Chapter 1370: Fan Zhaodi's Presence

Diyi Jingzhao was somewhat shocked, as she clearly sensed that Ye Guan had changed.

Had he made a breakthrough? That doesn't make sense at all! He still has no cultivation base whatsoever, after all!

Diyi Jingzhao was utterly puzzled.

Ye Guan looked at her and smiled. "Let's go!"

With that, he walked away.

Diyi Jingzhao hesitated for a moment before saying, "Just now..."

Ye Guan replied, "I had an epiphany."

Diyi Jingzhao glanced at him but said nothing.

Ye Guan continued, "Miss Jingzhao, you were right. I used to see human nature through rose-tinted glasses.

"In this world, evil comes in many forms. Some are grand villains who bring calamity to nations, while others commit smaller evils that merely inconvenience people.

"But regardless of the scale, trying to move such people with kindness is impossible. The only way to deal with them is to be even more ruthless than they are."

Diyi Jingzhao looked at Ye Guan

"In this world, there is no one true Order," added Ye Guan, "The strong rule over the weak, and many act solely based on personal preference. These preferences stem from their morality.

"Decent people know to act with restraint, while those with poor morals, as you've mentioned, can destroy a world on a whim. On a smaller scale, they can ruin entire families just as easily as destroying a world."

"Relying on personal morality to restrain oneself is unrealistic. We need to draw a bottom line, which would be the laws. The laws will serve as the final boundary of morality. Once crossed, there must be severe consequences."

For him, establishing Order was only the beginning. The real challenge was perfecting that Order and governing the vast expanse with it. He needed to think about that, and he had to accomplish it.

It was easy to create an Order wasn't difficult, but refining it was easier said than done. And with every step, his own Dao would ascend to a higher level. In other words, Ye Guan would grow stronger along with his Dao!

Diyi Jingzhao gazed at him. At this moment, she finally understood what Ye Guan was truly trying to do. The core of the Order he sought to establish was for the countless beings of the world...

In truth, deep down, she wasn't particularly optimistic about Ye Guan's vision. After all, those who slay dragons often become dragons themselves.

Just like in the secular world, many rebels claimed to fight for the people, but once they seized power, they'd turn around and exploit the same people they were fighting for.

The cultivation world was worse. In the eyes of cultivators, whose lifespans were limitless, the lives of a myriad living beings were utterly insignificant compared to the Great Dao!

Diyi Jingzhao herself wasn't an exception. She had been seeing the so-called common people as nothing more than numbers. The stronger one became, the more indifferent one would become to life.

Soon, Ye Guan and Diyi Jingzhao arrived before Gu Chen's parents.

The old woman was still anxiously waiting for Gu Chen to return.

The old man was deathly pale, and he looked to be on the brink of death.

The old woman became nervous and wary upon seeing Ye Guan and Diyi Jingzhao.

"You... are you two here to collect debts?"

Ye Guan smiled. "No, we're Brother Gu's friends!"

"Friends?" The old woman was even more confused.

Ye Guan opened his palm, revealing a medicinal pill. He had asked Diyi Jingzhao for it. He handed the pill to the old woman with a smile. "Brother Gu entrusted us to bring this to you."

The old woman trembled as she took the pill. "And where is he?"

Ye Guan replied, "Brother Gu's filial devotion moved the Academy Chief. The chief decided to give him a chance. He must complete a task, and if successful, he can return to the academy. The task will take about six months..."

Upon hearing that, the old woman was so overjoyed that she wept. She fell to her knees and bowed repeatedly.

Ye Guan helped her up and said, "Quick, give your husband the pill, or he won't make it!"

The old woman snapped back to reality and hurried to the wooden cart. She placed the pill into the old man's mouth. As soon as the pill entered the old man's mouth, his complexion instantly improved.

Diyi Jingzhao's pill was, naturally, no ordinary medicine. After coughing a few times, the old man sat up. He looked at Ye Guan and Diyi Jingzhao before bowing deeply. "Thank you to both of you."

Ye Guan smiled. "No need for that, old sir."

The old man hesitated before asking, "And Gu Chen...?"

"Brother Gu has turned over a new leaf. He'll return in six months to see you."

The old man looked at Ye Guan and Diyi Jingzhao before kneeling once more.

The old woman saw that and immediately followed suit.

The old man bowed deeply. "Thank you."

Ye Guan helped them up and handed them a small pouch. "There are a hundred spiritual crystals inside. Brother Gu borrowed them from the Academy Chief and had asked me to give them to you.

"He also asked me to tell you to use them to start a small business and live well."

The old man trembled and cried as he accepted the pouch.

Ye Guan said, "Live well."

The old man choked up. "We have nothing to offer in return, so let us bow to you, beautiful and kind couple!"

With that, he pulled his wife to kneel with him..

A couple...

Diyi Jingzhao's face became slightly unnatural. She glanced at Ye Guan, but his face remained calm. She quickly averted her gaze, looking down at the ground as if deep in thought.

Ye Guan helped them up once more, gave them a few more instructions, and then he turned around to leave Diyi Jingzhao.

The old woman was filled with relief as she stared at Ye Guan and Diyi Jingzhao's departing figures.

"Chen'er has such good friends..." she remarked.

The old man's expression was complex as he said, "That unfilial brat... How could he possibly have such friends? I don't know which ancestor of the Gu family is smiling upon us, but we got lucky..."

***

Diyi Jingzhao suddenly asked, "What will you do with Gu Chen?"

Ye Guan replied calmly, "Is there a particularly shady place in the Diyi World?"

