Chapter 1424: I Am the Universe Ruler

Qiu Yuan and Li Chen were utterly shocked. Like a young man seeing a woman naked for the first time, their hearts nearly leaped out of their chests.

Ten years inside the pagoda was equivalent to only a day outside!

A divine artifact of such heaven-defying power actually existed in this world, and that guy gave it away so casually.

What kind of family was he from? How was he so extravagant in his gifts?

Sui Gujin looked at the two men, whose faces were still frozen in shock. She remained calm and seemed as though she was lost in thought.

After a long moment, Qiu Yuan's eyes flashed with complexity. He turned to Sui Gujin and asked, "Lady Sui, what is going on? Just tell us the truth."

Of course, there was no way they would believe Sui Gujin's explanation about how this heaven-defying artifact was casually given away. They weren't as gullible as three-year-old children.

Sui Gujin wasn't surprised either. If they had been so easily deceived, then she would have greatly underestimated the Old Lands Civilization and the Eternal Civilization.

She looked at them and asked, "What do you two think?"

Qiu Yuan frowned and responded, "We've been underestimating him! What else is there to think about?!"

"I never expected him to possess such a divine artifact. Is he connected to the legendary Ancestral Civilization?" Li Chen asked in a low voice.

As soon as he said that, Qiu Yuan's expression changed dramatically. He hadn't even considered that possibility! However, it made perfect sense. An artifact of such unfathomable power had to be connected to the Ancestral Civilization.

Both men turned to Sui Gujin, and their eyes were filled with doubt and curiosity.

However, Sui Gujin simply replied, "He didn't say anything."

They frowned.

"But it is likely that he is related or connected to them."

"You couldn't confirm it, Lady Sui?" Qiu Yuan asked gravely.

Sui Gujin suddenly spoke, "Do you two want to ascend another level?"

The two men were stunned and could not understand what she meant.

Sui Gujin stared deeply at them and asked, "Do you want to do so, or are you afraid to do so?"

Qiu Yuan's face darkened, realizing what she was implying. He stared back at her and said, "Lady Sui, do you even know what you are saying?"

Sui Gujin remained calm. "The opportunity is right before you. It is up to you to take it or not."

There was no point beating around the bush at that point, so she spoke plainly.

Qiu Yuan and Li Chen stared at Sui Gujin, and their eyes became filled with hostility and even traces of killing intent. But gradually, the killing intent faded, leaving only hostility.

"We're wrong!" Li Chen's face twisted in shock as he exclaimed, "This pagoda doesn't reverse time... it creates time!"

It was a shocking revelation.

Qiu Yuan and Li Chen exchanged glances with eyes full of terror.

Ye Guan was still cultivating in the Divine Martial Arena, and he learned a lot. Although his cultivation base hadn't advanced, his mental state and strength had risen tremendously. Of course, Ye Guan was no longer focusing on cultivating realms.

For him, the traditional path of cultivation was no longer relevant. He was now walking his own Dao rather than on the Dao of other people.

Ye Guan spread his palm open, and a wisp of Order Sword Intent condensed into a sword above it. Looking at the sword, the corners of Ye Guan's mouth curled up slightly, forming a mischievous smirk.

If he were to attack someone with this sword, they wouldn't notice it. Even an Immortal Emperor Lord wouldn't be able to sense it! If Ye Guan wanted to play it dirty, he would be unstoppable.

As for whether or not he could take on those above Immortal Emperor Lords, he couldn't say for sure. After a brief moment, Ye Guan left the Divine Martial Arena. As soon as he stepped out, he saw Sui Gujin standing before him.

"They have agreed to let you join the Old Lands and have given you a territory. It's not huge, but it's enough for the universes within your tiny pagoda to survive."

Ye Guan asked, "Are there any conditions that come with it?"

She nodded slightly. "Yes, but they are all things that you can handle."

Ye Guan felt a little excited.

Although he had plenty of Pure-grade Emperor Origin Veins, the spiritual energy within the tiny pagoda was far inferior to that of the Old Lands.

Allowing his people to cultivate outside the tiny pagoda would be more beneficial. It would give them the opportunity to interact with the three great civilizations of the Old Lands, which would greatly help with their development.

Ye Guan quickly calmed down and looked at Sui Gujin with curiosity. "How did you convince them?"

Back then, the Suiming Civilization had to fight a life-or-death battle before being allowed to settle in the Old Lands. Since then, no other civilization had been allowed entry and settle in. After all, having fewer inhabitants meant having greater control over this precious territory.

"You don't need to worry about that..." Sui Gujin replied. Then, she took out a scroll and handed it to Ye Guan. "This is your territory. Since your civilization is relatively weak, I have assigned some cultivators and managers from the Suiming Civilization to assist you.

"The cultivators will protect your land while the managers will help govern it, ensuring that no conflicts arise between your people and the people of the Old Lands' three great Civilizations.

Ye Guan nodded. "You've considered every possibility."

"They want to meet you," Sui Gujin continued.

"The Old Lands Civilization and the Eternal Civilization?"

Sui Gujin nodded.

"The rulers of the Old Lands Civilization and the Eternal Civilization?" asked Ye Guan.

She shook her head. "Their rulers haven't made an appearance in the past tens of thousands of years, just like the ruler of our Suiming Civilization."

Ye Guan was puzzled. "Why?"

