Chapter 390: Requesting the Gift of “Immortality”

The name “White Jade Capital” and the large inscription on the stone tablet before the Heavenly Gate were both man-made, written by the twelve Heaven Arbiters within these twelve towers—each corresponding to one of them.

As for why this name was chosen, Heaven Arbiter Ashen explained: it was derived from the saying, “In the heavens lies White Jade Capital, twelve towers and five cities.”

However, as there were only twelve Heaven Arbiters, there were only twelve towers—no five cities.

But the immortal realm beyond the Heavenly Gate was naturally formed. The spiritual energy contained within, according to Heaven Arbiter Ashen, must have been generated by the Heavenly Dao itself—meant to distinguish between the mortals of the world and the immortals above.

As for the meaning of Heaven Arbiter… the Heavenly Dao is merely a collective term for the rules governing this world. Within the Heavenly Dao, there are countless great paths.

Take Heaven Arbiter Ashen before him, for example—he commands a complete Ashen Heavenly Dao, a Dao inclined toward destruction. When ash spreads, life ceases to exist.

To command a Heavenly Dao is to become a Heaven Arbiter. The title signifies dominion over the heavens, and it was chosen by the twelve Heaven Arbiters themselves.

Heaven Arbiter Ashen did not elaborate much on White Jade Capital. What he told Gu Ning’an was mostly trivial, but even from those trivial details, Gu Ning’an inferred quite a bit.

First, these so-called Heaven Arbiters were once mere mortals who cultivated their way up. They were likely among the earliest to succeed in cultivation and to uncover the existence of the Heavenly Gate.

Upon arriving in Outer Heaven,¹ they declared themselves Heaven Arbiters—in essence, a group of powerful cultivators who seized the advantage of being first.

Second, if Heaven Arbiter Ashen was not lying, then these twelve towers indeed once housed twelve Heaven Arbiters.

Yet now, only seven jade towers remained standing, while the other five had crumbled into ruins—likely representing five deceased Heaven Arbiters.

Counting Heaven Arbiter Ashen before him, if there were still seven Heaven Arbiters alive, why hadn’t they shown themselves in response to his aggressive arrival?

Were they unable to, or was there another scheme at play?

The earth-shattering sword strike Gu Ning’an had unleashed earlier had already dimmed the Worldly Qi within his sword by one-third. If Heaven Arbiter Ashen had not used that eerie coffin lid to block it, he too would have been completely annihilated, just like that lid.

The power of the Hongchen Sword was formidable, but after being countered by the coffin lid, it had merely left Heaven Arbiter Ashen with a superficial wound.

If the opponent had more such coffin lids—or if additional Heaven Arbiters appeared—his remaining two sword strikes might not be enough.

Then again, if they truly had more ways to deal with him, why hadn’t they already used them? Why resort to taking the lives of the world’s beings as hostages?

Even if there was a hidden agenda and Heaven Arbiter Ashen was stalling for time, that delay also worked in Gu Ning’an’s favor, as it allowed the Worldly Qi within his sword to recover.

Sweeping his gaze over the seven jade towers radiating profound Dao rhythms, Gu Ning’an finally fixed his eyes on Heaven Arbiter Ashen and asked:

“How did those five Heaven Arbiters die? At your level, can you still die?”

If I hadn’t prepared a fragment of an incomplete Heavenly Dao beforehand, I probably would have been killed by your sword just now.

This Worldly Qi… it’s too overpowering…

Silently complaining in his heart, Heaven Arbiter Ashen stared at Gu Ning’an for a moment before shaking his head.

“Mr. Gu, if you become a Heaven Arbiter, I will tell you.”

“Hmm,” Gu Ning’an nodded as if he understood. Then he pressed further:

“What about the other six Heaven Arbiters? They’re alive, aren’t they? Why don’t they come out and meet me?”

Faced with Gu Ning’an’s baiting question, Heaven Arbiter Ashen remained expressionless and replied, “Meeting depends on fate. When Mr. Gu is meant to see them, he will see them.”

