Being suddenly able to leave was undoubtedly a pleasant surprise for Ye Guan.

Originally, Ye Guan wanted to bid farewell to Daoist Zhang, but he couldn't find the latter even after searching for an entire day.

On that same evening, Ye Guan heard the sound of weeping from the neighboring courtyard. He turned and went to Zong Na's residence.

A lady was holding Zong Na and was crying uncontrollably.

Ye Guan frowned and approached them.

Zong Na's face was as pale as paper, and there was a wound on his neck.

Clearly, he had attempted to take his own life.

Fortunately, he survived.

The lady hugged Zong Na and wailed in grief, while Zong Na himself sat lifeless with eyes devoid of hope.

Ye Guan pondered for a moment before saying, "Let's talk."

Zong Na shook his head.

Ye Guan asked, "Do you think dying like this has any meaning?"

Zong Na looked at Ye Guan and replied, "Living has no meaning either."

Ye Guan snapped angrily, "No meaning? Your mother is so old, and you think living has no meaning?"

Zong Na looked at the crying lady in front of him, and tears fell from his eyes.

Ye Guan continued, "You can't live without that woman?"

Zong Na shook his head. "She and I grew up together; we were childhood sweethearts. We planned to spend our lives together, but now, everything is meaningless."

Ye Guan calmly asked, "Have you not realized the truth just yet?"

Zong Na looked at him, puzzled.

Ye Guan said in a steady voice, "In her heart, the outside world matters more than you. This means her feelings for you aren't as deep as you think. Dying for someone who doesn't love you that much, do you really think it's worth it?"

Zong Na remained silent.

Ye Guan added, "Do you know what will happen if you die here today? When she hears about it someday, she'll only look down on you even more.

"She'll think leaving you was the right choice. Trying to win her pity by dying is foolish."

Zong Na clenched his fists tightly.

Ye Guan pressed on, saying, "Dying like this is a coward's death—it'll only make her despise you more."

Zong Na shook his head, still despondent.

Ye Guan sighed lightly and turned around to leave.

Just then, the lady grabbed Ye Guan's leg. She was trembling while pleading, "Young Master, please save him! I'll do anything for you! I'll serve you as a slave..."

The lady bowed repeatedly, smashing her head repeatedly on the ground.

Ye Guan helped her up and turned to Zong Na.

Zong Na stood up and knelt before his mother. "Mother, I'm sorry..."

The lady embraced him tightly, crying bitterly.

After a while, Zong Na looked at Ye Guan. "Brother Ye, can we talk?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Alright."

The lady quickly said, "You two talk. I'll go prepare some food."

With that, she turned around and left.

Once she was gone, Zong Na looked at Ye Guan and asked, "Brother Ye, you and Lady Zuo Yan... you two aren't ordinary people, are you?"

Ye Guan nodded.

Zong Na gazed at him. "Can I leave, too?"

Ye Guan frowned slightly. "Still can't let her go?"

Zong Na shook his head. "I just want to cultivate."

Ye Guan studied him for a moment without replying.

"You're right. If I die like this now, she'll only despise me more," Zong Na added.

Ye Guan asked, "Do you regret giving her that strand of Great Dao Destiny?"

"No." Zong Na shook his head. "At the time, I just wanted to give her everything good. I have no regrets about how I treated her in this relationship. And I have just realized that it's not her fault that she left me.

"The issue is how I loved her and the fact that I'm too weak."

Ye Guan nodded slightly.

Oftentimes, it wasn't that a man wasn't doing enough. It was simply because he was poor.

For men, poverty was the greatest failure.

Zong Na looked at Ye Guan. "Brother Ye, if I want to leave—"

"I can't take you out right now." Ye Guan shook his head. "But if you want to cultivate, I can help you with that."

Zong Na immediately knelt and bowed deeply toward Ye Guan.

Ye Guan took out an ancient book and handed it to Zong Na.

The ancient book wasn't the one Zuo Yan had given to him.

The book contained a cultivation method for the Guanxuan Laws.

Giving Zong Na the Nine Continents Master's inheritance would only harm him.

Zong Na carefully accepted the book and bowed respectfully. "Thank you, Brother Ye. I owe you a debt I can never repay. From now on, my life is yours."

Zong Na kowtowed immediately afterward.

Ye Guan helped him up and gave him some spiritual crystals. "Cultivate well here. When I leave and there's an opportunity in the future, I'll come back for you. If you still want to leave, I'll take you."

Zong Na nodded. "Alright."

Ye Guan smiled. "As for your life... live it well and take good care of your mother."

Zong Na bowed respectfully. "I will."

Ye Guan chuckled. "Remember this—if a flirtatious lady wants to leave you, then let her go. A true man doesn't cling to a woman."

With that, he turned around and left.

Left all alone, Zong Na clutched the Guanxuan Laws tightly with a resolute gaze.

Ye Guan returned to Daoist Zhang's stall but didn't find him there. Suspecting something, he went to the village where he saw the Nine Continents Master.

