Chapter 1382: Just Call Me Little Pagoda From Now On

Countless powerful beings from the Forbidden Wildlands bowed respectfully towards Ye Guan. Among them, the weakest was a True Saint.

Ye Guan gazed coldly at the approaching figures without saying a word. He wanted to take things slowly, but he knew he didn't have the time to do that.

He had to unify the Ten Desolate Universe and the Forbidden Wildlands and combine their powers into a single force to prepare for the crisis that could arrive at any moment.

Meanwhile, the powerful beings from the Forbidden Wildlands were also observing him with curiosity.

So he was Supreme Emperor Guan...

Back when Ye Guan's divine sense swept across the entire Forbidden Wildlands, they only sensed his presence but hadn't seen him in person.

Now that they could see him clearly, they were shocked at how incredibly young he was. He was just standing there with no apparent cultivation base, but he exuded an invisible, overwhelming pressure.

More and more figures streaked across star fields, rushing over to stand before Ye Guan.

***

Somewhere in a boundless star field, a red-robed lady walked slowly alongside Diyi Jingzhao. Today, Diyi Jingzhao wore a pure white dress. Her expression was as cold as ice, as if she were carved from frost.

In contrast, the red-robed lady was all smiles. She took out a fruit and handed it to Diyi Jingzhao, asking, "Want some? This is far more precious than a Supreme Emperor Origin Essence."

Diyi Jingzhao shook her head.

The red-robed lady shrugged and then said, "That swordsman of yours may be decent in where you come from, but honestly, he's nothing special. Why cling to him? With your physique and talent, working as his errand-running steward is just ridiculous.

"Once you reach the Old Lands, you'll see for yourself how many outstanding men are out there."

Diyi Jingzhao was silent.

The red-robed lady glanced at her, then turned her gaze to the right. In that instant, her eyes pierced billions of starry regions.

***

Deep within a grand hall, a white-robed man suddenly looked up. The moment he saw the red-robed lady, his expression changed drastically. He rose to his feet and bowed deeply.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Just as he was about to speak, a voice echoed in his mind.

Moments later, his brows furrowed slightly as he muttered, "Ten Desolate Universe... Order Dao..."

He lifted his head abruptly, looking toward the outside of the hall, ordering, "Someone! Gather thirty—no, gather three hundred Bronze Guards! We're heading to the Ten Desolate Universe!"

As soon as his voice fell, he vanished into thin air.

***

Among the stars, the red-robed lady withdrew her gaze and took a big bite of her fruit.

Back in the Ten Desolate Universe, she had already wanted to kill that swordsman, but after some thought, she realized that he and this girl beside her shared a karmic bond.

If she were to kill that swordsman outright, Diyi Jingzhao would surely hold a grudge against her, and that wasn't a worthy trade.

However, letting that swordsman live wasn't an option at all! She did not want Diyi Jingzhao to get tangled up with emotions later on. Besides, Diyi Jingzhao belonged to her now. No one else was worthy of having her.

So, the swordsman had to die. Of course, she couldn't do it herself.

If Diyi Jingzhao had to hold a grudge, let it be against someone else. What did that have to do with her, Shang Hongyi?

With that in mind, Shang Hongyi couldn't help but chuckle to herself.

***

Among the vast star field of the Ten Desolate Universe, Ye Guan stood silently. A myriad of experts had already gathered behind him, filling the entire star field. The weakest among them were True Saints, and there were hundreds of thousands of them. There were over sixty Quasi Emperors as well.

There was an unspoken rule in both the Ten Desolate Universe and the Forbidden Wildlands—all had to submit before a Supreme Emperor.

In this place, a Supreme Emperor was powerful enough to crush everything.

Now that Ye Guan had issued his decree, most wouldn't dare to defy it, but Ye Guan noticed something strange.

Several of the elites he had encountered before were missing. For example, that mysterious general who had been wandering that vast desert, the little girl who commanded a million blood corpses.

There was also that mysterious old man.

Back then, they had all referred to him as "Fellow Daoist."

They had to have heard his decree, so why weren't they here? After a brief moment of contemplation, he turned to the crowd. The moment his eyes swept across them, everyone bowed slightly in response.

Just then, an elderly man stepped forward, bowing deeply as he asked, "May I ask why you summoned us here, Supreme Emperor?"

The others also look at him with their eyes filled with curiosity.

Ye Guan calmly replied, "I intend to establish a new Order across the Ten Desolate Universe and the Forbidden Wildlands. I require all of you to place your faith in me and my Order.

"Of course, I want to be honest with all of you. Very soon, experts from the Old Lands will likely come here, targeting me. Thus, I've summoned all of you here today.

"I want you all to make a choice. You may choose to follow me and abide by my Order. If you do, I will grant you access to my tiny pagoda to cultivate, and I will help you become even stronger.

"However, if you choose not to follow me, it's fine. I will not force you at all. This is a matter of life and death, after all."

Suddenly, Little Pagoda said,

"I thought you were just going to force them into submission—wait, something's wrong here..."

Little Pagoda inwardly cursed,

Shit. Something's not right.

