Chapter 1389: Chief Strategist

In front of the grand hall, Ye Guan gazed at the gathered crowd and calmly said, "You are all free now. You may leave at any time, and I will not stop you."

Dao Zhi trembled as he said, "Supreme Emperor Guan, we were blinded by greed and have betrayed you as a result of it. It was a disgraceful move on our end, but you've shown us magnanimity by sparing our lives.

"We are deeply ashamed. We had no face to seek your presence again, but the world has become united under your rule. No matter where we go, even to the ends of the earth, we will still be your people.

"We understand the weight of our sins and do not dare ask for forgiveness. We ask only for a chance to redeem ourselves and you once more..."

With that, he bowed deeply. The others followed suit, kneeling in unison.

Ye Guan, however, remained unmoved. "I killed a big shot from the Suiming Civilization. It won't be long before they retaliate. If you choose to follow me now, you will surely be dragged into the conflict.

"And frankly, I fear that some of you may stab me in the back when the time comes. If you leave now, we can at least part on peaceful terms, with some lingering goodwill..."

"Supreme Emperor Guan!" Dao Zhi raised his right hand, and his expression was resolute as he said. "We, the people of the Dao Clan, swear upon our very souls, should we ever betray you again, may we all die a terrible death!"

Following his lead, the Dao Clan experts behind him swore the oath without any hesitation. The other clans quickly followed suit, making soul-binding vows never to betray Ye Guan again.

Ye Guan sighed softly. "Why put yourselves through this? I am a Supreme Emperor, but you know that I'm not exactly wealthy. Following me means an uncertain future. How about you wait a little longer?

"People from the Old Lands will surely arrive soon. You ought to think this through before making your final decision."

"Supreme Emperor Guan..."

Dao Zhi's voice trembled as he said, "Please do not speak such words to test our resolve. We have truly seen our errors. Even if the Suiming Civilization were to offer us ten thousand Supreme Emperor Origin Essences, we wouldn't waver again. We only ask that you grant us a chance to atone for our past mistakes!"

Once more, he bowed deeply. The rest followed, kneeling once again.

After a long silence, Ye Guan finally said, "There is an old saying, 'It is easy to share wealth with ordinary people, but hard to share hardship. With emperors, it is the opposite; it is easy to share hardships, but difficult to share prosperity.'

"I, Ye Guan, am vowing today that anyone who stands with me through hardships shall share in prosperity when the time comes. I will never go back on my word."

At those words, a collective sigh of relief spread through the crowd.

Ye Guan said, "Rise, all of you."

The crowd finally stood up.

"The Academy has just been established and is still unstable. I will need all of you to work with me to govern the Ten Desolate Universe. As for the past, let us put it behind us."

Dao Zhi quickly responded, "We shall serve you with all our strength!"

Ye Guan nodded slightly. He opened his palm, and ten Supreme Emperor Origin Essences appeared before the leaders of the Supreme Emperor Clans and Immortal Clans. "Becoming an emperor is not just about possessing Supreme Emperor Origin Essences. Only those who have reached the Quasi-Emperor Realm have the potential to ascend.

"I do not fear any of you becoming emperors. In fact, I will help you achieve it. I will personally select individuals to enter my tiny pagoda for cultivation. I will do my best to ensure that you'll reach the Supreme Emperor Realm."

Upon hearing that, everyone immediately knelt again, expressing their deepest gratitude. At this moment, their allegiance to Ye Guan became genuine.

Ye Guan slowly raised his head. His gaze pierced the starry skies and into the depths of the distant starry regions.

Next, he would have to face the Old Lands.

Seeing how Ye Guan had brought these experts under his control, Little Pagoda sighed softly and said,

"Kid, you're starting to feel a bit unfamiliar to me."

Ye Guan retracted his gaze and replied gently,

"Master Pagoda, I know that some methods are not entirely righteous. But you should understand that this is a complex world. As the ruler of a world, I cannot rely solely on righteousness.

"The nature of humanity is complicated, and governance cannot depend on kindness and virtue alone. There must be punishments and schemes."

"I understand. It's like romance... honest and straightforward men are rarely as popular as playboys. Somehow, most people are drawn to cunning and charming people."

Ye Guan chuckled.

"Whether a man is honest or charismatic, as long as he remains true to his values and doesn't exploit others for his own good, then he is virtuous."

Little Pagoda remarked, "Just like you... you schemed against them and deceived them, but in the end, the outcome is good."

"Master Pagoda, in the future, I will likely become even more ruthless than I am now. But I can promise you one thing—I will never harm the innocent. So please don't say that I'm becoming unfamiliar to you.

"You watched me grow up, and I consider you family."

Little Pagoda was deeply moved and felt a tinge of guilt. He truly assumed that Ye Guan was manipulating these experts for an eventual betrayal, where he would annihilate them all.

Little Soul suddenly said,

"Master, I'm just worried that you might become someone who pursues power at any cost... But I also understand that your journey to this point has been incredibly difficult.

"If you were to remain as naive as before, these people would devour you without leaving even your bones behind."

"I know Master Pagoda has never meant me any harm. Master Pagoda, you have been with my Yang Family for three generations. You are the greatest contributor to our family. It's just... I'm still human. To be doubted and misunderstood by those closest to me, it feels like getting stabbed to the heart."

