What kind of cultivation method is that? You Lian stared fixedly at Ye Guan. At this moment, Ye Guan stepped into the speck of light. The Boundary of Truth and Illusion! The moment Ye Guan entered that Boundary of Truth and Illusion, the world within the water curtain blurred, becoming completely indiscernible. The spacetime within the Boundary of Truth and Illusion could no longer be perceived. Of course, with her strength, she could keep observing even the Boundary of Truth and Illusion. However, she chose not to do so. With a gentle wave of her right hand, the water curtain disappeared without a trace. Her gaze returned to that drop of blood. Previously, she had only found it a bit extraordinary, but now, she found it terrifying. She had underestimated the Great Daoist Brush Master and Ye Guan. She had grossly underestimated them. Thinking of what he had said about coming here for training... a terrifying thought suddenly surfaced in her mind. Just then, Ji Wuchen walked in. You Lian withdrew her thoughts and looked toward Ji Wuchen. He sat down beside her and smiled, "Lady You, what's your opinion of Young Master Ye?" You Lian calmly replied, "I've already said that." Ji Wuchen suddenly said, "His enemy is the Grand Preceptor." You Lian glanced at him but said nothing. "I don't know about this Grand Preceptor's background, but from what I can tell, he enjoys the full trust and support of my father. I've received word that it was his idea for Father to personally lead this expedition. "Not only that, he even helped reinforce our Empire's defensive formations himself. Their power has at least doubled..." You Lian frowned slightly but still said nothing. Ji Wuchen added, "It's said that he's also helped the Emperor with his cultivation..." "What are you trying to say?" "Lady You, you're clever. Surely you understand what I mean?" You Lian remained silent. Ji Wuchen went on, "When I left the palace, the Grand Preceptor approached me." Still, You Lian said nothing. Ji Wuchen continued, "He didn't speak directly, but I know that a choice must be made. Otherwise, after this war, I will completely lose my claim to the throne. Right now, he's more than capable of influencing my father's decision as to who will become the heir." "So you want to choose the Great Daoist Brush Master." "I have no other choice." "You've already made your decision, so why ask for my opinion?" Ji Wuchen smiled. "Still, I want to hear what you think." You Lian thought for a moment, then said, "There's a problem here. That Great Daoist Brush Master is indeed powerful and a sworn enemy of Young Master Ye. Yet, Young Master Ye is still alive. Do you know what that implies?" Ji Wuchen said, "He has an extraordinary background, too." "Indeed. Right now, the Great Daoist Brush Master has the upper hand; he's the Grand Preceptor, with high status and power, but there are two issues there. "First of all, is he even willing to support you? He never stated it explicitly. His message was vague and noncommittal; he's manipulating you, in other words. "If you make a move against Young Master Ye and win, he'll benefit from it. If you lose, he'll lose nothing." You Lian added, "Even if he makes his support clear, how trustworthy is it? At the very least, Ye Guan is on your side at the moment." "I understand that, but there's still a problem—as long as Brother Ye follows me and I don't oppose it, I'm essentially aligning myself with him. And if I do that, I'll become the Grand Preceptor's enemy. "When he acts against Brother Ye, he'll act against me too..." You Lian replied, "If you want to gain something, you have to give something up." Ji Wuchen revealed a bitter smile. "Lady You... it's not that simple. If the Grand Preceptor joins forces with my elder brother, I'll have no chance at all." You Lian said, "I can only offer advice. The final choice is yours." "I want to take a gamble." You Lian looked at him. "Gamble on what?" Ji Wuchen stood up slowly. "Lady You, you overlooked one thing." You Lian frowned slightly. Ji Wuchen added, "My father. The Great Daoist Brush Master and Ye Guan are mortal enemies. My father had chosen to side with the Great Daoist Brush Master. What does that mean? It means that if I choose Ye Guan, I'm not just opposing the Great Daoist Brush Master, but I'm also opposing my father!" You Lian fell silent. Ji Wuchen continued to analyse, "Therefore, I must sacrifice Brother Ye. By doing so, I will be able to curry favor with the Great Daoist Brush Master and avoid creating a rift with my father. I have no other choice." Ji Wuchen's eyes were resolute. You Lian nodded and said no more. Ji Wuchen smiled. "Of course, I'm not stupid enough