I Have A Sword-Chapter 1393: Dao Merge

Watching Ye Guan depart, Gu Chen's eyes flickered with a mix of emotions. He never expected that Ye Guan would actually visit their home and that he would bestow so many historical books upon him, to boot.

What did I ever do to deserve this? But... he's working to keep the young ones from losing hope. Gu Chen drew a deep breath, his gaze gradually hardening with resolve.

At that moment, his mother nearby whispered, "Little Chen, your friend must be truly remarkable, isn't he?"

Gu Chen simply nodded. "Yes."

His mother's tone of voice turned serious. "Then you'd better learn everything you can from him... He doesn't gamble, does he?"

Gu Chen had no idea what to say upon hearing that.

***

Ye Guan arrived at the Guanxuan Hall. The moment he stepped through the doors, everyone immediately rose to their feet. The hall was now crowded with nearly twice as many people, sixty-seven in all, with Mu Shuo still in charge.

Upon seeing Ye Guan, Mu Shuo visibly tensed up. Although Ye Guan hadn't mentioned the previous incident, who could tell what was really going on inside his mind?

Ye Guan walked slowly over to the old desk where Diyi Jingzhao once worked. Upon seeing the empty chair, a bittersweet light flitted across his eyes. If only she were still here.

He couldn't allow Diyi Jingzhao to fall into the clutches of that red-robed lady, as she was clearly no ally.

Shaking off his thoughts, Ye Guan sat down and turned to Mu Shuo, saying, "Give me some updates about the academy."

Mu Shuo quickly replied, "Academy Master, the academy is now running smoothly. Thanks to the vigorous support from the powerful clans, the Guanxuan Laws are spreading rapidly throughout the Ten Desolate Universe.

"The number of applicants is overwhelming, but even if we expand the academy grounds, it still wouldn't be enough to accommodate them all.

"We're actually considering opening a branch."

"Do we have enough personnel?" Ye Guan inquired.

"Absolutely. I've already issued a call for talent across the lands. We're gathering many management experts, and I'm also pulling core figures from the major clans."

Ye Guan nodded. "Recruiting talent is one thing, but you must also nurture them yourself."

"Understood," Mu Shuo replied promptly.

"As for opening a branch, I still don't recommend it. The academy is in its infancy. Splitting our focus now will only weaken us. It's better to concentrate on our current students and reconsider expansion once we have a foothold."

"Understood."

"And remember," Ye Guan added in a more stern tone, "even though the Guanxuan Law is now spreading like wildfire throughout the Ten Desolate Universe, not everyone will abide by those laws.

"We must enforce the laws rigorously. If we aren't strict, we'll lose our authority. At times, we may even need to set an example with severe punishments, as favoritism will only undermine our position."

Mu Shuo's face grew serious as she quickly responded, "I understand."

Ye Guan nodded and said, "The beginning is always the hardest. Now that we've started, we must be even more cautious, especially within the academy.

"The academy is the root of this giant tree, and if it becomes corrupt, the whole world will become chaotic. Since you're in charge, you need to be firm. Don't be overly lenient or worry about offending people.

Once you allow even a small crack, it's hard to close it up. Do you understand?"

Mu Feng quickly replied, "I understand."

Ye Guan nodded and then stood up. "You may resume your work."

With that, he strode out, and the crowd immediately bowed in respect. Only after Ye Guan vanished from view did Mu Shuo exhale a heavy sigh of relief.

Ever since the betrayal incident, she'd been on edge, dreading that Ye Guan would come after her. Yet, for now, he seemed unconcerned about that incident.

Still, she knew that things would never be the same. Mu Shuo sighed quietly, and her eyes flickered with complex emotions. If she had unwaveringly sided with Ye Guan back then, the situation would have been drastically different.

But what could an ordinary person like her do at the time? Surely, even Diyi Jingzhao would have chosen to take the Suiming Civilization's side. Yes, Mu Shuo was certain about that.

***

Later, Ye Guan returned to the tiny pagoda. Now that he had pure-grade Supreme Emperor Origin Essence Veins, the spiritual energy inside the pagoda became incredibly dense. It became a blessed land for cultivation.

He assembled the three hundred Bronze War Generals and one hundred Gold Divine Guards. Looking at the powerful army, a faint smile crept over his lips.

Although the Bronze War Generals were Supreme Emperors, the seal allowed them to exert only the strength of a Quasi Emperor.

The Gold Divine Guards, however, were still Supreme Emperors despite the seal.

Ye Guan couldn't help but be amazed. The strength of the Suiming Civilization exceeded his expectations. After suffering setbacks twice, they would be foolish to give him a third chance.

What would the Suiming Civilization do next? Ye Guan frowned deeply. He despised being forced into a defensive position, but with his current strength inferior to theirs, he had no choice but to be passive.

Fortunately, the seal prevented anyone from rising above the Supreme Emperor Realm, so they wouldn't be his match. However, what troubled him most was the possibility of a decisive attack from the Suiming Civilization.

Even though he could absorb fragments of memories devoured by Little Soul, those memories were incomplete.

He had yet to grasp the true power of the Suiming Civilization. The two men he had encountered, while formidable, were clearly not among the higher-ups. As a result, Ye Guan's understanding of the Suiming Civilization was limited.

His passive position was also unacceptable; he needed to seize the initiative.

Ye Guan left the tiny pagoda and journeyed to the Suiming Ruins. The Holy Throne was still there. When it sensed Ye Guan, it trembled, surprised that he once again managed to eliminate his enemies.

How strong was Ye Guan? Its intuition told it that Ye Guan was still hiding his true power.

