I Have a Sword

Ao Qianqian!

When the Heavenly Dragon Clan heard Ye Guan's words, none of their powerful members could believe it. The Academy Master actually wanted to execute them all immediately. This was beyond shocking.

After all, they were Ao Qianqian's blood relatives.

Even if they had made mistakes, they thought execution was excessive.

However, Ye Guan's expression left no doubt. He was serious.

The dragons of the Heavenly Dragon Clan felt lost and afraid.

When Ao Qianqian appeared, however, the Heavenly Dragon Clan was overjoyed, and they looked at Ao Qianqian as if they were looking at their benefactor.

Ao Qianqian was their lifeline.

They would live as long as she was on their side.

Ao Qianqian glanced at her clan members with disappointment in her eyes. She hadn't expected that her clan would stoop to such behavior.

Ao Sheng noticed the disappointment in her gaze, and a pang of unease rose unbidden within him. Trembling, he said, "Qianqian."

Ao Qianqian spoke softly, "Father, why did you do this?"

Ao Sheng sighed deeply but remained silent.

Ao Zhen exclaimed, "Sister, everything our Heavenly Dragon Clan has done so far… it's all for you!"

Ao Qianqian's brows furrowed.

Ao Zhen looked at Ye Guan and exclaimed, "Academy Master! You can execute us, but before you do, I have two questions for you. First of all, my sister has followed you through countless battles over the years. Does her devotion to you really fall short compared to Lady Nalan? Was that why Lady Nalan was given control of the Immortal Treasures Pavilion and has been acknowledged throughout the Guanxuan Universe as your lawful wife?

"Everyone expects her child to become the next Academy Master of the Guanxuan Academy! How about my sister? To this day, she doesn't even have an official title!"

Ye Guan stared at Ao Zhen without saying anything.

"Shut up!" Ao Qianqian yelled.

"No!" Ao Zhen shouted back. "Sister, you may not care about these things, but our Heavenly Dragon Clan cannot ignore them. Why should you make the greatest sacrifices and receive the least in return?

"Back when he was not yet the Academy Master, you risked your life to help him, and our Heavenly Dragon Clan committed all our resources to support him. And what did we get in return?

"The Nalan Clan not only controls the Immortal Treasures Pavilion but also holds a powerful position in the Guanxuan Committee, while you have nothing. Do you think that's fair?"

Turning sharply to Ye Guan, Ao Zhen asked, "Academy Master, do you think that's fair?"

Li Banzhi stepped forward and glanced at Ao Zhen, saying, "You are discussing family affairs, and outsiders shouldn't interfere, but I do want to say one thing, Ao Zhen. You think that Ao Qianqian has gained nothing by following the Academy Master, but I beg to disagree.

"You lot are incredibly short-sighted. In fact, it's not just you. The entire Heavenly Dragon Clan is short-sighted. Are you even aware that among everyone in the Guanxuan Universe, her progress over the years is second only to the Academy Master?

"Her cultivation base and strength are almost unparalleled. Lady Qianqian, am I correct?"

Ao Qianqian nodded. Her cultivation base had reached a staggering height, and her accomplishments far surpassed all of her Heavenly Dragon Clan ancestors.

In the Guanxuan Universe, apart from the elite elders of the Yang and Ye families, few could rival her.

Ao Zhen and the other dragons shifted uncomfortably.

"Ao Zhen and Clan Leader Ao, do you truly believe that you're acting in Lady Qianqian's best interests?" asked Li Banzhi, "I don't think so. Your actions are driven by selfish desires. If you genuinely cared for her, you wouldn't have forced her into such a difficult position.

"Furthermore, your so-called ambitions for power and recognition… Do you not realize that these are trivial things to Ao Qianqian? With her current abilities, she could create a universe region of her own if she wanted to do so."

Li Banzhi's gaze turned cold as she looked at Ao Zhen. "What you're saying now is merely an attempt to gain Lady Qianqian's sympathy. You're also justifying your actions by placing the blame on her. You are utterly shameless."

