I Have A Sword

Yuan Zhen and Qin Lian looked visibly shaken, and their faces were pale with disbelief.

The Great Daoist Brush Master smiled. "Your concealment techniques are indeed impressive, but to me, they're nothing more than child's play."

Yuan Zhen spoke in a low voice, "Sir... could you give us some time to reconsider?"

"Of course." The Great Daoist Brush Master chuckled. "Don't worry, I'm not the type to force anyone. If you truly don't wish to agree, that's fine. But I can tell you this—with my help, her future achievements will be beyond anything you can imagine."

The two fell silent.

***

Ye Guan looked down at the jade pendant in his hand. The Boundary of Truth and Illusion!

He was quiet for a while. Then, he turned toward the dark forest ahead. The place was deathly still; there were no signs of movement whatsoever.

Ye Guan frowned slightly with worry.

Just then, a thunderous roar erupted from within the forest.

Boom!

The forest trembled violently and erupted into flames. Towering firestorms soared into the sky, lighting up the surroundings in a blinding blaze.

Hundreds of Ancient God Soldiers slowly emerged from the inferno. Their bodies glowed with a mix of golden light and fiery energy.

They marched in perfect formation to stand before Ye Guan. The lead soldier stepped forward and handed him a storage ring.

Ye Guan was stunned.

Inside the ring were hundreds of thousands of True Spirit Crystals and more than a dozen Immortal artifacts. Had they ended up robbing that god?

Gu Pan suddenly said, "Looks like these gods are significantly weakened due to the seal."

"That's to be expected." Ye Guan nodded. He picked up the storage ring and laughed. He hadn't expected these soldiers to be so... proactive.

If he took them around, how many treasures could they collect? Tempting as that thought was, Ye Guan quickly dismissed it.I have more important things to do. Time to go to the Ancient God Capital.

He turned to the soldier at the helm and said. "Let's go."

The soldier bowed and waved his hand. The soldiers behind him parted to clear a path.

Ye Guan glanced at the Ancient God Soldiers around him. Then, he and Gu Pan walked toward the forest that had just been engulfed in flames. They came upon an ancient tomb that had a faint, powerful energy radiating from within.

A god.Ye Guan could sense that the being inside was watching him as well. He looked away and continued on with the soldiers.

With the Ancient God Soldiers escorting them, Ye Guan and Gu Pan's journey north became smooth.

While these soldiers weren't the most powerful beings in this world, the few gods capable of defeating them were all sealed away. Ironically, that made the soldiers one of the most untouchable forces here.

Three days later, Ye Guan and Gu Pan crossed a huge river and finally saw their destination—the Ancient God Capital.

Perched atop a vast plateau, the city loomed in the distance. Though partially in ruins with collapsed walls and crumbling towers, its sheer scale still radiated grandeur.

Colossal statues hundreds of meters tall stood over the broken walls. Of course, the majority of them were damaged.

Surrounding the city were shattered remnants of ancient structures. Off to the right, thousands of meters away, lay a massive abyss that was deep, dark, and unfathomable.

Gu Pan looked out and said, "The battle back then... must've been brutal."

Ye Guan nodded.

Led by the soldiers, they approached the city. As they drew nearer, they were struck by an overwhelming force.

Imperial Aura...

Ye Guan and Gu Pan exchanged a glance, both their expressions solemn.

The aura was oppressive, majestic, and heavy, carrying an almost divine authority that made one want to kneel instinctively.

When the aura touched them, it cleared a path for them almost immediately.

Clearly, this was thanks to the Ancient God Soldiers.

Soon, they arrived before the city's main gate. It was destroyed, and remnants of the gate were strewn across the path. Ancient runes could still be faintly seen on the scattered debris.

The soldiers suddenly stopped. They carefully picked up the broken gate and placed it neatly to the side. Then, they returned to Ye Guan and Gu Pan's sides to continue escorting them.

Inside the city, silence reigned. Ruins and debris filled every corner, and there were only a few grand towers that hinted at the glory this place once held.

The Ancient God Nation.Ye Guan and Gu Pan both felt a deep sense of awe. It wasn't hard to imagine how magnificent the nation had once been. Now, all that remained was desolation.

The wide streets were eerily empty.

The deeper they ventured, the stronger the Imperial Aura became. Without the Ancient God Soldiers, they wouldn't be able to withstand it.

Eventually, the soldiers came to a stop.

Before them was a massive stone staircase that was over a thousand meters wide and several hundred meters tall. It led up to a resplendent golden palace at the top.

The soldiers all knelt in unison. The soldier at the helm gave Ye Guan a deep bow, and then he made a welcoming gesture.

Ye Guan nodded and began walking up the stairs. After just a few steps, he stopped and turned back toward Gu Pan.

Gu Pan was unmoving.

Gu Pan smiled. "They invited you, not me..."

Ye Guan laughed. "Don't be like that. Come with me."