As soon as he arrived at the village, he saw Daoist Zhang. Beside him stood a monk in robes. The monk looked compassionate and solemn and was holding a string of prayer beads.

The two were surprised to see Ye Guan.

Daoist Zhang smiled. "Young friend Ye, you're here?"

"I knew you'd be here."

"Why?"

"Just a hunch."

Daoist Zhang was stunned, and then he laughed. "Young friend Ye, you're quite amusing!"

Ye Guan grew serious. "Senior, I'm about to leave here, and I came to bid you farewell."

Daoist Zhang was taken aback. "Leave?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Yes."

Daoist Zhang smiled. "Congratulations."

"Until we meet again." Ye Guan smiled back and turned around to leave.

Just as Ye Guan was about to depart, Daoist Zhang hesitated briefly before calling out, "Young friend, wait1"

Ye Guan stopped and looked back.

Daoist Zhang smiled and said, "Just a moment."

He turned to the monk nearby.

The monk frowned, clearly reluctant.

Daoist Zhang smiled. "Jue Feng, this young man is quite remarkable. Since he's already here, let's give him a share."

A share?

Ye Guan was stunned for a moment before quickly waving his hands. "Senior, I don't need anything."

He turned around and ran away.

Something feels off!

Swoosh!

Daoist Zhang stepped in front of Ye Guan and waved his hands. "No, no, no, don't be afraid, young friend! We mean no harm."

Ye Guan's face darkened.

Daoist Zhang glanced at the monk standing nearby.

The monk looked at Ye Guan and nodded quietly.

Daoist Zhang let out a nervous laugh and said, "To tell you the truth, young friend, we're here for a certain treasure hidden in this blessed land."

Ye Guan raised an eyebrow. "A treasure?"

Daoist Zhang nodded eagerly. "Yes, a remarkable artifact called the Nine Continents Cauldron. It holds the power to control Nine Continents Destiny. Truly extraordinary! We've already tracked it down. And beyond the cauldron, there are other treasures. If you join us, we'll make sure you get one for yourself."

Ye Guan simply stared at Daoist Zhang.

Daoist Zhang chuckled awkwardly. "Rest assured, we're only here for the treasures, not to harm anyone."

Ye Guan said flatly, "What if I'm not interested?"

Daoist Zhang gave him a wry smile. "Come on, do I look like a bad person?"

Ye Guan looked him up and down. "A little, yeah."

Daoist Zhang's smile froze.

The monk finally chimed in, "Just tell him the truth."

Daoist Zhang hesitated, glancing nervously between Ye Guan and the monk.

Ye Guan's voice was calm but firm. "If you're not going to be honest, I'll take my leave."

Seeing Ye Guan turn to leave, Daoist Zhang panicked. "Wait, young friend! Alright, here's the truth. The Nine Continents Cauldron is no ordinary artifact. The Nine Continents Master left it behind, and it carries immense karmic weight. We're afraid that the two of us can't bear it by ourselves.

"That's why we're asking you to help share the burden. Of course, it wouldn't be for nothing. You'd get your pick of two treasures in the secret realm, and every Immortal Essence Crystal that we end up finding will belong to you."

Ye Guan frowned. "Share the karma?"

"Exactly." Daoist Zhang nodded solemnly. "The Nine Continents Cauldron is the most powerful artifact in the Nine Continents; it's as strong as a Tier Nine civilization.

"Since it once recognized the Nine Continents Master as its master, the karma tied to it is... significant. We're just being cautious."

Ye Guan shook his head decisively. "That's too much for me to handle."

Daoist Zhang tried to reassure him. "Actually, I've read your fortune, and your fate is remarkably strong. You should be able to manage it."

Ye Guan raised an eyebrow. "How strong are we talking?"

Daoist Zhang sighed. "Strong enough that I couldn't find its limits. Your fate is unshakable. If you're willing to help us, then there's no end to the benefits you could gain."

Ye Guan glanced at the two of them. He had not expected that they would invite him to join them. Regardless, he wouldn't be stupid enough to share the karmic burden with them.

Ye Guan then shook his head. "I appreciate the offer, but I can't. My elders warned me about getting entangled in too much karma, as they are worried about getting affected by it."

Without another word, Ye Guan walked away.

The monk frowned, and a cold glint flashed in his eyes as he stared at Ye Guan's departing figure. But before he could act, Daoist Zhang put a hand on his shoulder. "Let him go."

"There's more to him than it appears, and I'm afraid we'll gain more karma if we attack him. We are on good terms right now, so there is no point in generating animosity between us."

The monk scowled. "But he knows what we're after…"

Daoist Zhang chuckled. "Don't worry about him. He's smart enough to keep it to himself."

The monk studied Daoist Zhang carefully. "You seem to admire him."

Daoist Zhang grinned. "He's a sharp one, no doubt about it. But enough of that—let's get back to business."

With that, the two turned and headed deeper into the village.