I Have A Sword

The Great Daoist Brush Master was clearly surprised by the revelation. He hadn't expected the ruins of the Ancient God Nation to be located here, of all places.

This was a pleasant surprise, to say the least.

Back then, he had searched high and low for those ruins, yet came up empty-handed.

Hearing the Great Daoist Brush Master's words, Mi Fo glanced at Ye Guan, thought for a moment, and said, "Well, since fate brought us together... I'll send you both."

Ye Guan cupped his fists. "Much appreciated."

The Great Daoist Brush Master's face darkened immediately.

Mi Fo added, "Brother, the Ancient God Nation is long gone, but that place is still incredibly dangerous. In your current state... you must be extremely cautious."

The Great Daoist Brush Master replied calmly, "Don't worry. As long as I don't want to die, I won't die."

Ye Guan glanced at him but said nothing.

Mi Fo nodded slightly, put his palms together, and in the blink of an eye, Ye Guan and the Great Daoist Brush Master vanished along with Gu Pan.

Of course, Gu Pan wasn't in his real body.

Left all alone, Mi Fo murmured, "I hope these two can change your fate..."

He closed his eyes, and the Buddhist light faded as he reverted into a stone statue.

Silence returned to the world once more.

***

An unknown amount of time later, Ye Guan finally opened his eyes.

He found himself in a desolate wasteland.

The sky was dim, the atmosphere stifling.

The Great Daoist Brush Master and Gu Pan stood not far away from him..

Gu Pan looked a little confused; it was clear that he hadn't expected Mi Fo to teleport him along as well.

The Great Daoist Brush Master glanced at Ye Guan and Gu Pan, his thoughts unclear. Ye Guan, gripping his sword tightly, didn't speak and focused on healing.

From the beginning, he hadn't because he was still recovering. Now, he was about seventy percent healed, but it wasn't enough. He needed a full recovery if he wanted a real shot at killing the Great Daoist Brush Master.

The Great Daoist Brush Master scanned the surroundings until his gaze landed on something in the distance. In the distance, there was a well wrapped in a thick iron chain as thick as a pillar.

The chains had disappeared into the well's abyss-like opening.

The three of them approached the well. Up close, they realized that it was massive. Dozens of meters wide, it was shaped like an octagon. That giant iron chain coiled tightly around it, and beside it stood a stone stele, engraved with three ancient characters.

The Great Daoist Brush Master glanced at the inscription and flinched, but his face remained calm.

Ye Guan looked at the stele too, but couldn't understand it, as it was a script from a civilization he had never seen.

He turned toward the Great Daoist Brush Master, who remained expressionless.

Ye Guan looked away.You don't move, I don't move.

Though he wasn't weak, Ye Guan knew this place was extremely strange. He had to stay vigilant; any slip-up could cost his life.

Meanwhile, Gu Pan walked straight to the edge of the well. As he leaned over to peer inside, his pupils suddenly shrank. Just as he tried to back away, a hand shot out from the well and clamped around his throat, attempting to drag him down.

Gu Pan's expression changed drastically. He clutched the edge of the well and frantically gathered energy to resist.

Ye Guan and the Great Daoist Brush Master didn't look the least bit surprised.

The Great Daoist Brush Master suddenly said, "If we join forces now, we can take him out."

Ye Guan turned to him, eyes wide in disbelief. "Great Daoist Brush Master, how shameless can you be? Taking advantage of someone when they're down? I don't do that kind of thing."

He spoke loud and clear. Gu Pan, still struggling at the well, heard every word.

The Great Daoist Brush Master was speechless.

"Ahhh!" Gu Pan suddenly roared in fury. His fists clenched, and he smashed the well.

Boom!

A thunderous bang echoed as Gu Pan broke free from the hand and stumbled backward. The hand lunged after him, but just then, the iron chain vibrated violently and yanked the hand back down into the well.

A furious, unwilling roar echoed from within as the ground trembled.

A terrifying aura surged from the well, but the iron chain locked it down tight. Still, the pressure radiating from within was oppressive even from a distance.

Ye Guan's expression turned serious.What kind of monster is sealed in there...?

The Great Daoist Brush Master stared at the ancient well, silent.

Gu Pan's face was twisted with fury as he glared at the well. "Outrageous! Absolutely outrageous!"

He was fuming. If his true body weren't sealed, he wouldn't suffer such a humiliation! Suddenly, he turned his gaze to the Great Daoist Brush Master with eyes full of killing intent.

Ye Guan saw that and got excited.Yes! Fight! Start fighting already!

The Great Daoist Brush Master calmly said, "Idiot. He's trying to sow discord between us. Don't fall for it."