He was stunned. He finally understood Ye Guan's intentions. This wasn't just about giving these people a choice. It was also a calculated move.

Once the experts from the Old Lands were here, they had two choices. First of all, they could destroy the Ten Desolate Universe and the Forbidden Wildlands.

If they were to do that, it would work in Ye Guan's favor.

The threat of annihilation would make everyone stand with him, solidifying their faith. In the face of life and death, faith would become pure and unwavering.

Their second choice was to divide and conquer. Instead of using brute force, the Old Lands could offer wealth and power to sway these experts from the Forbidden Wildlands.

Ye Guan could use incentives as well, but he could not outmatch the Old Lands' resources. These experts could certainly betray him.

So what was Ye Guan's real goal? He wanted some peace of mind.

If these people pledged allegiance to him but later turned on him, he could eliminate them all without hesitation.

Little Pagoda felt fear for the first time. Ye Guan was no longer the naive young man Little Pagoda was once familiar with. Ye Guan's schemes ran deep, terrifyingly deep. When did he become like this? He felt like a stranger even to Little Pagoda.

Ye Guan had spent hundreds of years reading inside the pagoda and had read countless books on history and empires. The phrase "when the cunning rabbit dies, the hunting dog is cooked" had played out in every dynasty.

Would he one day suffer the same fate? Surely not, right? He had served three generations; it would be too cruel if he ended up being discarded!

Outside the pagoda, the gathered elites exchanged glances with each other, hesitating. Then, the elderly man at the front took a careful step forward and asked, "May I ask how you intend to help us grow stronger?"

The others looked at Ye Guan as well; their eyes were filled with curiosity.

"Let's change locations for this conversation," he said and inwardly called out,

"Master Pagoda, if you please."

Little Pagoda trembled and replied,

"O-of course... Supreme Emperor Guan, just call me Little Pagoda from now on..."

As soon as the experts appeared in the tiny pagoda, they were stunned.

Seeing their faces, Ye Guan sighed inwardly. His aunt's handiwork had always been invincible. Perhaps, the day he met someone who wasn't shocked by this space would be the day he was close to his aunt's level.

However, he still had one lingering question—had she created this space on a whim, or... Ye Guan shook his head, pushing the thought aside, and looked at the gathered elites.

Just then, the same elderly man stepped forward and bowed deeply. "What do you require of us, Supreme Emperor Guan?"

The intense light in their eyes made it clear that they wanted to stay here.

Ye Guan said, "I will establish a new Order in the Ten Desolate Universe. If you are willing to follow this order and help me perfect it, I will make sure that you'll become even stronger."

"However, I must warn you," Ye Guan sternly said, "My future enemies will be far stronger than you'd expect. Consider your choice carefully."

Then, he told them everything about the Suiming Ruins, without leaving out any details.

Once he was done with his exposition, silence descended upon the place.

Everyone was shocked beyond belief. No one had expected that Supreme Emperors were born in that manner. Once the shock passed, a deathly silence filled the air, as they knew that they soon had to make a choice.

Would they pledge allegiance to Supreme Emperor Guan, or would they wait and see the outcome of his battle against the Suiming Ruins before making a decision?

Naturally, they preferred the latter, as it was a risk-free choice. However, they were well aware that if they waited and Supreme Emperor Guan emerged victorious, they would miss out on any opportunity for rewards.

Would they offer help in times of need or merely celebrate success once the battle was won?

All of them hesitated. Training in this place, with Ye Guan's guidance, would undoubtedly lead to tremendous growth. However, if the Suiming Civilization came looking for trouble, then...

Someone stepped forward and said, "Supreme Emperor Guan, we are too weak to be of any help to you..."

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "Those who do not wish to stay are free to leave."

One by one, people left. In the end, nearly eighty thousand chose to remain, and among them were fifty-two Quasi Emperor Realm experts! Clearly, they were willing to take a gamble. What if the Suiming Civilization never gets here?

Ye Guan glanced at those who remained and said, "You may stay in this pagoda to train."

With that, he left the tiny pagoda and headed for the Forbidden Wildlands. He wanted to meet the mysterious people he had encountered before.

***

Three days later, a man dressed in white arrived at the Suiming Ruins with three hundred Bronze Guards behind him. He glanced around, and a hint of nostalgia flashed in his eyes as he said, "So my Suiming Civilization began here..."

Beside him stood an elderly man in black, who softly remarked, "Ruler Yong, my cultivation base has been suppressed to the Supreme Emperor Realm, and the three hundred Bronze Guards behind me have all been suppressed to the Quasi Emperor Realm."

Ruler Yong raised his head, gazing into the depths of the sky. A flicker of complexity and apprehension in his eyes. "Lord Bei... the strongest figure in the history of the Suiming Civilization. What a pity."

Beixin Ci!

The black-robed elder's expression shifted slightly, and he dared not speak further. After surveying the surroundings, he said, "Ruler Yong, there's no need for you to personally kill a mere Supreme Emperor. Just leave it to us..."

Ruler Yong smiled faintly. "Never underestimate your enemy."