I Have A Sword

Zong Xin said, "That's part of the reason."

Ye Guan asked, "Can you elaborate?"

"Well, in addition to those fake gods, there's another kind of god, and they are called fate gods. A fate god is someone who becomes a god through their own efforts, without relying on the Divine Will.

"Of course, in the eyes of the Divine Will, they are heretics."

"Heretics?"

"If you submit, you'll be titled a Divine Lord. But if you refuse to submit, then you're labeled a heretic. I'm a heretic. At first, I kept running away, and they couldn't do anything to me. Then, I had a moment of stupidity and entered this Divine Seal.

"If I really wanted to leave, I could do so any time. All I have to do is submit. Not only would I be free, but I'd instantly gain even greater power..."

"But you'd lose yourself, right?"

"Yes. Once you accept another will, a 'divine seed' will take root in your heart. For some, that might be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, but for someone like me, it's completely unnecessary."

"I understand."

"So you want to fight against those 'gods' outside?"

"Yes. Senior, do you have any suggestions?"

"You're strong, but forgive me for being blunt. Your strength hasn't yet reached the level of a 'god.' With so many of them out there, you'll need reinforcements if you want to win."

"Reinforcements?"

"Yes."

"Where do I find them?"

"The Heretic Region."

"Please explain what kind of place that is, Senior."

"The Heretic Region is a place I once stayed at. It's home to beings like me, heretics. You might be able to borrow some powerful allies from them to help you fight this war."

"Will they help me?"

"That depends on the terms you offer to them."

Ye Guan fell into contemplation.

Zong Xin said nothing more, waiting for Ye Guan to decide.

After a moment of silence, Ye Guan asked, "What would they want in exchange?"

Zong Xin replied, "I don't know. I can only take you there. As for how you'll persuade them, that's up to you."

Ye Guan smiled. "Senior, do you think I'll be able to persuade them?"

"If you want to persuade them, you need to understand this one thing—If you want to gain something, you have to be prepared to pay the price for it."

Ye Guan fell silent. He knew full well that Zong Xin had other ulterior motives. He was about to be dragged into another storm, but he knew that he had no choice. The seals holding back those 'gods' were about to break.

Once the seals were no more, there was no way they could defeat those gods. Unless... he submitted to the Divine Will.

After a short while, Ye Guan smiled. "Then, let's have a talk with them."

Zong Xin said, "That place is extremely far from here. I can only use a secret technique to forcefully transport you there, but you can't stay there for a long time.

"You only have two hours. If you don't return by then, your soul will suffer serious damage and possibly even perish. Keep that in mind."

Ye Guan asked, "Senior, do they still respect your name over there?"

Zong Xin smiled. "A little, but it's been a very long time since I showed up. Out of sight, out of mind, you know how it is."

Ye Guan nodded. "Got it."

Zong Xin asked, "Are you ready?"

"Yes," Ye Guan replied. As soon as the words left his mouth, a teleportation array suddenly appeared beneath his feet. In the blink of an eye, he felt himself becoming weightless and illusory.

Soon afterward, he felt as if he was being torn apart by ten thousand horses pulling him in different directions. He realized that he was traveling across immense distances in the blink of an eye. Hence, he released his Invincible Sword Intent to shield himself.

An unknown amount of time later, the sensation of being ripped apart faded.

Opening his eyes, Ye Guan found himself stationary. His head felt heavy and groggy, making it hard to see clearly. He shook his head forcefully to clear the dizziness away.

When he looked up, he saw an enormous mansion standing before him. The surroundings were dim and stifling; the atmosphere was heavy and oppressive.

Ye Guan's eyes fell on the massive mansion and saw two large characters written above the gates, saying, "Heretic Mansion."

It was dead silent. He paused for a moment before walking toward the mansion. As he neared, a mysterious divine sense locked onto him.

He stopped and stared at the mansion ahead, declaring, "I am Ye Guan, and I'm from the Ancient Ruins. I'd like to speak with those inside."

"Outsider!" A cold, detached void echoed from deep within the mansion. "How do you know of this place?"

Ye Guan replied, "Senior Zong Xin told me about it."

"Zong Xin?" There was a hint of surprise in the voice. "He's still alive?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Yes."

After a moment of silence, the voice said, "Come in."

The mansion's large doors slowly opened. Inside, however, was a void. Nothing could be seen, only a terrifying emptiness.

Without hesitation, he stepped inside.

A wide path appeared beneath his feet. Towering stone pillars were around the path, and each of them was inscribed with crimson talismans. There were nearly a hundred of them looming in silence.

He withdrew his gaze from the sides and looked ahead. There was a crimson chair in the distance.

Suddenly, a middle-aged man dressed in red robes appeared on the chair. He stared intently at Ye Guan, and his eyes exerted an invisible pressure.

Ye Guan walked up to the man, and their eyes met, but Ye Guan remained calm.

The red-robed man asked, "Why have you come here?"

Ye Guan replied bluntly, "To ask for reinforcements. I want to borrow a group of experts from your region. Whatever conditions you have, state them."

He believed in being straightforward. Since he was already here, he assumed Zong Xin had to have informed them ahead of time. It would be great if they could come to an agreement, but if not, then there was nothing he could do.

If all else failed, he could always resort to dirty tricks against the Great Daoist Brush Master.

Gu Pan was right. Against someone like the Great Daoist Brush Master, morality and righteousness were irrelevant.

The red-robed man opened his palm, and a golden ancient book floated over to Ye Guan. Fixing his gaze on Ye Guan, he said, "Young Master Ye, since you're a straightforward man, I won't bother beating around the bush either.

"The Heretic Mansion has only one request. You have to drip your blood onto this book and swear an oath. You must swear to dedicate your life to overthrowing the Divine Will."

Ye Guan frowned slightly. "That's all?"

The red-robed man nodded. "That's all."

Ye Guan fell silent, hesitating.

The red-robed man continued, "To be honest, Young Master Ye, we are all heretics. We are willing to be your allies, but only if you are one of us. If we are the same kind of people, then your battle becomes our battle.

"I have eighteen gods ready to mobilize. If you agree, they'll leave with you immediately."

Ye Guan looked at him. He knew that these people were trying to drag him into their problems. Of course, that was completely fair. They didn't owe him anything, after all.

In fact, the fact that they were willing to make their conditions known was already a great show of their goodwill.

That was just how the world worked—give and take.

Moreover, Ye Guan cultivated Order Dao. The Divine Will was inherently in conflict with his Dao. His instincts told him that sooner or later, they were bound to clash. After all, his goal was to unify the vast expanse.

Ye Guan gave a small nod. He brought his fingers together and pointed at the book. One drop of his blood landed on the book. He said, "I, Ye Guan, swear that in this life, I will do everything in my power to overthrow the Divine Will."

Boom!

The golden book trembled violently, and a blinding golden light shot out of it, flying straight into the depths of the starry skies. In that instant, every hidden expert in the Heretic Mansion was dumbfounded.

Even the red-robed man stood frozen in place. After a long moment, he turned to look at Ye Guan, his voice trembling slightly. "Why is there such a commotion when you made that oath? Does that always happen to you? Anyway, let's get out of here quick. We cannot stay here any longer."