Chapter 1462: Do You Dare?

Xuan Ru had barely taken two steps before he suddenly stopped. He turned back to look at Ye Guan. "Brother Ye, you don't seem afraid at all."

Ye Guan smiled. "What would I be afraid?"

"Brother Ye, how are you so confident?"

Ye Guan didn't answer immediately. The silence stretched between them like a taut string.

Xuan Ru chuckled. "I thought we agreed to be honest with each other. You're holding back, aren't you?"

"I get it. You want to see my trump card."

Without another word, he gestured for Xuan Ru to follow, and the two of them stepped into the tiny pagoda.

The moment they entered the tiny pagoda, Xuan Ru's confident demeanor froze.

A few moments later, Ye Guan led Xuan Ru out of the tiny pagoda. He remained silent, waiting for Xuan Ru to come to his final decision.

Ye Guan knew better than to try winning over the old generation. The gap between him and a power like the Brahma Heaven Kingdom was just too vast.

Revealing the tiny pagoda wouldn't intimidate them; it would only attract more trouble.

However, he younger generation was different. They had ambition. They wanted to leave a mark. Of course, there were risks, but this was a gamble.

Xuan Ru stood silent for a long time before saying, "Brother Ye, this situation... it's far more complicated than it appears, isn't it?"

Ye Guan nodded.

Xuan Ru looked at him, becoming silent.

Ye Guan smiled. "It's your choice."

"If we win in the end, what's in it for me?"

"More than you can imagine."

Xuan Ru stared at him, saying nothing.

Ye Guan clenched his fists and in the blink of an eye, three terrifying bloodlines emanated from him. Xuan Ru's face changed instantly. He could feel it. The Mad Demon Bloodline was consuming him.

Ye Guan withdrew his bloodlines.

"Brother Ye, you..." Xuan Ru stammered.

Ye Guan met his gaze head-on. "So? Are you in or not?"

Xuan Ru paused for a long moment, then nodded. "I'm in."

Ye Guan smiled.

"So what do you want me to do?" Xuan Ru asked.

"For now, I just want to understand this Main Universe and your Brahma Heaven Kingdom."

"That's easy enough." Xuan Ru chuckled. He opened his palm, and a command token floated out, drifting toward Ye Guan. "With this token, you have unrestricted access to our Archives Domain."

Ye Guan accepted it with a nod. "Much appreciated."

Xuan Ru then handed him a talisman. "Use this if you ever need to reach me."

Ye Guan accepted that as well, grinning. "Gladly."

"I have other matters to attend to, so I'll take my leave." With that, he turned and left.

Once he was gone, Little Pagoda spoke up. "Kid, you're incredible. A few words, and you have him wrapped around your finger."

Ye Guan glanced at where Xuan Ru had left and smiled. "It's not that simple."

"Why not?"

Ye Guan's voice dropped. "Never underestimate anyone."

Looking down at the command token in his palm, he smiled and left.

Inside the Grand Preceptor Hall, a middle-aged man was staring at Xuan Ru. "Ten years inside the pagoda is only a day outside?"

Xuan Ru nodded. "And the flow of time inside isn't just altered, it's a completely different construct altogether."

The middle-aged man fixed his gaze on Xuan Ru. "What that young man said to you, he's right. If you want your master's true recognition, you have to surpass him."

Xuan Ru bowed. "I know my own limits, Master."

He hesitated. "Also... that Lord Ye... his mind is terrifying. I know I'm no match for him. If we do form an alliance, and he bears no ill will, that's fine. But if he ever turns on me... I wouldn't be able to stop him."

The middle-aged man chuckled, a softness in his eyes.

Knowing one's own limits... that was wisdom. The most dangerous thing in life was not knowing one's own limits.

Xuan Ru asked, "Master, what do you think his true intentions are?"

The middle-aged man smiled. "You can be his ally."

Xuan Ru frowned, puzzled.

"Silly boy, you think he actually believed everything you said?"

Xuan Ru's brows knit together as his eyes widened. "You mean... he expected me to report to you?"