Little Pagoda was deeply touched. Feeling remorseful, he said,

"Kid, I made a mistake. Don't worry. Even if one day you decide to kill your father, I will still believe that you have a good reason for it."

Little Soul was at a loss for words.

Ye Guan laughed.

"We're all family. Let's not dwell on that. Master Pagoda, let's go to the Suiming Ruins."

With that, he stepped forward and arrived at the Suiming Ruins.

Ye Guan walked slowly toward the Holy Throne. The throne trembled as it saw him approach.

Damn it!

It truly never expected that Ye Guan would actually kill Ruler Yong!

Ye Guan studied the Holy Throne for a moment and smiled. "I suspect that the Old Lands will send someone to investigate me soon. And here, you're their only point of contact. They will definitely ask you questions about me."

The Holy Throne quickly responded, "Rest assured, Supreme Emperor Guan. I know what should be said and what should not be said."

"No." Ye Guan shook his head. "Telling them everything is not an option. Lying outright is also not an option.

𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

"You must mix truth with falsehood, just enough to confuse them. Here, let me teach you what to say: 'This person seems to have some connection to Lord Bei, but I suspect he might be lying...'"

The Holy Throne was speechless.

***

Old Lands.

This was a grand and imposing hall, situated within a vast garden. Inside, the lighting was dim, casting an air of mystery and solemnity.

Soul Spirit Hall!

At the very center of the hall, a black and crimson flame was burning. Above the flames were soul plaques, and there were at least tens of thousands of them.

Each soul plaque represented a person, a figure of immense power and influence. Only those of utmost importance were qualified to have their soul plaques placed here, where they could receive offerings from the Old Lands.

Moreover, if misfortune befell them, their plaque would immediately shatter, revealing the reason behind their demise as well as where they had perished.

Crack!

A crisp noise shattered the silence of the grand hall. A soul plaque broke and descended into the flames. Moments later, a wisp of ghostly light rose from the fire.

Without warning, a hand appeared within the hall, taking the wisp away.

Once again, the hall became silent.

Beyond the hall, thousands of meters away, another grand edifice loomed above the clouds. Its shape was peculiar, triangular, and it was like a vast and magnificent city.

It was the Old Lands' Celestial Hall! This was the most sacred place in the Old Lands, as this was the meeting place of the most powerful elders of the three great civilizations.

The arrangement of the temple's interior was also unusual, divided into three sections, each forming a triangle that faced the others. Every section contained nine chairs, neatly aligned in a row.

A single golden throne was in the middle. It was the throne of the Old Lands' Sovereign.

Just then, figures appeared one by one on the chairs. In no time, each section was occupied by eight individuals. However, they were just mere projections instead of true bodies.

The three groups wore distinct robes, red, black, and white, representing three different civilizations.

Meanwhile, the golden throne in the center remained empty.

"The one slain, Ruler Yong, ruler of the Tianyong Starry Region. Location, Ten Desolate Universe," said an elder clad in red robes. His words were brief and direct.

The elders in red and black robes turned their gazes toward the group in white robes. The white-robed figures were from the Suiming Civilization.

An elderly man with snow-white hair said, "My Suiming Civilization will handle this matter ourselves."

The red-robed elder who had first spoken nodded. "Very well."

With that, the red-robed and black-robed figures disappeared.

The Three Great Civilizations were part of a united Old Lands, but this alliance existed only to resist external threats and prevent internal strife. Whenever internal strife arose, it would be handled by the affected civilization.

Since the slain individual belonged to the Suiming Civilization, it was their responsibility to deal with it. Now, only the Suiming Civilization elders remained in the hall.

Just then, a shadowy figure materialized before the white-haired elder and the others. Bowing respectfully, he reported, "Elders, we have identified the one who slew Ruler Yong.

"His murderer was a swordsman named Ye Guan. He's a Supreme Emperor, but he possesses no cultivation base. Instead, his sword is the Supreme Emperor expert."

The white-haired elder's eyes narrowed. "A man without cultivation, yet he killed my grandson using only a Supreme Emperor Sword?"

The shadowy figure respectfully replied, "Elder Yong, we have analyzed the matter and identified three key reasons behind Ruler Yong's defeat. First of all, when Ruler Yong and his men entered the Ten Desolate Universe, their cultivation was suppressed.

"Secondly, the swordsman concealed his true strength, causing Ruler Yong to underestimate him. Lastly, he's not an ordinary individual. According to intelligence from the Holy Throne, he has established an Order, governing many civilizations under him.

"Furthermore, the Holy Throne mentioned that he appears to have some sort of connection to... Lord Bei!"

Lord Beixin Ci?! The expressions of the gathered elders changed drastically.

That woman... she was a demon!

The shadowy figure added, "However, we suspect that Ye Guan has subdued the Holy Throne. Therefore, its words are half-truths at best. As for the claim that he is related to Lord Bei, that is likely a fabrication meant to mislead our Suiming Civilization..."

The shadowy figure pulled out a scroll and added, "Our Chief Strategist has evaluated Ye Guan's intelligence as S-class, making him an extremely dangerous individual.

"The Chief Strategist recommends initializing the Dao Illumination protocol, obliterating the Ten Desolate Universe and its starry region. His S-class intelligence is useless in the face of annihilation."