Chapter 1033: Extremely Weak

Upon seeing the Unfettered Swordsman, Ye Guan immediately said, "Hello, Uncle."

The Unfettered Swordsman glanced at Ye Guan and smiled. "Your sword intent has become more refined."

Ye Guan quickly replied, "It's still far from enough. I need to work even harder."

The Unfettered Swordsman nodded slightly, "But you're still very weak."

Just as the Unfettered Swordsman was about to speak further, Shi Yue suddenly interrupted with a laugh, "

Pfft!

So, you're Ye Guan's backers?"

The Unfettered Swordsman turned to look at Shi Yue. "And you must be the one who claimed to be invincible?"

"

Haha!

"

Shi Yue chuckled, "That's right. So what?"

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

His eyes were filled with provocation.

The Unfettered Swordsman gave Shi Yue a brief once-over, and disappointment flashed in his eyes as he sighed softly. "You're this weak, yet you dare claim to be invincible? Have you lost your mind?"

A deafening silence pervaded the place.

Next to Ye Guan, Jing Chu gazed at the Unfettered Swordsman, and her expression was more serious than ever. She couldn't sense the Unfettered Swordsman's cultivation base, but her instincts screamed that he was dangerous.

Jing Chu took a deep breath, forcibly calming the terror rising within her. As she did so, a powerful martial intent surged from her, enveloping her.

As a Martial God, Jing Chu would only grow stronger when confronted with powerful foes. One ought to respect the strong, but one had to be fearless before them!

The martial intent around Jing Chu intensified, growing more formidable by the second.

The Unfettered Swordsman turned and looked at her. A hint of surprise flickered in his gaze as he remarked, "You... You're a good one, little girl."

Jing Chu opened her eyes and looked straight at him. "I dare ask for your guidance, Senior."

Jing Chu's martial intent exploded once again, rising to terrifying heights.

The Unfettered Swordsman's eyes gleamed with interest. He glanced at Ye Guan. Since Jing Chu was standing next to Ye Guan, he realized they were on the same side.

"All right," replied the Unfettered Swordsman. He was willing to teach her a thing or two.

"Wait!" Shi Yue exclaimed. "Didn't you say that I'm weak?

Hahaha,

come, let's have a go first."

He clenched his fists, and a terrifying aura gathered between heaven and earth. The stone armor on his figure came to life, bursting with fearsome energy that merged with him. The starry skies churned amidst his display of power.

However, the Unfettered Swordsman shook his head. "You're far too weak."

The words echoed like thunder, and the surroundings fell into a deathly silence.

Moments later, everyone erupted into laughter. Those from the Giant Clan especially doubled over, unable to contain themselves.

Even the High Priest chuckled as he glanced at Ye Guan. "Your uncle is rather amusing."

Ye Guan shot him a cold look but remained silent.

In the distance, Shi Yue's laughter gradually died down. He stared at the Unfettered Swordsman and sounded incredulous as he asked, "You really think I'm weak?"

The Unfettered Swordsman thought for a moment and replied, "Extremely weak."

The smile on Shi Yue's face stiffened. He glanced at the sword in the Unfettered Swordsman's hand, and then he pointed at his own chest, grinning. "Go ahead, I'll give you three strikes."

The Unfettered Swordsman gave Shi Yue one final look before drawing his sword.

In the blink of an eye, Shi Yue's head flew from his shoulders. Blood sprayed into the air like a fountain, soaring dozens of meters high.

He had been instantly killed. As his head soared through the air, Shi Yue's eyes bulged, frozen in disbelief.

All laughter ceased, and an eerie silence fell, so complete that one could hear a pin drop.

The Unfettered Swordsman shook his head, clearly unimpressed.

Far too weak.. he was deeply disappointed!

Not far away, the High Priest's smile faded bit by bit as he watched Shi Yue's instantaneous death. Still, he quickly regained his composure, not showing any signs of fear.

After all, he had a backer.

"

Hahaha.

" The High Priest laughed. He turned to Ye Guan and said, "I underestimated you. It seems your uncle does have some strength."

