Chapter 1356: Scheming Against a Supreme Emperor

Staying true to one's heart and seeking the truth.

Diyi Jingzhao stared blankly at the fire before her. Reflected in her eyes were two flickering flames, carrying a trace of confusion. At this moment, she resembled a lost fawn.

What was one's true heart?

Her true heart was her own Dao. Before she met Ye Guan, her lifelong goal was to become a Supreme Emperor and restore the glory of the Diyi Clan. Her Dao Heart was steadfast, as unshakable as a boulder.

But after meeting Ye Guan?

To become a Supreme Emperor, she was willing to do anything, but imprisoning Ye Guan, coveting his bloodline, and plotting to seize his Supreme Emperor Destiny Aura. Was that her Dao? No!

What she had been doing was actually going against her true heart. Deep down, she resisted them. Otherwise, she wouldn't have hesitated at the last moment. Yet, giving up so easily left her unwilling to accept it, so she eventually lost herself.

Supreme Emperor! These two words had unknowingly become a mountain pressing down on her heart, obscuring her original path and trapping her in an endless cycle of contradictions and self-doubt.

Using more and more sugar to attract ants will attract more and more ants; using more and more fish to attract flies will attract more flies.

The stronger her obsession to become a Supreme Emperor, the farther away she would be from reaching it. With that in mind, she closed her eyes and muttered, "So that's how it is."

At that moment, it was like she had broken through the clouds to see the moon.

She was enlightened. At that moment, a faint light emanated from her chest, and an ancient aura pervaded her. On her forehead, a faint imprint of a small cauldron flickered briefly.

Her aura had undergone an earth-shattering transformation.

The small cauldron was the Eternal Cauldron! The Emperor-grade weapon had recognized her as its master! The Eternal Cauldron was the personal divine artifact of the Diyi Clan's founding Supreme Emperor.

It had followed her all these years but had never acknowledged her as its master.

An Emperor-grade weapon was a picky weapon? After all, its former master was a Supreme Emperor, the strongest being in this known universe. Having served such a figure, how could it lower itself for an ordinary person?

Even though Diyi Jingzhao was exceptionally talented, compared to a Supreme Emperor, she was still not enough.

Upon shattering her inner demon and finding her true self, however, the cauldron sensed her potential to become a Supreme Emperor. Thus, it decided to acknowledge her.

Even Diyi Jingzhao was a little surprised. Ever since she obtained the Eternal Cauldron, she had tried countless times to make it recognize her, but it never did.

Now, it suddenly chose her as its master!

Diyi Jingzhao could still wield the cauldron to some extent, as its duty was to protect the Diyi Clan. However, she couldn't wield its true power. Now that it had acknowledged her, she could finally unleash its terrifying strength.

It could be said that the Emperor-grade weapon's acknowledgement was a fifty percent boost to her strength. Of course, her greatest profit was not the weapon itself but her newfound clarity, her recognition of her true self. That was her real achievement.

Ye Guan's words had been like swords, each piercing her soul, yet enlightening her as if they were divine nectar.

Noticing the change in Diyi Jingzhao, Ye Guan smiled and said, "Reflect, face your true heart, exist in the present, and attain your true self. You've done all that, so congratulations."

With that, he warmed his hands over the bonfire.

Diyi Jingzhao looked at him and asked, "Why did you say these things to me?"

"Because I think you're outstanding. You shouldn't lose yourself like this."

"You think I'm outstanding?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Better than me."

Diyi Jingzhao was slightly startled. She gazed into his eyes, and his expression remained calm, with no hint of jest.

"

Hahaha.

" Ye Guan chuckled. "Lady Jingzhao, don't underestimate yourself, and don't place me too high on a pedestal. I became a Supreme Emperor not purely by my own strength. Without my family's support, I wouldn't have made it this far.

"And before that, I would always get beaten up. I was completely miserable."

Recalling the brutal beatings he had suffered at the hands of Fan Zhaodi, he couldn't help but laugh.

