Ye Guan and Mu Wanyu sat across from each other in a restaurant. They ordered a few dishes, but Mu Wanyu did not pick up her chopsticks. Instead, she stared at Ye Guan as if she was afraid that he would run away.

Ye Guan smiled and said, "Why are you looking at me?"

Mu Wanyu replied softly, "I thought you wouldn't come back."

"With all of you here, how could I not return?"

Upon hearing that, Mu Wanyu's eyebrows raised tenderly, and her heart melted.

Ye Guan picked up a shrimp and placed it on her plate. "How's your training going?"

"I'm now a teacher at the Milky Way Academy, and I'm the youngest teacher in the Milky Way Academy's history!" Mu Wanyu proudly shared.

"Impressive."

"How far am I from being comparable to the top cultivators in your world?"

"Just a tiny bit," Ye Guan responded seriously.

She rolled her eyes, "I totally believe you."

Ye Guan chuckled. He couldn't help but prefer the warmth in the Milky Way over the constant fighting and killing outside.

Mu Wanyu suddenly asked, "When are you leaving?"

Ye Guan thought for a moment before responding, "Very soon."

"Oh." Mu Wanyu lowered her head and ate quietly without saying a single word.

Ye Guan reached out and took her hand. "There's a tough battle coming up, I'll be very busy," he said softly.

"Will it be dangerous?"

"Yes."

Mu Wanyu grabbed his hand, and her eyes became filled with concern. It seemed like she wanted to say something, but she hesitated.

Ye Guan reassured her, saying, "Don't worry. If I can't win, I can always run away."

"Then I'll be here waiting for you."

Ye Guan nodded.

After chatting for about half an hour, Ye Guan left a storage ring with her and stood up to leave the restaurant. After he left, Mu Wanyu sat in her seat for a long time…

Just after exiting the restaurant, Ye Guan encountered a familiar woman. She wore a beautiful purple dress, and she was strikingly beautiful. She was none other than Xuanyuan Ling.

Xuanyuan Lingg was taken aback to see Ye Guan. "You…"

Ye Guan smiled and said, "Xuanyuan Ling, it's been a long time."

Xuanyuan Ling's voice trembled as she remarked, "It's… been a long time."

"Are you looking for Mu Wanyu? She's inside."

Just as she was about to say something, Ye Guan added, "Xuanyuan Ling, I have some other matters to attend to, so I'll be taking my leave. See you next time."

With that, he placed a storage ring in her hand and took a step forward, disappearing without a trace. Xuanyuan Ling stood in place and was shocked. Then, tears welled up in her eyes…

***

The busy Su Zi looked up, sensing something. She found Ye Guan standing before her, and she didn't even know when he had arrived.

Su Zi was shocked, and her mind went blank.

Ye Guan walked up to her with a smile and asked, "What's wrong?"

"This… can't be a dream, right?" Su Zi asked in a trembling voice.

Ye Guan gently pinched her cheeks. She felt a slight pain, which confirmed that she was not dreaming. Su Zi immediately threw herself into his arms and said, trembling, "You're heartless man! I thought you wouldn't come back!"

Ye Guan wrapped his arms around Su Zi's waist and asked, "How could I not come back?"

Su Zi held him tightly as tears streamed down her face. Ever since their last parting, she hadn't heard from him and thought that he had forgotten her. She never expected him to appear before her so suddenly.

Ye Guan didn't stay long and left quickly after they did

it

. Although he wanted to stay longer, there were more important matters at hand. Now was not the time for romance.

After he left the Milky Way, he arrived at the room where Sister Zhen once lived. Everything was just as it had been.

But the one who loved to write was no longer there! Sister Zhen!

Ye Guan gently touched the table in front of him as his memories flooded back and whispered, "Sister Zhen… wait for me."

With that, he turned and disappeared.

Soon, Ye Guan arrived at Red Star, where Fu Wu appeared beside him while holding the Qingxuan Sword.

Fu Wu stared at the planet before her and said, "There's a dangerous aura."

Ye Guan nodded, "I know."

He bowed slightly and called out, "Senior, can we talk?"

There was no response. After a moment, Ye Guan continued, "Sorry to disturb you."

Just as he was about to leave with Fu Wu, a voice suddenly echoed from the planet. "What do you want to talk about?"

Ye Guan stopped and looked back at the Red Star. "I'd like to ask for your help."

"What kind of help?"

"I need someone to help me fight."