The Unfettered Swordsman turned to face the High Priest, and with just a glance, he shook his head once more, saying, "You're too weak as well."

The High Priest was unfazed as he stared at the Unfettered Swordsman. "May I ask your name?"

The Unfettered Swordsman considered for a moment before saying, "This young man is my junior. How about you give me some face and have your men withdraw from here?"

"

Hahaha.

" The High Priest chuckled. "If I refuse?"

The Unfettered Swordsman's eyes turned cold. "Then, I'll do this."

With that, he unsheathed his sword once more.

Schwing!

The heads of the one hundred thousand experts behind the High Priest took to the sky, and the pillars of blood that burst out of their headless stumps painted the starry skies in a crimson hue before raining down on everyone.

The Chaotic Ancient Clan members were left utterly stunned. They were rooted to the spot like statues of clay.

Even Ye Guan was rendered speechless.

He hadn't expected his uncle to be so merciless.

In his memories, his uncle had always been a kind soul. He was the least violent among his relatives, only sparring without taking lives. However, it seemed that Shi Yue and the High Priest had truly angered him.

The High Priest's expression finally distorted in fear.

Killing Shi Yue in a single strike was one thing, but to wipe out over a hundred thousand elites with a single slash—that was a different story.

Those weren't just any elites; they were from a Tier Five civilization. For someone to massacre them like ants... only someone from a Tier Six civilization could do that!

The High Priest took a deep breath and pulled out a black token. "Sir, I am an emissary of the Devourer Civilization."

The Devourer Civilization was his ultimate trump card.

Ye Guan's brow furrowed.

Was that truly a Tier Six civilization?

The Unfettered Swordsman shook his head. "Never heard of it."

The High Priest's brows knit together. "Impossible. With your level of strength, how could you have never heard of the Devourer Civilization?"

The Unfettered Swordsman ignored the question and turned to Ye Guan, asking, "Shall I deal with him, or would you like to handle it yourself?"

Ye Guan immediately cupped his fist in respect. "Uncle, I'll have to trouble you."

The Unfettered Swordsman smiled and turned back to the High Priest. Realizing that the Unfettered Swordsman was radiating killing intent, the High Priest's face paled. "If you want to die, then come at me!"

With a furious roar, the High Priest activated the token. It shot into the sky as a beam of black light. Soon, it ignited, forming a series of runes that coalesced into a grand teleportation array.

When the array took shape, a dreadful aura emanated from the depths of the teleportation array.

Upon seeing this, the cultivators from the Chaotic Ancient Clan behind Ye Guan grew pale with terror. Wangu Feng trembled, and his voice was shaky as he exclaimed, "It's

that

aura!"

Ye Guan turned to look at Wangu Feng, who was staring intently at the flaming teleportation array. His eyes were filled not only with anger but also fear. "The one who destroyed my Chaotic Ancient Clan back then... had this same aura."

Then, he turned to Ye Guan, and there was panic in his voice as he said, "Young Master Ye, we will protect you while you retreat."

The aura from within the teleportation array was from a Tier Six civilization. Even though the Unfettered Swordsman was strong, they were talking about a Tier Six civilization here—an overwhelming power.

Ye Guan smiled calmly. "No need to worry."

Wangu Feng wanted to say more, but Ye Guan had already turned his gaze toward the fiery teleportation array. Curiosity filled his eyes. He wondered,

how strong is a Tier Six civilization?

Just then, a light slowly took form within the flames. Gradually, the figure solidified, and finally, a man appeared before them. The man had no facial features except for a single eye in the center of his forehead.

The sight left Ye Guan and the others in disbelief.

The High Priest suddenly knelt down in reverence. "Greetings, Father."

Father?

Ye Guan was momentarily stunned.

The faceless man glanced at the High Priest before slowly raising his head to look at Ye Guan and the Unfettered Swordsman. When his gaze fell upon them, his single eye trembled slightly, seemingly surprised.

The Unfettered Swordsman looked at the faceless man and shook his head.

Ye Guan asked, "Uncle, what's wrong?"

The Unfettered Swordsman sounded serious as he replied, "Too weak."

The faceless man stretched out his right hand and gently pressed downward. The surrounding spacetime collapsed layer by layer, disintegrating into dust.