Although Ao Qianqian rarely appeared in the Guanxuan Universe, her humility and modesty allowed her to earn a stellar reputation in the universe region.

Li Banzhi stepped forward to protect her, aiming to keep her from being dragged down by the Heavenly Dragon Clan's ambitions. In her eyes, Ao Qianqian had nothing to do with the Heavenly Dragon Clan's mistakes.

Ao Zhen sneered, "Maybe my sister doesn't care about these things, but our Heavenly Dragon Clan does. Why should this vast universe belong to the Nalan Clan? My sister has risked her life countless times for the Academy Master. Why can't she be the rightful owner of the Guanxuan Universe? Why not?"

"Ao Zhen!" Ao Qianqian roared, and a powerful burst of her dragon bloodline immobilized Ao Zhen.

All the dragons trembled in terror, and their eyes were filled with abject fear.

Ao Qianqian rarely exerted her bloodline authority, so they had no idea just how terrifying she had become. Today, they realized that they were like ants before a giant beneath her presence.

Staring coldly at Ao Zhen, Ao Qianqian snapped, "This is between Little Guan and me. When did you earn the right to interfere?!"

Ao Zhen growled, "Sister, I can't accept this. I can't!"

Li Banzhi sighed softly and asked, "Heavenly Dragon Clan, what more do you want? Not only has your strength risen significantly, but you also enjoy priority access to the resources of the Guanxuan Universe.

"You hold an extremely high status, equal to the Nalan Clan's. Unfortunately, your ambitions are limitless. You're hoping that once Lady Qianqian's children will inherit the Academy, allowing your clan to gain greater control over it.

"Just like now, with your manipulation of the Wanzhou Martial Contest, you aimed to have the half-demon, Zong Wu, enter the Demon Department so that he would eventually take control of it under your support.

"Don't you understand? The Academy belongs to the Academy Master and everyone in the Guanxuan Universe. It doesn't belong to the Heavenly Dragon Clan alone."

Ao Zhen's eyes seemed to blaze with anger. "The Ao Clan has contributed the most! Why shouldn't we receive more in return? Elder Li, it's easy for you to talk when it doesn't affect you—"

Li Banzhi glanced at him. "Has the Heavenly Dragon Clan contributed more than I have? When have you ever seen anyone from the Li Clan enter the Academy to form factions for personal gain?"

Ao Zhen's expression turned grim, left speechless. Li Banzhi, who had wielded power since the era of the Sword Master, had never allowed members of the Li Clan to become a part of the Academy's core power.

Ao Qianqian suddenly sighed softly. "This is all my fault."

Li Banzhi looked at her and said gently, "Lady Qianqian, don't blame yourself. This isn't your fault. It is our nature to be greedy, and you're still young.

"You've been risking your life alongside the Academy Master, so you had no idea what the Heavenly Dragon Clan has been doing behind your back. If blame needs to be placed, then it ought to be placed on the Academy. Its laws remain incomplete, leaving loopholes for the clans and sects to exploit."

Ao Qianqian's eyes showed a flash of inner turmoil. Then, she looked over at Ye Guan and softly said, "Little Guan… can you spare them? Exile them from the Guanxuan Universe instead…"

She knew that the Heavenly Dragon Clan had committed grave crimes, but she couldn't bear to watch her kin be killed. They were still her family, after all.

Ye Guan stood there with hands clenched into fists. His expression was unreadable, and he was completely silent.

Everyone looked at him, quietly waiting for his decision.

The Heavenly Dragon Clan's fate depended on his decision.

Up above, Clan Leader Jing watched him from the sky. Her gaze was calm and unchanging, but her eyes began to turn cold.

The dragons could feel their hearts in their throats as they looked at the Academy Master, whose icy demeanor betrayed his intent to kill them all.

