Chapter 1049: Aunt Has No Limits

Upon hearing the words of Ruler Qi, even Yama Dharmaraja was a bit shocked, as he knew that Ruler Qi wasn't lying at all.

She was serious.

Yama Dharmaraja looked at the sword in Ye Guan's hand and frowned. He knew the sword was extraordinary, but he hadn't expected Ruler Qi to make such a terrifying offer.

Ye Guan was taken aback as well. He hadn't anticipated that the ruler of the Devourer Civilization would say such a thing.

Ruler Qi suddenly smiled and said, "Even if I offer everything the Devourer Civilization has to offer, you likely won't accept the deal."

Ye Guan glanced at the Qingxuan Sword in his hand and smiled. "My father has left this sword behind for me, so it's priceless."

Ruler Qi nodded. Looking at the Qingxuan Sword in his hand, she smiled and said, "Young Master Ye, I'd like to make a deal with you."

Ye Guan was intrigued. "A deal?"

"Yes."

"What kind of deal?"

Ruler Qi glanced at Yama Dharmaraja, smiling silently.

Yama Dharmaraja chuckled. "Go ahead, talk!"

Then, he turned around to leave.

"Senior," Ye Guan called out.

Yama Dharmaraja turned to look at him.

Ye Guan smiled. "Compared to a deal with Ruler Qi, I'd prefer to stay with the Gui Zhe Civilization to study."

Yama Dharmaraja smiled at that. "The Gui Zhe Civilization would gladly welcome you. However, you should hear Ruler Qi out. If the deal is worth it, it could be worth considering."

With that, he turned around and left.

Ye Guan thought for a moment and nodded. Then, he looked at Ruler Qi.

"Young Master Ye, I can give you what you want," said Ruler Qi with a smile.

"Ruler Qi, do you know what I want?"

"I do."

Ye Guan looked at her silently.

Ruler Qi waved her hand.

Sovereign Chu immediately withdrew.

Ruler Qi smiled. "Young Master Ye, shall we talk elsewhere?"

"Sure." Ye Guan nodded. He could tell that she bore no hostility toward him.

Swoosh!

As soon as he spoke, he and Ruler Qi vanished and reappeared at the top of a pagoda. They could see the boundless vast expanse from here.

Ruler Qi walked up to the window and gazed into the depths of the starry sky.

"Young Master Ye, you seek to prove yourself," Ruler Qi said.

Ye Guan's brows furrowed.

"Your sword is unique, beyond the laws and principles of the civilizations. In other words, it can break all laws, including the laws of Tier Six civilizations. Unfortunately, Young Master Ye's strength does not match that sword."

Ye Guan looked at her silently.

Ruler Qi went on, "I suspect that you've been given free rein. The power behind you is so strong that if they kept you by their side, it would be of no benefit to you. So they decided to let you go, hoping you'd experience everything yourself and ultimately reach the peak of cultivation.

"However, you must be feeling a lot of pressure; your family is strong, so you must be feeling the need to prove yourself. Am I right?"

Ye Guan smiled and asked, "Why would I be worried about that?"

Ruler Qi turned to look at him; her eyes were serene, and a faint smile tugged at her face. "Your family is incredibly powerful. You want to surpass them, but they're so strong that it sometimes leaves you feeling hopeless. Isn't that right?"

Ye Guan looked at her calm gaze, but a tempest stirred within him.

Ruler Qi smiled. "Just a guess."

"Why are you telling me this? Is it part of a deal?"

"Yes."

"What kind of deal do you propose?"

Ruler Qi looked at him. "Young Master Ye, are you avoiding your own feelings?"

Ye Guan's brow furrowed.

Ruler Qi opened her palm, and Ye Guan's sword intent rushed out of him.

Ye Guan's expression changed.

Ruler Qi held the sword intent with a faint smile. "Your sword intent is pure and has attained the Dao, but do you know what lies beyond purity and the Dao?"

"What is it?"

"Surpassing oneself."

Ye Guan's brow creased. "Surpassing oneself?"

Ruler Qi nodded. "Your greatest enemy isn't the god you think you admire but yourself. You still can't face your heart. Just now, you even changed the topic, subconsciously avoiding certain issues."

Ye Guan was silent.

Ruler Qi looked out into the starry void before saying, "For cultivators, our greatest enemy has always been ourselves. If we can't conquer ourselves, how can we conquer others?"

Ye Guan slowly closed his eyes.

Face my heart.

From a young age, his goal had been to surpass his elders. Back then, he was confident. After all, Master Pagoda had misled him, saying that his aunt, Plain-Skirt Lady, was just a Great Sword Immortal.