Everyone in the area was struck with terror. They realized that an invisible force was binding them—something they could sense but not touch nor see. It felt like a law.

Even Ye Guan was startled; his Invincible Sword Intent was slowly disintegrating under this mysterious force. His sword intent was something that even Jing Chu had difficulty destroying!

In haste, he drew the Qingxuan Sword. The sword trembled slightly but remained unharmed. Ye Guan swung the sword, and the invisible bindings around him were shattered.

A hint of surprise flashed in the faceless man's eye as he glanced at Ye Guan's sword.

The Unfettered Swordsman beside Ye Guan looked at himself and shook his head. "Too weak."

Without another word, the sword in his hand shot forward.

The faceless man's eyes suddenly shrank. He raised his right hand high and slammed it down. Countless strange forces appeared before him, and they resembled some kind of higher law. As soon as they emerged, the entire universe region started crumbling—the high-level laws had suppressed the weaker laws of this universe region.

The Unfettered Swordsman's sword finally arrived. The Great Dao forces from the high-level laws dissipated into nothingness as if they had never existed in the first place.

Schwing!

A crisp noise echoed as the sword pierced the faceless man's chest.

The faceless man stared at the Unfettered Swordsman in disbelief.

The Unfettered Swordsman shook his head, and his eyes were filled with disappointment.

Just then, the faceless man opened his palm, and his figure turned into countless beams of blood-red light. One beam shot toward the Unfettered Swordsman, another toward Ye Guan, and the rest headed for Jing Chu and the other Chaotic Ancient Clan warriors.

Before the blood-red light could approach the Unfettered Swordsman, it vanished without a trace.

The Unfettered Swordsman turned to Ye Guan. A strange blood-red eye the size of a bean had appeared on Ye Guan's forehead.

Ye Guan was dumbfounded.

"The Eye of Vengeance!" The High Priest burst into maniacal laughter. "

HAHAHA!

"

Ye Guan turned to the High Priest, who was staring at him with venomous eyes. "That is the Eye of Vengeance, a mark from the Devourer Civilization. Possessing this eye means the civilization will come after you for revenge."

Ye Guan glanced at the High Priest and raised the Qingxuan Sword to pierce his own forehead, but just as he was about to strike, the blood-red eye disappeared.

Seeing this, Ye Guan frowned.

The High Priest sneered, "Your appearance and location have already been transmitted to the Devourer Civilization. You're as good as dead."

Ye Guan looked puzzled. "Did you not notice how strong my uncle is?"

The Unfettered Swordsman smiled at Ye Guan.

The High Priest glanced at the Unfettered Swordsman and laughed. "He's strong, but so what? Do you really think he can single-handedly defeat an entire Tier Six civilization?"

Ye Guan turned to the Unfettered Swordsman. The Unfettered Swordsman smiled, raised his hand, and with a casual wave of it, the High Priest was reduced to ash.

Clearly, he had no interest in wasting time here.

The Unfettered Swordsman then looked at Jing Chu and said, "Little girl, throw a punch."

Jing Chu had been waiting for this, so she swung her fist without hesitation.

Her martial intent had been building up like a volcano on the verge of eruption. When she unleashed that punch, it was as if the volcano had erupted. Her powerful martial intent instantly suppressed the entire universe region, and everyone present felt suffocated beneath its pressure.

Ye Guan was shocked. Jing Chu's strength had improved by leaps and bounds!

The Unfettered Swordsman drew his sword.

Jing Chu's martial intent was sliced in two, but it wasn't completely destroyed. Clearly, the Unfettered Swordsman had held back.

Jing Chu took a deep breath, and her eyes flashed with excitement. She clenched her fist, and in an instant, the martial intent around her poured into her hand.

Her aura surged wildly!

The starry skies bubbled with excitement. The Unfettered Swordsman smiled, and a hint of admiration flickered in his eyes.

Ye Guan also smiled. He knew Jing Chu's strength had risen once more.

Jing Chu withdrew her martial intent and bowed deeply to the Unfettered Swordsman. "Thank you, Senior."

