Chapter 1612: Let Destiny Decide

Ye Guan was understandably rattled. He had no idea why there was an aura of Divinity inside the Divine Seal.

He'd asked Zong Xin about it, but even Zong Xin was in the dark.

He had a theory, but nothing he could say for certain.

Despite his inner panic, Ye Guan kept a calm front. He took a breath and asked, "How many top-tier cultivators do we currently have in the city?"

Xi Zhong had been quietly observing Ye Guan's demeanor. At the question, he quickly turned his attention back and replied, "There are two Divine Realm elites and sixty-two at the Main Gods. We also have several defensive arrays. If we focus purely on holding the city, we should be able to hold out for a while.

"But everything depends on how aggressively the other side moves."

Ye Guan nodded. "So basically, our next move is... to wait? Wait for reinforcements?"

"Yes," Xi Zhong replied, "We need to hold until the remaining two Divine Nuns reare he."

"Got it. By the way, what do you know about that Jun You?"

"Honestly? Not much."

Ye Guan glanced at him. Xi Zhong continued solemnly, "She's not from our Temple of Divinity, and I've never heard of her before. All I know is she has some sort of connection to Mu Rong."

"Can we find out more about her?"

"I'll send someone to investigate."

"Alright then," Ye Guan said. "For now, all we can do is wait."

Xi Zhong bowed and quietly left.

Once he was gone, Zong Xin asked,

"Can we trust him?"

Ye Guan answered, "It's normal for him to feel anxious. His future and life are on the line."

"Between him and the Divine Civilization, I'd say Jun You is the bigger threat. That woman is too mysterious."

Ye Guan nodded.

"I know. This might not just be about the Divine Civilization anymore. There could be a third faction involved."

He frowned slightly.

"To be honest, even if Jun Buqi hadn't been around, that woman probably would've found another excuse to pick a fight."

Zong Xin's expression darkened.

"You're saying she was targeting you from the start?"

"I can't be certain. But she's definitely not ordinary..."

He shook his head slightly. "

Right now, we're just going to wait. We're going to wait for the three Divine Nuns."

Zong Xin added,

"She didn't stop you from convincing Xi Zhong. That means she's got something planned."

Ye Guan replied,

"I know."

Zong Xin didn't press further. He knew Ye Guan always had a plan.

"Brother Ye!" Gu Pan exclaimed, walking up to Ye Guan.

Ye Guan turned to him. Gu Pan seemed to have fully recovered.

With a grin, Gu Pan said, "Good as new. Back to full strength."

Ye Guan thought for a moment and said, "Brother Gu, I need a favor."

"What kind of favor?" Gu Pan raised an eyebrow.

"I need you to make a trip back to the Empire. Help me—"

Gu Pan cut him off. "You're trying to send me away, aren't you?"

Ye Guan stayed silent.

Gu Pan spoke seriously. "Look, I know your enemies keep getting more absurd by the day. But I still think I can help. And honestly, I'm not just doing this for you. Being here, going head-to-head with the Divine Civilization's top elites, that's a rare experience. I'm actually enjoying this experience."

Ye Guan shook his head. "Brother Gu, you don't need to."

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

"My mind's made up." Gu Pan just smiled.

Ye Guan let out a quiet sigh, but he was clearly moved.

Gu Pan said, "Come on, tell me what you're planning next. I need to know what I'm getting myself into."

To be fair, he was a bit nervous.

Back when he roamed the world alone, he wasn't invincible, but he was close. Since following Ye Guan, though, it felt like he was playing life on a much harder difficulty. It left him constantly reeling.

And he had a bad feeling Ye Guan's enemies were only going to get stronger.

Ye Guan said, "Our priority right now is to wait for reinforcements."

Gu Pan asked, "From the Temple of Divinity?"

Ye Guan's eyes narrowed slightly. "No."

Gu Pan was stunned.

***

Meanwhile, the top elites of the South Temple of Divinity had gathered, and Xi Zhong was at the head of the assembly.

Everyone wore heavy expressions. These people were all trusted subordinates of Xi Zhong, and they understood the weight of the decision he had made, which was to side with Ye Guan.

Xi Zhong looked around the room and said, "We're all on the same side here. If you have thoughts, speak freely."

A white-haired elder seated on the right spoke up first. "Hall Master, we have no objections. Since you've chosen the Divine Emissary, our duty is to protect him and wait for the reinforcements."

The rest of the room nodded in agreement.

What was there to say? Even if anyone disagreed, they wouldn't be foolish enough to say so now.

Xi Zhong glanced at them all and said, "I know you're worried, worried that he might not be a real Divine Emissary. But let me put your minds at ease. I swear on my life, he's the real thing."

