The Imperial City's Lord?

Ye Guan's brows furrowed deeply. He was surprised. He hadn't expected that the mysterious First Hall Master was actually connected to the Divine Ruins Empire.

"Whether or not you believe me doesn't matter at all… I invited you here to bestow upon you an unparalleled opportunity," said Fan Zhaodi.

Ye Guan glanced at Fan Zhaodi. "Should I be thanking you for that?"

Fan Zhaodi smiled. "Young Master Ye's anger is understandable… perfectly understandable."

Ye Guan asked coldly, "What exactly do you want from me?"

Fan Zhaodi smiled faintly and said, "I'll say it again—I want to give you an unprecedented opportunity."

Ye Guan frowned.

"Young Master Ye, are you familiar with the history of the Divine Ruins Empire?"

Ye Guan calmly replied, "Not interested."

"If you're feeling upset about this, how about we settle it with a duel? Rest assured, I won't call for help. Whoever does is a coward."

Ye Guan's expression darkened.

Fan Zhaodi smiled. "What do you say?"

After a moment of silence, Ye Guan asked, "Lady Fan, what exactly are you trying to do?"

"There is no rush. Being anxious now won't help, and this won't harm you at all."

Ye Guan remained silent.

Fan Zhaodi continued, "Let me introduce you to the Divine Ruins Empire. My ancestor once visited the Daoist Temple. Do you know what the Daoist Temple is?"

Ye Guan shook his head.

Fan Zhaodi smiled. "The Daoist Temple is a mysterious place. Its full name is the Genesis Daoist Temple, a destination countless powerful beings dream of visiting. It is the origin of many civilizations, including our Divine Ruins Empire.

"When my ancestor emerged from the temple, he created supreme laws and founded the Divine Ruins Empire. I'm sure you know, but internal strife and the invasion of a foreign force eventually led to the empire's collapse and fragmentation. Now, the Divine Ruins has become a chaotic land."

Ye Guan suddenly asked, "Do you intend to unify this land?"

Fan Zhaodi nodded. "Yes."

Ye Guan frowned. "With your strength, can't you just do that yourself?"

Fan Zhaodi turned to look at him, smiling brightly. "Am I

that

powerful in your eyes?"

Ye Guan stared at her without speaking.

Fan Zhaodi chuckled. "Young Master Ye, you've never encountered beings with truly overwhelming strength. Your understanding of this universe is still too limited." ⱤαΝÔ฿Ěś

"Are there stronger beings than you are here?"

"Let's put it this way—there are some who aren't weaker than me."

Ye Guan's expression darkened.

Her strength is already terrifying. And there are others who are just as strong as her?

Fan Zhaodi continued, "After the collapse of the empire and the invasion, the only region that is still under the empire's control is the Imperial City. Even so, the empire doesn't have full control over the city."

"If you're so strong, why don't you deal with them yourself? Why involve me?"

Fan Zhaodi turned to him, and her lips curled into a mischievous smile. "Let's handle them together."

Ye Guan was silent.

Fan Zhaodi chuckled and said, "Young Master Ye, the situation here is far more complex than you imagine. Allow me to explain, and by the way, the Temporal Dao Hall and the Multiverse Emperor are here, and they are targeting you."

Ye Guan's expression turned grim. "Is the Multiverse Emperor insane? Why is he targeting me?"

Fan Zhaodi laughed. "He's not insane. You've blocked his path. If he can refine a temporal artifact, his strength will increase by at least two levels.

"As for the Temporal Dao Hall, they've struck a deal with him. I'll tell you this—the Temporal Dao Hall isn't so simple. Their ancestor once entered the Genesis Daoist Temple as well."

"Weren't you holding hands with the Multiverse Emperor?"

"Compared to him, I find you to be a more suitable partner. Of course, it's mainly because you won the wager against Clan Leader Jing."

"What's the real goal of this scheme of yours?"

"You're too impatient. Work on that, all right?" said Fan Zhaodi with a shake of her head. Then, she walked away into the distance.

After a brief moment of hesitation, Ye Guan followed her.

Fan Zhaodi looked around with a smile as they walked down the street. "Do you know how glorious the Divine Ruins Empire used to be? Back then, someone like you could only become a guard of the city gates."

Ye Guan said calmly, "Impressive. How did it fall apart?"

"Internal strife. Everyone had their ambitions, and no one was willing to submit to another. So they fought until the entire table was flipped."

