Chapter 1642: A Man in White

As she watched the black-robed youth bow with such reverence, Sang Zhan was genuinely surprised. Though his power was modest, she knew him to be from one of the primordial universe's superpowers—the Tuogu clan.

Yet she hadn't anticipated his awe upon hearing "Immortal Treasures Pavilion."

She hadn't been outside in ages, so she knew little about the recent developments outside. She wondered,

When did such a superpower emerge?

When she remembered those who came to support Ye Guan, however, everything made sense. Each of them could stand tall as a giant in the vast expanse.

Sang Zhan returned to her thoughts and observed the black-robed youth's eager deference. She didn't stop him. She glanced at her subordinate Yuan Shou, his composed expression telling her it was acceptable.

With that, she pocketed the storage ring and the group vanished into the distance.

The moment Sang Zhan disappeared, the youth heaved a sigh of relief. Though this land belonged to the Tuogu Clan, where trespassers typically paid ten thousand Ancestral Spirit Crystals, her presence clearly wielded influence.

Immortal Treasures Pavilion was at its peak. While the Tuogu Clan did not fear it outright, they recognized an opportunity. Perhaps this gesture could just forge a valuable connection one day!

Then, he paused, and a name struck him like lightning.

Young Pavilion Master Ye Guan?

He was a bit puzzled. He hadn't heard of any Young Pavilion Master from the Immortal Treasure Pavilion. Could it be... that Young Pavilion Master Ye Guan was still out there and hadn't arrived yet?

Upon realizing that, the black-robed youth's doubtful eyes lit up with excitement.

Damn! This could be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity! Ye Guan! Ye Guan! Ye Guan!

He repeated the name over and over in his heart.

Although he had the surname "Tuogu," he wasn't from the main clan. He was part of a remote, distant branch of the Tuogu Clan. His ancestor's ancestor had some blood relation to the main clan, but by his generation, that connection was essentially meaningless.

For someone like him, unless a miracle happened, it was nearly impossible for him to rise to the top. He simply couldn't access the Tuogu Clan's core resources. As for talent? The Tuogu Clan never lacked monstrous talents.

Hence, if he wanted to change his fate, he had to train hard and forge connections.

Just then, the spacetime trembled, snapping him out of his thoughts. A young man and an elder emerged from afar.

The young man was clad in an ornate brocade robe. A purple sash was at his waist, and there was a fan in his hand. He looked refined and elegant. He was clearly someone extraordinary.

Behind him, the elder in a long robe radiated calm and composed authority; his eyes were deep with wisdom and experience.

Tuogu Yuan eyed the two of them.. They didn't seem ordinary, especially the young man. He looked like someone who had just returned after some training outside.

The robed youth led the elder and approached the black robed youth. "Brother, we're heading to the Universe Battlefield, but we're a bit short on Ancestral Spiritual Crystals. Any chance we could get a discount?"

Tuogu Yuan studied the young man, noting his refined manners and demeanor. "May I ask, are you Ye Guan?"

The young man blinked in surprise, and then he shook his head. "No, I'm Xiao Yuanqi from the Northern Xiao Clan."

Tuogu Yuan felt a flicker of disappointment, and then he politely said, "Apologies, but the entrance fee is set by those above me. I don't have the authority to change it."

Xiao Yuanqi suddenly smiled. "Though I'm not Ye Guan, he and I are... sworn brothers!"

Hearing that, Tuogu Yuan was visibly startled. "You... really know Ye Guan?"

Xiao Yuanqi nodded with absolute composure. "Of course."

Tuogu Yuan remained somewhat skeptical.

Xiao Yuanqi chuckled. "If you don't believe me, when I see him, I'll bring him here to meet you. You'll see for yourself."

Seeing Xiao Yuanqi's calm and confident demeanor, Tuogu Yuan started to believe him, just a little. Still, when it came to matters like this, it was better to be cautious and believe just in case.

With that thought in mind, Tuogu Yuan straightened up and said seriously, "Young Lord Xiao, since you're a friend of Young Master Ye, then there's no need for any entrance fee."

"No, no, no..." Xiao Yuanqi quickly waved his hands. "Although Ye Guan and I are sworn brothers, our friendship has always been open and honest.

"I understand you may want to do me a favor because of your ties to Ye Guan, but that's between you and him. It has nothing to do with me. So, whatever the entrance fee is, it must be paid in full, not a single cent less!"

He pretended to reach for his storage ring.

Tuogu Yuan nodded to himself in secret. This young man had a noble character.

Of course, he couldn't actually let Xiao Yuanqi pay. This was a perfect opportunity to build a connection. Even if it meant losing some Ancestral Spiritual Crystals—wealth was fleeting, but opportunity wasn't.

A chance to forge real ties was here, and it would be worth every crystal!

Tuogu Yuan reached out and stopped Xiao Yuanqi from taking out his storage ring.

Then, with a smile, he said, "Brother Xiao, there's no need to stand on ceremony. Since you're a friend of Brother Ye, you're my friend, too. Truth be told... I'm also sworn brothers with Ye Guan.

"If he found out I charged you anything, he wouldn't forgive me."

Xiao Yuanqi still tried to pay, but Tuogu Yuan adamantly refused. In the end, the two of them almost argued about how persistent each other was.

The elder behind Xiao Yuanqi was stunned by the whole exchange.

