I Have a Sword

The middle-aged man smiled bitterly and said, "Young Master Ye, to be honest, I would love to visit the Tianxing Civilization, but I know my limits.

"I'm a half-step Path Annihilation Realm expert, and I believe I'm pretty strong even among my peers. However, I if I go to the Tianxing Civilization, I'd probably be just a nobody.

"It's not just me. Even the Existing Dao would just be a—"

He dared not continue.

The Existing Dao was afraid of Ye Guan, but it was not afraid of him.

Speaking such words would be like seeking his own death. After being imprisoned for so many years, he understood one thing—in life, one ought to be low-key, humble, and down to earth.

Ye Guan thought for a moment and then nodded. "I was being inconsiderate."

The middle-aged man was correct.

Even the Existing Dao would be insignificant in the eyes of the Tianxing Civilization.

Thinking of that, Ye Guan couldn't help but smile wryly. His journey to the Tianxing Civilization was going to be tough. What about staying away from that place for now until he was a tad bit stronger?

If he were to go there now, he'd surely get beaten up.

The Qingxuan Sword and Little Pagoda could intimidate others, but the same could not be said for the Tianxing Civilization.

The middle-aged man suddenly asked, "Young Master Ye, why does the Evil Dao Alliance want to kill you?"

Ye Guan snapped out of his thoughts and looked at the middle-aged man. "You know of the Evil Dao Alliance?"

The middle-aged man nodded. "I do. My universe region also experienced a universe tribulation back in the day, so I've had contact with them."

Ye Guan asked solemnly, "The Evil Dao Alliance already existed back then?"

The middle-aged man nodded and said, "They may be even older than the Existing Dao."

"Really?" Ye Guan was astonished. "Older than the Existing Dao?"

"Yes. They tried to recruit me back then, but I wanted to challenge the Existing Dao, so I didn't accept their offer—" the middle-aged man trailed off, realizing something.

Perhaps his imprisonment was not necessarily a bad thing.

If he hadn't been locked up, he would have joined the Evil Dao Alliance, and his rank there wouldn't have been low. In other words, he could have gotten involved in the mission to kill Young Master Ye.

Thinking about the terrifying power of that lady in a plain skirt and that man in a white robe, he shuddered. He had witnessed the entire battle on that fateful day.

Afterward, he had only one thought—they're incredible!

Ye Guan curiously asked, "Senior, which Hall Master of the Evil Dao Alliance did you interact with?"

"The Second Hall Master of the Evil Dao Alliance, who is also an Evil Dao cultivator," replied the middle-aged man.

Ye Guan asked, "How strong is he?"

The middle-aged man answered gravely, "Unfathomably strong."

"How does he compare to my aunt?"

"I don't know. All I know is that I can't beat him."

Ye Guan nodded and fell silent, his expression becoming serious. He realized that he still knew too little about the Evil Dao Alliance.

Although the Evil Dao Alliance had suffered heavy losses this time, his intuition told him that they wouldn't give up.

The middle-aged man asked, "Young Master Ye, why are they so determined to fight you?"

Ye Guan snapped out of his thoughts and then explained the Universe Tribulation of the True Universe.

"That's incredible. To suppress a universe tribulation for so long," muttered the middle-aged man with a grave look. He couldn't help but glance at Ye Guan. Damn, why is your entire family so terrifying?

Ye Guan smiled and suggested, "Senior, how about this? My academy is in need of guest elders. You could become one at the Guanxuan Academy. You wouldn't need to stay long, just a hundred years. After that, you can either leave or stay.

"However, I want you to select a few disciples to teach in the academy during your stay. What do you think?"

The Guanxuan Academy lacked top-tier experts. If people like the middle-aged man before him joined the academy, it would be of great help.

The middle-aged man nodded. "All right!"

What Ye Guan was asking for was far easier than going to the Tianxing Civilization.

He really couldn't handle the Tianxing Civilization.

Ye Guan looked up at the sky.

The Great Dao Seal appeared in the sky and disappeared.

A complicated light flashed in the middle-aged man's eyes.

Damn! The Existing Dao sure knows how to pick its battles!

Just then, Ye Guan took out three Dao Fruits and handed them to the middle-aged man. "Senior, these can help you recover your strength."

The middle-aged man did not refuse. He accepted the three Dao Fruits and cupped his fist. "Young Master Ye, my gratitude for your great kindness cannot be expressed in words. Rest assured, I, Zhenyu, am not an ungrateful person. I will serve the Guanxuan Academy for a hundred years. I will keep my word."

Ye Guan smiled and said, "Thank you."

The middle-aged man cupped his fist again and disappeared.

After the middle-aged man left, Ye Guan made his way to the Seventh Heaven.

The Seventh Heaven was a vast starry sky, a silent void.

There was nothing here… Ye Guan was puzzled.

Step!

Footsteps suddenly echoed behind him.

Ye Guan's eyes narrowed, and he turned around slowly.