Suddenly, Ye Guan asked, "Can you contact the Suiming Civilization?"

After a brief hesitation, the Holy Throne replied, "Yes."

Ye Guan nodded. "Then tell them that I surrender."

"S-surrender?" the Holy Throne stuttered.

After a moment, Ye Guan clarified, "No, wait, surrender sounds too weak. Tell them that I'm willing to submit, but only if I'm treated with favor."

The Holy Throne fell silent for a beat before answering, "Understood."

Ye Guan nodded and was about to speak further when he sensed something amiss. In an instant, he returned to the tiny pagoda. As soon as he appeared in the tiny pagoda, a powerful aura descended, crushing everything beneath it.

It was the aura of a Supreme Emperor!

The swordsmen looked up in shock. In the sky, a man clad in armor flew forward, emanating the overpowering presence of a Supreme Emperor. He was none other than Xinfa.

While Ye Guan was processing his disbelief, another powerful aura rushed toward him from the horizon. Moments later, another terrifying Supreme Emperor aura swept in.

There was another Supreme Emperor? The cultivators inside were dumbfounded.

Just then, a woman appeared out of thin air. She was Wanwan.

Wanwan and Xinfa were now Supreme Emperors.

Xinfa appeared before Ye Guan. Without hesitation, he knelt and said, "I pay my respects to you, Supreme Emperor Guan."

Ye Guan smiled softly and, with a gentle lift of his right hand, supported Xinfa with a gentle burst of energy.

At that moment, Wanwan also approached Ye Guan. She didn't kneel but smiled and said, "Supreme Emperor Guan, I've just broken through and wish to seek your guidance. Would you teach me a thing or two?"

It wasn't that she was unwilling to submit; it all depended on Ye Guan's strength. If he weren't far superior to her, why would she yield to him? Her boldness stemmed from her cultivation base, but she was unaware of the fact that Ye Guan had already fought against people from the Suiming Civilization.

Ye Guan looked at Wanwan and smiled. "Very well."

He opened his right palm, and the Qingxuan Sword materialized in his hand.

"Come, then, let our swords clash."

Swoosh!

Wanwan and Ye Guan appeared in the void up above.

Wanwan fixed her gaze on Ye Guan and declared, "I won't hold back."

Stepping forward, a crushing wave of pressure descended on Ye Guan, but it vanished into nothingness upon getting close enough to Ye Guan.

Wanwan's brows furrowed. The next moment, with a graceful gesture of her right hand, a delicate chime rang out. In an instant, the void twisted and writhed, and phantoms rushed forward like a tidal wave.

Ye Guan's Qingxuan Sword darted out with a radiant flash of light.

Swish!

A brilliant streak of sword light cut through the void, and it crumbled into nothingness.

A few heartbeats later, it was calm once more.

Wanwan looked pale as paper with a sword in hand. She hadn't expected her strikes to be utterly ineffective.

Xinfa also stared at Ye Guan with a solemn face. Wanwan was no match for him, but he hadn't imagined that Wanwan would be defeated so easily.

Ye Guan extended his palm, and the Qingxuan Sword returned to his hand. Staring at Wanwan, he said, "From now on, you two will practice with the Gold Divine Guards. Do not hold back!"

Xinfa bowed deeply and exclaimed, "As you command!"

Wanwan hesitated before bowing. "As you command."

Ye Guan quietly left the tiny pagoda and walked up to the Holy Throne. "Any replies?"

The Holy Throne sternly answered, "Not yet."

Ye Guan nodded. "Then, we'll wait."

***

In the Strategist Pavilion somewhere in the Suiming Civilization, a young man entered a grand hall and approached Sui Gujin sitting nearby. Bowing deeply, he said, "Xuan Zheng has fallen in battle, and that swordsman stole a hundred Gold Divine Guards..."

"And the Holy Throne has relayed word that the swordsman wishes to submit."

Sui Gujin, calmly reading her book, replied, "He's stalling. Initialize the Dao Illumination Protocol. We must force out his backers."

The young man bowed again. "Understood."

Fifteen minutes later, a radiant beam of divine light rushed out of the Suiming Civilization, tearing through countless starry regions in an instant as it made a beeline for the Ten Desolate...

The Old Lands were in disarray!

The Suiming Civilization had activated the Dao Illumination Protocol, their ultimate trump card? Had they discovered another hostile civilization on the same level of power as them?

Soon, the other two civilizations investigated and were left speechless upon learning that their target was the Ten Desolate Universe.

Why had they used Dao Illumination against such a small, backwater place? Had they lost their minds?

***

Meanwhile, Ye Guan was suddenly struck by a sense of foreboding. He looked up sharply, and his eyes scanned the void until he saw the beam of divine light in the starry skies.

His face drained of all color upon seeing it.

"FUUUCK!" The Holy Throne shrieked in terror, "T-that's Dao Illumination! The ultimate weapon of the Suiming Civilization! Fuck, damn it! They must be crazy! They decided to obliterate the Ten Desolate Universe! It's over! It's all over!"

Ye Guan roared, "Master Pagoda!"

A trembling voice echoed from the tiny pagoda. "C-Come on, you really want me to take that? I-I don't think I can take that!"

Ye Guan's expression turned unnervingly pale. "Drag the Ten Desolate Universe, the Forbidden Wildlands, and the Other Shore into your world! Do it now!!"

Without hesitation, Ye Guan took to the starry skies. His gaze was transfixed on the radiant beam of light, and his right hand was trembling uncontrollably.

Taking a deep breath, Ye Guan bellowed, "Little Soul, Dao Merge!"

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