I Have a Sword

The elder glanced at the confident and seemingly invincible Multiverse Emperor beside him but said nothing.

The strength of the Multiverse Emperor was unknown to them, but one thing was certain—he wasn't weak. After all, even a mere avatar of his could reverse the flow of time.

If his true body were present, his power would undoubtedly be terrifying.

However, the First Hall Master and Clan Leader Jing weren't weak either. With that, the elder warned, "Whether it's First Hall Master or Clan Leader Jing, both are incredibly powerful. We must not underestimate them."

The Multiverse Emperor chuckled. "They're nothing but paltry ants."

The elder fell silent. Damn. This guy clearly just wants to show off. Fine, I should let him have his moment, or he probably won't stop.

"Let's head to the Iron God Clan," said the elder. He vanished on the spot, taking the two Temporal Guardians behind him.

***

Ye Guan closed the book in his hand and walked to the window. Gazing outside, he saw that the sky was an eerie crimson, obscuring the starry skies invisible.

He realized that anyone capable of surviving in a place like this was certainly not an ordinary individual. The air was filled with a strange, sinister crimson energy, and it was like a slow-acting poison, constantly eroding both the body and soul.

Ye Guan had been protecting himself with his sword intent since he arrived here.

Just then, he noticed the tremors of his Mad Demon Bloodline.

Ye Guan was surprised. Could it be that my Mad Demon Bloodline can absorb the crimson energy here?

With that thought in mind, he extended his right hand and activated the bloodline. The moment it appeared, the crimson energy in the room was absorbed in an instant. The crimson energy outside surged toward him as well.

Ye Guan hurriedly stopped. He had no desire to become the center of attention in the Divine Ruins. Of course, he was a bit excited—he hadn't expected his Mad Demon Bloodline to be capable of absorbing even the crimson energy in the air. It seemed that his bloodline was not only the nemesis of certain bloodlines but also the bane of most negative energy.

Knock, knock.

Someone knocked on the door

Ye Guan shook himself from his thoughts and turned toward the door. Walking over, he opened it to find a woman standing before him.

Yang Yian!

Yang Yian was dressed in a tight-fitting black robe of unknown material that appeared luxurious. A silk ribbon cinched her waist, and her long hair cascaded over her shoulders. Compared to before, she appeared far more mature.

Yang Yian kept her head lowered, saying nothing.

Ye Guan gently called out, "Yian?"

Still, she kept her head lowered in silence.

Confirming her identity, Ye Guan grabbed her hand and smiled. "Come in."

He led her into the room, but Yang Yian remained silent, her head still bowed.

Ye Guan ruffled her hair and softly asked, "What's wrong?"

Yang Yian slowly raised her head, revealing her eyes. They were filled with tears.

Ye Guan spoke warmly, "Are you unhappy?"

Yang Yian shook her head. "I'm… happy."

Ye Guan chuckled. "Then why the tears?"

Just then, Yang Yian embraced him and her tears fell freely down her cheeks.

"I'm… sorry!"

Ye Guan smiled faintly. "Is it about what happened in the Guanxuan Universe?"

Yang Yian nodded. "At the time, I don't know what came over me. A voice suddenly appeared in my head, commanding me to kill you. I resisted, but it was too strong—I couldn't fight it..."

Yang Yian grew incredibly anxious and held him tightly.

Ye Guan reassured her with a smile. "It's okay."

Hesitating, Yang Yian looked up at him and asked, "You're not mad at me?"

Gently wiping away her tears, Ye Guan smiled. "It wasn't your fault. Why would I be mad at you?"

The weight in Yang Yian's heart was finally lifted.

Ye Guan then asked, "How did you get here?"

"The voice in my head told me that you were here and guided me here."

Ye Guan's eyes narrowed slightly. The so-called "voice" was undoubtedly the First Hall Master.

"Did the voice say anything else?"

Yang Yian shook her head. "No."

Ye Guan frowned.

"I want to read," said Yang Yian.

Ye Guan set aside his thoughts and smiled. "Alright."

The two of them moved to the window. Yang Yian sat beside him, pulling out a thick, ancient-looking book. Turning to Ye Guan, she proudly said, "I've already memorized this book."

Ye Guan raised a brow. "You've memorized it?"

Yang Yian nodded enthusiastically. "Impressive, right?"

Ye Guan chuckled and said, "There's a saying in the book—'reading to memorize at a glance is the most useless skill. The eyes see, but the mind is hurried. There's no room for thought. Books come and go without pause, much like glancing at beauties—fleeting and irrelevant.' Do you understand what that means?"

