Chapter 1683: A Bad Feeling

Ye Guan once again came face-to-face with the Great Daoist Brush Master. The man sat upright in his chair, robed in a traditional Daoist robe. His eyes were steady and focused.

Beside him was the Boundless Master, quietly puffing on a cigar, his left hand still holding a bottle of wine. His expression was somber, his mood visibly heavy.

Ye Guan looked at the Great Daoist Brush Master and smiled. "So we meet again."

The Great Daoist Brush Master looked at Ye Guan and started, "Trai—"

He stopped himself just in time upon remembering that his cultivation base was still sealed. He quickly corrected himself, saying, "Ye Guan, Boundless Master told me that you were looking for me. What's the matter?"

Ye Guan nodded. "Just wanted to talk."

"What about?"

Ye Guan smiled. "Whatever you're willing to share."

The Great Daoist Brush Master fell silent.

Ye Guan shrugged. "Seems like there's nothing left for us to talk about."

The Great Daoist Brush Master gave a slight nod. "At this point... there really isn't."

Ye Guan looked at him seriously. "Will something happen to the Milky Way?"

"Absolutely not," the Great Daoist Brush Master replied without hesitation.

"Good." Ye Guan stood and turned to the Boundless Master. "Let's go."

𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝙬𝙚𝓫𝒏𝓸𝓿𝓮𝒍.𝓬𝙤𝓶

The Boundless Master nodded.

Just as the two were about to leave, the Great Daoist Brush Master said, "Wait."

They both turned to him.

After a brief silence, the Great Daoist Brush Master said, "Boundless Master, you still have a choice."

The Boundless Master looked him in the eyes. "I choose my brother."

The Great Daoist Brush Master asked quietly, "And I'm not your brother?"

The Boundless Master replied, "The Supreme Will wants to destroy the world. The Yang Family doesn't."

The Great Daoist Brush Master was silent.

The Boundless Master added, "Next time we meet, don't hold back. I won't. And if I die by your hand, don't worry, I won't blame you."

With that, he followed Ye Guan toward the exit. As they reached the door, he added, "Oh, and remember to pay for the foot massage."

The Great Daoist Brush Master was at a loss for words.

When the two disappeared, a complicated light flickered across the Great Daoist Brush Master's face. Eventually, he let out a quiet sigh.

***

The Boundless Master turned to Ye Guan and asked, "Do you think we can take him down if we attack him right now?"

Ye Guan smiled. "Probably not."

"I think so, too." The Boundless Master sighed. Soon, the two arrived in the starry skies. When they passed the a red planet, Ye Guan stopped and turned to look at it.

The Boundless Master followed his gaze. There was an immensely powerful presence on that planet.

Ye Guan asked, "Has the Great Daoist Brush Master ever mentioned anything about this planet?"

The Boundless Master shook his head. "No. He's tight-lipped. Never leaked a single secret. But I'm certain he knows whoever's down there."

Ye Guan nodded. He turned his gaze across the vast starry skies, peering deep into the universe until his eyes landed on a group of dragons. He lingered on one figure in particular. Then, he slowly looked away. "Let's go, senior."

At this moment, it was best if his old friends stayed where they were. That was the best possible outcome. He had a sense of foreboding at the idea of facing the Supreme Will. He felt a kind of dread that he had never felt before.

And with that, the two vanished into the depths of the Milky Way.

***

Ye Guan and the Boundless Master returned to the Origin Universe.

As soon as they arrived, Ye Guan noticed something in the air. A tension. A foreboding stillness like the calm before a storm.

Inside the bamboo house.

Ye Guan met Sui Gujin. She was now Qin Guan's assistant, who was helping her manage the Immortal Treasures Pavilion.

She'd demonstrated astonishing administrative skills, and with Qin Guan's full support, her status within the Immortal Treasures Pavilion had risen rapidly. She was second only to Qin Guan and Ye Guan himself.

Looking at her baby bump, Ye Guan chuckled. "The little one's still inside?"

Sui Gujin replied, "Waiting for you."

Ye Guan went quiet. He knew exactly what she meant.

That night, Qin Guan had prepared a full table of dishes. Sui Gujin wasn't much of a cook, but she still helped out.

At the dinner table, Ye Guan devoured the food like a starving beast.

Qin Guan smiled. "Slow down. No one's stealing it from you."

Ye Guan grinned. "It's too good, Mother. Your cooking's amazing."

Qin Guan beamed at him. "Then eat as much as you want."

Sui Gujin ate in silence, though something about the scene made her feel strange... like they were a real family. But the feeling wasn't bad at all.

Moments later, Ye Guan had cleaned out every single plate.

He set down his bowl and asked, "Mother, anything new from the Ascension Battles Road?"

Qin Guan replied, "Still quiet... but not for long."

She looked him in the eye, adding, "Soon, that being will erase this era and reset the vast expanse."

Reset the vast expanse.

Ye Guan fell silent. It was sooner than he'd expected.

Qin Guan said gently, "With your current power, even the Martial Court of the Pavilion can't help you anymore.

