Deep inside, Shen Xue hoped to avoid enmity between the God Clan and Ye Guan. However, she wasn't the one making the God Clan's decisions. When the decision to eliminate Ye Guan was made, she swiftly abandoned any thoughts of reconciliation with him.

Once the decision to make him an enemy was made, they couldn't afford to give him any openings.

Shen Xue's words surprised the elites within the hall. An elder's voice echoed, "Shen Xue, must the clan leader intervene personally to eliminate a mere youth?"

"Third Elder, this youth is no ordinary individual. Firstly, he's the chosen inheritor of the First God..."

A sudden unease filled the air.

"You're all familiar with the First God. Do you truly believe he would select an average youth?"

Silence enveloped the room.

"Furthermore, this individual is accompanied by an Evil Beast and a Spirit Progenitor. You're all aware of the Grand Elder's strength, yet he couldn't even muster a defense against that Evil Beast and was swiftly killed."

Shen Xue's revelation stunned the God Clan's elite. Third Elder questioned, "No chance at all?"

Their anger upon the Grand Elder's demise was palpable, but the sudden realization of his instantaneous defeat left them shocked.

The Grand Elder was powerful, he was a top-tier elite with sixty percent divinity.

What did his death imply?

It meant the foe possessed at least seventy percent divinity.

Shen Xue nodded knowingly. "Indeed, and to add, this individual emerged alive from the Black Death Realm..."

Silence gripped the elites once more. In that moment, they realized that matters were far from simple.

Shen Xue turned to the clan leader. "Clan Leader, my suggestion is this: if we wish to avoid conflict, we can reconcile with him. But if conflict is inevitable, you must personally act, denying him any chance of survival."

All eyes turned to Shen Qi, the clan leader of the God Clan.

Shen Qi's response was immediate. "We kill him."

Shen Xue closed her eyes briefly, saying no more.

However, Shen Qi added, "Let Shen Wu lead the charge."

From the pillar of light on the right, a middle-aged man clad in black armor emerged.

This man, Shen Wu, was second only to the clan leader in strength within the God Clan.

Shen Xue hesitated to interject further. She had considered persuading Shen Qi to take direct action, but speaking now would only offend Shen Wu.

That would be foolish.

So, she remained silent.

After Shen Wu's appearance, his expression remained impassive. "I alone will suffice."

Shen Qi instructed, "This young man is not to be underestimated. Take the God Clan's forces with you. If victory seems uncertain, retreat at once and await my return."

With that, he gradually faded away.

Shen Wu furrowed his brow but nodded in agreement nonetheless. He couldn't openly defy the clan leader’s command in front of everyone.

Soon after, the meeting dispersed, and within the God Clan, dozens of powerful auras soared into the sky, disappearing into the depths of the starry sky.

Meanwhile, Shen Xue gazed into the distance, a hint of worry in her eyes.

She knew that the God Clan's decision this time could potentially influence the outcome of the clan. If the God Clan succeeded, they might leverage that journal to reach new heights. However, if they failed, the God Clan's power might suffer to some extent, but overall, the impact should be manageable...

…

Dao Market.

Within a tavern, Ye Guan sat opposite Zhen Nanxue.

Zhen Nanxue was briefing Ye Guan on the progress of reopening the markets in Dao Market while Ye Guan listened attentively.

After a while, Zhen Nanxue rolled up the scroll in front of her and looked at Ye Guan. "Over a hundred markets have reopened, and the results are promising. Moreover, we've already started making profits."

As she said this, a smile couldn't help but appear on her face.

This was the first task she had handled on her own since leaving the Zhen Clan. She had put in her utmost effort and her hard work had paid off. By now, she had earned tens of thousands of Ancestor Origins.

And this was just the beginning.

Ye Guan was also pleased. He chuckled, "Let's not expand just yet. Let's wait until all the markets are completely stable before we continue expanding."

"I understand. Haste makes waste, after all."

"What's the attitude of your Zhen Clan towards me?"

Currently, among the three major powers, the Zhen Clan was in a cooperative state with him, while the other two had already begun targeting him. Therefore, he wanted to know the true thoughts of the Zhen Clan.

Upon hearing Ye Guan's question, the smile gradually faded from Zhen Nanxue's face. "There's another matter I came to discuss. Our clan leader wishes to invite you to the Zhen Clan."

"To the Zhen Clan?"

"Yes, perhaps for a face-to-face conversation."

"Alright."

He knew that Zhen Nanxue couldn't represent the entire Zhen Clan, so he needed to speak with those who truly held authority in the clan.

He needed to confirm whether they would be friends or enemies first.

Zhen Nanxue was also somewhat worried because she feared that the conversation between Ye Guan and the Zhen Clan might not go well.

