Chapter 1084: The Academy Master's Blessing

"That's a bold claim, brother!" someone shouted.

Ye Guan turned around and saw a young man walking toward them.

Dressed in a flowing white robe, he possessed an impressive demeanor.

A thin elderly man in black followed behind him. The elderly man's expression was somber, and there was a chilling air around him.

Ye Guan's eyes sparkled with excitement.

The young man in white said, "What you just said is a bold claim. What do you mean by 'even spirits will bow upon seeing me'?"

"

Hahaha!

" Ye Guan laughed heartily, "I was just boasting to my little sister; it was just a little joke. I'm embarrassed. I'm surprised that someone actually overheard me."

The young man glanced at Yang Yian beside Ye Guan.

"I see," he said with a smile.

Ye Guan asked, "Are you also headed to the Sword Sect?"

The young man in white nodded.

"What a coincidence! We must be destined to meet. How about we get a drink?"

The young man hesitated, clearly taken aback, but he didn't want to refuse.

"Sure," he said, nodding.

A smile spread across Ye Guan's face. "Please, follow me."

"After you, brother."

The three of them entered a grand hall that was both dim and eerie. Upon entering, the young man in white spread his palm, revealing a stone that illuminated the entire hall as if it were a miniature sun.

It was a moonstone!

Yang Yian's eyes widened in astonishment at the sight of it. It was clearly her first time seeing a moonstone.

The young man placed the stone on a nearby table and laid a long blanket down on the ground.

"Please, sit", he said with a smile.

Ye Guan and Yang Yian sat down on the blanket.

The young man laid down an array of snacks before joining them.

Only Great Sovereigns could survive without eating. Cultivators below the Great Sovereign Realm had to eat to survive, but they could go on weeks without eating.

Seeing the exquisite snacks, Ye Guan and Yang Yian's eyes lit up.

The young man in white brought out a jug of wine and two glasses. He poured a glass for Ye Guan and smiled. "How should I address you, brother?"

"Ye Yang!"

"Your last name is Ye?"

Ye Guan laughed, "Yes, but I'm not related to the Ye Clan in Qingzhou and Nanzhou."

The young man chuckled, not pressing further.

"And how should I address you?"

"An Mujin," the young man replied with a smile.

"Brother An, to be honest, my sister and I are completely out of funds and food. I intentionally struck up a conversation with you to see if we could scrounge a free meal from you. I hope you don't mind."

The elder in black shot Ye Guan a glance upon hearing his confession.

An Mujin's eyes widened slightly, clearly surprised by Ye Guan's honesty. He laughed. "It's just a meal, no big deal."

"Thank you very much," Ye Guan said, clasping his hands in gratitude,

With that, he handed a piece of flatbread to Yang Yian. "Here you go."

Yang Yian was famished, so she devoured the flatbread.

Ye Guan joined in, no longer concerned about his appearance.

It was time to fill his belly, after all.

An Mujin watched them with a smile.

"Are you from the An Clan in Qingzhou?" Ye Guan asked.

An Mujin nodded.

"To my knowledge, the An Clan specializes in martial arts. How come you're cultivating the sword?"

"The An Clan does specialize in martial arts, but I've always liked the sword since I was young," An Mujin said with a smile.

"I see."

"Brother Ye, are you a swordsman as well?"

Ye Guan nodded.

After a brief moment of hesitation, An Mujin asked, "Forgive my curiosity, but what is your current realm?"

"My physique is at the Ninth Realm, or I guess level nine."

An Mujin was shocked. "Ninth Realm?"

Ye Guan nodded.

"Brother Ye, are you sure you want to join the Sword Sect?"

Ye Guan smiled, "Absolutely."

An Mujin smiled wryly. "Brother Ye, there are requirements for joining the Sword Sect. You must be a Xiantian Realm expert. When it comes to one's sword, are you familiar with the Sword Dao realms?"

"I actually forgot them," Ye Guan said, shaking his head

"The Sword Dao Realm starts from Sword Apprentice, Sword Cultivator, Sword Exalt, Sword Emperor, Sword Saint, Sword Immortal, Great Sword Immortal, Sword Sovereign, Great Sword Sovereign, and the Mortal Sword Realm.

"There are more realms above those, and they are the Ephemeral Realm, the Ephemeral Transcendence Realm, and finally, the Divine Realm.

"To become a part of the Sword Sect, one must be a true swordsman, meaning that you must have a sword intent."

"I understand," Ye Guan said with a smile.

