Chapter 77: Afraid of Killing Him

Monk Dao looked at Ye Guan and asked, “Are you going to attempt the martial list?”

Ye Guan nodded. “Yes.”

Monk Dao was silent for quite a while before asking, “Are you confident?”

Ye Guan replied cheerily, “Yes!”

Monk Dao smiled and nodded. “Go ahead, then!”

“All right!” Ye Guan bowed before turning around to leave.

Monk Dao’s gaze was complicated as he stared at Ye Guan’s departing figure. Ye Guan was too mysterious, and the moment he thought he had already discovered everything there was to discover about Ye Guan, another mystery would pop up.

Monk Dao presumed that Ye Guan had a powerful backer. The figure who had annihilated the True Dragon Clan and suppressed the Shenge Clan was anything but ordinary.

Monk Dao shook his head and turned toward a portrait.

“Ancestor, please protect him! He’s our sect’s only hope!” he muttered into the air.

…

Ye Guan met Nanling Yiyi upon walking out of the great hall.

Nanling Yiyi smiled at Ye Guan, revealing her dimples.

“Senior, what’s wrong?”

Nanling Yiyi smiled. “Thank you!”

Ye Guan smiled as well. “You are welcome.”

Nanling Yiyi asked, “Are you heading out?”

Ye Guan nodded. “I’m going to take on the martial list!”

Nanling Yiyi was surprised, but she still wished him luck. “All the best!”

“Thank you,” said Ye Guan. He hopped onto his sword and vanished into the distant horizon.

Nanling Yiyi stared at the glimmer of sword light far away for quite a while before she muttered to herself, “I have to work hard too!”

She composed herself and walked away.

……

The Guanxuan Academy of the Zhongtu Divine Continent was situated in the Qilian Mountain Range. The mountain range was a few dozen kilometers long, and it housed more than a few hundred celestial veins. The Guanxuan Academy was indeed a sacred cultivation ground on the Zhongtu Divine Continent.

Ye Guan could already feel the thick spiritual energy, even though he was still a few kilometers away from Qilian Mountain Range. The spiritual energy got thicker and purer the closer he got to the mountain range.

Ye Guan revealed a complicated look. He could finally understand why so many people wanted to become a student of the Zhongtu Divine Continent’s Guanxuan Academy.

I reckon that even a pig would attain enlightenment and become a demonic beast if it were allowed to live here, the environment here is simply too conducive to cultivating!

Ye Guan soon arrived at the foot of the mountain range.

Qilian Mountain Range was composed of mountains that looked like inverted swords. There were tens of thousands of tiny streams pouring down the mountains, creating a magnificent sight.

Ye Guan could vaguely make out the outlines of spectacular palaces among the mountains. The imposing manner of the palaces—as they floated among the clouds and mists—made them look like castles in paradise.

Ye Guan sighed to himself. It would be an insult to compare the Guanxuan Academy in front of him to Nanzhou’s Guanxuan Academy.

Ye Guan continued on his journey. Zhongtu Divine Continent’s Guanxuan Academy was massive, and he wasn’t familiar with the area, making Ye Guan feel like a headless fly.

He wanted to ask questions. Fortunately, he saw a man in the distance. The man was dressed in a light red oversized long robe. He was holding a folded fan with a gentle smile on his lips.

Ye Guan approached the man and smiled politely. “Good day, may I know how I can challenge the martial list?”

The man was taken aback at the strange question.

He examined Ye Guan and smiled. “You want to challenge the martial list?”

Ye Guan nodded. “Indeed, I want to give it a try.”

The man pointed and said, “That mountain over there is Mount Shenwu. You can challenge the martial list there.”

Ye Guan cupped his fists and said, “Thank you.”

With that, he turned and headed toward Mount Shenwu.

The man stared at Ye Guan’s departing back.

He still hasn’t fully grasped the essence of the sword, but he gives off the air of a sharp and untainted sword that is ready to be unsheathed. Such a young Sword Immortal has actually come here to challenge the martial list? This is interesting…

“He’s not just an ordinary young man!” said a voice from out of the blue.

