Chapter 1116: Relic Of The Past

The powerful auras were unmistakably those of the Guanxuan Guards.

The Guanxuan Guards!

There were only three of them, and a middle-aged man stood at their helm.

The middle-aged man wasn't wearing the Guanxuan Divine Armor of the Guanxuan Guards. Instead, he was clad in a simple robe, but his powerful aura that was capable of distorting the surrounding spacetime couldn't be further from simple.

He was the Commander of the Guanxuan Guards, Chu Jia.

Chu Jia was no ordinary figure. Years ago, the legendary Martial Goddess An had briefly trained the Guanxuan Guards, and Chu Jia was one of those who rose to prominence from that elite group.

The Guanxuan Guards only had three commanders, and each one was a true prodigy. The Guanxuan Academy cultivated them rigorously and provided them with top-tier resources from across the Guanxuan Universe. Their development was prioritized so that they could keep pace with the strongest individuals from the advanced civilizations outside.

Ye Guanzhi hadn't anticipated that the Guanxuan Guard Commander would take orders from her opponent.

Ye Guanzhi glared at Chu Jia. "Chu Jia, do you realize what you're doing?"

Chu Jia looked at her calmly. "Of course."

Technically, Chu Jia was supposed to be under Ye Guanzhi's authority, yet he showed no fear.

In the Guanxuan Committee, some members held real power, while others had no real power at all. Only a few members wielded substantial power—figures like Li Banzhi, Princess Xin, and Empress Yue. They commanded military forces and had cultivated countless elite cultivators.

Although Ye Guanzhi was also a member of the Guanxuan Committee, her tenure was rather short, and she held no military authority at all. Without military backing, she wasn't exactly scary for some people.

A great example of why Ye Guanzhi wasn't that scary for some people was the fact that she could mobilize only a limited number of Guanxuan Guards.

If she wanted to deploy a large number of them, she would need the Committee's approval. In fact, when it came to commanding the Guanxuan Guards, Ye Guanzhi's authority was weaker than Chu Jia.

Ye Guanzhi fell silent, realizing that the matter was now beyond her control.

She had long ceased to be the naive idealist she once was, and she understood how deeply deep the waters ran within the Academy, especially when it came to the aristocratic families and clans.

The former aristocratic families and clans that the previous Sword Master had left behind were mostly cleared out, but when Ye Guan came into power, new influential families and clans rose to take their place. Inevitably, they sought greater benefits for themselves.

As a result, the Guanxuan Academy grew increasingly complex, particularly in terms of alliances. Multiple factions were vying for power, and each quietly competed for resources and influence.

It could be said that, aside from Ye Guan and Nalan Jia, there was no one capable of truly reigning in those aristocratic families and clans, not even Li Banzhi, the most senior Elder in the Guanxuan Committee.

Any small movement from them could trigger a chain reaction, affecting the entire institution.

Fortunately, not long ago, Ye Guan and Nalan Jia had decided to divide the Academy into self-governing regions, hoping that allowing each region to operate autonomously would help mitigate such issues.

As more and more civilizations joined the Guanxuan Universe, the waters of the Guanxuan Academy would only grow deeper, and the competition would only grow more intense.

Ye Guanzhi had long noticed those issues, but she was powerless to change them.

Today was no different...

Ye Guanzhi shook her head and stepped up to Ye Guan. She took out a scroll and handed it to them.

Ye Guan looked at it, puzzled. "What's this?"

Ye Guanzhi replied, "A teleportation scroll. This will take you directly to the Main Guanxuan Academy. I've been keeping it in case of emergency. I'm sorry, but I can no longer maintain control over this place.

"Use this scroll to reach the Main Academy and find Elder Li. She's the only one who can protect you at this point."

Ye Guan looked at the teleportation scroll in silence.

Ye Guanzhi continued, "Heaven Seizing Dao is strong, but even he can't stand against the entire Academy. Do you understand what I mean?"

Ye Guan smiled. "Can Elder Li really take care of them?"

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝒆𝔀𝒆𝙗𝓷𝒐𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝓸𝓶

Ye Guanzhi fell silent.

Ye Guan added, "Lady Guanzhi, I think nothing will change even if I reach the Academy. What do you think? Am I right?"

Ye Guanzhi said, "Just stay alive for now."

"Can he even stay alive?" "Zong Wu" burst out into laughter. "Ye Guanzhi, I truly don't understand. Our clan has no grievance with you, nor have we ever offended you. So why go out of your way to oppose us?"

Ye Guanzhi replied, "The Wanzhou Martial Contest is a rare opportunity for those with lower status to rise to prominence. If we can't even ensure fairness in that contest, then what hope is left for those at the bottom of society?"

"Zong Wu's" gaze darkened. "People at the bottom of society are like ants. They should be grateful that they're still alive. Hope? What a joke."

"Watch your words!" Ye Guanzhi roared. "Zong Wu, do you even know why the Academy was founded in the first place? To say something so blasphemous, do you think that honors the Academy Master? Does that show him any respect?"

