Chapter 575: Seeking Guidance!

"A familiar aura?" Ye Guan's eyebrows furrowed at Little Pagoda’s words. "What do you mean about that, Master Pagoda? What aura?"

Little Pagoda explained, "It lasted for only a brief moment, but that aura was definitely familiar."

Ye Guan scanned his surroundings with his divine sense but found nothing amiss.

𝒻𝓇𝑒𝘦𝘸𝑒𝒷𝓃ℴ𝑣𝘦𝑙.𝒸ℴ𝘮

"Strange," Ye Guann murmured.

Noticing Ye Guan’s confusion, Ye An inquired, "What's wrong?"

"Master Pagoda mentioned sensing a familiar presence," Ye Guan replied, puzzled. Could there be acquaintances nearby? Shaking off the thought, Ye Guan said, "Let's just move on."

With that, the siblings vanished into the distance.

Meanwhile, a man and a woman were strolling leisurely together somewhere.

"I felt a strange connection with those two earlier," the man confessed, perplexed.

His companion, Qing’er, merely shrugged. "You must've been mistaken."

"No, it felt too familiar," the man insisted.

"Maybe he was your long-lost son?" Qing'er teased.

However, Qing'er's comment caught the man off guard, and he chuckled. "Qing’er, you're teasing me again."

Smiling, Qing’er said nothing as they continued on their journey.

...

Meanwhile, Ye Guan and Ye An traversed a dark, starry region and soon arrived at a desolate plain, the Sin Continent. An evil aura enveloped them, prompting Ye Guan to scan their surroundings.

"Let's investigate," Ye Guan suggested, and they disappeared into the distance.

Soon, they found themselves at a mountain range where a fierce battle was underway between a group of individuals and a colossal demonic beast.

Two males and a female cultivator were fighting the colossal demonic beast, and one of the males was a swordsman.

Ye Guan was astonished to find that all of them were Imperial Sovereigns. Ye Guan's gaze was transfixed on the swordsman; the man was holding a sword similar to the Great Sword Sovereign's colossal sword. The man's swordsmanship screamed "domineering," and his sword seemed capable of destroying an entire world with just a swing.

His fighting style was the most ferocious among his group, and he faced the colossal demonic beast without any fear.

Meanwhile, the remaining male was a Physique Cultivator. He was emanating a blazing heat as he stood at the forefront; he was constantly annoying the beast, attracting its attention.

Meanwhile, the woman was a Divine Mage. Her hands moved nonstop, weaving inscrutable spells that she hurled nonstop at the colossal demonic beast.

A Divine Mage! Divine Mages were regarded highly in the Divine Realm because of their ability to harness divine power. They could craft divine runes capable of boosting one's abilities. It was said that having a Divine Mage companion could elevate one's combat prowess far beyond peers of the same level.

Ye Guan was intrigued by Divine Mages. Ye Guan noted the woman's prowess, which surpassed even the swordsman in their group. The colossal demonic beast appeared wary of her spells, and it always attempted to avoid her attacks.

Their teamwork was so impeccable that even though the colossal demonic beast was vastly more powerful than them, they managed to suppress it completely.

Ye Guan asked, "Big Sis, is that demonic beast their mission objection?"

Ye An nodded.

Glancing at the group, Ye Guan asked, "What about ours?"

He hadn't bothered to ask earlier, assuming that their mission would be trivial.

However, the colossal demonic beast that the group was fighting made Ye Guan feel that their mission objective was anything but trivial. After all, those three were from the Divine Academy, and they were just disciples of the Inner Courtyard.

Would Inner Courtyard disciples really have such a tough mission?

Ye An calmly replied, "I haven't checked."

Ye Guan stared deeply at Ye An.

"Something wrong?" Ye An asked.

Shaking his head, Ye Guan replied, "No, nothing."

Ye An opened her palm, revealing two scrolls.

Ye Guan fell silent upon seeing the text written inside.

[Slay a Heavenly Rank Sin Beast.]

Every single demonic beast on the Sin Continent was collectively referred to as Sin Beasts, as they were all deemed sinful beings. The Divine Academy had coined the term and had been enforcing it since it was made.

Ye Guan fell silent. It was a challenging mission.

The Imperial-rank Sin Beast before them was already extremely powerful, so one could only imagine just how terrifying a Heavenly-rank Sin Beast was going to be.

Ye Guan asked, "What if we fail the mission?"

"We have two choices," Ye An replied, "One, you can pay with money; it's not that much. A strand of Ancestral Origin is enough. The second choice is getting demoted to an Inner Courtyard disciple."

Before Ye Guan could respond, rumbling noises echoed in the distance. Ye Guan and Ye An turned to see a fireball hitting the colossal demonic beast. Engulfed in flames, the creature eventually succumbed to the relentless assault of the three.

Victory!

They smiled in a triumphant manner while standing before the collapsed beast.

The carcass of an Imperial-rank Sin Beast was a treasure trove, but the Divine Academy students didn't take it with them. In addition to not taking away the carcass, they also rewarded those who had guided them here.

Just then, the Physique Cultivator in the group turned to Ye Guan and Ye An.

"Are you two from the Divine Academy as well?" asked the Physique Cultivator with a grin. His deafening voice echoed like a bell.

"That's right," said Ye Guan with a chuckle. He and Ye An then approached the trio.

The Physique Cultivator scrutinized the pair briefly before inquiring, "Are you both from the Inner courtyard?"

Ye Guan answered, "Actually, we're from the Divine Courtyard."

The Divine Courtyard?

The revelation left the trio momentarily dumbfounded. The female Divine Mage’s brow furrowed slightly as she inspected Ye Guan and Ye An.

