I Have A Sword

Celestial World.

The Celestial Clan's experts stood across from the Empore and Zhou Clan's forces, the two sides still locked in a tense standoff; their swords were drawn, and their eyes were full of hostility as they stared at each other.

However, neither side made a move.

The Zhou Clan was now led by their ancestor, whose face was especially grim. What was supposed to be a guaranteed victory had spiralled into something else, and the situation was beginning to turn against them.

The Celestial Clan Ancestor glanced at the Empire's forces, then finally fixed his gaze on the Zhou Clan Ancestor."If the Zhou Clan withdraws now, my Celestial Clan will let the past go."

If the Zhou Clan were to withdraw, the Celestial Clan would gain a massive advantage over the Empire, especially since the Empire's ancestor soul had already perished, while the Celestial Clan Ancestor's soul remained intact.

In short, if the Zhou Clan withdrew, the Celestial Clan would surely win this war.

The expressions of the Empire's experts changed drastically. They all turned to the Zhou Clan's ancestor, and their eyes were filled with unease.

Yet, the Zhou Clan's ancestor burst out laughing. "I admit, our Zhou Clan took a risk by choosing sides so hastily. But so what? Win or lose, we stand tall.

"Let me make this clear, our Zhou Clan will not switch sides and become shameless cowards. Today, we live and die with the Empire. If you guys have the guts, come try and wipe us out."

The Empire cultivators breathed a collective sigh of relief, and then they turned to the Celestial Clan's cultivators with blazing fury in their eyes.

Even the Celestial Clan Ancestor was a little surprised.

"Hahaha,all right. Then let's fight."

There was no longer any middle ground. One side had to die.

The Zhou Clan Ancestor said, "But even if we fight to the death, what's the point? In the end, the result will still come down to Ye Guan and the Great Daoist Brush Master, won't it?"

The Celestial Clan's ancestor fell silent.

The Zhou Clan Ancestor smiled. "They should be deciding the outcome very soon. Shall we wait?"

The Celestial Clan Ancestor looked up at the sky and replied, "Then let's wait."

Just as the Zhou Clan Ancestor had said, no matter how fiercely they fought here, it'd be meaningless. Everything would be decided by the Great Daoist Brush Master and Ye Guan.

Who would win between the two?

The Celestial Clan Ancestor stared into the distant sky, saying nothing. Even he wasn't sure. Whether it was Ye Guan or the Great Daoist Brush Master, none of the people present could contend with them. Even he could not fully perceive just how strong they were anymore.

Just then, Tian Yan walked over with Tian Lian and stood beside the Celestial Clan Ancestor. He said quietly, "Ancestor, she's Tian Lian, the clan leader's... wife."

Tian Lian froze slightly and turned toward Tian Yan in astonishment.

The Celestial Clan's ancestor glanced at Tian Lian but said nothing. He knew very well that the relationship between Ye Guan and Tian Lian had been more of a convenient alliance than a true romance.

Tian Yan hesitated for a moment before continuing, "Ancestor, if the clan leader wins, I hope he and Tian Lian can give the Celestial Clan."

"Elder!" Tian Lian suddenly raised her head and looked at Tian Yan, her face turning pale.

Tian Yan didn't dare meet her eyes. He sighed softly and said, "Child, I know. No one likes to be forced, and I don't want to do this either. But you should understand that this is the best possible path for the Celestial Clan."

The Celestial Clan Ancestor shook his head. "You're wrong."

Tian Yan looked at him in surprise. The Celestial Clan's ancestor explained, "Young Master Ye associates with our Celestial Clan out of sincerity and respect. If we start scheming now, it'll only harm us rather than benefit us.

"Moreover, our Celestial Clan ought to stand proudly under the heavens. We should act with honour and integrity. How can we sacrifice a daughter of our clan to pursue profit? If they share mutual affection, then that's a blessing. But if there is no love between them, let them remain friends."

He turned to Tian Lian, his gaze firm but kind as he said, "Remember to follow your heart. If you like him, then like him. If you don't like him, then don't. The Celestial Clan does not need a woman to sacrifice herself for our sake. And if that day ever comes, then the Celestial Clan is not worth keeping."

Tian Lian bowed deeply. "Understood."

All the younger members of the Celestial Clan also bowed in unison, their expressions filled with reverence.

A complex look flickered in Tian Yan's eyes.My vision was... too narrow.

The Celestial Clan Ancestor looked up towards the heavens, a trace of worry appearing in his gaze.

***

About fifteen minutes later, Ye Guan and the Great Daoist Brush Master arrived at the Transcendent Divine Mine. Terrifying streams of spiritual energy were pouring out from deep within the mine. The energy had become so dense it was almost tangible, swirling through the air and blanketing the entire sky.

Seeing this, the Great Daoist Brush Master's expression turned extremely grim. "He's breaking the seal... Let's go!"

He strode forward a few steps but then abruptly stopped. Turning to look at Ye Guan, he narrowed his eyes. "You're not going to pull some dirty trick on me, are you?"

Ye Guan replied calmly, "Shouldn't I be the one asking you that?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master let out a cold chuckle and said nothing more before continuing toward the depths of the mine.

