Chapter 1312: Brothers

After settling things with the Ancestral Dao, Ye Guan returned to the tiny pagoda and arrived at the Heavenly Tomb Empire.

Tian Xing and Ye Guan sat on the stone steps outside a grand hall.

After a long silence, Ye Guan finally said, "Aunt Qin..."

Tian Xing replied softly, "The day he left, she followed after him."

Ye Guan lowered his head and said nothing.

Looking up at the sky, Tian Xing murmured, "I used to think that if I had met you earlier, I could have formed a strong bond with you, too. Perhaps even a bond as strong as his, but then I realized that when he chose to be your brother, he never considered any personal gains.

"He truly saw you as a brother. In that regard, I can't compare to him at all."

Ye Guan remained silent.

"I'm the emperor of the Heavenly Tomb Empire now, but I don't feel any joy. It took me a long time to understand why. In the end, I realized that, just like Ninth Brother, I was never really interested in being emperor.

"The only reason I pursued this throne was to prove to everyone that I, Tian Xing, was no less than him, even without the Ancestral Dragon's power..."

With that, Tian Xing turned to Ye Guan. "He died in the Sea of Suffering, but are you sure that there's still a chance for him to live?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Yes."

Tian Xing smiled. "Young Master Ye, my strength is far below yours. I can't fight alongside you, but if you ever need me, I will offer you my unwavering faith, along with the loyalty of the entire Heavenly Tomb Empire."

Ye Guan slowly lifted his gaze to meet Tian Xing's.

Tian Xing chuckled and said, "The Heavenly Tomb Empire may not be powerful now, but within your tiny pagoda, it will only grow stronger.

"Of course, compared to your ambitions, we're insignificant, but don't look down on us, all right?"

Ye Guan stood up and handed Tian Xing a scroll. "When the time comes, I'll find you. In the meantime, focus on cultivating and governing the empire. Once Tian Chen is back, we'll give him a surprise!"

Tian Xing's eyes gleamed. "All right!"

Ye Guan nodded and turned around to leave.

Once Ye Guan was out of sight, Tian Xing closed his eyes and said, "Tian Chen... I don't want this throne that you handed over to me. You should take it back."

***

Ye Guan arrived before a special spacetime region shrouding both the Guanxuan Universe and the True Universe.

He tried to enter, but he couldn't.

After standing there for a long time, he finally whispered, "I won't make you wait too long, Sister Zhen."

With that, he returned to the carriage.

The Ancestral Dao stared at him and asked, "Can I enter your tiny pagoda to study it?"

Ye Guan flatly replied, "No."

The Ancestral Dao frowned. "Why not?"

"Just no."

The Ancestral Dao muttered, "Then why did you let that woman in?"

"Because she's pretty," said Ye Guan before closing his eyes, ignoring the Ancestral Dao's protests.

Little Pagoda suddenly asked,

"What's your next move?"

Ye Guan's voice was calm. "I'm gonna make the entire Other Shore believe in me."

"Wow,"

Little Pagoda replied,

"Ambitious, are we?"

The carriage rolled on.

***

After an unknown amount of time, they finally exited the boundaries of the Sea of Suffering.

Zhu Ling appeared inside the carriage. She glanced at the Ancestral Dao before turning to Ye Guan, saying, "Let me brief you on the Other Shore Hall. The highest authority in the hall is the Dharma Lord. Below him are the four Supreme Leaders who govern the North, South, East, and West of the Other Shore.

"They're called the Grand Supreme Leader, the Patriarch Supreme Leader, Supreme Leader Shu Ji, and Sect Supreme Leader[1]. Below them are Great Monks, Priest Monks, and Assistant Priest Monks."

Zhu Ling paused before adding, "Your status as the Holy Son of the Other Shore must be recognized by both the Dharma Lord and the four Supreme Leaders. Only then will the entire Other Shore acknowledge you."

"Once I've been acknowledged, what kind of authority will I have?" asked Ye Guan.

Zhu Ling looked at him. "None."

"None?" Ye Guan frowned.

Zhu Ling nodded. "You will have no power, but your status will be extremely high. You'll be higher the Dharma Lord."

Ye Guan's face darkened.

"Typically, a Holy Son will only appear in calamitous times. The last Holy Son appeared to fight the Great Daoist Brush Master. In other words, there was a reason behind his appearance. While you won't have direct authority, your requests won't be easily refused either."

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "I see. High status, low authority."

"Exactly."

Ye Guan asked, "How was the previous Holy Son acknowledged?"

"He wielded a sacred artifact, the Other Shore Wheel."

Ye Guan studied Zhu Ling for a moment. He suddenly understood why she was willing to cooperate with him.

"Your sword and this pagoda are considered sacred artifacts, but you'll still need one more thing."

