Chapter 1364: The Temptation Is Too Great

Ye Guan was crushing their spirits!

Jun Yu and the others were furious, but Jun Yu was more furious than anyone else. His rage surged like a storm as he clenched his fist, ready to strike.

However, Qin Hao standing beside him held him back. With his gaze fixed on Ye Guan in the distance, Qin Hao warned, "If you act now, you'll make enemies of all the clans."

Jun Yu's face darkened.

Qin Hao added, "He's provoking you on purpose. Don't fall for it."

Jun Yu glared at Ye Guan's retreating figure. "He and the Diyi Clan's leader must have found something in there."

"Relax. Dao Zhi and the others aren't that easy to fool. If he doesn't pay a price, they won't let him off. Besides, he might be playing with fire here. The temptation of becoming a Supreme Emperor is too great, far beyond what a few words can handle."

Jun Yu didn't reply, but his eyes remained locked on Ye Guan's group.

In the distance, Ye Guan turned to look at Di Ling, whose body and soul were still burning. With a smile, he said, "You, too. Come here."

Di Ling didn't hesitate and hurried after him.

Then, Ye Guan turned to Diyi Jingzhao. "Keep an eye on them for me."

Diyi Jingzhao nodded. "Understood."

Ye Guan led the group away; Dao Zhi, Di Ling, and the others followed him silently. They all kept a respectful distance, staying one step behind him.

Unlike Jun Yu, they knew better. Even though Ye Guan had no cultivation base, he still commanded respect. Among them, Di Ling stood out the most, as his fleshly body and soul were still ablaze.

Suddenly, Ye Guan spoke. "I discovered a secret within the Suiming Ruins. A secret about how to become a Supreme Emperor."

His words echoed like a thunderclap among the clan leaders.

Dao Zhi and the others stared at him in disbelief. Even Di Ling was dumbfounded.

Ye Guan opened his palm, revealing a wisp of radiant energy. H

"This is the secret," he said, smiling.

"Supreme Emperor Origin Essence!" Mu Zhen exclaimed, trembling.

Ye Guan glanced at him, slightly surprised. "You know it?"

Mu Zhen's voice shook. "My ancestor has recorded its existence. It's the key to becoming a Supreme Emperor and is said to be hidden within the Bronze Tomb.

"However, my ancestor has issued a strict order—no one was to enter the Bronze Tomb under any circumstances."

Mu Zhen's eyes were fixed on the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence in Ye Guan's hand, and his eyes were filled with unconcealed greed.

Mu Shuo nudged him multiple times, but Mu Zhen ignored her.

Becoming a Supreme Emperor...

Mu Zhen's fists clenched. He was ready to make a move.

And he wasn't alone. Everyone around him was experiencing the same turmoil. The moment the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence was revealed, they sensed an unfamiliar yet overwhelming energy emanating from it.

Their instinct told them that if they managed to obtain that power, their chances of becoming a Supreme Emperor would skyrocket.

The atmosphere grew heavy with tension as an invisible killing intent filled the air.

Among the group, three people remained calm, and one of them was Di Ling. His heart was pounding, but he kept his head down and remained respectful. In his mind, only one thought existed—

Young Master Ye is everything.

The other two were Dao Chen and Mu Shuo. They understood that even if they got their hands on the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence, it wouldn't guarantee their ascension to a Supreme Emperor.

Meanwhile, Ye Guan walked away at a leisurely pace, seemingly oblivious to the killing intent around him.

Dao Chen and Mu Shuo's expressions changed.

Something was off. This was a trap.

Ye Guan had deliberately revealed a wisp of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence, and it could only mean that he was fishing.

Realizing that, both Dao Chen and Mu Shuo immediately warned their leaders using profound sound transmission.

Their words jolted Dao Zhi and Mu Zhen back to their senses. They tore their gazes away from the wisp of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence and looked at Ye Guan again.

Why had he revealed the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence so casually?

The more they thought about it, the weirder it became.

Meanwhile, others, including Shen Yong, struggled to suppress their growing desire, and their eyes were still fixed on the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence.

Just then, Ye Guan held the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence out toward Di Ling.

"Clan Leader Di Ling, this is for you," he said.

The leaders were stunned.

Di Ling, too, stared at Ye Guan in disbelief. "Young Master Ye, t-this..."

Ye Guan placed the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence in his hand. "Take it."

Thud!

Di Ling fell to his knees. Pressing his forehead to the ground, tears streamed down his face as he exclaimed, "Thank you, Young Master Ye!"

He wasn't acting here. He had just received a wisp of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence, after all!

It was as if an ordinary person had shielded their big brother from harm, only for that brother to turn around and hand them a bank card loaded with billions.

Who wouldn't be moved by such generosity?

𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

The leaders were frozen in shock.

He gave it away just like that?

A treasure so precious was handed over so easily?

Ye Guan helped Di Ling up to his feet before turning to Dao Zhi and the others. With a smile, he said, "That's the secret of the Suiming Ruins. I told you all there is to know; you can disperse now."

With that, he walked away with Di Ling.

