Chapter 1257: Sister Zhen

Tian Chen brought Ah Weng along to find Ye Guan.

Ye Guan was working out, throwing some punches to keep himself fit.

He couldn't cultivate at the moment, so he focused on training his fleshly body.

The workouts were helping him stay agile and adapt to his new arms.

When Ye Guan saw Tian Chen and Ah Weng walking toward him, he stopped his workout and smiled. "What's up, brother?"

"I don't think I've asked, but how should I address you?"

"Ye Guan."

Tian Chen nodded. "My name is Tian Chen. Anyway, let's get straight to the point."

With that, Tian Chen took out the tiny pagoda and the broken sword. "Ye Guan, how can I awaken their spirits?"

Ye Guan glanced at the two items and answered, "It's easy. Give them enough spiritual energy."

Tian Chen frowned. "I've already done that."

"It's not enough," Ye Guan replied. "These two divine artifacts aren't ordinary—they're special artifacts. Their spirits are in deep slumber due to some unique circumstances, so they'll need an enormous amount of spiritual energy to awaken."

"How much are we talking about, exactly?" Tian Chen asked.

Ye Guan shook his head. "I'm not sure."

Tian Chen's brows furrowed.

After examining the sword and pagoda more closely, Ye Guan said, "But it seems like you're not too far off."

Tian Chen suddenly chuckled. "Brother Ye, you're not an ordinary guy, are you?"

Ye Guan shook his head with a wry smile. "My family fell on hard times. Anyway, it's not worth mentioning."

Tian Chen didn't push the topic and went silent.

"Do you have any spiritual stones on you?" Ye Guan asked.

Tian Chen raised an eyebrow. "Why?"

"Let me take a look," Ye Guan said.

Without hesitation, Tian Chen glanced at Ah Weng, who gave Ye Guan a spiritual stone.

When Ye Guan examined it, his heart skipped a beat.

This is the purest spiritual crystal I have ever seen!

"What do you need it for?" Tian Chen asked.

After a moment's pause, Ye Guan said, "Brother Tian Chen, this crystal is too weak. Its spiritual energy isn't refined enough, so it won't be that great at awakening the pagoda and the sword."

Tian Chen's face turned serious. "Brother Ye, you're holding a Creation Spiritual Crystal! The spiritual energy it contains is extraordinary."

Ye Guan shook his head. "Still not enough, far from it."

Tian Chen laughed. "Ye Guan, can you tell me more about these two? What kind of artifacts are these two, really?"

Ye Guan replied calmly, "It doesn't matter. Right now, they're yours. But I do need to warn you, once their spirits have awakened, I can't guarantee that they'll choose to stay with you."

"

Haha!

" Tian Chen burst out laughing. "You're a funny guy, Ye Guan."

Ye Guan smiled but said nothing.

"Alright, let's see how this plays out!" Tian Chen exclaimed and left.

Ah Weng glanced at the Creation Spiritual Crystal in Ye Guan's hand.

Ye Guan casually remarked, "I'll study this some more."

Ah Weng hesitated. "Study what, exactly?"

"You'll find out eventually," Ye Guan replied.

Ah Weng didn't press any further and simply followed behind Tian Chen.

Left all alone, Ye Guan stared at the crystal in his hand and couldn't help but smile. The crystal was incredibly valuable to him at the moment.

***

On that same night, Ye Guan was sitting at a small table with Fan Shan and her grandfather. There were only four simple dishes on the table. None of them contained any, but the dishes were delightfully fragrant.

Ye Guan ate heartily.

His cultivation base was sealed, so he was no different from an ordinary person. In other words, meals had become a necessity for him.

"Grandfather, are you heading to the Desolate Border Wall tomorrow?" Fan Shan asked.

The old man nodded. "Yes."

"I'm going, too!" Fan Shan said eagerly.

The old man glanced at her. "Like I could stop you."

Fan Shan grinned, quickly filling her grandfather's pipe with tobacco.

The old man turned to Ye Guan. "Do you know how you ended up here?"

Ye Guan shook his head.

His last memory was that great battle, and then darkness.

