Chapter 1422: Tight Spot

After leaving the Feixian Tower, Sui Gujin headed directly to the Tianmu Immortal Domain, one of the four great Immortal Domains.

As one of the top domains, its strength was unquestionable. The moment she arrived, many powerful auras began to subtly surround her. However, just as they were about to approach, these auras quietly retreated without a sound.

Sui Gujin stared into the distance and continued forward.

Soon, Sui Gujin was sitting calmly in a grand hall with a cup of tea in hand. An old man was standing opposite her. He bowed slightly and bitterly smiled. "Lady Sui, our Domain Lord really isn't here, you..."

Sui Gujin calmly responded, "I know; I'll just drink a cup of tea and leave. Is that alright?"

The old man bitterly smiled and stuttered, "Y-yes."

Sui Gujin sipped her tea slowly without saying anything.

The old man could only stand there respectfully. Naturally, they dared not offend her. After all, she was from the Suiming Civilization, and her influence within it was enormous.

After a long while, she finished her tea, placed the cup down, and said, "That was some great tea."

With that, she stood up and left, leaving the old man completely stunned.

At that moment, an elder in black robes slowly walked out. It was the Domain Lord of the Tianmu Immortal Domain, Zou Mu.

The old man respectfully said, "Domain Lord, she..."

Zou Mu frowned as well. "What game is this woman trying to play?"

***

After leaving the Tianmu Immortal Domain, Sui Gujin headed to another one of the four great Immortal Domains, the Wujian Immortal Domain.

Domain Lord Mu Wujian stared calmly at Sui Gujin and smiled. "Lady Sui, to be honest, my Wujian Immortal Domain has no desire to get involved in the affair between Ye Guan and the Great Daoist Brush Master."

Sui Gujin responded, "I understand. In fact, at first, I didn't want to get involved either."

Mu Wujian became curious. "Then, why did you decide to?"

She hesitated, seemingly struggling with her words.

Mu Wujian simply stared at her, waiting for an answer.

After a brief silence, she sighed softly and muttered, "You know about our battle with him in the Old Lands, right?"

Mu Wujian asked, "Lady Sui, could you share more details about that battle?"

Sui Gujin sighed again. "Domain Lord Mu, I truly understand your position. If it hadn't been for that battle and what I saw on that day... I definitely wouldn't have to get involved.

"The waters are too deep. But—

haaa,

forget it. Domain Lord Mu, we'll meet again someday."

With that, she stood up and left, leaving Mu Wujian completely baffled.

What the hell? Does she not know how frustrating it is to leave someone hanging like that?

After calming down, Mu Wujian's expression darkened. What exactly happened in that battle?

He had been extremely curious about it, but he couldn't find anything about what had happened on that day. The only survivors were Ye Guan, Shang Hongyi, and Sui Gujin.

He had even attempted to use time reversal techniques to glimpse into the past of that battlefield, only to be met with utter disappointment. His time reversal techniques couldn't be used on that place!

He had no idea why that was the case, but it only made him even more curious. From Sui Gujin's words, it was clear that the battle was anything but ordinary.

What exactly happened?

He frowned deeply and could not help but lament how cruel it was of her to leave him hanging like this.

***

Sui Gujin did not visit the last of the four great Immortal Domains. Instead, she returned to the Old Lands, where she convened a meeting with the leaders of the three civilizations.

Inside the divine hall, representatives of the three civilizations gathered. Sui Gujin represented the Suiming Civilization, Elder Li Chen represented the Eternal Civilization, and Qiu Yuan represented the Old Lands Civilization.

Sui Gujin wore a solemn expression as she spoke. "Everyone, I have some unfortunate news. I just received word that three of the four great Immortal Domains have already taken Ye Guan's side."

She rushed back quickly to prevent them from investigating the truth on their own.

"What?!" An elder from the Old Lands Civilization exclaimed, "Three of the Immortal Domains have already sided with Ye Guan?!"

Sui Gujin nodded. "Yes."

The elder asked in a deep voice, "Is this information reliable?"

Sui Gujin nodded again. "I have contacts inside all three Immortal Domains."

The elder's face darkened.

She really loves playing these kinds of games.

The Old Lands Civilization and the Eternal Civilization had suffered greatly at her hands, but they never expected that this woman's influence stretched so far, even into the three Immortal Domains!

Sui Gujin added, "My plan is simple. We join forces once more and wage an all-out war on Ye Guan. We will fight to the death."

The room fell silent.

Fight him... again?

The last time they did that, they suffered devastating losses.

"You all know how talented he is. If we allow him more time to grow, he will become a catastrophic threat. We absolutely cannot afford to give him that time. If we strike this time, we must go all in. Either we don't attack at all, or we completely eliminate him and his allied Immortal Domains from the root."

More silence.

A final war?

At first, they were fearless, but now...

