Chapter 54: My Younger Brother!

Ye Guan soon appeared in the sea of clouds, and he saw another towering stone stele.

The Shen Clan!

He walked toward the stone stele, and an old man appeared in front of him.

“Who are you?” asked the old man while examining Ye Guan.

Ye Guan took out the jade pendant that he had received from the mysterious woman in the starry sky of the Lower Realm.

The old man’s face abruptly changed.

“Y-You…” he stuttered.

Ye Guan explained, “A senior gave this to me, and she told me to come to the Shen Clan to find her the moment I arrived here.”

The old man bowed respectfully and said, “Young Lord, please follow me!”

The old man turned around and waved his sleeve.

A shining door appeared, and Ye Guan sighed in relief. Fortunately, the jade pendant ended up being useful. Otherwise, he would have no idea where to go if the Shen Clan had outright refused him.

Ye Guan followed the old man to a great hall.

The great hall was three thousand meters tall, and it gave off a magnificent and imposing aura. Its vastness made Ye Guan feel small and insignificant.

So this is what a great clan looks like… Ye Guan sighed in awe.

A guard clad in gold armor was standing in front of the great hall. Ye Guan was stupefied to find that the guard’s aura was deep and inscrutable. He reckoned that the guard was at least a Space Annihilation Realm powerhouse.

Ye Guan had to admit that he didn’t expect to see a Space Annihilation Realm powerhouse working as a mere guard.

Soon, the old man brought Ye Guan into the great hall.

Ye Guan discovered that the great hall was more spacious inside. The interior was luxurious and resplendent, and it looked like it was a great hall of immortals.

Ye Guan also discovered that the spiritual energy in the air within the great hall was extremely thick and dense. It was at least thicker than the spiritual energy that could be found within the confines of the Upper Realm’s Guanxuan Academy. The spiritual energy here was purer as well.

Needless to say, Ye Guan would profit greatly if he received permission to cultivate here.

The old man bowed slightly toward Ye Guan.

“Young Lord, please wait here,” said the old man before turning around to leave.

Ye Guan looked around and muttered, “Master Pagoda, just how much money did they spend to build this great hall? If I had as much money as them, I would save it in the Immortal Treasures Pavilion to earn interest from it every year. I would definitely live a comfortable life for a long time with the interest alone!”

Little Pagoda didn’t even bother to reply.

Soon, a young man and a young woman walked into the great hall. The young man was handsome, and he was wearing a brocade robe. However, he was exuding frigid air.

Meanwhile, the young woman was wearing a white dress. Her hands were behind her back, and they were holding an ancient scroll. She was extremely beautiful, and she was smiling warmly as she walked into the great hall.

The two of them approached Ye Guan.

“How do we address you?” asked the young man.

“My name is Ye Guan, and you may address me as you like,” replied Ye Guan.

The young man frowned. “Ye Guan? The champion of the Upper Realm’s martial contest?”

Ye Guan nodded.

The young man asked, “You killed two True Dragons, right?”

Ye Guan nodded once again.

The young man stared at him and asked, “Did you come here to join our Shen Clan?”

Ye Guan nodded for the third time.

The young man said, “Ancestor is currently in the Guanxuan Universe. You can wait here until she returns. Your admission to the Shen Clan depends on Ancestor, I—”

Roaaar!

A terrifying dragon roar echoed somewhere far away.

Ye Guan’s face darkened.

The roar definitely belonged to a dragon of the True Dragon Clan!

The young man frowned. He turned around, and an old man appeared in front of him. The old man bowed slightly and said, “Young Clan Leader, Ao Meng from the True Dragon Clan has arrived, and he wants to meet you.”

Ao Meng! The young man stared deeply at Ye Guan for quite a while before walking out of the great hall.

The young woman smiled at Ye Guan and said, “I heard that you killed An Mu.”

Ye Guan nodded.

The young woman continued. “That’s amazing! The Young Clan Leader of the True Dragon Clan recruited An Mu, so a True Dragon had to have been protecting him, but you still managed to kill him. Your sword must be really strong.”

Ye Guan remained calm as he replied, “It was a fluke.”