Gu Pan raised an eyebrow. "You sure?"

Ye Guan grinned. "Aren't you curious to see the Emperor of the Ancient God Nation?"

"Of course, I'm curious. Someone like that is worth meeting. But this is your opportunity..."

"No need to overthink it. Let's go."

Seeing that Ye Guan was serious, Gu Pan obliged and followed him up.

As they climbed the steps, Gu Pan asked, "Ye Guan, what will you do once you've defeated the Great Daoist Brush Master?"

Ye Guan smiled. "I'll establish Order. He'll help me build it."

Gu Pan asked, "And if you lose?"

Ye Guan calmly answered, "Then I'll cry and become the unbeatable King of Relying on Others."

"King of Relying on Others?"

"No joke. If I really go down that path, I could probably sweep through the Boundary of Truth and Illusion. Actually, no, I could sweep through everything!"

Gu Pan was speechless.

Ye Guan laughed. "Just thinking about that feels pretty damn good."

Gu Pan replied, "Honestly, relying on others is still a form of strength."

Ye Guan looked at him.

Gu Pan explained, "But true strength is always your own. When you have it yourself, you won't have to beg anyone for help. That's the only way to live with dignity."

Ye Guan nodded. "Couldn't agree more."

Just as they reached the palace, a white-robed elder silently appeared in front of them.

Ye Guan immediately noticed that this wasn't the elder's real body; it was just an avatar.

The old man gazed at Ye Guan for a moment.

"Young Master, please follow me." He turned and walked toward the palace. When he reached the doors, they slowly opened on their own.

Ye Guan and Gu Pan followed him inside.

The grand hall was vast, and there were tens of thousands of stone pillars that lined its interior. Each was carved with ancient runes and was at least ten meters wide.

The hall stretched on and on. At its far end, they could see a throne. Before it, a crystal coffin lay. Ye Guan's eyes were instantly drawn to the coffin.

Gu Pan curiously glanced around, clearly intrigued by everything.

The white-robed elder led them to the coffin, bowed deeply before it, and then he turned to Ye Guan.

Ye Guan looked at him. "Senior, is that the Emperor?"

The elder shook his head. "No."

Ye Guan was puzzled.

The elder simply said, "Please, take a closer look."

Ye Guan stepped forward. The lid of the coffin slowly opened, revealing a woman in a flowing white dress; her beauty was beyond description, and she appeared to be reminiscent of a flawless jade sculpture.

Ye Guan turned back to the elder, looking even more confused.

The white-robed elder looked at him and said, "The Emperor already knows you're here. He also knows why you've come here. And he's willing to help you."

Ye Guan narrowed his eyes. "Why?"

The elder replied, "The three of you are all exceptional and unique in your own ways. The young man next to you has a Great Dao unlike any other in this world, and his talent is no less than the Emperor in his prime."

Then, he turned to Gu Pan and said, "His Majesty said that your technique, Starry Rulebreaker, is quite impressive. He believes it to be the strongest combat art beneath the level of the gods."

Gu Pan said calmly, "I have stronger ones."

The elder nodded and looked at Ye Guan again. "As for the man in Daoist robes... he is extraordinary as well. His Dao is beyond the Dao, and the laws he wields go beyond the understanding of both this world and the Boundary of Truth and Illusion."

"And you..."

He paused for a moment before continuing, "You're incredibly gifted. A true anomaly. But... you weren't His Majesty's first choice."

Ye Guan asked, "Was his first choice the Great Daoist Brush Master?"

The elder nodded. "But in the end, His Majesty gave up on him."

"Why?"

The elder answered, "Because you walk the Order Dao."

Ye Guan's confusion only deepened.

The elder smiled. "Do you remember what you did in Yuan Village?"

"What did I do?"

"You dug a well."

Ye Guan froze.

The elder stared at him. "Someone who respects the lives of mortals... will never sacrifice the masses. He would never offer them up—"

He stopped mid-sentence.

Ye Guan was completely lost.

The elder turned toward the crystal coffin. "Young Master, her identity is special. During the great war a long time ago, His Majesty sealed her himself, preserving her life by halting the passage of time."

"His Majesty is willing to give you all of the Ancient God Nation's Emperor Artifacts, treasures... everything, and even the Supreme weapon. He asks only one thing in return—protect her and never let any harm come to her."

"Senior... I can't just casually give you an answer. I don't know if this girl carries... any heavy karma," replied Ye Guan.

The elder looked him in the eyes. "She does. Karma heavier than the heavens."

Ye Guan fell silent.

The elder added, "Our Ancient God Nation holds sixteen Emperor Artifacts, ninety thousand Immortal Weapons, and over a billion True Spirit Crystals..."

Ye Guan suddenly interrupted, "This karma, I—no,wewill bear it."

"Huh?" Gu Pan blinked. "We? Me, too?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Yeah."

Gu Pan was dumbfounded.