Chapter 338: Cirou And Ba Wan’s Motives

Ye Guan's Dao Imprint had allowed him to temporarily reach the Time Immortal Realm, and the Divine Tree of Nature's Force of Nature gave him an incredible recovery rate, but he could still not withstand the crimson lightning bolts.

Ye Guan knew that he would have had a high chance of success if he had the Path Sword, but he still decided to charge at the crimson lightning bolts. The reason wasn't that hard to deduce. He had simply gotten tired—tired of being protected.

He had to do things by himself at some point, and he couldn't rely on the protection of others forever.

Just before Ye Guan’s fleshly body and soul were annihilated by the crimson lightning bolts, a dazzling light erupted in front of him and blasted the crimson lightning bolts away.

The radiant light had come from Cirou, and she exclaimed, “Let’s go!"

She grabbed the Adjudication Sword Master’s hand and blasted away every nearby crimson lightning bolt before disappearing into the depths of the starry sky.

…

On a remote island somewhere, Cirou's expression was heavy as she looked down at Ye Guan lying on the sand.

Ye Guan was severely injured.

He had bitten more than he could afford to chew, and he would have died if it hadn't been for the Divine Tree of Nature.

It wasn't strange that Ye Guan had suffered such extensive injuries. Those crimson lightning bolts would only appear whenever a cultivator attempted to make a breakthrough and become a part of the universe by becoming a Cosmic Spirit.

It was a good thing that he had the Divine Tree of Nature.

The Adjudication Sword Master watched Ye Guan in silence, seemingly deep in thought.

Cirou sat down next to her and caressed her face gently with a smile.

“Cijing, what do you think of this brat? He's pretty handsome, right?”

Cijing stared at Cirou and said, “You’re following him because you’re hoping that the True Universe and the Guanxuan Universe can coexist in peace in the future?”

Cirou smiled and admitted, “That's one of my motives.”

Cijing frowned slightly and asked, “One of your motives? Do you have other motives?”

“I hope that he'll help Big Sister in the future.”

“You're hoping that he'll help Big Sister overcome the Universe Tribulation?”

𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“Yes.”

“I don't think it's fair for Big Sister to carry the existence of this vast expanse on her shoulders by herself.”

“So, you're using him?” asked Cijing.

“You're making it sound worse than it is,” Cirou replied.

The Adjudication Sword Master shook her head and went silent.

Cirou stroked Ye Guan’s face and asked, “Do you really think that Big Sister can keep on suppressing it forever?”

A trace of sadness fleeted across the Adjudication Sword Master’s face as she said, “I haven’t seen her in a long time.”

Cirou looked down at Ye Guan and said, “Apart from Big Sister, there are only two other people capable of withstanding the Universe Tribulation.”

The Adjudication Sword Master looked at Ye Guan as well and asked, “Him?”

"Yes." Cirou nodded and explained, "The other is the Great Daoist Brush Master... Of course, he's too weak to do it on his own. However, if he attempts to take on the Universe Tribulation, then she will make a move.”

“So, you want to force her to make a move by putting him in danger,” the Adjudication Sword Master remarked.

Cirou nodded without saying anything.

The Adjudication Sword Master shook her head and said, “Cirou, I can tell that he's quite fond of you. Once he discovers that you’re just using him…”

Cirou hurriedly said, “Ba Wan is also…”

The Adjudication Sword Master narrowed her eyes and said, “Ba Wan is doing the same thing as you?”

Cirou smiled wryly without saying anything.

"No wonder Ba Wan had decided to sleep with him all of a sudden. If she truly liked him, she wouldn't have given up her body to him so easily…" the Adjudication Sword Master muttered to herself. Moments later, she glared fiercely at Cirou and asked, "What exactly are your plans?”

“I already told you," Cirou said, "We’re trying to make him take on the Universe Tribulation.”

The Adjudication Sword Master asked, “Does he not know of Ba Wan's motives?"

"You know what this brat's greatest flaw is?” Cirou asked with a smile before proceeding to answer her own question. “It's his kind heart. He's kinder than his father and his grandfather.

"It's not that difficult to take advantage of such a good person; you just have to use the right methods."

"Cirou, this is a bit too despicable." the Adjudication Sword Master muttered.

“I know,” Cirou replied with a nod.

“Is that so? He's our enemy, yes, but what you and Ba Wan are doing is really despicable. I'm sure Big Sister will find it despicable as well,” the Adjudication Sword Master grumbled.

“Do you have any suggestions? How are we supposed to help Big Sister, then?”

“Once Big Sister can no longer withstand the burden on her shoulders, then I'll go and die with her. Have you never thought about what you're doing here?

"And Ba Wan—who does she think she is? She even went as far as to seduce him just to deceive him. Fuck! This is really too despicable. If she were here, I would have already beaten her up!" The Adjudication Sword Master was outraged.

“Who are you to judge us? All you know is to resort to violence; you don’t know anything at all! If Big Sister fails to overcome the Universe Tribulation, do you have any idea just how many people will die?”

“Since when did you become so afraid of death?” asked the Adjudication Sword Master.

Cirou stood up and seethed, “I'm going to be the first one to follow her to the afterlife the moment she can no longer withstand the Universe Tribulation.”