Diyi Jingzhao studied Ye Guan. In the firelight, his features appeared even more handsome, radiating an unparalleled charm. His appearance was indeed exceptional. Even with her discerning eye, she couldn't find a single flaw.

More importantly, after spending time with him, she discovered that Ye Guan had none of the arrogance expected of a Supreme Emperor. Instead, he was approachable and humble.

He was different from the Supreme Emperors she had in mind! She withdrew her gaze and looked into the fire. "I can only remove the Diyi Clan's part of the Supreme Emperor Seal."

Ye Guan smiled. "That's fine."

Diyi Jingzhao looked up at him. "My Diyi Clan treated you this way. I even plotted against you to obtain your bloodline and Supreme Emperor Destiny Aura. Do you... hate me for that?"

Her hands clenched involuntarily within her sleeves.

Ye Guan glanced at her and smiled. "Didn't you choose not to do

it

in the end?"

Recalling that day, Diyi Jingzhao's face flushed red.

Ye Guan was briefly dazed. The lady before him was breathtakingly beautiful.

Sensing his gaze, Diyi Jingzhao's expression became slightly unnatural. Her face felt warm, but her high cultivation base allowed her to quickly regain composure. Still, she didn't meet his eyes, keeping her gaze fixed on the fire.

Ye Guan soon retracted his gaze as well. Looking toward the entrance of the grand hall, he saw that night had fallen. The darkness outside seemed to stretch endlessly without stopping.

Ye Guan smiled and said, "I'm feeling a bit tired. I'll rest now."

With that, he leaned on the stone pillar and closed his eyes.

Diyi Jingzhao slowly lifted her gaze from the fire and looked at Ye Guan's face, falling into deep contemplation.

***

Dao Domain, Dao Clan.

Jun Yu sat across from Dao Zhi, the clan leader of the Dao Clan.

A handsome young man dressed in an exquisite black robe was standing behind Dao Zhi.

Jun Yu smiled and said, "Brother Dao Zhi, the Diyi Clan's two ancestors are about to enter a period of extreme weakness. What are you going to do?"

Dao Zhi stared at Jun Yu and smiled as well. "Does the Jun Clan have plans?"

Jun Yu nodded. "Brother Dao Zhi, let's not beat around the bush. The Diyi Clan has been dominating the Ten Desolate Universe for years, relying on the presence of their two Supreme Emperors.

"However, their ancestors will soon enter that phase, so this is our chance to strike."

Dao Zhi took a sip of tea, remaining silent.

"The Emperor Sword Clan, my Jun Clan, and the Qin Clan have already joined forces," Jun Yu added.

Dao Zhi's brows furrowed.

Jun Yu smiled. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity."

"Indeed." Dao Zhi chuckled. "But this is a big affair. I must consult the elders of my clan."

Jun Yu nodded. "Naturally, but can I expect an answer within the day?"

"Of course." Dao Zhi nodded.

"All right," Jun Yu said, "I'm leaving, then."

With that, he vanished into thin air.

Dao Zhi turned to the young man behind him and asked, "Dao Chen, what do you think?"

Dao Chen massaged Dao Zhi's back and replied, "Grandfather, we shouldn't join them."

Dao Zhi smiled and asked, "Why do you say that?"

"First of all, even a dying camel is still larger than a horse. The two avatars of the Diyi Clan's ancestors are indeed about to enter a period of extreme weakness, but they are still the remnant souls of Supreme Emperors.

"Eliminating them will come at a great cost. Moreover, Jingzhao is a Quasi Emperor. Besides, there are also the top-tier experts secretly cultivated by the Diyi Clan. In a war of extermination, they will fight desperately, and even if several clans were to join forces against them, those clans would still suffer heavy losses."

Dao Zhi nodded slightly. "Go on."

"Secondly, it's not worth it. The most valuable assets of the Diyi Clan right now are their Emperor-grade weapon, the nineteen Emperor Veins under their control, and the various resources they have accumulated over the years.

"If one clan were to claim all of that, it would naturally be a great fortune. But if several clans were to split it among themselves, then it'd become meaningless.

