Chapter 596: Did We Have Fun Fighting?

The Wang Clan, the descendants of gods, lived in the Divine Wang World—a world so vast that it stretched across millions of miles. It was almost akin to a separate universe.

On that particular day, within their ancestral shrine, six divine tablets shattered. This dire event signified the loss of six of their members.

The clan leader, Wang Zong, called for an urgent family meeting. Thirty-seven elders, along with four god-generals and two Chief Protectors gathered in a hall. Except for those who were in cultivation seclusion, all of their elite members were present.

After surveying the crowd, he solemnly announced, "We have lost six more of our kin. Combined with our previous two casualties, Wang Lan included, we have now lost eight members.”

Everyone's brows furrowed out of concern.

An elder with flowing white hair broke the silence. "Have we managed to uncover any information about our foes' origins?"

"Not yet," Wang Zong calmly responded.

The white-haired elder’s frown deepened. "Their origins remain shrouded in mystery, then?"

"Does it truly matter, Elder?" interjected a senior figure cloaked in crimson robes from across the room. "We will seek revenge regardless of their background anyway, won't we?"

The Grand Elder regarded the crimson-robed elder with a hint of disapproval. "Elder An, our enemy killed a Heavenly Sovereign despite his young age. How can he just be any ordinary talent?”

The crimson-robed elder, Wang An, answered, “He certainly is by no means a normal individual, but so what? Are we to refrain from attacking him once we learn of his origins?”

Shaking his head, he continued, “When he chose to make an enemy out of our clan, he must have already known that it would decide his fate. Why should we bother about his origins? At most, he would have some backers, but what does the Wang Clan have to fear?”

The rest of the elders nodded in agreement.

"The Wang Clan does not have to fear anyone, but we would be foolish to simply attack without learning more about our opponent," the Grand Elder calmly explained. "We have already lost six people because of our foolishness."

“Grand Elder, if we can’t figure out his identity, would we give up on killing him and allow him to reign freely around?”

The Grand Elder's brows furrowed deeply.

Wang An continued, "We're all aware that the background of that young man is far from ordinary. However, have you considered that despite knowing the status of our clan, he still showed no mercy and opted for ruthless tactics? It's a blatant disregard for our status. In all the years we have held our ground in the Old Era, when have we ever been treated with such disdain? Since he's shown no mercy and acted so ruthlessly, it is only fair for us to do the same. We start by taking out the young, then the old. Simple, isn't it?"

Shaking his head slightly, the Grand Elder responded, "This individual must have heard of our clan before, yet, despite being aware of our status, he still dared act so ruthlessly. This only underscores the complexity of his background. Therefore, I think we should exercise caution."

"We've lost eight of our own," Wang An stated, causing the Grand Elder's expression to further darken. He added, "The other four families are watching our every move."

A grim atmosphere enveloped the hall.

In societies like theirs, prestige was paramount. With six more members of the Wang Clan killed, if they remained silent, it begged the question of how the other four families would regard them. Would they still afford them any respect?

This was not just about pride. Their reputation was on the line. If they didn’t act now, the Wang Clan's standing among the Descendants of the Gods would suffer a heavy blow.

At that moment, Wang Zong, the clan leader, intervened, "We will follow Wang An's suggestion."

Wang An nodded solemnly. "I won't disappoint our clan."

Wang Zong fixed his gaze on him. "Students of the Divine Courtyard are required to possess exceptional talent. Do not underestimate him. Even when pouncing on a rabbit, a lion must still exert its full strength."

"Understood," replied Wang An.

Wang Zong rose from his seat. "Everyone is dismissed.”

He then vanished into thin air.

As Wang An made his way out of the hall, the Grand Elder appeared by his side.

"What is it, Grand Elder?" Wang An calmly inquired.

Gazing into the distance, the Grand Elder replied, "Wang An, although we often vie for power, now is the time for unity in the face of external threats."

Wang An offered a silent smile in response.

Turning to him, the Grand Elder added, "That youth is heading for the First God Paradise. Time is of the essence."

"Got it."

Wang An then transformed into a streak of light and disappeared into the sky.

Watching him depart, the Grand Elder couldn't shake off a sense of unease. He had contemplated suggesting that Clan Leader Wang Zong personally lead a group to kill Ye Guan, a strategic move that would ensure success and leave no room for error.

However, he knew that such a suggestion would be met with ridicule.

Having the clan leader of the Wang Clan personally take out a mere youth?

Even if successful, the Wang Clan would become the laughingstock of the other four major families.

Pride! Even if people died, pride had to endure!

With a resigned sigh, the Grand Elder turned and left.

...