"At their level, managing a civilization or a universe is meaningless to them. What they seek is to go beyond their limits."

"I understand."

"The two people that you're about to meet aren't the rulers, but they are currently in charge of their civilizations. In fact, the rulers are merely symbolic figures for the great civilizations. Most people don't even know them. They're too distant, too untouchable," Sui Gujin explained.

Ye Guan was slightly surprised, but he understood it.

It was just like the Guanxuan Academy. Although the academy was founded by his father, his father's influence had gradually diminished over time as Ye Guan was the one at the helm now.

The current core leaders of the academy recognized only Ye Guan. In a few more generations, people would only remember Ye Guan, not the Sword Master, unless Ye Guan's father made frequent appearances in the academy.

Sui Gujin added, "When you speak with them later, don't be afraid to boast a little."

"Got it."

With that, the two of them soon arrived in an independent spacetime region.

Upon arrival, they saw Qiu Yuan and Li Chen waiting for them.

Ye Guan smiled and greeted, "Elder Qiu, Elder Li, it is a pleasure to meet you."

Qiu Yuan stared at Ye Guan and went straight to the point. "Young Master Ye, are you from the Ancestral Civilization?"

"Elder Qiu, don't put the Ancestral Civilization on a pedestal. The vast expanse is unfathomably vast, and in the grand scheme of things, the Ancestral Civilization is nothing more than a mere drop in the ocean."

Sui Gujin glanced at Ye Guan but stayed silent.

Qiu Yuan turned to Sui Gujin.

"Elder Qiu and Elder Li are both our people. There is no need to hide the truth from them," said Sui Gujin.

Ye Guan thought for a moment before saying, "To be honest, I'm the Universe Ruler."

What?

His words shocked everyone. Even Sui Gujin looked at Ye Guan. She was clearly surprised. She had told him to boast but only a little! She hadn't expected him to take it this far!

Ye Guan remained calm and asked, "Don't believe me?"

Qiu Yuan's expression darkened. "Young Master Ye, that wasn't funny at all."

"Elder Qiu, I completely understand why you don't believe me," Ye Guan responded.

Suddenly, Li Chen asked, "Young Master Ye, do you have any proof?"

Ye Guan chuckled, "Do I not look like it?"

"Young Master Ye, with all due respect, you look more like a rich second-generation heir," Qiu Yuan replied honestly.

Ye Guan was speechless.

Sui Gujin added, "Young Master Ye, you claim you're the Universe Ruler? I don't buy it."

Qiu Yuan and Li Chen turned to look at her.

Sui Gujin added, "Your tiny pagoda is indeed impressive, but I don't believe it's a divine item from the Ancestral Civilization. After all, our Three Great Civilizations also have divine items on the same level as your pagoda."

Upon hearing that, Qiu Yuan and Li Chen's eyelids twitched. They found her statement to be quite nonsensical as well.

However, they understood that Sui Gujin was trying to bait Ye Guan, so they nodded in agreement.

Qiu Yuan added, "Lady Sui is right. Young Master Ye, your tiny pagoda is indeed extraordinary, but it's really nothing special to us."

Qiu Yuan's heart pounded, and his face flushed a little as he felt a rush of excitement. It felt good to show off.

Ye Guan, however, simply laughed. He opened his palm, and three types of bloodline power surged out, accompanied by the Order Sword Intent. He looked at the three of them and asked, "Have any of you ever seen bloodlines like these?"

Qiu Yuan and Li Chen turned serious, and Sui Gujin clenched her fists. Although their faces remained calm, Qiu Yuan and Li Chen were deeply shaken inside.

The sheer intensity of Ye Guan's bloodline power was intimidating, and they felt afraid of it.

What's even scarier is that he has three powerful bloodlines! Isn't that outrageous?

Qiu Yuan hesitated for a moment before asking, "Young Master Ye, what are these?"

"Ancestral bloodlines. I created all three of them myself."

All three of them fell silent. They wanted to believe that he was bluffing, but his bloodlines were terrifyingly powerful. And there was also that tiny pagoda...

Ye Guan retracted his bloodlines and smiled. "I understand if you don't believe that I'm the Universe Ruler. After all, I was just reborn. My cultivation and strength are far from what they once were, and I still haven't recovered all my memories."

Qiu Yuan immediately asked, "Young Master Ye, you've been reborn?"

"Back then, I had no choice but to reincarnate and cultivate from scratch. What I didn't expect was that my most loyal servant, the Great Daoist Brush Master, would betray me and prevent me from returning to the Ancestral Civilization.

"That man is truly despicable!"

Sui Gujin stared at Ye Guan without saying a word.

The Great Daoist Brush Master!

Qiu Yuan and Li Chen looked at each other. Finally, Qiu Yuan asked, "Young Master Ye, do you know where the Ancestral Civilization is?"

"Of course I do, but..." Ye Guan looked at the two of them and smiled cheekily. "Why would I tell you that? Don't worry; I have no intention of becoming your enemy. I will soon leave this place once I've recovered my strength..."

Ye Guan didn't finish his sentence. He turned around and walked away instead.

Qiu Yuan and Li Chen quietly looked at each other.

Sui Gujin remarked, "I think he's lying."

Qiu Yuan hesitated, then said, "Lady Sui, don't say that. You're great in every way, but you're too cautious and too wary. It's not always a good thing.

"Young Master Ye doesn't seem like a liar. He seems to be a decent young man..."