His desire to join the Sword Sect wasn't born from his impulsive thoughts. He had researched the requirements and was aware that it was impossible to enter the Qingzhou Sword Sect with his current cultivation base and Sword Dao realm.

Of course, he had his own means to join them.

"You're aware, but you still wish to proceed... that means you must have a plan," An Mujin said, smiling.

"That's right."

At that point, Yang Yian and he had finished the snacks.

An Mujin saw that and gave them more food.

"Thank you," Ye Guan said gratefully.

An Mujin smiled. He was about to speak when the elder in black leaned down to whisper something into his ear.

An Mujin was momentarily stumped. Then, he turned to Ye Guan and said, "Brother Ye, I have to take care of something. I'm leaving first."

With that, he placed more snacks in front of Ye Guan and Yang Yian, along with ten spiritual crystals.

"B-Brother An, you..." Ye Guan stuttered, confused.

"We will always face hardships on this path, brother. See you in the Sword Sect."

With that, An Mujin rose and left with the elder in black.

𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦

Ye Guan watched An Mujin depart with a faint smile, surprised by the current generation of the An Clan. Without thinking too much about it, Ye Guan turned to Yang Yian and said cheerfully, "Let's read."

Yang Yian nodded eagerly—her two favorite pastimes were eating and reading.

***

Outside, An Mujin was riding an ordinary horse next to the elder in black. The elder in black glanced at An Mujin and asked, "Young Master, did you befriend that young man because you think he's extraordinary?"

"Not really," An Mujin responded.

The elder in black was confused.

"Brother Ye is certainly not simple. After all, he remained calm upon learning I was from the An Clan, which surprised me. What I admire most is his honesty; one should be straightforward, without ulterior motives."

"Actually, with your strength and status, you needn't go through the evaluation process. The Sword Sect can admit you directly, so why do you have to..." the elder in black trailed off, hesitating.

An Mujin shook his head, "You must have heard about the incident regarding Guanxuan Guard Fang Yu. The Academy Master was upset with the privileges of the great clans. He abhors it. If the An Clan doesn't change our ways, we will be seeking our own doom."

An Mujin looked up and muttered, "Cousin Qinghan is navigating the complex waters at the Main Guanxuan Academy, carefully balancing things among many different forces.

"We need to exercise caution. In simple terms, the An Clan must build good relationships, obey the rules, and maintain integrity to live on. We have to stop using the privileges that we've been enjoying from now on."

"But the higher-ups..."

"It's no use," An Mujin said, shaking his head. "We can't control others, but we can control ourselves. Let's go!"

With that, he spurred his horse onward.

The elder in black sighed softly, and his eyes were filled with complex emotions.

The waters of the Main Guanxuan Academy were too murky and deep. The An Clan seemed prosperous, but they were treading on thin ice in the Main Guanxuan Academy.

The elder in black emptied his mind and chased after An Mujin.

***

Later that night, Yang Yian leaned against Ye Guan and drifted off to sleep.

Little Pagoda suddenly asked,

"How are you going to join the Sword Sect tomorrow?"

He knew that it was impossible for the current Ye Guan to join the Sword Sect.

Ye Guan quietly looked at Yang Yian before saying,

"I need to take care of her first."

"That is indeed a concern."

Ye Guan chuckled. "It will be fine."

After all, he had his memories. It would be absolutely embarrassing if he couldn't make a life for himself here.

"Let's see how you'll perform,"

said Little Pagoda.

Ye Guan smiled and closed his eyes.

The next day, Ye Guan collected the moonstone that An Mujin had left behind and headed toward the Sword Sect with Yang Yian in tow. It was an uneventful journey.

Finally, in the evening, Ye Guan and An Mujin reached the foot of the Qingzhou Mountains. They looked up and saw the peak shrouded in mist; the majestic structures were barely visible. The faint clashing of metal against metal echoed from the depths of the mountains.

The Qingzhou Sword Sect was right before them!

They weren't alone, as many people were making their way up the mountain to the Sword Sect. Flying was prohibited here, so everyone had to make their way up on foot.

"Look!" Yang Yian exclaimed, pointing to the distance.

Ye Guan looked at the end of the horizon and saw a statue of him!

Everyone would stop and pay their respects to the statue.

Yang Yian grabbed Ye Guan's hand. "Let's go pay our respects to the Academy Master and ask for his blessing!"

With that, she pulled Ye Guan along and ran ahead.

Ye Guan could only follow suit, speechless.