Unfortunately, Erya was completely serious. She genuinely thought that her plan was going to work. If it were anyone else, Brother Yang would definitely be furious, but she knew how much he adored his precious grandson. As long as his precious boy made the request himself, even if he got mad, he wouldn't stay mad for long. Sure, Ye Guan might get beaten up a little, but it wouldn't be toobad! The more she thought about it, the more she believed this plan would work. Erya couldn't help but grin mischievously. She and Little White could finally roam around freely! Ye Guan didn't refuse, as he knew that Erya would definitely cause trouble if he were to refuse. He had to stall for time! After calming Erya down, Ye Guan turned toward the distant battle between the Great Daoist Brush Master and Ye Qingqing. Ye Qingqing was unleashing another sword strike at him. Ye Qingqing's swordsmanship was exactly like her personality, straightforward and brutal, yet filled with terrifying, boundless power. The Great Daoist Brush Master stood immovable as a mountain. Though Ye Qingqing's sword techniques were mighty, they still couldn't truly shake him. His Great Dao was extremely suspicious. No one present had ever seen anything like it, but they could all sense how terrifying it was. Many experts had already quietly retreated from the battlefield, not daring to get close. Beside Ye Guan, Sui Gujin was staring intently at the Great Daoist Brush Master, her voice carrying a heavy seriousness. "His Great Dao is what legends refer to as... a Dao beyond the Great Dao." Ye Guan turned to look at her, puzzled. "A Dao beyond the Great Dao?" Ye Guan immediately turned to Erya. "Erya, do you know about it?" Erya pulled out a stick of hawthorn candy and licked it before saying, "Nope!" She stared fiercely at the distant Great Daoist Brush Master and said, "Whatever Dao he has, we're gonna smash him apart today!" Little White waved her tiny paws fiercely too, her expression all ferocious, although she looked more adorable than fierce. At that moment, a deafening boom suddenly erupted from the distance. Immediately after, everyone felt their vision go dark. The entire region before their eyes had completely collapsed. It could no longer withstand the power unleashed by the two combatants! Ye Qingqing's sword light rained down one wave after another, slashing towards the Great Daoist Brush Master. Yet, the Great Daoist Brush Master remained unmoving, effortlessly blocking and destroying all her sword light. Ye Qingqing's attacks were unable to shake him in the slightest. Meanwhile, An Nanjing, Slaughter, and the others were silently watching the battle unfold. Next to Slaughter, Mu Niannian said, "His Dao... looks like a Dao beyond the Great Dao. But in reality, it contains countless Daos within it." Slaughter replied, "The origin of all Daos." Mu Niannian nodded. "The origin of all Daos. To defeat him, you must either surpass it or create a brand new Dao." Slaughter fixed her gaze on the Great Daoist Brush Master. "He has hidden his true intentions very deeply." "From another perspective, you can say that he has never done any of that at all," Mu Niannian said, smiling. Slaughter turned to look at Mu Niannian, who smiled gently and explained, "Throughout his entire life, he's only done one thing—target the Yang Family members. Clearly, the Yang Family is standing in his way." "You mean..." Slaughter trailed off. Mu Niannian said, "Yes." Slaughter's brows furrowed tightly. Mu Niannian added, "This isn't just an ordinary battle for supremacy over the Dao. It's a true life-and-death struggle. Unless he gives up and ceases to desire anything, this conflict will never end." Mu Niannian stared at the Great Daoist Brush Master and added, "Rather than saying he's fighting against us, it's more accurate to say that he's fighting against himself. "In truth, the one who has truly cast himself into the game... is him." Slaughter asked, "If he really breaks free from the game, what will happen?" "Then he will be able to do whatever he wants," Mu Niannian answered. Slaughter said, "They won't let him win." She was referring to the Three Swords. Just then, Mu Niannian said something astonishing. "But.. have you considered this possibility that they've allowed him to act so recklessly all along because they are actually waiting for him to win?" Slaughter was stunned. "Ye Guan's recent trial served two purposes. First of all, it was a genuine attempt to kill Ye Guan. Secondly, it was to observe the attitude of the Three Swords. "Clearly, he has figured it out." "You mean... They're raising a venomous creature on purpose?" "You could put it that way. All along, we thought Little Guan was the one they had placed their hopes on, but it's not entirely true. They've placed their hopes on the Great Daoist Brush Master as well. "And judging by the current situation, the Great Daoist Brush Master might actually be closer to fulfilling their expectations than Ye Guan. "This lad, ever since that battle, has been staying quietly inside the tiny pagoda, developing his faith power. That alone proves that he already understands the true intentions of the