Hearing An Mujin's words, the Grand Elder's face turned pale.

The Wanzhou Martial Contest wasn't just any contest; it was a ticket to the Main Guanxuan Academy! An Qinghan's career skyrocketed upon becoming the champion of the Wanzhou Martial Contest.

She effortlessly entered the Main Academy and became the Representative of the Martial Department there.

Thanks to her, the An Clan had reaped countless benefits.

If An Mujin became the champion of this year's Wanzhou Martial Contest, he would undoubtedly gain entry into the Main Academy's Sword Sect and receive a ton of cultivation resources. By then, the An Clan's influence in the Main Academy would be elevated once again.

In other words, An Mujin was part of the An Clan's long-term strategy. The Grand Elder had never anticipated that he would voluntarily give up his spot in the Wanzhou Martial Contest.

Enraged, the Grand Elder roared, "Short-sighted! Utterly short-sighted!"

With that, he transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the distance. He needed to report this to the Clan Leader of the An Clan.

***

The Clan Leader of the An Clan was named An Ling, and he was a middle-aged man in his forties. After listening to the Grand Elder's report, An Ling fell silent for a moment before saying, "Let's see what Qinghan has to say about this."

An Ling took out a transmission talisman. Moments later, An Qinghan's voice echoed from the talisman. "Good for him. Well done, indeed, the An Clan should be proud of him."

An Ling shook his head with a faint smile and looked at the Grand Elder.

"You heard her."

The Grand Elder hesitated, then said, "Clan Leader, about this—"

An Ling interrupted, "Why did you act on your own?"

The Grand Elder's face turned pale, and he quickly bowed. "Clan Leader, I was reckless."

"If An Mujin became the champion, would it really be a good thing for our clan?" An Ling asked.

The Grand Elder was taken aback.

An Ling sighed softly. "Of course, if Mujin is that strong, then it'll be good for him and us. However, there are two sides to everything. At that point, our clan will attract too much attention.

'As the saying goes, 'The tree that stands out in the forest is most likely to be felled.' Right now, our clan does not have the strength to withstand the breeze within the Main Academy. Do you understand what I'm saying?"

The Grand Elder hesitated and then asked, "Clan Leader, what about Qinghan…"

"Qinghan is different," said An Ling, shaking his head. "Back then, she earned the personal support and recognition of the Academy Master and Lady Nalan, so when she rose to prominence, no one dared to trouble her or suppress her.

" Qinghan has also been wise. Once in the Main Academy, she steered clear of all factional disputes and remained neutral. However, if our clan were to produce yet another extraordinary talent, we'd only have two options—align ourselves with certain factions or risk facing suppression.

"There's even the possibility of a promising genius being destroyed prematurely…"

The Grand Elder's face changed dramatically. "Clan Leader, that's…"

"Wherever there are people, there is bound to be conflict. This is particularly true within the Academy, as there are so many sects and aristocratic families.

"The Academy has expanded quickly, so the 'cake' has only gotten bigger, and the stakes are incredibly high. Everyone wants the biggest slice; some even want it all.

"Forget it; just talking about it is too dangerous."

A complex light flashed in An Ling's eyes. The An Clan's glory days were over, and it was mainly because of what they had done to Ye Guan years ago. The incident resulted in two Martial Gods severing their connections with the An Clan.

If it hadn't been for that, they would still have the blessings of those Martial Gods, and they wouldn't be afraid of the Academy's murky waters. After all, those Martial Gods could easily intimidate everyone into submission.

However, the An Clan had no choice but to keep a low profile and wait for better opportunities. The Grand Elder looked down, silent. He had no idea that the waters of the Guanxuan Academy had already become so murky and deep.

Then, he looked at An Ling and said, "And Mujin…"

An Ling was silent for a moment before saying, "The boy is still young; he's not as cautious as he's supposed to be. I guess he still needs more experience."

The Grand Elder nodded in agreement.

***

An Mujin sat quietly on a boulder in the Sword Sect's back mountains. A sword hovered before him, and he was staring intently at it, seemingly in deep thought.

Just then, footsteps sounded nearby.

An Mujin turned and saw Ye Guan approaching him.

"Brother Ye?" An Mujin said, surprised.

Ye Guan took out a bottle of liquor and handed it to him. "Want a drink?"

"Yes," An Mujin said with a nod. He took the bottle, opened it, and drank a few hearty gulps.

Ye Guan asked, "Still hung up about what happened earlier?"

An Mujin gripped the bottle tightly in his right hand. "Actually, if it came down to a real fight, I won't necessarily lose against Brother Fu."

Ye Guan nodded. "I know."

An Mujin shook his head. "At first, I was angry. I was furious that Brother Fu had agreed to my clan's offer. However, I realized that he grew up poor, and it was impossible for him to go against my clan.

"This was an underhanded move by my clan. It had nothing to do with him."

"Anyway, how about we spar, Brother Ye?"

