Chapter 1316: Fan Zhaodi

The Dharma Lord wasn't genuinely asking if Ye Guan had any requests.

It was actually a test to discover Ye Guan's true motives. Although the Dharma Lord had acknowledged Ye Guan as the Elder Holy Son, he still couldn't really trust him.

The only reason he accepted Ye Guan was that he couldn't resist the temptation of using the tiny pagoda. At the same time, he was wary that Ye Guan had a hidden motive, which was why he asked that question.

However, Ye Guan immediately saw through the Dharma Lord's intentions.

The Ancestral Dao stared at Ye Guan.

That brat's mind is ridiculously sharp!

The Dharma Lord stared at Ye Guan for a moment before smiling. "For the sake of the Other Shore Holy Ark and all living beings... your righteousness... is truly admirable!"

With that, he bowed slightly and said, "Holy Son, I have some matters to attend to. Once they are settled, I will return to pay homage to the sacred artifact."

Ye Guan returned the gesture. "You're welcome to do so anytime, Dharma Lord."

Seeing Ye Guan return the bow, the Dharma Lord's smile deepened. Then, he turned around and vanished.

Only Nan Yi and the Ancestral Dao remained.

Ye Guan looked at Nan Yi with a smile. "Brother Nan, do you need anything?"

"Shall we talk?" Nan Yi asked.

"Of course."

Nan Yi glanced at the Ancestral Dao.

Ye Guan smiled and said, "He's one of us. I won't hide anything from him."

The Ancestral Dao cast a meaningful look at Ye Guan but said nothing.

Nan Yi nodded and asked, "Brother Ye, be honest with me. Is this tiny pagoda truly a gift from the Other Shore Holy Ark?"

Without hesitation, Ye Guan nodded. "Yes."

Nan Yi stared at him in silence.

"Brother Nan, is there something you would like to say to me?"

Nan Yi hesitated for a moment before asking, "Brother Ye, are you truly here to fight against that heretic, Yang?"

"Of course. Why else would I be here?" Ye Guan reassured.

"Since we share the same goal, we should join forces. What do you think?"

"That's a great idea!" Ye Guan agreed.

Upon hearing that, Nan Yi opened his palm and the Dao-Tracing Stone appeared in his hand. "Brother Ye, you can make use of this stone."

The Dao-Tracing Stone floated slowly toward Ye Guan.

The Ancestral Dao's eyelids twitched violently at the sight.

Ye Guan took the Dao-Tracing Stone, examined it briefly, and smiled. "Brother Nan, you're welcome to cultivate and attempt to obtain enlightenment in the tiny pagoda. Of course, your gains will depend on yourself."

In a deep voice, Nan Yi replied, "Much appreciated."

He was deeply intrigued by the tiny pagoda. Ten years in the pagoda was equivalent to just a day in the outside world. The tiny pagoda defied all logic. If he were to unravel its mysteries, it wouldn't be difficult for him to become a True Saint!

A True Saint!

As a Holy Son, his ultimate goal was to become a True Saint, and this pagoda would speed up the process. That was why he was willing to cooperate with Ye Guan.

They were scratching each other's backs, so why wouldn't he cooperate with Ye Guan? Whether Ye Guan was the true Holy Son of the Other Shore no longer mattered.

Ye Guan took the Dao-Tracing Stone and arrived in a vast and barren desert with the Ancestral Dao.

He turned to the Ancestral Dao, who was grinning, eager to gain Ye Guan's favor.

Even if Ye Guan were to tell him to call him "Father," the Ancestral Dao wouldn't hesitate to do so.

"You remember your oath, right?"

"I do, I do!" The Ancestral Dao quickly nodded. He appeared obedient, but deep down, he was sneering.

A mere oath? What can a mere oath do to me?

As soon as his cultivation base was restored, he would immediately leave.

To believe in this brat's Order? What a joke!

Ye Guan stared deeply at the submissive Ancestral Dao before handing the Dao-Tracing Stone to him.

He eagerly took the stone and was itching to activate it. Just as he was about to do so, Ye Guan remarked, "Your timeline overlaps with that of Fan Zhaodi. If you summon your past self, won't she be alerted?"

Fan Zhaodi!

The Ancestral Dao sobered up as soon as he heard that name.

"I can't guarantee that she will not detect it," he said.

Ye Guan frowned.

The Ancestral Dao added, "Unfortunately, there's no other way. I can only try and see what happens."

Ye Guan thought for a moment before nodding. "Alright."

The Ancestral Dao glanced at Ye Guan before focusing on the Dao-Tracing Stone in his hand. He closed his eyes, and the Dao-Tracing Stone trembled slightly. Soon, an endless Time River appeared within it.

Ye Guan fixed his gaze on the Time River. Under the Ancestral Dao's control, the Time River rippled like waves.

The Ancestral Dao stared intently at the Time River. He was tracing back his own timeline. Soon, he saw the moment he and Ye Guan arrived at the Sea of Suffering. A while later, the images shifted and showed the Ancestral Dao lying on the Ancestral Dao Seal, floating across the sea.