The man chuckled and said, “I would have thought that way if he were a Great Sword Immortal, but he’s just a Sword Immortal”

“Your tendency to underestimate others will be your undoing!”

“I’m not underestimating anyone, but only those two from the demon race and from the Milky Way are worthy of my attention,” the man said nonchalantly before continuing. “I am aware of my arrogance and pride, and that is why I am here. I’m hoping that Representative Ye will defeat and humble me.”

The man continued on his journey to the summit of the tallest mountain. Upon arriving at the summit, an old man suddenly appeared in front of him.

The man bowed toward the old man and said, “I am Dongli Mo of the Undying Clan. I’m here to meet Representative Ye.”

A hint of surprise flashed across the old man’s face. He’s one of the strongest participants of the Great Dao Destiny Contest!

The old man smiled amicably.

“Please give me a moment, Young Lord Mo,” he said.

Dongli Mo nodded, prompting the old man to leave.

Left all alone, Dongli Mo surveyed the area and said, “The Guanxuan Academy is indeed a sacred cultivation ground.”

The old man soon returned and bowed. “Young Lord Mo, Representative Ye has told me to invite you over. I’ll lead the way.”

Dongli Mo cupped his fists together and said, “I’ll be in your care.”

Dongli Mo followed the old man, and the two weaved through numerous buildings and trails until they finally arrived at a yard with a pavilion.

A woman was reading a book in the pavilion.

Ye Guanzhi was temporarily in charge of Zhongtu Divine Continent’s Guanxuan Academy while they were still looking for Lu Chaowen’s replacement.

Dongli Mo bowed and said, “Greetings to Representative Ye.”

Ye Guanzhi put down the book in her hand and asked, “Why do you want to see me?”

Dongli Mo smiled and explained, “I have heard of Representative Ye’s power and talent. I’ve come here in hopes of sparring with you.”

Dongli Mo was smiling, but his gaze contained a fiery blaze.

Ye Guanzhi pondered over it and said, “My cultivation is higher than yours, so it won’t be a fair fight.”

Dongli Mo was still all smiles. “I don’t mind.”

Ye Guanzhi stared deeply at Dongli Mo.

“My apologies, Young Lord Mo, but I do not wish to fight,” she said.

Dongli Mo’s smile deepened. “Are you looking down on me, Representative Ye?”

Boom!

A mysterious energy abruptly enveloped Dongli Mo. Dongli Mo’s eyes narrowed, and he turned around to see a figure clad in golden armor standing not too far away from him.

Dongli Mo’s expression stiffened upon seeing the figure because the figure was a Guanxuan Guard!

Ye Guanzhi dismissed the Guanxuan Guard with a wave of her hand.

“Young Lord Mo, I simply do not wish to fight. Please go back home,” she said.

Dongli Mo hesitated before asking, “What if I really want to fight you today?”

Ye Guanzhi asked back, “Does your clan leader know that you’re here today, Young Lord Mo?”

Dongli Mo stared straight into her eyes and said, “No…”

Ye Guanzhi nodded and said, “Go back home and ask your clan leader what he thinks regarding your request. If he agrees, I will fight you. What about it?”

Dongli Mo frowned.

“I—” he started.

However, Ye Guanzhi interrupted him. “I have work to do here.”

With that, Dongli Mo could only gaze deeply at Ye Guanzhi before leaving.

An old woman appeared next to Ye Guanzhi moments after Dongli Mo’s departure.

“What an arrogant man, why did you not put him in his place?”

Ye Guanzhi chuckled and explained. “He’s not arrogant. He’s acting like one to make a breakthrough.”

The old woman asked, “Make a breakthrough?”

Ye Guanzhi nodded and explained, “He has already reached the limits of his growth, and it is incredibly difficult for him to make a breakthrough. He came here to fight me because he knows that he’ll become even stronger from the setback.”