After quite some time, under Tuogu Yuan's insistence, Xiao Yuanqi "reluctantly" put away his storage ring. As he was about to leave, he cupped his fists. "Brother Tuogu, once Brother Ye arrives, the three of us must meet up and drink to our hearts' content!"

Tuogu Yuan also cupped his fists, excited. "Brother Xiao, when that day comes, the three of us shall drink without restraint!"

Just like that, Xiao Yuanqi disappeared into the distant starry skies under Tuogu Yuan's gaze.

Far ahead, the old man following behind Xiao Yuanqi hesitated, then asked, "Young Master... Who exactly is this Ye Guan?"

Xiao Yuanqi smiled. "Didn't you hear just now? He's the Young Pavilion Master of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion!"

From his earlier chat with Lin Yuan, the latter had unknowingly let that detail slip.

The old man was visibly startled. "The Immortal Treasures Pavilion...!"

That name held tremendous weight across the entire Origin Universe. Despite being a recently emerged power, Immortal Treasures Pavilion had quickly risen to become one of the most formidable forces in the entire Origin Universe.

And there was one more rising power, just like the Immortal Treasures Pavilion, called the Guanxuan Domain. Practically overnight, it had established itself as a supreme-level civilization, shocking every formidable force of the Origin Universe.

Xiao Yuanqi said, "So, the young pavilion master of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion has finally made his appearance... I've also heard that there's a young master in the Guanxuan Domain, but he's never shown himself to the world.

"Seems like the fights between the younger generation of this vast expanse are about to become quite entertaining. I wonder which of the two is more talented—the Young Pavilion Master of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion, or the one from the Guanxuan Domain?"

The elder was worried as he said, "Young Master, you just claimed to be sworn brothers with the Young Pavilion Master of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion... I fear you may have entangled yourself in his karma."

"It's fine." Xiao Yuanqi scoffed. "If you and I both don't say anything, who's going to know?

Haha!

Besides, anyone who passes up a good bargain is a damn fool!"

He strode away with confident steps, his figure soon vanishing into the distance.

The elder hurried after him.

***

Sang Zhan and the others followed Yuan Shou into a vast, boundless, desolate land. There, rising from the earth like giants piercing the heavens, stood hundreds of thousands of towering iron towers, monuments of awe-inspiring scale and majesty.

They were staring at the Universe Battlefield!

For Nun Shepherd and the others, it was their first time seeing these colossal towers, their eyes filled with confusion.

Sang Zhan explained, "Those iron towers were built by top civilizations. They link the realms of different universes. Inside, one can spar with powerful elites from across the vast expanse. Of course, your life and death are your own responsibility.

"You can also train within, as they hold the core cultivation arts of each civilization. Of course... that comes at a price."

Sang Zhan glanced at Yuan Shou, saying, "They're unfamiliar with this place..."

Yuan Shou quickly replied, "Don't worry, Lady Sang. Their training quarters and resources have all been arranged by the Pavilion Master."

Sang Zhan nodded. Then, she turned to Nun Shepherd and the others. "I'm leaving now."

With that, she vanished into thin air.

Ye Guan possessed immense power, but he still couldn't rival the East Desolates Ruler. Sang Zhan had to keep an eye on that threat personally, and she had to remain wary of any cards the Great Daoist Brush Master was still concealing.

As for Ye Guan's allies and the forces behind him, they were of no concern to her. She helped Ye Guan for only one reason—Sang Mei.

After Sang Zhan's departure, Yuan Shou led Nun Shepherd's group toward a distinct iron tower in the distance.

Soon, they arrived in front of the Sky-Connecting Pagoda. Unlike the others, this tower stood at the very heart of the desolate land. It was the Immortal Treasures Pagoda, built by the Immortal Treasures Pavilion itself.

Within it flowed the purest spiritual energy in the entire battlefield, and it housed countless supreme martial arts, divine techniques, and Laws so vast in scope that the outside world could scarcely imagine it.

The Sky-Connecting Pagoda was the dream of countless powerful elites across the multiverse. Merely setting foot inside meant a guaranteed surge in strength, often several-fold, and with astonishing ease at that.

For within its depths lay a secret—a special training realm where five years inside was only a single day outside.

However, getting into the tower was extremely difficult. First, one had to be unimaginably wealthy. Second, one needed to be a deep, strategic partner of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion. In practical terms, only those involved in cooperative projects worth at least ten billion Ancestral Spiritual Crystals could hope to receive even a single admission token.

When the Immortal Treasures Pavilion first established itself here, it attracted the greed of countless terrifying clans, all eager to devour it whole. However, those fearsome forces changed their tune overnight, choosing to befriend the Pavilion.

Rumor had it... that a man in white robes personally "visited" the patriarchs of every supreme civilization on that fateful night.

Yuan Shou led Nun Shepherd and the others to the entrance of the Immortal Treasures Pagoda.

Just then, a woman emerged. She wore a flowing white dress, utterly pristine, untouched by even a speck of dust. Her beauty was breathtaking, flawless, and serene, but it was sharpened by the long sword in her right hand.

She was grace and steel combined in one figure.

At the sight of her, Nun Shepherd and the others were momentarily stunned, caught off guard by her almost ethereal presence.

Yuan Shou immediately bowed with deep respect. "Greetings, Lady Fu Wu[1]..."

1. See Chapter 986 ☜