Although the Main Universe was vast, it was ruled by only three major powers—the Dao Cang Lineage, the Holy King Hall, and the Brahma Heaven Kingdom in the middle of the Main Universe. Truth be told, these three organizations once belonged to the same lineage. Long ago, a legendary figure who created the Breaking Wall Scripture emerged in the Main Universe. He was hailed as the number one figure since the dawn of ancient times. He shattered the barrier between reality and illusion, becoming the first to step into the legendary Transcendent Realm. He was also known as the Transcendent One. He didn't just reach that realm; he created it himself. Afterward, he vanished mysteriously, and his disciples began fighting over the Breaking Wall Scripture. In the end, the scripture was split into six pieces. Three of those landed in the hands of the founders of today's three major powers. The other three pieces were lost to this day. Of the three, the Brahma Heaven Kingdom was the strongest, followed closely by the Holy King Hall and the Dao Cang Lineage. While the power gap wasn't massive, a delicate balance was maintained until recently. The balance was shattered when the previous Lineage Master of the Dao Cang Lineage and the Hall Master of the Holy King Hall suddenly announced a political marriage between the two factions. A marriage between the Dao Cang Lineage heir, Dao Zangtian, and the Holy King Hall's Princess, Sheng Gujin. The motive behind the alliance was obvious—to fight against the rising dominance of the Brahma Heaven Kingdom. Not long after the engagement was announced, Sheng Gujin vanished without a trace. When she reappeared, she was unexpectedly pregnant. Strangely enough, shortly after her return to the Holy King Hall, the former Holy King died under mysterious circumstances. Sheng Gujin naturally took over and became the new ruler. The Dao Cang Lineage was furious. After all, Sheng Gujin was engaged to Dao Zangtian by the former Holy King himself, and she inexplicably returned with a pregnant belly. Moreover, she offered no explanation whatsoever. The Dao Cang Lineage was going to become a laughingstock had the higher-ups chosen not to suppress the news. Deep in the mountains, in a secluded paddy field, an old man was hunched over, planting rice shoots. He was clad in simple, mud-stained clothes; his hair was white, and his face was deeply wrinkled. He looked like a common farmer. No one would believe this man was the current Lineage Master of the Dao Cang Lineage. People called him "Old Man Dao," a name only a brave few dared speak aloud. Standing a dozen meters away was a tall, young man in ornate robes. He was the heir of the Dao Cang Lineage, Dao Zangtian. After a long silence, the old man finally finished planting and washed his hands in the irrigation. He began walking back toward a nearby hut. Dao Zangtian approached him, offering him a clean handkerchief. "Grandfather." The old man wiped his hands. "You went down?" The old man lay back in a reclining chair, picked up a fruit from a nearby table, wiped it with his sleeve, and took a bite. "And? What's he like?" Dao Zangtian's expression was cold. "He has three unique bloodlines. He is not normal at all." The old man glanced at him and nodded. "Still want him dead?" Dao Zangtian firmly replied, "He has to die." The old man stayed silent. Dao Zangtian added, "I understand your concerns. Sheng Gujin wouldn't have gotten involved with a man so recklessly. Something about this doesn't add up. But no matter what, that man must die." The old man said calmly, "He'll die eventually, sure. But before you kill him, figure out why she did what she did." Dao Zangtian fell silent. The old man closed his eyes and kept chewing on the fruit, his chair swaying gently. Dao Zangtian spoke again, "This is a setup." The old man said nothing. "I've calculated every angle," Dao Zangtian said, "but everything seems normal." The old man scoffed. "If everything appears normal, that's exactly what's suspicious." Dao Zangtian frowned. "She opposed the marriage from the start, that's understandable. No one wants to be used as a pawn. But now she's the ruler of the Holy King Hall. Ask yourself, how did that happen? "She disappeared, came back pregnant, and then the old Holy King died." Dao Zangtian clenched his fists. "That man is the key!" "Or maybe it's the child," the old man suggested. Dao Zangtian frowned deeply. "Before you kill that man, you must find out why she did all that, and how she managed to come out on top." Dao Zangtian closed his eyes. "Grandfather, in the face of absolute power, no scheme matters." The old man raised an eyebrow. "And do you have absolute power?" Dao Zangtian shook his head. "No." The old man snorted. "Then what are you bragging about?" "I