascension Immortal.

The universe was vast. Even at this speed, it was rare to encounter another Celestial Ascension Immortal, let alone someone stronger.

Yet, as he traveled, he sensed several unusual auras from afar.

Even the beyond held danger.

Finally, he locked onto a Celestial Ascension Immortal and flew toward them.

A massive asteroid, the size of a continent, drifted aimlessly. Upon its surface, a figure sat in meditation—a human cultivator!

The figure meditated before a cliffside, clad in a white Daoist robe as pristine as feathers. His features were handsome, appearing no older than a young man in his early twenties, exuding an aura of immortality and wisdom.

As Gu An drew near, he tossed out a Lifespan Probe to inspect the man's lifespan.

【Bai Ziyao (Celestial Ascension Realm, Third Layer): 124,902/350,000/400,000】

Sensing Gu An’s presence, Bai Ziyao opened his eyes. His pupils were a brilliant azure, gleaming like two crystalline stones.

He stood up, his gaze fixed on Gu An as the latter approached.

Gu An landed, cupped his fists, and greeted him with a polite smile. “I am Meng Lang. This is my first time venturing beyond the heavens. Encountering a fellow Daoist here must be fate. Would you be willing to make an acquaintance?”

Hearing this, Bai Ziyao’s lips curled into a smile. “So, it’s your first time in the beyond? No wonder you’re so reckless. Consider yourself lucky to have run into me. My name is Bai Ziyao. But you must be careful—out here in the cosmos, running into a fellow cultivator is often more dangerous than encountering demons or monsters.”

Gu An feigned confusion. “Is the beyond truly that perilous?”

Bai Ziyao sat back down, rolling up his sleeves and gesturing for Gu An to take a seat.

Gu An complied. Bai Ziyao first introduced himself, then began explaining the state of the universe beyond the heavens.

Bai Ziyao also hailed from Tianling Great Realm, and he was one of the Peak Lords of Mortal Peak. He had been exploring the beyond for twenty thousand years and was currently planning to return to Tianling Great Realm for a visit.

According to him, within Tianling Great Realm, the Sacred Court of the Immortal Dao governed the world’s great cultivators, imposing order and restrictions. But in the cosmos beyond, there were no rules. If one perished here, even karma would struggle to trace their fate back to Tianling Great Realm. Thus, powerful cultivators acted with complete lawlessness in the beyond.

Though there were countless realms scattered throughout the universe, Tianling Great Realm was the center of it all, with the smaller realms orbiting around it like satellites.

As for whether there existed realms equal or even greater than Tianling Great Realm, Bai Ziyao did not elaborate. However, in this particular region of the cosmos, Tianling Great Realm reigned supreme.

Apart from the conflicts between cultivators, the cosmos was also plagued by Sky Demons.

Sky Demons had existed since ancient times, their numbers seemingly infinite, even forming their own terrifying factions. They harbored intense hatred toward human cultivators and monsters alike, slaughtering both on sight.

Bai Ziyao recounted the most terrifying Sky Demon he had ever encountered—a being that devoured a Celestial Ascension Immortal in a single bite. The only reason Bai Ziyao survived was because he had flown faster than the others. Even now, he shuddered at the memory.

“If you’re curious about the beyond, don’t venture too far into the cosmos. Once you step into the Extinction Domain, you’ll find yourself in a realm ruled by Sky Demons, filled with eerie and unfathomable curses. Even Celestial Ascension Immortals face certain death there. Of course, if you feel your path forward is blocked, you could always take the risk—many cultivators have attempted to defy fate in the Extinction Domain.

“There are rumors that the Extinction Domain was once a glorious great realm, far mightier than Tianling Great Realm. Some even say that Tianling Great Realm is nothing but a fragment of that once-prosperous land.”

Bai Ziyao spoke fluently and eloquently, while Gu An listened intently.

He did not sense any hostility from Bai Ziyao, which suggested that this man was sincere and kindhearted.

Of course, even if Bai Ziyao harbored ill intentions, Gu An wasn’t afraid.

Bai Ziyao suddenly turned to him and asked, “Daoist Meng Lang, which sect do you hail from?”

Tianling Great Realm was vast, but to Celestial Ascension Immortals, it wasn’t that vast.

Gu An replied with a faint smile, “To be honest, I am but a mere rogue cultivator, unaffiliated with any sect. Many years ago, my sect was wiped out due to unforeseen calamities. I survived only by hiding in the depths of the mountains, where I have cultivated in solitude ever since.”

Bai Ziyao’s interest was piqued. “You reached the Celestial Ascension Realm purely through self-cultivation? Daoist Meng, you must possess extraordinary talent! Why not join my Mortal Peak? I can make you a Peak Lord. Furthermore, within the Sacred Court of the Immortal Dao, I can secure you a position of fortune, which will grant you insights into the laws of the heavens with greater ease.”