Ji Zhan was filled with killing intent! Originally, he and the Great Daoist Brush Master had agreed to use the Celestial Clan to kill Ye Guan. In doing so, the Celestial Clan and the Yang Family would end up in a dogfight, while the empire could sit back and reap the benefits, taking full advantage of the situation. However, he hadn't expected the Celestial Clan to be aware of their plan and intervene to rescue Ye Guan. Ye Guan could not be allowed to live! If he were allowed to survive, he would definitely launch a crazed retaliation against the empire in the future. Seeing Ji Zhan chasing after Ye Guan, the Great Daoist Brush Master didn't try to stop him. If Ye Guan couldn't withstand the pressure and ended up calling for help, he would lose. He frowned deeply at the Celestial Clan's unexpected move. He hoped to use this opportunity to devour both the Celestial Clan and the empire in one swoop, but clearly, the Celestial Clan had outplayed him. He had underestimated them! Without further thought, he trembled and transformed into a long rainbow-like streak, chasing after them. Ji Zhan took a single step and instantly crossed countless starry skies. At the edge of the horizon, Ye Guan stopped. Just as he was about to turn around, a middle-aged man beside him quickly said, "Young Master Ye, Ji Zhan is a true Transcendent Realm expert. He is not someone you can handle. We will hold him back. Keep going! Our clan has already dispatched reinforcements..." After saying that, they turned and unleashed terrifying auras, charging toward Ji Zhan. Facing their dreadful power, Ji Zhan's expression was disdainful. With a wave of his sleeve, the four terrifying energies shattered. The four men were hurled tens of thousands of meters away by a horrifying force. As soon as they landed, the spacetime behind them was reduced to ashes! The four wore revealed solemn faces. They were no match for Ji Zhan. Still, they showed no signs of retreat. Their orders were clear—save Young Lord Master Ye at all costs! They stared intently at Ji Zhan. Ji Zhan approached them, and the starry skies around them boiled, becoming illusory. The starry skies couldn't withstand his power! Ji Zhan took another step forward. Just one step unleashed a sky-shattering pressure that loomed like a mountain above the four. They couldn't withstand it. Two of them had their fleshly bodies shattered instantly, leaving only their souls. Just as they were about to be crushed under that oppressive might, a sword cry echoed through heaven and earth. The next moment, a sword light tore through the starry sky and split the pressure apart. The brilliant sword light exploded like dazzling fireworks. The middle-aged man in the lead looked to the side in shock. "Young Master Ye!" The attacker was Ye Guan, who had turned around Ji Zhan's gaze also landed on Ye Guan. "I really underestimated your strength." With that, he raised his right hand and pressed down gently. Above Ye Guan's head, spacetime came crashing down like a raging waterfall, including the Void Spacetime. Ye Guan narrowed his eyes slightly and opened his palm. An Invincible Sword Intent soared into the sky. The sword slashed through all the collapsing spacetimes. The next moment, however, a golden fist light suddenly appeared before him. Ye Guan swung his sword. The sword light shattered. Ye Guan was blasted tens of thousands of meters away! When he stopped, the Invincible Sword Intent around him crumbled, and even his fleshly body cracked open. Ye Guan slowly looked up at Ji Zhan in the distance. This man's strength was even greater than he'd expected. Ji Zhan also stared at him, slightly surprised. He hadn't expected Ye Guan to survive that punch. He was truly extraordinary, and it only made him more important. He had to die! Ji Zhan's killing intent surged again. A formless imperial might spread across the heavens and earth. He clenched his right fist, and golden light surged from it. Even before his fist was thrown, the fist light had already formed! Without another word, he punched forward. A golden fist light thousands of meters wide surged toward Ye Guan like a bolt of lightning. It carried billions of runes, each brimming with the Fist Dao. One of the Ji Clan's three great divine techniques, and a required skill for every emperor. The fist carried infinite imperial might. Though still separated by tens of thousands of meters, Ye Guan's fleshly body was already crumbling. Ji Zhan intended to kill Ye Guan with this blow! Faced with the attack, Ye Guan felt more excited than afraid. Ever since his breakthrough, he had never faced such a powerful opponent. Ji Zhan was clearly at the pinnacle of