Chapter 1503: The Great Daoist Brush Master

The Dao of Order?

Ji Wuchen was immediately surprised. He turned to You Lian. "Order?"

You Lian nodded.

Ji Wuchen, however, laughed. "I think it's quite normal. Many people cultivate the same Dao; two cultivators vary in strength, after all.

After a short pause, he added, "Is his Order strong or weak?"

"I can't tell."

Ji Wuchen fell silent for a moment, and then he said, "No need to overthink it. He helps me, I help him, that's all that matters."

You Lian nodded and said no more, but light flickered in her eyes as if she was pondering something.

The next morning, Ye Guan stepped out of his room. Looking up at the sky, he saw the faint light of dawn. Advisor Mu was already waiting at the door.

Seeing Ye Guan, Advisor Mu respectfully bowed. "Young Master Ye, please go to the entrance in fifteen minutes."

Ye Guan nodded. "Alright."

Advisor Mu turned and left.

Ye Guan let out a quiet sigh. He discovered that he still couldn't merge the Void Spacetime with his Sword Dao. The core issue was his inability to control the Void Spacetime.

If he had the Qingxuan Sword, he could fuse them easily. The sword's unique nature made it invulnerable against any form of spacetime. Unfortunately, he could no longer use the Qingxuan Sword!

Hence, he could only make slow progress, bit by bit.

Outside the gates, the governors had already assembled.

Sang Han was among them.

Soon, Ji Wuchen emerged from the palace. Everyone greeted him.

Ji Wuchen glanced at Ye Guan and smiled. "Let's go."

With that, they all rose into the air and disappeared in the blink of an eye.

Moments later, they landed several dozen miles away from the Imperial palace. They began walking as a sign of respect for the emperor. The imperial palace wasn't large. It actually seemed small, but it exuded a solemn majesty that evoked awe to rise unbidden in anyone's heart.

When Ji Wuchen and his entourage approached the palace gates, an elderly man in court robes appeared before them.

Seeing the man, Ji Wuchen stepped forward. "Lord Han, what brings you here?"

Lord Han! The crowd was visibly shaken upon hearing Ji Wuchen's words.

Lord Han was a legendary figure. He had grown up alongside the emperor and was the most trusted person in His Majesty's inner circle. His strength was terrifying and unfathomable.

Ye Guan looked at the kind-looking old man before him, and his face grew solemn. This man was the most dangerous person he'd seen, aside from that mysterious man.

No doubt about it; he was a Transcendent.

The old man smiled. "I've been waiting for Your Highness. Please, follow me."

He turned and led the way.

Ji Wuchen and the others quickly followed him.

Under Lord Han's guidance, they soon arrived before a grand hall.

Lord Han gestured politely. "Your Highness, please enter."

Ji Wuchen nodded and led the group inside.

The hall was vast, and it was filled with nearly ten thousand people.

Ye Guan knew that most of those present were governors from many provinces. The Empire had over ten thousand governors, except for those under some special circumstances, nearly all had come.

When Ji Wuchen entered, many governors looked at him briefly before averting their gazes. Not all governors participated in the struggle for the throne, but most had chosen to support the Crown Prince.

Ji Wuchen took his place at the far right, standing at the front. Once positioned, he closed his eyes.

Ye Guan looked toward the far left. That spot was still empty. He knew it was reserved for the Crown Prince.

The hall was quiet, tense, and filled with silence.

Suddenly, the hall doors opened. A tall man in a long robe strode in. He was muscular and brimming with strength and confidence.

The Crown Prince, Ji Xiao! Over seventy percent of the governors immediately saluted him. "Greetings, Crown Prince!"

The difference in reception compared to Ji Wuchen's entrance was stark.

Ji Wuchen remained expressionless, showing no reaction.

Ji Xiao smiled. "No need for formalities."

He walked confidently to the far left.

Though calm on the surface, Ye Guan could already feel the tension between the two factions in the hall. It was a standoff between two camps!

Ye Guan shook his head slightly. He knew this confrontation was orchestrated by the emperor himself. Without the emperor's tacit approval, such a standoff would be impossible in court.

Balance.... Whether this was good or bad, Ye Guan couldn't say. However, one thing was certain—it certainly tempered these people. At the very least, the successors would all be kept on their toes and could never slack off.

Of course, it could also lead to horrific outcomes.

Just then, everyone looked up toward the throne.

At some point, a middle-aged man had taken his seat on the dragon throne.

Dressed in a simple long robe, he didn't appear regal at all. He looked more like an ordinary man than an emperor. He emanated no obvious authority. Yet the entire hall was filled with solemn reverence as everyone bowed deeply.

His Majesty was here!