to go after Ye Guan directly. There will be plenty of chances during this battle on the Empyrean Star Battlefield." You Lian said, "He's not simple. Be cautious." Ji Wuchen nodded. "Naturally." After he left, You Lian whispered, "Sometimes, betting against the odds can yield unexpected returns..." In a side hall, the Great Daoist Brush Master was sitting across from the Emperor. A chessboard was between them; the Great Daoist Brush Master played white, while the emperor played black. The emperor made a move and said, "You must know of the Jun Clan, yes?" The Great Daoist Brush Master smiled. "Not very well, but that's fine." "Likewise, I don't know you very well." The emperor glanced at him. In this empire, only a few eluded the emperor's vast knowledge. The Great Daoist Brush Master said, "We are not enemies." "But I'd like to know more about you." The Great Daoist Brush Master chuckled. He naturally understood that the emperor was afraid of the possibility that he had ulterior motives. Placing another stone on the board, he said, "I came for the boy." The Emperor asked, "You want him dead?" The Great Daoist Brush Master shook his head. "No. I want him to admit defeat." "He must be quite something." The Great Daoist Brush Master smiled faintly. "Why test me?" He knew full well this wasn't a genuine offer; the emperor was just probing to learn more about Ye Guan. The emperor smiled and said no more. He wasn't foolish enough to help the Great Daoist Brush Master kill someone just like that. To be able to stand against the Great Daoist Brush Master, how could Ye Guan be ordinary? Even if he were to help, it had to come with ample reward and caution. More importantly, there was no rush. That young man was on his son's side. As long as he stabilized the Great Daoist Brush Master and his son held Ye Guan with a firm grip, then both father and son could control both sides. The Great Daoist Brush Master naturally understood the emperor's thoughts. He smiled. The Emperor was indeed a tough character but his sons... The Ninth Prince and Crown Prince were still very young. Thinking of that, he suddenly thought of Ye Guan. To be honest, that little traitor wasn't so bad anymore. Especially after everything that had happened, he had matured quite a bit. He was not so naïve now. The Great Daoist Brush Master moved a piece and calmly said, "I have a plan to destroy the Celestial Clan and completely annihilate the Jun clan." Just as the Emperor was about to make a move, his hand paused. He looked up at the Great Daoist Brush Master, not with delight, but with caution. The Great Daoist Brush Master smiled. "This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. If you miss it, it may never come again." Kill Ye Guan? That was pointless. What he wanted was for Ye Guan to admit defeat, willingly, sincerely. He also wanted the entire Yang Family to yield, with no room to argue with him. The Emperor finally placed a stone and said, "If we can eliminate the Celestial Clan, my empire is naturally interested. But what's your condition?" The Great Daoist Brush Master leaned back in his chair and said calmly, "You don't need to be wary of me. I do have my own goals, but your empire is not a part of them." The emperor looked at him. After a moment, he smiled. "To a happy cooperation." The Great Daoist Brush Master also smiled. "To a happy cooperation." Ye Guan was now at the Boundary of Truth and Illusion; this realm was even above the so-called "Void Spacetime." If the Void Spacetime was like being inside a mirror, then this place was like stepping one foot out of it. Once there, Ye Guan could feel lifeforms actively trying to communicate with him. Yes, actively! This was an enormous blessing. He began releasing his Invincible Sword Intent. It surged outward like a tide and merged seamlessly with the spacetime. Once merged, he discovered something incredible. He could sense this unique spacetime through his own sword intent... Thanks to the relationships built through his family's name, he could directly master both the Void Spacetime and the Boundary of Truth and Illusion. Gradually, his fleshly body began to undergo a transformation. A cultivator at the Void Breaking Realm could condense a Dao Void Divine Physique, so he could definitely do the same. In fact, his fleshly body was forged from Invincible Sword Intent. Now, that very sword intent could even devour the spacetime force here. Naturally, the Dao Void Divine Physique he condensed far surpassed those of ordinary cultivators. And that wasn't all... Within the spacetime at the Boundary of Truth and Illusion, he also obtained a brand-new power... His Sword Dao was transforming!