They finally realized that he genuinely intended to wipe them out. If Ye Guan decided to show no mercy, their clan would indeed face complete annihilation today.

Even the brash Ao Zhen was too afraid to make a sound or utter a single word.

Ao Qianqian looked at Ye Guan. She could sense his internal struggle and pain.

She was sad as well, but she had no other choice.

The Heavenly Dragon Clan was full of her relatives, after all.

Li Banzhi sighed to herself. She stepped forward and said, "Academy Master, while the Heavenly Dragon Clan has indeed committed serious offenses, they made significant contributions to the Academy as well. Their merits can offset their mistakes, so they can be spared from death."

Li Banzhi had no plans of intervening. The Heavenly Dragon Clan's actions over the recent years had been excessive, even brazen, especially this time.

They had openly interfered with the Wanzhou Martial Contest, locked Qingzhou down, and even plotted to slaughter the Qingzhou Sword Sect to eliminate any witnesses. To make matters worse, they even brazenly targeted a member of the Committee.

They mobilized their entire clan in flagrant disregard of the Guanxuan Laws, risking war on the Sword Sect.

Their actions were comparable to a rebellion, or perhaps worse, for it showed that they saw the Guanxuan Universe as their domain.

Their behavior was unforgivable.

Despite that, she still walked forward to speak on their behalf, and it was all for Ao Qianqian's sake. She didn't want to see a rift between Ye Guan and Ao Qianqian. She could see Ye Guan's hesitation—his internal struggle.

His reluctance, she knew, was also because of Ao Qianqian. She had followed him through countless life-or-death trials. Now, in her presence, he was being asked to annihilate her entire clan.

It was a painful dilemma.

The representatives from every family and sect awaited Ye Guan's decision. News of the upheaval in Qingzhou had spread, startling the Guanxuan Universe.

Zhen Xue from the Zhen Clan stepped forward. She looked at Ye Guan and said, "Academy Master, the Heavenly Dragon Clan has made a mistake, but given their past contributions to the Guanxuan Universe, perhaps they might be spared from death."

Others soon followed. Soon, more and more people stepped forward to plead for mercy on behalf of the Heavenly Dragon Clan.

After all, the Heavenly Dragon Clan had a huge influence throughout the Guanxuan Universe. Since Ye Guan was hesitating, everyone could tell that he was struggling with his decision.

This was a perfect opportunity for them to step forward and plead for mercy—not only to give Ye Guan a graceful way out but to earn the Heavenly Dragon Clan's gratitude as well.

As more and more people stepped to plead, Ye Guan's expression gradually softened.

Clan Leader Jing's gaze became even colder at the sight.

Just then, Aunt Jiao, standing beside Ye Guan, suddenly collapsed. She looked at him, who was visibly wavering, with a look of confusion and despair.

"So… that's it? The death of a commoner's son is just that? A death with no consequence and of no importance. Is that it?"

Ye Guan trembled violently, and her words seemed to drain the blood from him, leaving his face deathly pale. He felt as if he were submerged, unable to breathe. He also felt like he had just been slapped in the face.

Order? Were the Guanxuan Laws meant to discriminate against commoners? If one had wealth, power, or connections, could one rise above the laws?

Ye Guan suddenly felt a wave of bewilderment and self-doubt. Truth be told, he was the King of Relying on Others, and a leader was an example for everyone else to follow.

In other words, every wrongdoing… all of it was all because of him.

A single thought arose and brought endless torment.

His Order Sword Intent dissipated bit by bit…

No!

Ye Guan clenched his fists, and his gaze grew resolute. He had to change.

"According to the Guanxuan Laws, the dragons of the Heavenly Dragon Clan that are present today are to be executed immediately. The remaining members of the Heavenly Dragon Clan are to be exiled from the Guanxuan Universe, and they are forbidden from ever returning.

"Guanxuan Guards! Carry these orders out immediately!"

Those words left everyone stunned. They all turned to the right to see who had spoken, and they saw Ao Qianqian.

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