A man was walking toward him from the distance. The man was wearing a loose robe, and his long hair draped over his shoulders. There was a wine gourd in his right hand, and his left held a sword.

The strong strong scent of alcohol wafted from him.

Ye Guan looked at the man and cupped his fist. "Senior."

The man wordlessly swung his sword at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan's pupils constricted, and he immediately unleashed his Invincible Sword Intent.

Bang!

His sword intent shattered, and he was blasted tens of thousands of meters away.

Ye Guan was shocked. His sword intent had been completely obliterated.

The man suddenly asked, "What's the name of that sword intent?"

Ye Guan replied solemnly, "Invincible Sword Intent."

"You lack both an invincible heart and invincible will. How can you call it invincible?" the man said, sneering.

Ye Guan bowed slightly. "Please enlighten me, senior."

With that, a sword made out of sword intent appeared in his hand, and he swung it fiercely toward the man—Lifespan Severance!

A slash to sever three hundred thousand years' worth of lifespan!

In the face of it, the man simply swung his sword again.

The mysterious power of time within the sword vanished without a trace.

Ye Guan was stunned, and then his expression changed drastically.

The man's swordsmanship was terrifyingly profound.

The man took a swig of his wine and said, "All show, no substance."

"Please teach me, Senior!" Ye Guan bowed respectfully.

The man shook his head. "Your family is much stronger than me. You don't need my guidance. I came out here to see your swordsmanship, but I'm disappointed."

After saying that, he turned around to leave.

Ye Guan suddenly called out, "Senior, wait!"

The man stopped and looked back at Ye Guan. "What is it?"

Ye Guan bowed again. "Senior, please teach me."

The man stared at Ye Guan and exclaimed. "Draw your sword!"

Swoosh!

Ye Guan suddenly disappeared, and a ray of sword light flew toward the man.

The man swung his sword once again.

Bang!

Ye Guan flew tens of thousands of meters away, and as soon as he stopped, a sword appeared a few inches away from his forehead.

A complete defeat!

The man stared at Ye Guan without speaking. Then, his aura weakened drastically. In the blink of an eye, he became a mere full divinity expert. He had decided to suppress his cultivation base!

The man said again, "Draw your sword."

Swoosh!

The sword pointing at Ye Guan's forehead returned to the man's hand.

Ye Guan stared at the man, took a step forward, and a sword made out of sword intent wordlessly appeared before the man.

Phantom Edge!

The man's expression remained calm. He simply waved his sword again, and the sword intent shattered with a bang! Then, a sword light suddenly appeared before Ye Guan's eyes.

It happened in an instant—a sword was now pressing against his glabella.

Almost at the same time, a sword intent appeared behind the man, but it was a few inches away from the man's nape.

Too slow!

Ye Guan remained silent.

The man sheathed his sword and said, "You're too slow."

Ye Guan nodded.

"Do you know how slow you were compared to me?"

Ye Guan hesitated for a moment before replying, "Just a bit slower."

The man shook his head and replied. "You're slower by one hundred and eight thousand kilometers."

Ye Guan was stunned.

The man took a swig of wine and said, "It seems like you're only a little slower, but in reality, your sword can never harm me. The gap between us is so vast that you can't perceive it. The difference is too great, so you can't see it."

"Use your strongest sword strike," the man said.

Ye Guan asked, "The strongest?"

The man nodded.

Ye Guan clenched his fists tightly.

Boom!

Two streams of bloodline power surged out from him. At the same time, two bloodline projections appeared behind him with a blood-red sword in hand. The two swords weren't the Qingxuan Sword.

The phantom slashed downward with all its might.

As the sword descended, the starry sky seemed to become illusory.

The man waved his sleeve casually, and a flash of sword light streaked across the space.

Boom!

The two bloodline projections shattered, transforming into countless fragments that splattered in the sky. However, the two bloodlines were not extinguished.

Ye Guan stood frozen in place.

The man stared at Ye Guan and asked, "Do you know why that happened?"

Ye Guan replied honestly, "You're too strong."

The man chuckled, "That explanation doesn't really help, does it?"

Ye Guan bowed slightly and said, "Please guide me, Senior."

The man took a swig of his wine and then said, "My swordsmanship philosophy may not suit you, but you can use it as a reference. My philosophy is about purity and extremity. The extreme of speed, the extreme of strength—nothing more, no external boosts. Four letters—purity."

Ye Guan hesitated for a moment and then corrected, "That's six letters."

The man raised his hand and swung his sword.

Bang!

Ye Guan was blasted tens of thousands of meters away. His shoulder was torn and bleeding.

"Well said," the man said, staring at Ye Guan.

Ye Guan was speechless.

The man suddenly asked, "Got any wine?"

Ye Guan quickly took out a bottle of wine from the Milky Way and handed it to the man. He hadn’t tried that wine yet, but it was said to be the most stylish wine from the Milky Way, popular among those who liked to show off.

The man opened the bottle. He took a sniff of it and frowned. "Why does this wine smell like soy sauce?"