“Is that why you didn’t humor his request? Do you not want him to make a breakthrough?” asked the old woman.

“I simply don’t wish to fight,” explained Ye Guanzhi.

“Is that so?” asked the old man, sounding baffled.

Ye Guanzhi smiled and picked up her book once more.

After a while, she muttered, “I was actually afraid of killing him.”

The old woman didn’t know what to say.

“Anyway,” Ye Guanzhi asked, “What is Young Lord Ye doing right now?”

The old woman replied, “I’ve received news that he has just arrived here. I think he’s going to challenge the martial list.”

Ye Guanzhi went silent, seemingly pondering over something.

Eventually, she sighed and said, “What a pity!”

The old woman asked, “Why?”

“It’s a pity that the academy lost such an extreme talent,” said Ye Guanzhi.

The old woman’s curiosity was piqued. “You seem to think highly of him.”

Ye Guanzhi smiled and asked, “Do you know the difference between talents from the great clans and rogue talents?”

The old woman wordlessly shook her head.

Ye Guanzhi explained, “Talents from the great clans prioritize the pros and cons. They don’t bother thinking about the common people. They only care about themselves and their clans. Harshly put, those brats born with golden spoons in their mouths had long regarded themselves as nobler than the common people.”

“I think those rogue talents will eventually get greedy and start acting like talents from the great clans.” The old woman pointed out.

“You’re right.” Ye Guanzhi chuckled and said, “However, it is undeniable that they know of the common people’s suffering.”

“I wish I had more companions who were born as members of the lower rungs of society,” Ye Guanzhi lamented.

The old woman went silent.

“Is there any news from the Main Guanxuan Academy?” asked Ye Guanzhi.

The old woman shook her head and said, “Not yet, but it shouldn’t be that long until we hear word from them.”

Ye Guanzhi smiled. “I’m sure they’re still thinking that I’m blowing things out of proportion to suppress the great clans. However, they have all overlooked one thing: the academy’s core has always been justice and fairness.”

Ye Guanzhi stared at the sky and muttered, “Why has no one addressed Young Lord Ye’s grievances just yet? He fought An Mu fair and square in the martial contest of our academy, but rather than accolades, he received fierce retaliation from those affiliated with An Mu.

“Our academy had also not only failed to uphold justice, but we even pushed him into a corner. However, I believe that Young Lord Ye isn’t the only victim. I’m sure our academy’s corruption has more victims, especially in the Lower Realm!”

Ye Guanzhi shook her head and continued. “Who was the upholder of justice before our academy was founded? It was the Daoist Sect. How did our academy replace the Daoist Sect? It was all because the Daoist Sect had become rotten from the inside!

“I’m afraid that history is repeating itself. Many different great clans and families are working together to influence our academy, and it’s clear that the majority of the people in the academy have already forgotten about the reason why the Sword Master founded the academy!”

The old woman hesitated before asking, “Can you please not think about it, my lady?”

Ye Guanzhi shook her head once more before continuing. “Why did Sword Master establish the Guanxuan Academy? He set it up with the common people at its core, and he wanted to create a level playing field for the masses.

“The Sword Master’s dream had always been the happiness of the masses, and we should fight to achieve his dream.

”The academy is rotting from the inside, and we should do our best to remove the source of the rot. Of course, we should also pay attention to issues related to the academy in the outside world, not just within the academy.”

The old woman was about to speak once more, but an old man suddenly appeared in front of Ye Guanzhi. He bowed toward Ye Guanzhi and said, “The Committee’s orders have arrived. Representative Ye, you are ordered to return to the Main Academy as soon as possible.”

Ye Guanzhi was silent for quite a while before sighing. “Great, the An Clan and the Ancient Heavenly Dragon Clan are truly great! I knew it—touching the vested interests of these great clans is tantamount to threatening their lives!”

Ye Guanzhi put her book down and said, “Let’s go and see Young Lord Ye! I’m afraid that this might be our last meeting!”