The old man asked, "But you know where you're from, right?"

Ye Guan nodded. "The Guanxuan Universe."

"The Guanxuan Universe..." The old man frowned. "Is that part of the Heavenly Tomb World?"

Ye Guan shook his head.

The old man relaxed. "As long as you're not from beyond the Desolate Border Wall."

Curious, Ye Guan asked, "What exactly is the Desolate Border Wall?"

"You'll see tomorrow," the old man replied, quickly finishing his bowl of rice. Then, he grabbed his pipe and left.

Fan Shan scooted closer to Ye Guan, smiling. "You're from the Guanxuan Universe,

huh?

"

Ye Guan nodded.

Fan Shan's gaze shifted to his arm. "What happened to your arm?"

Ye Guan's expression didn't change. "A woman cut it off."

"Was she strong?" Fan Shan asked, intrigued.

Ye Guan nodded.

Fan Shan took a bite of her food and asked, "Do you want revenge?"

"Yes," Ye Guan replied.

Fan Shan smiled cheekily. "What if you lose again?"

Ye Guan fell silent.

Fan Zhaodi.... how strong is she now?

He wasn't her match when she had yet to fuse with the Evil Dao, but now that she had merged with the Evil Dao... Ye Guan deduced that her strength had become unimaginable.

But so what?

Ye Guan took a deep breath. No matter how hopeless it seemed, his life's goal was clear—to defeat Fan Zhaodi and reclaim everything he had lost.

Fan Shan broke the silence. "Will you leave here someday?"

"Yes," Ye Guan replied with a nod.

"Oh," Fan Shan said softly, returning to her meal.

"Do you want to leave, too?"

Fan Shan nodded. "Yes."

"Even though it's safe here?" Ye Guan asked. "Although you can't cultivate here, the outside world is much more complicated."

Fan Shan was too kind-hearted. She wouldn't last long in a world as harsh as his.

Fan Shan looked at him and said nothing, quietly finishing her meal.

Ye Guan made no promises. In his current state, he wasn't in a position to promise anything. However, he wouldn't forget the kindness of Fan Shan and her grandfather.

Once he had recovered his strength, he would take them to a better place.

After dinner, Ye Guan stepped outside.

The sky was clear and full of twinkling stars.

He leaned against a stone under the stilted house, gazing at the heavens. He couldn't wait to see Master Pagoda and Little Soul; they probably knew what had happened after that battle.

His thoughts wandered to Sister Zhen and everyone else. Were they still alive? Or...

"What are you thinking about?"

A voice interrupted his train of thought.

Ye Guan turned to see Fan Shan walking over toward him.

Fan Shan sat beside him and handed him a freshly washed fruit.

"Thanks," Ye Guan said, taking a bite. It was crisp, sweet, and delicious.

Fan Shan asked, "Do you think I can cultivate someday?"

Ye Guan looked at her. Fan Shan smiled and said, "I want to cultivate."

Ye Guan chuckled. "You want to fly?"

Fan Shan turned her gaze to the horizon. "I want to find out who I really am."

Ye Guan froze. "You mean..."

Fan Shan nodded. "Grandfather and I aren't related by blood. I'm actually an abandoned baby he had picked up at the town entrance. He doesn't think I know, but I remember it—a man and a woman left me there. That's all I recall."

Ye Guan said, "So you want to leave and find out the truth?"

Fan Shan nodded. "But I don't want to leave Grandfather. If I go, he'll be heartbroken... I'm really torn."

"Don't worry. Once I recover my strength, I'll help you."

Fan Shan turned to him, her smile radiant. "Thank you in advance, then!"

"It should be the other way around, you and your grandfather had saved me, after all," Ye Guan said sincerely.

Fan Shan waved her hand dismissively. "It was nothing, really. Anyone would've done the same."

Ye Guan shook his head. "Not everyone would've done what you did."

"

Pfft!

" Fan Shan chuckled. "But if I were in your shoes, you'd save me, too, wouldn't you?"

Ye Guan nodded. "I would."

Fan Shan giggled. "Then it's settled!"

