Chapter 1561: The Finale is Near

Ye Guan's scalp went numb. He sensed a mysterious power rushing toward this place. His expression changed drastically, and his eyes became filled with unprecedented seriousness.

What the hell? That's so strong!

The mansion sank, plunging deep underground in the blink of an eye.

It was pitch-black outside, and the air was filled with densely packed, eerie black runes. The runes exuded a profoundly mysterious power, shielding them from everything and cutting off any outside influence.

Meanwhile, a wisp of divine sense descended outside.

The divine sense swept over the area slowly. Then, it looked down onto the ground, but found nothing.

Ye Guan couldn't directly probe the divine sense, but he could feel that it was dangerous. He knew that there was an immensely powerful existence lurking.

He was still a little dazed.

What the hell is going on?

He turned to the red-robed man, who looked as solemn as if he were facing a mortal enemy. Just then, the wisp of divine sense vanished.

Ye Guan immediately felt the sense of profound danger dissipate.

The red-robed man visibly relaxed. He was about to retract the array and leave the underground space when Ye Guan said, "Wait!"

The red-robed man's eyes narrowed slightly. He understood Ye Guan's caution.

A short while later, the wisp of divine sense reappeared outside once again, causing the red-robed man to grimace.

This time, the divine sense didn't linger as long and disappeared once more.

Ye Guan finally said, "Now it's okay."

The red-robed man looked at him with a strange face.

Ye Guan asked, "Senior, what was that just now?"

The red-robed man fell silent.

Ye Guan reminded him, saying, "We're on the same side now."

The red-robed man said, "That was from the Temple of the Gods."

"The Temple of the Gods?"

"Yes, those who believe in the Divine Will."

"The same as those in the Boundary of Truth and Illusion?"

The red-robed man nodded.

Ye Guan's face darkened.

The red-robed man continued, "You don't need to worry too much. The 'gods' at the Boundary of Truth and Illusion also believe in the Divine Will, but they don't yet qualify to enter the Temple of the Gods.

"They're trying to seize the divine artifact in your hands. They want to use it as a weapon against the Outer world and to enter the Temple of the Gods."

"Can we leave now?" Ye Guan asked.

He no longer cared to dwell on the differences between the Heretic Region and the Temple of the Gods. Right now, he only wanted to do one thing—resolve the immediate issue and defeat the Great Daoist Brush Master.

Once he defeated the Great Daoist Brush Master, that bastard wouldn't be able to keep targeting him, and beyond that, he would have to help him establish Order.

The red-robed man said, "You should leave first. Do not misunderstand, we're not trying to betray you. You came here using a special technique, but that technique isn't suitable for us."

"How long will it take you to get to me?"

"Three days."

"Good."

Ye Guan was about to leave when he turned to look at the red-robed man again. "What was that ancient book you had me swear on earlier?"

The red-robed man answered, "The Book of Fate."

"Why did swearing on it alarm the Temple of the Gods?"

"The Book of Fate is one of their divine artifacts, imbued with blasphemous power. By making an oath on it, you blasphemed against the Divine Will, leaving behind a mark of blasphemy, which naturally alarmed them."

"Can I borrow it?"

"What do you need it for?"

"I have my own use for it. Don't worry, Senior Zong Xin guarantees I'll return it."

"Fine."

The red-robed man handed the Book of Fate over the Ye Guan, who put it away and disappeared from the spot.

After he left, a mysterious voice suddenly rang out in the area. "The karmic weight of his oath is truly immense."

The red-robed man said softly, "No wonder Lord Zong Xin values him."

The mysterious voice asked, "Are we really going to fight this battle with him?"

"What else can we do?"

"He's already sworn the oath; even if we don't join the fight, he can't do anything to us."

"Foolish!" the red-robed man scolded. The red-robed man shot a cold glance at the stone pillar on his right. "Why are you being so short-sighted? Whether it is dealing with people or matters, the worst thing is to treat everything as a one-off transaction.

"There is no wisdom in crossing the bridge and tearing it down. If we were weak, that would be another matter. But since we are strong, we must keep our word.

"Otherwise, we would offend not only this young swordsman, but also Zong Xin. Remember, never let short-term gain blind your judgement. Great disasters often begin with a single malicious thought."

The voice dared not say another word.

The red-robed man withdrew his gaze. "Prepare to depart for the Ancient Ruins."

***

When Ye Guan returned to the Ancient Ruins, he found that Gu Pan was still in the midst of an intense round of cultivation. Lately, this man had been cultivating with an almost crazed fervor.

Ye Guan said, "Brother Gu Pan, it's time to fight."

A voice came from afar. "I'll come out when the fighting actually starts."