Diyi Jingzhao answered, "The Mine Prison. It's where my clan punishes criminals. They mine endlessly and are starved, but they are never allowed to die. It is perpetually dark and is also known as pandemonium itself."

Ye Guan nodded. "Send him there."

Diyi Jingzhao looked at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan explained, "People often don't understand what they have until they've lost it."

"And if he still doesn't change...?"

"Then, we'll give that old couple a boon. We'll make them thirty years younger and let them start over."

Diyi Jingzhao was momentarily stunned before realizing what he meant. She shot him a look and huffed, "Sometimes, I don't understand you at all."

Ye Guan chuckled and sternly said, "If even evil can't make him change his ways, then he should simply disappear. Otherwise, he'll keep harming his family and other people."

"I understand." Diyi Jingzhao nodded slightly. Then, she hesitantly asked, "Is it worth wasting time on such a person?"

Ye Guan smiled. "For him, no. But we saw that old couple's suffering. We couldn't just ignore them, could we? They aren't evil, and it's hard for poor families to have such a son."

Diyi Jingzhao nodded slightly. "That's true."

Ye Guan suddenly opened his palm, revealing a bronze box before Diyi Jingzhao. "Take this. I'm giving you authority over these three Bronze War Generals, and they will follow your commands."

Diyi Jingzhao took the box and said, "In half a month, the Ten Desolate Universe will be unified."

She turned around to leave, but Ye Guan called out to her, "Miss Jingzhao."

Diyi Jingzhao stopped and looked at him.

Ye Guan stepped closer and smiled. "Can I still stay in the Diyi Clan?"

Diyi Jingzhao was momentarily surprised, and then he understood his intent. She felt warm in her heart as she nodded. "Yes."

Ye Guan staying within the Diyi Clan was a clear signal to the outside world that his relationship with her was not ordinary at all. The reason he decided to do that was to prevent her from taking the blame as the villain.

Although she didn't mind it, Ye Guan's actions still made her feel warm inside.

After bringing Ye Guan back to the Diyi Clan, Diyi Jingzhao left with a group of Diyi Clan experts.

Meanwhile, Ye Guan made his way to the Diyi Clan's training grounds. "Eclipse Sun."

As soon as he spoke, two hundred streaks of sword light descended from the sky and landed steadily before him. At the forefront was Eclipse Sun, followed by a group of top-tier swordsmen from the Emperor Sword Clan. They all exuded a terrifying sword aura, and their presence alone was threatening.

Upon seeing Ye Guan, Eclipse Sun bowed deeply. "Supreme Emperor Guan!"

The other swordsmen followed suit, bowing as well.

Ye Guan glanced at the swordsmen before him and said, "Everyone, I'll be honest with you. My next target is the Forbidden Wildlands in the legendary Suiming Ruins. You will inevitably face powerful opponents in that place.

"You're free to follow me or leave. If you choose to follow me, I will do my best to help you all grow stronger."

One of the swordsmen suddenly asked, "If you don't mind me asking, Supreme Emperor Guan, just how exactly will you help us grow stronger?"

The others also looked at Ye Guan with anticipation.

Ye Guan smiled. "First of all, I will provide you with a special training ground. Secondly, I will personally guide you. Lastly, I will provide you with cultivation resources. Once you've reached a certain level, I will even grant you Supreme Emperor Origin Essences!"

Supreme Emperor Origin Essences!

Upon hearing that, everyone was stupefied. They knew that in order to become a Supreme Emperor, a wisp of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence was necessary.

Without it, no matter how talented they were, they could never become a Supreme Emperor! And who wouldn't want to become a Supreme Emperor?

Ye Guan closed his eyes and inwardly said,

"Little Soul, release the seal on Master Pagoda."

Hum!

A resonant sword hum echoed throughout the training grounds.

"Damn it, that was so suffocating!"

A voice suddenly rang out in Ye Guan's mind.

"Damn, damn, damn iiit!!"

It was so suffocating that the tiny pagoda couldn't breathe at all!

Ye Guan chuckled.

"Master Pagoda, my apologies."

Little Pagoda coldly said,

"You could have unsealed me earlier..."

Ye Guan replied,

"It's better to stay low-key."

"Low-key, my ass!"

Little Pagoda snorted.

"You're even more cunning than your father. When you scheme against people, they don't even know that they're already a part of a scheme. You're really something!"

Ye Guan was dumbfounded.

After a long while, Master Pagoda finally calmed down.

Ye Guan immediately led Eclipse Sun and the Emperor Sword Clan members into the world inside the tiny pagoda.

Everyone's expressions changed upon entering the pagoda. They instantly realized that ten years inside the pagoda was just a day in the outside world!

The swordsmen were stunned and overjoyed.

Ye Guan extended his palm, and six Bronze War Generals appeared before him. He looked at the two hundred swordsmen and said, "Fight them. Let me see your strength."

The six Bronze War Generals charged forward at once.

The swordsmen took on a formation and rushed at the six Bronze War Generals. A battle erupted, but the two hundred True Saints were instantly crushed. They didn't stand a chance against the six Bronze War Generals!

Ye Guan's brows furrowed deeply. These swordsmen were indeed True Saints, but compared to True Saint Hao Ran, they were far inferior. Of course, it was fine. They had a solid foundation, after all. Ye Guan believed that they'd surely become fearsome warriors after just a few hundred years of training here.

Ye Guan was determined to forge his army full of supreme elites!

It was about time he had his own elite armed force. With these two hundred swordsmen beside him, he would conquer a myriad worlds!

Just then, Little Pagoda suddenly said,

"I can feel Fan Zhaodi's presence."

Fuck!

Ye Guan instantly prepared for battle!