I Have A Sword

Faced with the terrifying pressure, Ye Guan remained completely still.

"Hmm?" That voice rang out again. This time, the pressure it carried surged forth like a tidal wave, threatening to crush Ye Guan where he stood. Yet, he showed no trace of fear. His palms slowly opened, and countless streams of sword intent burst forth.

Hum!

With a resonant sword hum, the sword intent soared into the skies, resisting the oppressive force.

"Insolence!" A roar echoed throughout the world of gold.

Ye Guan ignored it. He unleashed his sword intent with reckless abandon until he had pushed the overwhelming pressure away.

"How dare you!" The voice was now furious. A golden light suddenly descended from above, aiming to crush Ye Guan with unstoppable force.

A cold glint flashed in his eyes as he transformed into a sword light and shot into the sky, fiercely slashing towards the golden light.

Boom!

The golden light shattered into pieces, but Ye Guan was also thrown back by the tremendous force, and he slammed into the ground once more.

"Insolence!" The voice sounded utterly flustered and enraged. "How dare you show such disrespect to the Divine Will! You're beyond insolent!"

Ye Guan looked around the space and said, "You're not the spirit of the Divine Seal."

There was silence, and the silence only confirmed Ye Guan's suspicion.

"As long as you kneel, you will obtain the Divine Will..."

Ye Guan looked around coldly. "Dream on."

The voice fell silent for a long time.

Ye Guan took a few steps forward and said, "Do you know how I figured out that you're not the spirit of the Divine Seal?"

The voice asked, "Why?"

Ye Guan chuckled.

The voice erupted in rage. "You tricked me!"

Ye Guan laughed. "Let's talk."

The voice said nothing.

Ye Guan continued, "You were sealed here, weren't you?"

No response.

Ye Guan said, "If you were to fall into the hands of those gods from the Boundary of Truth and Illusion, what do you think your fate would be like?"

"Are you threatening me?"

"You and I have no grudge with each other. Why would I threaten you? What I'm saying is that we might be able to talk and maybe even work together."

After a moment of silence, the voice replied, "You're more cunning than that Gu Daotian."

"Senior Gu didn't know you weren't the Divine Seal's spirit?"

"Probably not."

"He probably knew. But back then, the Ancient God Nation was facing an existential crisis. He had no choice but to cooperate with you in exchange for greater power."

"So... what do you want to talk about?"

"Right now, I'm also facing those gods from the Boundary of Truth and Illusion. Do you have a way to help me fight them?"

"Kneel. As long as you kneel, you'll be able to gain power."

"If you help me, I'll help you escape when the time comes."

"You? Help me?"

Ye Guan didn't respond. He opened his palm, and the Qingxuan Sword appeared. At the moment, the Qingxuan Sword was sealed, making it no different from an ordinary sword.

However, Ye Guan knew that any true expert would still sense that it wasn't ordinary.

Sure enough, when the owner of the voice saw the Qingxuan Sword, they suddenly fell silent. It wasn't the sword itself that alarmed them, but the force sealing it. The power of the seal had surpassed their understanding.

It was a knowledge that transcended even the Boundary of Truth and Illusion.

It was an extraordinary seal. It was no wonder this kid refused to kneel. He had someone powerful backing him!

The voice asked, "Who is the one who sealed this sword?"

Ye Guan replied, "My father told me not to tell anyone that it was him."

The voice was speechless.

Ye Guan put away the Qingxuan Sword and said, "Senior, as you can see, even if I hadn't told you, you would have figured it out eventually. That's right, I'm one of those free-range kids.

"My father sealed my sword to toughen me up. He told me to rely on myself, and he also said that I should get out more and make some friends. You get it, right?"

The voice fell silent for a while. "Was it really your father?"

Ye Guan activated his Mad Demon Bloodline.

"If your father's that strong, how are you this weak?" asked the voice.

Ye Guan replied, "Well, that's the whole point of being a father, isn't it? If I were stronger than him, wouldn't that make me hisfather?"

After a brief silence, the mysterious voice replied, "Actually, I sensed your potential from the beginning. Telling you to kneel was just a test. As expected, you're extraordinary. I admire you, and I'm willing to be your friend!"

Little Pagoda sighed and lamented,"This world is so damned pragmatic."

Ye Guan ignored him and asked the voice, "Senior, may I ask for your name?'

"Zong Xin, but some call me the First King."

"The First King?"

"Yes, but that was a long time ago."

"Senior, how did you end up sealed in here?"

"A sin of my making. It was all because of my greed for greater power..."

"What do you mean?"

"When we seek power greater than what we can handle, we end up becoming slaves to that power."

"Are you referring to the Divine Will?"

"Yes."

"Senior, could you tell me more about it?"

"As its name suggests, it's a will. Do you know about those gods outside?"

"Yes. They come from the Boundary of Truth and Illusion."

"Back then, the strongest cultivators in the Boundary of Truth and Illusion could only reach the apex of the True Dao. Countless prodigies and geniuses wanted to go further, but none could break through the limit.

"Then, one day, a certain will appeared in the Boundary of Truth and Illusion—the Divine Will. From it, they comprehended a new power. After that, more and more gods appeared."

"By believing in this Divine Will, one could gain powerful strength?"

"Yes. By placing your faith in this Divine Will, you'll obtain a whole new kind of power, one that will help you break the shackles of your realm. And after becoming a god, if you want even greater power, you must plant a divine seed in your Dao Heart.

"That seed will allow you to draw even more power from the Divine Will."

"Senior, who or what is it exactly?"

"No one knows. What we do know is that it's merely a will, not a being."

Ye Guan frowned.

Zong Xin added, "In truth, those 'gods' outside were all created. This method allows a person to gain immense power in a short time, but in the end, they will all become slaves to the Will."

"Then why would they still choose that path?"

"Only someone like you, someone born into privilege, would ask that kind of question. It's like in the mortal world. Many people are so poor that they're willing to give up everything just for money, especially those who've experienced poverty.

"As long as you offer them money, they'll beg to become your slaves."

"Haven't you realized? We're the same as mortals. They seek money and are enslaved by it. Here, people seek power and are enslaved by power."

"Senior, even you don't know the owner of this Divine Seal?"

"I don't. When I first encountered this Divine Seal, it was by pure chance. Later, because of greed, I ventured into it, and I've never been able to leave since then."

Ye Guan asked with curiosity, "Senior, what exactly is keeping you trapped here?"

Zong Xin said, "A special kind of seal."

"How long have you been trapped here?"

"Not that long, just a few tens of millions of years. The reason those gods outside want this Divine Seal so badly is that it contains a vast amount of Divine Will.

"More importantly, the Divine Seal itself is a Supreme divine artifact. For those who believe in the Divine Will, this seal is practically tailor-made for them."

Ye Guan asked, "Senior, do you also believe in the Divine Will?"

Zong Xin replied, "I do not."

"Is that why you're trapped here?" Ye Guan asked.