Ye Guan nodded. "As long as you'll be there, I'm reassured."

He turned and walked outside.

The Ancient God Capital was now a ruined husk, long devoid of its former splendor.

The white-robed elder appeared beside Ye Guan.

Ye Guan said, "We need to hold them off for three days."

"Three days?" the elder asked.

Ye Guan nodded. "Yes. We must hold them back."

"That shouldn't be too much of a problem."

"Do we have any other trump cards?"

"Yes. We have one more array that we can activate. It was personally made by the Emperor. It'll be able to hold them off for a while."

"Good, and the people here... have they been taken care of?"

"Yes, they have already left."

Ye Guan nodded slightly and looked up at the depths of the starry sky. He saw the Great Daoist Brush Master busy trying to break through the array.

The Great Daoist Brush Master sensed Ye Guan's gaze on him and looked over at him as well.

Their eyes met in midair.

The Great Daoist Brush Master smiled and said, "The finale is near."

Ye Guan also nodded. "Indeed, it is near. I wonder if you still remember that my father wanted us to see whose Order was superior.

The Great Daoist Brush Master laughed. "I believe only the one who wins has the right to establish their Order. Don't you think so?"

"Indeed," Ye Guan replied.

Only with strength could one establish an order. Without strength, an Order would not last long.

Beside the Great Daoist Brush Master, the Vast God asked, "Does he have any more trump cards?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master calmly replied, "He definitely does. Of course, as long as he doesn't call for help, no matter what trump cards he uses, it's all the same to me."

The Vast God watched the Great Daoist Brush Master and felt reassured upon seeing his calmness.

As the Great Daoist Brush Master continued his work, some of the seals began to break, and powerful auras began to emerge from across the realm.

In the ruins of the Ancient God Capital, Ye Guan gathered all the remaining experts. There was the white-robed elder and Gu Chen, the commander of the Ancient God Soldiers. Though only his soul remained, his battle intent was still terrifying.

Throughout the Ancient God Capital, there were many Ancient God Soldiers. These soldiers were once on the ninth level of the True Dao, but now, only their will remained.

There were indeed not many experts left in the Ancient God Nation.

Ye Guan looked at the white-robed elder in front of him. "How can I command the Ancient God Nation's experts in the Divine Ruins?"

The white-robed elder replied, "You can do so at any time."

Ye Guan nodded and said, "Let's begin."

The white-robed elder was startled. "We're striking first?"

Ye Guan said, "Of course. Otherwise, should we wait until they break free and then fight? We strike now!"

As he finished speaking, he transformed into a streak of sword light and shot straight up, charging toward the Great Daoist Brush Master.

The white-robed elder shook his head and smiled. He hadn't expected Ye Guan's decision. Without any hesitation, he and the other few experts beside him also soared into the sky, rushing toward the Great Daoist Brush Master.

Seeing them charging at him, the Great Daoist Brush Master remained very calm. He wasn't surprised at all; he knew that this crafty guy would never let him break the seal so smoothly and easily.

He didn't move. Instead, the Vast God beside him stepped forward. With just that single step, a terrifying divine might swept down from the depths of the heavens.

Even though he was sealed and could only unleash less than thirty percent of his peak power, that divine might was still extremely terrifying, pressing down on them so hard that they could barely breathe.

Ye Guan's gaze sharpened, and he suddenly slashed out with his sword, tearing through that divine might and sending his sword toward the Great Daoist Brush Master.

Swoosh!

The Vast God appeared in front of him, and his right hand clenched into a fist. Then, he swung it at the tip of Ye Guan's sword.

Boom!

A wave of energy exploded outward, forcing both of them to retreat.

Ye Guan came to a stop.

The Vast God also stopped and stared at Ye Guan. "Not bad!"

Ye Guan turned and saw that not far away, the white-robed elder and the others were all being blocked by two illusory figures.

Two gods!

Although those gods were still sealed, they could already use some of their power.

In addition to that, the Demon God had also appeared, standing beside the Great Daoist Brush Master to protect him.

More and more gods were emerging!

Ye Guan fell silent for a moment, and then he ordered, "I ask the experts of the Ancient God Nation to aid me!"

Bams of white light shot up from the Divine Ruins. The ancient sages of the Ancient God Nation were here! These beams of white light soared straight into the sky, charging directly at the Great Daoist Brush Master.

However, the Great Daoist Brush Master revealed a strange smile.

"Ye Guan... you've indeed fallen into the trap."

The corner of Ye Guan's mouth curled up slightly. "Oh? Is that so?"

The Great Daoist Brush Master's eyes immediately narrowed. Then, his face changed drastically upon realizing something.