Ye Guan looked serious. "You should know that the outside world isn't as simple as it seems. Not everyone out there is kind..."

"I know." Fan Shan nodded. "There are bad people everywhere, even in this town. However, I believe there are more good people than bad ones. And if not, we can always turn bad people into good people."

Ye Guan laughed. "And if they refuse to change?"

Fan Shan waved her small hand casually. "Then just get rid of them all. That way, only good people will remain."

Ye Guan froze in place, startled.

After a moment, Fan Shan sighed softly and muttered, "But the world can never be full of just good people or bad people..."

Ye Guan nodded in agreement. "That's true."

Fan Shan suddenly grinned. "Good and evil can coexist, but you can't let the bad outweigh the good, and you definitely can't let them get too powerful!"

Ye Guan turned to look at her.

Fan Shan blinked innocently. "What are you staring at me for? Did I say something wrong?"

Ye Guan chuckled. "No, you're absolutely right."

Fan Shan's smile grew bright and proud. "See? I'm pretty amazing, aren't I? Hehe..."

Ye Guan laughed openly. "That much is clear."

Fan Shan playfully punched his arm, her expression stern. "No laughing!"

Ye Guan quickly straightened up and said seriously, "I wasn't joking."

Fan Shan rolled her eyes and then asked, "You're from the Guanxuan Universe, right? Can you tell me more about it?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Sure. Let me tell you about the Milky Way, it's a really fascinating place..."

"Sounds fun. Go on..."

***

The Milky Way, Mount Fanjing.

With the holiday season in full swing, Mount Fanjing was buzzing with activity. From the base to the summit, the area was packed with people. A sea of visitors enjoyed the rare break.

Despite the crowd, the holiday spirit was alive and well. Everyone seemed genuinely happy, soaking up one of the few chances they had to relax all year.

A man stood in front of a grand hall at the peak of a mountain engulfed by clouds. The man was busy sweeping the ground with a broom.

The man was none other than the Great Daoist Brush Master.

His cultivation base was sealed, so he was forced to return to his old trade, sweeping floors to get by. He grumbled to himself, "Everyone else gets to take a holiday, but here I am forced to work here... It is really frustrating..."

A voice echoed from the statue inside the hall behind him.

The Great Daoist Brush Master paused, staying silent for a while before smiling faintly. "Give up? Not a chance. This is just the beginning."

He leaned on his broom and gazed at the rolling sea of clouds in the distance.

"The Great Dao gives fifty, but Heaven takes forty-nine... You think you're playing with us, but we're playing with you, too. The Virtuous Dao and the Evil Dao are separate; they each hold power, and if they fuse, they will reign supreme.

"When that young one finally discovers the true Virtuous Dao, I think he'll be a bit more than just slightly surprised—no, he'll be

very

surprised.

Hahaha!

"

"You know that woman is invincible. Do you really want to go through with this?" asked the voice from inside the hall.

The Great Daoist Brush Master glanced at the hall and calmly remarked, "Unless that kid becomes strong enough to keep his aunt, his grandfather, and even his father in check, his Order is meaningless.

"But if he becomes

that

capable, or if he even dares to try it... I'll follow his lead and lend him my strength."

***

A door creaked open, and a lady with flowing white hair stepped into a room somewhere in Yanjing. Her eyes wandered around the room, filled with a sense of confusion.

Finally, she walked over to a desk and picked up a few scraps of paper scattered on top.

She stared at the papers for a long time, lost in thought, before suddenly realizing something. Her gaze dropped to her right arm, where a line of blood-red text was etched deeply into her pale, flawless skin.

Little Guan, let me love you one more time.

The words were carved so deeply they seemed to emanate an agonizing sorrow.

"Little Guan... who... is that?" she whispered, her voice trembling with uncertainty.

A faint crimson Great Dao mark shimmered between her brows.

Boom!

Her figure trembled as if she had been struck by lightning. She collapsed to the ground, clutching her head. She writhed as unbearable pain washed over her. It was the suppression of her humanity. Upon getting hit by a flood of memories, a torment worse than death engulfed her.