Ye Guan arrived at Divine Martial Mountain. On the entire mountain, there stood only a single tower thousands of feet high, piercing straight into the clouds, majestic and imposing.
Ye Guan was about to enter the tower when a voice suddenly called from behind him. “Young Master Ye!”
Ye Guan turned to look. Not far away stood a woman.
She wore a pale cyan robe, cinched at the waist with a white sash that accentuated her slender figure. Her long hair was tied into a ponytail with a silk ribbon, reaching down to her hips. In her hand, she held an ancient scroll.
At that moment, she was looking at Ye Guan with a faint smile on her face, gentle as a spring breeze.
Ye Guan was somewhat surprised. “Miss Ye Guanzhi!”
Ye Guanzhi smiled. “Young Master Ye, would you care to walk with me for a while?”
Ye Guan nodded. “Certainly!”
The two walked off to one side.
The scenery on Divine Martial Mountain was exceedingly beautiful, surrounded by rare flowers and exotic plants. A gentle breeze carried their fragrance.
Ye Guanzhi smiled. “Young Master Ye, I am leaving this place!”
Hearing this, Ye Guan fell silent.
At that moment, he recalled Qin Feng’s words!
Ye Guanzhi looked at Ye Guan and smiled faintly. “Young Master Ye, if you are willing, I can take you with me to the Guanxuan Academy headquarters. There, you should have better opportunities for growth!”
Ye Guan said gravely, “Miss Ye Guanzhi, we have only just met. Why would you help me?”
Ye Guanzhi smiled. “First, you are capable! Second, I like to intervene in unfair matters.”
Ye Guan glanced at Ye Guanzhi, then said, “Have the An family and the Ancient Heavenly Dragon Clan made a move against you?”
A trace of surprise flashed in Ye Guanzhi’s eyes. “How did you know?”
Ye Guan replied, “A friend told me!”
Ye Guanzhi smiled. “Young Master Ye, are you certain you do not wish to come with me?”
Ye Guan said gravely, “If I do not go, the An family and the Ancient Heavenly Dragon Clan will target me, correct?”
Ye Guanzhi nodded. “They certainly will! Unless you win the Great Dao Destiny contest! Once you claim victory there, they would not dare risk universal condemnation to deal with you!”
The Great Dao Destiny contest!
Ye Guan said gravely, “I understand!”
Ye Guanzhi stopped walking and smiled. “It seems Young Master Ye has already made his decision!”
Ye Guan nodded.
Ye Guanzhi nodded slightly, then said, “Young Master Ye, I wish you all the best! I hope we shall meet again one day!”
With that, she turned and departed.
Ye Guan suddenly called, “Miss Ye Guanzhi!”
Ye Guanzhi turned to look at him. Ye Guan said earnestly, “Before meeting you, I did not believe in the Guanxuan principles of the academy. But now, I somewhat do! The academy has bad people, but it also has good ones. I hope there are more people like you in the academy!”
Ye Guanzhi smiled faintly. “Thank you for your affirmation!”
She paused, then added, “Young Master Ye, before we part, I would like to spar with you. Would you be willing?”
Spar!
Ye Guan replied immediately, “Of course!”
Ye Guanzhi smiled. “Draw your sword!”
Ye Guan was surprised. “Right here?”
Ye Guanzhi nodded. “Right here!”
She paused again, then said, “Use your strongest sword strike!”
Ye Guan stared at Ye Guanzhi. “I fear I might kill you!”
The corners of Ye Guanzhi’s mouth lifted slightly. “It is fine. I have divine protection. I generally cannot die!”
Ye Guan was silent for a moment, then said, “Miss, be careful!”
With that, a qi sword suddenly flew out from within him.
Instant Kill Sword!
The speed of this sword was like thunder, reaching Ye Guanzhi in the blink of an eye.
With this sword, Ye Guan was confident he could kill someone three major realms above him!
Yet in the next moment, he was stunned!
Because this terrifying sword of his had been caught between two fingers!
Ye Guanzhi’s fingers!
Ye Guanzhi looked at the scene before her, her face full of disbelief.
Ye Guanzhi suddenly released the qi sword, then said, “Young Master Ye, the speed of your sword is invincible even against opponents three realms higher. However, it has one fatal flaw!”
Ye Guan quickly said, “Please enlighten me, Miss!”
Ye Guanzhi replied, “Domain!”
Ye Guan frowned slightly. “Domain?”