The young woman chuckled and said, “My name is Jian An. Young Lord Ye, the jade pendant you brought with you is from Ancestor, so you’re an extremely important person to her. Unfortunately, you have to leave right now.”

Ye Guan frowned and pointed out. “Is it because that young man earlier will hand me over to the True Dragon Clan?”

Jian An nodded and explained, “He’s my brother; his name is Jian Ao. He’s currently in charge of the Shen Clan. I know him very well. He doesn’t really care about the jade pendant, and I think he won’t offend the True Dragon Clan for the sake of Ancestor’s jade pendant.

“I think he’s going to hand you over to the True Dragon Clan in an effort to maintain an amicable relationship with them.”

Ye Guan was silent.

Rumble!

Ten powerful auras abruptly descended upon the great hall.

Ye Guan’s face turned ugly. It seemed that he had severely underestimated the True Dragon Clan’s influence on the Zhongtu Divine Continent!

“Come with me!” Jian An cried out to him, but she didn’t bother to wait for Ye Guan’s reply; she dragged him by the hem of his clothes and waved her sleeve.

A teleportation array came to life and flickered beneath their feet.

Just as they were about to disappear, Ye Guan saw Ao Meng and Jian Ao rushing into the great hall. However, it was already too late for Jian Ao to intervene.

Ye Guan and Jian An vanished right in front of his eyes. Jian Ao’s expression turned ugly.

Ao Meng’s expression was gloomy, and he directed a questioning look at Jian Ao.

Jian Ao hurriedly said, “I have no idea why she did that!”

There was a moment of silence between them before Ao Meng said, “Young Clan Leader, our True Dragon Clan must kill Ye Guan by any means necessary. I’m sure you’re aware of the reason why we have to kill him.

”We have always respected the Shen Clan, and we have always valued our relationship. I don’t want to ruin the relationship between our clans.”

“I will give you an explanation as soon as I can,” said Jian Ao. “Please do not hurt my sister while you’re chasing after Ye Guan. Our ancestor values her a lot, so if even a strand of her hair goes missing, there will never be peace between our clans!”

Ao Meng stared contemptuously at Jian Ao before turning around to leave.

Moments after Ao Meng’s departure, Jian Ao shouted, “Someone come here!”

An old man appeared behind Jian Ao.

Jian Ao turned around and said, “Gather ten guards. I want them to find Jian An and protect her at all costs!”

“Understood!” the old man replied with a slight nod. Then, he turned around to leave and carry out Jian Ao’s orders.

…

A rift in space opened in the sea of clouds, and Ye Guan and Jian An walked out of the rift.

Jian An smiled and said, “We’re safe for now!”

Ye Guan stared warily at Jian An and asked her, “Why did you do that?”

Jian An repeatedly blinked before replying, “I did it for my brother and for my Shen Clan!”

Ye Guan frowned in confusion. “What do you mean?” he asked.

Jian An chuckled and explained, “I’m sure Ancestor gave you her jade pendant because you’re extraordinary, and I think you’ve already proven yourself by staying alive for so long after killing An Mu and that True Dragon.

”If my Shen Clan decided to hand you over to the True Dragon Clan, we would be painting Ancestor in a bad light. The Shen Clan would suffer greatly from such a decision, and my brother would probably die.”

“I think you’re overthinking this…” muttered Ye Guan.

Jian An chortled and said, “Perhaps… However, it is undeniable that you’re still alive after killing An Mu and a True Dragon. It is pretty impressive. Anyway, I understand Ancestor’s personality, and she won’t give away her jade pendant so easily.”

“The reason doesn’t matter anymore. You helped me, so I would like to thank you, Lady Jian An. I hope we’ll see each other again,” said Ye Guan. He then turned around to leave.

“Wait!” Jian An called out.

Ye Guan turned around to face her.

Jian An smiled and said, “Ancestor is in the faraway Guanxuan Universe, and she won’t be coming back for a while. The two of us will be in danger if I return right now because the True Dragon Clan will definitely try to get an answer out of me about your whereabouts.”

Ye Guan wordlessly stared at her.

“Let’s go to the Daoist Sect!” Jian An suggested.

Ye Guan lifted an eyebrow and asked, “Daoist Sect?”