The Ancestral Dao's face darkened at the sight..

Soon, Ye Guan's hands clenched into a tight fist. He saw the moment when Third Sister and the others sacrificed themselves for him...

The reason he saw those scenes was that the Ancestral Dao had seen the battle from across the sea.

Ye Guan's clenched his fists even tighter. He stared without blinking at the Time River. He felt as if his chest was being crushed by an invisible, suffocating force.

He watched as Third Sister and the others fell into the Sea of Suffering one by one. Eventually, he closed his eyes as he trembled uncontrollably. Soon, Ye Guan opened his eyes again to look at the Time River.

He saw Ling Xiao, and his eyes became filled with tears upon seeing how Ling Xiao had fallen in battle.

"Big Brother..." he whispered while trembling.

The Ancestral Dao stared at Ling Xiao with a complex face. Ling Xiao had been his lifelong rival, and they had fought countless times before. The Ancestral Dao had long acknowledged Ling Xiao's strength, and he had even attempted to recruit him multiple times.

He had also always known that if they had been born in the same era and had started their paths at the same time, he wouldn't have a chance against Ling Xiao.

If Fan Zhaodi hadn't assimilated the Ancestral Dao's cultivation base, she would have perished under Ling Xiao's final strike. Ling Xiao's final strike was terrifying, as he had sacrificed himself to unleash it.

Unfortunately, Ling Xiao was faced with an even greater monster—Fan Zhaodi herself.

The Ancestral Dao felt frustrated.

I was an idiot!

The scenes within the Dao-Tracing Stone shifted once more. This time, Clan Leader Jing appeared before Ye Guan's eyes. When he saw her turn into a statue, his eyes reddened with emotion.

"Master Pagoda, I should have died with them..."

he whispered in anguish.

"Do you know why they fought so desperately hard to save you? It's because they believed that one day, you'll defeat that woman,"

Master Pagoda responded.

Ye Guan shook his head. His heart twisted in pain, like it was being stabbed by countless needles. His Mad Demon Bloodline began to surge violently, and a terrifying bloodline power erupted from him.

The Ancestral Dao's expression changed drastically. He was afraid that Ye Guan would go mad.

The Ancestral Dao urged the Dao-Tracing Stone to pick up the pace. Ripples rapidly spread across the Time River, and soon, they saw the Ancestral Dao in the middle of the ritual to sacrifice all beings.

The Ancestral Dao was thrilled. He saw himself in his peak form.

Just then, Fan Zhaodi started devouring his cultivation base. As he watched her drain away his power, his gaze turned icy cold. He absolutely hated her!

The Ancestral Dao took a deep breath. Just as he was about to continue, Fan Zhaodi raised her head and looked at them. Her gaze was locked onto Ye Guan, and an endless sea of blood churned within her eyes.

The Ancestor Dao was terrified.

Shit! Is she looking at us?

He panicked and picked up the pace.

However, Fan Zhaodi pointed her finger at them.

Boom!

The Time River within the Dao-Tracing Stone churned. The next moment, a terrifying wave of Evil Dao energy broke through the stone itself and rushed straight toward the Ancestral Dao.

"Fuck!" The Ancestral Dao was scared out of his wits. At the critical moment, Ye Guan yanked him away and thrust his sword forward.

Bam!

The sword light shattered, but both Ye Guan and the Ancestral Dao were blasted away. The moment they landed, the Ancestral Dao hurriedly closed the Dao-Tracing Stone.

Before the Time River could vanish, Fan Zhaodi cast a final contemptuous glance at Ye Guan from within the Time River.

"Is that all?" she asked with a sneer.

Boom!

The Time River within the Dao-Tracing Stone collapsed. The Ancestral Dao fell to the ground, looking utterly drained and lost. He mumbled in despair, "It's over, it's completely over... that woman has become invincible."

Ye Guan's face was grim as well.

That woman... could actually interfere with the future from the past? Her strength...

Ye Guan took a deep breath and composed himself. His gaze gradually hardened with determination. He turned to look at the Ancestral Dao, who was still slumped in despair.

"It's not over. We still have hope."

The Ancestral Dao shook his head in defeat, feeling utterly hopeless. "No, there's no hope. That woman can manipulate the future from the past. And she did it through the legendary Dao-Tracing Stone."

"Do you not understand what that means?" he asked while trembling, "That casual attack of hers directly suppressed two Great Daos—the Great Dao of the Dao-Tracing Stone and the Great Dao of the Other Shore.

"Her strength is far beyond anything we can imagine."

"Will Fan Zhaodi spare you if you surrender and beg for mercy?" asked Ye Guan.

The Ancestral Dao stared at Ye Guan.

"Since you can't surrender, then other than fighting to death, do you have any other choice?"

The Ancestral Dao was silent.

"She's strong, but we have a chance against her," Ye Guan said. "I'm going to train in seclusion. Think carefully about your next course of action."

With that, Ye Guan turned around and walked away.

Just then, a shiver ran down the Ancestral Dao's spine. "She saw the two of us, so she knows that we both survived that battle."

Ye Guan stopped in his tracks.