Chapter 1488: The Great Daoist Brush Master

When Zhu Chen appeared, Teacher Mu Jin's expression grew complicated. She had once tried to poach him from the Imperial Academy, and how much time had passed since then? The Imperial Academy was now nothing but a memory.

Zhu Chen walked up to Mu Jin and bowed slightly. "Teacher Mu Jin, from this moment on, the Imperial Academy will be converted into a branch of the Guanxuan Academy. All the students here will be redistributed across the different Guanxuan Academy branches. I'll need your cooperation."

As the Student Representative of Guanxuan Academy, Zhu Chen wielded considerable authority.

After Sui Gujin's recent reforms, his powers had grown even greater, far exceeding an ordinary elder. He could participate in Inner Committee meetings and even command the Guanxuan Guards.

By tradition, as long as he avoided any major political missteps, his path to the Inner Committee was guaranteed.

Mu Jin nodded, her tone respectful. "Representative Zhu, just give the order."

Afterward, Zhu Chen led the group deeper into the heart of the Imperial Academy. His real goal today was simple—the Imperial Academy's library.

Along the way, they encountered many students from the former Imperial Academy. Most of them wore grim expressions upon seeing Zhu Chen and his group, especially two students who once openly mocked them.

Seeing Zhu Chen, those two immediately grew tense, fearing that he would seek revenge.

Instead, Zhu Chen cupped his fists and asked, "Excuse me, could you point me to the library?"

Realizing Zhu Chen had no intention of retaliating, the students visibly relaxed. One of them pointed to the right. "Over there."

Zhu Chen smiled slightly. "Thank you. By the way, I'm the Student Representative of the Academy. Once you're part of the Guanxuan Academy, if feel free to come find me if you need anything."

With that, he led his group onward.

Watching them leave without seeking revenge, the Imperial Academy students felt a strange mix of emotions. At the same time, the fear and resistance they felt toward joining Guanxuan Academy began to fade.

Perhaps this new academy wasn't so bad after all.

***

Guanxuan Academy, Inner Committee.

The Inner Committee wasn't large; it had just thirty-five members. These thirty-five were now the most powerful people in the entire Main Universe.

Beneath the Inner Committee were the nineteen Academy Chiefs; their respective branch houses tens of thousands of elites, the cream of the crop of the Main Universe.

Every day, new talents were added. Sui Gujin's recruitment philosophy was simple: it wasn't just about strength, intelligence, and potential mattered just as much as strength. Hence, even those with mediocre talent found a place.

Scholars who once had nowhere to use their skills suddenly found themselves indispensable with the rise of the Guanxuan Academy. The resistance changed gradually, eventually becoming acceptance and even enthusiasm.

At the inner hall of the Inner Committee, Sui Gujin sat quietly. On either side, her officials worked busily. The academy was still in its infancy, and there was a mountain of policies to organize, operational plans to write, and decrees to send down for strict enforcement.

Just then, Shadow appeared before her.

"Ruler Sui, he's gone," Shadow reported.

Sui Gujin nodded calmly. "I know."

Shadow hesitated, then added, "We didn't find that woman."

Sui Gujin's brows knit together.

"Shall we keep looking?"

Sui Gujin shook her head. "No need."

She gazed toward the sky outside the hall, and her eyes were clouded with worry.

The entire Main Universe was now firmly within her grasp, except for one loose thread—Beixin Ci. Sui Gujin had been secretly investigating her from the very beginning, but when Bei Xinci entered the Main Universe, she disappeared.

Behind her, Shadow cautiously asked, "Ruler Sui... is that woman an insider?"

Sui Gujin shook her head. "No. She's even prouder than the Old God himself. She wouldn't willingly be anyone's pawn, not even the Great Daoist Brush Master."

"Do you want us to continue searching for her?"

"No. She may not be our ally, but she's unlikely to become our enemy. After all, Little Guan's mission is to build a new Order, not to sacrifice all living beings."

Shadow bowed slightly and withdrew.

Left alone, Sui Gujin gazed at the distant sky; the worry in her eyes deepened.

The Great Daoist Brush Master...

If it hadn't been for the Yang family's help back then, she would have had no chance against him. The difference between their vision and insight was like the difference between heaven and earth.

In a game of chess, victory wasn't just about skill or control; it was about information. How could someone hope to defeat an enemy that always knew more than them?

Sui Gujin withdrew her gaze. There was no point dwelling on it now.

All she needed to do was complete the establishment of the Guanxuan Order in the Main Universe. Once she was done, Ye Guan's strength would undergo a staggering transformation.

Ye Guan just had a tiny amount of faith power, but he could already rival a Void Breaking Realm expert. Once the Main Universe's faith power was added, how terrifying would he become?