"Zong Wu's" expression remained flat. "Ye Guanzhi, I'm not here to argue with you. I've given you a way out. Since you won't take it, then don't blame us for being harsh. Chu Jia, take out that Heaven Seizing Dao."

"Take out my

ass

!" Heaven Seizing Dao laughed incredulously. "Damn it, you punk! Do you really think I'm some random extra? I was once the strongest villain, got it? If it hadn't been for Young Master Ye, this universe region would have been mine!"

Ye Guan was speechless.

"Zong Wu" glared at Heaven Seizing Dao and roared, "You are a relic of the past! What are you yapping about?"

"A relic?" Heaven Seizing Dao roared, "Fuck you!"

Heaven Seizing Dao was so furious that he nearly exploded. He trembled with rage and charged directly at "Zong Wu." He was strong, and the entire Qingzhou trembled beneath his might.

"Zong Wu"'s eyes twitched. He knew he couldn't match Heaven Seizing Dao's power and instinctively stepped back.

Just then, Chu Jia stepped forward and threw a punch.

Martial Dao!

Boom!

The instant their attacks collided, a massive shockwave erupted, sweeping across millions of kilometers of land in an instant.

All of Qingzhou was in shock!

Fortunately, Qingzhou's spacetime was reinforced by the Main Guanxuan Academy as a sign of respect due to the fact that it was the Sword Master's birthplace. Otherwise, the sheer force of their clash would have annihilated Qingzhou's spacetime.

Still, the impact was significant, and countless people in Qingzhou looked toward the Sword Sect in horror, wondering what was happening.

Meanwhile, Chu Jia was forced to retreat hundreds of meters away. When he finally stopped, his expression was extremely grave.

Heaven Seizing Dao glared coldly at Chu Jia before staring at "Zong Wu.

"Got anyone stronger? Bring them out!

Hahaha!

" Heaven Seizing Dao sneered.

"Zong Wu" glanced at Chu Jia.

Chu Jia shook his head and said, "I can't kill him."

"Zong Wu" growled, "Then call for backup. Get everyone out here."

Chu Jia hesitated. Moments later, he took out a command token and exclaimed, "Reinforcements!"

Rumble!

The surrounding spacetime trembled violently.

Ye Guanzhi glared at Chu Jia. "The Guanxuan Guards is a public institution, not your personal protection squad. How dare you abuse public resources for personal gain!"

Chu Jia replied calmly, "Envoy Ye, if it weren't for the Academy Master's approval all those years ago, you wouldn't be in your position today. You're simply too rigid."

Although Chu Jia was talented, his rapid rise wasn't just due to his abilities. In the Academy, positions like the Commander of the Guanxuan Guards were highly coveted. Countless talented people were qualified for his role.

Chu Jia's advancement was due to his powerful backers. Unfortunately, those backers hadn't helped him for free. If Chu Jia wanted to rise any further, he needed their help. They were scratching each other's backs.

Heaven Seizing Dao looked over at Ye Guanzhi with a smirk. "Young lady, at this point, ideals like the Guanxuan Laws are meaningless. Only power matters now."

Ye Guanzhi's eyes flashed in a conflicted light. "I just never imagined that they would brazenly trample on the Guanxuan Laws."

Heaven Seizing Dao chuckled, "The Guanxuan Laws are great, but in the eyes of those with power and influence, they're only a tool to control those beneath them. Right now, you need strength if you want to talk to them.

"Nothing else will work."

Ye Guanzhi fell silent.

Crack!

Just then, the spacetime around them fractured, and over a hundred elite Guanxuan Guards stepped out in unison. These guards were the top-tier elites from the Main Guanxuan Academy, and they were equipped with the best armor and weapons possible.

They represented the Guanxuan Academy.

To engage them in battle was akin to waging war on the entire academy.

When the Guanxuan Guards appeared, the disciples of the Sword Sect could no longer distinguish who the true villains were.

Ye Guanzhi stared at the guards with a dark and somber expression, but more than that, she was filled with disappointment. The Academy had meticulously trained these people, but they were now tools for the personal agendas of certain individuals.

"Zong Wu" turned to Ye Guan and said, "Kill him first."

The core of this entire situation revolved around the Wanzhou Martial Contest. As long as they killed Ye Guan, there would be no evidence left to prove that they had interfered. With no proof, they would remain unchallenged.

Chu Jia looked at Ye Guan and ordered, "Kill."

The Guanxuan Guards prepared to attack.

Ye Guanzhi hurriedly shouted, "The Guanxuan Guards cannot act without an official command from the Committee!"

She was still trying to salvage the situation.

Some of the Guanxuan Guards hesitated, glancing at her.

Chu Jia, however, remained expressionless as he declared, "Those who remain unmoving will no longer be my brother."

The Guanxuan Guards' expressions changed, and their hesitation vanished.

In unison, they charged at Ye Guan.

Hum!

Just then, a resounding sword hum echoed from the distant sky.

"Preposterous!" A furious roar rang out from the heavens, and everyone looked up. From the horizon, a hundred streaks of sword lights streaked across the skies like shooting stars.

The Sword Sect was here!