The Unfettered Swordsman said, "You're pretty good. This civilization is no longer suitable for your growth. If you're willing, I can take you to another place, one that I discovered with Brother Yang by chance..."

The Unfettered Swordsman glanced at Ye Guan, saying no more.

Ye Guan said earnestly, "Uncle, we're all family here. There's no need to hold back anything."

The Unfettered Swordsman stayed silent as he stared at Jing Chu.

Jing Chu hesitated.

To be honest, she was tempted. However, she couldn't let go of the Tianxing Civilization, and... Jing Chu glanced at Ye Guan, knowing that the Devourer Civilization would definitely make trouble for him again.

Seeing Jing Chu's gaze, Ye Guan's heart felt warm, but he still said, "This is an opportunity, not just for you, but for the Tianxing Civilization as well."

Jing Chu remained silent.

"Zhan Qing, Jing An, and Yi Nian will take care of Tianxing."

"What about the Devourer Civilization?"

"Once you've become even stronger, won't you be able to help me by then?"

Jing Chu looked at Ye Guan and nodded. "All right."

She approached Ye Guan and handed him something the size of a fist.

Ye Guan looked puzzled at the sight of it.

"This is a pure fruit seed. When you have time, visit the Tianxing Life Tree and tell it to turn you into a fruit using this seed."

"

Hahaha.

" The Unfettered Swordsman laughed. "Let's go!"

With a wave of his sleeve, the Unfettered Swordsman and Jing Chu vanished into thin air.

After they left, Ye Guan looked down at the fruit seed in his hand, feeling speechless.

She actually wanted to turn me into a fruit! I have no interest in becoming a fruit!

Ye Guan recalled something just then and felt regretful. He had forgotten to ask his uncle about the lady in white inside Yi Nian's eye. His uncle would definitely see her.

With a sigh, Ye Guan gazed into the depths of the starry sky. He would have to find another chance to ask about her later.

Shaking off his thoughts, he opened his palm, and countless storage rings flew toward him.

There were tens of thousands of them, and seeing the massive number of storage rings, a faint smile crept onto Ye Guan's lips. He turned to Wangu Feng and handed him a storage ring. "Senior, the Chaotic Ancient Clan has reappeared in the world, and you'll definitely need resources to develop once again.

"The Chaotic Ancient Emperor gave this to me back then, and I'm returning it to you, along with some of the spoils from earlier..."

"Young Master Ye, I can't possibly accept this," said Wangu Feng, waving his hand in dismissal.

Ye Guan looked puzzled. "Why not?"

Wangu Feng's expression turned serious. "Young Master Ye, the clan leader has decreed that from now on, the Chaotic Ancient Clan will follow you to the death!"

He knew that the young man was the Chaotic Ancient Clan's greatest opportunity—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

They had to cling tightly to this golden opportunity.

Ye Guan thought for a moment and said, "Alright."

Still, he handed the storage ring to Wangu Feng and said, "I'll contact my family soon. They'll be here shortly to take over. Just cooperate with them when the time comes."

Wangu Feng hesitated for a moment. Uncertainty flickered in his eyes, but he still nodded firmly. "Alright."

With that, he pocketed the ring.

Ye Guan turned to the side and exclaimed, "Tianxing Ruler Zhan Qing!"

Zhan Qing emerged slowly from the shadows. She approached Ye Guan, and her eyes sparkled with curiosity as she asked, "That swordsman was your uncle?"

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "Yes."

Without warning, Zhan Qing slapped him hard on the shoulder and grinned. "Well done."

Ye Guan was taken aback, and he stared at her in silence.

Zhan Qing chuckled lightly, but then her expression grew serious. "Your uncle... is he from a Tier Six civilization?"

Ye Guan was about to reply, but Zhan Qing shook her head and said, "No, that's not right. When the High Priest mentioned a Tier Six civilization, your uncle didn't even flinch."

Zhan Qing's eyes gleamed upon thinking of something. "A Tier Seven civilization, perhaps?"

Ye Guan couldn't help but smile, shaking his head. "Stop guessing. I really have no idea."