Qiu Yuan from the Old Lands Civilization said, "Sui Gujin, I think we need to reconsider our approach. Apart from Shang Hongyi, Ye Guan may have other powerful experts behind him.

"Moreover, he now has the support of three Immortal Domains..."

Seeing how eager she was to kill Ye Guan, Qiu Yuan felt something was off. Was she trying to use Ye Guan to wear down the Old Lands and the Eternal Civilization?

Elder Li Chen from the Eternal Civilization nodded. "Indeed, this is very suspicious. We must not act recklessly. We need to take our time and plan carefully. Yes, carefully..."

𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖

Elder Li Chen exchanged glances with Qiu Yuan.

A Suiming Civilization elder said, "Actually, I think we should consider negotiating with Ye Guan."

The powerhouses of the Eternal Civilization and Old Lands Civilization were stunned.

"Nonsense!" Sui Gujin yelled angrily. "Negotiate? About what? He cultivates Order, and we also cultivate Order. We are mortal enemies! What is there to negotiate? I still believe we should join forces and strangle him in the cradle before he has a chance to grow..."

Qiu Yuan replied, "Lady Sui, there's no need to be so hot-headed. As the saying goes, 'there are no eternal enemies, only eternal interests.' I actually think your elder has a point.

"Why can't we try talking to Ye Guan? If we can turn an enemy into an ally..."

Sui Gujin shook her head. "Elder Qiu Yuan, you are being too naive. Ye Guan cultivates Order. Negotiating with him is like making a deal with a tiger. His talent is terrifying.

"If we allow him to grow unchecked, he will become a disastrous threat!"

Elder Qiu Yuan said, "Of course, I understand that, but Lady Sui, even if we join forces now, do we have absolute certainty that we can kill him? Since we lack that certainty, why not at least try talking to him? Even if negotiations fail, we can at least probe for weaknesses."

Li Chen from the Eternal Civilization nodded. "Ye Guan is trying to establish a new Order, but his Order is still in its infancy. Right now, he doesn't pose an immediate threat to us.

"If we can pull him to our side, it wouldn't be a bad thing either. Plus, he's young, and do you know what that means? It means he will be easier to control."

Sui Gujin's expression darkened. "Elder Li Chen, do not underestimate him. He

is

young, but he is far from simple. Do not be fooled by appearances."

Li Chen said, "I understand, of course. What I mean is, given the current situation, why rush into an all-out war? We should at least try to negotiate. If he refuses and insists on fighting to the death, then we'll gladly oblige."

Qiu Yuan also nodded. "Indeed. As I said before, let's talk first and use the opportunity to gather intelligence. As long as our three civilizations remain united, no external forces can take advantage of us. We don't have to fear anyone."

Sui Gujin frowned, remaining silent, but her expression was grim.

Seeing her reaction, Elder Qiu Yuan grew even more suspicious. Was she trying to use Ye Guan to weaken the Old Lands and Eternal Civilization?

Sensing the shift in the conversation, Qiu Yuan quickly added, "Lady Sui, I understand that Ye Guan is a significant threat, but the current situation is still unclear. That's why we need to act cautiously and observe a little longer before we make any moves."

Li Chen hurriedly added, "Lady Sui, now is not the time for impulsive decisions. The fact that Ye Guan was able to convince three Immortal Domains to support him is very suspicious. I believe we should make contact with him first."

Sui Gujin let out a low sigh. "Elders, if Ye Guan continues to grow... he will become a threat sooner or later! And besides... right now, he is extremely hostile toward us.

"Even if we wanted to negotiate, it wouldn't be easy. If you want to negotiate, go ahead. I won't be involved. I, Sui Gujin, will not lower myself to that."

With that, she stood up and prepared to leave.

Li Chen quickly called out, "Lady Sui, wait a moment!"

Qiu Yuan also quickly got up and stepped in front of her, blocking her path with a bitter smile. "Lady Sui, you are the most skilled at negotiations among us. If you don't go, it will be even harder for us to talk to him."

Li Chen nodded in agreement. "Lady Sui, you are the best person for this task. If you go and talk to him, you might even be able to find out his true strength. We all believe that he is definitely no match for you."

Inside the hall, the other elders nodded one after another, expressing their agreement. There was no doubt about it. Sui Gujin was the most cunning and devious person in the entire Old Lands.

She had a reputation for being sinister and ruthless, causing both the Eternal Civilization and the Old Lands Civilization endless trouble in the past.

They were delighted at the idea of letting Sui Gujin handle Ye Guan.

Let one villain handle another villain. Just imagining it was already satisfying!

Sui Gujin's face darkened, but she remained silent.

Qiu Yuan pressed further. "Lady Sui, this isn't just about the Old Lands, as it concerns your Suiming Civilization as well. You must not evade this responsibility."

Sui Gujin scanned the crowd and sighed. "You all... are really putting me in a tight spot."