this world. Ye Guan wanted to see just how far he was from that peak! A sword hum echoed as Ye Guan slashed out. He mustered only his Invincible Sword Intent. The sword flew through space, containing tremendous power, including the power of the Void Spacetime and the Boundary of Truth and Illusion. An earth-shattering explosion rang out, and the starry skies went dark. Fist lights carrying fist wills surged toward Ye Guan, crushing his sword intent bit by bit. He was like a single blade of grass in a storm, utterly insignificant. Ye Guan spread his arms wide, and waves of Invincible Sword Intent surged upward, struggling to break free of the oppressive fist will. However, the rune-imbued fists acted like iron walls, completely suppressing his sword intent into a single, isolated region. No matter how hard it tried, it couldn't break free. Ji Zhan raised his hand and pressed down again. All the fist runes came crashing down. In an instant, Ye Guan's sword intent shattered completely! Just as Ye Guan was about to die, a blood-red light burst from him. A blood-red sword light flew out, tearing through the fist runes and slashing toward Ji Zhan! Ji Zhan's eyes widened in surprise. He sent another punch. Ye Guan was once again blasted tens of thousands of meters away. His sword intent scattered, but it quickly manifested once more. Ji Zhan didn't strike again right away. He stared at Ye Guan, and for the first time, regret flashed in his heart. He regretted listening to the Great Daoist Brush Master and trying to use the Celestial Clan to kill Ye Guan. He ought to have stuck to his plan! He could have kept the Great Daoist Brush Master in check while his son dealt with Ye Guan. That way, the empire could dominate all sides. He regretted it, as the young man before him was far more terrifying than he'd expected. However, regret was meaningless at this point. Just like in ancient power struggles for the throne, once one picked a side, there was no turning back. Otherwise, one would end up being cast out by both sides. Now that he had chosen the Great Daoist Brush Master, he had to stand firmly with him. Ji Zhan stared at Ye Guan again and clenched his right hand. His gaze was calm but filled with murderous intent. Ji Zhan stepped forward. The starry skies became illusory once more. In that instant, Ye Guan was forcibly dragged into the Boundary of Truth and Illusion. Once again, he felt Death staring at him. Ji Zhan was trying to obliterate him completely! Ye Guan dared not hold anything back. With a thought, the bloodlines in him ignited, and countless strands of Invincible Sword Intent surged out. Moments later, a world-destroying force came crashing in from all directions. The countless waves of fist intent crushed everything. Ye Guan's sword intent and bloodline power were being ground down, bit by bit. Death's face was becoming clearer and clearer. Ye Guan took a deep breath. The next moment, he ignited his fleshly body and soul. His sword energy surged again. The shattered sword intent also reformed, slashing wildly at the oppressive fist will. In the shadows, the Great Daoist Brush Master watched with a deep frown. "Why is that traitor's strength growing so fast?" Ye Guan's current power level was absurd. Something was wrong here. However, he could sense that Ye Guan's Little Pagoda was still sealed, which meant Ye Guan wasn't using it to cultivate. Without the pagoda, how could he possibly grow so fast? The Great Daoist Brush Master glared at Ye Guan. Damn it. I really can't give that little bastard more time. "Die!" Ye Guan's voice rang out from the Boundary of Truth and Illusion. A sword light surged into the sky, trying to break through the oppressive martial will. Ji Zhan pointed a finger. Wherever his fingertip landed, a black light would appear and spread toward Ye Guan, attempting to swallow him whole. "Hmm?" The Great Daoist Brush Master's gaze shifted from Ye Guan to Ji Zhan, filled with surprise. "Sumeru Spacetime... He actually created it?" A special domain that existed between truth and illusion, it was capable of devouring all worldly Dao techniques. If the mirror's inside was the Void Spacetime, and its outside was the real world, then the Sumeru Spacetime was the mirror's shadow... The Sumeru Spacetime engulfed Ye Guan; his sword intent and fleshly body started melting beneath its power! Ji Zhan faced Ye Guan and clenched his fist. He could sense it; killing Ye Guan would bring about catastrophic karmic consequences. But so what? Regardless of how great that karma was, he, Ji Zhan, could shatter it with one hand! Ji Zhan clenched his fist and swung it at Ye Guan in order to obliterate him.