It wasn't just his uncle. He also had no idea what tier was the civilization where his father, aunt, or even his grandfather had come from. It felt like his entire family had casually thrown him into a beginner's zone to fend for himself.

Ye Guan smiled bitterly at the thought of it.

Zhan Qing broke the silence and muttered, "He was incredibly strong."

Ye Guan glanced at her.

Zhan Qing smiled gently. "That kind of strength is just indescribable. It's as if we're mere infants before him. It's like how we view those from a Tier One civilization."

Zhan Qing's gaze lifted to the endless expanse of stars above them. Her voice softened, almost wistful, as she remarked, "I wonder... what lies at the edge of the vast expanse? What does the pinnacle of cultivation truly look like?"

Ye Guan followed her gaze, staring at the distant stars. He wanted to know the answer as well. Soon, he shook his head, pulling himself out of his thoughts. First of all, he had to walk the path before him. The answers could wait.

Just then, Ye Guan led Zhan Qing back into the tiny pagoda.

They approached the towering Tianxing Life Tree, and Jing An emerged from the tree with a skewer of candied hawthorn in her hand.

Ye Guan couldn't help but smile at the sight. Jing An and Yi Nian would definitely get along with Erya and Little White.

Jing An leisurely licked the candied hawthorn as she walked over to Ye Guan and Zhan Qing. Without a word, she raised her left fist, showing it proudly.

Ye Guan chuckled. "Your strength has grown a lot, hasn't it?"

Jing An nodded confidently. "Yes."

"How about a spar?"

"Let's do it."

Laughing, Ye Guan led her out into the vast starry sky. But before he could say anything, Jing An swung her fist straight at Ye Guan's face without any warning.

Ye Guan's expression darkened.

Shameless!

He opened his palm, summoning a sword made out of sword intent. The next moment, he was blasted dozens of meters away by the sheer force of Jing An's punch.

He stopped midair with eyes wide in surprise.

Jing An raised her chin proudly, and a playful smile tugged at her lips. "I've already reached the Supreme Realm."

"Congratulations."

Zhan Qing watching from the sidelines couldn't help but smile as well. Jing An and Yi Nian were the future of the Tianxing Civilization.

Just then, a hint of sorrow flickered in Zhan Qing's eyes.

Jing An suddenly asked, "Where's Yi Nian?"

Yi Nian!

Ye Guan's face shifted slightly. "Let's go check on her."

Together, they returned to the Tianxing Life Tree.

Yi Nian had yet to emerge even though Jing An was already done with her trial.

Confusion marred Ye Guan's face.

Zhan Qing was equally perplexed.

"Life Tree?" she called out.

The Tianxing Life Tree trembled slightly in response.

Ye Guan looked at Zhan Qing. "What did it say?"

Zhan Qing's face darkened. "It said nothing at all."

Ye Guan frowned, and he turned to Jing An, asking, "Jing An, what was your trial?"

"I met with a middle-aged man. He's the Founding Ancestor," Jing An replied.

Ye Guan asked, "Were you fighting meteors?"

"No, I was inside a vast forest," Jing An said, shaking her head. "I learned to connect with Tianxing's power."

It's different?!

Ye Guan's expression grew grave as he looked up at the Tianxing Life Tree. Just then, the tree trembled violently.

Ye Guan and the two ladies exchanged a look of concern.

Ye Guan was about to speak when Jing An asked, "Life Tree, are you being threatened? If so, shake once."

The Tianxing Life Tree immediately shuddered.

Ye Guan, Jing An, and Zhan Qing's faces darkened with realization.

***

The Founding Ancestor of the Tianxing Civilization was standing before Yi Nian in a strange, starry region, and his gaze was solemn. Raising his right hand, a mysterious force pressed down on Yi Nian, attempting to suppress her.

Yi Nian's face remained cold and expressionless as she stared at the Founding Ancestor. Her gaze was as cold as a thousand-year-old icy cavern.

The Founding Ancestor's gaze hardened.

"Leave her body!" he exclaimed sternly.

Swoosh!

"Yi Nian" wordlessly flicked her sleeve.

Boom!

The Founding Ancestor was obliterated in the blink of an eye.