Chapter 891: Afraid of Death

Ye Guan was stunned.

He quickly dismissed the thought that he had somehow convinced the Eighth Hall Master to submit to him with just his charisma. The Eighth Hall Master was far stronger than Ji Xiaojian, so there was no way he could win him over that easily.

Could it be Plain-Skirt Aunt?

The idea struck Ye Guan, and he looked closely at the Eighth Hall Master. “Did you meet my aunt?”

The Eighth Hall Master was clearly surprised.

Ye Guan’s eyes narrowed in understanding. “When did you see her?”

Realizing that there was no point in lying, the Eighth Hall Master answered honestly, “Not long ago.”

“Did she kill anyone?” Ye Guan asked.

The Eighth Hall Master hesitated briefly before nodding.

“Tell me what happened,” Ye Guan demanded.

The Eighth Hall Master recounted the story of how the plain skirt lady had killed the Fifth Hall Master, and he didn't leave out any details, knowing that there was no point in hiding anything at this point.

Ye Guan smiled faintly upon hearing that his aunt had killed another Hall Master.

She brought that on herself

.

Anyone foolish enough to provoke Aunt is asking for trouble, and this means less trouble for me.

Shaking off his thoughts, Ye Guan turned back to the Eighth Hall Master and asked, “So, you want to follow me?”

“Yes, absolutely.”

“Why?” Ye Guan asked, his gaze sharp.

The Eighth Hall Master hesitated before speaking the truth. “Because I’m afraid of dying...”

Ye Guan stared at him for a moment before nodding. “Follow me.”

With that, Ye Guan led the Eighth Hall Master into the tiny pagoda.

The Eighth Hall Master’s eyes widened in shock. “What the...?”

Ye Guan wasn’t surprised by the man’s reaction; he had expected it. After all, he needed more than just his own abilities to win over someone this powerful—he needed his aunt’s influence.

The Eighth Hall Master’s voice trembled as he asked, “W-was this place built by your aunt?”

Ye Guan nodded. “Yes.”

Without warning, the Eighth Hall Master slapped himself hard.

“What are you doing?” Ye Guan asked, confused.

The Eighth Hall Master looked at him seriously. “I’ve made a grave mistake by opposing you.”

Ye Guan could only stare wordlessly at him.

The Eighth Hall Master was genuinely remorseful. He had underestimated Ye Guan’s backers. He knew that they were powerful, but not

this

powerful.

The Eighth Hall Master sighed inwardly. He was lucky to be alive after everything. If he hadn’t submitted so quickly, he would have met the same fate as the Fifth Hall Master.

“Tell me about the Evil Dao Alliance,” Ye Guan said.

The Evil Dao Alliance was still shrouded in mystery for Ye Guan, especially when it came to its top leaders.

The Eighth Hall Master knew he had to prove his loyalty, so he explained, “The Evil Dao Alliance is made up of ten halls, each ruling over their own universe regions. Normally, we don’t interact much with each other. For instance, the Eighth Hall only takes orders from the Second Hall Master and the Evil Dao Envoy.”

“The Second Hall Master? The Evil Dao Envoy?” Ye Guan questioned.

“Yes,” The Eighth Hall Master confirmed. “But I’ve never seen the Second Hall Master. I’ve only met the Evil Dao Envoy.”

“How strong are they?” Ye Guan asked.

“I don’t know,” the Eighth Hall Master replied gravely.

“Stronger than you?” Ye Guan probed.

“Far stronger.”

Ye Guan was curious. “But you’re both at the Path Creation Realm. How can you tell who’s stronger?”

The Eighth Hall Master explained, “It depends on how high they managed to ascend in the Ascension World.”

“Are you talking about the so-called Ascension Battles?” Ye Guan asked.

The Eighth Hall Master nodded. “It’s a place where the strong are truly tested. For example, I can reach the Fourth Heaven, but I was knocked down from it after just half an hour. Regardless, that makes me stronger than Path Creation Realm cultivators who could only reach the Third Heaven.”

“What kind of place is the Ascension World?” Ye Guan asked.

“I don’t know the specifics. No one knows how long it has existed, but there are legends that talk about how the existing Great Dao lies beyond the Ninth Heaven. But no one has ever reached the Ninth Heaven to confirm it,” The Eighth Hall Master replied.

“So, what kind of elites lie in each heaven?” Ye Guan inquired.

“Each heaven contains an entire era; an era is a period of time spanning billions of years. The Nine Heavens are essentially nine suppressed eras. If it’s true that the existing Great Dao exists beyond the Ninth Heaven, it means that the existing Great Dao has suppressed nine eras."