Gu Pan shot him a cold look, and then he turned to Ye Guan. "Both of you are up to no good."

Ye Guan suddenly asked, "Great Daoist Dog, do you know what that well is?"

"Watch your mouth!" the Great Daoist Brush Master snapped. "Do you not have any manners at all?"

Gu Pan suddenly chimed in, "Honestly, I think calling you a mutt is enough. You're worse than a dog."

The Great Daoist Brush Master glared at him. "Just wait. I'll deal with you sooner or later."

Gu Pan sneered. "You? Please."

The Great Daoist Brush Master shot him a look, and then he turned back to the well. There was a surging aura inside, and the chains were trembling slightly.

He walked up to it and peered down. Moments later, he backed away slightly and muttered, "The Divine Locking Chain..."

"Who's there?!" A voice suddenly rang out from the well. "Who are you? How do you know the Divine Locking Chain?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master narrowed his eyes. "Why is the Divine Locking Chain here?"

The voice inside grew agitated. "Who the hell are you?! Are you one of them?Argh!"

The chain shuddered violently again. Waves of powerful energy surged upward, but an unseen force kept everything contained.

The Great Daoist Brush Master blandly asked, "Ever heard of the Great Daoist Brush Master?"

"Nope!" the voice answered. "What kind of crappy name is that?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master's face darkened. "No wonder you're locked up."

With that, he turned and walked away.

Ye Guan looked at the well with some regret.If only I could use the Qingxuan Sword, I could have had another powerful ally.Nothing can stop that sword, not even the strongest seals.

Gu Pan gave the well one last cold glance and left.

Inside the well, the imprisoned voice grew frantic. "Hey! Who are you? Are you with them or not?!"

The Great Daoist Brush Master didn't even look back.

Soon, mad howls echoed from within the well.

In the distance, the Great Daoist Brush Master walked ahead. Gu Pan was to his left, and Ye Guan was to his right. None of them spoke, of course.

There was plenty of hostility between them, but no one made a move because none of them could afford to do so.

Still, all three were confident.

Once I get my strength back, these two are toast,thought the Great Daoist Brush Master.

Once I'm unsealed, these two will become mere insects,Gu Pan thought.

Once I call my father, you two can only go ahead and reincarnate,Ye Guan thought.

After walking for a while, the Great Daoist Brush Master suddenly laughed. "Hey, stubborn mule, curious about the Ancient God Nation and that chain?"

Ye Guan calmly replied, "Not really."

The Great Daoist Brush Master laughed louder. "Come on, I'll tell you for free. Want to know where the Divine Locking Chain came from?"

Ye Guan didn't respond.

The Great Daoist Brush Master continued, "It came from the Boundary of Truth and Illusion."

Ye Guan's brow furrowed.

The Great Daoist Brush Master noticed that reaction and grinned. "Starting to get curious now, aren't you? Hahaha.."

Ye Guan asked, "Is it supposed to be impressive?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master said, "That chain could probably kill you with ease."

Ye Guan replied, "Is it stronger than my aunt?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master was speechless.

Gu Pan suddenly asked, "Your aunt's really that impressive?"

Ye Guan looked at him. "She could easily smack down this Daoist Dog."

"That's not impressive at all." Gu Pan snorted.

The Great Daoist Brush Master had no idea what to say.

Ye Guan looked ahead. Off in the distance, a wide river came into view. It was hundreds of meters across, stretching endlessly in both directions. He frowned. His divine sense couldn't even approach it.

The Great Daoist Brush Master whispered, "That's the legendary Great Dao River... What exactly happened to the Ancient God Nation...?"

Gu Pan was curious, but he didn't ask.

Ye Guan didn't ask either.

No one wanted to be the first to look like they were ignorant.

The Great Daoist Brush Master glanced at the two of them.

"You know what the Great Dao River is?"

Neither of them said a word.

"Kekeke." He let out a cold laugh. "Don't even know the Great Dao River? What a couple of uncultured hicks."

Gu Pan's face instantly darkened.

Ye Guan suddenly asked, "So this Great Dao River... is it supposed to be crazy impressive or something?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master grinned. "It's a river that contains 3,600 Great Daos. Each one has been cultivated to the absolute limit, at least to the ninth level of the True Dao. The ninth level... Right now, even with your faith power and bloodlines combined, you're barely at the fifth level.

"However, every single Great Dao in that river is at level nine."

Then, he mocked, "Have you finally realized just how weak you are? How—"

Ye Guan interrupted, "It'sthatamazing,huh?Is it stronger than Grandfather?"

"Fuck off!" The Great Daoist Brush Master completely blew his top.