"What is it?"

"The Other Shore Mark," Zhu Ling said with a solemn face.

Ye Guan frowned. "What kind of mark?"

"A unique emblem depicting a blood-red boat."

Ye Guan's gaze sharpened. "So that's our biggest hurdle?"

Zhu Ling nodded. "Yes."

The Ancestral Dao suddenly interjected, "Why not just forge one?"

Both Ye Guan and Zhu Ling turned to look at him.

The Ancestral Dao smirked. "You have a special bloodline. Use that to create a convincing imitation. Even if they suspect something, you have both the sword and the pagoda. With those two sacred artifacts, they won't dare doubt you."

"I think so, too," Zhu Ling agreed. "There's no sacred artifact of that level in the entire Other Shore. Once they see those two, they'll have no choice but to believe you."

"Got it." Ye Guan nodded. "So it's time for me to make a move then."

Zhu Ling stared deeply at Ye Guan.

"As the Holy Son of the Other Shore, you must possess an extraordinary aura that is peerless and unmatched..." Zhu Ling trailed off, realizing that the young man before her was already exuding such an aura.

Zhu Ling asked, "How strong are you?"

Ye Guan answered, "I should be invincible except against True Saints."

Zhu Ling observed him for a moment before nodding. "Then, there's no problem at all."

Power. Looks. Legendary artifacts.

Everything about Ye Guan screamed "Holy Son."

The Ancestral Dao glanced at Ye Guan, saying nothing, but he had already deduced Ye Guan's true goal.

Ye Guan wanted the entire Other Shore to believe in him.

If he could actually pull that off, it would be unprecedented. The martial civilization here was far superior to even a Ten Tier Civilization. If this world worshipped Ye Guan, then he would probably be able to challenge that damned Fan!

The Ancestral Dao gloated at the mere thought of it, but he was also reminded that he had almost become invincible.

Damn it!

Zhu Ling spoke again. "I've already sent word to the Other Shore Hall, announcing the arrival of the Holy Son. They're waiting for us now."

Ye Guan nodded. "Then leave the rest to me."

Zhu Ling glanced at him and smiled. "Alright."

Since they were out of the Sea of Suffering, there was no need to travel by carriage anymore. The three took to the skies, but even so, it took them half an hour to reach the Other Shore Holy City.

This was the heart of the Other Shore, and it was the most prosperous city in this world.

As soon as they arrived, they found a massive temple standing tall in the city's center. Its resembled a formation of swords piercing the heavens, creating a majestic and awe-inspiring scene.

At its very peak, there was a pitch-black boat with a banner billowing in the wind. The banner was dyed entirely in a blood-red color.

Ye Guan gazed at the boat. "Is that the Other Shore Boat?"

Zhu Ling nodded. "Yes."

Ye Guan's eyes gleamed with curiosity. "Do you know its origins?"

Zhu Ling shook her head. "No one knows that. All we know is that every cultivation method in the Other Shore originated from it."

Ye Guan turned to the Ancestral Dao.

The Ancestral Dao quickly waved his hands. "I don't know either, but..."

The Ancestral Dao hesitated.

Ye Guan's eyes narrowed. "But what?"

The Ancestral Dao's voice turned solemn. "The Great Daoist Brush Master might know."

Ye Guan's face darkened.

Zhu Ling added, "When we go in, we should change the story. Say you were sent to the Sea of Suffering to kill the Great Daoist Brush Master, but you failed. I think that's more convincing."

Ye Guan nodded. "Got it."

Back in the day, the Great Daoist Brush Master slew multiple True Saints and even clashed with the Other Shore Ark.

Given Ye Guan's current strength, it'd be absurd to say that he had chopped off the head of the Great Daoist Brush Master. No one would believe him.

When they entered the city, Zhu Ling suddenly frowned.

Ye Guan asked, "What's wrong?"

Zhu Ling said in a low voice, "I already sent word ahead that the Holy Son of the Other Shore has arrived. Logically, someone should have come to receive you. But why is there no one here? Something's not right."

Ye Guan's expression also turned serious.

With a grim face, Zhu Ling led Ye Guan and the Ancestral Dao further into the city. They hadn't gone far when she received news that made her face change drastically in an instant.

She turned to Ye Guan with disbelief flashing in her eyes.

Ye Guan solemnly asked, "What happened?"

Zhu Ling stared at Ye Guan, her expression dark and grim. "My people just told me that the Holy Son of the Other Shore has already arrived, and he's inside the Supreme Leader Hall."

The Ancestral Dao glanced at Ye Guan and secretly sneered.

Aren't you good at making things up? Let's see how you talk your way out of this one!

1. Zhu Ling is Sect Supreme Leader ☜