"If you want to grow stronger, you should head to the Gate of Suffering. It's open to all civilizations, and not just them. The training grounds of the five Supreme Divine Civilizations are also open to the public."

"I'll go to the Gate of Suffering then," Ye Guan said without hesitation. He'd always been interested in its brutal training methods.

Qin Guan nodded. "Then go now."

Ye Guan rose to leave, but he suddenly turned to Sui Gujin and smiled. "Walk me out?"

"Oh dear, look at me. I'll go. I'll go." Qin Guan laughed. She walked away with a teasing smile.

Sui Gujin's face flushed slightly.

Ye Guan quickly added, "Mother! That's not what I meant, really. I swear on Father's name."

"You little rascal."

Qin Guan stepped up to him and looked him in the eyes. "Remember, this isn't just your fight. It's everyone's. That includes the Yang and Ye Families. They're not here because of you. They're here to take that final step, to reach a higher realm. So stop carrying the whole burden alone, alright?"

Ye Guan said nothing.

Qin Guan placed her hands on his shoulders. "Remember, this is everyone's choice, not just yours. Mine too..."

Ye Guan's eyes turned red. "But I know you, Mother. You're not doing this for yourself. You're doing it for me."

Qin Guan looked at him gently. "Whatever you choose to do, I'll always support you. Always."

Ye Guan grinned. "I know. I've always known."

Qin Guan nodded. "Go on, then."

Ye Guan nodded and walked out with Sui Gujin.

Inside the bamboo house, Qin Guan sat in silence for a long time. Then, she quietly washed the dishes.

***

Ye Guan and Sui Gujin walked along the bamboo path. A cool breeze rustled the leaves, making the atmosphere particularly peaceful and refreshing.

"Have you gotten used to the life here?" Ye Guan asked.

Sui Gujin nodded. "Yes."

Ye Guan glanced at her, about to say something, but she beat him to the chase, saying, "This is my choice. It has nothing to do with you."

Ye Guan looked at her but said nothing.

Sui Gujin held his gaze. "You know this, and so does your mother; people are going to die this time. But she's right. The civilizations that came here, your family included, they're here to take that final step not because of you. So stop carrying it all yourself, understand?"

Ye Guan nodded. "I know... But you're like my mother. You..."

"I'm not," Sui Gujin said firmly.

Ye Guan suddenly reached out and took her hand. He didn't speak.

She didn't pull away.

The two walked in silence through the bamboo grove. After a while, she asked softly, "Do you know why your mother's worried?"

Ye Guan nodded. "The unknown."

"Exactly," Sui Gujin replied. Her eyes filled with unease. "The Immortal Treasures Pavilion has exhausted every possible method, but we still can't pierce the Supreme Will's veil. In other words, we know absolutely nothing about him. And the fact that he can keep us completely in the dark..."

She didn't need to finish.

Ye Guan understood. If that entity could completely hide from them, then his strength was beyond imagining.

She continued, "We've evaluated the previous eras, and compared to them, even counting the Ancient Era, our current civilization, with the combined strength of the Ye and Yang families, is by far the strongest. But... we still don't know how the Supreme Will destroyed those past eras. Did he use everything he had... or just a fraction?"

The fear of the unknown was truly the most terrifying kind.

"We'll only find out by fighting," Ye Guan said calmly.

Sui Gujin nodded. "True."

Ye Guan stopped. He turned to face her, gently cupping her cheek. "Don't worry so much. If the sky falls, I'll hold it up."

She looked at him in silence.

"I'm leaving," he said softly.

Sui Gujin spoke up behind him. "Don't overwork yourself."

Ye Guan paused, then said, "I want to establish true order across the universe. And now, with the universe in danger, I, Ye Guan, will fight for it. That is my duty."

With that, he turned into a flash of sword light and vanished into the horizon.

Sui Gujin stood there, watching that fading light. She said nothing for a long, long time.

***

Soon, Ye Guan arrived at the Gate of Suffering.

An old man appeared to greet him. It was Apo, the current gatekeeper of the Gate of Suffering.

"Young Master Ye," Apo greeted warmly.

Ye Guan recognized him instantly and bowed slightly. "Greetings, senior."

Apo smiled kindly at the gesture. "No need to be so formal. Come with me."

He led Ye Guan across a vast plain. Up ahead stood six gates.

"These are the Six Trials," Apo explained. "Each gate represents a different level of difficulty. The hardest one... is Hell."

Ye Guan didn't hesitate. "Then I'll take Hell."

Apo didn't look surprised. He nodded. "Very well. Please proceed."

Ye Guan began walking toward the rightmost gate.

"Young Master Ye," Apo suddenly said.

Ye Guan stopped and turned.

"I know your strength; you are a Dual Circle Breaker. You're extraordinary. But this Hell trial is even more terrifying than you can ever imagine. Once you enter, there's no turning back. No quitting halfway. You'll have to make it through on your own. Do you understand?"

Ye Guan nodded. "I understand."

"Then go."

Ye Guan took one step forward.

The moment his foot touched the ground, he disappeared into the gate.