News of the emperor personally leading the expedition spread like wildfire throughout the empire after the meeting. The emperor was going to war himself! Soon, the entire empire was mobilized. All top-tier elites from every province rushed toward the Imperial capital. The provinces also began frantically gathering resources, which were then shipped ahead to the battlefield on the Empyrean Star Battlefield. Everyone knew that this war would decide the empire's survival. They could not afford to lose! Countless elites responded to the empire's call and gathered from all corners of the world. On his way back to the Ninth Prince's residence, Ye Guan was silent. He had to admit he was surprised. He hadn't expected the Great Daoist Brush Master to somehow end up becoming the Grand Preceptor. Damn it! I really underestimated him. Compared to the Great Daoist Brush Master, Ye Guan still had a ways to go. He knew he had to find a new path. Just as he returned to the courtyard of the residence, he found a woman waiting for him. She was none other than You Lian. She looked at Ye Guan and said, "Young Master Ye." Ye Guan smiled. "Lady You, do you have business with me?" You Lian didn't answer verbally. She simply took out a token. The moment he saw it, his brows furrowed deeply. When he was serving his sentence in the Star Spiritual Mine, that certain young man had given him a token that was identical to this one. You Lian said nothing, simply meeting his gaze. Ye Guan got straight to the point: "I need a lot of help. Can you give it?" "Depends on your value." "The person who stands against me is now the Grand Preceptor. You know that already. That's why you came to find me, isn't it?" You Lian nodded. "I can only offer limited help." Ye Guan fell silent. He knew she was trying to see more of his cards. Without hesitation, he extended a finger. A small wound opened at the tip, and a drop of blood slowly floated out, drifting toward You Lian. You Lian stared at it for a moment before collecting it. "I'll do my best to help you." With that, she stood and left. Back in her room, You Lian examined the drop of blood and her brows lightly furrowed. After a moment, she opened her palm. A small pool of clear water instantly condensed from the surrounding air and hovered in front of her. Soon, an image of Ye Guan appeared in the water. Yet, he showed no sign of being aware he was being watched. In the courtyard, Ye Guan's face was solemn. Little Pagoda said, "She wanted to kill you just now!" Ye Guan nodded. "If I had hesitated even for a moment, she would've struck without hesitation." "Who is she, really?" Little Pagoda had no idea what to say. Ye Guan muttered, "Damn it, I've been pulled into a massive whirlpool and there's no getting out." Little Pagoda said, "The biggest problem is the Great Daoist Brush Master... He's got incredible vision. It's no surprise he was able to convince the emperor. But now that he's the Grand Preceptor... if he wants to target you..." "He's about to start." "So what are you going to do?" "Fight back, obviously..." He was planning on opening the academy first before taking things slow, but clearly, that wasn't going to work. Only winners would get to take all. In other words, he had to win and then establish his academy. Climbing up from the bottom was nearly impossible, but descending from the top? Easy. Ye Guan gravely said, "Master Pagoda, you have to help me." "I'm afraid I can't help you with anything right now..." Ye Guan shook his head. "I can't match the Great Daoist Brush Master in strategic thinking. I probably can't beat him one-on-one either. I need to take an unorthodox path..." Little Pagoda said, "Kid, are you about to do something crazy?" "Not crazy. Just unconventional and fast." In the days that followed, the empire became extremely busy as waves of strong cultivators poured into the capital. Meanwhile, Ye Guan remained in the Ninth Prince's residence, training and reading. He was determined to understand the empire and the so-called Celestial Clan completely. The empire had been existing for over ten billion years now. Its founder, Ji Wuxian, was a true legend. He rose from nothing and eventually unified a chaotic universe to establish the vast Empire. As for cultivation, the current highest cultivation realm in the empire was the Transcendent Realm, but it was different from the cultivation system of that mysterious man. That man, after exploring the Void Spacetime, was able to fully control it. He could even shatter the void and reach what he called the "Truth," which he saw in the form of a