Yang Yian blinked. "No."

Laughing softly, Ye Guan explained, "It means simply memorizing books is useless. The eyes see the text, but if the mind rushes past it, there's no time to ruminate about it. It's like catching a glimpse of a beauty in passing while you're having a footbath—it leaves zero impression at all."

Yang Yian looked puzzled. "A footbath?"

"Pfft!" Ye Guan laughed and pinched her cheek. "Focus on the important part!"

Yang Yian stuck her tongue out playfully.

"In other words, the ocean of knowledge is boundless, but we can only accommodate a limited amount of it. It's neither possible nor necessary to grasp everything. What matters is finding what's relevant to your needs."

Yang Yian nodded slowly, still a little confused.

Ye Guan smiled and added, "The same applies to cultivation. There are a myriad Daos to greatness, but you only need to commit to one. If you try to work on too many Daos, you'll end up mastering none."

These were insights he had learned from experience. Along his journey, he encountered countless cultivation methods, each offering immense power. In the end, he realized that trying to learn them all was counterproductive. Focusing on his swordsmanship was the true way forward.

One ought to avoid becoming a master of all trades.

Yang Yian asked, "Can you teach me how to cultivate?"

Ye Guan looked at her. "You want to cultivate?"

"I do," Yang Yian replied.

"Reading is also a form of cultivation."

Yang Yian's eyes lit up. "Really?"

"Yes. Do you remember the book I taught you before? Its real name is the Confucian Dao Code. My mother created it specifically for scholars. Those who cultivate that method grow stronger as their knowledge deepens."

Yang Yian looked at him intently. "You've always wanted me to cultivate, haven't you?"

Ye Guan nodded. "In this world, the strong reigns supreme. Without strength, you're vulnerable. You should keep reading and learning. You've experienced the struggles of the common folk. In the future, I'll need your help in the academy."

Yang Yian gazed at Ye Guan and softly said, "I'll do as you say."

Ye Guan gently ruffled her hair again and said, "I'm still not strong enough to reverse time. But one day, I'll take you to see your parents, what do you think?"

Yang Yian trembled and stared at him in disbelief. "You… still remember that?"

Ye Guan smiled. "I remember every word you've ever said."

Tears welled up in Yang Yian's eyes. Then, she grabbed Ye Guan's arm and rested her head on his shoulder. "I used to think that I was the unluckiest person in the world and that I was cursed to suffer, but now, I think I'm the luckiest."

Ye Guan sighed inwardly, knowing that she had endured immense hardship.

Now, her fate was entangled with the First Hall Master's.

Ye Guan's gaze turned cold at the thought.

Yang Yian suddenly wiped away her tears and smiled. "Let's keep reading."

"Alright."

The two read until late into the night. Eventually, Yang Yian fell asleep in Ye Guan's arms.

Looking at her peaceful, sleeping face, Ye Guan realized that Yang Yian wasn't the First Hall Master. The First Hall Master had only placed a reincarnation imprint on her. Ultimately, it was his fault that Yang Yian got involved in all this.

Ye Guan closed his eyes.

The night passed, and when morning came, Ye Guan felt Yang Yian stir in his arms. He opened his eyes to see her stretch lazily. She looked up at him, and when their eyes met, Ye Guan's expression instantly turned cold.

She wasn't Yang Yian anymore!

"Yang Yian" stood up and walked to the window. Looking out at the crimson clouds, she smiled, asking, "How are you finding this place, Young Master Ye?"

Ye Guan stared at her. "What should I call you?"

"Yang Yian" glanced at him with a faint smile. "In your world, they call me the First Hall Master. Here, they call me Empress Fan…"

"Yang Yian's" lips then twitched upward into a smile. "However, you can call me by my name, Fan Zhaodi."

Ye Guan stared at Fan Zhaodi, saying, "Why don't we get straight to the point?"

"There is no rush. Let me bring you somewhere first."

With that, the two appeared on a street somewhere.

Ye Guan frowned. He had no idea how he was teleported here, and he cast a tense gaze at Fan Zhaodi.

Fan Zhaodi led him down the street while looking around with a smile. "Young Master Ye, don't be in a hurry. I will not hurt Yang Yian or Yi Nian. Let me first introduce you to my hometown.

"Ah, let me actually introduce myself first. I'm not as mysterious as you think. I'm the Empress of the fallen Divine Ruins Empire and the Lord of the Imperial City…"

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!