understand what you're saying. Sheng Gujin is provoking me intentionally. She wants me to kill that man. Which means that man is anything but simple. "She's baiting us. And even if we know it's a trap, we can't back down. If he lives, our lineage will become a laughingstock. She's playing a bold game... and there's no way out of here." "That's all you see?" Dao Zangtian thought for a while, then said, "That's as far as I can see, Grandfather." "You barely pass." Old Man Dao took another bite of fruit and said, "She's not just trying to stir up trouble. With her intelligence, she knows that if the Holy King Hall and Dao Cang Lineage were to clash, it'd destroy both of us. "But she went ahead with it, anyway. Which means there's another layer of scheme, there's a deeper scheme here." Dao Zangtian asked, "So what should we do?" "Wait," the old man replied. "Watch and adapt. Respond only when necessary." Dao Zangtian clenched his fists. "So we're not killing him?" The old man turned to look at him. "There are many ways to kill someone. You don't have to do it yourself. Understand?" "But I want to do it myself. I want to throw his head at the gates of the Holy King Hall!" "Think of the bigger picture." The old man's voice remained calm. "Back then, her master and I came up with this marriage to unite our forces against the Brahma Heaven Kingdom. "However, her master is dead, and she broke out of the trap we set. Anyone who can outwit both of us is no ordinary woman. If you still think she's just a pawn, you'll end up with nothing left, not even bones. "And keep in mind that we tried to manipulate her. Naturally, she'll try to manipulate us. That's only fair." Dao Zangtian fell into silence. "Can you kill me and take over as Lineage Master?" The old man made a sidelong glance at him. "Now, do you see the gap between you and her?" Dao Zangtian's expression darkened. "Don't rush. And don't let anger cloud your mind. That's exactly what your enemy wants. Since she's already made her move, we just need to watch. "But if you must kill that man, I won't stop you. Just don't come crying in regret." "All right." Dao Zangtian slowly nodded. "Grandfather, I'll follow your lead. But that man must die." "Then go play the game. If you win, I'll gladly hand over the Dao Cang Lineage to you." Dao Zangtian bowed deeply. "You will always be the true leader. I have no ambitions to replace you. All I want... is that man's death. If you trust me, then I'll play this game to the end." The old man nodded. "Go, then." Dao Zangtian bowed again and turned to leave. Dao Zangtian sat at the head seat inside a grand hall. On both sides of the hall were nineteen individuals, members of his inner circle. On his left sat a scholarly elder in a long robe; on his right sat a Daoist with a compass in hand. These were the top strategists of the Dao Cang Lineage, the best minds supporting Dao Zangtian. After briefly explaining the situation, Dao Zangtian looked at them. "That's where we are right now. Speak freely." The elder on the left said, "It's simple. If we want to test that boy's depth, just issue a bounty. Once he shows up, people will swarm to challenge him. We can sit back and watch." The Daoist holding a compass shook his head. "It's not that easy. Sheng Gujin's actions are calculated. That boy won't be ordinary. Throwing random people at him will just help him grow stronger." The elder frowned. "Then what's your suggestion?" The Daoist holding a compass replied, "We have two major problems. First of all, we don't truly know what Sheng Gujin's goal is. This puts us at a disadvantage. Secondly, we don't know the boy's true strength or identity." Someone chimed in, "He's from a lower realm. Even if he's a bit special, how special can he be?" The Daoist holding a compass glanced at him and asked, "You must be one of Ye Guan's people, am I correct?" Everyone was at a loss for words. The young man's expression darkened. "You!" The Daoist holding a compass shook his head. "Throughout history, how many people have died because they underestimated their enemies? "What we need to do now is assess Ye Guan's true strength and the strength of his backers." The elder nodded. "The Daoist is absolutely right. We cannot afford to take this lightly. Underestimating him could lead to serious consequences. So, in your opinion, how should we classify Ye Guan and the force behind him?" The Daoist holding a compass paused for a moment before calmly dropping a bombshell. "Treat them as being on the same level as us." Everyone present was stunned. Before anyone could say anything, a voice echoed. "I think that's still not enough. We should treat them as a force beyond our ability to oppose."' Gasps filled the room, and everyone turned sharply to the speaker.