white speck in the Void Spacetime. That man had reached a higher plane of spacetime. In other words, he was probably beyond the Transcendent Realm by the time he tried to kill Ye Guan. With Ye Guan's father's help, that man gained even more insight. Ye Guan concluded that he was stronger than any Transcendent Ones of the empire. In this empire, the Transcendent Realm was just another cultivation realm. In contrast, the mysterious figure had a complete theoretical framework; he was studying the nature of reality, not just realms. In other words, his so-called status as a Transcendent One was far scarier. Once Ye Guan had comprehended the Breaking Wall Scripture, he would surely be able to beat this world's strongest. After all, even the Great Daoist Brush Master coveted it. In the following days, Ye Guan immersed himself in training and comprehension. Unfortunately, without the Qingxuan Sword, training in the "Void Spacetime" was very difficult. Previously, the sword served as a medium, allowing him to merge freely with any spacetime. Without it, the Void Spacetime wouldn't even acknowledge him. Thankfully, Ye Guan had a good mindset and wasn't impatient at all. He changed his approach. Instead of forcibly merging with the Void Spacetime, he started studying it first. He would understand it and then merge with it. Thanks to the Breaking Wall Scripture, the Void Spacetime didn't reject him, and he could enter it freely. In the void, everything was illusory, unreal, like a dream. It was like being inside a mirror. Nothing felt real. The eerie blend of reality and illusion gave him a strange sense of unease. Seated cross-legged, Ye Guan absorbed everything around him. Eventually, he frowned. "Why do I even have to merge with it?" Little Pagoda asked, "What do you mean?" "I was trying to merge my Sword Dao with the Void Spacetime to create a new path. But I overlooked something: the Void Spacetime is infinite. Even with my faith power, I might not be able to do it..." Ye Guan narrowed his eyes. "I don't want to merge with it. I want to absorb it!" Little Pagoda said, "Impossible. Without the Qingxuan Sword, you can't absorb it." "I don't have faith power, but I have..." Ye Guan's face twisted. In an instant, his three bloodlines surged out and enveloped the entire Void Spacetime. "Come on... Your bloodline doesn't have the power to devour spacetime. It doesn't make sense..." Ye Guan suddenly asked, "Master Pagoda, why was the Great Daoist Brush Master able to become the Grand Preceptor?" Little Pagoda answered solemnly, "He's knowledgeable. It's not surprising he could win over the emperor." Ye Guan nodded. "His memories come from his original body. Using them logically is perfectly fair, so why can't I use my advantages the same way?" Little Pagoda asked, "What do you mean?" Ye Guan slowly closed his eyes. Under his mental control, the three bloodlines condensed into a colossal illusory figure. Suspended within the endless Void Spacetime, it exuded terrifying pressure. "What the hell are you doing?! Little Pagoda asked in alarm. Just then, Ye Guan's voice echoed like thunder across the Void Spacetime. "With the bloodline of the Yang Clan, I, Ye Guan, promise that whoever helps me make a breakthrough today... my grandfather, Yang Ye, my father, Ye Xuan, and my mother, Qin Guan, will owe them a favor!" Little Pagoda was speechless. The Void Spacetime was utterly silent. Little Pagoda said, "That's not gonna work—" Just then, a terrifying stream of spacetime force surged toward Ye Guan like a tidal wave, rushing straight into him! It was devouring trying to devour him! Little Pagoda was completely stunned. Ye Guan stared intently into the depths of the endless Void Spacetime, and his hands clenched into fists. He knew that merely entering the Void Spacetime was far from enough! He had to touch reality; he needed to reach the Transcendent Realm! He didn't have the time to cultivate slowly, as the Great Daoist Brush Master would never give him that chance. Ye Guan took a deep breath. "Whoever helps me reach the Transcendent Realm, I swear on my father's name that my aunt... will owe you a favor!" As soon as his words fell, a speck of light appeared in the void before him. The Boundary of Truth and Reality! A spacetime beyond the Void Spacetime! The mysterious figure once achieved invincibility in that same spacetime... Even more terrifying was that within that speck of light, a Great Dao extended on its own, reaching Ye Guan's feet. You Lian saw that unfold and frowned deeply. Moments later, her understanding of the world was overturned.