Three Swords. That's why he's been doing everything he can to buy time for himself to grow stronger, including his arrangement with Lady Sui." Slaughter glanced at the distant Sui Gujin. "They set up the scheme together?" Mu Niannian nodded. "Without his permission, she wouldn't have dared to get pregnant, nor dared to use their child as leverage." Slaughter immediately frowned. Mu Niannian smirked. "Don't like the idea of him becoming so cunning?" Mu Niannian smiled and said, "I actually think it's not a bad thing at all. You just have to live a life that is true to your conscience. Besides, although he has the Three Swords as his backers, he knows better than anyone else that the Great Daoist Brush Master would want to see him ask the Three Swords for help. "Therefore, he can only do everything he can to buy himself time, and relying on pure strength isn't enough, so he can only rely on wisdom." Slaughter asked, "Won't he lose his true self?" "You mean he has been holding onto his true self the entire time?" "Yes. He's been guarding his heart and his bottom line. For example, working with Lady Sui... Although he did end up 'selling' his own body, I believe there must have been genuine feelings between them. "Even if there weren't deep feelings, there had to be mutual affection at least. "And since he's naturally a bit of a womaniser, he must have had no psychological burden doing it. As for his bottom line, it shouldn't be too high. "If it's too high, he'd suffer losses and wouldn't be able to survive in this world. But it can't be non-existent either. Just enough to pass the minimum standard, right?" "And what about that young lady?" "In this world, true and pure love is rare. Many men have the ideal dream of love that, even if they are penniless nobodies, a woman would still love them wholeheartedly, stay by their side, and remain faithful forever. "On the flip side, women have their own fantasies. They wish that even if they have no looks, no figure, and no brain, some handsome, rich, and deeply devoted man would love them... Well, those are just unrealistic dreams." Slaughter fell silent. Mu Niannian continued, "Men love beauty, and women admire strength. It's just human nature. They feel mutual affection for each other, but that affection is based on the fact that both are outstanding individuals. "When a mature woman chooses a man, what she prioritises is not the man's personality, but his capabilities. If he can support a family or if he is responsible enough. "Similarly, when a mature man chooses a wife, he won't prioritize beauty, but if the woman can manage a household. As for pure emotions... only youngsters put feelings above all else." Slaughter looked at Ye Guan and Sui Gujin nearby.. It was clear that both of them had feelings for each other, but there was also an exchange of mutual interests involved. A trace of worry flashed in Slaughter's eyes. Mu Niannian saw that and grinned. "You don't need to worry about her having any ulterior motives. She's extremely smart. She knows exactly what benefits her the most. She understands that she doesn't have to scheme for anything, as everything she needs will come to her naturally. "However, if she were ever to have even the slightest intention of manipulation, the consequence would be clear. The mother will be discarded, but the child will be kept. "Little Guan actually faces a tougher situation than his father did. Destiny was absolutely tolerant toward his father, but not necessarily toward him. She's helping him, yes, but also testing him. If he can't even manage his own woman, how could he possibly compete against the Great Daoist Brush Master? "Of course, that kind of situation won't happen, because both of them are smart enough. Two smart people together know clearly what they should and shouldn't do. "Moreover, once a woman has a child, her mindset will inevitably change. A situation like what happened to the First God is extremely rare." Slaughter nodded. "Let's not interfere with his personal relationships. Let him handle them himself. After all, he's a grown-up now." Hearing that, Slaughter recalled something and turned to Mu Niannian. "Lady Mu, if you were him, how would you break this deadlock?" Mu Niannian pondered for a moment before replying, "It would be very difficult, as no matter what he does, people will always compare him to his father and grandfather. People are naturally nostalgic and hold onto old things. "Of course, it has to be difficult. If you wish to wear the crown, you must bear its weight. If he wants to reach greater heights, these are challenges he must face. What we can do is simply lend him a hand when he's struggling, but ultimately, he must walk his own path." Slaughter smiled. "Lady Mu, you've rarely appeared after this life. Why is that?" Mu Niannian smiled and said, "Everyone eventually becomes the past; everyone eventually becomes a part of history, and is ultimately forgotten. No one is an exception. It's better to accept it calmly." Slaughter said, "I don't think the people of this era will ever forget you." "Because whenever something has left a deep enough impression, they will always be imitated."