Everyone breathed a sigh of relief. If they were risking everything for a fake, they'd be doomed. If he was genuine, they were standing on the side of righteousness, on the side of the Divinity.

To fight for the Divinity!

That thought swept away the last traces of fear in their hearts.

Someone asked, "Hall Master, if the Divinity has really chosen him, why hasn't She appeared in person...?"

Xi Zhong calmly replied, "If She were to reveal Herself, would the traitors dare show their faces?"

The questioner blinked.

Actually, that made some sense.

"The priority now is to wait for the three Divine Nuns. Nun Sickle is currently being held back by Mu Rong and the full might of the Central Gods Temple, but she can't be stalled for long.

"As for the other two, we've already sent people to contact them."

Someone voiced concern, asking, "What if they refuse to come here...?"

"They will," Xi Zhong said firmly. "The Divinity Herself raised them. Betrayal is impossible. Nun Sickle's actions have already proven that."

Everyone nodded.

Xi Zhong said solemnly, "The Origin Temple of Divinity and the North Temple of Divinity should have received our message. Their silence means they're either observing or waiting for orders. This is the turning point. Rest assured, if I ever make it big, I won't forget a single one of you."

The white-haired elder said, "We're with you, Hall Master. Your decision is ours. And if anyone dares betray you, I'll personally make sure they die without a grave."

Xi Zhong swept his gaze across the room. The atmosphere tensed as everyone quickly declared their loyalty.

This meeting, after all, was meant to shake the room, to make sure everyone stayed in line. Most of them owed their position to Xi Zhong, but that didn't mean there weren't spies. At a moment like this, even a single leak could be fatal.

He'd gone all-in on this gamble. And if he lost, there wouldn't even be a next life.

He looked out of the hall with a hint of worry in his eyes.

What he really wanted to know was... Just how many from the Temple of Divinity would actually answer the call to defend the Divine Emissary?

If no one were to respond, they would surely die.

***

A spacetime rift was torn open, and two figures emerged from it. An elderly man in divine robes and a middle-aged man in black.

They were Gu Hao, head of the North Temple of Divinity, and Tian Ya.

The moment they arrived, they sealed off the surroundings.

Gu Hao was the one in divine robes. He looked at Tian Ya and got straight to the point. "What do you make of this?"

Tian Ya smiled faintly. "The Divinity has never appeared in ages. And a Divine Emissary suddenly shows up, but he's supposedly a blasphemer and someone seeking to establish his own Order? Doesn't that sound fishy to you?"

Gu Hao replied, "Nun Sickle and Xi Zhong..."

Tian Ya frowned. He understood the implication. Xi Zhong didn't matter, but Nun Sickle's stance definitely did.

"She was raised by the Divinity. Ye Guan might fool others, but not her. Yet she still submitted. That alone says a lot about who he really is," said Gu Hao.

Tian Ya was quiet for a moment before saying, "We have two choices. Either follow orders, join up with the others, and move to eliminate Ye Guan in the Divinity's name, or we respond to Xi Zhong's call and defend the Divine Emissary in the South Temple of Divinity."

Gu Hao didn't answer.

Tian Ya looked at him and chuckled. "Let's not kid ourselves. Neither of us has the luxury to sit on the sidelines and play for both teams. If we don't pick a side now, we might not even know how we die."

"From what I see, Shen Fu and Xuan Jun have already joined forces..."

Tian Ya went silent. He served Xuan Fu, and Gu Hao served Xuan Jun. But both had received the same order. In other words, those two above them were already allied.

They both fell quiet.

Tian Ya finally muttered, "This is the worst kind of mess. The top dogs are playing chess, and we're the pieces. We know nothing about Ye Guan's real background or possible reinforcement. And we've got no clue what the other two Divine Nuns, the Arbiter, and the Judicator are doing.

"Picking a side right now? It's a blind bet."

"When you don't have the full picture, you're bound to make flawed decisions. And those decisions lead straight to ruin."

He looked at Tian Ya. "You decide. I'll follow."

Tian Ya shook his head. "You decide. I'll follow."

Gu Hao frowned. "If neither of us can decide, let's go with the oldest method of making a decision known to man. We're going to roll a die. High roll, we obey the orders and go after Ye Guan.

"Low roll, we side with Xi Zhong and defend him."

Tian Ya thought for a second and nodded. "Fine. No divine power. Let destiny decide."

Gu Hao nodded. He summoned a die into his hand and tossed it into the air.

It spun, then landed in his palm. They both leaned in to look.

A one—the lowest. They were to protect Ye Guan.

The two looked at each other.

Tian Ya hesitated. "Want to roll again? Best two out of three?"