The Adjudication Sword Master fell silent at that. She took a moment to compose herself before making a sidelong glance at Ye Guan. Eventually, she shook her head and said, “Cirou, I wouldn't object if you wanted to kill him, but your scheme is just too despicable for me to stomach.”

Cirou was furious, and she exclaimed, "I have to do this! Otherwise, she won't make a move, and the vast expanse will be destroyed! And why should Big Sister shoulder the entire burden by herself?!”

“I don’t care. I’m telling him the truth once he wakes up," replied the Adjudication Sword Master.

“It’s too late!” Cirou pointed at Ye Guan's glabella and shouted, "Look!"

A deep crimson scar was on Ye Guan's glabella.

A Tribulation Imprint! The Adjudication Sword Master reeled from shock, and she stammered, “W-w-why does he have that?!”

“It's because he made a move against the crimson lightning bolts earlier.”

The Adjudication Sword Master suddenly remembered Ye Guan pulling her behind him and throwing all caution to the wind just to attack the oncoming crimson lightning bolts earlier.

“This is the second part of my plan. I was supposed to put myself in peril for him to save me. I'm confident that he would have done that, but I didn't expect that he would also be willing to throw all caution to the wind just to save you!

“Cirou!” The Adjudication Sword Master roared, “What’s the third part of your plan?”

"I'm not telling you," Cirou said with a smile. “You’re too upright and righteous. You’re only going to spoil my plans.”

The Adjudication Sword Master clenched her fists tightly.

Moments later, she asked, “You know that he likes Ba Wan, right?”

Cirou nodded.

The Adjudication Sword Master asked once again, “Ba Wan is in cahoots with you?”

Cirou nodded without saying anything.

The Adjudication Sword Master nodded and went silent. Her gaze was complicated as she stared at Ye Guan lying on the sand. The Tribulation Imprint on her glabella was starting to disappear.

Cirou said, “Cijing, we know what kind of a person you are, and we know that there's no way you'll join us. That's why we’ve been hiding our plan from you.”

“So you decided to tell me because the Universe Tribulation has already marked him. In other words, you're hoping that I'll cooperate with you from now on, as it's already too late to disrupt your plans, is that right?" asked the Adjudication Sword Master.

“Yes,” Cirou replied with a nod.

“Cirou, I have no doubts that you and Ba Wan just want to help Big Sister, but I can tell you with full confidence that Big Sister will not like what you are doing right now.”

“We know. Big Sister is exceedingly prideful, and she won't stoop so low as to approve of something like this. However, we're willing to accept the consequences of our actions so long as she ends up surviving the Universe Tribulation."

“I won't cooperate.”

“Is that so? What about him? Are you not going to help him?”

“What do you mean?”

"This brat is exceedingly prideful as well. He even returned the Path Sword to that lady and swore not to ask for her help from then on. Sigh, he really caught me off guard, and he had inadvertently spoiled some of my plans.

"It is indeed true that one can never predict the future. His courage has truly surprised me."

"I think he made the right decision," the Adjudication Sword Master said.

"Really? Cirou asked before explaining, “He's going to face the Eternal Sovereign soon. The Guanxuan Universe is too weak to fight the Eternal Sovereign and his army.”

“The Eternal Sovereign is also a part of your plan?” asked the Adjudication Sword Master.

Cirou avoided the question and said, “We have to make him even stronger. I was hoping that we could work together to help him get the Lightning God Imprint from this place and allow him to refine his sword intent using the Lightning Pool."

The Adjudication Sword Master scoffed, “What makes you think that I will help you?”

“Because it's for Big Sister's sake...”

“I'll help him, but it won't be for Big Sister's sake.”

Cirou was surprised to hear that.

Just then, Ye Guan’s right hand twitched. Cirou walked up to him as Ye Guan's eyes fluttered open. His vision captured the blue skies up above, and the pristine scenery made him mutter, “Am I dead?”

“Of course not,” Cirou replied.

Ye Guan turned and smiled upon seeing Cirou.

“I really thought I would die…" he said. He felt a shiver down his spine upon recalling his encounter with those crimson lightning bolts.

Cirou smiled at him and asked, “How are you feeling?”

Ye Guan examined himself and realized that his fleshly body and soul were on the cusp of making a complete recovery. He pondered briefly before saying, “I should be all healed up in just a few hours.”

“That’s great!” Cirou exclaimed in joy.

Ye Guan looked around and asked, “Where are we?”

“We're in a small, independent world that Big Sister created. This world is called the True World, and the legendary Universe Tribulation is just outside of this world. Of course, we can't see it right now. We can only see it once we go up.

"Unfortunately, we can't go to it right now; if we do, we're certainly going to die."

Cirou took out a pill and helped Ye Guan ingest it.

“Rest some more. Later, we'll bring you around to look for good things.”

Ye Guan's curiosity was piqued. “Good things?”

“Yes, good things,” Cirou replied with a nod.

Ye Guan stared deeply at Cirou. For some reason, there was something strange in the air about Cirou, but he couldn't quite put a finger on it. In the end, he set his thoughts aside and focused on recovering. With the help of Cirou's pill, he achieved a complete recovery in just thirty minutes.

"The two of us will protect you later," Cirou said.

Ye Guan glanced at the Adjudication Sword Master and muttered doubtfully, “She's going to protect me too?”

The Adjudication Sword Master glared at Ye Guan and said, “I'll cut you down if you dare to lose focus later.”

Ye Guan had no idea what to say.