Of course, it wouldn't be easy. It would take time.

Just then, a woman in a red robe strode into the hall; she was Shang Hongyi.

Sui Gujin opened her palm, and a scroll floated over to Shang Hongyi.

"This is what he and I promised you."

Shang Hongyi's eyes lit up the moment she saw it. It was the complete Breaking Wall Scripture!

The value of that single moment of humility... was simply beyond measure.

***

When Ye Guan crushed the scroll, he was immediately transported into a strange, fast-moving spacetime tunnel. He was moving so fast that he felt dizzy. He had no idea where he was headed, but he was ready for anything.

Little Pagoda said, "This time, you're facing the Great Daoist Brush Master one-on-one."

Ye Guan nodded. "I know."

"Scared?"

Ye Guan calmly answered, "Even if I am, it won't change anything."

"True."

Ye Guan was about to say more when he frowned. He could no longer sense his faith power! His heart sank. It meant he was now extremely distant from the Main Universe; he was so far away that his connection to the faith power there was severed.

Fortunately, his cultivation and bloodlines remained accessible, but he couldn't access the tiny pagoda's power anymore. Even worse, he couldn't summon the Qingxuan Sword, either.

This time, he was truly on his own.

Little Pagoda remarked, "Your father placed these restrictions on you."

Ye Guan laughed. "Well, he must have put some restrictions on the Great Daoist Brush Master, too, that should be fair."

"I think so, too," Little Pagoda agreed again.

If the Great Daoist Brush Master were allowed to move at full strength, Ye Guan wouldn't stand a chance. No need for Order, no need for rules, he would certainly die.

The only question was... what kind of restrictions were placed on the Great Daoist Brush Master?

Just then, a bright light appeared at the end of the tunnel.

In the blink of an eye, Ye Guan passed through it, and a moment later, he felt himself crash hard into solid ground. A wave of searing pain washed over him, and his bones felt like they were shattered.

Gritting his teeth, he opened his eyes and was stunned. He was standing on a vast starlit plaza. Beyond the plaza was a seemingly endless starry sky. All around him stood people and demonic beasts. Their upper bodies were bare, and their limbs were chained with blood-red shackles.

Where the hell am I?

Ye Guan frowned. He looked closely and saw that the prisoners revealed expressions of utter despair. The demonic beasts were massive, radiating terrifying auras.

Ye Guan's face darkened.

These prisoners... aren't weak. They're actually insanely strong.

Ye Guan sensed at least two Void Breakers, and they, too, were shackled.

Ye Guan's heart almost stopped upon realizing that.

He assumed his father had sent him to a relatively low-level world to fight the Great Daoist Brush Master.

Who would have thought that he'd end up in a place where everyone was insanely powerful?

With access to faith power and the Qingxuan Sword, he stood a chance against Void Breakers. Without them, he was barely a Nascent Void[1]Realm expert.

Something about this place... feels wrong.

Without thinking, Ye Guan tried to slip away.

The moment he moved, he felt an invisible divine sense lock onto him.

His heart jumped. He immediately tried to fly away on a sword, but before he could get far, a bolt of lightning shot down from the heavens and struck him squarely in the forehead.

Boom!

Ye Guan crashed to the ground, twitching in pain.

"Well, well." A voice echoed from the darkness. "Looks like we missed one little fish."

Immediately afterward, a blood-red chain shot out from the darkness, wrapping tightly around Ye Guan's hands and feet.

"Go!" Another voice rang out from deep within the starry sky.

As soon as the words fell, the massive plaza suspended in the stars turned into a streak of light that vanished into the far end of the void.

***

Deep within a sprawling mountain range, there was a mine that seemed to stretch endlessly. In the distant sky, three massive blazing suns floated side by side; their terrifying heat scorched the ground.

In the heart of the mines, a man dressed in a Daoist robe stared blankly at the hoe in his hand.

What the fuck?

Then, he realized something and roared, "Ye Xuan, you bastard! How dare you seal off my Dao techniques!"

"What are you screaming for?!" A voice thundered from above his head. The next moment, a beam of blazing sunlight shot straight down, slamming directly into his forehead.

Boom!

The Great Daoist Brush Master was flattened to the ground, twitching violently.

Furious, the Great Daoist Brush Master roared, "This is an outrage! I'm the Great Daoist Brush Master! How dare you attack me?!"

Boom!

Another beam of blazing sunlight smashed into him without mercy.

"This is an outrage! An

outraaaage!

" the Great Daoist Brush Master howled, "How dare you treat me like this?!"

Boom!

Another beam of blazing sunlight struck him once again.

"Stop, stop!" The Great Daoist Brush Master raised both hands, shouting, "Stop hitting me! I surrender! I surrender!"

1. this is the realm below Void Breakers ☜