“Interesting,” Gu Ning’an chuckled, then continued, “Earlier, you said capturing a Heavenly Dao within oneself makes one a Heaven Arbiter… so how does one acquire a Heavenly Dao? Does it have a tangible form?”

“The Heavenly Dao is formless. Everything depends on fate and comprehension. Just now, when Mr. Gu’s soul left his body, that was the sign of ascension. Had you not suppressed your soul’s awakening, you would have already glimpsed the myriad Heavenly Daos.”

“Mr. Gu, you must abandon your mortal body. Only by entering the Heavenly Gate as a soul can you witness the true myriad Heavenly Daos. The mortal shell you bring into White Jade Capital is restricting you.”

Heaven Arbiter Ashen paused, then continued:

“Mr. Gu, I have answered many of your questions. Now, may I ask—are you willing to discard your mortal shell and become a true transcendent immortal?²”

“No,” Gu Ning’an flatly refused. “I am a mere mortal, and I am content to remain among the mortals of the world.”

Hearing his response, Heaven Arbiter Ashen showed a look of confusion. “The mortal world is filled with wickedness—what is there to long for? What is there that you cannot let go of?”

At this, Gu Ning’an waved his hand dismissively.

“All things exist in balance—light and dark, good and evil cannot be separated. You claim the mortal world is filled with wickedness, yet I say your White Jade Capital is filthy beyond measure. What do you say to that?”

“Filthy?” Heaven Arbiter Ashen’s voice turned cold. “This is the purest place in all existence—free from the strife of the mortal realm, untainted by worldly desires. How can it be called filthy?”

“Let’s not look far—take the Great Wu empire, for example.”

“Within the imperial court, fathers kill sons, brothers slay each other, disasters ravage the land, common folk sink into despair. The officials would rather raise armies than save their people…”

“The filth in this world is endless. If every wicked act became a grain of sand, even your vast White Jade Capital would be buried beneath them!”

“Oh? So this is the reason you all feel justified in consuming the three souls of mortals, using them to cling to life?”

At this, Gu Ning’an let out a mocking laugh. “You say the desires of the world are abundant, that filth is everywhere.”

“And what about you? From the moment you stepped into this so-called White Jade Capital, you have regarded yourselves as immortals, wantonly plundering the three souls of mortals to fulfill your dream of eternal life, haven’t you?”

“Don’t bother denying it. My eyes are still clear enough to see things for what they are.”

In the end, deception was futile…

Heaven Arbiter Ashen responded calmly, “The secret of immortality is the greatest of all mysteries, the ultimate pursuit of all beings.”

“We, as Heaven Arbiters, even while possessing a complete Heavenly Dao, are still unable to unravel the secret of eternal life.”

“But should the day come when we do unlock its mystery, we would no longer need to rely on the souls of mortals to extend our lifespans.”

“Mr. Gu, the pursuit of immortality requires sacrifice, and that sacrifice is merely the three souls of mortals. They are already tormented by worldly desires—departing sooner, wouldn’t that also be a form of liberation?”

Gu Ning’an nodded slightly, smiling. “Actually, I do have a method for achieving immortality. If you truly desire it, I could grant it to you. What do you think?”

Had anyone else spoken such words, Heaven Arbiter Ashen would have scoffed. The twelve Heaven Arbiters had spent countless millennia seeking the secret of immortality to no avail—how could anyone else possibly possess it?

But if it was this man before him… Heaven Arbiter Ashen believed it. His breathing grew slightly hurried, and for the first time, he displayed an expression akin to that of a common man upon glimpsing gold and silver—his eyes burned with fervent desire.

“Please, sir, enlighten me! If you are willing to grant me the method of immortality, why would we struggle in vain for millions of years?”

As expected, we’ve met before.

Seeing how easily the other party had taken the bait, Gu Ning’an chuckled. “Death is also a form of immortality. Eternal slumber is, in itself, eternal existence… If you cannot bring yourself to do it, I wouldn’t mind giving you a hand.”