The mysterious figure on the planet fell silent. Ye Guan waited for a response.

Then, the voice added, "Sorry, I can't leave this place, and I can't tell you why."

Ye Guan fell silent.

"Who wants you dead? The Great Daoist Brush Master? Clan Leader Jing? Or perhaps the Evil Dao?"

Ye Guan shook his head and replied, "None of them."

"If it's none of those, then why are you here… Do you know how strong I am? I'm quite formidable!"

Ye Guan was taken aback.

The mysterious figure chuckled, "You're still quite naive; you don't understand how the vast expanse works."

"What do you mean, Senior?"

"Let's put it this way—among the cultivators you've encountered so far, only Clan Leader Jing and the Great Daoist Brush Master are considered truly strong cultivators, except for your family members. As for the Evil Dao Ancestor, if she escapes and gets rid of her obsession, then she will be a challenge to fight."

Ye Guan then asked solemnly, "Senior, exactly how much do you know about this vast universe?"

The mysterious figure laughed. "Stop trying to dig into my background. I know more than you do, but it would be meaningless to tell you all this now. It is only meaningful if you go through it yourself. Do you understand?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Sorry for bothering you, Senior."

As he finished speaking, he turned to leave with Fu Wu.

"Wait," the mysterious figure called out. Ye Guan stopped and turned back. After a moment of silence, the mysterious figure continued, "Don't be in such a rush, young man. I never said that I wouldn't help you."

"Are you willing to come out of hiding?" Ye Guan quickly asked.

"I truly am unable to leave this place, but I can offer you a helping hand."

Just before Ye Guan became confused, a burst of fire shot out from the Red Star. Then, a flaming giant appeared before him. "This is a flaming giant that I personally forged. Its strength might not match that of the lady beside you, but it's not far off."

Fu Wu looked at the flaming giant before her and remained silent.

Ye Guan studied the flaming giant towering several dozen meters tall. The giant's eyes were filled with flames. Its limbs resembled pillars, and it exuded a terrifying might. It was impressive!

Ye Guan then hurriedly asked, "Senior, how many of these flaming giants do you have?"

"Just one."

"Could you make more of them?"

"Do you think I'm running a wholesale business?"

Ye Guan chuckled awkwardly, then stored the flaming giant in his tiny pagoda. "Senior, I understand that you are helping me out of respect for my family. Regardless, I, Ye Guan, will remember your kindness and repay it in the future."

"You've misunderstood. The reason why I am helping you is purely because of you. To be honest, I was quite surprised that you weren't trying to rely on your family to get through this. More importantly, giving you the flaming giant is a trivial matter for me, so you need not take this to heart."

"It may be trivial for you, Senior, but for me, it is a generous favor. No matter what, I will remember your help and repay you in the future."

"I wish you success in overcoming your tribulation."

Ye Guan cupped his fists in gratitude. "Farewell." With that, he turned and left with Fu Wu.

Once they were gone, the mysterious figure murmured softly, "Have they finally found their true path? It all depends on whether they can truly walk it."

***

Ye Guan and Fu Wu arrived in the vastness of the starry skies. He glanced around and called out, "Great Daoist Brush Master?"

There was no response.

"Old friend, I know you can hear me. Come out so we can talk."

Still, there was no reply. After a moment of silence, Ye Guan sighed softly, "Well, if you don't want to, then it's fine."

With that, he turned and walked away with Fu Wu.

Snap!

A crackling sound pierced the air, and a figure slowly emerged from the rift in space. It was the Great Daoist Brush Master whose face was dark.

Ye Guan smiled and greeted, "Senior, long time no see."

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

"What do you want?" the Great Daoist Brush Master replied coldly.

"Senior, have you forgotten that we formed an alliance? We even dealt with the Past Clan together. You remember, right?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master stared at him and asked once more, "What exactly do you want?"

"I need help with a fight."

He immediately shook his head, "Not happening."

Ye Guan's expression darkened.

"I'm not a thug; why would I fight?"

Ye Guan then pressed on, "Have you heard of the Multiverse Emperor?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master remained silent and simply looked at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan felt exasperated.

The Great Daoist Brush Master then stated, "If there is nothing else, I will be taking my leave."

"Master Pagoda suspects that you have an ulterior motive and has advised me several times to have my aunt eliminate you. But I trust you, Senior. I

really

believe that you aren't that kind of person."

Little Pagoda was speechless.

The Great Daoist Brush Master turned to face Ye Guan, and his face slowly turned red from fury.