Jian An nodded and said, “You are an extraordinary talent, but I can confidently tell you that the six great clans will not accept you.

”However, it’s not because they’re afraid of the True Dragon Clan. Anyway, I’m sure you know what I’m trying to say here, right?”

Ye Guan nodded. “Yes. I’m not worthy of such a sacrifice.”

Jian An said, “Indeed. The six great clans think that it's not worth offending the True Dragon Clan for your sake.”

Ye Guan stared deeply at Jian An.

“There’s another reason you rescued me, and you still haven’t told me about it,” said Ye Guan.

Jian An blinked innocently and asked, “What is it?”

Ye Guan was calm as he said, “You’re afraid of accepting me into your clan because it would mean fighting the True Dragon Clan for my sake. You also don’t think that I’m worth offending the True Dragon Clan.”

A bewildered light flashed in Jian An’s eyes.

“It seems that you’re quite smart as well, Young Lord Ye. I have truly underestimated you!” she said.

“I understand why you did what you did, and I’m grateful for your help. Rest assured, I will not visit the Shen Clan anymore and become a burden to your clan,” said Ye Guan before turning around to leave.

“Young Lord Ye, wait!” Jian An exclaimed.

Ye Guan turned around to look at her once more.

Jian An chuckled and said, “Young Lord Ye, I was sincere when I told you about how we should go to the Daoist Sect. Let me explain, and you’ll understand.

”The Daoist Sect used to be extremely powerful, and there’s a blood feud between them and the True Dragon Clan. You know the saying—the enemy of my enemy is my friend, right?”

“I understand,” said Ye Guan. He nodded at Jian An before turning around and finally leaving the sea of clouds.

Jian An stared calmly at the empty space where Ye Guan once stood. Moments later, Jian Ao appeared with a bunch of powerful guards behind him. He immediately sighed in relief upon seeing that Jian An was safe and without any injuries.

Jian Ao approached her and said, “You shouldn’t have let him go.”

Jian An merely chuckled at him. “Young Lord Ye is indeed an extraordinary talent. It’s a pity…” Jian An muttered while shaking her head.

Rumble!

The space in front of them was abruptly torn open, and the illusory figure of a woman walked out of the rift. The illusory figure belonged to Jian Zizai—the Shen Clan’s ancestor.

The two siblings hurriedly bowed and greeted her. “Ancestor!”

Jian Zizai swept her gaze across the two of them, and her gaze eventually landed on Jian Ao.

“From now on, you are no longer the Young Clan Leader of my Shen Clan. You will be imprisoned for a hundred years, and you are not allowed to take even a single step outside the Shen Clan until you’ve served your time.”

Jian Ao’s eyes widened in shock, and he shouted, “Ancestor!”

Jian Zizai indifferently said, “Take him away!”

The guards behind Jian Ao took him away, leaving Jian Zizai and Jian An alone in the sea of clouds.

Jian Zizai’s expression was complicated as she stared at Jian An.

“I have had high expectations of you…” Jian Zizai shook her head and said, “I order you to a hundred years of closed-door cultivation, and you are not allowed to leave the Shen Clan until you’ve served your time.

“I’ll soon look for the next Young Clan Leader within the Shen Clan!”

Jian An was beyond pallid, and her voice was trembling as she cried out, “Why, Ancestor, why? Everything I’ve done was for the sake of the Shen Clan!”

Jian Zizai’s expression remained unchanging as she spat indifferently, “Leave!”

Jian An clenched her fists. “I can’t accept this… this is unfair!”

Jian Zizai stared deeply at Jian An and said sternly, “I’m his aunt!”

Jian An froze, and she stood rooted in place for quite a while before she retorted, “Does that really matter? He’s still not a member of our Shen Clan—he’s not one of us. He’s not worth offending the True Dragon Clan at all!”

Jian Zizai glared at Jian An and asked, “Do you know who my younger brother is?”

Jian An was puzzled.

“Who?” she asked.

Jian Zizai calmly replied, “My younger brother is the Sword Master!”

Jian An’s mind went blank, and she looked like a lightning bolt had just struck her as she stood there staring blankly into space. Aunt… Guanxuan Academy… Young Leader…