When I Achieved Sainthood, the Immortal Official Actually Called Me to Raise Horses!

Chapter 96: Breakthrough to Eighth Level of Grand Ascension Stage!

As Gu An reveled in the thrill of his cultivation breakthrough, the spiritual energy of the Northern Sea Mountain Range sank yet again. This time, it brought violent winds that swept through the land, signaling the arrival of an impending storm.

The drastic change in weather drove demons, cultivators, and spirits alike into hiding, each praying for the ordeal to pass swiftly.

In a secluded valley, Li Xuandao was undergoing a tribulation.

A mass of thunderclouds hovered above the valley, just a little higher than the surrounding peaks. This cloud radiated heavenly might as tendrils of lightning danced within its depths, illuminating the dark sky with terrifying flashes.

Li Xuandao sat cross-legged on his formation platform, golden dragon shadows coiling around him, making his robes billow noisily. After a moment, his eyes snapped open, and he looked upward.

With a deafening roar, a bolt of heavenly lightning streaked down from the tribulation cloud.

Boom!

The outermost formation barrier erupted in a curtain of light, absorbing the strike. Yet before the light dissipated, a second and third bolt followed in quick succession, causing the valley to alternately flash and dim.

Li Xuandao raised his hand, summoning a sword. The blade emitted a dragon’s roar, its edge exuding faint blood-red energy. The aura within seemed alive, filled with the wails and howls of countless vengeful spirits. He planted the sword by his side, then closed his eyes and resumed casting spells.

Spiritual energy surged from his formation platform into the surrounding arrays. Spirit stones flew from his storage pouch, covering the platform’s empty spaces in a dense layer. Pills floated out of bottles, feeding themselves into his mouth as his aura grew stronger.

Above the valley, gusts of wind and the rumble of thunder echoed endlessly. From a bird’s-eye view, the valley appeared as a minuscule, flickering star in the vast and stormy Northern Sea Mountain Range.

Time passed swiftly.

After an hour of meditation, Gu An stabilized at the first level of the Profound Mind Stage, continuing his climb to the ninth level.

Upon entering the Profound Mind Stage, Gu An noticed a change in his heart. It now radiated golden light, its blood flowing with a golden hue. On its surface, a mysterious rune appeared—a mark imbued with ancient power.

As he bathed in the influx of spiritual energy, Gu An’s focus shifted to the rune. A sense of enlightenment welled within him.

Innate Divine Ability!

The Profound Mind Rune could give birth to a unique divine ability, though its gestation time and ultimate strength remained unknown. The type of ability depended on the cultivator’s life experiences and accumulated mastery. No two divine abilities were the same.

Immersed in this newfound creation, Gu An began to refine his comprehension of his techniques and cultivation paths. Meanwhile, his cultivation advanced rapidly:

• Profound Mind Stage Second Level!
• Profound Mind Stage Third Level!
• Profound Mind Stage Fourth Level!

Suddenly, Gu An’s eyes snapped open as his gaze turned to the treetops.

In the night sky, a bolt of lightning appeared above the forest—not descending from the heavens but forming spontaneously in midair. Unlike ordinary lightning, it didn’t vanish immediately; instead, it twisted and writhed like a living serpent.

“What is that?” Gu An frowned, unease creeping into his heart.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The lightning began to split, forming multiple arcs. Moments later, space itself tore open, creating a black rift.

From the rift emerged a disheveled figure. Illuminated by the flickering lightning, the figure revealed itself to be a woman with alabaster skin. Her tattered clothing barely covered her body, evidence of recent damage.

Gu An felt a chill as he sensed her aura and immediately used his Lifespan Foresight to investigate.

• [Lu Lingjun (Ninth Level Integration Stage): 1989/2750/3700]

A nearly two-thousand-year-old monster!

This was the oldest person Gu An had ever encountered. Her cultivation, at the peak of the Integration Stage, was comparable to Lü Baitian’s.

Who is this woman?

Suspended in midair, Lu Lingjun’s presence was imposing. Behind her, the black rift shrank rapidly before vanishing entirely, taking the arcs of lightning with it.

From her storage ring, she retrieved a blue Daoist robe to cover her graceful figure, followed by a belt to secure it at her waist.

Though he risked offending decorum, Gu An couldn’t resist his curiosity. Who exactly was this woman?

Her long hair fluttered in the wind, revealing an exquisite face, almost unnaturally perfect. However, her brows were furrowed, and her eyes were filled with confusion.

As one strand of her hair fell, it transformed into a white snake, landing on her shoulder.

Gu An probed again:

• [White Spirit Demon Emperor (Eighth Level Integration Stage): 4678/6280/8300]

An Integration Stage demon pet?

Just who is this woman?!

The white snake flicked its tongue, speaking in a soft, feminine voice, “The spiritual energy here is so dense. It seems we’ve ascended successfully. The legends weren’t lies!”

Ascended?

Gu An froze. Those two words carried monumental implications.

Lu Lingjun’s frown deepened. “During the traversal, the heavenly thunder was terrifying. I barely escaped annihilation by heading toward the weakest spot in the storm. Judging by the spiritual energy’s density, this realm is indeed superior to the mortal plane. Still, whether we’ve truly ascended requires confirmation.”

The White Spirit Demon Emperor glanced into the distance. “The spiritual energy is descending here, and there’s demonic energy from Integration Stage beings farther away. This confirms our ascension. Back in the mortal plane, after two hundred years of wandering, I was the only Integration Stage demon in existence. Among humans, there were no more than five. Only in the legendary Heavenly Great Realm could one casually encounter Integration Stage beings.”