Ye Guan deadpanned. "Tragic."

Fan Zhaodi wasn't offended and laughed. "Indeed, it's quite tragic. Such a grand empire, gone just like that."

"Do you know how strong you are compared to the experts here?" asked Fan Zhaodi.

Before Ye Guan could respond, Fan Zhaodi added, "Cultivators here are categorized into different levels of strength. Law Cultivators, Law Enablers, Law Defiers, Law Masters, and Supreme Sovereigns. You're only a half-step Law Master. If your sword intent advances further, it'll be as strong as a Supreme Sovereign."

Ye Guan curiously asked, "How about you? A Supreme Sovereign?"

Fan Zhaodi smiled. "A little higher."

"There's a level beyond that?"

"Yes, but throughout history, only the Divine Ruins Empire's founding ancestor has reached it. In fact, most people don't even know that it exists."

Just then, Fan Zhaodi looked into the distance and said, "We've arrived."

Ye Guan looked ahead and saw a palace. The entire palace was dark red, seemingly enveloped in flames. Twenty knights clad in dark red armor with overwhelming and unfathomable auras stood before the palace.

Fan Zhaodi smiled. "They're members of the Darkflame Knight Regiment of the Divine Ruins Empire. What do you think?"

Ye Guan looked at the twenty knights and said, "They're strong."

"Naturally. One has to be a Law Defier if they want to become one of the Darkflame Knights."

When they reached the entrance, the twenty knights knelt on one knee in unison and placed their right hands on their left chests in reverence. "Greetings, Your Majesty."

Fan Zhaodi said nothing, leading Ye Guan into the palace. Inside, Ye Guan found the palace vast, like a small city, but it was eerily quiet.

Fan Zhaodi guided Ye Guan to a large hall, where two women stood on either side of the door. They were identical in appearance, wearing purple robes adorned with runes and holding staffs.

Seeing Fan Zhaodi, the two women bowed deeply from afar.

When they entered the hall, Ye Guan glanced at the women and noted that they exuded no aura at all, as if they didn't exist.

The grand hall was spacious, with nearly a hundred stone pillars, each requiring over a dozen people to encircle. Carved into the pillars were massive figures wielding great axes, exuding immense pressure.

Fan Zhaodi looked at the carvings and smiled. "These are the Sky Titans, once the Divine Ruins Empire's strongest guardians. During the internal strife, they seceded and are now residing on the northern Titan Plateau.

"Their leader is the strongest in their clan, and they also have three Titan Generals, all peak Law Masters. However, their unique physiques make them far stronger than ordinary Law Masters."

Fan Zhaodi paused and then added, "Remember those two women outside? They're from the Divine Law Academy, previously known as the Imperial Law Court. They were once part of the Divine Ruins Empire, but after the internal strife, they became independent.

"Their headmistress, Shen Xingyue, is a prodigy who created an entirely new divine law. Under her command are four Divine Law Lords, all top-tier powerhouses."

Ye Guan glanced at Fan Zhaodi without speaking.

Fan Zhaodi continued, "The faction you clashed with is the Iron God Clan. They specialize in forging but are formidable cultivators as well. Their leader, Qiong Zhan, wields one of Divine Ruin's three supreme artifacts, the Emperor's Fall Hammer.

"It's slightly inferior to your Qingxuan Sword but superior to your Order Sword."

Ye Guan frowned. "Are you sure?"

Fan Zhaodi smiled. "Don't be stubborn. While your sword intent is nearly complete, do you know how vast the gap between the ninth and tenth levels of sword intent is? Crossing that gap could take a lifetime. Still, I have faith in you."

Ye Guan gave her a sidelong glance but said nothing.

Fan Zhaodi elaborated, "The Iron God Clan has four Iron God Generals. Like our Imperial City, they also have their elite Iron God Knights. The Titan Clan has the Titan Army, each warrior riding an ancient dragon. They're very strong!"

"Then there's the Divine Law Army of the Divine Law Academy, adept in both martial arts and magic. They enhance their power mid-battle through their divine laws, which means they are exponentially stronger in battle."

Ye Guan asked, "Why are you telling me all this?"

Fan Zhaodi suddenly grabbed Ye Guan's arm. He frowned and tried to break free but found it impossible. The next moment, Fan Zhaodi led him to the throne and pressed down on his shoulders, making him sit on it.

Fan Zhaodi then smiled at him. "Unify the Divine Ruins. Do that, and you'll become its emperor."