After killing the six members of the Wang Clan, Ye Guan collected their storage rings. He also managed to obtain the Barbaric Divine Bull, an Imperial-Ranked demonic beast!

The Barbaric Divine Bull was surprisingly compliant. It even submitted almost effortlessly, likely driven by Ye Guan's gift of Ancestral Origin strands. No, even if he hadn't given it a strand of Ancestral Origin, it would have still probably submitted to survive.

For Ye Guan, an additional ally was welcomed. The Barbaric Divine Bull already boasted considerable strength, and he believed that he could make it even stronger with his guidance.

Upon inspecting the storage rings of the Wang Clan members, Ye Guan couldn't help but feel disappointed. They contained no Ancestral Origin strands. It was truly a pity.

No wonder the Great Daoist Brush Master had acknowledged that Ancestral Origin strands were rare even in the Old Era.

After securing their loot, the siblings resumed their journey toward the First God Paradise. Meanwhile, Ye An returned to the little pagoda to focus on her cultivation.

Ye Guan spent the next hour traveling through countless starry regions. Afterward, he took out the starry region map given to him by the Right Bishop. After glancing at it, he gazed into the distance.

They were getting close.

He put the map away and transformed into a streak of sword light, vanishing into the distant stars.

Half an hour later, Ye Guan abruptly stopped, his attention drawn by an old, hunch-backed man in the distance. He was covered with layers of iron chains, one end of which was tied to a bronze coffin.

The hunched figure slowly shuffled forward, each step seemingly sapping his strength.

The strange sight made Ye Guan alert. Although he was strong, he knew that there would always be people stronger than him. Hence, he decided to be cautious.

Opting not to disturb the stranger, Ye Guan prepared to veer off course. However, before he could, the old pallbearer raised his head.

"Young man, why do I detect a familiar energy from you?" he asked.

Ye Guan paused, puzzled. "A familiar energy?"

The old pallbearer nodded. "Yes."

Ye Guan's brows furrowed, perplexed.

Locking eyes with him, he continued, "Do you have a divine artifact within you?"

The mention of a divine artifact made Ye Guan even warier.

Noticing Ye Guan's guarded demeanor, the old pallbearer grinned ominously. With a swift motion, he manipulated the space around Ye Guan and trapped him.

Ye Guan’s heart jumped. Instinctively, he unleashed a surge of sword intent, shattering the spacetime barrier around him. He then swiftly retreated hundreds of meters away.

“

Hm

?” The old pallbearer’s eyes widened in surprise. "I may have underestimated you."

Ye Guan eyed him warily. "I bear no ill will toward you. Why attack me?"

The old pallbearer chuckled ominously. "Why not? Sometimes, it's as simple as that."

Ye Guan's brows furrowed deeper.

The old pallbearer suddenly extended his hand, causing countless ancient runes to materialize above Ye Guan. With a press of his hand, dark light surged forth, shooting straight toward Ye Guan.

Ye Guan’s eyes narrowed. Reacting swiftly, he lunged forward and swung his sword down in defense.

Shwing!

The clash of their attacks echoed through the space. Eventually, both lights shattered.

Ye Guan's eyes widened in alarm. Suddenly, dark light morphed into runes and flew toward him. In response, he drew his sword to deflect the onslaught.

Boom! Boom! Boom!...

The area reverberated with thunderous explosions, each blast propelling Ye Guan backward by a hundred meters. In mere moments, he found himself hundreds of meters away, blood staining his lips as he came to a halt.

The old pallbearer grinned, acknowledging Ye Guan's resilience with a nod.

"Impressive," he remarked, then threw a powerful punch.

Boom!

A deadly fist-shaped rune hurtled toward Ye Guan.

Sensing the imminent danger, his eyes flashed with determination. He conjured Invincible Sword Intent from within and turned it into a sword. Right after, he thrust it forward with all his might.

Boom!

The sword erupted in a blinding burst of light, sending Ye Guan flying once again. As he steadied himself, blood trickled from his lips.

After glancing at his opponent, Ye Guan opted out of the confrontation. He transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the depths of the starry region.

He knew he couldn't defeat the old pallbearer yet. Hence, he decided to return another time instead.

While watching him retreat, the old pallbearer's brows furrowed but did not pursue Ye Guan. Regret clouded his expression.

"I shouldn't have held back earlier. That mysterious aura within him..." he trailed off.

The young man was definitely in possession of a high-ranking divine artifact.

At that moment, his attention was drawn to two approaching figures. One was in white robes. The other wore a plain skirt.

As they drew nearer, the lady in the plain skirt fixed her gaze on him.

"Enjoying yourself?" she asked.

The old pallbearer frowned.