"The Divine Courtyard?" The Physique Cultivator repeated, clearly taken aback.

The mention of the Divine Courtyard always sparked intense curiosity among those from both the Inner and Outer Courtyards. Apparently, students from the Divine Courtyard were exceptionally gifted and were like legendary dragons, rarely seen outside their caves.

Thus, the trio's surprise was understandable.

"Indeed, we are from the Divine Courtyard," affirmed Ye Guan.

The Physique Cultivator hesitated for a while before asking, "Do you have your student badges?"

Ye Guan extended his palm, revealing his badge.

The Physique Cultivator grabbed the badge and inspected it. Then, his surprise morphed into excitement as he exclaimed, "So you really are from the Divine Courtyard!

Haha...

I never thought I'd encounter students from there. They say you're all prodigies. Brother, care to showcase your talent?"

Ye Guan was silent.

The Physique Cultivator chuckled awkwardly. "Just kidding.”

Returning Ye Guan's badge, the Physique Cultivator introduced himself. "My name is Yun Zang, and I'm a Physique Cultivator."

"Ye Guan," Ye Guan answered.

"Are you here for a mission, too?" Yun Zang inquired.

Ye Guan nodded in affirmation.

Before Yun Zang could continue, the swordsman chimed in, "I've heard of the Divine Courtyard students' extraordinary prowess. Would you honor me with a spar?"

It was a challenge.

Ye Guan regarded the swordsman with a smile. "Is that really necessary?"

The swordsman's expression turned slightly sour. "Are you underestimating me, Young Master Ye?"

Ye Guan's brow furrowed. Before he could respond, Yun Zang chimed in, "Brother Gu Chen, I don't think there's any need for that."

"It is rumored that Divine Courtyard students are exceptionally talented; I want to see their prowess for myself," Gu Chen remarked. When Gu Chen first arrived at the Divine Academy, his goal was to get admitted to the Divine Courtyard.

However, the school only admitted him as an Inner Courtyard Disciple, and he had always been bitter about it, which became the reason for his disdain toward Divine Courtyard students.

Were the students of the Divine Courtyard truly extraordinary?

Yun Zang's expression darkened at Gu Chen's remark, and he decided to go silent. At this point, any further persuasion would only offend Gu Chen.

Ye Guan looked at Gu Chen and asked, "Are you sure you want to fight?"

"I am sure about it." Gu Chen stared back with determination in his eyes.

Ye Guan nodded slightly. "Shall we start, then?"

Gu Chen opened his palm, and a sword appeared in his hand. "Let's—"

Ye Guan unsheathed his sword, unleashing ten Heavenrends with a hundred stacks each in just one sword move!

Gu Chen's pupils constricted, and he instinctively raised his sword to block the blow.

Boom!

Gu Chen flew hundreds of meters away in the proverbial blink of an eye. When he came to a halt, his fleshy body disintegrated, leaving only his soul. Before he could do anything, a sword appeared just a few inches away from his glabella.

The spar ended in Gu Chen's defeat.

Gu Chen looked at Ye Guan with disbelief evident in his eyes. The lady beside him was similarly astonished. She knew Gu Chen's true strength, and he rarely found a match among Imperial Sovereigns.

However, he was defeated with just one sword move?

Yun Zang was equally astounded. He looked at Ye Guan and praised, "Brother Ye truly lives up to the reputation of being a Divine Courtyard student. Your strength... it's terrifying."

Ye Guan smiled. "Brother Yun is pretty strong as well.."

Yun Zang shook his head with a wry smile. "I'm too far behind compared to Brother Ye."

Ye Guan chuckled and said, "Brother Yun, my sister and I still have tasks at hand. Let's talk another day. Farewell."

With that, he and Ye An turned around and left.

As Ye Guan and his sister departed into the distance, Yun Zang couldn't help but sigh once again. "What a terrifying sword..."

He also had some doubts about Ye Guan's strength, as he was pretty confident in his abilities. How come he couldn't enter the Divine Courtyard despite his strength?

However, Ye Guan's display of strength had convinced him that his standing was just right. Yun Zang turned to Gu Chen beside him.

Gu Chen was silent, and his face was as dark as the bottom of a pot.

The female Divine Mage said, "Restore your fleshy body; we're leaving."

Gu Chen was silent for a while before eventually sitting down to restore his fleshly body.

Half an hour later, Gu Chen left the Sin Continent and found themselves in a starry region. However, they encountered two individuals while they were leaving—one man and one woman.

The man was dressed in a white robe with cloud patterns, and he exuded elegance from top to bottom. Meanwhile, the woman was wearing a plain skirt, exuding simplicity from top to bottom.

Yun Zang was the leader of the group, and he hesitated briefly before asking, "Are you two from the Divine Academy as well?"

The majority of the Sin Continent's visitors were mostly Divine Academy students, as the Sin Continent was a dangerous place that most people dared not tread.

The man nodded slightly. "Yes."

Yun Zang smiled. "Are you from the Inner or Outer courtyard?"

"We're from the Divine Courtyard."

The Divine Courtyard?

Yun Zang and the others were stunned.

They're from the Divine Courtyard, too?

Gu Chen stepped forward and stared alternatingly between the two. "I've heard that those from the Divine Courtyard are extraordinary students. I am but a humble individual, and I've come forward to seek guidance."

Gu Chen opened his palm, revealing a sword.

Rumble!

A powerful sword intent erupted from him, enveloping the two Divine Courtyard students. Gu Chen still wasn't convinced that everyone from the Divine Courtyard was an extraordinary talent!