I Have A Sword
Chapter 1361: Compassionate Sorrow

Chapter 1361: Compassionate Sorrow

As Ye Guan walked away, Diyi Jingzhao stood frozen, overwhelmed by both shock and despair.

Ye Guan's thoughts were so deep that it was terrifying.

Diyi Jingzhao took a deep breath and looked down at the strand of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence in her hands. Holding it up, she finally asked, "If you aren't interested in me, why are you treating me this way?"

Ye Guan didn't answer directly. Instead, he asked back, "Lady Jingzhao, are we enemies?"

Diyi Jingzhao frowned slightly.

Ye Guan smiled. "We're not enemies, and we have no irreconcilable enmity."

Diyi Jingzhao remained silent, staring at him.

"Lady Jingzhao, perhaps it's time we broaden our perspective, beyond just the Ten Desolate Universe. Do you see what I mean?" asked Ye Guan.

Diyi Jingzhao was shaken to her core, and she looked at Ye Guan in disbelief. A bitter realization dawned upon her. She finally understood that she was never his match. In fact, he had never even considered her as an opponent.

Ye Guan smiled faintly and walked off into the distance.

An enemy?

Who were his real enemies?

Not people like Diyi Jingzhao. His true opponents were those fighting for the Great Dao, just like him, those who sought to establish Order and dominate the vast expanse.

The Great Daoist Brush Master, Fan Zhaodi, and now the so-called Suiming Civilization. They were a civilization with billions of years of history, and they had been recruiting talents on a scale beyond his imagination.

Over the course of billions of years, the Ten Desolate Universe had only produced a dozen Supreme Emperors, but Ye Guan had to have produced more than just a dozen. Their strength was surely more than just terrifying.

Ye Guan knew that the fight for the Great Dao wasn't a short-term struggle, and he couldn't walk on the Dao of Order by himself. If he wanted to expand his Order and spread it throughout the vast expanse, he needed people.

He had already analyzed the situation. Supreme powerhouses, like Supreme Emperors, would never submit to him. That would be a fool's dream.

However, weaker civilizations and clans offered little immediate value. The ones that truly mattered at the moment, the ones with the most potential, were clans like the Diyi Clan.

If this were the Milky Way, then clans with Supreme Emperors were like landlords and corporations. They were too powerful to kneel to someone.

The Diyi Clan, however, was like the middle class, once prosperous, now struggling to reclaim their former glory. These were the ones he needed to win over.

And then there was another group, the countless marginalized people. During peacetimes, they would toil away, keeping the world running. During war, they were the first ones to be sacrificed.

They were the silent majority; the ones history would always forget. Yet, they were the ones he needed the most, as even the smallest spark could set an empire ablaze.

Ye Guan knew exactly who his enemies and allies were. The Diyi Clan was not his enemy. He was planning for the sake of the vast expanse, and that plan had to start now.

Eventually, strength alone wouldn't be enough. He needed strategies, and he needed to think intelligently for the sake of the big picture.

Diyi Jingzhao stared at Ye Guan, deeply shaken. She had vastly underestimated his strength and ambitions. She had been scheming against a Supreme Emperor, but Ye Guan was scheming for the sake of the vast expanse.

A self-deprecating smile tugged at Diyi Jingzhao's lips. From the beginning, whether in power or vision, she had never been in the same league as him.

She looked at the strand of Supreme Emperor Origin Essence in her hands, feeling shocked at the energy it contained. Eventually, she tucked it away and silently followed Ye Guan.

A Supreme Emperor?

Perhaps her ambitions had to be greater than that as well.

She walked a few steps behind Ye Guan, watching him closely.

Ye Guan was clad in a flowing cloud-colored robe with a dark belt at his waist. His posture was upright, but even though he was a swordsman, he wasn't radiating any sharpness but a refined air.

He looked more like a scholar than a warrior.

What kind of person was he, truly?

Curiosity flickered in her heart.

Before long, they arrived at an ancient bronze hall. It was massive, and its entrance was flanked by two towering bronze pillars with depictions of ferocious demonic beasts that seemed ready to devour anyone who dared approach them.