“So you battle through nine layers of heaven to become stronger?”

“Yes,” The Eighth Hall Master agreed. “And to find cultivation resources. The spiritual energy in the Nine Heavens is rich with Eternal Power, which we need after reaching the Path Creation Realm. Ordinary Ancestral Veins aren’t much use to us anymore.”

“I see,” Ye Guan nodded, absorbing the information.

“But it’s also extremely dangerous. Over the years, countless talented cultivators have perished there.”

Ye Guan looked at the Eighth Hall Master. “Will the Evil Dao Alliance still come after me?”

“They will,” the Eighth Hall Master said solemnly. “The Evil Dao Alliance suffered great losses because of you, and they won’t stop until they know the true strength of your aunt. But almost everyone who is aware of her power is already dead.”

Ye Guan thought for a moment before saying, “Return to the Evil Dao Alliance.”

The Eighth Hall Master blinked in surprise. “You want me to spy for you?”

“Yes. If they approach you, try to delay them. If you can’t, then bring them to Great Zhou. My aunt left her sword energy there.”

The Eighth Hall Master was at a loss for words.

“And gather as much information as you can about the Evil Dao Alliance.”

“Understood.”

Ye Guan then asked, “How much do you know about the Ninth Hall Master?”

“Not much,” the Eighth Hall Master admitted. “I only know he’s from an ancient family.”

Ye Guan nodded. “He’s one of my people.”

The Eighth Hall Master was dumbfounded.

Ye Guan then took out a Dao Fruit and offered it to the Eighth Hall Master. “Do a good job. Inform me immediately if the Evil Dao Alliance makes any moves. But if it’s too risky, don’t worry about it.”

The Eighth Hall Master quickly assured him, “Don’t worry, I'm completely loyal to you.”

Ye Guan nodded and exited the pagoda. He then hopped onto his sword and vanished into the distance.

The Eighth Hall Master stared at the Dao Fruit in awe. It was a divine treasure!

It seemed that Ye Guan was incredibly generous.

After pocketing the fruit, the Eighth Hall Master left the pagoda with newfound resolve.

***

After some time, Ye Guan finally arrived at the Ascension World.

A vast, barren land stretched out before him, and there was a towering stone stele. The stele was hundreds of meters tall, and there was a character carved into it that said, "Ascension."

Standing before the stele, Ye Guan felt an overwhelming sense of awe. The ancient stele had endured countless ages, and it was an awe-inspiring sight.

Ye Guan looked up and saw a stone staircase leading into the sky.

There were nine stone gates at certain stops on the stone staircase.

The Nine Heavens!

Just as Ye Guan got ready to ascend, a voice called out to him. “Fellow Daoist!”

Ye Guan turned to see a man and a lady walking toward him.

The two were both young and elegant; they were also dressed in white.

“Are you a newcomer?” the white-robed man asked with a smile.

“Yes,” Ye Guan replied.

The white-robed man walked up to Ye Guan and smiled. "Are you here to challenge the Ascension Battles?"

Ye Guan smiled back. "I want to give it a try."

"Is this your first time here?"

"How did you know?"

"To take on the Ascension Battle, you'll need two things—a Dao Avoidance Token and Dao Medicines."

Ye Guan looked puzzled.

The man explained with a smile. "The Dao Avoidance Token hides your spiritual energy and aura. It's extremely important. It conceals you and prevents others from sensing your true strength. If they can't gauge your power, they won't dare to attack you recklessly.

"As for Dao Medicines..." the white-robed man paused, smiling before continuing, "It's even more important. Dao Medicines are healing medicines. The First Heaven is filled with dangers, and injuries are inevitable. Without healing medicines, you'll be in a lot of danger."

Ye Guan transmitted,

"Master Pagoda, can you hide my aura?"

"Of course," Little Pagoda answered, "Don't worry; not even the Eighth Hall Master can sense your presence nor gauge your strength under my obfuscation."

Ye Guan nodded, and then he looked back at the white-robed man with a smile. "Thank you for the advice, but I don't need those."

The white-robed man smiled as well. "All right, then."

Ye Guan cupped his fist in a gesture of gratitude. Then, he turned around and hopped onto his sword, disappearing into the horizon.

When Ye Guan could no longer be seen, the white-robed man's smile faded.

"So what do you think?" he asked.

The white-robed lady replied, "He was pretty handsome."

The man frowned, sounding exasperated. "Did you think I was asking about his looks?"