"Supreme Emperor Guan!" Dao Zhi called out.

Ye Guan turned around.

Dao Zhi hesitated before asking, "Supreme Emperor Guan, do you... have any more wisps of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence?"

Ye Guan nodded. "I do."

Dao Zhi and the others perked up.

Dao Zhi bowed deeply. "Supreme Emperor Guan, would you be willing to bestow upon us a wisp of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence? We—"

"No." Ye Guan cut him off.

Dao Zhi was taken aback.

"Supreme Emperor Origin Essences are incredibly rare. How can I just give that away?"

Dao Zhi's face stiffened.

"To be honest, I only have one more. If any of you want it, you can try taking it away from me right now."

Take it away from you?

The leaders fell silent.

Of course, they wanted to do so, but Ye Guan was too calm. It was like he was inviting them to attack him. Who would dare to attack him at this point?

Dao Zhi gritted his teeth and bowed deeply. "Supreme Emperor Guan, my Dao Clan is willing to serve you."

"No need." Ye Guan shook his head. Then, he left with Di Ling, leaving Dao Zhi dumbfounded.

Hadn't Ye Guan done all this to make them submit?

Then why had he refused their pledge of allegiance?

In the distance, Ye Guan glanced at the wary Di Ling and chuckled. "Relax. They won't dare to make a move."

Di Ling hesitated. "Young Master Ye, the temptation of the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence is too great. They might become desperate."

Ye Guan calmly replied, "Good. Let them."

Di Ling was silent for a while before asking, "Young Master Ye, did you show them the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence just to tempt them?"

Ye Guan nodded.

Di Ling frowned. "But the Dao Clan has already pledged loyalty. Why..."

Ye Guan smirked. "They want the Supreme Emperor Origin Essence, so their pledge of allegiance is not genuine at all."

"Then why tempt them in the first place?" asked Di Ling, growing more confused.

"It's not about giving; it's about showing. Just like a rich man doesn't have to spend on a woman. He just needs to let her see his wealth. The more he withholds, the more she craves. The more she craves, the more she sticks around and tries to please him. She might even spend her own money on him... and as for whether she'll be willing to do certain positions—never mind."

With that, he walked away.

Just who raised that young man...?

Di Ling felt a shiver down his spine, and then he hurried after Ye Guan.

Dao Zhi and the others looked grim.

"How about..." Chen Yue trailed off, and his eyes flickered with killing intent.

Shen Yong calmly asked, "How about you go first?"

Chen Yue frowned.

Shen Yong gazed into the distance and added, "Why would he dare to take out a wisp of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence? Could it be that he's not afraid of us at all?"

"What if he's baiting us into making a move?" Dao Zhi pointed out.

Everyone's expressions stiffened..

"He gave us three choices," Dao Zhi added, "The first choice is to stay out of it and remain neutral; he won't attack us if we do that. Secondly, we strike now, and thirdly, we follow the example of the Di Clan.

"The fact that he handed over that wisp of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence to Di Ling right in front of us means that he knows what he's doing. He just showed us exactly what it'll take for us to earn his acknowledgement."

Everyone's faces darkened. What had the Di Clan done for him? The moment they arrived, they burned their souls and fleshly bodies! Their loyalty wasn't just empty words; they were dead serious.

They pledged their allegiance to him and were ready to live and die for him.

Could they do the same?

Dao Zhi's gaze was complex as he said, "He made it seem like we have three choices, but in reality, we only have one. He has already given a wisp of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence to the Di Clan, after all.

"If the Di Clan produces a Supreme Emperor, we'll have no choice but to submit to them.

"Whether we yield now or later, will there be any difference? As for fighting him... the fact that he dared to do this means that he's not afraid of us at all. If anything, he's hoping that we'll make a move..."

Shen Yong's expression turned cold. "Then why did he refuse when you said that you were willing to submit to him?"

Dao Zhi replied evenly, "Because he's telling us that if we want a wisp of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence, we'll have to earn his acknowledgement first. And how do we do that? That depends on how well we perform.

"To put it bluntly... he wants us to compete."

A chill ran through everyone's hearts. That young man is absolutely insane! His intellect and strategies were just... terrifying.

"Everyone, this is a big problem," Dao Zhi said, "You should discuss this thoroughly with the elders of your clans."

With that, he turned around and left with Dao Chen.

The others nodded in agreement. This was something that required serious deliberation. No one could make such a decision lightly.

Just then, an overwhelmingly powerful amalgamation of auras erupted in the distance.

Shen Yong and the others froze, and their faces were filled with shock.

"The Dao Clan's elites have arrived?"

Just then, Dao Zhi's voice thundered across the battlefield. "Whoever dares to touch Young Master Ye will die at the hands of the Dao Clan! We will fight to the death for Young Master Ye's sake! Hear me, clansmen! Burn your souls! Burn your bodies! Burn everything for me, god damn it!"

BOOM!

Every Dao Clan elite ignited both their fleshly bodies and souls at the same time.

Shen Yong and the others stood there, eyes wide in utter disbelief.

You've got to be kidding me.

So you've decided to make that play?!