Ye Guan scrutinized the man. He looked to be around forty and was dressed casually. Despite his casual clothes, the court was visibly tense in his presence. Everyone bowed to him respectfully.

The emperor looked over the assembly and calmly said, "You may rise."

With a wave of his sleeve, a secret edict appeared before each person.

Seeing the documents, everyone's expression changed.

It was a military report!

On the Empyrean Star Battlefield, they had already lost three Transcendent Realm experts and over three thousand Void Breaking Realm cultivators.

The empire was now at a disadvantage, and the military was requesting reinforcements!

The emperor took out two more scrolls. "These are memorials submitted last night by the Ninth and Crown Princes. Would you like to know what they say?"

All eyes turned to him.

The emperor smiled. "I'm pleased."

He opened his palm, and the scrolls floated into the air for all to see.

Everyone looked and was shocked.

Both princes had volunteered to lead troops to the frontlines!

Ji Xiao glanced at Ji Wuchen's memorial, and then he looked at the latter with a smile.

Ji Wuchen remained calm.

The emperor looked at both princes and said, "I'm pleased."

The two bowed respectfully in response.

The emperor continued, "This war between our Empire and the Celestial Clan... we can only win, not lose. Therefore, I have decided to personally lead the expedition!"

The emperor himself was going to war! The court was stunned.

Even Ji Xiao and Ji Wuchen were visibly shocked.

"No need to be surprised. At this point, neither our Empire nor the Celestial Clan can afford to lose. Since that's the case, we must go all out. Ten days from now, every top elite in the Empire will head to the Empyrean Star Battlefield."

Mobilizing the entire Empire for this war!

Ye Guan was also stunned, but his face quickly darkened.

Damn it! If the empire ends up losing, my plans for opening a new academy will be ruined! Start from scratch again? No, that's too hard! I have

no

foundation here. Starting from scratch will be nearly impossible.

Just then, the emperor said, "I've appointed a new Grand Preceptor. Everyone, greet him."

A man in Daoist robes walked out from the side.

Ye Guan's face immediately sank.

That's the Great Daoist Brush Master! Damn it! How the hell did that bastard become the Grand Preceptor?!

When the Great Daoist Brush Master walked out, his gaze immediately locked onto Ye Guan, and he chuckled upon seeing Ye Guan's dark face.

Ye Guan coldly spat, "Scrub!"

Everyone was confused.

They know each other? What the heck does "Scrub" mean?

The Great Daoist Brush Master's face darkened. He knew exactly what Ye Guan was saying. The two-faced traitor was getting more and more shameless!

The emperor glanced at Ye Guan. "From this moment on, he is the Grand Preceptor of our Empire. Seeing him is the same as seeing me."

Upon hearing that, everyone present bowed in respect.

Even Ji Xiao and Ji Wuchen were no exception.

However, Ye Guan remained standing.

The Great Daoist Brush Master looked at him provocatively.

Today, I will stand above you.

The emperor looked at Ye Guan again.

Ye Guan calmly said, "Your Majesty, I hold neither title nor position; I'm just a mere commoner, so I need not bow to him."

The entire court was shocked.

This guy has guts! He actually dared to speak to His Majesty like that?

Even Sang Han looked stunned. She knew Ye Guan was bold, but

this

bold?

Was that guy really afraid of nothing?

Even Ji Wuchen was slightly taken aback.

The emperor looked at Ye Guan without speaking, but the hall could already feel a heavy, invisible pressure.

The emperor's anger was truly terrifying. For Ye Guan to challenge the emperor's authority like this, he was as good as dead!

Ye Guan smiled and said, "Your Majesty, to be honest, I know the Grand Preceptor. We have a bit of a history, an unpleasant one. So it's not that I intend to offend Your Majesty's authority, but there is a personal grudge between us.

"A grudge as deep as... the murder of my father."

The murder of his father?! The corners of the Great Daoist Brush Master's mouth twitched slightly.

Everyone understood what was going on. So the Grand Preceptor had murdered his father; no wonder he had refrained from kneeling. That made sense.

The emperor looked at Ye Guan and asked, "You know the Grand Preceptor?"

Ye Guan nodded, "Yes, we come from the same place. Of course, a grudge is a grudge. Now that we both serve the empire, even if I hate him, I will set that grudge aside. We ought to work together to resist the court..."

What a broad-minded young man!

Upon hearing that, everyone in the hall was filled with respect. The young man's mind was extremely broad.

The emperor glanced at Ye Guan and nodded. "It's good that you think that way. However, from now on, when you see the Grand Preceptor, you must still show the proper respect. Protocol cannot be disregarded."

"Of course," said Ye Guan and bowed slightly. The instant he lowered his head, his gaze turned ice-cold, albeit just for a moment.