"Furthermore, who would claim that Emperor-grade weapon? Once the Diyi Clan is no more, the allied clans will fall into internal strife, leading to new disputes..."

Dao Zhi nodded again. "Go on."

"Most importantly, Supreme Emperor Ye Guan is with them."

Ye Guan...

Dao Zhi frowned.

"If we annihilate the Diyi Clan, how are we going to deal with him? Do we kill him? Clearly, no one dares to do that. How about imprisoning him? That's even worse, as it means making an enemy out of him.

"How about letting him go? No one would dare to do that either. The reason we all joined forces to seal and suppress him was that we're afraid that he might become a Supreme Emperor once again..."

Dao Chen shook his head slightly and added, "What if he chooses to aid the Diyi Clan? He was able to become a Supreme Emperor, so he is no ordinary person. Who can say for certain that he has no trump cards?"

Dao Zhi smiled. "Go on."

"The Diyi Clan was willing to offer an Emperor-Grade weapon in exchange for Ye Guan. What was their true goal behind that? At first, we thought that it was because they wanted to absorb Ye Guan's bloodline and Supreme Emperor Destiny Aura, but that is definitely false, as he's still alive and well...

"Is it possible that Clan Leader Jingzhao had deceived us all? She made it appear that she wanted to extract his bloodline and Supreme Emperor Destiny Aura, but in reality, she's using his emotions to sway him... to win him over."

Dao Zhi fell silent for a moment before saying, "Sit down."

Dao Chen didn't sit but continued to gently massage Dao Zhi's back. "Going against conventional wisdom often yields greater chances of success. If Emperor Ye Guan truly falls in love with Jingzhao, then the Emperor-grade weapon that the Diyi Clan had sacrificed would become a small price to pay in exchange for him."

"Do you really think that Ye Guan would fall in love with her?"

"That's hard to say," Dao Chen said, "Clan Leader Jingzhao is the most beautiful woman in the Ten Desolate Universe. Moreover, when she was young, she seized her current position in an extremely ruthless way, becoming the youngest clan leader in the history of the Diyi Clan.

"She has been managing the clan meticulously, even bringing it almost at the same height as their glory days. In terms of appearance, intellect, strategy, and strength, she's at the pinnacle.

"If Ye Guan ends up falling for her, it won't be strange at all."

Dao Chen's eyes flickered with a complex emotion. "Jun Yu and the others seek to scheme against them, but Clan Leader Jingzhao is scheming against a Supreme Emperor. She's not on the same level as us at all."

Dao Zhi slowly stood up. He patted the young man's shoulder before him, and his eyes were filled with gratification as he said, "You are more capable than your father."

Dao Chen smiled. "Of course, I'm your grandson, after all."

"

Hahaha!

" Dao Zhi burst into laughter before saying, "Your analysis is spot on, but you overlooked one thing."

Dao Chen respectfully asked, "Please enlighten me, Grandfather."

"Clan Leader Jingzhao wants him to fall in love with her, ultimately making him serve the Diyi Clan. But have you considered the possibility that perhaps Ye Guan has already seen through her intentions?"

Dao Chen frowned slightly.

Dao Zhi spoke solemnly, "He became a Supreme Emperor at a young age, so he is no ordinary man. If Jingzhao underestimates him and believes that she can manipulate him at will, then she's foolish.

"You must understand that 'love' is the most transformative force in the world. It can change others, but it can also change oneself..."

Dao Zhi walked to the great hall's entrance and gazed at the sky. In a soft voice, he added, "Whether she falls in love with Ye Guan or he falls in love with her, she'll win half the battle as long as they become entangled with each other's emotions.

If they take it a step further and their relationship becomes intimate, then she and the Diyi Clan will become invincible forever. No wonder she was willing to trade an Emperor-grade weapon for him...

"We all thought we were getting a great bargain, but in reality, she had already calculated everything.

"As you said, we are all scheming for our vested interests, but she... she's scheming against a Supreme Emperor to obtain a Supreme Emperor. Her plan... is terrifyingly deep. As for Ye Guan... I wonder if he's her match."