Heavenly Great Realm?

Hearing this, Gu An’s curiosity surged. It seemed these two originated from a weaker plane of existence.

The world was vast and mysterious, far beyond what Gu An or anyone else could fully comprehend. The Nine Dynasties occupied only a corner of this continent. What lay beyond the oceans, no one knew.

Gu An didn’t believe the Integration Stage was the pinnacle of power, nor could he fathom the highest realms of this world. Immortals and gods were mere myths, intangible and elusive. Yet the cultivation world was undeniably immense.

As Gu An marveled at the enormity of existence, he also felt relief.

He had initially feared a powerful faction was descending upon the Nine Dynasties, rendering his Ninth Level Profound Mind Stage insignificant.

But with no evident backing, these newcomers would need time to adapt to this realm.

Lu Lingjun and the White Spirit Demon Emperor were unaware of Gu An’s presence beneath them. They spread their divine senses to confirm that there were no humans or demons within 500 miles. Only then did they allow themselves to speak freely.

After some discussion, they decided to head south, sensing the human presence there was much stronger, while the north was dominated by demonic energy.

This is bad.

Gu An silently prayed, Please don’t head to the Taixuan Sect.

From their conversation, Gu An deduced that their successful ascension might have been due to the influence of his Lifespan Barrier. If the barrier could shield him from tribulations, it might also weaken heavenly thunder, explaining why their spatial breach had landed them directly above him.

What incredible characters! Gu An sighed internally. Ascenders from one world to another were bound to be formidable, capable of surviving unimaginable tribulations. With their abilities, they were sure to thrive here.

But Gu An had no time to dwell on these thoughts.

Focus! The Profound Mind Stage isn’t stable yet.

He decided to postpone advancing his divine abilities. First, he had to break into the Grand Ascension Stage. As impressive as Lu Lingjun and the White Spirit Demon Emperor were, there was no way they’d reach the Grand Ascension Stage within a century, right?

Gu An summoned his stats panel. While his current cultivation was still rising, he decided to accelerate with more lifespan investments.

Same strategy as always—100,000 years for the breakthrough. Go big!

• [You have invested 100,000 years of lifespan to evolve your cultivation base.]
• [You cultivated for 1,000 years. Attempting to break through to the Grand Ascension Stage with the grand mastery of Innate Celestial Art of the Earth and Heaven, you initiated the Five Divine Heavenly Tribulation but failed.]
• [You cultivated for 3,000 years. Attempting to break through again, you initiated the tribulation but failed.]

The tribulations came at intervals of 2,000 years, leaving Gu An uneasy. Even though the lifespan cost of simulated cultivation was much higher than real-life practice, the difficulty spoke volumes about the Grand Ascension Stage.

No wonder the Taixuan Sect has existed for thousands of years without a single record of the Grand Ascension Stage in its Library Pavilion!

With this in mind, Gu An steeled himself to invest another 100,000 years if needed. After all, lifespan was just a number; only cultivation was real!

Failure.

Failure.

Failure.

As expected, his first 100,000 years yielded no success. His expression darkened as he poured another 100,000 years into the breakthrough attempt.

The endless failures gnawed at him, each one a blow to his patience. Even as a Profound Mind Stage Ninth-Level Grandmaster, Gu An found his emotions slipping out of control.

Finally—success!

• [You cultivated for 87,000 years. Attempting to break through to the Grand Ascension Stage, you endured the Five Divine Heavenly Tribulation successfully. Your cultivation advanced to the first level of the Grand Ascension Stage.]

Gu An exhaled deeply, his face breaking into a smile.

After the initial breakthrough, his cultivation surged:

• [You cultivated for 88,000 years. Advanced to the second level of the Grand Ascension Stage.]
• [You cultivated for 92,000 years. Advanced to the fifth level of the Grand Ascension Stage.]
• [You cultivated for 94,000 years. Advanced to the sixth level of the Grand Ascension Stage.]
• [You cultivated for 96,000 years. Advanced to the seventh level of the Grand Ascension Stage.]
• [You cultivated for 99,000 years. Advanced to the eighth level of the Grand Ascension Stage.]

Grand Ascension Stage, Eighth Level!

The cost: 200,000 years of lifespan.

Gu An reflected with a hint of lingering fear. Thankfully, he had succeeded.

The tribulation’s consumption of resources wasn’t as exorbitant as he’d feared, suggesting that his previous enhancements to his spiritual root and techniques had made a significant impact. He recalled that from the First to Ninth Level of the Integration Stage, he’d expended around 18,000 years, with later levels costing 3,000 years each.

Given how much more challenging the Grand Ascension Stage was, this efficiency confirmed that his earlier investments had been wise. Moreover, their effects would continue to benefit him in the real world.

In that moment, Gu An’s confidence soared.

He didn’t care how vast the world beyond the Nine Dynasties was, nor how strong its ultimate powers were. Within the Nine Dynasties, he could now walk without fear.

Even someone like Lü Baitian, a Ninth-Level Integration Stage cultivator, was enough to deter the Demonic Dao from challenging the Taicang Empire. And the Taicang Empire wasn’t even the weakest of the Nine Dynasties!

Even if other empires had stronger cultivators, they likely capped out at the Profound Mind Stage.