Ye Guan glanced at the back of his head, then silently followed.

Soon, the two of them descended deeper along a wide passageway. Before long, they noticed the walls around them had turned an eerie blood-red, and blood was seeping through the cracks. The floor beneath them had become a flowing river of blood.

Both of them frowned.

Fifteen minutes later, they finally arrived at a massive blood-red gate. From behind it emanated waves of wicked, terrifying aura filled with hatred and malevolence so intense it sent chills down their spines.

Even Ye Guan, despite having the Mad Demon Bloodline, found it hard to endure the overwhelming surge of resentment and killing intent radiating from beyond the gate. The hatred was simply too powerful.

Just how long has this mysterious figure been sealed away?

The Great Daoist Brush Master stepped up to the blood gate and examined it. His brows immediately knit together as he mumbled, "Secret seals... the Mi Clan's techniques..."

Ye Guan looked at him. "The Mi Clan?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master replied coldly, "Aren't you supposed to be clever? Go on, guess."

Ye Guan was speechless.

The Great Daoist Brush Master extended a finger and waved it at the blood-red gate. In an instant, the gate began to tremble, and moments later, it slowly creaked open from both sides. As it did, a torrent of malevolent resentment and murderous intent surged forth like a tidal wave.

Ye Guan swept his sleeve, channeling his bloodline power. He absorbed all the oncoming hatred and rage at once.

The Great Daoist Brush Master did not make a move, yet the sinister aura was unable to approach him.

The two of them stepped through the gate. Just as they entered, a massive statue of Buddha appeared in their view. The statue stood over a hundred feet tall, carved from solid stone, hands pressed together in solemn prayer, its expression dignified and serene.

Beneath the statue sat a man in a black robe, and a massive "卍" was engraved on the floor beneath him.

Floating in front of him was a faint soul projection. It was the remnant spirit of Ji Zhan.

Clearly, the man seated beneath the Buddha statue was his true body.

The Great Daoist Brush Master narrowed his eyes as he stared at the statue. "A Living Buddha of the Mi Clan... Impossible..."

Ye Guan turned to glance at him. The Great Daoist Brush Master glanced back at him and said, "What? Do you want to know more? Beg me. Beg me, and I'll tell."

Ye Guan cut him off, asking, "Can they beat my aunt?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master was at a loss for words.

In the distance, the soul projection suddenly turned to look at the two of them and chuckled. "Trying to stop me? Utterly laughable. Ridiculous!"

Then, his gaze shifted to the Great Daoist Brush Master. "I must admit, you're quite knowledgeable, even knowing of the Mi Clan's Living Buddha... But what does knowledge matter when you're still as weak as a dog?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master pointed at the man. "Who are you calling weak, huh?!"

The soul projection sneered, "You're all bark and no bite."

Enraged, the Great Daoist Brush Master threw a punch at the soul projection, but before his attack could even get close, the projection vanished into thin air.

The Great Daoist Brush Master froze.

The projection sneered, "Useless trash!"

Ye Guan's expression grew grim. Something was clearly wrong. He noticed that the "卍" beneath the black-robed man was dimming. He was about to break free.

Ye Guan clenched the intent sword tightly in his right hand, ready to strike. However, before he could, the projection suddenly burst into thunderous laughter that shook the air.

At the same time, the Great Daoist Brush Master's face darkened.

A terrifying aura suddenly surged from the black-robed man's body. Just that one burst of aura alone immediately crushed down on Ye Guan and the Great Daoist Brush Master, making it nearly impossible to breathe.

The two of them were instantly suppressed!

Even if he were at his peak, he probably wouldn't be able to defeat the man based on his aura alone.

The Great Daoist Brush Master suddenly began backing away. He was trying to run!

The next moment, that powerful aura locked onto him.

The projection looked at him and grinned, "Trying to run now? Are you stupid or just slow? What were you thinking?"

The black-robed man's aura continued to intensify. He was moments away from breaking free.

The Great Daoist Brush Master suddenly turned towards Ye Guan. "Call for backup. Now!"

Ye Guan frowned deeply.

The Great Daoist Brush Master urged him, "Call someone! If you call for help, it won't count as losing. Just do it, quickly!"

Ye Guan shook his head. "No."

The Great Daoist Brush Master grew agitated. "Damn it! I already said I wouldn't count it as your loss. That bastard is about to break the seal. Once he does, we're both going to die."

Ye Guan looked at the black-robed man in the distance. "I'm not calling anyone."

The Great Daoist Brush Master glared at him, frustrated. "I already told you, if you call for backup, you're not going to lose. Do you not understand what I'm saying?"

Ye Guan shook his head once more.

In the distance, the black-robed man suddenly moved.

The Great Daoist Brush Master's heart skipped a beat. He looked at Ye Guan again, his voice rising in panic. "Seriously? You're still being stubborn at a time like this? Just call your grandfather, your aunt, or your father. I don't care!

"Just call someone, dude! Hurry the hell up!"

Ye Guan kept his eyes on the black-robed man. "I want to rely on myself."

"Fuck!" The Great Daoist Brush Master bellowed, "You're insane!"