Ye Guan grinned. "Are you sure?"

An Mujin nodded. "I wanted to spar with you more than Brother FU."

Ye Guan agreed. "Alright."

An Mujin grabbed his sword and walked a bit farther away from Ye Guan.

"Here it comes, Brother Ye." An Mujin vanished from sight.

Schwing!

A crisp sword slash reverberated. In response, Ye Guan raised Order and thrust it forward with precision, striking just an inch away from the tip of An Mujin's sword.

Bam!

Roughly ninety percent of the force within An Mujin's sword was neutralized, and it veered off-course, almost slipping from his grip. Shocked, he retreated, clutching his sword tightly.

Upon stopping, he looked at Ye Guan in surprise. "Brother Ye, you…"

Ye Guan smiled slightly. "Again."

An Mujin's expression grew serious. He dared not underestimate Ye Guan as he held his sword between his brows and closed his eyes.

Boom!

A powerful sword aura surged from within him. The next instant, he opened his eyes, and his sword trembled. In a flash, he dashed forward like a bolt of lightning.

Instant Kill Sword Slash! A Sky-grade sword technique designed for speed. It was a lethal attack within five paces. An Mujin was only a few paces away from Ye Guan, so the sword light reached Ye Guan as soon as it manifested.

Ye Guan slashed out.

Bang!

A sword light shattered, and a figure was blasted away. It was An Mujin. When he stopped, he found that a sword was already pointed at the center of his forehead. He looked at Ye Guan, who was standing right in front of him, astonished.

"Brother Ye, you…" An Mujin was beyond stunned. He knew that Ye Guan was strong, and he had even suspected that Ye Guan could be that mysterious record-breaker. However, he could have never imagined that Ye Guan was

this

strong. His strength was simply overwhelming, almost unreal.

Ye Guan smiled and withdrew his sword. "Interested in training together?"

An Mujin fixed his gaze on Ye Guan. "Brother Ye, who are you, really?"

By now, he clearly understood that Ye Guan was no ordinary person. With swordsmanship of this caliber, perhaps only a few in the entire Sword Sect could rival him.

Ye Guan chuckled, "No need to overthink it. I'm not a threat. I'm just an ordinary swordsman."

"Brother Ye, your attacks just now… each was incredibly simple… it's like they're the epitome of the Great Dao of Simplicity…"

"The Great Dao of Simplicity?" Ye Guan shook his head with a light smile. "I still have a long way to go."

He wasn't being modest. To him, true simplicity in swordsmanship was not just about power. It was a mindset—a pure mindset. In his mind, only a few swordsmen, like the ones in his clan or perhaps Fu Wu and Ye Xiuran, were on that level. They were strong and wholly dedicated to the sword.

As for himself, Ye Guan realized that his journey was full of distractions. He had picked up techniques here and there, resulting in a confused hodgepodge of fighting styles. Moreover, his shifting mindset that wavered between restraint and boldness had been hindering him from reaching true simplicity.

He had yet to reach the Great Dao of Simplicity.

Without the endless battles and powerful enemies to fight constantly, his life felt refreshingly peaceful. It was a good feeling, and it allowed him to settle down and reflect on his past self.

He hadn't done everything right before, but that was okay. Who hadn't made foolish mistakes when they were young?

What mattered the most was that he was doing his best now.

An Mujin bowed deeply to Ye Guan. "Brother Ye, I'm willing to learn the sword from you."

He knew he had encountered a true master today.

Ye Guan looked at An Mujin and smiled. "Sure."

After a moment's hesitation, An Mujin asked, "Brother Ye, I'm curious. Why are you willing to help me?"

"Two reasons. First of all, you are a good person. The Guanxuan Universe could use more people like you."

"You wish for the Guanxuan Universe to have more people like me?"

"Yes."

"Why?"

"With more honest and upright people like you, the Guanxuan Universe will become a better place."

An Mujin's respect for Ye Guan rose by several degrees then. Brother Ye truly had a broad vision!

"And the second reason?" An Mujin asked.

Ye Guan chuckled. "A member of the An Clan once helped me. I'm helping you in return for that help. I'm simply returning the favor."

An Mujin looked puzzled. "Someone from the An Clan once helped you, Brother Ye?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Yes."

An Mujin seemed like he wanted to ask more but held back.

𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

Ye Guan smiled. "You'll find out when the time is right, but I can't tell you now."

"Alright," An Mujin said. He then bowed deeply to Ye Guan again and said, "Then, I'll call you Master from now on."

"Just keep calling me Brother Ye."

"Alright."

"Brother Ye, with your current strength, I don't think anyone from the younger generation is a match for you…"

Ye Guan laughed heartily, and then he transmitted,

"Master Pagoda, let's stay here for a while."

Puzzled, Little Pagoda asked,

"Why?"

Ye Guan replied softly,

"I can show off here."

Little Pagoda was at a loss for words.