Surpassing a Great Sword Immortal was challenging, but it was possible.

However, he became more and more disheartened as time went on.

Plain Skirt Aunt's strength... had no limits!

Ye Guan wanted nothing more than to see her strike a second time, as it would surely reveal her limits. If she had a limit, then Ye Guan would have a goal to pursue.

Unfortunately, she had no limits.

How am I supposed to surpass someone with no limits?

Ye Guan was not even aware of her true strength, as she could defeat anyone in seconds! He had no doubt that she could even destroy an entire Tier Six civilization with ease.

In his heart, his aunt was truly invincible.

𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

Surpass her?

Ye Guan felt despair at the thought of it alone, so he often avoided thinking about it, as it only brought him frustration and despair.

Ruler Qi was right; he was indeed avoiding his heart. Avoiding it didn't make the issue disappear—it would still be there.

He wasn't his father who could convince himself otherwise.

Ye Guan looked at Ruler Qi. "Is there a way to solve this?"

Ruler Qi nodded. "There are two ways."

Ye Guan bowed slightly. "Please, enlighten me."

"Before I answer, may I ask about the strength of the elders in your family? She's never lost in front of you, correct?"

Ye Guan nodded.

Ruler Qi said, "In that case, you don't know her limits, which makes the thought of surpassing her feel hopeless, right?"

Ye Guan nodded.

Ruler Qi thought for a moment. "The first way is to discover her limits, but to do that, she would need a powerful opponent..."

Ye Guan interrupted, "What's the second way?"

Ruler Qi looked at him. "Why do you want to surpass her?"

Ye Guan thought about it before replying, "Master Pagoda once misled me, and back then, I thought of her as my goal.

Little Pagoda was speechless.

Ruler Qi chuckled, "It's not a bad thing. Your sword intent is the most ambitious sword intent I've ever seen."

"What should I do? In your opinion?"

"Face your heart, face the gap, and face your own shortcomings."

Ye Guan frowned.

Ruler Qi smiled, "Weakness and flaws aren't scary, but you must acknowledge them, including your most vulnerable and darkest sides. Only then will your heart be truly pure."

After pondering for a while, Ye Guan said, "I understand."

Ye Guan smiled, and he felt completely relaxed. Having let go of his obsessions, his sword intent trembled slightly. He didn't make a breakthrough, but it became even purer.

His sword intent had become free of any impurities or obsessions.

A hint of surprise flashed in Ruler Qi's eyes. Ye Guan had actually comprehended the meaning behind her words in the proverbial blink of an eye.

Ye Guan asked, "What deal do you propose?"

Ruler Qi collected her thoughts and smiled. "I would like you to accompany me to a ruin site. The Devourer Civilization discovered it while exploring the vast expanse, but it's filled with powerful seals and formations.

"Using force could destroy the entire place, so I'd like you to use your sword to remove them. In return, the Devourer Civilization will help you reach the Verity Immortal Realm and perhaps even the Eternal Immortal Realm."

Ye Guan was intrigued. "Ruins?"

"Yes." Ruler Qi nodded and explained, "The Gui Zhe Civilization and the Timeless Civilization also explore the vast expanse for resources."

Ye Guan thought for a moment. "No problem."

Ruler Qi smiled and asked, "How about we go tomorrow?"

"Alright." Ye Guan nodded. He turned around to leave, but Ruler Qi asked, "Why not stay here?"

Ye Guan looked at her.

Ruler Qi smiled and explained, "This is a cultivation ground. I noticed your body contains Stellar Energy. This room is designed to help you absorb Stellar Energy and Devourer Energy."

Ye Guan was intrigued. "Devourer Energy?"

Ruler Qi nodded. "The Gui Zhe Civilization specializes in absorbing pure souls, while my Devourer Civilization can consume all sources of power in the world. Even if a star collapses, we can absorb its energy. In short, there's nothing my Devourer Civilization cannot absorb."

"Impressive."

Ruler Qi smiled. "You may cultivate here for the night."

"Thank you." Ye Guan nodded. He was about to sit down to meditate when he recalled something and asked, "Senior, do you know the First Hall Master of the Evil Dao Alliance?"

Ruler Qi shook her head.

Ye Guan nodded and got ready to meditate.

"The First Hall Master whom you mentioned..." Ruler Qi trailed off, frowning deeply.

Ye Guan asked, "What is it?"

Ruler Qi closed her eyes, and then they snapped wide open—

Boom!

The entire pagoda was reduced to dust.

Ye Guan was so dumbfounded he had no idea what to say.