The middle-aged man nodded. "He wasn't looking for your answer; he was probing for mine. He was testing to see where I stand."

Xuan Ru stood frozen, stunned.

The middle-aged man laughed softly. "That young man... he's anything but simple."

Xuan Ru lowered his voice. "Then what would you have me do, Master?"

The middle-aged man's eyes sharpened. "He's right. If you want your master's recognition, you must surpass your master."

"So... you're telling me to follow him?"

The middle-aged man stared at him directly. "Do you dare?"

Xuan Ru didn't understand. "Master, why can't we all stand on the same side?"

The middle-aged man laughed. "Do you know what his real message was?"

Xuan Ru shook his head.

"He is telling me that he is no simple man. He is telling me not to put my bets on the Great Daoist Brush Master, but to hedge my bets instead. If he loses, with me still in the picture, at the very least, I can ensure you'll survival.

"But if I lose, then we won't be utterly crushed thanks to the debt of gratitude between you two. We'll still have a chance to rise again. Do you finally understand?"

"You think he has a chance of winning?" Xuan Ru asked.

The middle-aged man leaned back in his chair, speaking softly. "Silly child. In this world, nothing is absolute. If we bet everything on the Great Daoist Brush Master and he loses... Brahma Heaven Kingdom will be wiped out."

Xuan Ru looked at his master in disbelief. "Wiped out? Master, surely...?"

He knew Ye Guan wasn't simple. That tiny pagoda alone was beyond comprehension, not to mention the terrifying bloodline power.

He had never imagined that Ye Guan could threaten the Brahma Heaven Kingdom

The middle-aged man's eyes darkened. "I know nothing about this Ye Guan. But the Great Daoist Brush Master? I've heard a lot about him. And I heard that he suffered a great loss down below. Anyone capable of making him suffer is not someone we can afford to underestimate."

Xuan Ru fell into deep thought. "Master, how confident are you in the chances of the Great Daoist Brush Master?"

The middle-aged man smiled faintly. "Not confident at all."

Xuan Ru's expression stiffened.

"If it were up to me, I'd watch from the sidelines, befriend both, delay, manipulate, and ensure our survival in the end."

"Has the King already chosen the Great Daoist Brush Master?"

"Indeed." The middle-aged man nodded. "And I understand why he made that decision. The Great Daoist Brush Master offered something irresistible... and there are other reasons, too."

The middle-aged man looked at Xuan Ru. "Right now, Ye Guan and the Great Daoist Brush Master haven't turned on each other. That means you can still openly help Ye Guan, gain his trust, and earn his favor.

"Do everything you can to support him, even if it means sacrificing the Brahma Heaven Kingdom's interests. That's an order."

Xuan Ru was stunned. "You're asking me to give everything?"

"Yes. Everything. If a conflict breaks out between him and the Brahma Heaven Kingdom, I want you to stand with him, no hesitation."

Xuan Ru was silent.

The middle-aged man's eyes flicked with complex emotions. "The Brahma Heaven Kingdom is powerful; it is even one of the strongest forces in the Main Universe. But we are not invincible.

𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝐰𝚎𝕓𝐧𝚘𝘃𝗲𝐥.𝐜𝚘𝕞

"And no matter how much we hate to admit it, we must recognize that truth. If we cling to our pride, we won't survive. You don't get a second chance with some mistakes or some enemies.

He sighed deeply. "A single outsider could destroy Brahma Heaven Kingdom a million times over. And the Transcendent Ones? They're just the edge of what we can comprehend.

"Who could say for sure whether there are stronger elites out there in the vast expanse?"

"And what if one day he becomes your enemy?" Xuan Ru asked.

The middle-aged man laughed."That day might come. When it does, do you know what to do?"

Xuan Ru locked eyes with him. "I'll help him defeat you."

"

Haha!

" The middle-aged man threw his head back and roared with laughter, full of pride.

"If that day really comes... I'll be extremely proud of you, from the depths of my heart."

Xuan Ru said no more. He knelt and bowed thrice to his master before leaving.

Left all alone, the middle-aged man closed his eyes and muttered. "No one can truly afford to lose this game..."