At this moment, Ye Guan said, "Let's head to the Zhen Clan now."

"Alright."

After that, the two of them got up and left.

An hour later, under Zhen Nanxue's guidance, Ye Guan arrived at the boundary of the Zhen Clan.

Similar to the God Clan, the Zhen Clan also had its own independent universe. Its power was extremely vast and it appeared no weaker than the God Clan.

As soon as they arrived at the entrance to the Zhen World, a group of gorgeously dressed women slowly emerged. At the same time, a red carpet unfurled from within the Zhen World. At first glance, it was quite impressive.

On both sides, beautiful women bowed respectfully to Ye Guan. Then, they gracefully danced, and as they danced, countless flowers slowly emerged from the surrounding space. At the same time, the sound of singing suddenly resounded throughout the surrounding heaven and earth. It was like a fairyland and Ye Guan was mesmerized.

At that moment, Zhen Nanxue on the sidelines suddenly chimed in, "This is our way of welcoming esteemed guests. It is reserved only for special occasions..."

"Well, this... It's quite the... spectacle."

"It's not your run-of-the-mill welcome ceremony. Take a moment to soak it in."

Upon hearing her, Ye Guan felt something peculiar happening around him. Soon, he felt a bit surprised as he sensed something seemingly entering his body from all directions.

Zhen Nanxue explained with a smile, "This is our clan's special spiritual energy, called the Starlight Spiritual Energy. It can aid in cultivation. Of course, for someone like you, Young Master Ye, it's probably negligible, but it's a token of our appreciation nonetheless."

"That is thoughtful of you."

Zhen Nanxue smiled back, "Young Master Ye, please."

With a slight nod, Ye Guan followed Zhen Nanxue towards the entrance of the Zhen Clan.

As they stepped into the Zhen World, Ye Guan was surprised to find that the red carpet wasn't just long. It stretched for tens of thousands of meters, all the way to the hall of the Zhen Clan.

Ye Guan couldn't help but find it amusing. The Zhen Clan sure knew how to make an entrance.

When Ye Guan and Zhen Nanxue arrived at the hall, they were greeted by a middle-aged man accompanied by a group of elites from the Zhen Clan.

Beside Ye Guan, Zhen Nanxue introduced, "This is our clan leader, Zhen Tian."

Before Ye Guan could utter a word, Zhen Tian warmly approached them, saying, "Welcome, Young Master Ye."

Behind Zhen Tian, the other members of the Zhen Clan were eyeing Ye Guan with curiosity. After all, he was the most talked-about young figure in their era.

"Clan Leader Zhen, Your welcome caught me off guard!"

Zhen Tian chuckled, "Let's continue our discussion inside."

"Sure."

Guided by Zhen Tian, they entered the grand hall. It was sparsely furnished, with only a long table. Ye Guan sat on one side, Zhen Tian on the other, while the elders of the Zhen Clan stood behind him.

However, Zhen Nanxue stood beside Ye Guan.

Zhen Tian began, "Young Master Ye, let's get straight to the point. If I make any missteps, I hope you'll forgive me."

"Please, go ahead."

"To be frank, our clan is also interested in that journal. However, we understand it belongs to you, and we don't wish to become your adversaries. On the contrary, we'd like to be allies. So, we'd like to ask under what circumstances you'd be willing to lend it to us. You can name any conditions."

"Actually, just taking a look is fine."

Perplexed, Zhen Tian blinked, not quite grasping Ye Guan's intentions.

Suddenly, Ye Guan turned to Zhen Nanxue and said, "Lady Nanxue and I are friends, and we've been working together smoothly. If she asks, I won't refuse."

The entire room fell silent, stunned by Ye Guan's declaration.

Zhen Nanxue, too, was taken aback, but then she realized Ye Guan's gesture was to help elevate her status within the Zhen Clan.

Feeling touched, she exchanged a glance with Zhen Tian, who subtly nodded.

He wanted to gauge whether Ye Guan was sincere or not.

Zhen Nanxue hesitated momentarily. She wasn't sure if Ye Guan was being serious or if he was jesting.

If she made the request and Ye Guan refused...

Suddenly, Ye Guan opened his palm and the black ancient book floated out, landing gently in front of Zhen Tian.

Everyone present was speechless at this sight.

Did he really just give it away?

Zhen Tian stared at the book for a long time before looking up at Ye Guan, asking earnestly, "Young Master Ye, are you sure you don't have any other conditions?"

"None."

"But why?"

"Just for a look. What's the harm?"

Zhen Tian fell silent.

Is he really this easy to deal with?

At that moment, Zhen Tian felt a pang of shame. He had contemplated seizing the book before this...