Ye Guan led her inside the hall.

The hall was vast and silent; only their footsteps echoed throughout the corridor.

Ye Guan's gaze locked onto the bronze statue mentioned by the Holy Throne. Stepping forward, he examined the strange rune at its base, and then he crouched down before murmuring the incantation he had been taught.

A moment later, the rune trembled, and a delicate bronze box floated into the air.

Opening it, Ye Guan saw nine Bronze War Generals inside.

These Bronze War Generals were Quasi Emperors.

A satisfied smile tugged at his lips. These nine Bronze War Generals weren't ordinary, and they were invincible against everyone, second only to the Supreme Emperors. Of course, the Suiming Civilization had created them.

If they could mass-produce these...

No wonder they only sought out Supreme Emperors.

Ye Guan put the bronze box away and moved behind the statue, where he spotted another rune. Chanting the same incantation, a bronze storage ring floated into his hands.

The storage ring contained sixty-three thousand Pure-grade emperor crystals. Y Guan grinned. These were priceless treasures; they were practically extinct in the Ten Desolate Universe, and these were exactly what he needed.

Diyi Jingzhao suddenly asked, "Why did they leave these behind?"

Ye Guan chuckled. "It's like moving houses. We always leave something behind. Besides, it shows how rich the Suiming Civilization really is."

Diyi Jingzhao nodded thoughtfully.

After putting away the ring, Ye Guan searched the hall, collecting numerous valuable artifacts. At one point, he picked up a small box and handed it to Diyi Jingzhao.

"Lady Jingzhao, this is for you," he said.

Diyi Jingzhao opened it to find a bronze lotus. It was exquisitely crafted and radiated a brilliant glow. This was no ordinary artifact; it was a Quasi-Immortal treasure and was far beyond what could be found throughout the Ten Desolate Universe.

Diyi Jingzhao hesitated.

Ye Guan placed it in her hands. "It's not useful to me, but it suits you well."

With that, he turned around and walked toward a nearby wall.

Diyi Jingzhao stood frozen. She gazed at the lotus for a while before putting it away.

A short distance away, Ye Guan examined a painting on the wall. It depicted three trees. The leftmost tree resembled the Tianxing Life Tree from the Tianxing Civilization, but on closer inspection, it was incomplete.

The rightmost tree was crystalline, almost jade-like, and its branches were heavy with vivid red fruits.

A massive bronze tree stood in the center, and it towered atop a sacred mountain. It had twelve tiers, each with three branches extending in different directions, and their tips were adorned with glowing flower buds.

A golden bird was perched elegantly on one of them, while a massive bronze dragon coiled around its roots.

Countless figures were kneeling in worship before the trees.

Ye Guan stared at the painting, lost in thought. Now, he was certain, the Tianxing Life Tree of the Tianxing Civilization belonged to the Suiming Civilization.

It was yet another web of fate.

Ye Guan chuckled softly. Coincidence? No, it couldn't be. Ever since his aunt's destiny aura on him had disappeared, he had been drawn into one scheme after another.

Shaking his head, he turned to Diyi Jingzhao and smiled. "Let's go."

Diyi Jingzhao nodded and quietly followed after Ye Guan.

Soon, they found themselves standing before the Holy Throne.

Ye Guan stared at it, smiling. "We've profited quite a bit from this trip, so we should thank you. I know you have no interest in trivial rewards, so let's just say that I owe you a favor now."

The Holy Throne trembled. "Can I... not accept that favor?"

Ye Guan's expression grew serious. "No. I always repay my debts."

The Holy Throne fell silent. A favor? Brother... you're going to war with the Suiming Civilization sooner or later. What am I supposed to do with that favor?

Despite its thoughts, it dared not refuse.

Ye Guan patted the throne and grinned. "I want to know about someone."

The Holy Throne shuddered. "Who?"

Ye Guan's smile deepened as he said, "Beixin Ci."

Thud!

The Holy Throne jolted violently and keeled over backward.

Ye Guan was so surprised that he had no idea what to say.