Ye Guanzhi nodded. “Domain. Observe the space before me. I can draw the ground into my domain. When your sword enters my domain, it suppresses your speed. In other words, the space within my domain is equivalent to having fifty times gravitational force pressing down on your sword! Your weakness is that your sword lacks the ability to break domains. It still operates within spatial rules. Only by breaking spatial rules can your speed truly reach an extreme!”
Spatial rules!
Ye Guan said gravely, “Space has rules!”
Ye Guanzhi smiled. “Of course! Your sword is so fast because you have thoroughly mastered spatial laws, but mastery still remains within spatial rules. If you wish to be faster, you must break spatial rules. In the terms of the Guanxuan Universe, this is breaking the rules. If you can break the rules, even Great Tribulation Realm experts would be unable to block the speed of your sword!”
Breaking the rules!
Ye Guan fell silent.
Ye Guanzhi blinked and smiled. “Actually, it is quite simple. Just step out of space, and you break it in an instant!”
Step out of space!
Ye Guan suddenly opened his palm, and a qi sword appeared in his hand. He thrust it forward, and space suddenly tore open!
No!
Ye Guan withdrew his sword, then thrust again.
With this thrust, space rippled like water. This sword had already fused with space!
Yet still wrong!
Ye Guan withdrew his sword once more. Then he struck again!
With this thrust, the sword vanished!
Seeing this, Ye Guanzhi was slightly stunned, as if she thought she had seen wrong. She rubbed her eyes. When she still could not see the sword, she was certain!
This sword had already stepped out of space!
It had broken the rules!
Ye Guanzhi looked at Ye Guan. After a moment of silence, she said, “Young Master Ye, you are so monstrous. Do your family know?”
Ye Guan smiled awkwardly, then said, “Miss Guanzhi, does this count as stepping out of space and breaking the rules?”
Ye Guanzhi nodded. “It does!”
Ye Guan was instantly overjoyed!
In truth, when he had been cultivating in the Immortal Treasures Pavilion, he had felt he reached a limit, the limit of speed!
But at that time, he did not know how to advance further!
Ye Guanzhi’s words had truly awakened him from his dream!
One could say that the main reason he achieved enlightenment in an instant was that he had already cultivated to his own extreme. What he lacked was a trigger, and Ye Guanzhi provided it!
Ye Guan clasped his fists slightly towards Ye Guanzhi. “Thank you!”
Ye Guanzhi smiled. “Young Master Ye, this is your own achievement. I dare not take credit!”
Ye Guan smiled faintly. “Without your guidance, I do not know how long it would have taken me to realise this!”
Ye Guanzhi smiled, then said, “Young Master Ye, you are an outstanding person. I look forward to you coming to the Guanxuan Universe. Until we meet again!”
Ye Guan clasped his fists. “Until we meet again!”
Ye Guanzhi nodded slightly, then turned and left.
Ye Guan watched Ye Guanzhi disappear into the distant horizon and murmured softly, “Tower Master, Miss Guanzhi’s strength is truly terrifying!”
Little Tower said, “Her talent is indeed remarkable!”
Ye Guan suddenly asked, “Tower Master, was the talent of the former Human Sword Lord also terrifying? The kind unmatched in history, before or after?”
Little Tower was silent for a moment, then said, “Not exactly!”
Ye Guan frowned slightly. “Not exactly?”
Little Tower replied, “Mm.”
Ye Guan was curious. “He was the Human Sword Lord… If his talent was not heaven-defying, how could he cultivate to such a terrifying degree?”
Little Tower said, “You misunderstood me!”
Ye Guan was puzzled. “What do you mean?”
Little Tower said calmly, “Throughout history, the owner of the Great Dao Pen graded some geniuses. Before the Human Sword Lord appeared, the highest level was ‘exceeding the standard’. Do you know what level the Human Sword Lord reached after he appeared?”
Ye Guan was curious. “What?”
Little Tower said, “Severely exceeding the standard!”
Ye Guan was stunned.
Little Tower said, “Do not dwell on this question! Go challenge the rankings!”
Ye Guan thought for a moment, then nodded. “Very well!”
With that, he turned and walked towards the towering structure!
….
Far away in the clouds, Ye Guanzhi walked towards a massive starship in the distance.
Beside her was the elderly woman.
The elderly woman said, “Girl, you seem to have a favourable impression of this Ye Guan!”
Ye Guanzhi smiled faintly. “It seems so!”
The elderly woman was puzzled. “Also, you were unwilling to guide that Dongli Mo, yet you were willing to guide Ye Guan. Why is that?”
Ye Guanzhi smiled. “I like polite and handsome young men. Hehe…”
The elderly woman fell silent.
Indeed, this is a world that judges by appearance!
….
